Can you imagine the Brady Bunch with Shirley Jones instead of Florence Nightingale? Can You imagine any other actresses portraying Shirley Partridge on the Partridge Family?

It could had happen! Shirley Jones was first offered the role of Carol Brady on the Brady Bunch; but turned it down. The reason for it was, she didn’t want to play a stay-at-home mother.

Now Shirley Jones was movie star married to Jack Cassidy. They were in the process of starting a family and she was looking at doing a television series; so that she could be closer to home for her family.

Shirley Jones was the first to be cast on the Partridge Family. Of course she did her own singing on the show.

Shirley Partridge was a single working mother raising 5 kids. At first, she worked at a bank before the family became a hit musical family.

She was a Feminist.

The next to be cast on the Partridge Family was David Cassidy. He was Shirley Jones’s step-son. It was because of Shirley that David got the part and his first acting job. She recommended David to the producer of the show. Then both her and Jack Cassidy pushed for David to take the opportunity of a lifetime.

Now David also did his own singing on the show as well. The other kids on the show just lip sync.

Even though, Shirley Jones was David Cassidy’s step-mother, they were still close, as she helped raise him as one of her own boys. She wasn’t a wicked step-mother, like was shown in certain Disney films. David looked up to her with respect.

Blood and DNA don’t mean anything. If a person have a heart for children, anyone can be a mother. She was like a mentor to David Cassidy. She also helped him deals with his not-so-good relationship with his father and his death later on in life.

Even David’s kids called Shirley, grandmother.

Now Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy had 3 boys together themselves. The oldest is Shaun Cassidy. Before Shaun was born, Jack gave Shirley a portrait of what their first born son would possibly looks like. I have to admit, when I saw a picture of a young Shaun Cassidy and even as he got older, I have to say that he resembled his mother in looks very much.

Shaun and David were very close growing up, like brothers. Shaun was able to learn a lot about show businesses through his mother and his brother, David. He would helped his mother answer fan mails.

When it became his turn to become a teen idol; he was pretty much prepared for the outcomes by learning and watching what David went through. Plus, his mother, Shirley, was also there as support.

The kids cast on the Partridge Family was also very close to Shirley Jones. She was like a mother to them even off the set. At times, they were over at her place playing with her boys.

I think that was why they didn’t have as much trouble in their adult life as most child stars. Shirley Jones was a mentor to not only her step-son, David, but also the other kids on the Partridge Family.

I think the reason why Shaun, Patrick, and Ryan Cassidy didn’t have the problem, was because of the kind of mother Shirley Jones was. They became good rounded adults.

Not only did she helped David deals with the death of his father by apparent suicide and alcohol abuse; she was able to helped her own sons as well.

When she wed for a second time to comedian Marty Ingalls, her son, Shaun walked her down the aisle to give her away.

Now shifting over the other half of this blog and single working mothers. Shirley Jones represents single working mothers by her portrayal of Shirley Partridge.

Like I said, earlier, she was a feminist, a career woman and a working mother. I would say, in a way she may have a Conservative.

I guess what I’m getting at is, I have more respect to single working mothers than I do to mothers who lives on welfare and keeps getting pregnant just to get more money from the government.

Any single working mothers who can bring home the bacon, fry it and still finds the time to play and teach her kids, deserves my utmost respect.

It’s a mother’s job to teach her kids about life and how to become a decent human being.

For the first 5 years of my life, my mother was single working mother. She never went on welfare. She never demanded alimony from my real father. The only thing he did was paid the hospital where I was born.

I’m sure that you heard the story of Dr. Ben Carson. He was a self-taught man. You would have to give his mother the credit though. Ben Carson was raised by a single working mother himself. His mother didn’t have much education and wasn’t the best at reading. But she demanded that her sons, read and do book reports; even though she couldn’t actually read herself.

We all know what kind of man Ben Carson became thanks to his mother.

My hearts goes out to these hard single working mothers out there. It’s not easy being a mother and a father. It’s not easy raising a family on a single income. She works hard for the money; as little as it may be.

Any single working mothers should be paid equal pay for equal works, no matter what kind of jobs it may be.

If they were paid the same, they wouldn’t have to get welfare help.

Happy Mother’s Day not only to Shirley Jones but all single working mothers out there. You worked extra hard raising your kids to keep them safe and healthy. You raise them up to be good rounded adults.

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers out there as well. Mothers have a very important job. God bless all mothers, single, working and stay-at-home.

