Queenly Considerations

The current Hollywood slap-flap isn't worth my time to address, so let's skip across the pond for a story equally irrelevant to America's crushing problems. But I find Britain's Queen Elizabeth II much more worthy of attention.

Consider that this admirable model of grace and dignity is still doing her best to fulfill the duties of her day job--ever since the year 1952. Try to imagine getting up for work every day if you're 95 years old--and recently recovered from a bout with Covid-19. It's a mind-boggling accomplishment. But the news coverage is filled with endless accounts that the Queen is "canceling engagements," "suffering mobility issues," "using a walking stick," and tooling around the castle in a golf cart or wheelchair.

As my mother might have said, "What's it to you?" Not only is this woman 95 years old and still working, she's also been on her feet daily for 70 years. Don't you think she might be entitled to take a seat at this point? Isn't it a good idea to let her apply modern technology to hold her meetings on video? Doesn't it make sense for her to use a cane? Wouldn't you say it's logical for visitors to bring their display items to her instead of making her travel to crowded venues? My answer is "yes to all."

Yesterday, amid much melodramatic speculation, Queen Elizabeth attended the memorial service for her late husband, Prince Philip, in Westminster Abbey. She walked in on her own steam, using the storied walking stick and holding her son Prince Andrew's arm. This caused much consternation in public opinion and the media, considering Andrew's recent disgrace. I think he's a disgusting sleazeball, and the Queen was right to strip him of his honors and bar him from public life.

But think about it; Elizabeth is still doing her job. In selecting Andrew to escort her, she was protecting the monarchy and being a mother at the same time. Their sheltered entry at the side of the cathedral shielded them both from widespread scrutiny and prevented any unpleasantness that might have marred the special occasion. 

Elizabeth is a queen, not an immortal. Time will run its course for her as for us all. Meanwhile, she is still one smart, dedicated, hard-working cookie. She seems like someone I'd love to have a cup of tea with. If she can carry on and be comfortable at the same time, I say that's brilliant. Here's to canes and golf carts. God save the Queen.

Queen Elizabeth II ~ March 2022

Once More, With Feeling

Pope Francis is going to consecrate Russia and Ukraine "to the Immaculate Heart of Mary" tomorrow. Because this development hearkens back to the 1917 apparitions of the Blessed Mother at Fatima, it has caused quite a stir in circles both religious and secular.

The 1917 Fatima apparitions are confirmed as legitimate by the Roman Catholic Church. However, Catholics are not required to believe in them. It is a matter of individual choice whether to accept the miracles of Fatima or not.

Having said that, I must affirm my personal fascination with the Fatima story. Ever since my mother bought me a children's book about "Our Lady of Fatima" when I was in elementary school, the miracles--and especially "the secrets," or prophecies--of Fatima have held my deep and enduring interest.

If "by their fruits you shall know them," is the standard of measure, then Our Lady's 1917 prophecies are performing quite well. For example, she told the three children that two of them would be taken to heaven "soon." Both Jacinta and Francisco died in the influenza pandemic of 1918-1920. Lucia was to "stay a while longer," which she definitely did. She became a Carmelite nun and died in 2005 at age 98.

Mary predicted a worse war would follow The Great War, and it would be announced by a "strange light" in the sky. The aurora borealis danced across all night skies of Europe and North America in January 1938; Hitler marched on Austria two months later. The rest, history students will know.

Mary also predicted that Russia would "spread her errors throughout the entire world." Considering that the communism instituted by Russia into a totalitarian system of government has engulfed China, North Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, and is gaining an ever-surer toehold in the United States, I'd check that box.

There are Fatima "warriors" who are full-on conspiracy theorists over many aspects of the story, but I don't subscribe to such speculation. I just find the whole Fatima story so interesting and, in view of current events, still very timely. Especially with the consecration coming up tomorrow, it's also frustrating. Here's why.

