Watered Garden

I definitely recall Mr. Garden telling me that in FLO year 74-75 VP and Mrs. came down for a visit to check things out. They had just placed the flagstaff at that unreasonable place right IN the parking lot, and as they were leaving, Mrs., who was driving, back right over the damn thing and knocked it over. VP got out, inspected the minimal damage to the car, and said "Well, Earl, there's something else your kids can fix up." I don't remember any visitations from on high in 1975-77 either. Maybe the flagpole incident scared them off. When I was WOW in FTWTX in 1974-75 he and HA came for a few days in the camper (this was BB - before bus) and I really don't remember much, except he made me somewhat uncomfortable and hit me on the backside with a glove or something I'd dropped, how rude thought I. HA fixed us breakfast in the camper. He came again and stayed in a Holiday Inn; maybe that was the time JN was around, yeah, I think it was. My WC member WOW "sister" was uptight as could be and either WC or JN kept confiscating my car. Both times, I was uncomfortably noticed by VPW, that is, his noticing me made me a bit uncomfortable. WG

Luminescence is great for whitening teeth. Your dentist will clean your teeth and take x-rays, assuming that's a need, then make acrylic molds, "trays" they are called, of your upper and low teeth. You get a kit with I think six little syringes in it containing the Luminescence, and you spuirt this stuff in a thing line at the bottom of the "trays" and wear them for up to 4 hours at a time. I will warn you; it makes your teeth very sensitive the first few times. There are similar preparations that I understand don't cause quite the sensitivity. This should not cost more than $300. Any more than that and you are definitely being ripped off. I got mine done at the Ohio State College of Dentistry and it cost me $150. Keep the trays; my family dentist sells the whitener alone if you have the trays, not expensive at all. WG (smilling whitely)

I think the issue is mainly political. And I think America is in a post-Christian era, eventually becoming a totally secular, then an anti-Christian nation. The very few on this thread who have the courage to speak out and say anything other than "Oh isn't this wonderful!" will be thoroughly castigated. And, in all honesty, a LOT of Christans believe that whatever happens is God's Will. I had a wonderful relative who was a homosexual. He was kind, loving, and believed in God and the Bible. He HIMSELF stated that he was assaulted by the age of 4, first by a cruel female and then by a kind, gentle, loving male. He did not believe he was born gay, nor did he believe that it was God's will for him to be gay. He stated it was like an addiction. It was hard enough to try to break away, but then the gay community tried to keep the individual in the lifestyle. He tried marriage, to the wrong woman, and ended up divorced. He is gone now, of AIDS. The next time I see him, both his body and his mind shall have been healed and made whole again. Even the word "gay" is a misnomer. Should have used "sad" instead. WG

It may have been because the guy who played him has drug troubles of his own and they wanted him off the show to dry out. I felt bad too; I was always hoping he and Catherine would hook up. It will take a while to ferret out the bad guy, but I expect they will arrest his sorry butt next September. It's almost as sad as when Kate got killed on NCIS. WG

I see these commercials for groups like Save The Children, and all these little starving orphans are lining up decently and peacefully for their morsel of bread. But at the warehouse, some of the fattest, richest, best-fed people you'd ever see are pushing and shoving, making nasty comments if it isn't cooked yet and needs another three minutes or so. I was once demonstrating frozen barbecue wings next to a freezer. When the wings came out of the oven, there were half a dozen people standing around, including this one lady who had been patiently waiting awhile. When I got them out of the 450 degree oven, some big fat bubba type (no offense to all you bubbas out there) actually came up from behind me, SHOVED me out of the way into the freezer door, and grabbed the biggest wing right off the metal tray I baked it on! The lady and I just stared at each other. She had waited five minutes. I gave her two. I hope the damfool burned his mouth to blisters. My other source of amazement is what people shovel into their kids' mouths without reading the ingredients. Once I was giving out these chocolate flavored calcium chews and people gave them to their babies! There were probably a lot of constipated kids that night. Also products specifically developed for diabetics, that are sweetened with alcohol sugars and sucralose. These can produce cramps, gas, and diarrhea. But glug, glug glug! Oh she likes it1 Can she try the vanilla? Fortunately there was a coupon out on diapers that week.....

