Other than shooting, what do you like to do with your time?

I am a very complex girl.  I like spending my time doing lots of different things.  Things that seem contradictory to others, but are perfectly normal to me. 

I love life. 

I love everything.

I love to travel.  Pretty much anywhere.  My family and I get all kinds of excited for a road trip.  As long as I am not on a time line I love to pile my family in the car and head out and they love it too.  Our children are excellent travelers. I hate to fly, but if it gets me to some fun destination then I am gonna get on the big ol' jet airliner. as I am not on a time line I love to pile my family in the car and nhead out and they love it too.
I like to cook.  Food used to be my passion before guns.  I still enjoy cooking but my food usually takes time.  I do enjoy a box of Beef Stroganoff Hamburger Helper from time to time, but usually I like to make things from scratch and take my time.  Cooking for me is relaxing.  It is good for my spirit, but my time is limited, so if I have a choice between heading to the range or making homemade pasta, I am strapping on my gun and heading out.

 When I have time to cook

(chicken breast stuffed with basil, onion, jack and feta cheeses. Crab cakes, homemade cheddar biscuits, and braised baby bok choy.)

 (Caramelized nectarines with a homemade honey yogurt sauce)

When I don't have time to cook

I am crazy for football.  There is nothing I like more than a Sunday afternoon with lots of yummy treats, my hubby, and a game or two on the flat screen.

When my husband and I first got married we had what we called "Football Sundays".  

Original, I know.  

We were busy folks being pulled in a million directions, so on Sundays we took the phone off the hook(pre-cell phone days), closed the blinds, got Chinese food, and watched endless hours of football,  in the buff(no pics).  We were newlyweds after all.

Over the years our rituals have changed a bit.  The food is more traditional football fare, we are both texting friends about the scores, we have at least one kid hanging on us, we are lucky to sit down and see 15 consecutive minutes of any game, we are fully clothed, but the games are always on and we love it!!

I adore reading.  I am really a home body.  I go out and about meeting friends and being social, but being home is my all time favorite and if there is some peace and quiet where I can grab a glass of unsweet tea and a book in my comfy chair...HEAVEN!

I like putting shingles on roofs. Being up on a roof, is therapeutic for me.  I love the heat and the sound of the hammer on the nail head.  I have not roofed many roofs in my day, but when I get a chance to do it, I do.

(I like it so much, I have a framed shingle hanging over my couch)

I like welding. Again, not something I do often and not something I am particularly good at, but I would do it a lot more if I could.

I like to run.  I get giddy running.  My workout partner can tell you how goofy excited I get after a good long run.

I like spending time with my friends.  Meeting them for a girl's weekend or a movie, or just having them over to my house or an afternoon at theirs is a treat for me.  I don't have to be doing anything special, I just like being with them. 

I like to text.  The first time I ever sent a text was about 2 years ago.  I was very slow on the uptake, but now I am borderline obsessed.  I can put my phone down and I do, but I like having the option of sending off a quick thought to friends.  When I see something funny or am annoyed, it is nice to have an outlet, but not have to stop what I am doing for a long email or time consuming phone call.

I like camping, in a tent, and eating food directly out of a box or a can.

( Ok, we are just camping under our table, but still we are in a tent, of sorts)

I like getting dressed up all fancy and eating insanely expensive food at a posh restaurant.

I like any of the above activities with my kids and/or husband the most. If I can do any of those things with them, then I am unbearably happy.

Whatcha Wanna Know Wednesday

Other than shooting, what do you like to do with your time?

I am a very complex girl.  I like spending my time doing lots of different things.  Things that seem contradictory to others, but are perfectly normal to me. 

I love life. 

I love everything.

I love to travel.  Pretty much anywhere.  My family and I get all kinds of excited for a road trip.  As long as I am not on a time line I love to pile my family in the car and head out and they love it too.  Our children are excellent travelers. I hate to fly, but if it gets me to some fun destination then I am gonna get on the big ol' jet airliner. as I am not on a time line I love to pile my family in the car and head out and they love it too. I like to cook.  Food used to be my passion before guns.  I still enjoy cooking but my food usually takes time.  I do enjoy a box of Beef Stroganoff Hamburger Helper from time to time, but usually I like to make things from scratch and take my time.  Cooking for me is relaxing.  It is good for my spirit, but my time is limited, so if I have a choice between heading to the range or making homemade pasta, I am strapping on my gun and heading out.

I am crazy for football.  There is nothing I like more than a Sunday afternoon with lots of yummy treats, my hubby, and a game or two on the flat screen.

When my husband and I first got married we had what we called "Football Sundays".  

Original, I know.  

We were busy folks being pulled in a million directions, so on Sundays we took the phone off the hook(pre-cell phone days), closed the blinds, got Chinese food, and watched endless hours of football,  in the buff.  We were newlyweds after all.

Over the years our rituals have changed a bit.  The food is more traditional football fare, we are both texting friends about the scores, we have at least one kid hanging on us, we are lucky to sit down and see 15 consecutive minutes of any game, we are fully clothed, but the games are always on and we love it!!

I adore reading.  I am really a home body.  I go out and about meeting friends and being social, but being home is my all time favorite and if there is some peace and quiet where I can grab a glass of unsweet tea and a book in my comfy chair...HEAVEN!

I like putting shingles on roofs. Being up on a roof, is therapeutic for me.  I love the heat and the sound of the hammer on the nail head.  I have not roofed many roofs in my day, but when I get a chance to do it, I do.

(I like it so much, I have a framed shingle hanging over my couch)

I like welding. Again, not something I do often and not something I am particularly good at, but I would do it a lot more if I could.

I like to run.  I get giddy running.  My workout partner can tell you how goofy excited I get after a good long run.

I like spending time with my friends.  Meeting them for a girl's weekend or a movie, or just having them over to my house or an afternoon at theirs is a treat for me.  I don't have to be doing anything special, I just like being with them.

I like to text.  The first time I ever sent a text was about 2 years ago.  I was very slow on the uptake, but now I am borderline obsessed.  I can put my phone down and I do, but I like having the option of sending off a quick thought to friends.  When I see something funny or am annoyed, it is nice to have an outlet, but not have to stop what I am doing for a long email or time consuming phone call.

I like camping, in a tent, and eating food directly out of a box or a can.

I like getting dressed up all fancy and eating insanely expensive food at a posh restaurant.

I like any of the above activities with my kids and/or husband the most. If I can do any of those things with them, then I am unbearably happy.

It's Not That Simple

The other day I was on FaceBook and I read an article on a gun site I follow.  The article was about how people should let there kids play with toy guns and not be afraid to let them around real guns.

