Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

You always pay for convenience.  I was at a check out counter in the local supermarket and the woman in back of me noticed I had two bags of fresh cranberries.  She asked me, “Are they hard to make (referring to the sauce)?”  And I quickly told her, “You just add a cup of sugar and water for each bag and heat and stir a bit.  I said, “they taste great” and repeated “they really are not hard to make”.  The cashier then popped up and said “I am a ‘can’ person”.  My argument for making fresh cranberry sauce had no effect on the customer in back of me.  She said, “I am still going to buy the can.  It is so much easier to open the can and pour it out.”  I just shrugged my shoulders and left the store.  I am well aware of the price of convenience:  It costs more and often does not taste as good.

Tags: cashier, cranberry sauce, customer, fresh cranberries, price of convenience, supermarket
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It was the old fashioned way.  And it did not occur to me until I learned my dryer was not going to be fixed immediately.  It had been out of service for at least a week and the service person had to order a part, which would take over a week to arrive.  I was running out of clean underwear and socks and had become desperate.  I had to improvise.  First I had considered going to the nearest laundromat.  That was twenty minutes away.  Then I remembered I had clothesline so I strung it up.  We were going to hit a good stretch of weather.  It was going to be warm and no rain.  My wife dug up some clothes pins so we were in business.  This is the way people always dried their clothing (before the advent of electricity and driers).  She was thrilled she could air dry her clothing and what did not dry was hung up in the bathroom overnight.  This was the way it was always done at one time.  It certainly was economical.  We had to rediscover it.  She was so thrilled.  And I had clean underwear and socks again.  And other clean clothing.

Tags: broken dryer, clean underwear, clothes dryer, clothes line, clothes pins, laundromat, laundry, service repairman, socks, the old fashioned way, warm weather
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I want to count my blessings.  It is so easy to center on what I call my “lack”.  I am so blessed–materially and all kinds of ways that have nothing to do with things.  I have a wife who loves me.  And all kinds of other people who are glad to see me.  And I have a history with them.  My four dogs and even my cats who really do not pay much attention to me but I appreciate them nevertheless.  My life is not perfect but then, again, whose is?  Of course, this is a short and incomplete list.  I can go on and on but I won’t.  I am just glad to be home.

Tags: appreciate, blessed, cats, count my blessings, dogs, four dogs, friends, glad to be home, God, gratitude, I am so blessed, my life, my wife, pets
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It does not matter I don’t make money I still have to do things that matter to me.  Every person has a need for purposeful activity.  The worst situation is when you prostitute yourself–do a job solely for the money.  If your whole heart and soul is not in it, you will burn out.

You can get trapped by money.  You want to go in a different direction and it will initially mean less money but you are used to having a certain life style and you can’t stand your job any more.  Your heart and soul is no longer in it.  You just dream for the weekend when you are off from your job.

It is hard.  You have to make a living and support your family.  The most fortunate people are the ones who can’t wait to get back to work.  Thoreau in “Walden” says, ‘Make living thy sport’.  It is easier said than done.

Sometimes some accept their whole heart and soul will not be on the job.  It is a a shame it is not on the job and find you have to find satisfaction elsewhere.  It is always a balancing act.

Tags: "Make living thy sport", balance, life style, make a living, make money, purposeful activity, support your family, Thoreau, trapped by money, Walden, weekend, your job
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Do what you love with all your heart and soul.  An example of this is a lady in our town.  She has a sign on the front of her house, “Sew plain and fancy.”  Usually we take our clothes to her for her mending (and so do a lot of other people).  She is quite reasonable and usually we pay her more than she asks.  We do appreciate her.  She has a steady stream of customers.  What she does is no small thing.  It is done joyously and willingly.  I don’t care what your gifts and talents are–do unto the Lord and with a gracious heart.  Do your labor honestly and quietly.  That is all that counts.  Whatever it is.  Like this lady in town.  You will be rewarded.  Every time.

Tags: appreciate, clothes mending, do unto the Lord, do what you love, gifts, God, gracious heart, honest, joyously, sewing, talents, your labor
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Are we our brothers’ keeper?  There is a struggle in Washington DC:  the President wants to raise the ceiling of the National debt we are allowed legally to have.  Our country may default on our interest payments for the first time.  And who knows what international effect that would have on our economy if that happens.

Our economy is really on shaky grounds.  Many people are suffering in this country, have lost their homes, are unemployed and struggling just to put food on the table for their families.  And the rich seem to get richer.

One party wants the President to cut programs like Medicare and others.  The struggles between the major parties are very acrimonious.  The Republicans have not forgotten how the President “rammed” through his bill to provide health coverage to millions of other Americans when he had control of both houses.  I am not going to debate the merits of that bill.

One little fact came to the ”surface”:  the US is near the bottom of developed countries as far as the tax rate its citizens pay.  Taxes need to go up and services to the most unfortunate, the ill, the handicapped need to be maintained.  Again, I have to ask:  Are we our brothers’ keeper?

I was amazed how high the percentage is of Americans who do not pay any federal income tax.  It is very high but the rich ought to pay more–a greater percentage than they do.  Those companies with “deep pockets” do not want that to happen and also want to erase laws that prevent them from polluting the water, air, etc.

Raising taxes now in this economic climate is not very popular.  And frankly there is much I do not understand when it comes to the economy but I have to ask again:  Are we our brothers’ keeper?  I do not like the Republicans’ stance.  I am not sure I like the Democrats much better.  Too much of government is run by big business.

Each of us are commanded to help the less fortunate.  I don’t care what your circumstances are.  There is someone around you that needs your help.

You don’t need big government necessarily to help fellow men but one function of government is to protect you and taking money away (and support) from the poorest and making sure the rich get richer does not seem right.  Again I ask the question:  Are we our brothers’ keeper?

