Bless my stitches
If I’d known a quilt shop was a place to meet beautiful women, I’d have gone there 55 years ago.
We were headed to Main Street last Wednesday for breakfast, but my wife of 48 years detoured to Bless My Stitches. No surprise.
I patiently sat in the “husband’s lounge” next to material racks for an extended period of time. I met so many great folks there.
Karen, the owner, greeted every customer into what seemed more than a business. Maybe they weren’t customers. It was a home to quilters, friends and a long time Murphy establishment. The place was closing. Everybody was saddened by the news.
My wife dumped (not surprisingly) much too much money into closing business sales, as did others. The beautiful ladies told me stories of Karen’s unending tutelage. Friendship even more than quilts.
Beautiful women inside and out. And that’s what Murphy’s all about. God bless you Karen, your staff and all you beautiful women.
Jim Klimtzak, Ranger
America is compromised
President Joe Biden visited Poland and made a surprise visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, taking them $500 million and promising more military equipment. This is in addition to the $114 billion he’s already given to Ukraine, in the name of democracy.
Ukraine is not a democracy, it is the biggest money-laundering country in the world. This war would not have happened if Biden had not made such a blunder withdrawing from Afghanistan, leaving Americans and $80 billion of equipment behind along with 13 dead American military and hundreds of Afghanistan citizens.
China killed more than 1 one million Americans with Covid-19, yet Biden has yet to hold them responsible. Fentanyl comes from China to Mexico, where the cartels make counterfeit pills, enough already confiscated to kill every American five times over. More than 100,000 Americans between ages 18-45 were poisoned last year by fentanyl, still pouring in at Biden’s open border.
Biden is a career politician. For 50 years, he has sold this country out, with Hunter Biden selling favors for dollars, which is proven in Elon Musk’s Twitter records showing the FBI and elites censored conservative voices during the 2020 election.
There is no defense against lies when CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC and MSNBC say the same words.
If the American people do not take the time to seek the truth, you can live it at the gas pump, the grocery store and anything else you buy. The diversity in Biden’s administration of people not qualified to do their job is simply because Biden chooses them by the color of their skin, sex orientation or their gender – anything but meritocracy.
Like the governor of Arkansas said, we have a choice between normal and crazy. God is our hope. He hates evil, and this is evil.
Wanda Russ, Andrews
Turning worse or for better?
Because the United States is the United Nations’ backbone in this war, China may be backing up Russia against Ukraine.
If we had to pull out or just be overtaken because of China backing up Russia, there is another prospective that could take over – and that is China and Russia may become at odds to see who would take over Ukraine, and eventually turn on each other. They could potentially destroy each other in the end.
Shelley Dietrich, Murphy
Will NASA get off the ground?
Congratulations to the nine brave volunteers selected for the Cherokee County version of NASA – the Needs and Solutions Advisory Committee.
You will be facing significant challenges, starting with the Board of Commissioners who appointed you.
For starters, the committee itself was approved by a 3-2 vote. Not a good sign.
Historically, commissioners have ignored previous committees who worked hard and presented reasonable recommendations. Common sense and fact-based planning to move the county forward have been rejected due to infighting, tunnel vision, local politics and a stubborn determination to keep things just the way they are.
Will Cherokee County’s NASA lift off or abort?
Past experience strongly suggests that any recommendations that could mean change for the county will never get off the ground.
Bob Sharp, Murphy
Authoritarian ideology stinks
The stench of authoritarian ideology and betrayal is strangling our republic.
We sanitize our language so classified documents strewn over unsecured garages and think-tanks Chinese financed, such as the Penn Biden Center, are a red herring matter of carelessness and not design.
I believe our decrepit commander-in-chief and his family have made themselves wealthy by taking bribes from foreign powers, chief among them our global enemy Communist China. Verified evidence supporting these bribes – including Hunter Biden’s laptop, business documents, financial transactions and emails – are suppressed.
In 2022, the FBI’s 30 armed agents were ordered by President Joe Biden’s administration to raid former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home to look for classified documents, many of which were already secured and declassified by Trump. This was a smash and grab operation.
Examine this handling of documents to Biden’s scandal, where his lawyers allegedly colluded with the FBI in reviewing classified document sites in several locations. Where was the FBI’s unannounced raid of Biden’s premises where stolen documents are stored?
This two-tier legal system is appropriate for a banana republic. We witnessed the same approach during the summer in 2020.
In classic fascist fashion, the Biden administration has convinced the intelligence community to censor and harass political opponents. Additionally, it has suborned corporate America into spying on political opponents with the goal of canceling them.
AT&T recently shut down the fastest-growing and fourth-largest cable news network, Newsmax, depriving 13 million viewers of access. Elon Musk exposed that the FBI dictated censorship of posts on Twitter and Facebook that could have changed the last presidential election.
How do we stop this? Commence divulging actions by their right names – fascism! Call out the treason of the Biden family and the squishy military brass who have turned America’s armed forces into indoctrination centers of woke racism.
Terry Payne, Marble
Give a little, receive a lot
You’re missing out on a huge opportunity for just a little of your time. I would like to share my experience with the immense power of giving.
I have been involved with hospice care on one level or another for much of my life, including helping care for my own family members. I cannot express the power of what I receive by offering a small amount of my time to work with patients and families at Four Seasons.
The power of unconditional giving is something I find hard to express because the profound, deep, meaningful impact that just a few hours of my time volunteering give me is undeniable. People often tell me, “I could never do that” or “I just couldn’t deal with that.” But being a part of a moment of goodness to a patient and their family during a difficult time is such a beautiful thing. I have had moments full of laughter, beauty and love.
Many people think hospice volunteering is bleak, sad and uncomfortable. My experience has been anything but. I have been blessed with learning, laughter and humility. The relationships I have had with the patients and their families have been uplifting for me in many ways.
There is something very special about embracing quality of time over quantity. The connections and memories I have made will always be held close to my heart and spirit.
Having said all this, I haven’t even mentioned what an amazing organization Four Seasons is. The various trainings and interpersonal relationships gained have, without a doubt, been life changing for me.
On my lowest of days, it’s usually a hospice patient who turns my day turn around and makes it much better. And all I have to do is show up and give a little of my time.
Elise Boren, Franklin
The writer is a volunteer at Four Seasons in seven counties. Visit FourSeasonsCare.org.
Jesus is the real life saver
We all have heard or seen a rescue mission that saved lives. When we look at firefighters, paramedics, police officers and other rescue services, plus those who go out of their own way to do a heroic act of kindness toward someone who is in need of help, we don’t think twice about rushing in to save a life.
Why do folks do these acts of service for others they don’t even know, but will at times sacrifice their own life to save another?
How many times have we driven down the highway and see an animal crossing over to the other side, and we swerve to miss it and sometimes wreck our vehicle in the process?
For many people, life is precious, and their heart and mind tell them to react in a humbling way no matter the risk. It’s like a built-in sensor that alerts us to do whatever possible to save a life.
Jesus Christ is also a great rescuer of life. He choose to come down from glory for the sole purpose of saving mankind from hell. In His short span of life, He walked and talked to ears that would listen about His Father’s kingdom in heaven, and He performed many miracles, even bringing the dead back to life. Jesus never asked for money, food, water, clothing, sandals or even a place to rest His head. You see His Heavenly Father provides for His son, just like God gives us our daily provisions.
In ancient days, humility was a sign of weakness. However, by the end of the first century, even secular writers were calling humility a virtue because of what Christ had done.
Maybe we should have a celebration day called “Be Humble Day.” Sounds better than boasting.
Frank Combs, Blairsville, Ga.