I don't have time, need to go get a tooth filled, but isn't there something about babies and small children not being shown affection and love and training and discipline, just sort of tossed aside, that can teach them to show love and affection or to show they need it is not good? Physical touch makes a lot of difference in babies, I do know that. When we were foster parents of teenagers, we had a 14 year old boy come to stay with us. He was so nice and polite. He was so grateful for all we were doing for him. He was quiet and well spoken. Then we started finding things; a used condom on the roof of the garage, (EEWWW), a pair or two of my earrings went missing, and finally this really nice kid stole my car and took off on a joyride all over Charleston. We called his caseworker and had him removed from the house, but not before he had told me the biggest pack of lies this side of Congress about why the car was missing, and how he and his friend had pushed it to the friend's house to wash and detail for me, then pushed it back. He was very smooth and convincing and actually teared up that I would accuse him of stealing my car. (I had come home sick from work and found that it was missing). When they unpacked his belongings at the shelter the CPS took him to they found all sorts of weapons, including knives and those star shaped things kung fu people throw. When I cleaned his room, I found a key to the Frito Lay truck my husband drove. The kid had stolen over $300 off that truck and my husband nearly got fired; as it was he got a week off without pay and had to pay the money back this kid stole. We also found drugs in his room, and a bunch of empty beer cans in the crawl space under the house. Except for the last big lie, that boy was smooth as silk. And I honestly don't think he gave a rat's nose about anything or anyone other than himself. He was the only one I ever saw again after we stopped being foster parents. He was mowing at an apartment complex where some friends lived. Scared the crap out of me, especially since one helpful friend told him what subdivision we lived in then. He had been in prison for several breaking and entering incidents, and burglary. Not a nice person. Probably in prison again for something or other. WG

Actually it can be sort of fun and it can have some amazing moments. Once I was demonstrating some pie or some kind of crap, getting absolutely mugged, pushed, shoved, stuff grabbed before I could serve it, and developed a screaming bytch of a headache. I kind of moaned and this woman asked me if I was okay. I told her I had a headache and she stepped right around my cart, put her hand on my shoulder and prayed for me. My headache was gone. I was just sort of stunned. Of course everyone else still grabbed and slurped and carried on. But after that I had a smile on my face. Probably the worst for most of us is that a lot of people will grab a sample or three and never even look at us. It's like we don't exist. We are not important enough to even say thank you. Some people have it down pat. We are suipposed to give a little speech about the product, what it is, how much it costs, where it's located, etc. Men and Women alike will take the sample, and about 6 words into my little speech, say THANK YOU!!! as they walk away. One little girl who works there got all upset about it, and came to my cart in tears. "Don't worry honey," I told her "that's just her uppity white housewife way of sayin' 'shut the F up!" We had a good laugh, mainly because she'd come up my cart first, and said "I know all about this product and I don't need to hear you talk about it!" (longer speech, maybe it meant shut the f'n f up!). The store is located close to a couple of rather upscale neighborhoods in Delaware County, Ohio. Many stylish ladies come to feed their children, and make it perfectly clear in their superior way that they have no interest in purchasing the product, just wanted to feed the little darlings, some of whom will spit it right back if they don't like it. Some of them do use the opportunity to enforce good manners. I did get reported once. This guy comes in with two screaming little bastahds, about 3 and 5, racing ahead of his cart. I was demoing something really hot and the guy across the aisle from me had just pulled some barbecue wings out of a 450 degree convection oven - I think mine was microwaved. The older child went screaming to his cart, and the littlest one actually tried to climb the side of mine by pulling himself up on the side handle we use to push it. There was a tray of steaming hot samples there and he curled his adorably chubby fingers over it to pull it onto his darling little face. Not wanting him disfigured for life, I pulled it away and said "Whoa!" Now I would think most parents would apologize for their ill-mannered brats and at least thank me for not allowing them to be harmed. This gentleman, however, comes snarling up to the cart, retrieves his errant angel, and yells at me" AFTER ALL, HE'S ONLY A CHILD!" He placed his precious one next to his sibling on the flatbed cart he was using and said to them "Obviously, SHE never had children!" Of course I'm thinking, I do, and if my son had behaved like that, he would have been smacked and we would have left immediately. A few minutes later he was back. "HAVE A NICE DAY!" he sneered on his way by. He asked another food advisor where to go and reported me! This helpful advisor was upset for me, but did be sure to tell me "He's a DOCTOR!" I told her I didn't care if he was a knight of the round table. "I learned a long time ago that M.D. is not an abbreviation for God the Father Almighty." I said. Nothing ever came of it. The guy did bring one of his angels to my cart a long time later when I was demoing salmon and they politely asked for a sample, which said angel promptly dropped on the floor. I was just gushy and sweet and gave him another one. They actually thanked me. And politely left his mess on the floor by my cart. Oh but he's a DOCTOR, so I guess it was a privilege. WG