Tags: America, big business, Democrat, economy, fellow men, God, government, health coverage, help the less fortunate, income tax, Medicare, National debt, our brothers' keeper, our country, people are suffering, pollution, poor, president, raising taxes, Republican, rich companies, rich get richer, tax rate, USA, Washington DC
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‘The poor man thinks money will buy his happiness, the rich man knows it won’t.’  The first time I heard that said it was my pastor (and friend) who told me that.  I am sure it was not his original words.  It is true when you are struggling to pay your bills it is a common illusion.  And not being able to put food on your table is certainly anxiety provoking.  Money can’t replace your sense of purpose.  It is true sometimes your job is a good fit.

You always wonder how it would be not to worry about money.  King Solomon was the richest man in the world, had it all, lacked for nothing and all he could say in the book he wrote was, ‘Vanity, everything is vanity.’  Riches can not buy peace of mind.  If you read Ecclesiastes, the book he is credited with writing in the Bible, and do not read the ending; you miss the whole point.  In it he said the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.  Every person needs a relationship with the Almighty.  It all come down to that.  Money never satisfies.  Ask the billionaire who can buy anything whether money can buy him happiness.  I think you know the answer.

Tags: "vanity everything is vanity", anxiety, beginning of wisdom, Bible, billionaire, Ecclesiastes, fear of the Lord, God, King Solomon, money, money can't buy happiness, pastor, pay your bills, peace of mind, poor man, put food on the table, rich man, riches, sense of purpose, The Almighty, the Lord, wisdom
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Today I will greet with a spirit of gratitude.  It is so easy to be ungrateful.  To look at your life and see many things that are lacking.  I will change the focus of it and thank the Almighty for all his gifts.  He has given me so much.  And I have to thank Him for so much:  Every breath I possess is His.  All the material wealth I possess is, also, His.  It is only mine temporarily.  It is only on loan.  As well as the people He puts in my life.  All on loan.  As well as my wife and direct relatives–my two sisters and cousins.  All on loan.  I have to thank God for all of it.  As well as my friends.  I will thank God for all of it and continue to greet this day with a spirit of gratitude.  It is all His.

Tags: Almighty, cousin, cousins, everything is His, friends, God, life, my wife, on loan, relatives, sisters, spirit of gratitude, thank God, thank the Almighty, ungrateful, wealth
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It was just a hot shower and soap.  No small thing.  Although maybe not.  In many parts of the world–the poorer countries like Haiti plumbing and hot water is a big thing.  Many people there don’t have that luxury.  In fact, even a bar of soap, something we take for granted is, also, a luxury.  Disease is running rampart there because many can’t wash after themselves properly.  It is just basic hygiene and many are dying because they can’t afford one bar of soap.  It is so easy to take your life for granted and you do not realize how rich you are in the United States.  And how much you really have.

Tags: bar of soap, disease, dying, Haiti, hot shower, hygiene, luxury, plumbing, poor countries, rich, soap, take life for granted, United States, wash
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It was only a quarter yet…  I wanted to buy an half a gallon of milk.  The only cash I had was some loose change in my car.  I grabbed it hoping I had enough for that purchase.

I looked at the carton of milk.  I did not have enough money for it.  I was short a few cents.  I went back to my car and decided to look on the floor near the driver’s side.

There was a quarter.  I was thrilled.  Now I had enough to buy the milk. It is nearing the end of the month and we are particularly short on cash right now.  Sometimes God gives you just what you need.

Not more but just what you need.  You can’t look too far ahead.  All God promises is food and shelter.  I needed to be reminded of that.  All I needed today was another quarter.  And that is what I got.

Tags: buy milk, cash, find money in the car, God, God gives you what you need, God promises, loose change, only a quarter
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One bar of soap.  Does not seem much.  There is such a schism between the rich countries and Haiti, who is having a cholera epidemic because most people can’t afford one bar of soap to wash themselves after they go to the bathroom.

Our church is collecting wrapped bars of soap to be sent as part of a kit to Haiti.  Haiti is one of the poorest countries of the world and there are still hundreds of thousands of people living in camps after an earthquake devastated their country maybe a year ago.

They have been out of the news but their poverty has not left them and they have not recovered from the earthquake.  And now cholera is sweeping through their midst.

And something as little as one bar of soap can slow down the spread of that disease.  It gives you some food for thought.  No American gives any thought to buying a bar of soap.  Yet it is a luxury there.

Tags: American, bar of soap, cholera, earthquake, go to the bathroom, Haiti, living in camps, luxury, our church, poor countries, poverty, rich countries, washing
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“Thou Shall Not Covet’ is one of the ten commandments.  There is a reason for that.  It only makes us unhappy to covet.  There is less and more in this world.  No two people have the exact possessions (or talents for that matter).  Coveting what someone has be what it may only gets in the way.

To be satisfied with what one has brings peace of mind.  Each person is a snowflake with an unique set of qualities (and possessions).  It is our gift to enjoy what God brings to us including the most precious of all our gifts–our time.

There is always more and less in this world.  That is the way it always has been.  We are commanded to share what we have with the less fortunate.  And it is a sin when we don’t.  Hoarding is always wrong.  When you see someone in need and you walk away and it was in your power to help that person, you have done something wrong.

Coveting only brings you discontent.  And being satisfied with what the Lord has given you brings you peace of mind.  That is why ‘Though Shall Not Covet’ is one of the ten commandments.

Tags: be satisfied, Bible, covet, God, hoarding is wrong, our time, peace of mind, share what we have, sin, someone in need, ten commandments, the Lord, thou shall not covet, unique
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