Christmas Recipes, Past and Present


Posted originally on the CTH on December 21, 2023 | Menagerie

December 21, 2023 | Menagerie | 51 Comments


At our family’s Christmas dinner, you will find a combination of old favorites and new recipes we are trying out for the first time. Some of our favorites come to us from generations long gone now, and have stood the test of time. But it seems each year the cooks in the family try out new things and we very much enjoy the additions. Sometimes we find one that’s a keeper and we will see it next year.

Pull out those tattered, faded favorites and share them with us, as well as the newly discovered dishes you want to try.

I am grateful especially at this time of year for the women who taught me to cook so long ago, my wonderful mother in law, as well as my husband’s paternal grandmother and aunt. I had no idea at the time that they were teaching me a skill that would nourish family and friends in ways other than eating.

Javier Milei’s First Day in Office – Reduce the Size of Government


Posted originally on Dec 13, 2023 By Martin Armstrong 

Argentina.Javir_.Milei_.Chainsaw

Argentina’s new President, Javier Milei, is making headlines around the world for vowing to radically change Argentina’s failing political system. Milei campaigned on implementing a “chainsaw plan” that would swiftly cut useless bureaus that drain government resources with no or minimal benefit to the public. Milei stuck to his campaign promises and slashed the number of federal agencies from 18 to 9.

The reduction in the size of the government reflects Milei’s proactive approach and sets a precedent for the drastic measures he deems necessary to overcome Argentina’s economic challenges. The ministries that remain include Interior, Foreign Relations, Defense, Economy, Justice, Security, Health, and the recently created Ministry of Human Capital, which consolidates several previous ministries. Mileni cut agencies such as the Ministry of Women Genders and Diversity, which he believed existed as leftist pet projects.

Inflation is quickly rising close to 200%, and over 40% of the population lives below the poverty line. The nation’s net foreign currency reserves are estimated at negative -$10,000,0000. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and some private creditors expect a large payment by the end of January to the tune of $4 billion. “There is no money,” the new president said before Congress. “The outgoing government has left us on track towards hyperinflation,” Milei said. “We are going to do everything we can to avoid such a catastrophe.”

Milei rightfully believes that the country is close to collapsing. He has an unnerving task ahead of him as major changes are necessary to reverse years of policies that ruined a nation. Imagine choosing to allocate funds to a diversity panel while nearly half the country is food insecure. Reducing the size of government is a guaranteed way to cut expenses and useless regulations that do not benefit the people.

Angels On Our Shoulders


Posted originally on the CTH on December 1, 2023 | Sundance 

Before anyone asks about the recently added sidebar widget, just smile and well, don’t ask.

If you are reasonably wealthy, this is well worth it.

[Devin Nunes Wines]

The opportunity is limited to 100 founding members.  Don’t forget to use your promo code: Treehouse 

With the 2024 election right around the corner, and with the severity of the predictable opposition scenario in mind, rest assured Wolverines faithfully guard the perimeter.

Love to all,

Sundance

Henry Kissinger Dead at 100


Posted originally on the CTH on November 29, 2023 | Sundance 

Every person reading this has been impacted by the policy agenda of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Dr. Henry Kissinger, a respected American scholar and statesman, died today at his home in Connecticut.

Henry Kissinger was born in southern Germany in 1923, where his father was a teacher. His family fled Nazi Germany and came to America in 1938. After he became an American citizen in 1943, Dr. Kissinger served in the 84th Army Division from 1943 to 1946. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his “meritorious service.” Dr. Kissinger subsequently served in the Counter Intelligence Corps in occupied Germany. He was in the U.S. Army Reserves until 1959.

Dr. Kissinger earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees at Harvard University, where he taught international relations for almost 20 years. In 1969, President Nixon appointed him National Security Advisor. He subsequently served as Secretary of State under Presidents Nixon and Ford, in which capacities Dr. Kissinger played central roles in the opening to China, negotiating the end of the Yom Kippur War in the Middle East, and helping to bring America’s role in the Vietnam War to a close. He worked to set the former Rhodesia on the path to representative government and negotiated key arms control agreements with the Soviet Union.