Well, hopefully she won't have any future need for the website. WG

I checked medical because I am a retired medical secretary and at present a medical transcriptionist working from home. In addition, one day a week I do food demonstrations at a warehouse of the largest membership warehouse "club" in the country for some of the greediest, rudest, most ungrateful people on earth, and their nasty little drink-spilling, food spitting brats. WG

I Googled this man's name and it showed up on the In Memorial thread on John Richeson's WC website. Was there more than one person with this name? WG

Lisa, you sweet girl, I am so sorry, and I hope you know those fools will answer to a higher power than the police, meaning the rapist and the damnable fools who blamed you. As far as happy, well, kind of along the lines of what Waysider said. I guess not being happy got to be normal. Especially, not happy with myself, because I could not measure up to the standards I was taught God expected of me. And then the last three years, I was just plain miserable. Of course, right now, happiness is a warm puppy, like the cocker spaniel asleep on my lap. Going on, even after we left I was unhappy because I still thought I had failed God. Only recently has the sun begun to shine again, and I take pleasure in little things. I am learning that great truth not from TWI but from a 5 year old who held a weed to my nose. "Those things make me sneeze." I said. "They make me happy." he replied. I thought, kid, that is probably a deeper truth than I've heard from a while. The weeds we used to call fox tails, fluffy and seed bearing, to him are a thing of beauty. So now that I'm no longer burdened with the necessity of being unhappy but joyful, I can enjoy the little things and be happy one minute at a time. Hope this makes a bit of sense.

I think I read somewhere or saw a bumper sticker or something that the biggest thing one can do to "get even with" someone who has done them wrong is to forgive them. I would imagine this fellow's saying he can't remember is just he desperately doesn't WANT to remember. I'm in that process of forgiveness - it's hard for me to not remember people and the things they say. But I'll be dipped in dog doo if I will let those people have power over me any longer! Your story ranks right up there with the worst I've heard, and I am so happy for you to have that blessed peace! WG

I hope she grabbed her cat on the way out! WG

Oldies, So if you walked in the door to this person's house, and s/he had a gun to h/her head and was about to pull the trigger, would you attempt to intervene? Or would you think, hey, this is that individual's decision, I'll just step aside so none of the arterial spatter will get on my shirt? I mean, I can see where you might think that individual has already made the decision and if you would try to stop them, you would be taking some of the responsibility for their life on you and that would just be awful, now, wouldn't it? Or could you maybe say, go ahead, you gutless, spineless, worthless nobody, blow your little bitty brain out the back of your ugly head. The world doesn't need weaklings like you around anyway? Just wondering. WG 'No Man is an Island' No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. John Donne 1572-1631