Are you like me and tired of all the depressing news you get from the mainstream fake news media? Do you just wants a little good news for a change?

I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that the mainstream news media is all doom and gloom over this pandemic. They make it sounds like there’s no hope at all for us because of the Coronavirus.

I find that when I watch Fox news, I get more hope for dealing with this Coronavirus. They give us hope for this country. They give us hope that we will overcome and survive. We are overcomer!

I’m here to tell you that we will survive this pandemic. This wasn’t the first crisis that the United States and the world is going through. And this won’t be the last. As the long as the world is still standing, there will be disasters, until the good Lord return again. It says so in the Bible. This will only make us stronger and hopefully wiser.

Around 1918, the United States went through a pandemic of all pandemic with the Spanish Flu. It lasted around 2 years. We got through that and came out on top.

Back then, we didn’t have the fake mainstream news media we got now scaring us. The Spanish Flu was way tougher than the Coronavirus. It killed a lot of people. Yet, there was also a lot of people who survived it as well.

Those who survived, survived it because there’s immune system was much better than what it is today. People ate healthier back then. There was no chemicals put into our food supplies and the ground that grows our foods. We didn’t have the poisons we have now. There was no telling you that you had to get a flu shot back then and people still survive without the flu shot. We survived because we used our common sense and home natural remedies. They didn’t had to shut the government down and every businesses back then.

This country survived the Stock Market crash just before the Great Depression. Sure there were people who jump out of the windows because of it. Before I made my investment decisions, I was told, not to get scared when the stocks falls; because it will rise again. This warning wasn’t only from my financial advisor but also a teacher I had in high school.

This country survived the Great Depression and got back on it’s feet. Part of the Great Depression was the Wall Street Crash and another was the dust storms in the Great Plains states. We survived because of hard works and common sense.

We survived the attack on Pearl Harbor; which dragged the United States into World War 2. After the World War 2, we had the baby boomers.

We survived the Y2K back in 2000. The fake mainstream news media used our fears to scare us. They said that there will be a worldwide blackout once the clock turned to 2000. The reason they gave was because the system wasn’t set up to deal with all the zeros. So people hoard things like generators and others back then as they hoard things during the Coronavirus.

Nothing happen? We didn’t have a worldwide blackout like the media scared us to believe would happen?

This country survived the attack on the World Trade Center during 9/11. The economy didn’t collapse.

Sure, we was in a long dragged out war in the Middle East, because of it. As bad as I hated George W. Bush, it was better that he was President than Al (I invented the internet)Gore. I progress, I’m sorry!

Just a few short months ago, everything including the Government was shut down because of the Coronavirus. Everyone was forced to stay home!

The Democrats and the mainstream news media will have you believe that this is the end and President Trump is to blame.

I heard last week that God shut things down just to get our attention. He wants us back.

We will overcome this and come back stronger than ever. I just hope that we will also become wiser. We will survive this as we did other crisis. All we have to do is use common sense. All we have to do is quit poisoning our food supplies and putting poisons into our bodies.

These poisons are weakening our immunes system. It us making us sicker and weaker.

They didn’t have all that poisons during the Spanish Flu of 1918, and they survived.

The economy will bounce right back. The Stock Market will rise again. People will be back to work and enjoying life once again. We will get through this as we did before.

If you happen to have the mainstream news media on they are scaring you by taking away your hope, just shut them off. It’s time the American people tell them where to get off.

If you want a little hope, turn to Fox news for a change.

We need some good news for a change. We need to hear some hope for a change. I don’t know about you; but I like hearing survival stories of those beating cancer or any survival stories. That’s good news and it gives us hope.

The Bible is full of hope for us all.

Don’t let the world take away that hope by scaring us. The devil would love for us not to have hope.

We will survive this! We are overcomer! Those who are Christians have hope. Those who lives out in the country and can plant their own garden, grow their own food without putting these poisonous chemicals in it, will survive.

My hope when you read this, you will find hope during this pandemic. I hope this will brings you victory. This is my prayer for you.

Now more than ever, it’s essential to watch what we do and say while online. It’s essential to pay attention to what your kids are doing while online.

When school was closed down because of the Coronavirus, the kids were happy to be done with school. They didn’t expect to have to take their classes online.

It’s important that parents works with their kids with their online courses. It will strengthened their bonds and it will also shows what they are being taught by our Liberal education system as well.

This is not about our Liberal education though.

Like I said, it’s viable that parents pay attention to what your kids are watching online. There’s predators out there who preys on innocent victims. Children for example.