I made a comment that because we have real guns and we let our children around them and because we care deeply about gun safety, we do not let our children have toy guns.  The rule in our house is, if you see a gun, don't touch it and find an adult.  I mentioned that I did not want to leave the detriment of what is real and what is a toy up to our children.

In return a whole bunch of people basically said if my kids are so stupid that they can not tell the difference between real and fake, they are in fact stupid and that we as parents are stupid for raising such stupid children and because we are all so stupid, probably shouldn't be allowed to have guns at all.

I would like to share with you a little bit about one of my children.  Our daughter was adopted from China when she was almost 4.  When we got there, she could not walk, too weak.  Could not hold a cup.  Did not know how to feed herself.  She is deaf and had zero language, nothing.  She had never heard a word and was never taught even the most rudimentary sign.  She did not even know to shake her head yes or no.  She was so traumatized by her life experiences in that place, that she had completely shut down and went inside herself.  Basically, all she did was rock, stack cups, and scream bloody murder.

We spent the first year she was home just trying to get her to not be afraid.  Trying to convince her she was safe and that here she not only wouldn't be hit or abused, but that she would be loved and cared for.  It was a long, painful, and tiring process.

We had some progress that first year and by the time she was 5, we decided to get her the cochlear implant to help her hear.  This child had never heard one bit of sound ever.  My husband, myself, our audiologist, our ENT surgeon and the 2nd in charge of the entire Bethesda Navel Medical Center were all extremely concerned how hearing sound might effect this child.  We wondered if the shock of noise might traumatize her further, and while we all felt it was in her best long term interest to have the surgery, our immediate concern was her spirit.  We did not want to set her back in her emotional process.

I posted a video on my Face book page if your interested.  Video

This is a long video(I would love to have any skill whatsoever in terms of computers, but I don't, so I could not edit it down), about 29 minutes, but I think it is worth the time to see just how amazing this child is.  Just how not stupid she is.  This video is of her activation of her cochlear implant.  It is the first time she ever heard any sound at all.  It is about 6 weeks after her surgery to have the implant put in her head.  At that surgery the doctors found hundreds of bone fragments embedded in her skull and tissue.  Those fragments were caused by repeated blunt force trauma.  She has had a bit to deal with.

This child, this precious amazing child, is now 7 and has completely caught up to her peers in language, and in academics.  In 3 years she fought back from a very tragic life to not only overcome emotional sadness, but has excelled and blossomed into a full fledged carefree, loving, kind, funny, right on target miracle.

Guns are important.  They are fundamental to keeping our safety and our freedoms.  It is paramount that those that understand this fight for it and protect it and pass it on to the next generation, but it is not the only thing that matters.

I was not a gun owner when she came home, but I can tell you even if I was, teaching gun safety would not have mattered to me one flying flippin' bit.  She wouldn't have got it anyway.  My daily goal was figuring out how to keep her from having a breakdown.  It was not showering or eating or sleeping and certainly wasn't guns.

She has come a long way and now she knows about guns and how to shoot and all about safety and she mostly certainly can tell the difference between a real gun and toy one.  She in fact is not stupid.

After she came home we brought home another child, a son, and while he is not emotionally traumatized, he is behind in language and like her, has other things more pressing to worry about than whether or not a gun is real or fake.

We do now have guns in our house and because we do, we feel it is important to teach gun safety.  Regardless of what other issues these kids have going on, they need to be safe and aware, so we are giving him what he can handle until he is ready to handle more.  Safety is our paramount concern.

Unfortunately for my children, they have had to make up for the lack of care they should have received by the people who should have been responsible enough to care for them.  His lack of understanding about real guns verses fake guns is not an intelligence issue, it is a lack of responsibility issue.  People failed him and it's gonna take him some time to catch up, but he will. 

Many adults lack responsibility and I feel it is very irresponsible to call a child you know nothing about stupid.

Life is not black and white.  It is not absolute.  For me the entire 2nd Amendment fight is about much more than just guns and the right to bear them.  It is about personal freedom.  The freedom to make choices that are right for you and your family and for your choices not to infringe on mine.  It is about respecting the choices of others and understand that what you do may not be right for someone who is very different from you.

I will end with the statement I left to these rather rude and inconsiderate folks...

Blanket statements about children and/or their parents, or well anything, are like gun laws...ridiculous.

A Fun Night Out

Last night I went to a meeting held by an organization that is very active in preserving and fighting for the rights of gun owners in my state.

I loved it.

I loved every minute of it.

I may be in some kind of honeymoon state, that might wear off soon, but I sure hope not because I am having way too much fun.

The meeting was pretty basic, the president called it to order, gave a brief overview of the evening, then turned it over to someone else.

Elections are coming up, so a few candidates spoke.  None from my district, but I was still encouraged by the things they said they stood for.  All of them spoke about fighting actively for the Castle Doctrine and that made me very happy.

I would say there is no real way to know if they mean what they say, but I think this group is pretty thorough in vetting those they stand behind. 

Then a gentleman spoke about his youth rifle shooting team.

LOVED THIS!!

I absolutely loved seeing these kids!!  They were being taught about so much more than guns, but let's face it, the gun part was way cool.  Not a cheap sport to get into though.

Money aside, I think my 8 year old would love to get involved in something like this someday.

Unfortunately, being the mother of 5, I had kid drama mid-evening.  Phone calls to my husband and text messages to me and well, we left the meeting earlier than we had hoped to head back to Shangri-La where I dawned my referee suit and settle a whole host of issues.

We drove a little over an hour to the meeting and one of the guys joked, "That is a long drive.  These meetings are not that exciting."

I said, "yeah I might not ever go to another one, but I am coming to this one."  And, I don't know if I will go to another one, but I am glad I went to that one.  It was fun and very informative.

Generally people meet at Starbucks before the meeting, then attend the meeting and then go to a restaurant after.  Since we had to leave early we did not make it to the restaurant, but we did make it to Starbucks before hand.

Let me take you back to the beginning.  Pre-teenage drama.

As luck would have it, there was zero traffic and we arrived in a timely manner, so we beat the people we were suppose to meet.

We went into the coffee shop, ordered our iced soy lattes(no judging) and waited.  Ok, I waited and my man went to the little boys room.  But if he asks, it was the big boys room.

As I waited, 2 gentlemen came in, open carrying, and walked up to the counter to order.

The young kid making my coffee, looked at me and said "oh boy, here we go, guns."

I said, "Don't worry, we won't shoot you."

He looked me up and down and was completely perplexed.

I was also open carrying and can only assume that I looked so not like a gun person he did not notice the Glock 27 on my hip.

