tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801900902456305452012-02-16T09:09:14.303-05:00A generation or two ago, most houses had a front porch. There, people greeted and talked with passing neighbors. They discussed the family, the weather, local and not-so-local news, and civic matters. We at The Front Porch want to bring back that great institution, the front porch. We'll talk about just about anything, and do it in a neighborly, pleasant way. Sometimes we might get a little upset, but we'll always part friends and neighbors! Pull up a chair, let's chat.Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.comBlogger321100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-20425482965383819282010-04-21T22:11:00.000-04:002010-04-21T22:11:39.061-04:00

Spring is an incredibly amazing time of year. After endless days of frigid, brooding skies, the flowers and trees begin this amazing transformation. Think about it. A huge tree freezes all Winter, then miraculously, it starts to bud and evolve into a giant of dappled greens and browns. It can survive chilling days of Winter and continue to thrive the rest of the year, but if it freezes in the

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-42566405630869319582010-03-14T20:53:00.003-04:002010-03-14T21:03:24.920-04:00

The other day, I was reading a post which opined that the Press is failing to hold politicians accountable for things they say, do and don't say, don't do. Their complaint was that neither political party appears to be much different, and now the Press is looking much more like the political parties, and less like an institution determined to keep the politicians “honest.”As I thought about this

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-722250382188197082009-08-07T22:24:00.002-04:002009-08-07T23:02:04.177-04:00

While listening to the radio in Cumberland, MD the other day, I heard an ad on the radio that went something like this "....at Walmart, 94% of our associates, including part-time, have some form of health care coverage, but we won't rest until new national legislation is passed which will provide health care to all americans."The more I thought about this, the more frustrated I became. To the

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-3859523120689566842009-06-18T23:01:00.001-04:002009-06-18T23:04:06.360-04:00

While traveling in New Jersey and Pennsylvania on business, this week, I had the chance to visit Amish/Pennsylvania Dutch country. To you, that might not seem like much, but I really enjoy any opportunity to get acquainted with the culture and life-style. Their work ethic is amazing, and their fierce independence from the ultra-modern conveniences is admirable.Don’t get me wrong, I don’t plan

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-3203716339753502752009-06-14T17:50:00.002-04:002009-06-14T19:33:18.630-04:00

There is an addage, I know you’ve heard in one of its various forms: Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day; Teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime. This concept has been used explain the need to help people help themselves. People, when approached this way, will usually thrive personally, become more positive and hopeful, and develop as vibrant members of society. `What about the

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-30002404022786820592009-01-20T15:21:00.000-05:002009-01-20T15:23:40.640-05:00

Like so many others, I listened to the inauguration of Barack Obama, as the 44th President of the United States. Many people are full of hope and anticipation of the changes this new President promises to make. Let us remember, he is a president, not a king. It is important to remember this very important point. With a president, we see the interplay of the Legislative and Executive branches.

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-41485766643931822822008-12-30T21:27:00.002-05:002008-12-30T21:55:16.996-05:00

Recently, the Mormon Times reported "James Dobson's Focus on the Family ministry has pulled from its CitizenLink Web site an article about talk show host Glenn Beck's book "The Christmas Sweater" after some complained that Beck's LDS faith is a "cult" and "false religion" and shouldn't be promoted by a Christian ministry."I posted the following on the Focus on the Family website. My purpose is

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-53376763289537947072008-12-12T10:20:00.003-05:002008-12-12T10:37:29.186-05:00

Like so many others, I’ve been thinking about the current state of our economic and political situation. It’s difficult to avoid, as we are bombarded with news and commentary from every side. Lately, an interesting thought hit me—regarding the motivations driving our national elected officials to make some of the choices they are making. Ever since I was little, I always wanted to know “why.”

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-88971442906350457832008-12-09T18:48:00.000-05:002008-12-09T19:11:37.527-05:00

I know we are in tough times. Go anywhere, listen to any radio, TV, or friends in the office, and you hear the doom and gloom of our times. So much so, that I often don't even want to listen to the news. I used to play cops and robbers, cowboys and indians, and even pirates. Just a few months ago, I would not have believed that many adults in the world are actually still playing these games,

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-39586784586623590882008-11-07T13:45:00.001-05:002008-11-07T14:22:35.782-05:00

Warning, this post is full of biblical and religious references.You know, too often, we Christians forget that ours is a world in which evil thrives. We don’t want to admit it because the nature of Christianity is to focus on the bright, beautiful, good, and joy that is in this world and the world to come. We are taught to be positive, hopeful, and loving to all that surrounds us. We are

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-59001185300878597272008-11-05T08:11:00.003-05:002008-11-05T11:01:26.445-05:00

It is with mixed emotions, I sit here, and wonder. I wonder how much of the campaign rhetoric will become reality. I wonder how much people will use this opportunity to assess what a blessing it is to be an American. Will the Republican Party have the fortitude to look itself in the mirror, and change the things which caused it to loose the way? Will the Democrat Party realize it still must serve

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-5403040191548104212008-10-13T13:46:00.001-04:002008-10-13T13:47:35.616-04:00

This was an historical weekend. Not that we made history, but we touched it, a little. My wife and I, along with another couple, attended a Civil War re-enactment; specifically, the replaying of the Battle of Perryville. Fought in October 1862, Perryville is said to be a tactical victory for the Confederacy, but a strategic loss for the South. Of the combined 38,000 soldiers, Union casualties

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-87113460332363019412008-09-14T10:36:00.003-04:002008-09-14T10:40:09.997-04:00

Sometimes you and your friends don't see eye-to-eye when you are talking over things. We have run into that here on the Front Porch from time-to-time.I didn't really see a problem with US Olympic athletes carrying our flag after they won a medal. Likewise, I didn't have an issue with them using the flag as a cloak.I agree 100% that the flag is a sacred symbol of our nation and it must be

Carlnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-16970089363765593912008-08-25T12:59:00.002-04:002008-08-25T13:11:23.955-04:00

I watched some of the Olympics. Not as much as some, but enough to notice something very disturbing. Since when did it become fashionable or acceptable for winning American athletes to wrap themselves in the US Flag? It is disgusting, arrogant, disrespectful, and boorish. This flag represents the grand ideals, principles, and spirit of freedom gained by many who lost their lives for the Nation

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-80781182377952200902008-08-22T10:41:00.004-04:002008-08-22T10:52:50.413-04:00

I remember a line from a movie or cartoon “may I be excused, my brain is full.” Something is bothering me but I can't explain what, exactly. It’s feels similar to looking at distant, faint stars at night. You know the ones--those that you can only see when you don’t look directly at them. So you look at another nearby area of the sky to actually see your target. Then the frustration, as you

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-59541076130451211992008-08-10T16:23:00.006-04:002008-08-10T16:40:29.104-04:00

If you listen to many political analysts (a.k.a. pundits) and some of the political class, they think the American public is very short sited and very self-centered. Some pundits seem to believe that Americans will only support things that provide an immediate, self-serving benefit. I think these people are selling the American people short and doing us a disservice. Their drive to be

Carlnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-70765810029518319652008-08-09T23:38:00.004-04:002008-08-09T23:40:27.602-04:00

Better late than never! Podcast #3 is now available. Please click on the link for PhotoVoltaics Podcast, when you get to the site, click on download. Carl does a great job of telling us about the bright future of PV technologies!