Years ago, before computers, predators would lure children with either pets or candies to end up being kidnapped, molested, and/or murdered.

Now days, predators used the computers to lure unexpected victims. These predators will go to sites that children and teenagers occupied just to see who they can trick and lure to meet somewhere. They pretend to be someone there age; and so acts like a friend online.

Also years ago, predators would hang out where children hung out like the park, the mall, and schools. Some teens get lured into prostitution and pornography because of encounter at the mall.

Teens and kids are not the only ones that needs to watch out for predators though. Even vulnerable adults need to watch what they do while online.

There’s scammers out there who will try to steal your identity and/or money from you.

You heard of the movie, based upon a true story starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, called, “Catch me if you can.” In the movie, DiCaprio played a con artist who steals people identity.

Years ago, that was done through the mail for example. Now days they can do it online very easily.

Now I’m pretty much old school when it comes to some things. I prefer not to bank online.

You should never give your bank account numbers, Social Security, credit card/debit card numbers to someone you don’t know. Especially, when being online at sites that you don’t know much about.

I do have to admit though, I have ordered stuff through Amazon. That can be a risk as well; even though it’s a well known company. Scammers can still finds a way to get your information to steal from you.

Now you can get these APPs on your smartphone as well. Some apps may even wants your credit or debit card numbers before you can operate it.

It’s not only what you do online that you needs to watch out for. You also needs to watch what you say as well. In a way, I’m a people pleaser. I would wear my heart on my sleeves at times. Sometimes, I would say things on Facebook, for example, just to be like.

Predators like when a person does something like that. I don’t care if you are a child, a teenager, or an adult.

Be careful when you open up e-mail because you may attract viruses from predators and they can get a hold of any information they need about you. If I don’t know where the e-mails is coming from, I don’t open it.

Sure, I’m online with my blogs and even Facebook. I’m sometimes can be an open book when it comes to my blog. I’m taking chances but I’m doing what I went to college for years ago my with writing career.

There’s a part of my life I haven’t revealed on my blog. It’s a childhood secret that is painful to talk about.

In one way, it could possibly help someone in their times with what they have gone or is going through. Yet, at the same time, it could blow up in my face. If the information was given to the wrong person, I could be taken advantage of very easily. They could easily hurt me.

So the big question is, how can a person help someone with something that they themselves have gone through; without becoming a victim themselves?

I don’t know if this picture fit this blog or not.

When you are online please be careful; so that you don’t become a victim of these predators out there, looking for anyone they can devour. They are like a lion or even the devil, himself. Most important, pay attention to what your kids are doing online. Make sure that they aren’t being lured by potential perpetrator looking for innocent victims to take advantage of.

I hope that you take this blog as a warning and stay safe. Keep your kids safe as well.

First, I better explain this sign; otherwise, I will get some hate mail. This has nothing to do with people who have a disability. I actually believe some of them have more common sense than some people.

Sen. Kevin Kramer was criticized because of him calling Nancy Pelosi a retard. I wouldn’t say that she’s a retard. I would say that she has no common sense to come out of the rain.

You all heard the saying, “Hair and brains don’t work.” So I must be quite smart to a point.(ha,ha)

My step-dad would say, “A person can be book smart but not street smart.” In other words, they have no common sense to come out of the rain.

The Bible says, “when you are child, you think, act, and speak like a child. Once you becomes an adult, it’s time to put away childish things.”

There’s some truth to that.

When we are children, we are suppose to be told what to do by our parents. That is how we learn to use common sense. Once we become an adults, we should have enough common sense to make wise choices. Yet, there are people who would rather be told what to do. They wants the government to control them and their every moves. Thus, that is why they like big government and Socialism.

The government shouldn’t had to issued a stay-at-home decree to the American citizens because of this pandemic; but there are people who just don’t have any common sense.

A recent example was last month. There was a college student on Spring Break down in Florida. He stated, “It’s Spring break, and I’m still going to party!”

Where’s the common sense there?

He may not get the Coronavirus; but he could still be a carrier. He could get it and bring it back home to his parents and grandparents. How would he lived with himself if anything happens to them. He probably didn’t give it much thought; because he didn’t used common sense.

He’s not the only one. I’m afraid to say this, but there are a lot of people who don’t use common sense the good Lord gave them. They have no common sense to come in out of the rain.

Even Alexander Octavia Cortez commented, “I told you that the government will eventually tells you what to do, just like Socialism.”

