Life Is A Highway – Reflections On Las Vegas

Posted on October 7, 2017 by Phil Christensen

Life really is a highway – here’s why.

It only takes one. One guy to screw things up.  Because life is a highway.  Great when it functions as designed.  Beyond aggravating when it doesn’t.

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Posted in Current Events, Hearth and Altar | 1 Comment

The NFL Controversy – To Knee Or Not To Knee

Posted on September 30, 2017 by Phil Christensen

First, The President.

Donald Trump will continue to do what got him here. Internalize this simple principle, and one need never be puzzled y his behavior again. This explains everything he says and does, and it explains why he inserts himself into the issues of the day, including the NFL controversy.

Going into last weekend, Trump, in his often used cringe-inducing terms waded in on the National Anthem/NFL debate. And naturally, the Deranged Left (redundant, I know) reacted with its usual restraint after a period of quiet self-reflection and contemplation.

The Left Reacts

Leftist reaction to… oh, everything…

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Posted in Current Events | 2 Comments

Greetings, Blessings, & Words No One Uses Anymore, Part I

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Phil Christensen

The Greeting…

Words have meaning, even words we don’t use.  Sometimes several events tend to amalgamate into a single memory. I’m standing in the living room of my in-law’s home. It’s time to go. Tomorrow, Lois and I are going to dinner with friends. Or to a Church social. Or something very similar. People that my in-laws know are going to be there. Maybe it’s the Holiday Season or close to it.

Greetings | @manningthewall.com

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Posted in Hearth and Altar | 4 Comments

North Korea – The Problem That Won’t Go Away.

Posted on September 18, 2017 by Phil Christensen

North Korea – Is There A Solution?

The Unites States Government continues to deal with North Korea from a Western Paradigm  based on the Post World War II model.  It’s time to stop.

North Korea Missile Test | manningthewall.com

Coming to a city near you.

From The Washington Post 9/14/17.

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Posted in Current Events, History | 3 Comments

Fall Foliage and A Pleasant Ride Home

Posted on September 13, 2017 by Phil Christensen

Fall Foliage – It’s Coming.

The best time to see the fall foliage in Pennsylvania will in 2 -3 weeks.  But it’s starting.  The colors of Summer are still with us, but you can see a hint.

Then this came on the radio:

Giuseppe Torelli – Concerto in A Major for Guitar & Violin.

Western Civilization: There Is No Substitute.

It has given the world Calculus, Relativity, Thermo Dynamics, Radio Astronomy, Indoor Plumbing, The Combustion Engine, Air Travel, that ridiculously useful Smart Phone, and oh, Giuseppe Torelli.  I know nothing of Torelli other than he composed some magnificent works and that you can find him on Youtube.  That, and centuries after his death, he gave me a pleasant ride home this afternoon.

The crisp snap of Autumn isn’t here yet.  But I’ve learned to enjoy the season I’m in.  The garden continues to produce and will probably do so for another two weeks.

Meanwhile, a glimpse of things to come.

Leaf Mid-September Pennsylvania | manningthewall.com

Maple Leaf, Mid-September Pennsylvania

Fall in the Lehigh Valley is something everyone should experience.  If you can’t get out here this year, put it on your bucket list.

 

 

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My View On Today’s Worship Music

Posted on September 9, 2017 by Phil Christensen

Worship Leading – good?  Not so good?  Do we want to go back to something else, and if so, how far back?

This week my wife tagged me on what has to be one of the most awkward worship videos ever. My response? This has to be the best argument in favor of putting every worship team in gray cowl robes and having them chant in Latin.

ScholaCantorum_Image

Seriously, would that be so awful?  Yeah, I know. This is the 21st century, and Latin is a dead language.

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Posted in Hearth and Altar, Music, Uncategorized | 9 Comments

Kitchen Garden Journal 9/2/17

Posted on September 2, 2017 by Phil Christensen

Late Summer Kitchen Garden

It’s September.  This morning there was a coolness in the air presaging a pleasant Fall.    I can wait for the crisp snap of the Autumn morning.  I’ve come to learn the importance of enjoying the season I’m in.  The green remains, though one or two trees are shedding the occasional leaf.  Then there’s the kitchen garden.

Pickled Cucumbers From The Kitchen Garden | manningthewall.com

The garden remains productive.  The zucchini has been a pleasant surprise and the tomatoes have ripened on the vine.  The marinara sauce should last into Thanksgiving.

This weekend’s project? Pickling the cucumbers.  It’s an experiment.  We only planted one vine, so we’ll see.

Vinegar, some pepper corns, salt, sugar, garlic and a little dill weed.  Check back next week and I’ll let you know.  How it turns out.

In the meantime, here is today’s harvest.

Morning Harvest From The Kitchen Garden 9-2-17 | manningthewall.com

 

 

 

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Here’s My Take On The Confederate Monument Controversy

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Phil Christensen

Monuments And Those Who Are Triggered

This may surprise some of the people who know me. With respect to monuments, I don’t have a dog in the fight.

So here is my take on the confederate monument controversy.  The existence and maintenance of monuments requires that enough people are willing to devote adequate resources. Those resources are, as they have always been, Time, and Labor. Those familiar with economics Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Defining Western Civilization, Taxes | 9 Comments

The Colonel In His Garden

Posted on August 20, 2017 by Phil Christensen

I venture out into the early morning stillness.  The fog lifts with the rising sun.  I pick my way carefully over the lawn, it’s blades still wet.    I am here to prune, to pick, to breathe. The Victorians called it “taking the air,” I think.  It’s August, and the kitchen garden has changed over from Spring to late Summer.Kitchen Garden Gate | manningthewall.com

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Posted in Hearth and Altar | 3 Comments

Immigration – Is There A Sane Solution?

Posted on August 12, 2017 by Phil Christensen

Immigration is a hot button issue to be sure.

Some believe, (myself among them) that perhaps it’s time to align our immigration policy closer to that which other nations employ.

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Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments