Category: General

In my previous blog post labelled Angel, I ask you to look at my journey with my wife to England, France and Spain to find angels during history. I left the last post stopping at Dungeness then mentioning the loss of Queen Elizabeth II as history in the making as we observe her processions from Scotland to England with people lining the road to see this popular character now part of history. She was indeed an angel forming her wings now fully grown for her heavenly home. After our trip to Kent, we came back to mom for day visits before we headed back out to see the busy harbor town of Emsworth. The walk along the front is very nice. My message for this blog takes the angel theme to “what is our purpose in life?” We can see Queen Elizabeth II’s life’s purpose unfolded before our eyes as her life and death is shared around the world. But, what about our purpose? I wrote a blog in 2016 called “Who is your master” where I pointed out that we should use our worldly wealth to make friends, not by deceit, but by honesty and humility to raise your purpose from earthly rewards to heavenly rewards. As I continue with you on our journey abroad, I encourage you to look at God’s purpose for those in history knowing you are also in his plan.

Corfe Castle was built in 1086 during William the Conqueror time as an exchange with the Abbess of Shaftesbury for a church. He took the hill and land around it to build this fortress. What was his purpose and how did God use his actions?

We then took a train from Corfe to Swanage which is another scenic village along the coast showing the Jurassic rock formation scene up close in Dover. Onward next to Lulworth Cove. The cove has been formed from the time of dinosaurs and is a huge tourist attraction for Indians as this cove has been a feature in Hindi movies produced out of Bollywood films. We stayed the night at Wareham and walked around the ancient walls surrounding the city. Lawrence of Arabia, an amazing character who certainly made his purpose known settled near Wareham in Clouds Hill in 1935 where only a few months died in a motorcycle crash.

The next day we continued along the coast to Poole and took the Jurassic Cruise. We passed by Brownsea Island made famous by the founder of the boy Scouts, then on to Old Harry Rock named for Harry the pirate who hid waiting for his next merchant ship victim. The Swanage Bay, Anvil Point and St. Alban’s Head are magnificent white Jurassic rock cliffs stretching all along the coastline. 

Buckler’s Hard Village is a must stop for anyone interested in Lord Nelson’s Naval ships as many were built on this site. His purpose was to stop the onslaught of naval attacks on the British. In his effort, Britian’s navy became superior over all during those times. You can read more about the battle at Trafalgar by searching a previous blog of mine.

During this trip as you can imagine was full of excursions along with visits with mom, friends and family. One of the surprises was a trip to the Weald and Downland Living Museum. The old buildings from various ages of history have been restored at this huge outdoor museum. Also, on the grounds in one of the building’s the “Repair Shop” is filmed. We had a chance to meet a few of the cast members of this popular show.

We spent one day on a train to Portsmouth harbor and took a fast boat to the Isle of Wight and a bus tour around the Island before going back to our friend’s house for another night. 

We met an old but younger friend who we first met in Thibodaux with her husband. My wife especially had a connection with her as she considered her as another daughter. She helped her during a few pregnancies, shared laughs along with some tears. Her parents live in Alton so we took the time to visit while their family was together for the holidays. My wife was an angle to this couple during the time in Thibodaux. How nice to share more fond memories on this trip.

The next few days we spent with mom taking her out on day trips to Stokes Bay, shopping, visiting other friends, and getting ready for our cruise. We spent one day before the cruise at Hinton Ampner which is a 20th century vision of old English living. The mansion and gardens are beautiful like most old scenery in England.

I end this blog post tempting you with more pictures and stories as we travel on our cruise to France and Spain and back again to England. This trip has certainly been one for the books as we seemed to cover so much in such a short time it seemed. Our purpose on this earth is very specific to our connection with our creator. We may resist the call to be obedient, but God has a way that makes our desires his design. Enjoy life’s journey so maybe one day, history will cover your path to your ultimate goal.

T

I find it interesting how us humans interact. Some use social media where others are only willing to communicate by phone or person to person. I have written two books already on the dangers of groupthink encouraged by our social connections. What could happen if we can no longer use our individual voices to communicate in a hundred years? Maybe the time frame is closer than we think. Maybe the acceleration of global warming is closer than we think which could impact everything from how we communicate to how we stay cool. My fifth book, hopefully to be completed by the end of this year, touches on the human condition in the future. Stay tuned.

