HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!

Today Lois & I are celebrating the 50th anniversary of our first date. We were both attending St. Paul's College High in Concordia, MO. She had been elected to the high school homecoming court but needed an escort. My sister--thanks, Carolyn--convinced her to ask me. Carolyn told her that I couldn't say no. The predictable happened. Only later did I find out that I had to rent a tux. Lois was elected High School Princess, & the rest is history. Fifty years of dating bliss!

We celebrated by going to the Black Hills several weeks ago. We also went out to eat at Jerry's Hilltop Cafe, about 20 miles north of Norfolk, last night, for their world-famous Friday night fish fry. Sadly, we got there & it was closed, so we settled for Whiskey Creek. We did treat ourselves to mango margaritas.

Lois got me a set of headphones for my iPad, so she doesn't have to listen to me play YouTube videos. I got her a nice card. (I guess the earphones were a present for her, too.)

HUSKER MANIA

There is no joy in Huskerland. Unless you live in Nebraska, you probably don't understand our love for Nebraska football. We were supposed to play Wisconsin today. They cancelled, due to COVID concerns. Since their 1st string QB is out with an injury, & their 2nd & 3rd string QB's & head coach are out with COVID, there is some understandable suspicion about this decision. So Nebraska lined up a game with Tennessee Chattanooga but had to ask permission from the Big 10, since a decision had been made not to allow games with non-conference opponent. The Big 10 COP predictably refused to honor this request, so Nebraska fans are REALLY, REALLY ticked. There is renewed talk of Nebraska leaving the Big 10 & rejoining the Big 12. Just thought you'd like to know.

POLITICAL POTPOURRI

"No matter what happens, God is sovereign. The God who gave us Barack Obama and Donald Trump could choose Biden or Trump. God's will be done. The God who brought bread from Heaven and water from rocks and raised you from the dust of the Earth and stitched you together in your mother's womb is going to still be on His throne ruling the universe the day after the election. Too many of you are convinced the country is going to hell in a handbasket if your guy does not win. Well, I have read the end of the book, and I don't mean this to be a spoiler alert, but everybody is going to hell without a handbasket, except for those who put their faith in Jesus Christ, not a politician or a political party. 

"So calm down. Yes, you have a civic obligation to vote & participate in the process. But God has a plan & is sovereign & is in charge, & His will be done, not yours. So, calm, & trust in Him. Politicians are going to disappoint you every time."  Erick Erickson, Townhall, 10/30 

I have a prediction. If Biden wins, we'll find out right away, & there won't be any riots. If Trump wins, we won't find out for weeks, & there will be riots.

"Chelsea Handler patrols polling places to make sure no Black people are voting for Trump."  Babylon Bee

"Democrats hand out extra ballots to trick-or-treaters."  Ditto

TRENDING

"Exorcisms:  increasingly frequent."  Drudge Report

"Turkey farmers in limbo as Americans scale back Thanksgiving."  Ditto We're still going to have a turkey with all the trimmings.

WAYWARD TORTOISE IS BACK HOME

"A 200-lb tortoise named Sparkplug that escaped from a pen in Alabama is back home after a journey across two counties & one soybean field. Sparkplug, a 60-yr-old African spurred tortoise that lived in an enclosure in Etowah County (AL), pushed its way out of the fenced pen last week. A motorist who spotted the animal on the side of the road took it to his 200-acre spread in Marshall County, owner Ty Harris said. Harris found out what had happened after using social media to spread the word about Sparkplug, but there was still the matter of finding the tortoise on the land where he'd been released. A big, roaming tortoise leaves tracks, & area farmers were able to see where Sparkplug had plowed through soybean fields. The man who initially released Sparkplug into the wild found the tortoise & returned it to Harris on Saturday."  Norfolk Daily News, 10/29

DEPT. OF SHAMELESS JOKE-STEALING *

* courtesy of Reader's Digest, Oct. 2020

"My neighbor was working in his yard when a car came crashing through his hedge & ended up on his front lawn. He rushed to help the driver, an elderly lady. 'You appear a bit old to be driving,' he said. 'I am!' she replied proudly. 'I'm so old that I don't even need a license anymore.' 'Really?' he asked skeptically. 'And how did you manage that?' 'The last time I went to my doctor,' she explained, 'he asked to see my license. Then he said, 'You won't be needing this anymore,' cut it up, & threw it away. So I thanked him & drove home!'"

"My friend decided to walk to the edge of the earth to prove that it's flat. He came around eventually."