Dr. Kissinger has written 21 books on national security matters. Considered one of America’s great statesmen, Dr. Kissinger was regularly consulted by American presidents of both political parties and scores of foreign leaders after he finished government service in 1977. In May of 2023, he celebrated his 100th birthday and remained active well into his 100th year. Most recently, Dr. Kissinger focused his attention on the implications of artificial intelligence. He was a frequent guest with media and on panel discussions, writing, and traveling abroad. Additional biographical information about Dr. Kissinger and his writings can be found at www.henryakissinger.com.

Dr. Kissinger is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Nancy Maginnes Kissinger, two children by his first marriage, David and Elizabeth, and five grandchildren. (link)

President Gerald Ford, then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and Vice President Nelson Rockefeller discuss the evacuation of Saigon, on April 28,1975, at the White House.

“Shatter the System” – Javier Milei Wins Historic Election in Argentina


Posted originally on the CTH on November 20, 2023 | Sundance 

In an era of universal deceit there comes a time when extraordinary actions become necessary.  For those who are deep within the fight, understanding becomes ordinary and few words are needed.  We know, we fight, we remain steadfast….

The unabashed, resolute and indefatigable Argentinian Trump, Javier Milei, has won a historic election as the choice of the pragmatic working class who have tried all methods of addressing their grievances only to have their voices dismissed.

BUENOS AIRES — A radical libertarian and admirer of Donald Trump rode a wave of voter rage to win Argentina’s presidency on Sunday, crushing the political establishment and bringing the sharpest turn to the right in four decades of democracy in the country.

Javier Milei, a 53-year-old far-right economist and former television pundit with no governing experience, claimed nearly 56 percent of the vote in a stunning upset over Sergio Massa, the center-left economy minister who has struggled to resolve the country’s worst economic crisis in two decades. Even before the official results had been announced Sunday night, Massa acknowledged defeat and congratulated Milei on his win.

Trump also congratulated Milei. “I am very proud of you,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “You will turn your Country around and Make Argentina Great Again!”

Voters in this nation of 46 million demanded a drastic change from a government that has sent the peso tumbling, inflation skyrocketing and more than 40 percent of the population into poverty. With Milei, Argentina takes a leap into the unknown — with a leader promising to shatter the entire system.

In his first speech as president-elect, Milei told Argentines that “the model of decadence has reached its end. There is no turning back.”

“Enough of the impoverishing power of the caste,” he said. “Today we once again embrace the model of liberty, to once again become a world power.” His supporters joined him in shouting: “Long live freedom, damn it!”

Milei will take office on Dec. 10, the 40th anniversary of Argentina’s return to democracy after the fall of its military dictatorship. (read more)

Freedom is a word often thrown around by those inside the political sphere as they seek to retain the illusion of choice by controlling the population.  However, freedom in its truest sense is a battle cry of those who are ignored by the same control agents of government.

As the Washington Post, aka the U.S. intelligence apparatus, dutifully notes, nothing is yet known as to how this will ultimately unfold; but what is known is that something will change…. and that my dear friends is a necessary start.

Being comfortable in the uncomfortable is the first step in regaining something lost; something that is unachievable through use of systems constructed to control outcomes.   A “leap into the unknown,” is an apt expression made by those who see their control mechanisms failing.  However, for those who are victimized by the status quo “a leap into the unknown” is worth the effort.

I am past the point of proffering polite requests, only to find deaf ears.  It is time to make our own history.

Congratulations Argentina. WE, those who cherish freedom, ARE WITH YOU!

We must do or do not, there is no longer time for ‘trying’.

“We will not go gently into that bloody collectivist good night. Indeed, we will make with our defiance such a sound as ALL history from that day forward will be forced to note, even if they despise us in the writing of it.

And when we are gone, the scattered, free survivors hiding in the ruins of our once-great republic will sing of our deeds in forbidden songs, tending the flickering flame of individual liberty until it bursts forth again, as it must, generations later.

We will tend the flame because we are worth it.

We will ignite the flame, because we deserve it.

Fearless….

Steadfast…

Wolverines!

Thank you, Veterans


From one brother to all the rest its our day we made it home

Check Yourself – You Are in Control


Posted originally on the CTH on November 5, 2023 | Sundance

It might, heck, -check that- it does seem overwhelming at times. But that is the nature of this collectivist strategy. That is the purpose of this “great reset” bombardment. We must hold strong; you must hold strong.

