A beautiful country gospel song of faith, trust, and comfort.
Month: September 2026
Hitler’s Return?
“The one thing with writing stories about the rise of fascism is that if you wait long enough, you’ll almost certainly be proved right. Fascism is like a hydra – you can cut off its head in the Germany of the ’30s and ’40s, but it’ll still turn up on your back doorstep in a slightly altered guise.” Alan Moore
The alarm is raised. Germany’s far-right AfD party won a major parliamentary election victory in the state election of Saxony-Anhalt sending shockwaves through certain circles in Germany and throughout the world.
AfD is an anti-immigration party and they have been labeled as xenophobic and extremist by German intelligence. The far-right party is headed by co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupulla. Weidel comes across as a moderate wearing suits and pearls but don’t let that fool you, her rhetoric is anything but.
Here are some of their plans culled from different sources.
The party will launch a state-level deportation offensive with an established task force coordinating quicker deportations. Sound familiar?
If that’s not enough, they will remove war refugee status for Ukranians in Germany. Children of refugees will learn that their stay is temporary and they will be placed in separate classes in order to prevent “various stresses” placed on the OTHER children to stop them from being around different cultures.
They also want to limit Islamic expression, ban the call to prayer and, get this, they want a hand in how mosques are decorated.
This last part should get the alarm bells going. They want to establish a special police force. According to them the regular police are “overwhelmed” so, “We will therefore establish a voluntary citizen patrol as a third pillar of the local security architecture,” basically a vigilante group. Similar to ICE?
The party is gaining popularity capitalizing on fears about immigration and this is being used, successfully I might add, to further their own political gains.
AfD gained 43.8 % of the votes but it is not enough to govern alone. The “Brandmauer” or rather “firewall” is an unwritten rule where mainstream parties refuse to cooperate, work with, or form coalitions with the far-right. Will this isolationist tactic also known as “cordon sanitaire” keep or put AfD in its place?
Or are we seeing the return of Hitler and his policies in another guise and in another form?
Bah Humbug!
He is such a character that I can picture him saying exactly that. What does it mean? Breaking it down, “Bah” is a grumpy sound that shows anger or disgust, and “Humbug” is an old word from the 1700s meaning nonsense. Right now, the little bugger is NOT happy so I can picture him using that word to his heart’s content. I am talking about Chachi, my cat, my constant companion, and my little love.
He is happy to have me back home after my absence of a few days but he is not giving in that easily. Showing his disgust at his routine being turned on its head is his current preoccupation. Some days, he refuses to eat and on other days he says, “BACK OFF!” when I try to give him some extra affection. I’m giving him all the space he needs but it has been two weeks since I came home from the hospital and things are frosty!
Yes, he is spoiled and he is used to getting his own way. A new person walking in to take care of him did not set too well with him. She said, “He is looking grumpy and is keeping his distance.” I thought it was temporary and his mood would turn for the better but no chance. He has both the John Wayne gait on and Ebenezer Scrooge’s face front and center!
It is going to take time till HE decides it is time to give in and to be nice again. Until then, I can see him saying, “BAH HUMBUG!” to everything.
Daily writing prompt
If your pet could talk, what would be the first thing it says?
He Hears Your Prayer
Cole Maverick has a beautiful voice and his songs speak to the heart. I love this one as well.
I Miss the Fields!
If you’ve been reading my posts, you will know that one of my favorite things to do is to go for a walk in what I call the fields. It is a stone’s throw away from where I live and my spirit flies when I am there.
It has open spaces for as far as you can see with the mountains on one side and the forest on the other. Most days I am alone there and I love walking my usual route all the way up to the apple trees and back. Often I see deer, rabbits, and herons when the season is right.
I know there is work going on there now and preparations are being made to meet the next season rolling in. Yes, the farmers do part of the job but nature does the rest. It is like clockwork and before you know it, the harvesting has been done and the fields prepared for what is to come next. Soon the trees will lose their summer foliage not before they wear their brilliant colors of fall. The apples would have been harvested and the trees will be bare again bracing for the cooler temperatures to step in and stay for a month or two before the cold sets in. The rabbits will find their hiding places below ground as they prepare for mother nature to do her thing.
It has been exactly two weeks since my operation and my orders are to rest, do small walks of about 7 minutes each time and the rest of the time to put my feet up and to relax. My heart, however, wants something different. I want to be out there walking until I am tired and to take in all that nature has to offer.
“Not possible,” says the doctor. I want to buck those orders but I know what will happen if I do. Sitting here in the office and looking out the window, I can see the fields in the distance. It looks beautiful and I can hear it calling. Yes, we know each other well. I am a constant visitor and I revel in its glory and my soul finds respite when I am in its presence. I can’t say the same for being cooped up in the house!
Four weeks seems like a lifetime away and perhaps a week or two afterwards for the wound to heal before I get an okay to pick up my regular routine. I HOPE! Until then, I will have to bide my time, look longingly out the window, and perhaps dream of walking out there again.
What will it look like the next time around? Perhaps it will be well into fall and maybe, fingers crossed, I will get to see the beautiful colors and experience the beautiful music that the trees make when the wind rustles through their leaves.
I hope it will be sooner than later!
Have an amazing day.
Regrets About Ever Reading a Book?
I don’t think I’ve ever regretted reading a book. Reading was my favorite hobby and I’ve gone through books like a hurricane! It was back when I needed something to keep me occupied and I found out that I could leave home without ever leaving home, if you know what I mean. I loved reading but it is a lost art now. These days I write so I’ve lost interest in reading.
Coming back to the question, I usually look at the prologue if there is one and Nora Roberts, my favorite author, always or almost always has one. If it captures my imagination and gets my curiosity flowing, I pick it up. This method never fails to keep my nose in the book, although I must say that her older books were better written than her newer ones. I’ve wondered if she is using co-writers or ghostwriters to get her books out.
The other thing I look for is the blurb on the back cover. It usually tells me if I should read the book, if it is of interest, or I should put it back down. If that fails, the first chapter sets the tone for me and tells me whether I will enjoy the read or not.
I don’t think I’ve ever regretted reading a book so my answer is no.
Whispers of Faith
A reminder that faith stands the test of time and will overcome whatever life decides to throw your way!
Airports
I don’t do much traveling anymore but during the time I did, I would rate Japan as having one of the worst airports.
I was new to traveling at that time and ill at ease with international travel and that could have been the problem. However, I had a hard time there. Most announcements were in Japanese, terminals were hard to get to, and finding where you needed to go to was hard especially when all the instructions were in Japanese. It may have changed now but when I was there, I almost didn’t make my connecting flight because I didn’t know where to go. A kind Japanese man helped me out and he said, “Don’t worry. I have the same problem here!”
The best and what is the top-rated airport in the world is Singapore Changi Airport. Everything about this airport is run with efficiency, precision, and getting around is no problem at all. Add the indoor forest that spans five stories housing a large indoor collection of plants and this place is captivating. It is a vacation in itself! If that isn’t enough, the entire forest wraps around the HSBC Rain Vortex. What? Yes, I have never seen anything like it before in an airport but leave it to the Singaporeans to do things differently. The Vortex houses the world’s tallest indoor waterfall at 130 feet high. It is completely free and open 24/7. There are also over 200 food and beverage outlets showcasing Singapore’s best. I think you can literally pitch a tent there and never miss anything!
I give this airport three thumbs up. πππ
You’ve guessed it, I am a Singapore fan but rightfully so. You can’t beat it for cleanliness, thinking out of the box concepts, and for being virtually crime free. This tiny island nation has much to offer. Rules and regulations exist but without them Singapore would be in utter chaos but that’s just my opinion.
Lake Ontario
A love song with a catchy beat!
He Knows Your Name
This one hits home. If you’re feeling lost and alone, just remember that he knows your name.
