The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly - Pocket Pistols

I've owned a number if inexpensive "pocket pistols" to varying degree of success.  By success, I mean, not actually having to use it to defend myself but not being known at the range as "Noodle Wrist Johnson" or drawing blood (because if I want something that BITES me I'll get a pet alligator.)

Many of those guns are polymer, which makes them both light, and cheaper to make.

I'll be honest. I had never been a fan of guns made out of polymer. But then I added a little Smith and Wesson M and P 9 to the stable after firing one a friend owned and really liked it, and heard the praises of the Glocks from many of my colleagues.

When I saw my first Glock as a young woman back in the late 80's, the 1911 style .45 auto was THE defensive pistol to have when things went south in a hurry. I still felt that way most days, so when one of the Indy gun bloggers first brought one of the smaller Glocks to the range I had to try it.

I wasn't sure what to think.  I mean, It's PLASTIC.  When I thought of going to a gun show and buying one and coming home with friends asking "what did you get!" all I could think of is the Charlie Brown Halloween special (heavy sigh) "I got a GLOCK".  Because frankly folks, to me anyway, most plastic guns have all the aesthetic appeal of a sippy cup.  Face it, I love revolvers. I love 1911's  I love a gun with some character. I love old weapons, period. I love tools as well. Put a wood handled tool in my hand and I just want to craft something with it or at least take a chunk out of one of my fingers so I can practice some new words in the shop.

But I love such things. Especially guns lovingly crafted with steel and rosewood, intricately machined forgings, polished flats and arcs cleanly intersecting, beautiful bluing and straw tempering, it is hard to find anything in a plastic pistol that speaks to me. Give me something made of fired steel and sweat, to be carried through generations, passed on from father to son, older brother to little sister, mother to daughter.

The history of personal weapons is one of honor, family, sacred duty, prestige and adornment. Warriors were buried with their swords, or they were handed down through generations. I have blades forged hundreds of years ago, as sharp as the day they were made. Somehow a personal weapon with the soul of toaster oven seems wrong. Besides, when you draw that 1911, John Moses Browning is probably looking over your shoulder, smiling.

I wasn't a fan of those first Glocks I fired, only for the feel of the grip than the quality or the handling. But then I got a chance to shoot one of their Glock 21's.  It soon made its way to the Range to make a home because frankly, compared to Glock's I'd fired, the 21 was still a barrel of fun but it didn't have that "blocky" feel to the grip I sensed in other models I'd tried with hands which have a small palm, but really long fingers. It now has a custom made laser sight on it, near where I sleep in case of a home break in as I know it won't let me down. But a Glock 21 is not a "budget gun" which is our featured today.

So though I passed on the cheaper Glocks and a Bersa was added  to the collection.
It's a weapon that's been out for a while, and there it was again, for sale at the gun store, at a price I was really surprised at. I picked it up, liked how it felt in my hand and REALLY liked the price. Certainly, there are a lot of small weapons for sale and cheap, but not all are made with good craftsmanship and quality materials. Holding them up, they may look good, but the metals may be poor, zinc or some sort of mystery metal that may be too heavy or too soft, certainly not guns I'd stack up against someone attempting to attack me on an isolated street. I was looking for something for concealed that wasn't just cheap and light, but was made well. Not for a trip to downtown at night, but something small and light that I could carry running errands or in environmental conditions that result in less bulky clothing or as a backup gun.

When I first spotted one, the store owner was quick to point out that this .380 is similar to the Walther PPK/S, including a seven round magazine with a plastic floor plate extension. I did a little homework. On-line reviewers tend to rate them as reliable, well-built, and strong enough for the average "social situation". There are people that want a gun, but aren't into owning more than one or two, or paying a lot of money. So for me at the time, the Bersa was a nice option.

As shooters it's easy to dismiss inexpensive guns as simply being "junk", and all of us wish to own some fine quality firearms.  But history has a way of showing that over time, for many an ordinary citizen, a cheap firearm may be all they had to defend themselves with.

On the table sits an old-fashioned revolver, as finely tuned as a musical instrument, carefully tended and cleaned and oiled.It simply sits, no hand upon it, musing, steadfast, not threatening in its form, yet carrying with it a weight of responsibility.The weapon is old, the barrel black, as if fire singed, cauterized by fury and fight, turmoil and threat.It is a weapon of history, of a hand that raised it in response to such things, taking stock of their principals and courage.  This is my land, this is my family, these are the things that my hands bled to gain.  I may be one man, one woman, but gaunt, tired and undefeated I will take up my arms and not flee.

 I live in a world totally foreign to the original owner of that old revolver,  yet I too bear the weary, indomitable outrage against those that feel that they can come in and steal what I have worked so hard for.