I turned so he could see my gun and he just shook his head and said "Oh, no."

I said, "Your fine, I swear, we will not shoot."

He said, "Promise?"

Me, "Yes, I promise."

He said, "If a bad guy comes in, will you still protect me?"

I said, "Of course, yes, absolutely."

A few minutes goes by, he looks at me, laughs and says, "What are the odds?"

I giggled, smiled, grabbed my coffee and went to find a seat.

I love this because even though I did nothing, I think I might have, inadvertently, helped this kid see that people with guns are not so scary.

If you have read this blog very long then you know I am a big fan of conceal carry, but I am starting to see the positive side to, every once in a while, leaving my Glock out for all the world to see.

I met some very nice people, learned some interesting things about people who hope to be involved in running my state, drank some killer coffee, possibly helped break a stereotype, and all this before 10pm and in 100 degree heat.

All in all, a fine way to spend a few hours.

This and That

First, let me apologize for the comment sent by me under a different blog.  Someone else used my computer, so when I went to reply to the comment, it put it under their blog name.

Second, I am very excited to be going to my first "gun" meeting tonight.  I belong to a group that works at the state level for the rights of gun owners.  They have done quite a lot to promote and defend the rights of folks in my state who have and carry guns.  I volunteered at their table at the last gun show in my town, but this is an actual meeting where they have a speaker and discuss gun related issues.

I hope to meet some more gun friendly people as most of my friends, who I love, are not gun folks.  In fact, I do not have a single local friend who has a gun, shoots a gun, or has ever touched a gun.  Although, I have convinced my workout partner to accompany me to the range a week from tomorrow!

She is coming to my house a few times before for some safety sessions and then we are going shootin'

I am working on something that I think will be very exciting for you all and I am praying you will all  want to get involved, but the details are still be ironed out.  Hopefully, in the next few weeks I will be announcing it.

Lastly, thank you to everyone who has left a comment and/or sent me encouraging and thoughtful emails.  I am overwhelmed at the number of incredibly nice people who have reached out me.  I am having a blast doing this blog and conversing with all of you.  I am learning so much and feel very fortunate to have "met" each of you. 

You are most appreciated!!

Help

I went to carry my Ruger the other day, but when I got it out of the safe, I noticed that the magazine had rust on it.  Then I took a look at my gun and there was rust all over the barrel and inside.

It was stored in a safe with a felt cloth.  It was not wet when I stored.  I had carried it a couple days before, so it was not stored for very long.

Does anyone know what I did wrong?

My son cleaned it last night and the rust appears to mostly be gone, but I am concerned about shooting it.

Thoughts, ideas, help, suggestions???

Whatcha Wanna Know Wednesday

What is the most valuable thing you have learned since you got your gun?

This is such a vast question and there are so many ways I could go with trying to answer it.  I have learned so much about guns and laws and holsters and the undead, but the most valuable, what is the most valuable thing I have learned?

I guess the most valuable thing I have learned is a deeper understand of me.

I have learned so much about myself.  Not only about who I want to be, but who I already am.

I have learned that I have an aggressive side and I like it.

I have learned to stand up for myself and not just when my life is in danger. I am not super good at this, but I am on my way.

I have learned I can be feminine and carry a big gun.

I have learned that I love to learn about guns.  I seriously can not get enough.  I thought it was all driven by fear, but it isn't.  It is a passion. a passion I never ever knew I had.  It is not a passing fancy or a fad, it is me.

I have learned not to be afraid and when I am, to face it.

I have learned  that asking for help can be the most empowering, freeing, beneficial, gift one can give themselves.

I have learned to take risk and do to thing just for the sake of doing them.

I have learned that I am worth the fight.  I always believed I was valuable and never thought I deserved any harm to come my way, but I never actively fought for it.

Now, I do.

Everyday, in all kinds of ways, I fight for my life.  For it's safety, but also for it's joy.

That fight in me, for me, is the absolute most valuable thing I have learned.

Day 4

Saturday was, to most people, a gorgeous day.  Sunny, 82 degrees with a cool breeze.

For me, it was a tiny bit chilly.

The good news is that is gave me an opportunity to show a different way that I conceal.

We did not do much today.  We had plans to go to the place with the mouse who is named Chucky and he has an affinity for, you know, cheese, but someone and I will not say who, ok it was me, didn't plan ahead and the place was packed.

We did not go in.  We left with a promise to my daughter that we would return later in the week when it was much calmer.  She was fine with this because I offered to take her to the place where there is a king and his-have-it-your-way-burgers.

My kids get way excited about this because I don't let them eat fast food often. Really, I don't.

We have eaten at Yellow M(brownie points if you know what that is), from time to time, but that is a treat.  Until about a month ago, they had never eaten at the place with the king.

Anywhoooooooooooooooo, on this very exciting adventure, I wore my Glock in that ever popular Crossbreed holster.

I wore my regular jeans and a T-shirt.  You can't see it, but the shirt says "FIGHT LIKE A GIRL"  It's written in pink with boxing gloves.  A few months back, if I had seen someone walking down the street with such a shirt on, I probably would have had an hour long lecture, umm discussion with my kids, on how we don't fight and it's not nice to hit people, but that was then and this is NOW!

Getting ready to leave and was "forced" to hold the baby.

 Yes, that is a Glock under there and no you really can't see it.  That shirt is a small.

 Yep, still there.

Leaving the king of burgers joint.  It was cold to me in there, so I put on a lightweight spring jacket.

I am telling you, it is a myth that a girl has to dress like she is a guy if she wants to carry a gun bigger than a deck of cards.  Perhaps a full size Glock or 1911 would require more finesse, but I would venture to guess, most ladies are not carrying those as their everyday conceal.  Not that they don't or that they shouldn't or couldn't, just that, in my very limited experience, those have not been the choice I have seen for gals and conceal carry.

Caliber Effectiveness: Real-World Statistics from Expert LEO Greg Ellifritz

Caliber Effectiveness 

Extremely interesting article.

Gun Control

When my kids come to me with their feelings hurt because some other kid said something mean, I always ask them "Why do you care?"  "Do you think what they think of you is more important than what you think?"

When my oldest son was about 3 years old, he came to me to tell my little Johnny didn't like him.  Before I could answer another mother said, "Oh, I am sure little Johnny likes you, he is probably just tired.  I said, "Actually, little Johnny probably doesn't like you and that is ok."  Little Johnny has a right to his feelings, but that doesn't make them right and it doesn't mean you have to care.

I don't know why we set our children up to believe that the whole world is going to like them and that if they don't like them,  we should be sad.

