To all of our veterans
Far and near.
We thank you for your service
For all those years.
You sacrificed your time,
And some gave your life.
You preserved our freedom
By willingly paying the price.
Many of you
Were sent overseas.
You were wounded in battle,
With scars and disease.
But courageous and brave,
You weathered the storm.
You faced every battle
With faith and beyond.
We honor you with joy
For all that you've done.
You stood strong for our country,
For our daughters and sons.
So no one stands alone,
We walk hand in hand.
Remember, we are with you.
Together we shall stand.
We salute you today.
Hear what we say.
Let our words speak eloquently
In this special way.
On this day,
Let us express our love and thanks
For the sacrifice you paid.
You served in honor
For many years and days,
And we will never forget
How you were strong and brave.
Latest News
The issue has been resolved; posting may resume!
Happy Reading,
TSL
Dear Authors and Readers,
I am sorry to announce that the site has developed an issue in the site's underlying software that has disabled the posting of chapters.
Our programmer is aware of the issue. I will post an update as soon as I have news.
I regret the inconvenience to everyone.
Take care,
TSL
Dear Readers,
OPINION:
On July 4, 1986, President Ronald Reagan gave one of the most powerful addresses of his career. Yet it did not draw particular attention because it was part of a massive Liberty Weekend that marked the 100th year anniversary and multi-year restoration of the Statue of Liberty.
Reagan began, âMy remarks tonight will be brief, but itâs worth remembering that all the celebration of this day is rooted in history. Itâs recorded that shortly after the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia celebrations took place throughout the land, and many of the former Colonists â they were just starting to call themselves Americans â set off cannons and marched in fife and drum parades.â
âWhat a contrast with the sober scene that had taken place a short time earlier in Independence Hall. Fifty-six men came forward to sign the parchment. It was noted at the time that they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honors. And that was more than rhetoric; each of those men knew the penalty for high treason to the Crown. âWe must all hang together,ââ Benjamin Franklin said, âor, assuredly, we will all hang separately.ââ And John Hancock, it is said, wrote his signature in large script so King George could see it without his spectacles. They were brave. They stayed brave through all the bloodshed of the coming years. Their courage created a nation built on a universal claim to human dignity, on the proposition that every man, woman, and child had a right to a future of freedom.â
The Declaration of Independence: A History
In these uncertain times, we must remain vigilant to preserve the freedoms and rights we still have. We must also send a message to Washington, DC regarding our needs and desires. We must also let them know that the Constitution covers everyone, not just those who can buy elections and reduce our rights. To do this, we must vote! Vote your conscience and your intellect; not enough of us voted two years ago!
Have a safe and sane holiday,
TSL
Dear Readers,
I owe a lot of people an apology! For several years, I have blown off Juneteenth as a trivial holiday, and I was wrong; for that, I say mea culpa!
"Juneteenth, officially Juneteenth National Independence Day, is a federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday's name, first used in the 1890s, is a portmanteau of June and nineteenth, referring to June 19, 1865, the day when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the American Civil War.[8][9]
During the Civil War period, slavery came to an end in various areas of the United States at different times. Many enslaved Southerners escaped, demanded wages, stopped work, or took up arms against the Confederacy of slave states. In January 1865, Congress proposed the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution for the national abolition of slavery. By June 1865, almost all of the enslaved population had been freed by the victorious Union Army or by state abolition laws. When the national abolition amendment was ratified in December, the remaining enslaved people in Delaware and Kentucky were freed.
Early Juneteenth celebrations date back to 1866, at first involving church-centered community gatherings in Texas. They spread across the South among newly freed African-Americans and their descendants and became more commercialized in the 1920s and 1930s, often centering on a food festival. Participants in the Great Migration brought these celebrations to the rest of the country. During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, Juneteenth celebrations were eclipsed by the nonviolent determination to achieve civil rights, but they grew in popularity again in the 1970s, with a focus on African-American freedom and African-American arts. Beginning with Texas by proclamation in 1938, and by legislation in 1979, every U.S. state and the District of Columbia has formally recognized the holiday in some way.
Juneteenth was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, when the 117th U.S. Congress enacted and President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. Juneteenth became the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was adopted in 1983.[10] Juneteenth is also celebrated by the Mascogos, descendants of Black Seminoles who escaped from slavery in 1852 and settled in Coahuila, Mexico.[11]"
From Wikipedia.
With the political turmoil we are experiencing daily, this holiday is becoming more important; we must continue to remember the people who were enslaved and their travails. We must not let them pass into history forgotten!