I wonder what a resident of a 19th Century Western landscape would think of us today were he transported here? For back in the days of the old West, it wasn't just the cowboys and gunfighters that were armed, but the farm and the shopkeeper,

Firearms were prevalent, not only to protect against wild animals, Indian raids and the likebut also against the rustler and the poacher, to whom the laws, gun or otherwise, meant nothing.

But in the later days of the old West, such ordinary folks were unlikely to carry a more pricey six-shooter on their hip.  Many of them got a bulldog, and NOT the canine variety

The “British Bulldog” was a basic double action revolver whose design can be traced back to Philip Webley and Son of Birmingham, England in 1872 and were subsequently copied by gunmakers in Continental Europe, particularly in Belgium and the United States

These had a reputation as being good, reliable handguns. It featured a 1.2 inch barrel and was chambered for .44 Short Rimfire. Most of the ones we have seen weren't made by Webley, but by smaller shops where a few gunsmiths with mostly hand tools, could turn simple forgings into function firearms, have them proof stamped, and  then send them off to foreign markets by the dozen.

Popular in Britain and the American West, US Army General George Armstrong Custer was said to have carried a pair at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, though it didn' exactly make his day end well.

Intended to be carried in a coat pocket, many have survived to the present day in good condition, having seen little actual use.  However, most Belgian copies were not particularly long lived.  "Soft parts" wear quickly, which gives way to timing and lockup problems.  But that was not an era where people had the ammo to go "plinking" for fun or practice, so such firearms, kept clean and used sparingly, would usually go "bang", not "*#(@!) when necessary. It wouldn't be useful at ranges much beyond a few feet, but many a shopkeeper or bartender kept one  under the counter and I guarantee more than one woman of the old West had one nearby when he man was far away from the homestead.

Myself, I prefer a stout looking big barreled big brother - which says more "leave me alone", but too, have a "pocket pistol" when taking the trash out, or walking to the corner store for something quick. Still, back in the day, I don't think I would want to have looked down the shooty end of one of these guns.

Sales of cheap firearms didn't slow down even as the U.S. economy and standard of living increased, paralleling the manufacture of their more pricey counterparts.  For every Smith and Wesson high-quality firearm turned out, there would be a budget minded copy made at Harrington and Ricahrdson. Many of those designs were almost identical in looks to their more expensive counterparts the differences being metallurgy and heat treatment, as well as fit and finish.

Pictured is the Range Harrington and Richardson Hammerless .38 S + W.

It was manufactured sometime prior to 1904 I believe, given the caliber and very low serial number and like all first models of the H & R Hammerless, both large and small frames, it was manufactured for black powder cartridge pressures (a give away for that being it doesn't have the caliber stamped on the side of the barrel and there are no horizontal notches on the side of the cylinder).

Like the (Belgian) British bulldogs, they were not likely to hold up well if shot regularly, but they still served a defense function and someone of average means could sav up a few dollars and order one of these from the Sears catalog.  Having a function al sidearm compared to NO firearm is a no brainer.

Next up is a little pocket pistol that meetings two functions to qualify as a cheap firearm.
(1)  It's a firearm
(2) It's cheap

That's about all of the nice things I can say about it.

The Valor SM-11.  These come up occassionally for sale, usually for less than $200, and I've seen one as low as $25 (which screams run away! right there).. This is not one I'd recommend.  They usually come in two forms, mint in a box with a box of vintage ammo or parts guns.The owner of this example lost the front of the slide downrange using ordinary factory ammo. The mint ones someone probably bought, shot once, vowing never to fire that particular firearm again, the putting it away for years.

“What’s that?” you say,”Is that pot metal?”

No, it’s probably Zamak, which is way we city folks say high strength pot metal. Apparently. in order to avoid the cost of forging or machining the frame and slide, they were die cast instead. Sure it's cheaper and faster, but Zamack is NOT the best material based on its inherent brittleness and corrosion issues.

Over time, the pot-metal frame corrodes even when carefully stored, just from the action of Oxygen on it, and the frame weakens to the point where even a .22 short can blow it up and the barrel alignment to the cylinder is also commonly poor. Shooting at a bad gun only to have the barrel fall off might make a good comedy movie, but it is not smart.

The cost cutting didn’t stop there.  Compare the internal workings of the SM-11 to the much higher quality Colt 1908 parts. (this is a Range firearm)

The pocket hammerless is another design by firearms legend John Moses Browning.  Manufactured by Colts's Manufacturing Company from 1908 to 1948,  it was originally said to have been presented to Colt Management before the turn of the century but they passed on it, allegedly in efforts to produce a larger caliber pistol that would help them secure a military contract.  Their loss was Frabrique Nationale de Herstal's gain as FN welcomed the design, producing Brownings self-loading pocket pistol and the FN Model 100 both chambered for the Browning introduced .25 ACP (Automatic Colt pistol) cartridge.