There are plenty of people I don't like.  I do them no harm.  I do not say mean things to them or make a voodoo doll or cast a spell on them.  Sometimes I have a good reason not to like them and sometimes I don't.  Sometimes they just rub me the wrong way and I don't know why.  If I can feel that way about someone, I assume there is someone that feels that way about me.  As long as they do not actively try to harm me, I say, let them feel however they feel.

I also ask my kids "Why do you think they were mean?"

For years I have believed that people who are loved and valued are not mean.  People are looking to belong, to have worth.

I, of course, know this because I was raised in a family where there was love, a twisted love, but love just the same. I was loved the only way my parents knew how to love.  However, being valued and made to feel worthy were scarce and both my brother and I were on an endless search for it.  One of us found it and the other, well, I believe he is where there is an endless supply.

I also know this because I have 3 children from China, who may or may not have been loved, but they most certainly were not made to feel valued or like they had any worth.

Quite the opposite.

Now they are loved and that has been most wonderful thing for each of our children, but it is the sense of belonging and value that has helped them face their fears and to have the courage to feel, and to be who they were created to be.

All 3 of our youngest children had walls built so high, I never thought we would knock them down.  For 2 years when our middle daughter kissed us, she would divert her eyes.  She was afraid to be loved because not being loved hurt to much.  Being of who she was, a deaf, Chinese girl, in a culture where disabilities and being a girl warranted being tossed aside and forgotten. The price for being who she was way too high.

When she came to us at the age of 3, she had no personality and she looked like a boy.  Over the past 4 years, she has had the strength and courage to fight and she has found her voice and she knows exactly who she is.

All of the kids went through transformations on their journey to being authentically them.  It was not by magic, or time, or simply being loved.  It was a long hard struggle by people who fought daily to help them see that they were absolutely valued and absolutely had worth.

Our children went from night terrors and tantrums to sweet dreams and peace.  They went from punching and screaming to caressing and hugs.  They went from pushing us away and looking away to jumping in our arms and asking for love.  They went from doubting, subconsciously, that they mattered to knowing, fully conscious, that they do.

I watched this video and thought, wow, powerful.  I also thought, this is what I have been saying and it didn't take a breakdown to realize it, but then I thought, well, I might have had a breakdown or two or three.

I broke when my brother died and I broke again when I watched my daughter scream in heart wrenching pain from a nightmare I could not comfort her through.  I broke again when I stood in that grocery store parking lot, helpless.

But, I came back from each of those moments of despair because I was constantly reminded by people who cared that I had value and I was worth fighting for.

When people don't have a foundation of worth, they start looking for it in all kinds of places.  Some in obviously destructive ways like drinking or drugs, but others do it more covertly.

Some do it by taking what was never theirs to take.

Stripping away peoples rights piece by piece.

Since I got my gun, I have been forced to pay a lot more attention to politics and have been made patently aware of what lengths people without a feeling of worth will do for power and control.

The constant effort to try to legislate gun control under the banner of "safety" makes me frustrated and scared.

I am frustrated because I know that most people with guns know they have value.  They are fighting for it.  They are fighting for the value and worth of their family and friends and even the little old lady down the street they have never met.

The value they place on their life and those around them makes them not the least bit dangerous.  Their fight is to protect it, not take it away.

It makes me scared because I know the answer to violence is not found in legislation or in disarming Americans, but in finding ways to help people know their value and worth.

It makes me scared because I know that even though we know what to do there will always be people who do not feel valued or loved and will turn to violence as their answer.

Love, self worth, and value are the answer.  Unfortunately, there will always be people who don't get it.  For whatever reason: bad parenting, life circumstances, society, choice...

I believe all people should be loved and valued. I have spent my entire adult life trying to add to peoples worth.  But that belief is not a license to do harm and if one chooses to give into the despair, others should not have to pay the price.

Our right to protect our worth should not be given away to those who are unaware of theirs.

Birthday Surprise

I tried to upload a video of my daughter and her birthday surprise, but it won't load on this page.  If you would like to see it go here

This child came to us completely deaf, with no language and even less survival skills than me.  She was 2 and the first time we took her to the pool she just jumped in and sunk to the bottom.  She did not fight to come to the surface, she just sunk.  Both my husband and I jumped in immediately, brought her up and she just looked at us.  No fear.  No idea that she was in danger.

This is just one step in a on going process of consciously teaching our daughter(all of our children) how to take care of herself. 

The other day as we were walking across the street, I told her to stop and I asked her if she looked for cars(I knew she hadn't). She said "no"  I asked her why.  She said "cuz you were looking"

I said, I was looking and I will always look, but you can not depend on other people for your safety.  That is your responsibility.  you look for yourself, every time.

I was 40 before I learned this lesson.

A Girl and Her Gun and Open Carry

My son is 19, almost 20 and in our state he is allowed to have a gun.  Our law is open carry at 18, no permit needed and conceal carry with permit at 21.  So, he always open carries.  My husband and I have not always been comfortable with this, so many times if he is with us, we ask him to leave his gun in the car.

You may or may not have noticed that my husband and I are very NO DRAMA people.  I would not say we are chicken, but we really live our lives to be calm and happy.  We do not surround ourselves with gossips or people who love to argue or are grumpy all the time.  We like peace.  Doesn't mean we won't stand up and fight for what we believe in, but if we can avoid the fight, we will.  Most especially me.

It took a while to just get comfortable with a gun at all, let alone dealing with people who might have an issue with it.

Recently, I have been trying to step out of my comfort zone, so while I have continued to conceal, I have stopped asking my son to take his gun off when he is out and about with me.

Yesterday, he asked me to open carry with him.  My first reaction was no, but then I said, what the heck, sure.

I do not have a great OWB(outside the waistband holster), so I wore my Crossbreed IWB(inside the waistband holster), but since my shorts and shirt were pretty small and tight, it showed like a beacon.

It was me, with my Glock 27, my son with my husband's Glock 23(my man was on a military base and could not carry) and my daughter-in-law with my Ruger LCP.  We also had my new grandbaby with us, who was open carrying a pacifier.

I will admit, I was not super comfortable and quite nervous.  I knew what I was doing was legal, but I was afraid I was inviting a problem.  It is one thing to deal with a problem that arises, but this was one I was potentially manufacturing.  Nonetheless, I felt the main reason I do not open carry is fear and we all know how I feel about fear...DO NOT LIKE IT!!

So off we went...

The first place we went to was Party America for birthday supplies for our daughter who turns 8 tomorrow.  Only a few people in the store, but no one said a thing.  No one seemed to even notice.  I left there feeling a little more confident.