It’s common sense to cover your mouth when you cough and sneeze. It’s common sense to wash your hands when coming out of the bathroom or after coughing and sneezing.

I recently came upon a statement that men are less likely to wash their hands than women. I have to believe that is quite true. Unless, men works in the food service industry. I was taught growing up to always washed our hands before we sit down to eat, or even after petting the dog. I was even taught to wash your hands after going to the bathroom.

It’s also common sense to stay home if you are sick.

Now in today’s society, that is not so easy to do. For one, your boss would want you to come to work even if you are sick. If you don’t come in, they will have to get their hands dirty and do your job.

Another reason why people don’t call in sick is because many can not afford to miss work. They don’t have any sick leave; so they lose out of pay.

It’s not like years ago, when employers took better care of their employees. They gave them sick days with pay. Once again greed sets in.

People doesn’t have any common sense to stay home even when it’s storming out. I have seen people goes out shopping during the storm. They used the excuse, I need to stock up or I need to go Christmas shopping. That is how accident happens and people get stuck out in the cold and snow.

I was taught, if you don’t have to go anywhere during the storm, stay home. That’s common sense!

Once again, employers would rather you risk your life to come to work during the storm. That way, they wouldn’t have to do the work themselves.

Speaking of no common sense. I seen people who would go out the door marked entrance and in the door mark exit. These are automatic doors too. When the doors don’t open, they would do what they can to open the door manually. Then they wonder why the doors get broken? When I see this, I can’t help but think of Bill Engvall, and his famous comedy routine, “Here’s your sign!” In which he would say, “I hate stupid people!”

Sometimes, I have to agree with him and say, “I hate stupid people!”

I bet he’s having a field day with this idea of the government forcing everyone to stay home because people don’t have any common sense themselves.

So don’t be stupid! If you are sick, stay home! Cover your mouth when you cough and sneeze. Wash your hands! Use a little common sense, please! Use the common sense the good Lord gave you! If we all did that, this world will be a better place. Use some common sense to do what you can to stay healthy and keeps your immune system up to par. Don’t put poisons into your body by putting these chemicals into your bodies.

The best remedy is natural remedy!

If we learn anything from this pandemic, it’s to use a little common sense. We are not children, we are adults. So we shouldn’t have to be told by the government to stay home.

I also hope that a lesson was learned to take better care of their employees. Treat them like humans and not like robots!

Today’s Democrats would like to control us and tell us what to do. They like it if we don’t use common sense. I hate to say this but it’s the Republicans who have more common sense. They want the American people to think for themselves; whereas the Democrats don’t.

So take this as warning and use common sense, please! Use the common sense that the good Lord gave you. We are not children, so let’s act like it.

I want to say first Happy Easter to all my readers out there. Even though, it doesn’t really feels like Easter right now. And it has nothing to do with the weather!

Few weeks ago while watching TD Jakes, he mentioned that this Coronavirus that we are going through is warning from God.

This is wake up call for the church, United States, and the world.

As I mentioned in last week blog, Martin Luther was responsible for Reformation of the Catholic Church. Believe me, they truly need it too. The hierarchy of the Catholic Church weren’t too happy with Martin Luther for doing what he did. They kicked him out of the Catholic Church. Thus, that is how the Lutheran Church was formed.

The Catholic Church isn’t the only church that needs a little reforming, a wake up call. The church as a whole needs that wake up call for renewal.

The hierarchy in the church may not be too happy with me because of this blog. Then again, the Pharisees weren’t too happy with Jesus either.

They persecuted Jesus and crucified Him on the cross, because they were very upset with what he said of them and even did. I believe that Jesus would also call our so-called self-righteous leaders in the church a bunch of hypocrites today.

Jesus came down from heaven for all of us. It’s not the healthy but the sick who needs a Savior.

We have no rights to call someone unclean because of their lifestyles choices. The Pharisees called the Samaritans and gentiles unclean; and wouldn’t associated with any of them.

Mother Theresa was a saint because of her ministry in Calcutta, India. She ministered to the lepers.

What’s keeping the young people out of the church today is that they see the church as being self-righteous and a bunch of hypocrites. Those in church needs to get off their high horse if they want to reach the lost for Jesus.

I may come across as brass; but as Dwight Thompson preached, “The people needs in the church needs to hear the truth, and not sugarcoat it. There are too many preachers who would sugarcoat the truth because they don’t want to offend anyone.”

This pandemic is a warning from God. It’s a wake up call for us all.

