im2morro

Posted on 06/10/2012 by Grumpa Joe

My Flag Flies Everyday

A passion of mine is watching young people develop into true citizens. Nothing makes me prouder than to hear about, or watch the escapades of my seven grandchildren as they grow. My deceased wife Barbara and I spent well over twenty-five years in the Scouting movement. She in the Girls Scouts, and I with the Boys Scouts. When I watched this video it brought tears of joy to my eyes. Teenager’s who have a grasp on life and express themselves so eloquently fill me with pride. It matters, what we do when we raise our kids. Every action, every comment we make imprints into their sub-conscious. As parents we must be careful of our actions and words in the presence of our young. As a grandparent my outspokenness is often heard by my grandchildren, and it will come back to haunt at a later time. I watch my kids cringe when I say things, or use politically incorrect words in front of the grandchildren.

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Charlie Kirk a high school senior who founded an organization called “Turning Point USA.” His message is much like the one in the video below. Now, a new group called “im2morro”  co-founded by teen Audrea Taylor have  joined to do something about securing their future. I recommend you visit their websites and learn more about them. They are the future of America.

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Pinwheels for Pinheads

Posted on 22/03/2012 by Grumpa Joe

With all the brain power hired to transform the country under the guise of Hope and Change we don’t seem to have two cents worth of common sense in the lot. The sad fact is that these guys really believe they are saving the country.

Steven Chu current Secretary of Energy is impressive with his PhD degree from Berkley and his Nobel prize for Physics, but his brain is disengaged  from reality. He fails to realize that man-made global warming is a myth formulated to rob the USA of its wealth. Does he care? Nope. He really believes that by forcing the price of gas to rise to $8.00 per gallon that the population will rush to buy electric cars and bicycles. What will really happen totally escapes him, the population will be standing in line in front of a soup kitchen looking for nourishment. Eight dollar gas will kill commerce and shrink the economy further.  His vision sees the once great USA with pure air and the population living like people in Kenya. Sorry, Kenya, I don’t mean to pick on you, but you are responsible for the Roots of Obama’s Rage.

If Chu is so concerned about the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere he should work on a plan to sever California from the mainland. The state is one of very few places in the world where the the sky is perpetually gray-green and the Interstates are five to six lanes wide in each direction, and rush hour resembles a mass migration of lemmings headed for the edge of  a cliff.

Where in the world did Obama get these guys? How can one man be associated with so many weirdo advisors in such a short lifetime?

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Hungarian Comfort Food

Posted on 18/01/2011 by Grumpa Joe

Today was a day that chilled my bones. The temperature was relatively mild, but the dampness was gross. It started with a meeting of Lions this morning, and moved to an appointment with a doctor, then on to the grocery store for provisions. My plan was to come home and cook up a batch of chicken paprikas. By the time we got home, I was so chilled, the act of cooking warmed me over. The anticipation for the meal was building and I recalled memories of when I helped my mother make the same dish.

The recipe is so simple anyone who knows how to read and turn on a gas stove can make this stuff. The ingredients are spelled out in a photos below. The main ones are chicken, onion, sour cream, and some simple spices. Combine them in the right order and you get a dish to die for.

When I began cooking I was not hungry. By the time the dish was completed, I was ravenous. Between the aroma, and the flavor, my stomach sent signals to my brain that shouted “Feed me.”

I had to have a wine to go with it, so I went down to the wine rack and picked out a bottle of red. The wine turned out to be as great a winner as the meal.

I had problems making the spatzle. It certainly wasn’t as good as Mom’s. This is the fourth time I have made spatzle as an adult, and I need more practice doing it. Mother’s was uniform in size, and firm in texture. My dumplings were rather random in size, shape, and texture. Oh well, another day, another dollar. If I don’t wait another seven years between attempts, I should be able to improve.

The paprikas smelled great, looked great, and tasted great. The spatzle tasted great but looked like hell. The appearance did not deter me from attacking it with appetite.

The chosen wine  was accidental. It was the last bottle in the rack. I love Cabernet Sauvignon which is full bodied and flavorful. This one called “Dynamite.” was exactly all of that. It made a great pairing with the colorful red and rich paprikas.

If I were in a restaurant and had to rate this meal, I would give it four stars. If the dumplings were uniform in size and texture I would have rated the meal a five.

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Kick It Into High Gear

Posted on 31/12/2010 by Grumpa Joe

It is time to reflect on the past year and to account for the precious time granted me by the Lord. I struggled with my accomplishment list as I took inventory of what I did. I recalled that during my working years, at the end of a busy day, I often told my staff, “Well, we didn’t get much done today, but we will give it hell tomorrow.” So here goes my advice to myself, “Well Joe, you didn’t get much done in 2010, so give it hell in 2011.”

My accomplishment list is short this year, but the projects were larger. Here is a short list of things I am proud of:

I posted one hundred and seventy-five pieces on my BLOG. Among these posts were fifty-six political cartoons. Some of them were genius, others mediocre.

I wrote two children’s stories and submitted them to publishers: “FLYING TO THE SUN,” and “MOON CAKES TO GO.”  I rewrote a children’s story titled “FIRE FLY AIR FORCE,” for summer, and two Christmas stories, “SANTA IS MISSING, and “THE GIFT,” in time for Christmas.

Peggy and I spent twelve weeks basking in the sunny climes of Arizona while my kids stayed home to shovel snow. We visited cousins and friends in California.

Lion Joe organized and led the STRIDES: Lions Walk for Diabetes Awareness, with a team of really great Lincoln-Way High School teachers, and Lions.

In between those activities, Grumpa Jose  kept the garden in order, and the lawn maintained. This is the first year, I was proud of the green grass in front of our home. While I was tending the front with loving care, the backyard lawn turned  into thistle and chickweed.  Jose also waged a war with the Wabbits and built barriers around his flower beds. The Wabbit wars were documented on the BLOG. Just as the fence along our southern border fails to keep out drug runners, my fences were no match for the Wabbits. It turned out that West Nile virus is a more effective deterrent. While I waited for the virus to kick in, the Wabbits consumed my prize perennials.

In order to keep my sanity during this activity called 2010, I kept calm and chilled by consuming eight cases of red wine. Of all the accomplishments, the wine tasting was my favorite.

Finally, here is some  wisdom for my friends:

I know you didn’t get much done in 2010, so kick it into high gear, and give it hell in 2011.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

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Pope Nancy I

Posted on 14/05/2010 by Grumpa Joe

How far will she go to advance her ultra-liberal agenda? It is my opinion that she will try to buy off the pope so she can speak infallibly to Catholics. Here are some of the things she would want Catholics to believe without challenge:

  1. Speaking to Catholic bishops and priests,  ” Some (who) oppose immigration reform are sitting in those pews, and you have to tell them that this is a manifestation of our living the gospels…”
  2. Curing drug addicts is cheaper than enforcing illegal immigration.
  3. Denying illegal immigrants the rights of US citizens is un-American.
  4. Abortion on demand is a woman’s right to choose.
  5. Tea Party people are racist.
  6. Gay marriage is the same as heterosexual marriage.
  7. The government will save billions on universal Obamacare.

I thank the Lord that the Catholic Church is smart enough to keep Nancy out of Rome. I wish the people of California were smart enough to keep her out of Washington.

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