Lucia continued to receive visits from Mary. In 1929, Our Lady asked for a simple thing to prevent the onslaught of "Russia's errors." She asked that the pope, together with all the bishops of the world, consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart. Lucia relayed the request. Seems simple enough, right?

It's been done five times, never according to instructions. Tomorrow will be the sixth try.

Twice in 1942, Pope Pius XII consecrated "the whole world," once with and once without the bishops. Again in 1952, Pius XII consecrated "the peoples of Russia" to Mary's Immaculate Heart--again, without the bishops. In 1964, Pope Paul VI renewed the 1942 consecration--without the bishops. In 1984, John Paul II consecrated "Russia and the whole world." At least he included all the bishops, but "the whole world" was not part of Mary's request.

Do you get my frustration? Now Francis is going to consecrate "Russia and Ukraine." As my mother might have said at this point, "Mother of God!"

I'm sure they mean well, but none of these popes can follow the script. When it comes to the mystery of Fatima, it would seem that popes don't take heavenly direction very well. 

Well, even if he's ad-libbing, tomorrow's consecration by Pope Francis certainly can't hurt. We should all say a prayer for world peace tomorrow. That might even help. Heaven knows.

Fatima is streaming on Netflix

The Unending Story

As the world watches the brave people of Ukraine fight for their lives and country, we should remember that we are seeing a replay of dark history throughout the centuries. There is always a tyrant ready to rob a neighboring country of its peace and autonomy. There is always death and destruction as the innocent fight against invading evil.

Today is St. Patrick's Day. This is a celebratory day for the Irish, a people who have seen more than their share of bitter battles to hold of their country. The Men of the West is one song that commemorates the 1798 Irish rebellion against the British rule that had been imposed on Ireland. The song makes me think of the courageous Ukrainian fighting men today who are so valiantly standing for freedom in the fight to protect their homeland against Russian tyranny.

In honor of the Ukrainian freedom fighters, The Men of the West audio is linked here. Click here to read the lyrics. Throughout human history, the bloody struggle for freedom is endless. It's the Ukrainian people who are currently caught in its brutal clutches. 

Refresher Course in Evil

Many years ago--in May 2005, to be exact--I made a series of posts to this blog about the refugee crisis after World War II. I transcribed the dozens of yellow legal pages handwritten by my late husband, Pete, based on several interviews with his mother, who had been a Latvian refugee.

Because he was relaying the story at the time to my young niece for a school project, he edited out many of the horrors that his parents had experienced. For example, his mother told him about walking along bombed-out railroad tracks and seeing countless dead bodies. One of the bodies, she said, was a man neatly dressed in dress pants, a white shirt and tie--with his head blown off.

Another terrible incident, which Pete did include in his narration, has always stayed with me. It is the story of Russian military trucks arriving in my in-laws' refugee camp in the middle of the night. Everyone was awakened and told to board the trucks. Children were taken from their parents and loaded into separate trucks. The parents were assured they would be reunited at "the new location." The adults realized that they were being led to execution by the Russians. They began to resist by lying down on the ground and refusing to board the trucks. During the ensuing uproar, the trucks with the children inside sped off into the night. None of those parents ever saw their children again.

If you'd like a refresher course about the countless lives from many countries that were shattered three-quarters of a century ago, the following are the links to Pete's family story: 

One Clear Call: Yalta's Silent Shame

One Clear Call: Latvians Without a Home

One Clear Call: Latvian Survivors

One Clear Call: Afterword

Reading this story today reminds me how evil is unchanging and ever-present. We human beings don't seem to have learned much; we continue to witness the same brutal atrocities committed by tyrants against good and innocent people who just want to live peaceful lives. Those who opine about the "right side of history" from their comfortable environs don't understand the immense pain and horror suffered by so many people to cut through the bloody center of evil in order to reach that side. I'm grateful that my in-laws, and my husband Pete, have been spared seeing this happen yet again.

A Majority of One

 One man with courage is a majority.