As I mentioned before, there had been a lot of hate in the world lately. We are to love one another no matter what. We are to love as Jesus would love. He even loved his enemies; those who crucified Him. While on the cross, he cried, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

We are not to judge someone because of their lifestyles. We are to love them as Jesus would. Yet, there are self-righteous leaders in the church who would condemned certain group of people; like the Pharisees did during Jesus’ days.

As A.W. Tozer said, “The world is waiting to hear an authentic voice, a voice from God-not an echo of what others are doing and saying, but an authentic voice.”

May I be that voice for this time that we’re in right now!

There are 4 essentials for the church and they are: teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer.

I see that the church as whole is lacking in those areas.

We need to be flexible and willing to make changes within the church; if we are to continue moving forward and winning the lost for Jesus.

We need to devote ourselves into doing God’s work for the kingdom. We can be like Mother Theresa or be willing to go wherever the Lord may send us.

Don’t be like Jonah and goes the opposite direction because you don’t see certain people the way God sees them.

People who ministers to those in the bars takes courage and may the Lord helps them in that ministry.

Without prison ministry, Chuck Colson wouldn’t had been saved.

Don’t judge someone who is a homosexual! They are still God’s children as well. You can tells them what the Bible says but still loves them.

What the church needs today is people of prayer and the works of the Holy Spirit anointing. It’s time we get down on our knees and pray rather than condemning someone.

We need to be a contagious church filled with the Holy Spirit. We need someone to believe in us, stand by us, guide us and model Christ for us. Yet, these so-called religious leaders would rather condemn people for what they perceive as sin,

Most people tend to worship their work. As a result, their values are distorted.

People had lost their true values. It takes something like what we are going through right now for people to realize it. Churches are closed but liquor stores remain open.

I don’t know about you, but we need more of Jesus and the Holy Spirit than we need alcohol. We need God now more than ever.

What must the church realize?

Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions.

The church must dare not ignore the warnings from God. Any church that fails to look within may start to drift without knowing it. We must examine ourselves!

So while you are in quarantine, use this time self-examine yourself. Asked yourself, are you being like Jesus or are you being like the Pharisees?

I could on but, I hope that you get the message. It’s time to heed the warning from God and do a little self-examinations on your life. I’m sorry that I may had come a little preachy and brass; but I believe the church needs this wake up call very much. If Jesus was right here right now, he would probably accuse the church of the same things that he did the Pharisees.

If you are a church leaders and pastors and this blog is speaking to you. Confess it to the Lord by praying for forgiveness. Then get right with God before He returns; otherwise He might say to you, “I know you not.”

If you are not a Christian and this blog is speaking to you; you also can pray for forgiveness and come home to Jesus. God our Father is waiting with open arms.

Once you pray to accept Jesus into your life, then find a good Bible-preaching church to fellowship with other believers.

If this blog had spoken to you and you prayed, I welcome you. I want to hear your comments and see your likes. So go ahead and press the like button and even comment on this blog. If you needs prayer because of this blog, please comment; so that I know how I can pray and maybe help you. I’m here for you!

I know that people already knows about the scandal that rock the Catholic Church; so it’s old news. So you may not be surprise when you read this.

Most recently, the Catholic church came out with a list of priests who were considered to be pedophiles. Some of you may had been surprised and some not to read that Father Richard Sinner was on that list. At first, I was a little surprised. After thinking it over and remembered hearing stories how he loved women, drinking, and dancing; I came to realized that it’s a high possibility.

This is the major scandal but not the only things that rocked the Catholic Church. They have had their shares of problems since the church was formed.

So in honor of Palm Sunday, this week and Easter next week, I will be writing a 2 part blog. You will have to stay tuned until next week to see what part 2 will be. I’m promising you that they will somehow be tied together.

As you can tell from this picture, I’m holding a rosary. I was baptized Catholic as a baby and given this rosary as a gift by my Godmother. I’m not Catholic anymore but I kept this rosary because of memories and that’s all. There’s a few things in the Catholic church that I don’t buy into.

First of all, they worship Mary, the mother of Jesus. They treat her as being above Jesus. That’s not true!

They believed in purgatory, and that people must goes through it before entering Heaven.

I mean, to non-Catholic and non-Christians, Mother Theresa was considered a saint for her works in Calcutta, India. Yet, according to the Catholic Church, she had to be prayed out of purgatory and declared a Saint by their board. It didn’t happened right away. Why is that? She was already a saint in everybody else’s eyes.

