(I have some work to finish up, so this is going in a touch early.)
I don't know about you, but we're looking at brown and tan -- the snow has pretty much melted, except for a few scattered patches under the trees. It was so cold that we couldn't always hook up waterlines to the trailer. That meant quick scrubdowns, instead of showers, and carrying drinking water from our landlord's house, except for a few precious hours when the sun was out. I was surprised at how easily we dealt with this; the one exception has been the rapidly-piling up dishes in the sink.
We're still finishing up stuff before heading south. One more snowstorm is scheduled before we can manage to, as the Brick says, "get the heck out of Dodge." The scrabbly results of this week's work led to the odd mix of items about politics, history, frugality-- and food. What can I say? Occasionally, that's how I roll.
"So we want to have a scientific approach to how we protect members," Pelosi said at her weekly news conference. "I do believe and I have said this all along we will probably need a supplemental for more security for members when the enemy is within the House of Representatives, a threat that members are concerned about in addition to what is happening outside."
When pressed by reporters about what she meant by that comment, Pelosi said, "it means that we have members of Congress who want to bring guns on the floor and have threatened violence on other members of Congress." Pelosi did not clarify which lawmakers she was referencing.
Goodness. If the situation is this critical, Mrs. Pelosi, call the cops -- these are all actionable offenses that should be taken seriously! Instead of vague accusations, give the police specific names, incidents and contact info, so they can do something about it. (Oops, the police are kind of busy with other things. Guess it will have to wait.)
If I sound sarcastic about this...it's because I am. This is both hypocritical and ridiculous.
The leader of Myanmar's NLD, along with others, has been "detained by the military." Myanmar's military said the recent election was a sham. (The NLD, by the way, won the majority.) Does this mean Myanmar is headed toward a military coup? And who will the White House align with, if it does indeed happen... Update: It did happen. The millitary is now in charge in Myanmar, also known as Burma. So what did Blinken, Secretary of State, do? He called on the military to "reverse these actions immediately." And President Biden said they might reinstate sanctions.
Fish & fries -- oven-baked.And just as crispy as if they were fried. The secret: cornflakes -- and Parmesan. (Thanks, Taste of Home) Maybe add some quinoa coleslaw salad to the plate, thanks to Poor Girl Eats Well.
Flights to Mexico and the Caribbean -- shut down, if you're from Canada. Or go ahead and go, and soon you'll be required to stay at a "government-selected hotel" for three days, plus a Covid-19 test. (Estimated cost, according to PM Trudeau: at least $2000 CAD.) Anyone who tests positive will be sent to a government facility, at taxpayers' expense. If you're lucky enough to test negative, you'll still be extensively monitored by private security firms the Canadian government has hired for that purpose. (I'm not making this up. Check the link.)
Historical portraits brought to life. Modernized -- sometimes a bit too much. But the resemblance can be startling to real people today.
What I Wanted vs What I Got. An contrasting dress show -- try not to wince. (I am thinking of the absolutely awful PRINTED-instead-of-knitted sweater coat and strangely-fitting dress I optimistically ordered last year. Ewww.)
"Secrets of the Ice:" a new archeology project analyzing the hundreds of Viking era artifacts emerging in recent years. Including a wool tunic dating to c.300!
It's so much more fun to work on posts like this, instead of my reports!
This was my 'waiting month,' with projects that needed to be finished before we could head further south. Many of the days were surprisingly warm...but at night, the cold hunkered down. We went through a fair amount of propane, as a result, and used the electric fireplace every night. We had only a few storms, and the snow they left was minimal.
That's January in Colorado for you.
Whenever it gets to be too much, I wander over to Millenial Revolution's Travel Series, and plan where we could go next. Assuming that the Covid Dragon Restrictions lose their grabby claws, that is. We stayed home a lot and watched Westerns, as well as the Brick's Christmas videos. (I am a huge fan of Festus in Matt Dillon's Gunsmoke.)
No swimming...I miss it.
FRUGAL HITS
(some items from late December included here)
*Finished my part on The New Book. Now Colorado Curiosities goes into production, with a projected Fall 2021 publication date. (Maybe even late June -- we'll see.) I'll have some editing to do, and a revised Bibliography, but that's peanuts compared to the rest.
