HOPE & A PRAYER

We were up bright and early this morning - Holland's ex-BIL was coming over to collect the construction stuff Holland was passing over to him; Holland won't be using the things anymore, and Sonny can; so it is all being rehomed.

I had not met Sonny yet, and I wanted to make a good impression … so, I dolled up. Not in an over-blown way, but more than I normally do on Shabbat weekends.

When Shay called to ask if a 1'noon house showing would be okay today, I was glad I decided to doll up :-)

Today's Slay Kit …

Sparkly 'Cream' for browline; 'Lt. Gray' for eyelid; 'Gray' for liner; 'Charcoal' for liner & Glittery 'Illusion' accent. 'Auburn' Brow Gel; 'Glam Black' Mascara; & 'Neutre Enflamme' Cream Blush.

'Pink Quartz' Lipgloss … and I'm ready to meet and greet.

It looks like I've gained a pound or two: Holland likes to deep-fry foods - ALL foods; apparently he likes me a little on the {fluffy} side.

I was on my way to the kitchen for another cup of morning joy juice, when I got another text from Shay.

My thoughts were happy ones; and I noticed a white pickup was in the spot Holland's red 4x is usually parked. Sonny and his boys had arrived.

I also noticed that Shay had come by, at some point, while I was dinking around with my makeup, and placed her name and Realtor number on the post set in place last evening:

2nd showing scheduled.

Holland's ex-BIL showed up with sons to collect, with Holland's blessing.

Holland's life driving away … a new life direction is being forged.

Second truck being loaded. Holland's 4x bed box also being packed up and hauled away.

Shay put her Name Sign up.

After the shed was cleared and Sonny and his boys drove away, I swept the floors again before Holland and I vacated the house. We drove over to Kelso to eat lunch at the mexican restaurant Holland enjoys. I tried something new after the main course - Holland suggested deep-fried ice cream. I am going to miss this little cozy nook when the house sells, and we hit the road.

Holland was telling me all about the different places he has lived in the south states, and I mentioned that I like the cowboy life - and he said he had been a cowboy for a while on his uncle's ranch. We talked about rodeo's, cowboy boots (he said he knows 'just the place' where I can have custom boots made to fit 'on the spot'), and old west ghost towns to visit.

This man I married is made to order; in every way, Holland is a perfect fit for me and the life I want to live :-)

Fried Ice Cream - DELISH! Cinnamon crusted before deep-frying.

I'm gonna miss this little restaurant in Kelso; Holland introduced me to it a week or so ago, and I LOVE it. Bob and I never ate here - that's a plus for Holland and I.

After we ate, Holland took me to a riverside county park he likes to visit once in a while. The trees - and river - were full of eagles everywhere you looked!

I have never seen so many eagles congregating in one place.

We watched them for quite a bit, and as we were leaving Shay sent another text :-)

Eagles; Gerhart Gardens Park, Longview-WA

SO Many!

Immature Eagles - no white feathers; & a mature eagle - white head & tail feathers. They were e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e.

A 5 PM Scheduling. ((((YAY)))), the house is drawing interest.

With time to kill while strangers walked in and out of our home, we decided to drive to Willow Grove, seat dancing to the music on the radio. I like that we pretty much like the same type of music ;-)

We talked about the exciting adventures we plan to enjoy in the near future.

We discussed the new life we are building together.

We watched ships passing, sea lions frolicking in the water, seagulls swooping and diving, and die-hard fishermen setting line and flinging poles.

We hoped and prayed one of the lookyloo's would be a serious buyer.

'Amoy Sunny' Ship, passing by anchored 'Pacific Honor'; Willow Grove Park. 'Amoy Sunny' is a Bulk Carrier built in 2006 (17 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Hong Kong. 'Pacific Honor' is a Bulk Carrier built in 2011 (12 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Marshall Islands.

'Brenton Reef' is a Chemical/Oil Products Tanker built in 1999 (24 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of United States (USA).

Significant waves kicked up - lapped near the 4x's front tires.

Hope & a prayer …

THINGS ARE HAPPENING ~Shabbat Eve

Our morning didn't start off so good; we had a major snafu going on and the problem couldn't be figured out.

It was puzzling.

It was frustrating.

It was eating up precious time we didn't have to spare … Shay would be arriving any time soon - and Holland had to get ready for a dental appointment. This thing needed to be figured out asap.