As you know priests are called fathers out of respect. When I became a Christian, it left a bad taste in my mouth to even consider calling them fathers. They are not a father. Only God is the Father!

Plus they lost that privilege after molesting these young altar boys and even some girls as well.

According to Matthew 18:6, “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

In other words, what these priests done to the altar boys is unthinkable. They took away their innocence.

They are suppose to teach about Jesus and God; not harm them in any ways. But that is what they have done. Some have turned away from the Catholic Church or any church in general. Some may even turned away from God.

These priests lost all my respect, and I’m sure that I’m not alone. They have no rights to be called fathers even for what they had done.

I have to admit there is one good thing that Pope Francis is doing and that is trying to make an amends for the church’s crime against children. He is even thinking about allowing the priests to get married, thinking that will eliminate the problems. I don’t know if they can redeemed themselves or not.

I don’t really trust Pope Francis. There’s something about him. I have more respect for Pope John Paul the Second. He was the people’s pope. Yet he hadn’t done much to heal the Catholic church. He was more like Mother Theresa and tried to be more like Jesus.

Even though, I’m not a Catholic anymore, I’m still a Christian though. Maybe one of these blogs, I may tell how I became a Christian, but this blog isn’t the place for it.

It takes someone who may had started out as Catholic to speak out against the Catholic Church. They need another reform like they had when Martin Luther did when he started the Lutheran Church. The Catholics didn’t much care for him for speaking out against the hierarchy in the Catholic church.

I will talk more about Martin Luther in part 2 next week. Not just the Catholic church but the church as a whole needs to be reform.

This may seems different for Palm Sunday and Easter; but hopefully work itself out in the end.

I used to think that people who did the most hoarding were people who grew up during the Great Depression. Believe me, I don’t anymore though!

Hoarding: hide or store away for future use.

During this pandemic, people been hoarding toilet papers for examples. I can’t just comprehend why people would do such a thing. What’s the reason behind doing it? It doesn’t make sense to me!

When you go in the stores to buy what you need, you expect the stores to have the product and the people wouldn’t be hoarding the stuff; so that no one else can buy. That is pure selfish and they should be a shame of themselves.

I can understand when a store is going out of business and you go in to see what kinds of deals you can get for their closing sales. But do you really needs more than you are actually buying?

Let us take a look at the Great Depression and those who grew up during that time.

People would store up items while they can just in case the bottom drops out. Those who lived on a farm and had a garden, would stored up by canning and freezing food for the winter, to make sure that they don’t go hungry during the long winter.

People who were a part of the Great Depression didn’t trust banks; so they would hide the money they had under their mattresses. Like the old miser, Silas Marner. He was prime example of someone who didn’t trust banks and hid his money by burying it.

My folks were big time hoarders. We found that out after they died and we cleaned out the farm to auction it off. My step-dad grew up during the Depression, so he had an excuse. I don’t know why my mother was that way though.

My mother would buy things that was on sales just in case she can’t get the same deals again. By doing that, she had food that would spoil. I remembered, one time she had spaghetti sauce in the cupboard that turned brown because it had gotten old and expired. And she had more than one of the same item too.

Another thing, she hated to go through her trunk that was my grandmother and is now mine. She said that it had too much painful emotional memories. When I went through it, most of the stuff I easily threw or gave away. There was some stuff I kept for personal memories.

They weren’t the only hoarders I knew. I know another hoarder who I offered to go through his messy unorganized house; but he didn’t take me up on the offer. The reason: he was afraid that I would throw something away that he may need down the road. Even though it was junk!

That’s what hoarders do! They hoard because they thinks that they may need it down the road. They hoard and they forget about it and keeps buying the same things over and over again.

Are you a hoarder? Do you hoard things thinking that you may need for a rainy day?

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t save for a rainy day. It’s when you forget that you have it and keeps buying it up off the shelf. That is what makes you a hoarder!

During this pandemic when people were hoarding toilet paper of all things, there was someone who was arrested for trying to make a profit with the products that they hoard when they bought it off the shelves in groves. He was made to give the profit he made to charity. So what did it get him hoarding those items? It got him nothing!

When this pandemic is said and done, I hope that the stores learned their lesson. These stores should had put limits on these items. When they see someone buying too much of the same item, a red flag should had went up right away.

Thus the title of this blog, Stop Hoarding. Don’t just think of yourself. We must and needs to start thinking of others; rather than ourselves. We need to get self off the throne. It’s not always about ourselves. There are others in this big wide world.

