Rushing's Ramblings

Cohen will testify today that Trump is a liar and cheat. Despite clear evidence of Trump's crimes, Trump and his mobsters will call Cohen a liar. Trump's brainwashed base will believe Trump. Folks, those people are lost. I do not bother engaging with any supporter of the lying mobster-in-chief. Those who support him are easily led by hucksters and false prophets who claim "God sent Trump to be President." (What absolute drivel--I can hear marbles rattling around in the heads of people who buy that outrageous statement.) Others support him because he's their "useful idiot," i.e., tax breaks for the wealthy. Ironically, none of those supporters are in the top 1%! The Republicans in Congress support him because they are in bed with Russian money via NRA through campaign contributions. They won't investigate Trump, and they won't pass any gun laws. Trump appeals to the Evangelicals/Anti-choice people because he's appointed judges to court...

If you live your life believing in the possibility that some new adventure might be waiting for you just beyond your front door, you'll never be disappointed. An adventuresome spirit has a way of turning the most mundane afternoon into something unforgettable. Sometimes, when you're in the middle of doing something entirely ordinary, you encounter someone extraordinary.  Most of us have experienced the unpleasant task of trading vehicles. It's a tedious process that tries my rapidly vanishing patience. I have kept my beloved Prius for seven years, a gift from a loved one who died two years ago. Besides, everyone knows that an SUV or a truck is a must in the Texas Hill Country! After realizing that any repair requiring the nearest Toyota dealership would mean an all-day ordeal of driving and waiting, I decided to trade it for an American SUV from a dealership in Marble Falls. I was kicking tires and looking in the windows of SUVs when Robin approached me. She was ...

Oral family history can sometimes be repeated often enough that you find yourself passing on family lore without fact-checking, especially if it's a juicy story. My mother's middle name is Belle. Mother was told that she was named after Belle Starr, a friend of her aunt's. While writing this story, I asked Mother why her middle name was Belle one more time. Again, she repeated the story about Belle and her great aunt's friendship. I always loved her name, although she has always disliked it because of Belle's outlaw reputation. Belle Starr embodied a strong, pistol-packing mama who marched to her own drum.   Research reveals a person who was only slightly out of the ordinary. Belle was born Myra Maybelle Shirley in Missouri in 1848 and was called May by her family. Her parents were prosperous and sent May to the finest schools. When Union soldiers at the beginning of the Civil War destroyed their business in the town of Carthage, the family fled to Texa...

No doubt I have many unsavory ancestors, yet we all take pride in those who had at least 15 minutes of fame. My dad's forefathers fought in the Revolution, the Battle of San Jacinto and Sam Houston, the Mexican War, the Civil War (Confederacy), WWI, and WWII. One-half of my mother's DNA is from people already here when the Europeans and Mexicans invaded their land and committed genocide. Native Americans fought hard to keep their beloved land but were outgunned. William Cocke Young, my great grandfather+, holds the distinction of being somewhat famous in Texas history. Young moved from Tennessee to Red River County as a young man. He became the county's first sheriff and was eventually appointed the District Attorney by Sam Houston. He spent most of his career chasing Indians, some of who were likely my mother's ancestors. Young participated in the Battle of Village Creek, which was an expedition to root out Indians from their villages due to the Indians' ...