In this post, I want to share some of my adventures while traveling with my wife in England visiting her mom now approaching her centenarian year. She is a blessing to all who know her, and we want to spend as much time with her as possible. My third book called “A Chime in Time” is all about her life and the lives around her. Her life spans the life of Queen Elizabeth II who was 96 years old when passed onto her eternal reward. This a reminder that life is precious so make every moment count.

I started writing this blog post now that we are back from England at our oldest daughter’s home looking after one of our grandson’s and our grand dog. My laptop crashed on me while I was traveling. I had to purchase a new laptop after retrieving my data. The crash was not because I was traveling but because of an apparent glitch impacting lots of laptop users. The IT folks are very busy fixing the same problem. Why are material things so important to us? Because we rely on things to function in our society today. What happens when things break? We may get stressed until fixed. I am not immune from this stress, unfortunately. I have invested several weeks of writing while on a cruise, while chilling at night or watching the waves on our cruise. I could not get to my stuff so not good for my stress level. All has been restored meaning all is well. This brings me to my topic. Several years ago, I posted a blog called “material things or humility?” Have you ever felt you are in the presence of an angel? 

Imagine driving down the road expecting to get to your destination only to discover an extraordinary event changes your journey in life. In my blog posted years ago, I told the story of me driving with my dad when such an event occurred. Also, driving by myself, years later, both events I believe an angel was present. You may be skeptical and that is okay. Just remember these words when you have an extraordinary event. In this post, look for the angels present during our travels.

First, middle, and last visits we shared day out trips with my wife’s mom. She is an angel in the process growing her wings while here on earth.

Our first trip out with friends took us to the county of Kent in Southeast England. We stopped at Leeds Castle on our way to Canterbury. As we walked through the grounds to the castle, we learned the history. In 1278, Queen Eleanor of Castile built the Gloriette, in 1321 King Edward II laid siege to the Castle. One hundred years later Queen Joan of Navarre is imprisoned. One hundred more years King Henry VIII stayed with his first wife Catherine of Aragon at this castle. In 1618 the Smythe family created a Jacobean mansion. In 1710, Catherine, Lady Fairfax inherited the Castle. Finally, in 1822 a new castle was built by the Wykeham Martin family. Some form of Leeds Castle has been in existence since the Normans being mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. Where is the angel in this castle and its surroundings? Perhaps, those that inhabited this ancient dwelling may be a conglomerate of heavenly beings telling the story of English history until now. Lady Baillie is perhaps the main angel as she bought and restored the Castle from 1926 to her death in 1974. Without her resources and connections, the castle may be a relic of the past.

Our next stop is Canterbury, Kent. We used this location for the next three days to see other historic sites. The Cathedral at Canterbury is full of history. When you walk in you feel the presence of angels amid a violent past. King Ethelbert was the first to be baptized by St Augustine in the Christian Faith symbolizing the first official acceptance of Christianity by the various rulers in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. The year of 597 marks the first baptism and 602 recognitions of this Cathedral as the mother church dedicated by St. Augustine. Several archbishops served until 1011 when the Danish Vikings took over, damaging the building and killing most of its inhabitants. One year after the battle of Hastings in 1066 the Cathedral was destroyed in a fire. Eleven years later the Cathedral was rebuilt by the first Norman archbishop Lanfranc. Construction continued, archbishops came and went, with their marks added for modern viewers of history in one place. Saint Thomas Becket is the most admired of the long history and is still the major attraction for pilgrims wishing to see where this martyr died. He was born in 1118 and reached the status of a clerk in minor orders at Canterbury. His rise to power related to his friendship with King Henry II who insisted his friend replace the deceased Archbishop Theobald. On June 2nd, 1162, Thomas went from clerk, to ordained priest then next day consecrated bishop then enthroned as Archbishop in Canterbury Cathedral. Now that was a fast rise to a dominant position. However, the King wanted his favors and Thomas stuck to his fundamental Christian beliefs at all costs. The jury system we use today came out of the King’s efforts to reform the judicial system, but Thomas wanted more fair treatment than the King was prepared to give. In a heated argument, Thomas is exiled for six years. When he came back, he continued his open criticism of the Crown and that was his demise. Four Knights of the crown were given the orders to “rid me of this low-born priest”. One Knight named FitzUrse whom Thomas called a “pimp” drew his sword first and they all struck until his head was severed. The site of his martyrdom is preserved today in the north-west transept. “Thomas Becket remains one of the great champions and exemplars of Christianity.” My how history does tend to repeat itself. Modern society has no monopoly on defenders of the faith and resistance to groupthink. Whether it is a king threatening harm if you do not conform or a politician claiming his or her opponent will cause harm if not politically correct, it is all the same stories. Stay focused on the one true heavenly king in all that you do regardless of how high you climb up the human ladder. Was Thomas in the presence of angels? I imagine he was and is now part of the heavenly host protecting us.