I finally said, "Let's stop for a moment and ask for Elohim's grace to help us get a  handle on how to handle this situation"; we prayed and asked for Elohim's input, and for wisdom to deal with the situation. We were able to find the origin of the problem, make a phone call, and set Monday aside to take care of the issue. Our thoughts were filled with gratitude :-)

We had both just settled comfortably with cups of morning joy juice, when my phone buzzed with an incoming text:

When I looked up from the phone's message … snowflakes were falling!

This is becoming "a Spring thing" instead of a winter thing, here in WA State. I like snow ((((in December)))), not when daffodils are sprouting and blossoming :-(

A.M. SNOWFLAKES

Fat, fluffy flakes.

My love gift phone, informed me that this unwelcome surprise of white flurries was going to be prolonged:

'Oh goodie' - NOT!

Just the other day we were enjoying a 60-degree day at Willow Grove …

I just want to be in a sunny spot of land, enjoying turquoise waters and  white sand - Holland worked as a contractor, and has worked all over America; he thinks Florida sounds good. I concur ;-)

Shay arrived.

Our day was going much better :-)

We visited for a while; and I gave her the listing papers I had completed last night (buyers info) before she left. I'm glad she and Holland hit it off - Holland is reserved around people, but her sparkle brought him out of his shell ;-)

Holland left for his downtown appointment shortly after Shay. While he was gone, I added a little sparkle to the day, myself {just in case}; with the house officially "on the market", I have to be public ready. I didn't get fancy, but I did get out of my pj's. LOL

Adding a little color to my face … glittery & sparkly 'chocolate' shadows.

Sparkly 'Cream' for browline; 'Mocha' for eyelid; 'Cocoa' for liner; Glittery 'Tango' for inner eyelid accent; 'Soft Brown' Brow Gel; 'Glam Brown' Mascara; & 'Coral Ember' Cream Blush.

Public ready …

ALL of this is being culled from my clothes cache; it's not {working} for me.

Around 4 P.M., the Realtor Sign Post was set in place - and we had looky-loo's right off the bat :-)

The house is officially Listed.

The Info Flyers had barely been placed in the clear envelope when we already had interested drive-by's checking us out.

Please Father!

Let this house sell quickly, and at an agreeable price.

Make a way for us to get a coach we will be comfortable in at a cost we will be comfortable with: Holland is a bear of a man at 6'4"; and I'm no Skinny Minnie, either. Comfort is essential. Cost (all the way around) is also essential.

I really want out of Longview.

I want to enjoy my new life with my new husband in a new location with a new mindset for both of us.

Holland is giving his contractor tools away tomorrow; this is a hard thing for a man like Holland to do. He has worked steady to support himself since he was 14 years old. Retirement is not comfortable for him. But, listening to him talk this evening, I do believe he is gracefully coming around and gratefully getting comfortable with relaxing and enjoying life :-)

We only get one life to live; thankfully Elohim has gifted us with a second chance to enjoy love again - and He has blessed us with a comfortable joint income to satisfy our gypsy souls ;-)

Thank You, Lord.

My heart is filled with gratitude this Shabbat eve for all that You have done for me. For all that You are doing for me. And for all that You will do for me.

I love/bless You & I thank You for loving/blessing me :-)

Thank You for this man you have given me to walk this life with.

Thank You for this Life You will help me live gracefully and gratefully.

1 Thessalonians ~Chapter 4/Thursday Bible Study

This is my favorite chapter of New Covenant teachings - I am enjoying my life with my new husband … but Yeshua is my first love, my ultimate husband, my savior-redeemer-and personal advocate. My soul anxiously awaits His return to gather me to Him, to be with Him forever.

There are those claiming to be Christians that adamantly repudiate The Rapture - all I can say to them is that The Rapture IS a true event that is going to be happening when Elohim decides the time is right to call His Children home. I intend to be in that ingathering :-)

And I truly feel sorry for those who have determined in their minds to avoid it. Why anyone would chose to remain behind is something my mind and spirit cannot comprehend since ALL of the Scriptures - Old & New Covenants speak to the wonderous Rapture taking place.

According to the Old Covenant Scriptures, Enoch and Elijah are the only two people God took to heaven without them dying (aka; they were "raptured" = blissfully taken into their eternal life to be with Elohim forever more).