This past Thursday, March 19, was the first day of Spring according to the calendar.

Yet according to the weather; it wasn’t very spring like outside. The weather was blustery and very cold.

Whenever people are counting down to the first day of Spring, I have to reminds them that it’s not necessarily so. Especially, to those who lives in the northern climate, like North Dakota.

I have seen snow up until May in North Dakota. I have seen snow on Easter Sunday.

In North Dakota, we have 2 seasons; and they are road constructions and winter. Winter isn’t 3 month according to the calendar. It can be up to 6 months!

Some people may wonder, if winter is so long, why do I stay in North Dakota?

I grew up in North Dakota and Minnesota; so I’m used to the weather. I don’t like winter. I don’t like the cold and the ice. Snow can be pretty at first but it grows old after a while. Plus, I have family around here.

I’m not saying that when I retire, I won’t move away if I could.

I remembered one time when a few of us men were heading down to Kansas City for a retreat. It was snowing here in Fargo when we left. When we got to the other side of South Dakota, it wasn’t snowing and there was NO SNOW. When we got to Kansas City, they had beautiful Spring weather with flowers blooming and leaves on the trees.

Now that was in April. We weren’t so lucky in North Dakota at that time.

Usually the first day of Spring means spring cleaning and getting out of the house or apartment; you may have been coup up in for the winter. It also means putting away your winter clothes. Some may even pull out their shorts.

It’s not that warm out!!!

I think it’s because of people have cabin fever for being coup up all winter. Just think what could happens once this Coronavirus finally is over. People will just storms out in groves!

When the groundhog announce so many weeks before Spring look at where you live and don’t buy into that. Stop counting down, so many days until Spring!

It’s not Spring until all the snow is gone and leaves are starting to come on the trees. When you start seeing green grass and flowers, you know then it’s finally Spring.

The first day of Spring was on March 21; which was my mother’s birthday. She would always remind us of that.

Now it seems the first day of Spring is March 19 or March 20. Are those who write the calendar trying to hurry up Spring? Don’t they know that they have no control over the weather?

Only God has control of the weather!

Don’t put away your winter clothes, just because it’s the first day of Spring! I know that you may have spring fever.

I don’t put away my winter coat, gloves, hats and boots until I see no more snow. I don’t start wearing my spring jacket until then.

This is how people gets sick this time of year. They try to rush spring weather. You can’t rush spring and you can’t rush God.

It may be spring in other parts of the country. But it’s still winter in good old North Dakota.

It had been a short few month since we first heard of the Coronavirus. It started out in China. There was more death in China due to the Coronavirus thus far.

When people in China first started contracting the virus, the medical profession and the Chinese Government didn’t think that it was very serious and contagious.

The Coronavirus is a new virus that causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person to person.

The symptoms for coronavirus are: fever, cough, shortness of breath. The symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure.

The media and social media compared the coronavirus to the movie “Outbreak” and “Contagious.”

I’m sure that you probably seen both movies. I know that I have seen “Outbreak”, starring Dustin Hoffman. That movie was scary; so I’m not going to downgrade the Coronavirus.

This will be more how the media and social media plays on our fears to scare us out of our normal routine. This isn’t the first time that the media and social media played on our fears throughout history. I don’t think it will be the last either.

Due to the Coronavirus, concerts, basketball tournaments, etc. has either been cancelled or postpones. For some reason, it even affected the stock market; when it took a nose dive. It goes to show that they made a big hype out of it.

For some reason, stores can’t keep in stock toilet papers and bottled waters.

I don’t know about you, I can’t help but think about Y2k; which occurred before the year 2000. The media and social media tried to scare us with the fact that all computers will crash because of the year 2000. It will be a worldwide blackout at that time. So many people became scared that they rush to get generators to keeps from being left in the dark. If you remembered, nothing happened like they said it would.

The Jehovah” Witness themselves had used fears throughout their history to get people to join their religion. They have been saying that the end of the world is coming; and that they will be the only one left. As you know the end of the world isn’t here yet.

Another example happened just before the Great Depression, during the Wall Street crash. A lot of people jump to their death out of their high story office building.

It goes to show what fear drives us to!

During the mid-1300’s, there was the Black Plague. It was a devastating epidemic of bubonic plague.

Just think, if it’s happens today with all the hype of social media and media, there will be a real hoopla over it like there is with the Coronavirus.

I just can’t seems why people have to hoard toilet paper the way they are doing because of this virus. I just can’t grasp the thought behind their thinking.