The Christ Church Gate was completed in 1521 and was the last major piece of building before the Dissolution. Good ole King Henry VIII who decided one marriage was not enough. You know the story. He was perhaps the biggest male chauvinistic pig of the bunch. He wanted a male Aire to the throne and would not stop until he got one. Still failed but unlike Saint Thomas who succeeded to maintain a separation somewhat between church and state, times were not so kind for the catholic clergy who were replaced with a Dean and Chapter by royal charter in 1541. This structure has not changed much in the Church of England since then. Many martyrs have been added to the list since then. Could we possibly get back to this time of society structure some day? If freedom fails, we could find ourselves back before we know what happened. Let freedom ring!

Next stop was Dover where we visited my wife’s grandad’s boyhood home before touring Dover Castle. The weather that day was about 36 Degree Centigrade or 96.8 Fahrenheit which was a record for England. All the current news was about the effects of global warming. It was nice for us as we were touring the tunnels and the weather was nice and cool down there. Operation Dynamo: Rescue from Dunkirk was planned in those tunnels during early stages of WW2. The operation was a dramatic rescue of British and Allied forces from the beaches of Northern France and Belgium in May 1940. The USA was not in the conflict then so if they had failed in their operations, we may all be speaking German today. 338,226 soldiers were rescued between 26 May to 4 June 1940. The castle above the tunnels were bombed but much remained to tour. It was built between 1179-1189 during King Henry II’s reign. Next stop was the White Cliffs that stand pronounced along the English Channel. Continuing along the coastline, our next stop was Ramsgate to see more tunnels. The town is very beautiful now but was nearly destroyed during WW2 when a squadron of Luftwaffe bombers unloaded their bombs on the town. The story of this town could have been one of tragedy instead became a victory of divine guidance by the leadership of the town. They called him the Mad Mayor of Ramsgate but when the bombs began to fall, he became a hero. Was he guided by angels?

Ramsgate was bombed in WW1 due to its proximity to the Continent of Europe and its direct path to London. Germans used Zeppelin and Schutte-Lanza airships later replaced with Gotha bomber aircraft. The destruction and loss of life was tremendous during this war from 1914-1918. By the 1930’s it was apparent, Ramsgate needed another solution to avoid further loss of life and property. By 1936, the Ramsgate Tunnel Railway was opened in peacetime as a tourist transport to the beaches. They laughed at the mayor for such an extravagance at the time. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain thought he had secured peace, but Hitler had more ambitions just to settle so war was inevitable. A weak leader thinks peace will work where a strong leader plans against those who say one thing but do the opposite. Are we headed to repeat history? The town during WW2 was over 60,000 and very little bomb fatalities due to the whole town going underground. Men, women, and children lived in these tunnels for months setting up their homes while the bombs fell above. The town may have been destroyed above but the population lived on. Today, those children return as elderly to see where they lived and played. A trip through the tunnels is like going back in time to see life surviving best they could. Thanks to the mayor, Arthur Kempe, who had the railway shut down and expanded the tunnels for air raid shelters a whole town was saved. Thanks also to the courage of spokespersons like Stanley Ballwin to speak out of the potential dangers of being too passive. Angels were in abundant presence during those dark days of world conflict to help guide those who resisted business as usual in a time of growing conflict.

Our trip from Ramsgate took us by Viking Bay in Broadstairs celebrating 1500 years when the Vikings landed in 449. Next day we are off to the RAF Manston Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum where I got to fly a simulator and safely landed in London. I am sure the instructor helped make the landing as smooth as possible, but it sure makes me think how those brave pilots must have felt fighting for their lives against the German fighters.