Enoch: walked straight out of this life and into his eternal life without tasting death. (Genesis 5:24)

Elijah: was walking with Elisha, who was also a prophet, and Elijah was suddenly taken up into Heaven before Elisha's very eyes. (2 Kings 2:10-11)

The end-time Church, who is the living Bride of Christ, will also be lifted up out of this world without tasting death (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

{The Rapture} is the hope of the Saints … it is to be encouraged & taught.

**********

1 Thessalonians ~ Chapter 4/Thursday Bible Study

Exhortation to Moral (principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character) Purity (freedom from anything that debases, contaminates, pollutes).

"Furthermore, brethren, we ask you and beg of you, in the Name of the *Lord Jesus Christ, that you continue to live in a way pleasing to **Elohim, so that you may grow more and more. What that way is, we have already made clear to you. You remember what directions we gave you by authority of the Lord Jesus? It is the will of Elohim that you be holy. You must abstain from adultery (sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not his or her spouse). Let  each one of you see to it that he choses for himself a wife to be held in sanctity (ultimate importance and inviolability = being held in reverence as something that must never be violated; safe or protected from attack, infringement, destruction, or interference) and honor (high respect; great esteem). One must not yield to lustful (having or showing strong feelings of sexual desire) passions (strong and barely controllable emotions), as the heathen (a person who does not belong to a widely held moral stance - especially one who is not a Jew, or Christian - as regarded by those who do) do in their ignorance (lack of knowledge or information) of Elohim. No one should wrong his brother or defraud him in business, for the Lord is the avenger (a person who exacts punishment) in such cases. This we have told you before, and have given proofs from life. Elohim's purpose in His call to us is that our way of living should not be sinful, but sinless. Whoever disregards this course of living disregards something more than some manmade rule: he rejects Elohim Who called us and has given us His ***Ruach HaKo'desh to help us. (vv. 1 thru 8)

Exhortation to Brotherly Love

Then, with regard to brotherly love, there is really no reason why I should write to you about that, for Elohim Himself has commanded you to love one another. Now you are already extending your love to include all the brethren in the whole land of Macedonia. We urge you, nevertheless, to do still better in every way. We trust that you will strive to live peaceably, minding your own business and working with your own hands. This is advice we have given you on previous occasions. You understand that we want you to command the respect of outsiders, and not to be dependent on anyone. (vv. 9 thru 12)

The Lord's Return

Now, brethren, we do not want you to be ignorant in regard to those who have died. You have no reason to grieve like the rest who have no hope; for if we believe that Yeshua died and then rose again, so also will Elohim bring back with Him those who have died in the Lord. And this much we can tell you from The Word of the Lord, that we who may be still living when the Lord returns will not in any way precede those who are already numbered among the dead. With a word of command, at a call from the archangel and at the sound of Elohim's trumpet, the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven. Then those who have died believing in Christ will be the first to rise. Next, those of us still living shall be taken up into the clouds, together with the resurrected dead, to meet the Lord in the sky! After that we shall be with the Lord forever and ever! Encourage and console one another, therefore with these words." (vv. 13 thru 18)

*Lord Jesus Christ (in Greek: Kyrios Iēsous Christos) = the most formal title for Jesus (Yeshua). It occurs often in the New Testament letters.

The word “Lord” has a wide range of uses; it can be a simple respectful “Sir” or a more formal, “Master.” But the New Testament also uses “Lord” of God. The word “Christ” is the anglicized form of the Greek word meaning “anointed one” or “Messiah.” “Lord Jesus Christ” reminds us that Jesus is both the promised Messiah and our God.

**Elohim (Hebrew: אֱלֹהִים, romanized: ʾּlōhīm: [(eloˈ(h)im]) is a Hebrew word meaning "Gods – Father, Son, & Holy Spirit". Although the word is plural in form, in the Hebrew Bible it usually refers to a single deity “Behold, the Lord – the Lord is One”, particularly the God of Israel.

***Ruach HaKo’desh: In Hebrew, the Holy Spirit (רוח הקודש, Roo-ahk hah-Koh-desh) refers to the divine force, quality, and influence (aka, power) of God.

The Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16 & 11:13; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Ephesians 1:13 & 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:8; Titus 3:5; and Jude 1:20), is referred to more than 90 times in the Brit Chadashah.