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be informed about it. We need to be warned but do we actually needs it to disrupt our everyday life.

It’s just an overblown flu. People can die from the flu as well.

If you take care of yourself, you can still have a life despite of this virus.

We are being easy target because our immune system is down due to all the poisons that is in our body. We are run down as well. We need to refurbish our body with natural remedies and herbs. We need to get the proper rest as well.

I had a scare yesterday and last night. As I was getting on the bus after work to head home, someone who may or may not had the Coronavirus, was getting off the bus. He didn’t cover his mouth when he cough; so his germs spread. Last night, I started feeling a little sick. So when I got ready for bed, I took 2 Tablespoon of Elderberry syrup, ginger roots and another herb. Because of doing that, I felt better this morning. I also said a little prayer, asking the Lord to keep me from getting sick. Until this blows over, I will continue taking precaution by taking these things.

It’s good to be warn about things; but we don’t have to be consumed by our fears. We can conquer our fears and still live our lives normally.

When you cough or sneeze, please cover your mouth. Don’t let the germs spread! Wash your hands!!

That is one of the things my mother had taught us kids to wash our hands before we eat and after going to the bathroom, even after petting your pets.

An ounce of protection is better than a lifetime of sickness. We need to take care of our body. Taking herbs is so much better for you than shooting yourself with more chemicals; which is just poison for our body.

One good thing came out of this and that is finally despite the Democrats hatred for President Trump, they were able to work with the Republicans on a measure to help combat the Coronavirus. So it goes to show that America can come together for a cause. They did it after 9/11 too.

I’m just a small town country boy and this is what I miss about the small town life.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for moving forward. It’s just that as Fargo is growing; so is the crime as well.

Believe me, if I don’t have to be out after dark, I prefer not too. It seems that the people just gets crazier after dark. It’s just not as safe to be out after dark like it used to be years ago. Years ago, it didn’t bother me to go walking after dark. I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting older or if it’s seems to be more dangerous out there.

I remembered going past Chicago with a group on the way to Indianapolis. Believe me, I felt scared and uncomfortable. I made sure that the car doors were locked in case we were stop for some reasons. So you can have Chicago; I wouldn’t live there.

It seems more and more in the cities, people choose not to get to know their neighbors. They keeps to themselves pretty much. Not like years ago, when people actually knew who their neighbors are/were.

Sure there can be a lot to do in a big city. But if you don’t feel safe doing it what’s the point?

In a small town, you can get to know your neighbors. Some people may thinks that’s a bad thing. They rather be all to themselves and not deal with people at all; that is why they choose living in big city. That way they can hide away much easier.

In a small town, neighbors are more apt to come together to help one another than they do in a bigger city.

In the farm community, your neighbors can be a few miles from you. Yet, at the same time they are there for you if you are in needs of help. You hear farmers helping other farmers when one is struggling with their health. That is being a good Samaritan. You don’t really see very much of that in a big city.

Let’s take a look at New York City for example. They say that the people in New York City is anti-sociable and very rude.

Of course, you don’t want to go wandering in New York City or any big city at least by yourself.

When I was in Seattle waiting for my train, I stuck pretty close to the train depot; even though I went just around the block to a neighborhood coffee shop.

Some people may call me a country bumpkins; but I don’t care. I’m a country boy at heart.

I have to admit while growing up on the farm; I wanted to be in live in Hollywood, California. I felt trap on the farm.

Now that I’m older; things have changed for me. I missed the old farm. I missed the quietness and the tranquility of living on the farm and in a small town. People in a small town are actually there for you.

The last time that I was back home in Rollag; even though we sold the farm. There was such a warm feelings about being there. I will treasure the hug I had received from a neighbor not far from the farm.

As unsafe as Fargo is becoming, it makes me miss the farm more and more lately. It makes me homesick. Not just for my folks but also for the comfort of good neighbors as well.

As these cities are growing, may we not lose the small town feelings. They will be and are forever treasure. It’s where neighbors are there for each others no matter what. Where it’s safe to be out in the dark enjoying the tranquility of the night. Just to be one with nature.

To me, that’s God’s country!

You can call me a country bumpkin. You can call me a redneck. I don’t care. I will take the small town and the country any day.

This picture that I posted may or may not have anything to do with this blog. You be the judge! Let me ask you this question: can you grow corn this tall in Fargo or a bigger city? I don’t think so. Can you actually say that you feel safer living in the city compare to a small town? I don’t think so.