Next, we were off on a small train to Dungeness point and a vast land appearing to be wasteland full of sand and Sea Shingle. The first Old Lighthouse was built during King James reign in 1615 and has been replaced many times to protect ships from wrecking along the treacherous rocks. The narrow gang train was extended to Dungeness from New Romney in 1928 as a tourist attraction and has been operated ever since. In addition to the lighthouse, there are two nuclear power stations built in the 1950s and 60s now starting to be decommissioned. This is a stark reminder of the old meeting the new age. Energy is in constant demand, but times change along with politics making this source of energy not welcomed. With the attention on global warming and removal of CO2 in the atmosphere, perhaps we need to rethink our energy dependence. Dungeness is a nature reserve for distinctive seaside plants with white flowers and tough crinkly leaves called Sea Kale. Boats and dwellings scattered about the nature scenery making it a unique place to visit. We ended our trip with friends driving back to Hampshire watching Kite skiers then a quick pass-through Hastings where a battle was fought on October 14th, 1066, between the Norman-French army of William, the Duke of Normandy, and the English Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson. William won out as apparently, he had righteousness on his side having been promised the land by Harold’s predecessor Edward the Confessor. William was a far better leader than Harold and established the French speaking Normans as the new rulers. This changed English history forever and helped to create the modern English language. (Google source) It appears to me no matter what age in History, politics takes precedence over common sense and doing the right thing. The angels are ever present to make even the wrong things turn to good.

I have lots more to write about our trip but will end this post of the most recent historical event in England. Queen Elizabeth II was not intended to be queen as the royal lineage was through her uncle Edward. After the death of Edward’s father King George V on January 20, 1936, Edward was king for only a partial year before he abdicated in December of that same year. Edward was not willing to give up his love Wallis Simpson, an American. The Royal rules of marriage forbid the marriage to a commoner at that time, so Edward denounced his thrown and consequently exiled to France for the rest of his life. We may look at that as a sad moment, but it was later determined that Edward was supportive of Hitler, who appeared to be a savior of Germany. Of course, we know from history, Hitler could be more labeled as the “anti-Christ”. The younger son of King George V named Albert, nick named Bertie, became King George V1. He was ill prepared for his role and stammered badly, but he did his best, employed a speech therapist and trained his daughter Elizabeth on the duties of the Crown. He managed well to help his nation through some very tough times during World War II. He died, some say, of Lung Cancer in 1952. Elizabeth was only married for five years to Prince Philip before she found herself at the age of 25 becoming Queen Elizabeth II on 6^th of February 1952. She dedicated her life to the role of queen until at the age of 96 on 8^th September 2022 she entered the kingdom of Heaven. History may write a different story as she leaves behind some good and not so good memories that may soon play out in the social media of today. One thing is for sure, she holds the title of longest ruling monarch in world history. That title will not soon be broken. Was she an angel in our midst, like my mother-in-law having her wings prepared for the heavenly host? It is my opinion, that she will be an example of goodness over evil forever in the history of humankind.

T

Brevynym for Episode 6: The West Country[i], the Baltic[ii], one step into Wales[iii] and the modern-day Trafalgar. A brevynym according to my brain, is a sentence that reveals a bigger story using key words of previous stories.

This episode briefly explores journeys in the past that you can click on the above to read more plus an insight to Vice-Admiral Nelson’s victory with a modern comical twist. First, let me also preface this story to give credit to my father-in-law, Ken Clark, who has journeyed on to eternal peace. In clearing out his files in the attic for my mother-in-law, we found an interesting handwritten note titled, “The Modern Day Trafalgar”. Read through the end of this episode to his fictional dialog between Vice-Admiral Nelson and Flag Captain Hardy commanding HMS Victory during the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. If you have some Naval background you may pick up some jargon, find it funny, politically incorrect in today’s world, but also revealing to the man’s talent for storytelling. Enjoy this episode as you journey with me back in time.

I believe when we go back in time, we learn how our present time is shaped by our past, giving us insight, to our future. Let me start with the West Country. From the town of Exeter in Devon through the new forest, where sheep and ponies roam free, you discover the Jurassic coast to find treasured fossils. In Exeter, St Catherine’s Almshouses was bombed during WWII and now serves as a reminder to the brave soldiers who fought for our freedom. Widdecombe in the Moor is a village steeped in history and famous all over the world for Widdecombe fair, Uncle Tom Cobley and all. Sir Francis Drake’s Buckland Abby Barn reveals Andrew Logan’s Cosmic Egg. The story of Francis Drake’s life is extraordinary from a meek farmer’s boy dreaming of being on a ship to a master commander who helped stop the Spanish invasion of England in 1588. He had previously been very successful in Spanish raids as payback for their attack on his vessel in 1567. More than two hundred years later, Admiral Nelson was still fighting for superiority of the seas. As we leave the West Country to make the connections in the Baltic area, know that we are all on our own individual journeys of life. Some roads take us to no end while others take us to a lifetime of memories and perhaps fame in the process of living.