**1 Thessalonians 3: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2023/03/1-thessalonians-chapter-3thursday-bible.html

HAPPINESS OVER HISTORY

 

Last night I deleted all picture files of my past life; all that remains going forward is the four years leading up to life with Holland; the recordings in pictures and videos (from 2019, to current date) of personal growth, the scary and sure-footed forging of a solo lobo life, the dawning of new love - a new husband, a new life. The kids say they don't have the room for picture albums, and the pictures no longer fit my life: Bob is gone. The kids and grandkids are distant, even though they are a mere hour, and a phone call, away. It was time to let them all go and step into a here-and-now/future that is welcoming and happily making room for me.

This morning we cleaned out the freezers, and tidied up the lot.

Another truck load; this time from outside …

When it was all done, I took some videos to show Holland: proof that the house really does, on occasion, get cleansed and cleared ;-)

He has only lived with me since January - and we were sick, or busy, with one thing after another until recently: deep cleaning the house wasn't a high priority, and the dust bunnies proliferated.

They were e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. High … and low.

They have been eradicated over the past two days :-)

Proof that I do, on occasion, clean the entire house. LOL

The rooms (except for the room that can be used as either a nursery, or a home office) are pretty bare of everything but essential furniture - and most of that is staying; we don't need any of it - and even if we did, the electric bed and recliner are just too heavy to move without added muscle. We do not know anyone willing to lend their muscle.

The rooms echo.

Every room has been stripped of personal items, and wiped down …

Stripped to the bone, and bins packed.

All that's left is the bare necessities.

The spare room is being used for storage at the moment; easy to tear down when a sale is made.

Holland helps with the heavy lifting when I ask, but his shoulder is enflamed (he has two upcoming Dr. appointments), so I only ask when absolutely necessary. I am content to whisk through the rooms like a whirling dervish while he is looking up available motorhomes to check into when we have $$$$ in hand.

I want the pain in his shoulder to settle down before we hit the road. It is really painful.

Holland is getting used to being a daily subject. Kinda-sorta ;-)

Walter Egan - 'Magnet & Steel' song:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKDT58JRgWA)

The house pictures were put off until tomorrow, so we drove into town to get me a new phone, linked to Holland's Cricket Account. All of the areas in our life together will be new … and I am thankful; no more being jerked around by AT & T.

Today's love gift; I'm still figuring it out; slimmer, lighter, and I do not have to deal with the AT & T morons anymore.

The weather has been very sunny, the past two days; very {Springy}.

It fits the mood around here, lately :-)

A New Life.

A new home.

New locales with new horizons.

A new outlook on life.

Life is feeling beautiful again.

THE CLOCK IS TICKI

It's Sunday … listing pictures will be taken Tuesday.

It's crunch time here at the Redmill abode.

The packing boxes I have kept on standby (for 4-1/2 years!) for moving day are finally being filled, taped, and labeled :-)

Packing up to move out …

And Holland's truck is being loaded.

It's seriously happening; getting rid of everything we can't ferry across the States in a motorhome ;-)

It looks like a lot - but it really isn't; I've {downsized} every year since September of 2018 (hoping to get out of Longview - especially out of Heron Point). There isn't much to pack up, or haul to the dump.

Just one truck load. Just stuff that no longer fits the new life Holland and I are building together.

We are dumping the old life and embarking on our new life.

((((EXCITING!))))

Holland had to go into town earlier, and he swung by the store on his way home. He was pretty pleased with himself when I saw the moon pies ;-)

My man listens - even when I think he's isn't. I mentioned choco moon pies a month ago & he finally found them. Love in action.

He said, "I hear every word you say, Baby - even when it looks like I'm not. You're important to me; I listen when you talk."

I have a great man and a loving husband in my life :-)

Brenda Holloway - 'You Made Me So Very Happy' song:

 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR58IbQ2GTI)

THE IRISH SLAVES

 These SLAVES ARE WHITE.

There is NO "white privilege" - that is a bullshit phrase coined by one sector of society that lives in a continual self-pity cycle.

This accounting is HISTORY.

Live and learn.

***************

The Irish Slave Trade – The Forgotten “White” Slaves The Slaves That Time Forgot.

They came as slaves; vast human cargo transported on tall British ships bound for the Americas. They were shipped by the hundreds of thousands and included men, women, and even the youngest of children. Whenever they rebelled or even disobeyed an order, they were punished in the harshest ways. Slave owners would hang their human property by their hands and set their hands or feet on fire as one form of punishment.

