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Here we are in August of 2024. It seems like just yesterday when we were informed in late 2020 by the Babylonian Media (the BM, as we not affectionately call them) that Donald J. Trump had allegedly lost the election to Joseph Robinette Biden.
Back then, it seemed like the election of 2024 was so-o-o far off, but many of us immediately redoubled our efforts to be involved—at least locally—in civic/political activities to wrest back control of our nation and our neighborhoods from the looming totalitarian tyranny of the communist-socialists that control the Democrat Party.
Yours truly has been one of those whose activities in that regard have increased enormously. We have written on these pages from time to time about some of them—not for the purpose of bragging—but to lead by example. There are many more activities we have been involved in, but have no time to mention them all in these pages.
There were two events just last week which I attended and then worked until midnight on Wednesday and Thursday to be sure I could get my lecture preparation done before my trips to our SKF-Tennessee on Saturday, and then down to central Georgia for our SKF-GA on Sunday. Yesterday was my rest day (but I had had yesterday’s blog completed and scheduled in advance).
As though my plate were not full enough, at the first of August as I stopped by my office-landlord’s to pay the August rent, he invited me to sit down a while and then informed me why he could not hold down my rent any longer. He said he had to raise it at least $300/month.
We have been renting a house for SKM office space from him for nearly 18 years. In 2006, as we were forced to move from our previous space (as the kind owners back then had sold the building), I was stunned with sticker shock as I found commercial office space way beyond our means.
Roxanne (who was wiser than me in so many ways) then suggested I look for a house to rent. Shortly thereafter, we found this house (photo below) at 716 Brookshire Street in south Asheville.
(Photo by JWB in April 2018 of our soon-to-be former office space at this home in South Asheville. On that day a tree service was taking down the huge tree which had become a hazard to crashing through our roof.)
I read recently that the Asheville real estate market has the highest rents of homes and apartments in all of North Carolina. I had learned immediately upon renting from my current landlord, Tim, that he also was an Ohio State alumnus.
He asked me as I signed the lease agreement in November 2006 where I was from, and I said, “My dad had moved us all over western Ohio, but our family lived in Columbus since my teen years.”
“How about you?” I asked Tim, “Where in Ohio are you from?”
He responded, “Oh, I was raised on a farm in some tiny place you’ve probably never heard of.”
“Try me,” I teased.
“Columbus Grove,” he replied
“No way!” I said as I smiled in amusement. “I grew up on a farm near Ottawa, Ohio!” (Which is about ten minutes from Columbus Grove.)
That exchange began a friendship which lasts to this day—despite his need to raise the rent again, this time very substantially. Being fellow fans of Ohio State football only solidified our friendship.
He has always kept my rent well below market value, but he is now retired (electrical engineer) and has to make a living from his rental properties, and can no longer handle most of the upkeep costs by doing it all himself. Still, even with the substantial increase, the house at 716 would still be $700 below the going rate!
So Tim has been more than kind to me (and by extension, to SKM) all these 18 years. But we cannot sustain that increase so we immediately began looking for a place for a new office.
The Lord provided within a few days! My IT Manager, Jesse, had spotted some commercial office space which is 500 SF smaller but is doable rent-wise. We have not yet inked a lease agreement, but are approved for the lease and I will sign it in a few days.
We will have to be out of 716 Brookshire by the middle, or for sure by the end of September. Then October will be super busy not only with my election activities front and center, but also getting prepared and making the trip up to the Twin Cities for the Feast of Tabernacles Bible Conference.
So from now until then is going to be much busier than normal; “normal” being my plate is overflowing with tasks to keep up with. But I am smiling because I know the heavenly Father is smiling.
Therefore, this is a heads-up to readers that there may be more days than usual where I simply will not have time to compose a blog. But, we do have a few articles by teachers from the past which are “in the holding tank” and which, with much less time than composing a fresh one, we can post for your edification and enlightenment.
Sandy has already started packing up my 5,000+ volume library, and Kevin and Julie have volunteered to come help. We are all going to handle the light stuff in multiple trips in my old 2007 minivan, and I will hire day laborers to lift the heavy stuff when the time comes.
Please keep us in your prayers! Many thanks, to you and to Him who is above all!
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