If you look closely at the attacks that unnerve us, most of them are weak, and almost all of them are targeting your psychology. Do not fall into the trap of despair. Step outside of your home right now; look around, do you see any threat – or is the sense of fear and foreboding created by a dark imagining?  If the latter, ask yourself, is the psychological attack working simply because you are allowing it?

You have purpose. If you walk into a room, and the people within it respond negatively to your presence, it’s likely because your disposition unnerves their demons. The need for control is a reaction to fear, and you have stopped pretending.  As a consequence, you create fear amid those who maintain pretending as a survival mechanism.

When I share the message, “Live your best life”, it is not without purpose. Every moment that we allow the onslaught to deter us from living our dreams, is a moment those who oppose our nation view as us taking a knee. Do not allow this effort to succeed. You might ask yourself how I can, one person, a flea looking into a furnace, retain an optimistic disposition while all around me seems chaotic and mad?

Ultimately, the collective weight of leftism is putting us in isolation. There are many historic references to this disconcerting sentiment to review with hindsight. However, ultimately the feeling of isolation first begins with a rejection of God. Defeat dark imaginings by embracing Him. Stand in the light of a loving and purposeful God. Hold faith, and evil manifest will run away because the dark whispers will fall on impenetrable ears.

Yes, it is true; I will not deny it; all around us is this great sense of foreboding, ugh, and it’s not just connected to you – it’s everywhere. Everything being created by the constructs of those in power is weird; everything created around us is less comfortable; everything created around us is intended to project less joy – and as a consequence, it requires an intensity of thought just to carry on ordinary events. It’s exhausting at times.

Diminished faith creates anxiety, a sense of foreboding, a sense of fear and worry and a sense of trepidation. Additionally, evil tribesmen know the strategy to create the environment for control is isolation.

Isolation, the tool to remove hope, first begins with a diminishment of God. A faith-filled person is never alone.

Throughout history, large armies have been defeated through the process of division. It is not a leap to see the same strategic objectives being deployed against social assemblies with ridicule, labeling, targeting, diminishment. All of it intended to fuel this purposeful division.

Ultimately, it is the currency of human connection that is the true value in our lives. We have each felt how our positive influence upon the lives of others nourishes our own sense of purpose and fulfillment.  Do not lose that.

Perhaps we are in this position today because we didn’t sit still enough and contemplate the real priorities in our lives. Fellowship is the essential ingredient to a purposeful life. I fight like hell to keep this website operating, to keep our community discussion ongoing, in the largest part because the assembly is the point. The connection is the most important facet.

On our prayer threads, and within our conversations, families return to see, read and feel the words from those we and they have lost. Do you know the scale of responsibility that comes from hearing the words of a granddaughter who visits CTH every year to read the words of her grandfather who has passed away?  Can you imagine how hard you would fight to keep that ability present? We are more than just a conversation!

Perhaps tears flow at times, and we struggle to understand what this unusual anxiety is all about. Then, we begin to struggle with the feelings of shame or guilt for being weak and allowing our humanity to pour out of our human selves. Then, perhaps when needed most, our faith organizations are slow to understand the importance of fellowship and community amid an upheaval that seems unrelenting.

The insufferable lack of regional or national leaders standing tall only makes the anxiety worse. Where ARE the brave?

Where are the purposeful few who know the benefit of larger messages?

Yet, I do not fault their absence; I find value in it. Why, because the void reminds me to stop, look at that face I see while brushing my teeth, and remember the greatest strength of all is from within. Nothing has the capacity to remove the strength provided by a loving God unless we allow it to, unless we allow them to.

As our grip on our familiar surroundings becomes more tenuous.  As we face dictates or mandates, or financial pressures that only exacerbate the issues, the ridiculous media drumbeat becomes an incessant noise intent on destabilizing us. Perhaps we cannot quite put our finger on why the impact is worse now, but it is. This effort of theirs is more impactful. It is all ugh. It is all just ugh.

If you find the assembly of these simple words familiar to your current sense, first understand YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Second, understand there is nothing wrong with you. This blanket of anxiety is laying across our entire nation, indeed the entire world, and no matter where we stand – we are all sensing a various level of this ‘ugh’ with some familiarity. However, that said, it is important to know this is transitional. We will not be in this place long. This too shall pass.

How do we shake these destabilizing feelings and emotions?