They were burned alive and had their heads placed on pikes in the marketplace as a warning to other captives. We don’t really need to go through all of the gory details, do we? We know all too well the atrocities of the African slave trade. But, are we talking about African slavery? King James II and Charles I also led a continued effort to enslave the Irish. Britain’s famed Oliver Cromwell furthered this practice of dehumanizing one’s next door neighbor. The Irish slave trade began when James II sold 30,000 Irish prisoners as slaves to the New World. His Proclamation of 1625 required Irish political prisoners be sent overseas and sold to English settlers in the West Indies.

By the mid 1600s, the Irish were the main slaves sold to Antigua and Montserrat. At that time, 70% of the total population of Montserrat were Irish slaves. Ireland quickly became the biggest source of human livestock for English merchants. The majority of the early slaves to the New World were actually white. From 1641 to 1652, over 500,000 Irish were killed by the English and another 300,000 were sold as slaves. Ireland’s population fell from about 1,500,000 to 600,000 in one single decade. Families were ripped apart as the British did not allow Irish dads to take their wives and children with them across the Atlantic. This led to a helpless population of homeless women and children. Britain’s solution was to auction them off as well. During the 1650s, over 100,000 Irish children between the ages of 10 and 14 were taken from their parents and sold as slaves in the West Indies, Virginia and New England. In this decade, 52,000 Irish (mostly women and children) were sold to Barbados and Virginia. Another 30,000 Irish men and women were also transported and sold to the highest bidder. In 1656, Cromwell ordered that 2000 Irish children be taken to Jamaica and sold as slaves to English settlers. Many people today will avoid calling the Irish slaves what they truly were: Slaves. They’ll come up with terms like “Indentured Servants” to describe what occurred to the Irish.

However, in most cases from the 17th and 18th centuries, Irish slaves were nothing more than human cattle. As an example, the African slave trade was just beginning during this same period. It is well recorded that African slaves, not tainted with the stain of the hated Catholic theology and more expensive to purchase, were often treated far better than their Irish counterparts. African slaves were very expensive during the late 1600s (50 Sterling). Irish slaves came cheap (no more than 5 Sterling). If a planter whipped or branded or beat an Irish slave to death, it was never a crime. A death was a monetary setback, but far cheaper than killing a more expensive African.

The English masters quickly began breeding the Irish women for both their own personal pleasure and for greater profit. Children of slaves were themselves slaves, which increased the size of the master’s free workforce. Even if an Irish woman somehow obtained her freedom, her kids would remain slaves of her master. Thus, Irish moms, even with this new found emancipation, would seldom abandon their kids and would remain in servitude. In time, the English thought of a better way to use these women (in many cases, girls as young as 12) to increase their market share: The settlers began to breed Irish women and girls with African men to produce slaves with a distinct complexion.

These new “mulatto” slaves brought a higher price than Irish livestock and, likewise, enabled the settlers to save money rather than purchase new African slaves. This practice of interbreeding Irish females with African men went on for several decades and was so widespread that, in 1681, legislation was passed “forbidding the practice of mating Irish slave women to African slave men for the purpose of producing slaves for sale.” In short, it was stopped only because it interfered with the profits of a large slave transport company. England continued to ship tens of thousands of Irish slaves for more than a century. Records state that, after the 1798 Irish Rebellion, thousands of Irish slaves were sold to both America and Australia.

There were horrible abuses of both African and Irish captives. One British ship even dumped 1,302 slaves into the Atlantic Ocean so that the crew would have plenty of food to eat. There is little question that the Irish experienced the horrors of slavery as much (if not more in the 17th Century) as the Africans did. There is, also, very little question that those brown, tanned faces you witness in your travels to the West Indies are very likely a combination of African and Irish ancestry. In 1839, Britain finally decided on it’s own to end it’s participation in Satan’s highway to hell and stopped transporting slaves. While their decision did not stop pirates from doing what they desired, the new law slowly concluded THIS chapter of nightmarish Irish misery.

But, if anyone, black or white, believes that slavery was only an African experience, then they’ve got it completely wrong. Irish slavery is a subject worth remembering, not erasing from our memories. But, where has this ever been taught in our public (and PRIVATE) schools???? Where are stories of Irish Slavery in the history books? Why is it so seldom discussed? Do the memories of hundreds of thousands of Irish victims merit more than a mention from an unknown writer? Or is their story to be one that their English pirates intended: have the Irish story utterly and completely disappear as if it never happened. None of the Irish victims ever made it back to their homeland to describe their ordeal.

These are the lost slaves; the ones that time and biased history books-conveniently forgot-By John Martin