In Belgium the city of Zeebrugge is a gateway to the medieval city of Ghent. Amazingly, this city was spared bombing during World War II, thus sparing the magnificent ancient buildings from destruction. The city is home of a 14th century belfry, St Michael’s Bridge, St Bavo’s Cathedral, and the 15th century artwork called the “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb”. The region of Flanders was made famous from 1915 publication of poem “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae during World War I. From Belgium, next stop is Denmark traveling by sea up to the Oresund Strait separating Denmark from Sweden into the Baltic Sea to Copenhagen and a fishing village called Dragor reminiscent of Viking days. The connection between Admirals Nelsen and Hardy goes back to 1801 and the first battle of Copenhagen. It seems all history somehow eventually intersects. From Copenhagen to Stockholm to Estonia, Russia, Finland through the Baltic Sea back to Poland the connection of historical events continues. None of us are immune from events of history that shapes our existence.

Lao Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. The single step this time is into Wales. The one step reveals the superiority of ship building resulting from the dominance of British Naval might won from the victory at Trafalgar. In Bristol there is an old steel constructed ship called the ”SS Great Britain”. SS stands for steam ship and was a marvelous specimen of engineering designed by Brunel. His designs also included the suspension bridge over the Avon. His ship’s design included first screw propeller which became the standard for proceeding iron ships. It sailed many times to Australia and America before a damaged mast ended her career. She was relocated back to her construction dock after 127 years of service in 1970 and now on permanent display for generations to see. Could the advancement of modern ships have been possible without superiority of the seas? Perhaps, but technology may have been a casualty of concentrated war efforts. The overwhelming victory over the French and Spanish on 21 October 1805 gave the Royal Navy its most famous triumph and confirmed a long tradition of naval supremacy. Now that Britain commanded the seas inventors were allowed to create on behalf of commerce not war. This historic marine conflict was fought off the Cape of Trafalgar, offshore from Cadiz, Spain, with forces from Spain and France clashing with Britain. The Battle of Trafalgar made Lord Horatio Nelson one of Britain’s most famous war heroes. Now 211 years later, the day is still marked every year on October 21. Viscount Horatio Nelson who was shot and died of his wounds at the moment of his greatest victory. Prior to this famous battle, Nelson was already making his mark through many quotes that are now repeated by various leaders on or off the battle fields. Below is a summary of this famous battle.

Napoleon Bonaparte planned to invade Britain in the summer of 1805 but needed to gain control of the English Channel. He ordered the French fleet to create a blockaded at various ports, meet in West Indies and then return as one fleet with Spain to gain control of the Channel. The Spanish left for the West Indies, but Nelson pursued and stopped them in Cadiz, Spain. At the end of September, Nelson took his fleet of 27 ships, split them into two columns and planned to break through the enemy line.

On 19 October the Franco-Spanish fleet was trying leave the harbor and head for the Mediterranean, so the chase was on. By dawn on 21 October the British fleet was only 9 miles away from the enemy. By noon the HMS Victory hoisted the famous signal ‘England Expects That Every Man Will Do His Duty’ followed by ‘Engage the enemy more closely’. The two columns led by HMS Victory and HMS Royal Sovereign successfully pierced the enemy line firing into the bow and stern of enemy ships as they passed between them.

Victory was won by the skill of the brave sailors and the brilliance of Nelson. The total number of killed and wounded on both sides was about 8,500 whilst the British took about 20,000 prisoners. Nelson himself had been shot by a musket ball and died when victory was assured.

The era of British naval supremacy brought about by the victory at Trafalgar lasted for a century until Germany’s naval challenge in the first decade of the Twentieth Century.

Now that you have read a little of the history enjoy my recently discovered handwritten satire from Mr. Kenneth H. Clark

“The Modern Day Trafalgar”

Nelson-Order the signal[1] Hardy

Hardy- Aye Aye Sir

Nelson-Hold on, that’s not what I dictated to the signal officer. What’s the meaning of this?