It's supposed to be better for the grass if you let the clippings just work their way back into the soil without raking them at all. AT least that's my excuse! WG

Exxie, May all your dreams from now on be sweet and peaceful. I was never abused. I just get depressed when I feel like I'm not measuring up to someone else's expectations. My last three years in TWI I didn't measure up to anyone, including God, IMO. So it was rough. I've got even more to live for now than I had back then. You take care. WG

Unfortunately, indiscrminate breeding of animals can also lead to unfortunate outcomes. In the 1950's and 60's after the Korean War, lots of people were building smaller homes in suburbs and looking for a smaller pet than, say, a farm collie. Along comes the cocker spaniel, a pretty, likable, smallish dog good with kids. Next thing you know Bob has a female, Joe down the street has a male, and let's make some puppies so we can sell them and the children can witness the miracle of birth. Eventually the cocker breed ended up almost ruined, with cocker spaniels with bad bites, bad tempers, back problems, and epilepsy. The breed is making somewhat of a comeback, but slowly. However, if you look at the pedigree of a more popular dog, take Labrador retrievers for example, that are bred only by professionals and sold as pet on limited registration* with the AKC, they often include common ancestors, especially if the ancestor was a national champion. My own precious Sophie's grandfather was such a dog; his registered name was Borador's Ridgeway Reflection and you can see his name on pedigrees of dogs with gorgeous conformation, beautiful heads, and loving faces. But the breeders are careful to not let things get out of hand, the good ones at least are. It's when indiscriminate breeding or another bugaboo, line breeding, as in Native Dancer, kicks in that problems start. People breed for speed, for looks, or a certain color or conformation. Father to daughter, brother to sister, mother to son, and you've got problems, because the gene for that pretty coat may be doubled, but so is the gene for epilepsy. Race horses have long skinny legs attached to powerful shoulders and hips. If you look at them, though graceful and powerful, they are shaped a lot differently than for example, quarter horses. They look to me like they are on stilts. I cannot imagine the pain that poor girl experienced in her last few moments of life. It puts me in mind of another powerful filly, Ruffian, who almost won the Kentucky Derby and broke a leg in a match race against whoever did actually win it. WG *limited registration means if you breed that dog, its progeny will not be registered by the AKC. This is to stop the indiscriminate breeding that is endangering the integrity of the most popular dog in America. A few other breeds are getting limited registration also I think.

Wing, that was a truly wonderful post, about Jesus. I felt the same way. A few years ago, I went to a 4HIM concert. They kept talking about Jesus. I started feeling creepy; these socalled Christians were talking to JESUS! Didn't they know they weren't supposed to do that? Didn't they understand that is a name you pray in or command in, but not Someone you TALK to? Then one of the members of the group prayed TO Jesus! A powerful prayer full of meaning. I listened with my head and my heart. And such warmth and comfort I felt wash over me! That night I began to reacquaint myself with my Lord and Savior. It truly changed my life. WG And on a couple other posts - Oh, and now I know why spiders give me the creeps! EEEWWWW!

Oldiesman, you've got a Teflon brain. The real point just slides right off. WG

Jesus Christ advocated compassion and love. Facts and logic were advocated, I believe, by Mr. Spock. "Live long and prosper." Oldies, if that woman taken in adultery, in the very act, had been brought to you instead of the Lord Jesus Christ, she's would've been a pancake under a pile of rock. Would you have thrown the first stone? One of the main problems with leadershi* in TWI was they were very very judgmental and they certainly did not hesitate to hold any underling solely responsible for his or her perceived (by them) shortcomings, errors, and sins. But they never seemed to be quite as diligent at examining their own lives and trying to live up to their own standards. Oldies, I think you personify that attitude, and that is one reason you are so annoying. Jesus said, "He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone." I think TWI encouraged that hard-hearted, judgmental, self-righteous attitude. I'm looking at my own heart to weed out the meanness, hatefulness, and narrow mindedness, and replace them with kindness, understanding, and forbearance. You might want to try that yourself. WG