~ attributed to Thomas Jefferson

President Zelensky of Ukraine ~ March 2022

Can anyone watch or listen to the courageous leader of Ukraine and not be inspired by his bravery and dedication to his country? President Zelensky is reminiscent of our greatest and most admirable national leaders such as Washington and Lincoln, who unfortunately lie deep within our distant past.

And then, of course, there's Joe Biden. The US government's solution to Putin's invasion of Ukraine, courtesy of our so-called leader, was to offer Zelensky an escape route. This tells us everything we need to know about what Biden's reaction would be in a similar crisis.

President Zelensky's famous response--"I need ammunition, not a ride"-- will echo throughout history as the answer of a brave, true, and worthy leader. Zelensky will fight to the death, and he is fully aware that outcome is likely. It is inspiring to know that such men still exist in today's craven world.

As death rains down upon the innocent, Biden sits on the sidelines, an impotent spectator as our oil dollars continue to fund Putin's destruction of Ukraine. If it truly wished to help Ukraine, the Biden administration could sanction Russian oil--but it won't. It could leverage our own substantial oil reserves to help mitigate gas prices--but it won't. It could reopen the Keystone XL pipeline to help our European allies as well as our own people--but it won't. 

Meanwhile, against all odds, President Zelensky fights on alongside his countrymen. He could flee, he could surrender--but he won't.

The Root Cause of War

 "All wars are economic in origin."

~ Kieran J. Carroll, Ph.D.

I was in high school during one of my out-of-town uncle's weekend visits when he asked me what subjects I was taking. Outside of the usual three-R curriculum, I was in an Economics class. This sounded more adult and exotic to my teenaged ears, so I mentioned that first.

Uncle Kieran was superintendent of schools in his home county in Maryland. He was also a history scholar; his doctoral dissertation was on Augustin Thierry (look him up). My point is, when my uncle made a statement on academics, I listened. When I told him I was taking Economics, he immediately waved his arm dismissively. "All wars are economic in origin. That's what you need to know about economics." He immediately asked me what else I was studying, as if challenging me to present him with a subject not quite so predictable as economics.

Why do we remember certain moments so vividly, and completely forget so many others? It's one of life's mysteries. But I've always remembered Uncle Kieran's sweeping definition of economics as the seeds of war. Today, in Ukraine, I am watching that lesson unfold in real time.

To the victor belongs the spoils. Wars enrich the victors, who are often tyrants such as Putin. Even if the victory is short-lived, the winner triumphs in land, power, prestige and resources. Oil production and usage is an obvious source of this particular conflict. The United States has the means to combat this, but the current administration is a slave to the radical "green" interests of their left-wing contributors. Bidin does not want to lose those many millions of donor dollars.

All wars are economic in origin. In the case of the feeble US response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the war is economic in continuation, too.

Worth A Second Look

Have you tried finding an enjoyable, amusing, worth-your-time movie on Netflix recently? It's a tough assignment. After losing two hours of my life last night to a hot mess titled The Lost Daughter, I was determined not to repeat my error in film choice tonight.

At my age, very few movies are worth investing the time for a second sitting. Being a movie lover, I have my classic favorites that receive regular repeat screenings. But newbie movies have a hard time making my rewatch list. Then I noticed St. Vincent in the "New This Week" section on Netflix. I had watched it a few years ago when it was first streaming, and it suddenly disappeared--as good movies are wont to do on Netflix. When I saw it suddenly reappear this week, it immediately made the jump to my watch list.

St. Vincent starts Bill Murray as a crusty, down-on-his-luck smart-mouth who finds himself providing after school daycare to a new neighbor's young son, Oliver. To avoid spoiling any of the fun, let's just say that Vincent succeeds in teaching Oliver many significant ways of the world during his babysitting gig. Melissa McCarthy plays Oliver's mom with heartfelt charm, and Naomi Watts has a colorful role as a "friend" of Vincent.