Hardy-Sorry Sir!

Nelson-(Reading aloud) England expects every person to do his duty, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religious persuasion, or disability. What gobbledygook is this?

Hardy-A diversity policy, I’m afraid, Sir we are an equal opportunity employer now. We had the devil’s own job getting ‘England’ passed the censors lest it is considered racist.

Nelson-Gadzooks, Hardy, hand me my pipe and tobacco.

Hardy-Sorry Sir, all naval vessels have been designated smoke free working environments.

Nelson- In that case, break open the rum ration. Let us slice the main brace to steel the men before battle.

Hardy-The rum ration has been abolished Admiral. It’s part of the government’s policy on binge drinking.

Nelson-Good heavens Hardy. Suppose we had better get on with it full speed ahead.

Hardy-I think you will find that there is a 4-knot speed limit in this stretch of water.

Nelson-Damn it man! We are on the end of the greatest sea battle in history. We must advance with all dispatch. Report from the crow’s nest please.

Hardy-That won’t be possible sir.

Nelson-What?

Hardy-Health and Safety has closed the crow’s nest sir. No harness and they said the rope ladder doesn’t meet regulations. They won’t let anyone up there until proper scaffolding can be erected.

Nelson-Then get me the ship’s carpenter right without delay Hardy.

Hardy-He’s busy knocking up a wheelchair access.to the castle Admiral.

Nelson-Wheelchair access? I’ve never heard of anything so absurd.

Hardy-Health and Safety again sir. Have to provide a barrier free environment for the differently disabled.

Nelson-Differently disabled? I’ve only one arm and one eye and I refuse even to hear mention of the word[2]. I didn’t rise to the rank of Admiral by playing the disability card.

Hardy-Actually sir you did. The Royal Navy is underrepresented in the areas of visual impairment wound deficiency.

Nelson-Whatever next? Give me full sail. The salt spray beckons.

Hardy-A couple of problems there too sir. Health and Safety won’t let the crew up to rigging without hard hats and they don’t want anyone breathing in too much salt. Haven’t you seen the adverts?

Nelson-I’ve never heard such infancy. Break out the cannon and tell the men to stand by to engage the enemy.

Hardy-The men are a bit worried about shooting at anyone Admiral.

Nelson-What? This is mutiny!”

Hardy-It is not that Sir. They are afraid of being charged with murder if they actually kill anyone. There is a couple of legal aid lawyers on board watching everyone like hawks.

Nelson-Then how are we to sink the Frenchies and the Spanish?

Hardy-Actually Sir we’re not.

Nelson-We’re not?

Hardy-No sir the Frenchies and the Spanish are our European partners now. According to the Common Fisheries policy we shouldn’t even be in this stretch of water. We could get hit with a claim for compensation.

Nelson-But you hate a Frenchman as you hate the devil[3].

Hardy-I wouldn’t let the ship’s diversity coordinator hear you saying that sir. You’re on disciplinary!

Nelson-You must consider every man an enemy, who speaks ill of your king[4].

Hardy-Not anymore sir. We must be inclusive in this multicultural age. Now put on your Kevlar vest. It’s the rules, it could save your life.

Nelson-Don’t tell me health and safety. Whatever happened to rum, sodomy, and the lash?

Hardy-As I explained sir. Rum is off the menu! And there’s a ban on corporate punishment.

Nelson-What about sodomy?

Hardy-I believe that is now kept sir.

Nelson-In that case, kiss me Hardy[5].

Please click onto the below links to learn more about Vice-Admiral’s connection with Lord Nelson and his famous quotes.

Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, 1st Baronet, GCB (5 April 1769 – 20 September 1839) was a Royal Navy officer. He took part in the Battle of Cape St Vincent in February 1797, the Battle of the Nile in August 1798 and the Battle of Copenhagen in April 1801 during the French Revolutionary Wars. He served as flag captain to Admiral Lord Nelson, and commanded HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in October 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars. Nelson was shot as he paced the decks with Hardy, and as he lay dying, Nelson’s famous remark of “Kiss me, Hardy” was directed at him. Hardy went on to become First Naval Lord in November 1830 and in that capacity refused to become a Member of Parliament and encouraged the introduction of steam warships.