Next was Target.  I was actually a little sick to my tummy going in there, but I did it.  We did get a few more stares and one young lady tapped her boyfriend and whispered, "she has a gun."  It seemed to me that she was at the very least surprised, but I have no idea.  Maybe she is a big gun nut and thought wow, she has a gun.  Regardless, she didn't make an issue and off they went.  We left there also without issue.  I can't tell you about the next place we went because it is connected to a surprise and a later post, but absolutely no issue there.  Then we can home and for the rest of the day I did not carry, conceal or otherwise.

All in all a good experience.  I didn't get any pictures of me, but I will leave you with one of my daughter-in-law, the gun toting mama.

Watcha Want To Know Wednesday

Question - does you husband carry and how does he feel about your decision to? My husband and I got our CCL's at the same time - but it took me almost 2 years to actually start carrying on my person - awful I know. But I had to come to a point where I realized that he ( husband) wasn't always going to be right there - and even if he was he might actually need my help. Since I am also often out with just me and the two little ones - carrying not on my person just wasn't pratical. Still working on perfecting the art of conceal carry - but am getting better.

I will start with the second part of the question. My husband, not only, supports me in my daily carry, but I think he is proud of me and I think it kind of turns him on. 

While I would not say that I am super tough, I am definitely more aggressive and definitely more confident.

Before my gun, my fitness had always been about being healthy and lean, but now I also focus on being strong and for my small frame, I am fairly ripped.  Especially my arms. The gun is just one step in my overall mind set to prepare myself for defense of my body and of my family.  I think this new confidence coupled with the very real fact that I can use my gun and that my mind is most assuredly stronger, is a combination that makes him feel better about my safety and our families.  As a man who is very protective of us and one who puts our safety first, I think he sleeps better at night knowing that I carry a gun, know how to use it and continue to find ways to be more prepared.

As to the first part of the question, yes he carries, but it has been a progression.

Off and on over the years my husband had mentioned he would like a gun in the house, but he never really pushed the issue.  About a year or so ago, he started bringing it up more frequently and while not forcing it on me, was really more persistent in his desire for us to have more home protection.  He was traveling more and he just felt we needed to have a gun.

After the grocery store incident and my change of heart on guns, he was focused on getting me a gun that I was comfortable with and getting me the training I was obsessed with getting, but he didn't care so much about getting himself a gun to carry.

With me buying a few wrong guns, he ended up with a Glock 23. He loved it, but rarely if ever carried it.

At first I kind of nagged at him to carry more because I was not at all comfortable with the idea of me protecting our family.  I didn't know how to shoot and my mind was definitely not combat ready.  He was both a skilled shot and his mind has been tested in combat and had proved itself.

If we went out together or as a family, he carried.  He carried because it made me feel more comfortable and he is all about make me feel comfortable, but I noticed he hardly ever had his gun when he went out with out me.  I tried not to say to much because I felt like he had to come to it on his own.  After all he waited 40 plus years for me to around. 

But for weeks our town had a rash of armed robberies and a string of violence that freaked me out, so I told him, "Babe, I really would prefer you carry more often."

As the world is often relentless in it's persistent to teach us it's lessons, one night my husband ran out to the grocery store, without his gun and ran into some thugs. 

I will spare you the long drawn out details, but basically they were harassing the check out lady.  There were 3 of them and they were cussing and trying to intimidate the people in the store.  My husband's first thought was "why didn't I bring my gun?"  The check out lady was a young girl who did not take their crap and surprisingly, they backed down.  There was no trouble, but husband came home and declared,

"We will always have a gun with us!" and with very few exceptions, we do!

I am beginning to think dark alleys are perfectly safe, but I might start ordering my food from take out because the grocery stores in this town are all kinds of scary.

Day 3

It is getting might hot and humid here and the extra cover garments are becoming a bit much even for me, so I have been carrying my Ruger a lot.  I am sure Ruger makes a great gun, but it isn't my favorite. Nonetheless, it is better than not carrying or carrying in my purse, which I am also not a fan of.

The weather is 99, feels likes 103.  Sunny, slight breeze, no chance of rain.

Did the swim team thing, then dropped off my HOA at the housing office, then Bass Pro Shop for some birthday supplies for the little one, then the store, then home.

It was suggested that I show more of the before and after of conceal carry, so I reluctantly agreed.  Not trying to be to risque, here it goes...

 No gun, but pretty nice abs, if I do say so myself.  Probably should have smiled though:)

Ruger LCP in Crossbreed MicroClip

 It is under there I swear.  Left side about 8 o' clock

Yep, it is there.

Shooting, A Dilemma, and Some Risk Taking

I went to the range today to do some shooting.  Yippeee!!!  My man, my son and meeeeeeeeee!!

Overall, I was pretty pleased.  I basically shot where I was aiming or pretty darn close to it and I felt like I had much more control of the gun.  The grip thing is really a big deal.

We were assigned to shoot in spot 12.  When we got to spot 12, the person who shot before us had left his target and casings.  Sweet!  Love presents. 

We did a little house keeping of the shells, but left his target up and just put our orange sticker targets over his.

So, your just gonna have to trust me that the shots outside of the orange circles are not mine.

 Me shooting at the orange targets.  I like double hearing protection inside.  The blue cord is from the little plugs inside my ears.

The shots inside the bottom orange circle are mine as are the ones just below and to the left.  Just below and to the left is a common place for my shots to go.


After taking turns with my husband and son, I decided to shoot with my "off" hand. For me that would be my right hand.

Right hand

From this distance.  I actually am not sure what the distance is between the lines, but I think the first line is 5 yards, the second line is 15, the third 20 and then maybe 40 or 50.

Again, right hand, shot a couple of magazines.  Inside the orange and the ones below are mine(not the ones above the target or to the left side).  It seems I am more accurate with my right hand.

I am left handed.  I write with my left hand.  I eat with my left hand and when I shoot, I am much more comfortable shooting with my left hand, but each time I shoot with my right hand I do better.

I can't decide if I should stay with what is comfortable, my left hand, and just train to be more accurate or try to get comfortable with my right hand, the one that is already more accurate.

Of course, the best plan would be to be equally as skilled with both hands and surely that is my long term goal, but what do I do now????

On a side note, I have always shot the same ammo out of my gun.  Winchester .40, 165 grain, full metal jacket.(for my newbie friends...Winchester is the brand, .40 is the caliber, basically the size, 165 is basically the weight, full metal jacket, in it's most simplistic description is usually a lead bullet encased.  Not necessarily fully encased. There is more to understanding bullets than one would think, but this is the very basic, A Girl and Her Gun explanation) 

Today, I branched out and shot something different. About a week or so ago I bought more ammo and the sweet kid who sold me the ammo suggested I try Remington .40, 180 grain, full metal jacket.  He made the suggestion because I could get 50 more bullets for just a few dollars more.