I was reading back posts, and realized how often I'd announced this was 'done.' I'd thought it was -- but my editor would change something...or delete something, and ask for replacements...then need changes in photo captions, Bibliography, etc. Lo and behold, nearly everything they took out (on mountain/Western Slope items), they put back in! So the book will be more substantial, and cover the entire state. A win/win situation for me, even if it meant extra work.
*Our friend Daniel brought us a hambone. Well, he really brought it for the dogs...but they didn't get it until I'd made some excellent pea soup. (Dan got a bowl of it, too.) Soupwise, we tried Progresso's new 'lasagna' soup -- but the meat in it was so tiny I called and complained. Result: replacement coupons.
*Free food from other friends, including green chili, milk and grape juice. (We took them to the airport both ways -- but according to our friend Thommy, we still 'owe' them!) We met for game-playing nights, each of us bringing leftovers from the holidays for meals. No wasted food that way. They also treated us to a meal at Outback, the sweethearts.
*The apples are finally finished! The tally: two pies last week, and a pie and a walnut apple tart this week -- as well as a bagful for an additional pie in the freezer. Also a small batch of applesauce. The spoiled apples (a few), peels, etc. went out for the deer -- which drove Ruby absolutely nuts: 'Mommm, How DARE those deer eat your apples!'
*Finally -- we THINK the partial refund from the aborted world cruise has been refunded. It only took 9 or so months! Two out of three credit card companies have given the money; a third is investigating. If we're lucky, they won't remove the $$ from our account after all this paperwork is processed.
*The Carnival cruise we planned to take with our cousins in April -- cancelled. We asked for a refund, which the cruiseline's promised. (In a month. Maybe two.) Thought about scheduling another cruise, but both Cousins, plus the Brick, argued that there were too many uncertainties. (The stinkers. I hate it when I want to be frivolous -- and am overruled by Common Sense. They are right, btw.)
*A $30 gift card earned for an online survey.
*A great price on two Bicentennial ribbons -- $7 each. I didn't even know the Ford ribbon existed.
*Chocolate goodies -- I thought I'd gotten a great deal on one pack of Halloween candy, at 18 cents an ounce. (Used my$25 giftcard from Swagbucks, too, to cover the order.) Then came Walmart clearancing out its holiday 'candy dish' pack: 8 cents an ounce!
*Those pkgs of Hershey's chocolate snacks -- 21 of them -- went mostly for our church's His Hands program. (They fill needy kids' backpacks with food for the weekends, when they can't get the school meals.) The rest were meant for Valentine's gifts...plus a few for us. At about $1.75 for a 21 oz bag, it was a steal.
*We used up a few other giftcards -- before they expired. Memo to self (and you): giftcards CAN expire! Be sure to check dates, then write them on the front of the card. You'll hate it if they go out of date before you can use them.
*$2 copies of The Last Ship, Seasons 1 & 2, thanks to the thrift shop. (I hadn't been to the one in Castle Rock for at least three months.) Plus a 'new' $8 coffeemaker (the glass carafe broke) and... my buddy Godzilla. Two new high-end sweaters ($5 each), plus a birthday present for the Brick. All with an additional 40% off, thanks to a coupon. Whoo hoo!
*More Godzilla movies -- a steal on Amazon. I'm currently negotiating for the Mystery Science Theater version of Gamera, as well. If you've got one for less than $60... let me know! (Update: Got it -- for $55.88. Next best price: $79.95.)
*Got our second stimulus checks -- thanks, U.S. Government, but I still feel a little weird about this. What exactly are we supposed to be stimulating, when we don't need much right now? (Maybe Godzilla and Gamera, I guess.)
*Free milk -- The Brick stopped by the convenience store to buy milk, and noticed it was going out of date. "Just take it," said the manager. (That Brick -- what a Hollander!) Also an armload of free bread from the thrift shop, including lavash and naan.
*Ate down the freezer, and used up canned goods. These items came from sales squirreled away from Daily Deals and elsewhere during previous months. I didn't need to go to the grocery store much, as a result.
*Did a kind-of inventory on foodstuffs, both in the trailer and in our "basement." We have more than I thought! I also found items meant for Christmas presents that will now be birthday gifts.
*Used the oven for baking during the evenings, when heat was needed in the trailer. (Colorado sun poured through the windows during the daytime, so we rarely needed extra heat in the day.) Kept the temp down at night. Brrr...but extra sweaters and snuggle throws come in handy.