England expects that every man will do his duty – Wikipedia

TOP 25 QUOTES BY HORATIO NELSON (of 54) | A-Z Quotes (azquotes.com)

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[1] England expects that every man will do his duty – Wikipedia

[2] “I have only one eye, I have a right to be blind sometimes… I really do not see the signal!” ~ Horatio Nelson

[3] “Treat every Frenchman as if he was the devil himself.” ~ Horatio Nelson

[4] “You must consider every man your enemy who speaks ill of your King, and you must treat every Frenchman as if he were the Devil himself.” ~ Horatio Nelson

[5] “Thank God I have done my duty. Drink, drink. Fan, fan. Rub, rub. Kiss me, Hardy.” ~ Horatio Nelson

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[i] http://alookintot.com/2018/08/25/the-west-country/

[ii] http://alookintot.com/2019/09/15/baltic/

[iii] http://alookintot.com/2017/08/10/one-step-into-wales/

“And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not stand.” (Mark 3:25) Replace the word house with nation, kingdom or even world the meaning is similar. Did anyone take the time to acknowledge D-Day? Yes, but sadly not enough in my opinion. Did you know during the invasion, the casualty rate was 50%? On the actual day of June 6^th, 1944, over 4,000 allied soldiers died and many of those were due to drowning trying to reach the shores of Normandy. One of those soldiers who survived to fight on was my wife’s uncle. I shared his story in my new book “A Chime in Time”.  May we all pause and collectively thank those who paid the price for our freedom from the Nazi aggression. The world was certainly divided then, and I fear even today. What is the difference between Nazis and Germans? One was a political movement while the other are the people of a nation. I think we all need to understand that we should be in control of our political process in a free society. May we not fall victims of any political party’s big lie over the alternate big lie. One thing I feel is for sure and that is they all lie to win votes of those ignorant to the price of freedom. You can find books, films, etc., on big lies throughout history. First off, what is the definition of a lie? There are two definitions. One is to remain in a specific state like a person lies down for a rest. The second is to be misled or deceived by statistics, false narratives, or specific groups sharing lies to influence votes, etc.

The earth is flat. Do you believe that lie? There is a society of folks who believe that satellite photos of the earth appearing to be a sphere is a conspiracy orchestrated by NASA and other agencies. Without satellites how can we be sure the earth is not flat? Plato (427-347 BC) taught his students that Earth was a sphere but had no solid proof. Aristotle (384-322 BC) was one of Plato’s students also believed because different stars could be seen in different regions of the world. Archimedes, Eratosthenes and then 1700 years later Christopher Columbus believed the earth was round not flat. These great people were all criticized for their belief. By Columbus’ time, most educated people believed that the world was round instead of flat so why is their doubt even today? It takes sometimes many centuries and scientific development to debunk a big lie. However, there will always be people who believe otherwise.

Man did not walk on the moon. Really? I remember a teacher long ago telling me that it was a hoax again orchestrated by NASA and the political folks of the time trying to distract us from other news. Sound familiar in today’s polarized world?

In Wikipedia, there is a phrase called “Holocaust denial” which “is an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that asserts the Nazi genocide of Jews, is a myth …” How could anyone believe this big lie when the accepted figure from historical evidence leads to an estimate of 5-6 million Jews murdered in the concentration camps. The term big lie was a German expression coined by Adolf Hitler originally claiming the Jews used the propaganda technique to blame the loss of World War 1 on General Erich Ludendorff. The Nazis used same technique against the Jews. (Big Lie on Wikipedia) Some of our political leaders today prefer to eliminate historical facts to encourage a false narrative or perpetuate other big lies. Let me leave you with a few falsities. You can decide for yourself which big lie you want to accept as truth. As for me, I would rather know the truth and the truth will make me free. (John 8:32)

Falsities as follows: 1. I did not have sexual relations with that woman. 2. Read my lips: no new taxes. 3. He is an illegitimate president, and he stole the Election. 4. He won because the election was rigged. Hint: The answer to 3 and 4 is not the same person.  Let us not keep perpetuating the Big Lie.

T

Tick-Tock is the sound of a large clock ticking or possibly the measure of time running out. I have just released my third book called “A Chime in Time” and can be purchased online. Click onto www.amazon.com/author/terrylindsey and enjoy my journey back in time from WWI, WWII, and the Space Race. What was their purpose and how did time measure their progress achieving that purpose?

My wife and I recently joined two other couples to travel byways of North Louisiana exploring the past. It was very enlightening especially after my recent book on history and why events shape our very existence. Enjoy the glimpse of nearby areas full of history from early part of this past century all the way back to 1800BC.