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-79854764633496148752008-07-31T09:59:00.001-04:002008-07-31T10:06:58.372-04:00

Okay, I don’t know about all y’all, but I’m kind of weary, worn out and tired! Not so much physically, but mentally, and emotionally. Here’s the deal. First, it’s this presidential campaign. Will it ever end? I mean, really, the stumping, rhetoric, accusations, and discussion feel perpetual. And for now, they are short on substance, and long on emotional manipulation. I’ve always prided

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-49577546754906318732008-07-28T09:35:00.001-04:002008-07-28T09:41:47.475-04:00

I admit, I saw it! Everything I heard about the great acting and special effects, did not disappoint me. As a matter of fact, I think that Heath Ledger will receive an Academy Award nomination, and likely the Award. He was a very convincing mad-man. And Michael Caine, well, he’s Michael Caine.So by now, you’ve determined that I loved the movie; wrong. Believe it or not, despite the superb

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-86060843628745861942008-07-22T08:26:00.001-04:002008-07-22T08:39:41.027-04:00

Well, all good things must come to and end. We have to close down The Front Porch! What? you say. Yes, it's true, we were so proud of our Blog that we failed to notice that the idea and name of Front Porch, and variations abound out there--in the blogosphere, the internet etc. So for the sake of our pride, and to avoid offending some already-using-the-name-front-porch webmaster, we are

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-8516680893054148742008-07-20T21:15:00.005-04:002008-07-20T22:36:18.006-04:00

NEWSFLASH!!! The highly anticipated, wildly acclaimed, second podcast for the Front Porch is now "in the can" as 'they' say. We didn't say it would be quick, or pretty, but just that we'd get it done. Please take a listen, by clicking the link on the Battle of Sullivan's Island under the "In the Neighborhood" sidebar. It's about 48 minutes long. Though most of it is about John's topic, Carl and I

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-55695700427360812092008-07-14T23:32:00.004-04:002008-07-15T00:54:15.109-04:00

As the diddy goes, uncle Jed was simply hunting for food, when he discovered something much more interesting, "Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea." Ever since that fateful day, we have become increasingly more dependent on the stuff, so much so, that we need to import about 70% of what we consume. T. Boone Pickins has nothing in common with uncle Jed, except his wealth and connections to the oil

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-65012319976891233212008-07-07T12:20:00.005-04:002008-07-07T19:57:20.121-04:00

Did anyone go to the beach over the Fourth of July? Maybe still there? Maybe want to still be there, but staring at the four walls in the old cubicle again? We have a lot of nice beaches here in the U.S. My wife and I went to Seaside, FL, last year, and that was fantastic. I highly recommend it, with its emerald waters and beautiful cottages. I grew up visiting the beaches of South Carolina,

Johnnynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-53313465830292304462008-07-06T21:53:00.000-04:002008-07-06T21:57:00.574-04:00

Several blogs ago, I introduced our attempts to grow a vegetable garden. In spite of ineptitude, and inexperience, (in the words of Herr Frankenstein) IT LIVES! This little botanical experiment has already surpassed our expectations. It is astounding what nature can do with just a modicum of assistance from mere mortals, like us.Today, we became the beneficiaries of this miracle. We harvested

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-35197542194359777432008-06-30T23:58:00.005-04:002008-07-01T00:09:40.690-04:00

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

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-46416559745330176422008-06-25T13:20:00.000-04:002008-06-25T13:21:08.979-04:00

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,

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-13719480720829775632008-06-22T21:43:00.001-04:002008-06-22T21:45:27.789-04:00

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

Johnnynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-75718684661089502722008-06-22T10:51:00.003-04:002008-06-22T11:13:29.118-04:00

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

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-88287825512301130982008-06-21T00:43:00.002-04:002008-06-21T00:45:50.255-04:00

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,

Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09078809369181588594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-39344131641247396992008-06-19T10:12:00.000-04:002008-06-19T10:15:41.631-04:00

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!

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-45314819884117843642008-06-18T08:07:00.000-04:002008-06-18T08:32:47.664-04:00

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

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280190090245630545.post-27372525680866483742008-06-17T16:03:00.000-04:002008-06-17T17:00:31.486-04:00

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,

Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440102185768709738noreply@blogger.com0