Remember,
TSL
It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I am posting here the report copied from IOMFATS.
June 4th, 2026
I have been concerned about my friend Geron for some time. In the summer of 2025 he told a small group of friends that he was suffering from blood cancer, with a sudden and painful onset. With excellent care, and, as he said, the very best US medical insurance money could buy, he received highly targeted gene therapy, which was effective such that his therapy intervals were reduced from Christmas 2025 onwards, and real cheerfulness and real optimism replaced the very necessary positive mental attitude he had adopted since diagnosis.
You will also recognise the gap in dates in Charlie Boone between chapters 9 and 10 of Life Is Like A New Suit of Clothes, Charlie Boone! from July 23rd to December 22nd where he found that concentrating on living and also preserving his day to day business was taking all his reserves. He was sad that he didn't have the strength to finish that tale in July, but kept his promise to himself and finished it in December. He was starting to feel substantially improved.
Major encouragements came. Weather permitting, he was able to take outdoor exercise, but by no means at the level he was used to. Drugs were reduced further and clinic visits reduced in frequency.
In March, he was suddenly admitted to hospital with pneumonia, kept in for a week or so, and discharged home to his loved ones with oxygen support.
"Pneumonia," he said, "is the evil thing that most cancer patients die from. Our immune system is compromised, and the infection is opportunistic." He spoke of struggling to walk from room to room without oxygen support.
On March 26th, 2026 Geron said in a group email that he would do his best each evening to tell us he had made it through the day.
That was his final email to anyone, as far as I know.
We followed the breadcrumb trail he had left us. He insisted on privacy, and he achieved it. Despite our best endeavours, and short of visiting the area he told us he lived and finding out it wasn't there at all anyway, we have been unable to find any more about him than you know from his stories. His privacy shield might have been more fragile prior to data privacy laws, but I doubt it could have been broken even then. Until one of his real life folk is willing and able to access his private email accounts and follow them to one of his online friends all we can assume is that our friend has not survived, and probably died that evening or in the very few days thereafter.
I choose not to miss him, not to grieve. I kind of picture him in one of the universes he created, but I think he was most comfortable in Rules of the Road, but not necessarily in the second series, and most autobiographical in A Charmed Life.
Let's just raise a glass to our friend Geron.
timmy
webmaster
Here you go, your next chapter of Ashes to Asher. Have fun with it.
Boudreaux
Dear Readers,
About Pride Month 2026
Pride Month is a vibrant and inclusive celebration that honors the LGBTQ+ community, their history, achievements, and ongoing struggle for equality. This annual event serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of acceptance, diversity, and love. It brings together individuals, organizations, and communities to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and celebrate the progress made towards a more inclusive society. In this article, we explore the essence of Pride Month 2026, its history, and how you can actively participate in this empowering celebration.
What is Pride Month 2026?
Pride Month is a month-long celebration that recognizes the LGBTQ+ community and their contributions to society. It is a time to acknowledge the challenges faced by this community and to stand in solidarity with their fight for equality, acceptance, and human rights. Pride Month is a joyful and colorful display of love, unity, and resilience, with events and activities that promote inclusivity, educate the public, and celebrate the diversity of sexual orientations and gender identities.
When is Pride Month 2026?
Pride Month is traditionally celebrated in June around the world, including in the United Kingdom. In 2026, Pride Month will take place from June 1st to June 30th. This extended period allows for a wide range of events, parades, marches, and discussions to take place, providing opportunities for LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies to come together and make their voices heard.
Happy Reading,
TSL
Dear Readers,
Today, we take time to remember those valiant men and women who gave up their lives so that we may enjoy the freedoms we have today. We also send our thoughts and prayers to the families of those who perished in the defence of our freedoms.
We Honor You Today
Susan R. Smith. "We Honor You Today."
Remember
Someone's child, left long ago,
A strange land,
Someone's foe.
An unmarked grave, fields of green,
Resting quiet,
Just eighteen.
Winds of freedom, wash us now,
Remember him,
This I vow.
Remember and never forget them,
TSL
I have self published "Dante My Inferno" through Barnes and Noble. Billyyes.
I am trying to maintain a properly timed release of chapters for this story, because for some reason this is easier for me to write than any other story I have in progress right now. I hope you all enjoy this new chapter.
Boudreaux
KISMET - I have published chapter two of what was originally a short story, but by popular demand is being continued. NEW CHAPTERS as and when I write them.