Our journey started traveling up to Central Louisiana on I 49 to near Alexandria where we turned West through a beautiful drive full of garden nurseries to the Southern Forest Heritage Museum in Long Leaf, Louisiana. Long Leaf depot was built about 1906 to connect the railroad systems carrying passengers and raw material, mostly timber, to build our country. We explored the huge saw mill that is now a monument to the past expansion. That mill along with many around the area provided lumber to support housing construction and when needed, War efforts. Some of that lumber went to support the landing craft, vehicle, personnel (LCVP) known as the Higgins boat constructed during WWII in New Orleans. The Saw Mill walking and train tour along with the remnants of past wars in the museum make the trip well worth the drive.

We continued up I 49 through Shreveport and the next day drove some of the “Boom or Bust Byway” stopping at the Louisiana State Oil & Gas Museum in Oil City. Unfortunately, the museum was closed for repairs, but we did get a nice look at the outside displays. More about the bust byway later. Next stop was the Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum.

Imagine a young man arrested and being transformed from a schoolboy to a rattlesnake. That was the impression of one of Clyde Barrow’s inmate buddies at Eastham Camp 2 in 1930. This so-called camp was more of a hell hole. It was part of the Texas Prison System named as the worse in the nation at the time. Clyde was paroled in 1932 by the Texas Governor. The two years of hard prison time changed him forever. He could not get legitimate work because of his prison time so became increasingly bitter. He told his mother that they would have to kill him before he would ever go back to prison. Eventually, his own prophecy came true on a highway about 8 miles from Gibsland, Louisiana where he and Bonnie were ambushed by six Law Officers on May 23rd, 1934 at 9:15 a.m. Bonnie met Clyde in January 1930 and a deep intense love developed between the two. Two weeks later Clyde was in jail where Bonnie visited him often. While he was at McClelland County jail in Waco, Texas, she smuggled a gun to him. He and two others escaped. The rest of the story has been immortalized in film and pictures that you can see at the museum. Bonnie seemed to be prophetic as well leaving a number of clues in poems of their future demise.

Next stop for us was to view the journey of a German group of 300 immigrates escaping religious persecutions in 1831 led by Count Leon. They first tried to blend in with the Harmony Society in Economy, Pennsylvania, but decided to continue with some of the Harmony Society to form the New Philadelphia Society. That lasted until 1833 until they moved again this time way down South to Grand Ecore, Louisiana establishing the “new Jerusalem” society. The count died of Yellow Fever in 1934. Flood struck their settlement so the Countess Leon led her people to high ground up the Red River to settle in the hills near the modern day town of Minden. Their settlement called “Germantown” can be visited showing some of the buildings including the Countess’ cottage. From Germantown, we drove North of Minden to get back on the “Boom or Bust Byway” . We drove past Blackburn, Shongaloo, Sarepta, before stopping at Plain Dealing. Plain Dealing has a huge antique vendor’s store so we had to stop and shop before resting for the night. The next day was all about antiques and food at Jefferson, Texas. The town is full of history, but we spent most of our day seeing the old, mixed with not-so-old things, in this beautiful Texas town.

Our last stop in our journey of the past reveals an ancient past of a Hunter/Gatherer settlement dating back as far as 1800BC called “Poverty Point”. Apparently, the James Gang visited Poverty Point as well, but were not looking for a historical site rather a good hide out. Poverty Point is located near Epps, Louisiana just off I 20 between Monroe and Vicksburg. You can drive around to see the Indian mounds or hike for a few hours to see it all. Mound A can be walked up and is about 165 foot high and appears to be shaped like a bird in flight. Archeologists do not know for sure what it was. It appears to represent a status symbol to reinforce the social relationships with the community plus demonstrate power and wealth to outsiders. They think it was built after 1400BC and may have taken as little as 91 days to build. Must have been a huge dedicated work force!

This is a little glimpse of a five day trip into history in Louisiana. Imagine what else can be seen. An old clock is a mechanism to measure time one Tick-Tock at a time. A clock is made to last and may last beyond its maker. Unlike a clock, us humans are also made with precision, but cannot out last our maker. Our time is indeed limited on this earth to so many Tick-Tocks. Let us make the most of each precious moment in our lives until we become part of history. Peace to you. T