No message yesterday
Folks,
Yesterday we had an early luncheon with our good friends, Michael & Barbara, who were leaving for the UK for a one month visit, so I was unable to get a message out.
Gary
Reply from Gary Metcalfe (57): Forsyth, MO
Hello Gary and all, I just threw a whole lot of pages of stories. I fear telling the same story over and over, so will try a new approach. Just a few thoughts that come to mind.
#1 Gary let them eat their hearts out, you have earned the devotion of all these beautiful gals. I think the highest calling of a person is to be a servant, many people get praise for things they have excelled in, but very few are in the class of servant. A servant is one who does things without expecting anything in return and you fill this well. I feel that by surrounding yourself by younger people definitely keeps you young at heart.
#2 I had a good experience today on the NET. A couple of guys are teaching a kids’ class on how to handle a bully. I have been thinking of asking for support from all the Stokes Bloggers to stick up for one kid everyday and for anyone that has to face someone who thinks they are better than they are. Can you imagine what a lift in the spirit that a few people can make. There are hundreds of kids that won’t go to school out of fear. I was the new kid on the block, came from Seattle to a rural school setting, if a bully was 2 or 3 years older than you, it was like a prison sentence. If I would have had some good physical training and an asthma inhaler, I would have settled that score a few years later.
#3 Trish Larson, I surely think of my dad when I read of your adventures with your horses. He had a working relationship with all of his horses. I guess I can see why he took on the hard farm life now. He said, “your cows will take care of you as well as you take care of them.” We had only a few in the hills that did not take care of their animals. So Trish keep letting us know of your travels. I thought it was neat when you camped at Rancho Oso above Santa Barbara. Now you are near another place that is dear to my heart, northeast of Spokane is Newman Lake and we lived at Newman Lake. By the way, there were no bullies there, at least not for me. I remember Chris Craft boats, people having fun, learned to swim, almost drown, picking beer bottles after the dances and selling them for probably a nickel….really hit the jackpot! have enjoyed several return visits to the area. Gary Metcalfe
Cebu Marriot Pool Side Bar and Grill Expat Dinner 8/19/11
Folks, I wanted to share this neat picture of Bernadette with some of the gals with you. Can you believe these gals use whitening creams to lighten their completions. In the states many folks go to the tanning booths, here they use whitening creams. These gals find that the westerners like their darker skins though. As a race the Filipina’s are known to have the nicest skin, so why do they want something different? Gary
Another nice photo
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Today’s posting
From Doreen Larson Moran (BHS ’61): Usk, WA & Hazelton, ND
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Well, you do have the gray hair and I know you remember the outhouses, the party line telephones and a few other items (Bob always said ND or more the Turtle Mountains were at least fifty years behind the rest of the country). I don’t think you quite are in the old fogie or geezer category!!!!
Let us all pray this happens. Being part of the baby boomers———I’ll be there voting and we sure could use the young ones helping……….forward this on to everybody 
They like to refer to us as senior citizens, old fogies, geezers, and in some cases
dinosaurs. Some of us are “baby boomers” getting ready to retire. Others have been
retired for some time. We walk a little slower these days and our eyes and hearing
are not what they once were.
We have worked hard, raised our children, worshiped our God and grown old together.
Yes, we are the ones some refer to as being over the hill and that is probably true. But
before writing us off completely, there are a few things that need to be taken into
consideration. In school we studied English, history, math, and science which enabled
us to lead America into the technological age.
Most of us remember what outhouses were, many of us with firsthand experience. We
remember the days of telephone party lines, 25 cent gasoline, and milk and ice being
delivered to our homes. For those of you who don’t know what an icebox is, today they
are electric and referred to as refrigerators. A few even remember when cars were
started with a crank. Yes, we lived those days.We are probably considered old
fashioned and out-dated by many.
But there are a few things you need to remember before completely writing us off.
We won World War II and fought in Korea and VietNam. We can quote the pledge
of allegiance, and know where to place our hand while doing so. We wore the
uniform of our country with pride and lost many friends on the battlefield. We didn’t
fight for the Socialist States of America , we fought for the “Land of the Free and the
Home of the Brave.” We wore different uniforms but carried the same flag. We know
the words to the ‘Star Spangled Banner’, ‘America’ , and ‘America the Beautiful’ by
heart, and you may even see some tears running down our cheeks as we sing.
We have lived what many of you have only read about in history books and we feel
no obligation to apologize to anyone for America.
Yes, we are old and slow these days but rest assured, we have at least one good fight
left in us. We have loved this country, fought for it, and died for it, and now we are
going to save it. It is our country and nobody is going to take it away from us. We
took oaths to defend America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and that is an
oath we plan to keep. There are those who want to destroy this land we love but, like
our founders, there is no way we are going to remain silent.
It was the young people of this nation who in 2008 fell for the “hope and change”
which in reality was nothing but “hype and lies.” You have tasted Socialism and
seen evil face to face, and have found you don’t like it after all. You make a lot of
noise but most are all too interested in their careers or “climbing the social ladder”
to be involved in such mundane things as patriotism and voting. Many of those
who fell for the “great lie” in 2008 are now having buyer’s remorse.
With all the education we gave you, you didn’t have sense enough to see through
the lies and instead drank the kool-aid.
Now you’re paying the price and complaining about it. No jobs, lost mortgages,
higher taxes, and less freedom. This is what you voted for and this is what you got.
We entrusted you with the ‘Torch of Liberty’ and you traded it for a paycheck and
a fancy house. Well, don’t worry youngsters, the Gray-Haired Brigade is here, and
on ELECTION DAY we are going to take back our nation.
We may drive a little slower than you would like but we get where we’re going, and
in November we’re going to the polls by the millions.
This land does not belong to any special interest groups or political parties. It belongs
to “We the People”, and “We the People” plan to reclaim our land and our freedom.
We hope this time you will do a better job of preserving it and passing it along to our grandchildren.
So the next time you have the chance to say the Pledge of Allegiance, stand up, put
your hand over your heart, honor our country, and thank God for the old geezers of
the “Gray-Haired Brigade.”
This pretty Much Sums It up!! can I have an AMEN!
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