I'll Gladly Stand Up

These days, you can hear them just about everywhere; those who want to make us feel guilty for being Americans—citizens of the greatest nation, ever. Yes, we do consume more energy per capita than other nations. But the abundance that we’ve created for ourselves, and the rest of the world is breathtaking. Grains of all varieties, finished goods from electronics to Egg McMuffins, seeds of freedom and self-determination, have infused the whispers of hope and prosperity into every nation, culture, and neighborhood.

In the immortal words of a well-worn Sinatra tune, “Regrets, (we’ve) had a few; but then again, too few to mention. (We) did what (we) had to do And saw it through without exception.” Sure, this country has stumbled a few times. But when, in the history of the world, has there been a conquerer, that consistently gave back the captured land; just walked away, and expected the conquered to behave? Has it been done perfectly? No. Did we stay some places too long after the clouds of war wisped away? Probably. Have we ransacked, pillaged, and enslaved the nations we’ve ‘conquered?’ Hardly.

The irony of it all, is we have become so accustomed to this perspective, we don’t recognize the monumental generosity that is the United States of America, to the rest of the world. We start to feel guilty for consuming ‘too much.’ We continually challenge ourselves, looking inward for ways to improve. At times it backfires; our small, inconsequential errors, seem like the objects in the rear view mirror ‘larger than they appear’.

This nation should never cease to refine, reassess, and review our actions, at home and abroad. Arrogance will lead to weakness and disintegration. But the opposite can be just as destructive. Undue self-flagellation, will tear us down, and snuff that spark that burns deep. “Yes there were times, I'm sure you knew, When (we) bit off more than (we) could chew, But thru' it all, when there was doubt, (we) ate it up, and spit it out. (we) faced it all and (we) stood tall, and did it (our) way.”

It is time to be grateful, not guilty for this land "made for you and me." Hope not hysteria. Dialogue and debate, not dissention and divisiveness. There are divergent points of view, there always have been. Rancorous elections are not new. Anger and hatred are older than the nation. True greatness comes when we are able to respect all points of perspective, and find a solution that, at least, considers the minority voices.

I’m sorry Rev. Wright, God bless America, is the only dictum we have the right to muster, the rest is in His hands! Perhaps we should read, sing, and listen to all of the versus of the National Anthem, here is the last:

Oh, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand. Between their loved home and the war's desolation: Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land Praise the Power that has made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just. And this be our motto: "In God is our trust". And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave, O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Price of Gas

Everyone is aware that gas prices are very high, and rising. There is a lot of angst about the impact of oil-related products on our entire society. Look around and practically everything we use is either directly or indirectly linked to a petroleum product. Gas for our cars; asphalt for the roads those cars roll on. Diesel fuel for shipping; shipping for EVERYTHING we use. Many homes, especially on the East Coast, are heated by fuel oil. Our military forces use jet fuel and diesel for nearly every tank, truck, airplane, and ship they operate. Plastics are everywhere in our life; yep, petroleum based!

On the other hand, there is a growing cacophony of voices, a din of ominous predictions shouting about Global Over-Warming of the earth due to, you guessed it, burning carbon-rich petroleum products. The culprits include the internal combustion engine, in its various forms. These voices warn us that we are killing the earth, and ourselves—that we must use electric cars, change all of our light bulbs, and stop consuming anything that creates carbon dioxide! This could get out of hand, and fast!

You do realize, every breath we exhale introduces CO2 into the atmosphere. With this panic mentality, I won’t be surprised when some well-meaning-but-insanely-irrational politician out there proposes a ‘exhale’ tax. It will never happen, you say? This country has done some interesting things, in the name of national security.

History has shown the “ready-fire-aim” approach to solving problems generally introduces additional, unanticipated negative consequences. If the prognostications of the Global Over-Warming crowd are true, we’re doomed; its too late, almost.

I do agree that we should be better stewards of our natural resources. We should not waste things. We need to be more aware of the simple, easy things we can do to conserve these resources. To consume, simply because we can, is not responsible. Let’s discuss the impacts of our efforts on the climate. But, let’s also admit that we don’t really have a very good understanding of the Earth’s ecosystem. Like mom used to say, just because all of your friends are doing it, doesn’t make it right, or okay for you to do!