Not a surprise to anyone, I am sure, I was nervous to take him up on his helpful hint. At first, it was a risk I wasn't sure I could take. I love to stick with what works.  Especially, when I don't really know what I am doing, but in the interest of branching out and not being scared, I said ok, lets try that.

Also, because I hate to tell people no when they are trying to be nice. 

This might be a character flaw.

One time I was at a restaurant with my son and daughter-in -law and I ordered a lemon lime something or other.  Well, it was soda.  I don't like soda and this was one sweet drink.  When the waitress came back, I asked if I could have an unsweet tea.  She, very nicely said, I know this lemon lime thing is sweet, let me bring you something like it, only less sweet.  She was being nice, so I said sure.  I did not like it, but she was so, so nice, I made my son drink it and then I told her how nice she was for bringing it.  I also cut off the meat of the cantaloupe she brought me as a treat, left the rind on the plate and shoved the meat into a napkin into my purse.  It was not good.  In contrast to the drink, this fruit was not sweet at all.  She was trying so hard to bring me yummy things and I did not want to discourage her, therefore, I went to great lengths to hide the fact that it was not a pleasant dining experience for me. I may go a tad bit overboard in this area.

Anyhoo, this new ammo, shot without a lick of trouble.  A more experienced shooter would probably be able to tell the difference in their shooting between the 165 grain and the 180 grain, but I am not that skilled.  I was just pleased as punch that it did not jam up my gun(my husband had one jam in his) or explode it in my hand. 

Baby steps to growth, but growth nonetheless.


 

Guns.com

I have said it before and I will probably say it again.  I love this site!  I am borderline obsessed with it.  If it weren't for these pesky kids need for food, love and attention, I would just curl up with my favorite "girl" blanket and read for days.

My husband is what the Marines call a Mustang, so naturally I was drawn to this article.  It did not disappoint.

If you have yet to do so, head on over and peruse their massive library of articles.  I guarantee you will find something that wows you.

Qucik Notes

I am going to do 7 days Of Conceal Carry, but they will not be consecutive days. 

My new gun life style has been a work in progress and much is learned by trail and error.  This blog and my ideas for it are also a work in progress.

I realized as I looked over the pictures and went to write the post for Day 3, that my current routine and wardrobe have not varied a great deal.

For example, today I am going to swim team...again. Run errands, play with my kids and the gym.

Riveting, I know.

It does not make sense to keep posting things that are the same, but I also do not want to be contrived.  I want to show what I actually am doing instead of inventing outfits and scenarios, so I have decided to wait and post the next days in the series as they come up, naturally, in the course of my daily Conceal Carry.

Also, yesterday I published some post I had been working on earlier, but waited on because I didn't want to post a ton in one day.  Of course, because of life and craziness, I ended up doing just that.

I have other posts in waiting, so this way you can enjoying reading the ones from yesterday and the new ones I will be posting soon AND you can also have joyful anticipation of what is to come in the exciting world of what The Girl and Her Gun will be wearing in the weeks that come:)

Lastly, That Texas Lady is having another giveaway, so head on over and enter for your chance to win a Crossbreed holster. Giveaway

More Than Self Defense

In a lot of ways I have always been self sufficient and independent.  I pretty much raised myself and had to figure out a lot of things about life way too early. My parents, God bless them, really didn't know how to be parents, so I didn't have much of a childhood.  My husband says I was born 30.  I was a very serious, practical gal that thought way too much about everything.

That is, until I met my man.

My husband kind of fine tuned me.  I am me only more so.  He taught me how to laugh and be silly and read fiction.  I only read biographies and news stories until I met my husband. He convinced me that it was ok to relax and read without a purpose.  I didn't have to learn anything or grow, I could simply escape.  He taught me that I could buy things without a need.  If I wanted a new shirt, I could buy it, even if the threads were not hanging off the one I already had.  I have always had a good sense of humor and laughter has been great medicine, but never so often or so hard as when I am with him.

He also took care of me.  For the first time in my life, I had someone to lean on.  Someone who took protecting me seriously.  When we first got married, I fought against his protective instincts.  He would offer to take the grocery bags from me, but I refused to let him.  This is not a post on psychoanalyzing A Girl and Her Gun, so I will just skip all the reasons why I might have resisted and get straight to it, eventually I learned to let him carry the bags and a whole lot more.

The more I let my husband protect me and nurture me, the more I grew.  In the midst of letting go, something strange happened.  Instead of becoming dependent on him and helpless, I became stronger and more confident. More me.

Something similar has happened since I have been carrying my gun.

When I first got my gun, I depended on everyone around to carry me.  To teach me and to protect me.  I turned to everyone to tell me what to do and thankfully they did.  I was still not accustomed to reaching out much beyond my husband and close friends for help, but my fear forced me to go way beyond my comfort zone.

I have never been one to post on the internet or be a busy body.  I don't twitter and I only have about 25 friends on my FB and they are all people I actually know(except for 3 people I met through the gun world, but have yet to meet in person). I am not shy, but I don't just reach out to any one, but when I got my gun, I was so desperate to learn, I reached out to everyone. 

And just like with my husband, I was blessed by the kindness and care of others.

One of the reasons I love my Conceal Carry instructor so much is that, I felt very taken care of in his class.  I felt safe.  I felt cared for.  In feeling safe, I was able to attempt things I would have been too afraid to try before.  In being cared for, I wasn't scared to fail. There was yelling and cussing and violent videos and I was surely pushed beyond what I thought I could do, but I left there empowered and with skills I could actually use.  Before I took the class, I knew I needed to be there, but I wasn't sure I could actually use my gun at all, let alone self defense. After 2 days in that environment,  I left there, knowing that I was worth fighting for and what I learned there gave me the courage to keep fighting my doubts and fears and find a new part of me.

Each day that I carry, I get a little bit more confident and that confidence gives me more strength then I had the day before.  That strength gives me the power to be me only more so.

Carrying my gun has forced me to be even more patient and more kind.  I am so conscious of the power on my hip, that I let all kinds of things go, that I never would have let go before.

I now know that I can take care of myself. I don't have to let the guy at the gym, who stood in the parking lot yelling at me, know that I think he is a meanie pants.  Truth be told, I probably would not have let him know that he was a meanie pants before I had my gun either, but I would have come home and ranted and raved about it to my husband.  Now, I giggle and let it go.  He doesn't bother me because I am not afraid of him.  I walk away because he is not worth the effort, instead of because I am running.

