When I think about my lifespan this passage comes to mind, speaking of Joseph from Genesis 50:23 ~ "He lived to see three generations of descendants of his son Ephraim, and he lived to see the birth of the children of Manasseh’s son Makir, whom he claimed as his own." from the New Living Translation, (NLT)

Good morning and welcome. It is Tuesday, October 7, 2025. I could have easily woke up this morning singing the Frankie Valli tune, 'Oh What a Night' because we so enjoyed our time celebrating our Chris' 60th birthday. The actual official title to the song released in 1975 was, 'December 1963, Oh What a Night'. The song lyrics were actually put together to celebrate the ending of Prohibition in 1933 but they were updated and there's a lot more to it and it became a big hit. You can look it up and get all the other details. Back to our version of oh what a night. It was our boys along with Chris' wife Sherrie, the wife, and yours truly. The food. Hey! The food! It would have been given four stars from everyone who participated. (According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: The meaning of FOUR-STAR is of a superior degree of excellence.) It is rare indeed to have the three boys in our home without all the many grands and great grands, therefore, hearing them talking and laughing together was an added blessing from above. Looking at the photos, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know there's a lot of gray hair and to be honest that just doesn't seem possible but it reminds us all how quickly time moves on. That's the reality but we thank God for His blessings. I can't really apologize too much for the dated references because at the end of the day, it's my blog and I'll use them if I want to. (Sing that last part to the 1963 hit from Lesley Gore where she puts it like this: It's my party and I'll cry if I want to.) You do know I am just horsing around which has to do with playful behavior. I actually was charged in high school with the crime of horseplay even though I was only a witness to the horseplay not a participant but I got licks with the board nonetheless. I know. Rambling. I think I wrote something about my approach to blogging and it had to do with my rambling prose which you can adapt to the Nat King Cole hit from 1962, 'Ramblin Rose'. Okay. I promise I have taken my meds but this stuff just keeps falling out of my head which you can adapt to the 1969 hit by B. J. Thomas, 'Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head'. I give up. I know you are pleased. More later on all the above. You can count on it.

 

I do pause to recognize and remind us of this day two years ago when Hamas terror groups savagely attacked Israel with unmitigated cruelty. In total, 1,195 people were killed by the attacks: 736 Israeli civilians (including 38 children), 79 foreign nationals, and 379 members of the security forces. While attending the Nova music festival, 364 civilians were killed and many more wounded. This sparked what is now called the Israel-Palestinian Conflict over the past two years which has led to over 67,000 deaths, 169,000 injured and the displacement of nearly 2 million people. That, in and of itself is a horrible outcome that was triggered on this day two years ago. I am an unapologetic Bible thumper, therefore, I know the consistent flow of verses that yield support for God's Chosen People, the Jews, and the Nation of Israel. I do agree and fully support this sentiment while at the same time I am against any and all wrongdoing on all sides of this conflict. That may sound contradictory but that's my conclusion and I am sticking by it. May God intervene is my prayer and I do pray for the peace of Jerusalem. (Psalm 122:6)  Amen. More later........