The Revolution Lives!

This blog originates in Louisville, Kentucky. Many families from Kentucky vacation in various coastal cities in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Many of them drive to these destinations as a family. Along the way, they pass through several different cities with rich histories, depending on which route they take. Parents sometimes try to point out interesting things for the rest of the family to look at. It’s a long drive, and weariness can become crankiness, so having something to discuss isn’t a bad idea when traveling that direction. If a family takes the primary interstate route through Tennessee and then into South Carolina, they cross Interstate 85. Just before crossing close to Spartanburg, they pass within only a few miles of a tiny place known as the “Cowpens.” In 1781, this was the site of a small battle that resulted in a major victory for the United States. Daniel Boone’s uncle, Daniel Morgan, led the U.S. troops here. We’re on I-26 now, heading toward Columbia and then to Charleston.

This area was heavily traversed by militias, regular professional soldiers from both sides, independently financed “legions” of cavalry and infantry, and some of the characters that later had cities, streets, and parks named after them. One of the most interesting things about it all to the casual observer is the fact that so many well-known names fought in the Revolutionary War, and that there is so much information out there about it. It didn’t happen that long ago, actually, and that is one of the most fascinating things for me to toss and turn about when I’m trying to fall asleep. For instance, if I may make take us slightly off the immediate topic, the last Revolutionary War veterans died in the 1860’s. That’s the decade of the War Between the States. The last Civil War veterans died in the 1950’s. That means that many of those alive today quite possibly remember seeing or even meeting a Civil War veteran in a parade or some other event of remembrance. The chain is only a few links long between the Revolutionary generation and us. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died in 1826. There are people alive today that knew people, at a very young age, of course, that lived while Jefferson and Adams were alive. I know that this sounds pointless to some, because how could that possibly have any meaning for us? Well, the ideas and the solutions that created this great experiment, the United States, were enacted by people that we can almost reach across a divide and touch. I have one question to pose: What answers would the Founding Fathers have for us today? They faced unbelievable odds in the 1770’s. They had a pre-written sentence of death from King George. If the experiment failed, they couldn’t order a fake passport off of the internet, transfer funds to a Swiss bank account, and have their money meet them at their new estate in Namibia! This was a total commitment by a group of human beings, and they got so many people to follow them that they formed an army, foreign alliances, and created a working body to govern a very large and very unsure new nation.

Okay, that’s the rant. Let’s get back in the car on I-26 and keep driving to the South Carolina coast. There were forts built all along northern South Carolina, intending to cut the American Army in two parts and support the British movements. There were leaders that stepped up to take this on in the south, and they represent the tremendous efforts that made up the southern campaign of the American Revolution. I intend to focus primarily on this campaign and the people who fought it in upcoming blog posts. We’ll discuss leaders like the architect of the American campaign, Nathaniel Greene, the incorporated guerilla fighters like Francis Marion “The Swamp Fox,” leaders of independent legions like “Light Horse” Harry Lee, the father of Robert E. Lee, and fierce warriors that really created the conditions for victory on the field, like William Washington, cavalry leader that covered a lot of ground and turned the tide for the American Army in some critical situations. The stories are great, so go to the library or bookstore, get a book like “Devil of a Whipping,” “The Road to Guilford Courthouse,” or “Another Such Victory,” and start reading up. In the future, I’ll even jump into the War fought in the north, like fortress West Point and Washington’s escape from Long Island. One of the most fascinating parts of the beginning of the war is how Washington chose his primary staff. If you haven’t read “1776,” go get the illustrated version for your library, as it is set up like you sat down with the great historian himself and he is presenting his collection of primary sources. It’s really a terrific read. I’ll try to figure out how to add links to make it easy for our readers to find these books.