My own personal opinion is that Mr. Prager's opinion is shallow, judgmental, and ill-informed. I've never seriously tried to take my own life, but I've been in situations where I felt like I should. Was I being shallow and narcissistic? I'm sure by a few peoples' criteria, yes. However, by my own criteria, I had just been informed by the God experts upon whose opinion I had staked my life, spent my money, alienated my family and tried to raise my son (who is thank God very forgiving) that I was no longer permitted the privilege of fellowshipping with them. The spirit within me had died and shortly thereafter my physical body would die also. I was convinced by these bastards that I was totally useless, utterly worthless, a vile, loathsome scab-encrusted, pus-dripping subhuman excrescence, unworthy of the privilege of inhaling oxygen on God's planet. What drives people to suicide? Instead of listening to pinheads like this guy and his sycophants, listen to people like Waysider, whose friend died, listen to the people who knew and loved Tom Mitchell, listen to my son who walked in the door of a friend's apartment just as he pulled the trigger that blew his brains out. He still can't talk about it. He lost a couple friends in high school to suicide. They just gave up. Whatever drives us to judgment, let's make it a judgment of compassion and love, not self-righteous haggling and misdirected loyalty. WG

And ironically, David was under the same Mosaic law as everyone else in his kingdom. All the women did NOT belong to the king, they belonged to God! Henry VIII was a bounder all right. He had about as much right to be the head of any church as a couple other bounders I can think of right off-hand. WG

"The victoid" :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh A GSC classic! Thanks, Dooj! WG

The little LCM-wannabe where we lived at the time called us on the phone. We shall refer to him by the initials LDH (for "little dick head). It went something this: LDH: "Let me speak to your husband." Me. "I'm sorry, he's in the bathroom. May I have him return your call?" LDH: "Oh. He's in the bathroom." Very sarcastic tone of voice, obviously with the firm belief that I am lying through my teeth. me. "That's what I said. That's what I meant. Why would I tell you he is if he isn't? Would you like me to carry the phone back there so you can listen for sound effects?" (I am a smarta$$ to this day). LDH: "No, that won't be necessary. (Giggle, giggle, giggle, chortle chortle). I have discussed you and your husband with the other men of God and we have decided neither you, nor your husband, nor your son are to be permitted to attend twig fellowship. You can tell your your husband that when he gets out of the bathroom." (Here, he burst into laughter, chortles of joy, in fact.) Same sarcastic tone of voice. Apparently, this great and mighty man of God thinks he has gotten revelation that my husband is standing right there, too cowardly to pick up the phone and talk to the MOGFTCIEW. Me. "Thank you very much." It was 9:04 PM Pacific Standard Time. I hung up the phone and broke down completely. This same great and mighty one had his very self taught a few weeks previously that as a result of those words, the God in Christ in all of us had just died. Shortly thereafter our physical bodies would die also because it is impossible to exist outside the body of Christ. From the way he delivered this portentous message, I could tell at the time he was quoting the Man Of God For This Day And Time And Hour Unto The Entire World! The worst part was his giggling and laughing throughout this entire conversation, except of course where he was being sarcastic about my husband's indisposition. Here this guy firmly believes he is killing the spirit within us and condemning us to spiritual and physical death, and he's LAUGHING! If he had walzed in the front door with a shotgun and blasted away, he probably would have been chortling with joy - the last thing I would hear before BOOM! Looking back, it seems to me that this young man was a sick puppy. He made no secret of the fact that he passionately worshipped and adored LCM. His little cute wife had been Personal Assistant to the President her interim year, and I suspect there were some responsibilities she undertook that weren't written down in her job description. Sadly, I still remember those words, that tone of voice, and in some ways I still believe them. But I don't really think that what God has given LDH can take away from me. WG

That was just weird! WG