While the film has many moments of hilarity, there are also both dark and tragic plotlines woven throughout that draw the story to its poignant climax.

I just finished watching St. Vincent again. As I remembered, it was worth a second look.

The Genocide Games

Have you watched any of the Genocide Olympics? I haven't. Neither, apparently, has Nikki Haley. The games were left scheduled in Beijing even after China unleashed Covid on the world and are in the process of exterminating an ethnic group, the Uyghurs. There are chilling parallels to the Berlin "Nazi Games" of 1936.

The Chinese Communist Party never held human life in high esteem. The Uyghurs in China that are coerced into slave labor are the fortunate ones. So many Uyghurs are imprisoned in concentration camps, are forcibly sterilized, tortured, or executed in genocidal ethnic cleansing. The major corporate sponsors of the Genocide Games include Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble. Coke and P&G are okay with genocide? Evidently big money talks louder than human decency. I'm comforted a bit by the cratered ratings, down 55% from 2018 and 64% from 2014.

I'd like to do something to fight back against the Genocide Games. I may be one little person, but there are millions just like me. All of us "little people" spend money. Both Coke and P&G sell a plethora of products. What if all the many millions of us avoided purchasing any of their numerous goods? It might not make much of a dent in their big-time deals with China, but I know I'll feel better if I make an effort not to endorse genocide with my own dollars. A few fast foods and convenience products just aren't worth the price.

Keep on Trucking

I'm kind of embarrassed that the truckers' Freedom Convoy protesting vaccine mandates started in Canda, not in the USA. Really, the "land of the free" is now a runner-up in standing up for liberty? It's mortifying.

But the truckers are the real story. The Canadian government's oppressive Covid mandates were ridiculous and insulting to the truckers. Quarantine when you drive back into Canada from the USA--really? Can you think of a more quarantined job environment than a driving a truck? Truckers are alone while they are working. Justin Trudeau, please write that down.

Truckers worldwide bring all of us, well, everything. Name any item in everyday life. If you eat it, drink it, wear it, want it, use it, need it, work with it or play with it, it most likely came off a truck. Truckers have the power to stop the world in its tracks, and it looks like they are about to do just that if they are not left in peace and freedom. Alaska started a convoy rally in support, with the US finally planning a cross-country "Convoy to DC 2022." And France and the Netherlands are but two European countries starting their own trucker convoys.

So Facebook/Meta can go ahead and take down the group pages. GoFundMe can freeze the funds donated to the Freedom Convoy. The radical autocratic lefties can pull every dirty trick in the book, but I don't think that's going to stop the truckers--or their supporters. They are in it for the long haul. It's about time.

On God's Time

I had a serious birthday this past week. Collecting one's seventh zero tends to focus the mind, if a person is fortunate enough to still claim that faculty. Turning seventy years old is an occasion for deep reflection.

There are so many lessons in a long life, but perhaps the most significant is the importance of family. I've never possessed any remarkable amount of material wealth; I've never had any worldly power or fame. I can't say that I've missed having them. But even if I had been granted such grandiose things, I can't imagine they would hold a candle to the boundless blessings of children and grandchildren. Some good fortune simply can't be evaluated by any earthly metric.

By many standards, I'm what the world would call "lucky." I've got my health, I'm still working, I continue to enjoy my friends, reading, and learning. It all pales in comparison to the joy of family.

Yet my husband is dead for many years, and my children are successful adults busy in their own homes with their own children and family lives. It makes me wonder, exactly why am I still here? My new mission in life is to discover that answer.

Traditional translations of the Bible tell us that "threescore years and ten"--a fancy way of saying "seventy"--is a person's allotted time on earth. My father died at 70 (he once told me that he would). My mother soldiered on to the venerable age of 100 years. I like to say that if I can split the difference, I'll be very happy.

Regardless of how much life is left to me, the fact is that now I'm on God's time. My prayer is that I will find ways to make the best use of it.