Although I have never really owned many firearms I have always enjoyed shooting and target practice. When I was in the Army I got to shoot the M-14 and M-16 rifles and those memories are still strong. The only firearms I have ever owned were a 22 revolver and a Ruger Mini-14 22 rifle. I gave both of those to my brother Jon when I was going through my 2nd divorce and have not owned any firearms until I recently bought my Mossberg 590 12 ga. shotgun. Needless to say I have really enjoyed owning and shooting my Mossberg.
But now I want another firearm. I have no real need for one but the desire to own a pistol has become very compelling. You can get a concealed carry permit in Virginia and I must admit that there have been times where it would have been nice to have had a weapon to protect myself. As a result of this compulsion I have been looking at different pistols and ammunition and I have decided on a Glock pistol firing .40 S&W ammunition. There are three basic models of Glock firing .40 S&W, standard, compact and subcompact. I think I want the standard because I don’t think I will carry it concealed often, if at all. I recently fired a Glock in .40 S&W that my brother Jon owned and I really liked it. It was lighter than a 45 caliber that my brother also had and it seemed to be more accurate.
Glock 22
Fortunately, with Christmas fast approaching, I cannot justify spending the money to buy a Glock. So that will give me some time to consider whether I need or desire a new pistol. But I have a sneaking feeling that before too long I will be compelled by forces beyond my control to add a Glock to my burgeoning firearms collection.
Life has been good to me since I retired in April. I have a lot more time now to do the things that I like to do. From reading, working on my blog, working around the house and building model rockets, I have no problem filling my days with things to do. I have become more involved in church and my church has become a big part of my life. We had our Thanksgiving dinner last Sunday and the food was delicious and plentiful. I guess you could say my life recently has become delicious and plentiful.
On Thanksgiving Day we will be having our Thanksgiving meal at the Smithfield Station in Smithfield. We had Thanksgiving dinner there last year and everyone had a great time. This time my son Jason will join us so it will be that much better this year. We have a new President who will hopefully safely steer our country ahead for the next four years. He has my support and prayers even though he was not the candidate I voted for.
While everyone is crying doom and gloom over the economy we are fortunate that we have not had to change our lifestyle too much. I was worried that now that I was retired I would not be able to travel as much as I wanted but now that the price of gas has plummeted that fear has vanished for now. I am really enjoying my new shotgun and have had fun shooting it with my brother Jon. I plan on getting Jason and Teresa to go with me some day and shoot it.
So all things considered this has been a great year and I see good things ahead for myself and my loved ones. So this Thanksgiving Day when I am surrounded by friends, family and good food I can be thankful that life has been so kind to us. I hope life will be equally kind to you and yours. Happy Thanksgiving to you.
I seem to have found a source of energy that I have not previously tapped into. For the last few days I have been busy with a number of things. I went shooting with my brother Jon at a friend of his house in NC. I brought my shotgun and Jon brought two pistols and an 8mm German Mauser rifle. We shot up some pumpkins and made a target out of some plywood and paint. We had a great time despite a NC sheriff stopping by to make sure we were legal. I started back with building a new model rocket to launch. It has been a while since my last launch and I am looking forward to getting the new rocket into the air. I have also ordered a skill level 2 rocket which will provide me with a little more challenge to build.
I also bought a Roku Netflix player which I am enjoying immensely. With the Roku hooked to my HDTV and my wireless network I can instantly stream a huge selection of movies and TV shows directly to the HDTV. I no longer have to wait for the movies to come in the mail. Between watching movies I am also finding the time to continue with my Teaching Company DVD’s. I am currently watching a series on modern economics. Previously I watched lectures on philosophy and mathematics. I love to learn new things and hopefully keeping my mind active will thwart any dementia in my fast approaching old age.
Tomorrow I am going to get my flu shot and later in the month I need to get my drivers license renewed and my truck inspected. Today I attended a lecture by Nobel Laureate Dr. John Mather at Old Dominion University. The lecture was titled – ‘From the Big Bang to the Nobel Prize and on to James Webb Space Telescope and the Discovery of Alien Life.’ The lecture was very interesting and I look forward to attending others. It sure is great being retired and having the time to do things like this.
Lastly, I spent some money and bought a professionally done WordPress theme for my blog. I installed it today and have been busy modifying and editing it. It looks a lot better than my old theme and I am hoping that it will bring more visitors to my site. I wonder what next week will bring. I look forward to finding out.
Today is All Saint’s Day, a day of remembrance for our deceased loved ones. In my church today we lit a candle for everyone in our congregation who died since the last All Saint’s Day. Then anyone who wanted to light a candle in remembrance of a loved one came forward and lit a candle. I lit a candle in remembrance of my father, Willis Miles Tefft, who died all too soon. I can only imagine how much more enriched and happy my life would have been if my Dad was still alive today. So I just want to say this prayer of remembrance for my father. May he rest in peace.
In the rising of the sun and in its going down, we will remember these our friends and loved ones we call saints. In the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter, we will remember them.
In the opening buds and in the rebirth of spring, we will remember them.
In the blueness of the sky and in the warmth of summer, we will remember them.
In the rustling of leaves and in the beauty of autumn, we will remember them.
In the beginning of the year and when it ends, we will remember them.
When we are weary and in need of strength, we will remember them.
When we are lost and sick at heart, we will remember them.
When we have joys we yearn to share, we will remember them.
So long as we live, they are a part of us.
In Christ’s name. Amen.