*I cleared away Christmas presents, reworked books, clothes, etc. In the process, we donated a large bag of clothes.
*Scored a George Washington mourning cabinet card on Ebay: 99 cents. (The last time one sold, it went for more than $100.)
*A beautiful set of antique plates and serving dishes from the thrift shop in Michigan: $9.99. (A Christmas present from the Brick, sweet man.)
*Some interesting jewelry on Ebay -- the most I paid was less than $2! Many pieces were less than a dollar, and shipping was free. I don't intend to wear all of these -- some are for presents, and others will be dismantled for use on Crazy quilts. Love this seller.
*Haircuts for both of us -- $8.99 plus tip at Great Clips. Saved a little less than $20 using these coupons.
*Paid $1 each for five t-shirts. (Walmart clearance, yay!)
*Refilled propane tanks from our 'landlord's,' before we head south. His large tank is much cheaper than getting them refilled in town -- we reimburse him for any propane we take.
*Sent a huge batch of Christmas cards -- on the last day of 2020! (That counts...right? Got some of the cards half-price.)
FRUGAL MISSES
*Changed the oil on the truck -- had to special-order filters. Not cheap on a Ram 3500.
*Paid a fine for Chicago tolls. Thankfully, it was only $20. (We both forgot to take care of this when we got home -- darn it.)
*Closed out an investment account that was doing nothing but charging fees. (Thanks for the $17+ loss for nothing, TD Ameritrade.) Closed out some other accounts that were just sitting there, as well.
*The Outback giftcards I ordered in December STILL haven't arrived. I keep asking...UPDATE: They finally showed up -- more than a month late. But at least they're here now.
*Both the Brick and yours truly had physicals, including shots (the shingles vaccine for me, flu vaccine for him) and bloodwork. At least insurance paid for the physicals. I needed the bloodwork also, to get our prescriptions refilled. (Mine ran out sometime in July, so I've been going without. I know, Bad Kitty.)
It should be a bit more peaceful in February; if all goes well, we plan to say goodby to the snow, and head south to the Tucson area. We plan to do some volunteering for Ethos 360 (formerly New Tribes), a missions group that trains and sends out pilots to various areas around the world. It will be such a sacrifice to skip the inevitable white stuff up north!
Presidential ribbons have been of special interest since I first noticed them stitched into Crazy quilts. But this set was meant to stand on its own.
George Washington...and Gerald Ford.
(The Washington ribbon, I believe, is a repro from Centennial days -- i.e., 1876.)
Jerry Ford was our congressman for decades while I was growing up in the Grand Rapids area of Michigan. He was one of the very few politicians that had a reputation for honesty, regardless of whether it benefitted him or was 'politically correct' -- or not. (Doesn't that fit the man who had the courage to pardon Richard Nixon, because he felt a trial would tear the country apart?)
For some weird reason, a lot of people are selling political memorabilia on Ebay right now. (Maybe to pay their rent?) I'll have more George textiles and ribbons for you to look at later in the week. Maybe another Jerry one, too.
Colorado Curiosities: Rattlesnake Kate, the Crying Bridge, Kit Carson's Last Trip And More.
And it covers a huge chunk of the strange, odd and intriguing people, places and things that have shown up in Colorado. My previous book, Ghosts & Legends of Colorado's Front Range, definitely was on this path -- but this one goes into areas I couldn't before, due to geographic distance and spacing. And yes, it includes the Really Odd Stuff, like the legends (and Blucifer!) at DIA, strange goings-on at Mesa Verde...and Mike the Headless Chicken.
I'm very proud of it -- and glad it's finally on its way. Look for copies this fall. (And yes, we'll run a special sale at Brickworks, as well.)
Meanwhile, I have other work to finish up -- and the Brick has some final items to do on the fifth-wheel -- before we leave for down south. I may be slower at it than I'd planned or hoped...but I am making progress.
(It's photos like this that make a writer happy. My book is in front, third one down. And the local Safeway didn't even know I lived here.)
This guy isn't William Shatner's son, after all. DNA (and Ancestry.com) proved it... more here.So much for his $170 million lawsuit that demanded Shatner acknowledge him as his son. (He said he wasn't in it for the money, by the way. Sure. Uh-huh.)
A quilt restoration workshop -- taught by a good friend and excellent restorer, Martha Spark. If you're interested in repairing your damaged quilts, this is well worth looking into!
Dozens of thrift store and garage sale finds worth a fortune. .. or at least much more than the buyer paid! I've mentioned some of these before, but some are new. A signed Old Man And the Sea Hemingway novel...purchased at a yard sale for $2??? Whoa.
"The legacy of slavery made my grandmother fear investing." (From Michelle Singletary.)Michelle attributes her grandma's (Big Mama) reactions as leftovers from her slavery heritage -- but everything she mentions as Big Mama's fetishes are exactly as the same as The Mama's! And The Mama comes from white (with a touch of Indian thrown in with the Canuck) farmers who had to work hard -- and take on extra jobs -- in order to keep their land during the Depression.
THAT, in my opinion, is what was driving Big Mama, more than slavery memories -- her memories of the Great Depression, and her parents' struggles during it.
Me: I don’t like cake pops. I don’t like knowing people roll their hands all over them.
11: Yeah, well a chicken pops an egg out its butt and you eat that.
I am fortunate to be married to a quiet man who thinks deeply on many things. Neither he nor our daughters are mentioned a lot on this blog, by their request. It's tough for a writer's family, privacy-wise -- which is also why I use pseudonyms for them. We don't always agree with each other -- but we do make an effort (which is difficult sometimes, and involves some initial arguing) to listen and talk things out.
The Brick recently wrote a comment to some one else's FB post that I thought was crisp and to the point. Is/was he a Trump supporter? Well, yes...and no. Both the Brick and I have admired Trump for some of his accomplishments -- and hated the fact that he blatted his mouth off on Twitter. (If there's anything we've learned, raising teenagers, it's that insulting people will not get them to turn around and help you afterward. Or listen to what you've got to say. I wish Trump had realized this the first day of his term.)
What we both are, though, are Christians first, Americans next, Coloradoans after that-- and he is a proud Conservative. (I am, with some digressions. More an independent, really, with quilter, crafter and writer nuances thrown in.)
Anyways, here are the Brick's comments, with names edited, used with permission. The post was about the many violent demonstrations that the U.S. has endured in 2020 -- and now in 2021. The Brick was answering someone who thought the violence was justified. (Sounds like this journalist.)
The Brick is not the only one to struggle with these issues -- I do, too. What will happen to our country, when a new President is in place?
Absolutely I am proud, my friend. What I have posted here has been primarily food for thought. It's certainly not meant to incite a revolution, in case you're referring to the unfortunate events in Washington, D.C., earlier today. The loss of life is extremely regrettable -- and unusual, don't you think? I mean, how many Antifa looters and vandals were shot by the police during the summer of fun? And yet one rally by Trump Supporters gets out of hand, and a reportedly unarmed 14-year Air Force veteran is shot and killed.
I could ask you the same question regarding the tremendous amounts of damages to public and private property, police being injured and killed, and all that has taken place during the "mostly peaceful protests" (riots) this summer and continuing to this day in Portland, by the way. If you think I am that influential, then how about you?
I have tried diligently to limit my posts to 1) Statements of my own opinion, 2) Statements of fact, that I have personally fact-checked myself, 3) Articles that discuss information not readily available in Corporate Media, that make sense to me and that I believe are probably true, and 4) Articles of interest, published mainly by non-mainstream media sources, that I can neither verify or discredit. I don't usually comment on those in category 4, but sometimes I also don't comment on those in category 3.
If you can offer PROOF that anything I've posted is substantially false, I would appreciate you letting me know. On the other hand, if you're arguing something is false because the Corporate Fact Checkers say it is or because I haven't offered any proof for it, I'm probably not going to take that down.
I am very concerned for this Nation, and all that is going on within it. Those who have studied history can see that we are pretty closely paralleling several of the great empires that have preceded us. We are deteriorating, as a Nation, and not primarily because of invaders fighting wars against us, but rather because of our enemies who are fighting us with ideas -- from within. These ideas didn't originate in America -- they came from other countries. And they are failed ideas -- they have literally failed in all previous manifestations, and yet they have taken hold in America as solutions to all that "ails us". They are weakening us and dividing us against ourselves, and as Jesus Christ (and later, Abraham Lincoln) said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand."
I have never in my lifetime, nor in my knowledge of history, seen our Nation so evenly divided since the Civil War, and that doesn't bode well for our future.
I also believe that most of the Corporate Media as well as Big Tech, (yes, including FB), are shamelessly shilling for the same people spreading these ideas. Those two combined make for an extremely effective propaganda machine. Now propaganda isn't always bad; it can be used to good effect. But it can also be used to distort and cover up the truth and lead people directly into tyranny. Those who deny this is happening or could happen here in the America of today need to read the book "1984" by George Orwell. It appears the author was only off on the date by a couple of decades.
What I see that is particularly dangerous is the bulk of our communications are effectively being controlled by a very small number of extremely wealthy corporations. What could possibly go wrong?
So yes, I am very proud of what little I have been doing here in the tiny world of my friends on FB. I believe very strongly in the 1st Amendment of our Constitution, and in the 2nd, which protects it. If I had only regret, it would be that I haven't done more.
My fellow Americans: Four years ago, we launched a great national effort to rebuild our country, to renew its spirit, and to restore the allegiance of this government to its citizens. In short, we embarked on a mission to make America great again — for all Americans.
As I conclude my term as the 45th President of the United States, I stand before you truly proud of what we have achieved together. We did what we came here to do — and so much more. This week, we inaugurate a new administration and pray for its success in keeping America safe and prosperous. We extend our best wishes, and we also want them to have luck — a very important word. I’d like to begin by thanking just a few of the amazing people who made our remarkable journey possible. First, let me express my overwhelming gratitude for the love and support of our spectacular First Lady, Melania. Let me also share my deepest appreciation to my daughter Ivanka, my son-in-law Jared, and to Barron, Don, Eric, Tiffany, and Lara. You fill my world with light and with joy. I also want to thank Vice President Mike Pence, his wonderful wife Karen, and the entire Pence family. Thank you as well to my Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows; the dedicated members of the White House Staff and the Cabinet; and all the incredible people across our administration who poured out their heart and soul to fight for America. I also want to take a moment to thank a truly exceptional group of people: the United States Secret Service. My family and I will forever be in your debt. My profound gratitude as well to everyone in the White House Military Office, the teams of Marine One and Air Force One, every member of the Armed Forces, and state and local law enforcement all across our country. Most of all, I want to thank the American people. To serve as your President has been an honor beyond description. Thank you for this extraordinary privilege. And that’s what it is — a great privilege and a great honor.
We must never forget that while Americans will always have our disagreements, we are a nation of incredible, decent, faithful, and peace-loving citizens who all want our country to thrive and flourish and be very, very successful and good. We are a truly magnificent nation.
All Americans were horrified by the assault on our Capitol. Political violence is an attack on everything we cherish as Americans. It can never be tolerated. Now more than ever, we must unify around our shared values and rise above the partisan rancor, and forge our common destiny. Four years ago, I came to Washington as the only true outsider ever to win the presidency. I had not spent my career as a politician, but as a builder looking at open skylines and imagining infinite possibilities. I ran for President because I knew there were towering new summits for America just waiting to be scaled. I knew the potential for our nation was boundless as long as we put America first. So I left behind my former life and stepped into a very difficult arena, but an arena nevertheless, with all sorts of potential if properly done. America had given me so much, and I wanted to give something back. Together with millions of hardworking patriots across this land, we built the greatest political movement in the history of our country. We also built the greatest economy in the history of the world. It was about “America First” because we all wanted to make America great again. We restored the principle that a nation exists to serve its citizens. Our agenda was not about right or left, it wasn’t about Republican or Democrat, but about the good of a nation, and that means the whole nation.
With the support and prayers of the American people, we achieved more than anyone thought possible. Nobody thought we could even come close.
We passed the largest package of tax cuts and reforms in American history. We slashed more job-killing regulations than any administration had ever done before. We fixed our broken trade deals, withdrew from the horrible Trans-Pacific Partnership and the impossible Paris Climate Accord, renegotiated the one-sided South Korea deal, and we replaced NAFTA with the groundbreaking USMCA — that’s Mexico and Canada — a deal that’s worked out very, very well.
Also, and very importantly, we imposed historic and monumental tariffs on China; made a great new deal with China. But before the ink was even dry, we and the whole world got hit with the China virus. Our trade relationship was rapidly changing, billions and billions of dollars were pouring into the U.S., but the virus forced us to go in a different direction.
The whole world suffered, but America outperformed other countries economically because of our incredible economy and the economy that we built. Without the foundations and footings, it wouldn’t have worked out this way. We wouldn’t have some of the best numbers we’ve ever had.
We also unlocked our energy resources and became the world’s number-one producer of oil and natural gas by far. Powered by these policies, we built the greatest economy in the history of the world. We reignited America’s job creation and achieved record-low unemployment for African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, women — almost everyone.
Incomes soared, wages boomed, the American Dream was restored, and millions were lifted from poverty in just a few short years. It was a miracle. The stock market set one record after another, with 148 stock market highs during this short period of time, and boosted the retirements and pensions of hardworking citizens all across our nation. 401(k)s are at a level they’ve never been at before. We’ve never seen numbers like we’ve seen, and that’s before the pandemic and after the pandemic.
We rebuilt the American manufacturing base, opened up thousands of new factories, and brought back the beautiful phrase: “Made in the USA.”
To make life better for working families, we doubled the child tax credit and signed the largest-ever expansion of funding for childcare and development. We joined with the private sector to secure commitments to train more than 16 million American workers for the jobs of tomorrow.
When our nation was hit with the terrible pandemic, we produced not one, but two vaccines with record-breaking speed, and more will quickly follow. They said it couldn’t be done but we did it. They call it a “medical miracle,” and that’s what they’re calling it right now: a “medical miracle.”
Another administration would have taken 3, 4, 5, maybe even up to 10 years to develop a vaccine. We did in nine months.
We grieve for every life lost, and we pledge in their memory to wipe out this horrible pandemic once and for all.
When the virus took its brutal toll on the world’s economy, we launched the fastest economic recovery our country has ever seen. We passed nearly $4 trillion in economic relief, saved or supported over 50 million jobs, and slashed the unemployment rate in half. These are numbers that our country has never seen before.
We created choice and transparency in healthcare, stood up to big pharma in so many ways, but especially in our effort to get favored-nations clauses added, which will give us the lowest prescription drug prices anywhere in the world.
We passed VA Choice, VA Accountability, Right to Try, and landmark criminal justice reform.
We confirmed three new justices of the United States Supreme Court. We appointed nearly 300 federal judges to interpret our Constitution as written.
For years, the American people pleaded with Washington to finally secure the nation’s borders. I am pleased to say we answered that plea and achieved the most secure border in U.S. history. We have given our brave border agents and heroic ICE officers the tools they need to do their jobs better than they have ever done before, and to enforce our laws and keep America safe.
We proudly leave the next administration with the strongest and most robust border security measures ever put into place. This includes historic agreements with Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, along with more than 450 miles of powerful new wall.
We restored American strength at home and American leadership abroad. The world respects us again. Please don’t lose that respect.
We reclaimed our sovereignty by standing up for America at the United Nations and withdrawing from the one-sided global deals that never served our interests. And NATO countries are now paying hundreds of billions of dollars more than when I arrived just a few years ago. It was very unfair. We were paying the cost for the world. Now the world is helping us.
And perhaps most importantly of all, with nearly $3 trillion, we fully rebuilt the American military — all made in the USA. We launched the first new branch of the United States Armed Forces in 75 years: the Space Force. And last spring, I stood at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and watched as American astronauts returned to space on American rockets for the first time in many, many years.
We revitalized our alliances and rallied the nations of the world to stand up to China like never before.
We obliterated the ISIS caliphate and ended the wretched life of its founder and leader, al Baghdadi. We stood up to the oppressive Iranian regime and killed the world’s top terrorist, Iranian butcher Qasem Soleimani.
We recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
As a result of our bold diplomacy and principled realism, we achieved a series of historic peace deals in the Middle East. Nobody believed it could happen. The Abraham Accords opened the doors to a future of peace and harmony, not violence and bloodshed. It is the dawn of a new Middle East, and we are bringing our soldiers home.
I am especially proud to be the first President in decades who has started no new wars.
Above all, we have reasserted the sacred idea that, in America, the government answers to the people. Our guiding light, our North Star, our unwavering conviction has been that we are here to serve the noble everyday citizens of America. Our allegiance is not to the special interests, corporations, or global entities; it’s to our children, our citizens, and to our nation itself.
