This is a delightful historical novel set in the late 1700s after the Revolutionary War. A Continental soldier still awaits the return of his missing father, years after the last battle. Haunted by the memories of war and scarred from betrayal in love, the young man turns away from his faith. Then he discovers his hope is shared by a young woman, who understands loss and the longing for a father. As they encounter this unexpected connection, their hearts are drawn together. But jealousy, slander, and misunderstandings ignite a fire of doubt and mistrust--destroying their relationship. Can two souls longing for healing and trust learn to love again? Can faith and family be restored?
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Woes of the EPA—A Lesson on how to
save energy and water
Once again the EPA has affected my
life in a negative manner. I feel led to share that experience with others who
may have been personally affected by the intrusion of government. At this point
in time, we are all feeling it on every hand as our liberties are being
snatched away one at a time. Three of the most appalling ones recently have
been the closing down of children’s lemonade stands to raise money for worthy
causes; the removal of Girl Scouts who were selling GS cookies on the street
without a permit, and just this morning I heard they are stopping bake sales. I
wonder if anyone can produce one shred of evidence that anyone was ever harmed
by these activities. Do you know of anyone who was ever poisoned by children’s
lemonade? Or items purchased at a bake sale? And do children really need
permits to earn a little spending money, to learn to be responsible, to count
money and develop honest business practices, to employ good public relations,
to employ a good work ethic? Aren’t those things we need in our country?
Oh my, I digress. This week my
washing machine of 10 years “broke.” Upon calling a repair man, we learned that
it would cost almost as much to fix it as it would to purchase a new one. We
opted for the new one; made a trip to Lowe’s and came home with our new
machine. The first full load of clothes I washed, I noticed they did not smell
clean so I washed them again. I happened to be standing by the machine when it
went into the rinse cycle so I opened the lid and was amazed to see there was
not enough water to cover the clothes. After reading all the paperwork that
came with it, I learned that it meets the new
EPA requirements to conserve energy and water. The same amount of water
comes in the machine rinse regardless of whether it’s a light load or a heavy
load. I called the store and they reminded me that they had told me that when I
bought the machine. They did tell me it was energy and water efficient, but I still
expected it to wash my clothes thoroughly. The clerk said they did not have any
machines in the store that were any different, that all of them had to meet
that requirement now. Disappointed, I returned home began the task of learning
how to make the most of this INEFFICIENT
machine. Now when the rinse cycle kicks in I have to be standing by the
machine, turn it back to the wash cycle and fill the machine again, then turn
it back to the rinse cycle. Then I can go back to my work at the computer. Tell
me please how this saves water and energy! I
am using more water and energy and wasting a lot of time in the process.
I have other stories of how the EPA
has intruded in my life and destroyed a family business that was built to their
specifications, but I’ll save that for another day when I’m truly exasperated.
Now I want to hear your personal
stories. Please leave a comment and tell us how government intrusion is
affecting your life. If you’ve purchased a washing machine lately that is not
energy and water “efficient,” please share the brand name with us.