I try things I never would have tried before, like inviting my Glock guy for dinner or posting a question on the Facebook page of a very popular (and knowledgeable) gun lady.  I am taking a Fight Like A Girl class where I am kicking and punching and sparring and while I don't think anyone is afraid to get there butt kicked by me, my trainer says my punches are getting harder and I know my butt is getting tighter.  I started a blog where I expose all my fears and faults to people I don't even know.  In sharing with people about my journey to owning a gun, I am learning so much about who I am.

In being nurtured, I have found an inner strength to let myself be more aggressive and tougher.  In being more aggressive and tougher, I have an inner calm and confidence.

I still absolutely love when my husband takes the bag of groceries from my hand, or opens my car door, or tells my children, when they talk back to me, "You will not speak to my wife that way." I know that I am safer when he is standing next to me.

But, I know that if I have to carry the groceries or open my own car door or set my children straight, I can. And if I have to stand by myself, I can and I will. Of course, I will be doing it with a Glock 27 under my Safari vest.

Whatcha Want To Know Wednesday

"How did you decide to buy the gun you bought?"

I did not so much decide to buy the gun I bought as I got impatient and went out and just bought one.  I had never in my life heard of Glock or Ruger or rimfire or chamber or, I think you get the picture.  I had absolutely no clue what to buy or even where one would go to buy a gun, so I did what I always do...

I Googled it.

I Googled, "Guns for women"

Almost all the articles said, buy the gun that fits best in your hand and one that you will shoot.

Yeah, that is not helpful.  So, I Googled gun stores and went to every one within 90 miles of my house.  I have to say that most of the gentleman who helped me were not helpful.  It was obvious that I had no clue and none of them were really interested in educating me.  They were in the business of selling guns and answering direct questions. I didn't know what to do, so I just kept looking.  I ended up at a local pawn shop. The guy there was extremely friendly and would have talked to me all day if I wanted. My husband says he thinks he was a little to friendly, but...

While I was at the pawn shop looking to buy a gun, my husband was 3 hours away with our daughter at a volleyball tournament.  He was not feeling all that good about my little adventure.

At the pawn shop, my choices were between a couple of revolvers or a Glock.  I have no idea why, but I did not want a revolver.  I didn't know anything about revolvers except I knew I didn't want one.  Why or how I developed this strong negative opinion I don't know, but since I had, I was left with the Glock.

The pawn shop owner told me that the Glock Generation 3's did not have an ambidextrous(left side or right side) magazine(the thing that holds the bullets) release(button that drops the magazine out of the gun), but the Gen 4's did.  It just so happens that one of the guys that works in the pawn shop has a Gen 4 that he would sell me for $500.  Ok, sure I said.

I am left handed.  In the course of my gun buying expedition, I learned that some guns are made for right handed people, some for left handed, and some for both(ambidextrous). This seemed more important in the beginning than it does now.

The guy from the pawn shop brought the gun in, I looked at it(having not a clue) and bought it. 

I bought my first gun in the parking lot of a pawn shop from a guy I didn't know.  The first in a long line of mistakes I have made in my short gun buying experience.

The Glock I bought was the Glock 23 and it does not have an ambidextrous magazine release.  No Glock does.  It turns out this really isn't a problem for me, but one should maybe buy a gun from someone that knows a thing or two about guns. I will say that while this was probably not a smartest way to buy ones first gun, it turned out ok.  Similar Glocks do sell for around $500, the gun came in it's original case with all the original parts and my husband has shot the heck out of it with not a single problem.

However, it was not the gun for me.  The Glcok 23 is a compact(smaller than a full sized gun)gun, but on me it was like carrying a large cat on my hip. Had I slowed down at all, I probably could have found a way to carry the Glock 23, but since I was full speed ahead, I forced my husband to drive at night, in a rain storm to buy me the smaller subcompact Glock 27.

The Glock 27 shoots a .40 caliber bullet(basically the size of the bullet). Incidentally, the Glock 23 also shots .40 caliber.

Once I had the gun, I did a ton of more research, but I didn't realize until after I had the gun and shot it, that it has a big recoil(the kick of the gun after it shoots a bullet)  Since I had never really shot before, I thought that was how all guns felt.  It didn't bother me at all.  I took it to my Conceal Carry class and shot close to 600 rounds over 2 days and was not sore one bit. I was so naive, I had no clue that other guns had less recoil and that many woman do not like the kick of a .40.  My gun ignorance and nativity rarely serves me well, but this was one time it worked for me.  I had no preconceived ideas so I wasn't scared of the kick.  I was, of course, scared the first million times I shot, but not because of the kick.

I would not suggest this way of gun buying, but what I have learned is that unless you grew up around guns and have had the chance to shoot many different kinds of weapons, gun buying is often very similar. 

There are so many variables in finding the right gun for every kind of person and their needs, that it is nearly impossible to know what the exact right gun will be, plus as ones skills grow and develop that first gun might not serve one well anyway. I follow Central Iowa Defensive Training on FaceBook and a while back they posted a link to an article that addresses this very issue. What is best?

I got lucky because I do love my Glock 27 and even as I have grown in my gun skills and knowledge, it still serves me well, in fact, better.  I have shot several other guns, and I like them all, but I always come back to my Glock.  I love it.  I feel the most comfortable and confident with it.  I have no idea what I will feel like as I continue to learn and grow, but I can't see my Glcok being very far away from me for very long.

Day 2

A few notes before we get to Day 2

I seem to have quite a few people who read this blog that are brand spankin' new to the world of guns and are as ignorant to them as I was(and in most ways still am).  Some of the information I assume to be basic is not basic to someone who is "that" new to this world.  I know when I read a gun review in a gun magazine or on Guns.com, I am often so overwhelmed by what I don't understand I can't get anything from the review.  I walk away still not knowing a flip about that gun.  Frustrating!!!

So, from now on when I mention something related to guns, I will put a very brief, basic explanation in parenthesis.  This is just to clarify in the most basic form for folks to understand the post and not by any means my attempt to exhaustively cover the subject.  I would never try to explain anything in depth as I am not an expert and there are so many out there, why would I attempt to be one?  I might from time to time provide a link to direct folks to those experts, but not every time.

For example, if I were to mention the type of ammo I used at the range and I decide to give all the spec to include grain.  It would would look something like this...grain (measure of the weight of the bullet in grains).  Very basic and not even close to covering all that is involved in grains of a bullet or what it means to shooting etc, but a person reading my post could get the idea of how grain would pertain to what I was discussing.

Not only am I not a gun expert, I also am not a super model. Me standing around while someone takes my picture is uncomfortable for me.  I feel stiff and phony and kind of frumpy, so instead, I have my camera out and my entire family is instructed to take random shots of me throughout my day with and without my gun.  It is A Girl and Her Gun in her natural habitat.