♦ The first way we shake this ‘ugh’, is to give to others without reservation. Giving with purpose is the true spirit of human contact. The giving is not related to money or wealth, the giving is related to our human purpose. Perhaps we give a smile. Perhaps we give a kind word. Perhaps we give a compliment, or perhaps we just give time to another.

Giving, is being present – talking, engaging… giving yourself.

Perhaps send an email; or better yet, write an actual penned letter to a dear friend or family member. Or just randomly, like right now, pick up the phone. Reach out and tell them they matter and express why their place in this life of yours is important.

Remind them of your specific thankfulness and connect to the purpose of why we endeavor in this thing we call life.

Years from now, what they will remember, what will have much greater impact, is today. That random message from YOU to THEM that they matter, that they are loved, will not be forgotten.

That moment you create, perhaps those multiple moments provided by your strength, will NEVER be forgotten. And don’t be surprised when you hear, “You have no idea how much I needed to hear that right now. Thank you!”

That look in your eye or sound of your voice that reached into them and emphasized their value, their worth, their importance. That is the gift they will remember in great detail, forever. If you write it down, they will cherish that letter forever and carry it with them in every move of their life.

The important thing is to give, and to do it without any other intent or purpose than to fill their heart.

♦ Within the giving, remind yourself what this journey is all about, and look around to recognize how fortunate we are to have this life. Choose to cherish the ultimate gift from a loving God who wants joy and hope to permeate our human sense.

Hope is the one necessary human element beyond all other facets of life. Give the gift of hope and light to those you love by first reminding yourself of the gift that a loving God has given us all. It is too easy in our human sense to forget the biggest gift we have been granted, the gift of life. The ability to live and choose how we engage in the lives of others.

Remind yourself of His kind of purposeful HOPE, because that hope is pure. That love is perfect.

No politics, or false sense of security, can overwhelm the message of HOPE that a loving God has provided. No effort of man or human disposition can surmount the greatest love of all. The message of grace and faith, the message of the purest truth, is bigger and greater than any great reset or legislative battle.

“No power of hell, nor scheme of man”, can come close to the purpose of God’s intent and love for you as a unique person qualified to receive that love.

Wrap yourself in the blanket of that unconditional love. Stop listening to the dark imagining, the whispers of foreboding.

Pause in the peace of the moment that you can create within your own mind.

Set down your troubles, pray, LISTEN and FEEL.

Love to all,

A Rebel with a Cause – Matt Gaetz Delivers Righteous Remarks to Florida GOP Assembly, Things are Getting “A Little Grizzly”…


Posted originally on the CTH on November 5, 2023 | Sundance

This is, well, too full of smiles to adequately describe.   Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz delivered a resoundingly honest speech to the Republican attendees at the Florida Freedom Summit on Saturday.   It is well worth the time to watch, as prompted.

Look, I’m still on the fence with this guy, but his brutal confrontation of the GOPe is some of the funniest and best components of the BIG UGLY so far.   The guy has been put through the wringer, hit from every angle, ridiculed by both the left and right, and yet he’s standing there snarking brutal one-liners in their faces while sipping their tears.

It’s so much fun to watch him go full wolverine, and yet so brutal in its abject honesty; quite frankly, it makes him very easy to like. WATCH:

I mean, seriously.  Think about it.  He took down the Speaker of the House…. 

He’s a rebel with a cause. Give em’ hell kid!  

Speaker Mike Johnson Sits Down with Sean Hannity for Extensive Interview


Posted originally on the CTH on October 27, 2023 | Sundance 

Sometimes I just sit and shake my head.  Why these guys keep appearing with Sean Hannity is beyond my understanding.  That said, the platform and host is the first warning sign, the content of the interview is another.

Speaker Mike Johnson, who is a significant upgrade from Speaker Kevin McCarthy, sits down for an extensive discussion on current political events where Sean Hannity can tell Johnson his role and responsibility as Speaker. WATCH:

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Tucker Carlson Explains Why MAGA Will Never Relent – Not Now, Not Tomorrow, Not Ever


Posted originally on the CTH on October 16, 2023 | Sundance

This video is bouncing around social media and going viral.  It is the audio of Tucker Carlson describing the MAGA movement and the connection of middle American values to Donald Trump.  Carlson did a good job with his encapsulation.

President Trump is not the cause of failed government; he is OUR response to it.  WATCH:

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Get comfortable being uncomfortable; because if we really want to save this nation, we are going to have to approach everything with great intensity and deliberateness.