Next time, we’re going to review the types of units on both sides that fought in the south, who the primary commanders were, and where they operated. This will be a lot of fun, and key to understanding the southern campaign. To hold you over, go get one of the books mentioned above, or for a much more in-depth, scholarly journal on the subject, visit www.southerncampaigns.org. I hope this is an interesting subject for the American Front Porch, as it certainly dominated the household discussions of the Revolutionary period. I think it should play a large part of ours today, too. Post your comments to let me know if you’re a fan of the topic because it makes you think, sounds exciting to explore, or helps you get to sleep in the blink of an eye. I’ll see you next time.

Driving with Brights On

I'm getting a little older, not much, but, yes, its happening, I actually leave my turn signal on after executing a turn! I know this can be annoying, and perhaps, at times, dangerous. However, like the human I am, I will excuse myself by pointing at other peoples' mistakes, which by default, make mine less offensive, right? No matter, on with my rant.

What is it with the high-beams anyway? I comprehend the need to drive with them on at night, but in the words of my friend 'come on!' What's up with the high-intensity, 5-million-watt-shoot-the-enemy-aircraft-down-in-a-blizzard high beams! These new uber-bright nuclear explosions of blinding light are just plain obnoxious, not to mention dangerous. It would be tolerable, if those using them would have the decency to switch to low-beams when on-coming cars, trucks, and low-flying aircraft, and Bambi approach. Alas, these are probably the same people who believe that traffic rules like merging at construction zones, and tailgating, are for the mortal pigmys that entangle their othewise royal life. Rules, those are for the weak, not the privileged.

I have to admit here, I have actually forgotten to turn my brights down a few times! I never intended for that other guy to drive into the ditch, to avoid my high-beams. At least I don't have those obnoxious super-bright, ultra-blue, deer-killing, laser-beam head lights that have been known to blind a double-eyelid Vulcan, instantly! Remember what happened to Spock? These things are worse. Its all true, I read it on the internet! Perhaps, I'll just drive with my sunglasses on all the time.

Entry

All right...
My story is actually on my blog but I'll put the link here so you can read it. Its not exactly a story about home or anything, but its my best story to date. I think it is a fun one to start this story-telling out with.
Read "Cupcakes and Kindergarteners" at http://kimberlysgetaway.blogspot.com/
There's my first submission. I will try to think of some other good stories, but for now, this is it. :)

Contest

We are looking for your experiences on the front porch. Stories from a grandparent, that time your date brought you home and you lingered at the door, as the family peered through the window, watching a flaming sunset in the late Spring, snowball fights in the Winter. You name it, tell us your memories of the front porch!

You'll Never Know Until You Try...

Well, let's just say corn should not be transplanted once it's been in the ground for a few weeks! We had waited too long to thin our corn--it is about 10" tall. So a few days ago, we decided it was time; of course, I couldn't stand the thought of all those 'unlucky' stalks being so rudely plucked and tossed away. The next best thing was the try and save a few by transplanting the loosers into an open row we had saved for later plantings. By the next day, most of those newly transplanted whelps were bent over and loosing their vibrant green color. Perhaps all is not lost, we should know the verdict by the weekend.

On a brighter note, I found a very good insecticide for the garden. Some web browsing turned up a naturally derived compound called Neem oil, a trifecta of garden defenses. Its an insecticide, a fungicide, and a miticide. Originally, I needed something to knock back the White Mildew on my summer squash plants. I also applied it on the green beans, cucumbers, watermelon, and cantelope (all these, minus the beans, are from the same family and have a susceptibility to White Mildew). Current indications are the stuff works wonders! Fairly inexpensive as well. I even found the concentrate version at my local Wally World. (That's Walmart).

I promise that the 'Garden Corner' will soon give way to other Front Porch topics soon. I'm a bit weary of politics right now. Perhaps oil, alternative energy, leadership and careers, or even some revolutionary war tidbits, will surface soon.

Vegetable Garden

This is the first time in many years, that we have actually planted a full-sized vegetable garden! From scratch, we plowed part of a fallow field, and began the exciting, and exasperating, task of planting seeds and seedlings. Much of the time has been occupied with the great battle of the weeds. It seems the weeds grow 4 to 5 inches a day, while the vegetables seem frozen in time! Yesterday, we finished planting the last open spots, with three varieties of potatoes; a blue-flesh, pink-flesh, and white-flesh variety.