Today's pictures don't really make me feel any less frumpy as they were taken by my 7 year old, who insisted I post them. They are a little more random then I was looking for and way more fuzzy:)

On to Day 2 Conceal Carry...

Yesterday was much hotter than we have had in the past week.  97 degrees and muggy.  When it is muggy and hot in my state, every business owner turns their AC down to 32 degrees. This is not fun for me. Anytime I go into a building  I become a Popsicle.  I literally freeze, so for me the hotter it is outside the more layers I put on in order to counteract the inside temps.  It is easy for me to remove a top shirt or vest while in the car and pop it back on when I head into a store or business.

My son borrowed my Glock(brand of gun), so I wore my Ruger LCP(a small pocket size gun that shoots .380 bullets. .380 is a pretty small bullet).

We did the swim team thing, then took my granddaughter to her first doctors appointment.  The doctor had a few concerns so we had to go to a subcontractor to the hospital for test.  No signs about guns at this building, so I did not feel the need to remove my gun.  Had to go into the bank, so my gun stayed in the car.  Not in the safe because my daughter-in-law was staying in the car and I wanted her to have access to it. After the bank I headed home and then headed to the gym.  Gun stayed in the car in the safe.  After the gym, I came straight home and stayed in for the night.

This is first thing in the morning getting cereal for the kids.  No gun on yet, but it is close by.

Still me doing the breakfast thing. Wearing the Ruger(brand of gun) in the Crossbreed Micro Clip(Crossbreed is the maker of the holster and Micro Clip is the style)

Cover garment on and heating up coffee before I grab my shoes and head out the door for my day.  The wrinkle on my left side is not from the gun. It is just the way my shirt is laying do to the angle of my arm.  This gun does not print(the outline of the gun or weapon seen through clothing) with this loose shirt.  I love this shirt because even as I move throughout my day lifting and bending, it does not come up over the gun and it completely covers the clips of the holster. 

Waiting for my husband to come into the house.  Sometimes I get excited and wait for him by the door.  I knew my daughter was taking a picture, so I pulled the shirt a bit to show the gun really does not print.

 A close up shot of the same thing.

Grabbing the car seat. Kind of a weird angle, but as you can see, even bent over, no clips showing.

Day 1

This is me in my best super hero pose.  Another absolutely gorgeous day.  85 degrees, sunny, slight breeze, with no chance of rain.  Carrying my Glock 27 in a Crossbreed Super Tuck Deluxe.

These shorts as with, all of my clothes right now, are a bit big, so the back-end sags more than is typical for me.  Even when my pants fit right, with my Glock it is imperative that I wear a good quality thick belt to keep my pants from sagging to much. Before I carried a gun, I never, ever wore a belt, now I do, almost daily.

Since it was such a beautiful day and I knew I was going to be inside a great deal, where I am always cold, I didn't mind wearing a cover garment, so I chose the bigger gun.

I have 3 vest in 3 different colors that I wear a lot in the summer as cover garments. This is my first summer carrying, but we had a very hot spring, so I have actually worn these quite a lot. My daughter-in-law says I always look like I am heading out on Safari. Perhaps not the most attractive look ever, but it is the best solution I have come up with so far.

I think if you look extremely close to the pictures, you can see that there is something on my left side. When I first started carrying I was paranoid about not printing(showing the outline of the gun through clothes) at all. Now, as long as no one can easily tell that it is a gun, I don't mind if people can see "something". Again, I do not think anyone is looking at me and thinking gun.

My day was full.  I took the kids to swim team where the gun went into the car safe.  My kids are deaf which requires me to interpret for them and I have had to jump into the pool before, so I leave the gun in the car.

After swim team, I went to Tar*et, Wal-M*rt, Low*s, and the grocery store.  Then I came home to change my clothes and head to the gym.  My son needed my car, so he dropped me off at the gym. I can't wear my gun while working out, of course, I am not leaving it in a gym locker and my car was not going to be in the parking lot, so I left my gun at home in the safe.  After the gym, we came home.  My husband was here and both he and my son had guns on, so I did not immediately retrieve mine.  I took a shower and got ready and then got my gun from the safe. I did not put it on, but did bring it downstairs to our handy dandy hiding spot, where it remained until bedtime.

About midnight my son called to tell me he and his wife were headed to the hospital and he would call me if she was in labor.  We had made this trip several times before, but the doctors always sent her home.  At 3am, he called to say this was indeed it and to get up there.  I changed my clothes, brushed my teeth, pulled my hair back and left.  I did not take my gun.

Leading up to this night, I wrestled a lot with the idea of taking my gun.  I knew it was a possibility that my daughter-in-law could go into labor in the middle of the night, so I thought about what I would do if she did.

Our hospital has signs everywhere that clearly state, NO Weapons of any kind with a picture of a gun and a big red slash through it, so I knew bringing it into the hospital was out, but I thought about leaving it in the car.

We have had some car jacking incidents here and recently several places have been held up at night.  I wasn't planning on stopping anywhere, but at 3am, I just prefer to have my gun. I don't mind leaving my gun in the car if I can see my car, but I am uncomfortable with leaving my gun for long periods of time unattended.  Even though it is in a safe wrapped around a steel pole with a heavy duty cord in a locked car, still, it doesn't feel right for me, so I left my Glock at home.  My son met me at the car and walked me into the hospital. Not the ideal situation, but it worked out fine.

With few exceptions, for the next 2 days, I did not have my gun with me.

I did have the Ruger on here.

Not A Gun Post

When I was 20, I married the boy of my dreams. When I was 22 I had his baby.

We were young and idealistic and well, stupid.  We had all kinds of ideas of how life would be and who our child would become.

I dreamed he would be kind of nerdy like me.  He would love to read and he would hate violence and guns.  I prayed he would be kind and loving and relentlessly compassionate.

My son, was born sweet and absolutely loved.  He grew up not loving to read so much, but crazy about guns.  I have no idea how he ended up to be so different from me.

My husband says, it is my fault.  I consciously raised him to be his own person and I willfully, made the choice to stand back and let him discover his own passions and dreams, encouraged it even.

He and I are so vastly opposite in almost every way, except that he, like me, has a spirit that is unquenchable and a love for life and family that is never ending.  He is indeed kind and compassionate and he is fiercely protective and fiercely passionate about country, God, and those he loves.

On July 1st, my baby had his first baby, my granddaughter. 

In so many ways our son is exactly the child we hoped him to be and in so many ways, he is more than we ever dreamed.

I wonder what his daughter will be become.