As President, my top priority, my constant concern, has always been the best interests of American workers and American families. I did not seek the easiest course; by far, it was actually the most difficult. I did not seek the path that would get the least criticism. I took on the tough battles, the hardest fights, the most difficult choices because that’s what you elected me to do. Your needs were my first and last unyielding focus.
This, I hope, will be our greatest legacy: Together, we put the American people back in charge of our country. We restored self-government. We restored the idea that in America no one is forgotten, because everyone matters and everyone has a voice. We fought for the principle that every citizen is entitled to equal dignity, equal treatment, and equal rights because we are all made equal by God. Everyone is entitled to be treated with respect, to have their voice heard, and to have their government listen. You are loyal to your country, and my administration was always loyal to you.
We worked to build a country in which every citizen could find a great job and support their wonderful families. We fought for the communities where every American could be safe and schools where every child could learn. We promoted a culture where our laws would be upheld, our heroes honored, our history preserved, and law-abiding citizens are never taken for granted. Americans should take tremendous satisfaction in all that we have achieved together. It’s incredible.
Now, as I leave the White House, I have been reflecting on the dangers that threaten the priceless inheritance we all share. As the world’s most powerful nation, America faces constant threats and challenges from abroad. But the greatest danger we face is a loss of confidence in ourselves, a loss of confidence in our national greatness. A nation is only as strong as its spirit. We are only as dynamic as our pride. We are only as vibrant as the faith that beats in the hearts of our people.
No nation can long thrive that loses faith in its own values, history, and heroes, for these are the very sources of our unity and our vitality.
What has always allowed America to prevail and triumph over the great challenges of the past has been an unyielding and unashamed conviction in the nobility of our country and its unique purpose in history. We must never lose this conviction. We must never forsake our belief in America.
The key to national greatness lies in sustaining and instilling our shared national identity. That means focusing on what we have in common: the heritage that we all share.
At the center of this heritage is also a robust belief in free expression, free speech, and open debate. Only if we forget who we are, and how we got here, could we ever allow political censorship and blacklisting to take place in America. It’s not even thinkable. Shutting down free and open debate violates our core values and most enduring traditions.
In America, we don’t insist on absolute conformity or enforce rigid orthodoxies and punitive speech codes. We just don’t do that. America is not a timid nation of tame souls who need to be sheltered and protected from those with whom we disagree. That’s not who we are. It will never be who we are.
For nearly 250 years, in the face of every challenge, Americans have always summoned our unmatched courage, confidence, and fierce independence. These are the miraculous traits that once led millions of everyday citizens to set out across a wild continent and carve out a new life in the great West. It was the same profound love of our God-given freedom that willed our soldiers into battle and our astronauts into space.
As I think back on the past four years, one image rises in my mind above all others. Whenever I traveled all along the motorcade route, there were thousands and thousands of people. They came out with their families so that they could stand as we passed, and proudly wave our great American flag. It never failed to deeply move me. I knew that they did not just come out to show their support of me; they came out to show me their support and love for our country.
This is a republic of proud citizens who are united by our common conviction that America is the greatest nation in all of history. We are, and must always be, a land of hope, of light, and of glory to all the world. This is the precious inheritance that we must safeguard at every single turn.
For the past four years, I have worked to do just that. From a great hall of Muslim leaders in Riyadh to a great square of Polish people in Warsaw; from the floor of the Korean Assembly to the podium at the United Nations General Assembly; and from the Forbidden City in Beijing to the shadow of Mount Rushmore, I fought for you, I fought for your family, I fought for our country. Above all, I fought for America and all it stands for — and that is safe, strong, proud, and free. Now, as I prepare to hand power over to a new administration at noon on Wednesday, I want you to know that the movement we started is only just beginning. There’s never been anything like it. The belief that a nation must serve its citizens will not dwindle but instead only grow stronger by the day. As long as the American people hold in their hearts deep and devoted love of country, then there is nothing that this nation cannot achieve. Our communities will flourish. Our people will be prosperous. Our traditions will be cherished. Our faith will be strong. And our future will be brighter than ever before.
I go from this majestic place with a loyal and joyful heart, an optimistic spirit, and a supreme confidence that for our country and for our children, the best is yet to come.
Thank you, and farewell. God bless you. God bless the United States of America.
