Grand kids of a great friend

Jodie and Jamie

My Frog

He is hollow and his head lifts off. When I was a kid, I hid my money from my different jobs in the frog's body. My mother, bless her precious soul, passed away three years ago at the age of 93 kept my little treasure safely with her almost until the day that she died. Of all her personal belongings it was the only thing that I desired to have. The rest of her items were divided between my siblings.

Christian / American Flag

This is my statement to the world and my fellow countrymen and women.

Simply home grown

my grandest grandkids

Things that bother me

Having been around for many years, I have seen changes take place in products, prices and attitudes of a great many establishments.

I understand that everything must go up in price and/or down in quantity, (size) and in many areas, yes even quality. But there has got to be limit as to how much abuse we will take from these establishments.

Here are a few of the changes that I have witnessed as I grew up.

Devil dogs got smaller and the price got higher. Their reason was that they had added something in the ingredients to make it healthier to eat.

Table talk pies went from family size to individual size, but the price hardly changed. I liken it to going into a bank with a quarter for change walking out scratching my head as to why I only got a dime back.

A big coffee and donut chain used to say that their donuts were made fresh hourly. In the past 10 years I have yet to get a fresh donut unless it was during the early morning (rush) hour. During the day, forget it! The chain stopped making its logo donut, which became its symbol and which happened to be my favorite. Lastly, the biggest profit is in coffee, what a mark up. I boycott buying coffee at this and other famous coffee chains.

Finally, I got comfortable enough with this blog that I can take some time to add to it instead of figuring out how it works.

So here goes my next gripe. Can you trust what the big establishments say? Read this and think about it and if you would like to comment on it, I would love to here what you have to say.

A few years back when credit cards establishments were bending over backwards for customers, I got an offer which I took. It was for a 4.99% interest credit card account which was to last the life of the account.

I switched a higher interest rate account into this one. All was well, I faithfully payed down and still am, but something happened with in the past year, which I will always look suspiciously on. Especially since the interest rates have gone up and banks try to get all they can from the customers. Sure they have their tasty little tidbits that go along with their high interest rate cards.

But my question is: What do they do with people like me who are on low interest rates. We know that they will not lose money, they will not make what they could if It was a higher interest rate card.

So here is my story.

I got an e-mail from this Credit card company saying that it was important for me to call them regarding my account, which I did immediately.

The person I talked to told me that my account number had shown up in another country.

I explained to them and asked them to check out the history of my account to date, that I had never used the account for any other purchases. I have always only just paid it down.

When I asked them what I supposedly purchased they said only that the number had appeared in another country.

I agreed to change the account number for security reasons. I did that while on the phone with them. This should have been a red flag to me but I did not give it much more thought.

So the statements came in with the new account number. Shortly after that (which unfortunately I didn't watch until months later, the interest rate had climbed up to 9.99.

When I did finally catch it, I sent a note of to the bank that held the account saying that it was still the same account, just the number had changed.

They replied in writing saying that they appreciated the opportunity to review my account but could not accommodate my request (My request was to bring the account back down to where it belonged) based on existing credit policies. But they said that I could contact their customer relations department so that they could review and consider my request. Sounds like double talk to me.

So, I called them, and explained the situation to the rep who finally took my call. He knew that I had a good point because he said so and offered to lower my rate a little. I said that I wanted ti know if I had lied to initially when I was told that the rate was for the life of the account. He tried to side talk me but I persisted and finally was on the phone with his supervisor.

I went through the whole thing again. She also knew I was right but said the best she could do is to lower my interest rate bu 1%. I took the lower rate but I asked her several times to tell me if the company had lied to me. She kept saying no, but failed to explain it to me. I asked her over and over, if I was told that the low interest rate was for the life of the account and while the account was still active (alive), the interest rate was increased, was I not lied to? I then asked her that if I got another offer from them making the same promise of one rate for the life of the account, could I trust what they Say. She said yes but could not explain why my interest rate was raised.

That's it so far. I am wondering whether to get a lawyer and/or to go public with it.

What do you think?

I wonder what is in your wallet.

Proverbs says

That the guilty flee when no man pursues

When I was young (poem)

When I was young, my past was small
I had little concern for time at all
But as I grew, my past accrued
leaving memories to hang on to

Though each breath formed a larger past
my present seemed to always last
Many up and downs as I recall
following life's bouncing ball

Disguised as life's storage place
time passed by at a steady pace
Although always here, it never hung around
it simply came and went without a sound

Memories piling high and wide
testify that time slipped by
Memories to share, others to hide
some bring smiles, others make me cry

Many yesterdays have come and gone
for the present, I had no grip on
Yes, time swept me through many seasons
through carelessness then on to reason

In my youth, I had no mission
to what the future held, I did not listen
While time ushers in my older days
I knqw it was wasted in many ways

Bittersweet this endless thought
that who I was, I now am not
Though my present seemed to always last
now my future is smaller than my past

Much older now since I was small
with each breath delaying death's inevitable call
Though I have regrets, time served me well
for this simple truth is mine to tell

Soon I'll bid farewell to this time I've known
bidding farewell to all that I have sown
I have no fear beyond the grave
for by the grace of God I am saved

Hope fulfilled, with God I'll be
With him throughout eternity
I'll slip into His timeless zone
When this time leaves me all alone

copywrite 2002

In His Hands

Easterbutterfly

Photo courtesy PDPhoto.org

A butterfly came to me today
And lay on my shoulder as if longing to stay
The message that she seemed to say
I'm going home without delay

But into the air I released her to fly
Hoping she'd flutter into the sky
Yet she turned around before my eye
I think she knew that she would die

I placed her gently on a branch
Her wings beat slowly a death dance
To live I gave her every chance
Please be gone when next I glance

One last look I thought I'd take
Oh be gone for heaven's sake
Then I felt my heart would break
She had invited me to her wake

To my shoulder again she flew
Please God, show me what to do
Oh Lord, to me this all is new
Why must she die? I ask of you

When she found with me her final rest
I heard God speak and felt his breath
Behold this creature whom I blessed
There is a reason for her death

The message God wants me to retain:
All things made are his to claim
And when to Resurrection I shall come
I, too, shall be with God's own Son

Her beauty was her treasure chest
God entrusted her form with me to rest
She's now inside my picture frame,
Upon her wings I see God's name

My truck

This little fellow is my favorite frog. He blogs!