The European market fell in love with it, a loss which was felt by Colt as their European sales took a hit. Colt wasted no further time in brokering a deal with Browning and FN to produce the handgun for US sales, marketing it as a small concealable firearm which could be easily tucked into a gentleman's vest pocket for discrete carry

The moving parts in the Colt were milled, heat treated and usually ground to a good finish.  Certainly, you don't have to have such a clean finish on EVERY part of a more economical firearm, but when you're looking at parts that keep the gun from firing when it's NOT supposed to do, it's vital they be milled properly and more rugged. Now you may not need to have such a clean finish on every part of a more budget oriented gun,

In the Valor, there are several parts made from stamped sheet metal and a few made of plastic (including the safety, yes, I always think plastic when I think safety)  A quick check with a file makes it clear that the steel bits, maybe aside from the barrel, were not heat treated.

The firearm's basic design is not that bad, modeled off of the Walther Patent Model 9, which is a decent little pistol.  The Valor is easy to field strip, acceptably ergonomically sound, and aside from the safety lever, ( and if you get the one that's not starting to rot from the inside out) probably functional.  But the choice of materials, for me personally, is a deal breaker  Between a brittle slide and the plastic safety block, this is not a gun I would even FIRE, let alone concealed carry.

Now contrast the SM-11 to the ‘cheap guns’ of today, the Glocks, the Keltecs, the Bersa's the Hipoints and more. Some may be plastic, and some may be blocky but if cared for well, they should not let you down and the HiPoints are surprisingly rugged. It's not the one pictured below - but you can get a Hi-Point Model C-9, a polymer-framed, semi-auto,blowback-operated pistrol chamber iun 0 x 10 Parabelluls (and rated to accept+P ammo) for around $160.

Another US-made economical firearm that a colleague who is a retired police officer swears by for his pocket pistol is Keltec.  I've never owned or shot one,  but he loves his little K-11, a compact, semi-auto, short-recoil operated pistol chambered in 9 mm Luger.

Another one I'm going to check out soon is the Chiappa M-22. The M9 Semiautomatic is a 9x19mm Parabellum pistol that was adopted in 1985 as the official sidearm of the United States military after winning a competition in the 1980s, beating out many other contenders. The 92F survived exposure to temperatures from -40°F to 140°F, being soaked in salt water, being dropped repeatedly on concrete, and being buried in sand, mud and snow. Additionally, the 92F proved a MRBF (mean rounds before failure) of 35,000 rounds, the equivalent to five or six times the pistol’s service life.

Want a Revolver? You can pick 8p a 8sed Taurus 82S for less than $300.The .38 Special with a 4″ barrel is a timeless classic as well as a reliable handgun with very few parts to ever fail. A .38spl cartridge has resulting in the bad being being on the short end of the losing side and it would certainly comfort this gal if my front door was kicked in.

So there we've covered a bit of what's out there in cheap handguns, the good and the bad.  And since there 's usually a third term used in that phrase, I present you 

The Ugly,

Remember, whether you get an old classic or a new plastic piece remember, it's about function, not admiration. With some cheap firearms,  you may not get oohs and aahs at the range, but you'll have a piece of defense on your hip or in in your pocket when you need it.  And THAT, my friends, is priceless.

On the Go - Travel Essentials

Travel is part of my life, for work, to visit family for many years, none of whom lived anywhere close anymore. An average commute to work for me for many years was 150 miles plus each way, across a windblown cold landscape this time of year.  As you can from the photo above,  with 11 degrees ambient and a 40 mph wind that day, Bossie was spotted, frozen solid.

But that's an easy commute, I've been called away, where getting to work was thousands of miles away, and I had 40 minutes to get out the door and to the airport, wondering if not only did I have the right passport, but the right shots. Although I miss fieldwork, I'm glad to be in a "Director" position where I don't have to travel as much.  But I know with Squirrel restrictions on travel easing I'll be back traveling again.

When I do travel I try and travel light when I go, on short notice sometimes, so there are always a few things in the airline suitcase or the bug out bag that goes in the truck.  I use one specific suitcase, computer bag, or purse if carrying any type of weapon, firearm accessory, or ammo, even just picking up a box of ammo at the store. No exceptions. They are very casual in style, and khaki or tan.  For travel by air, I have two suitcases of varying sizes, a computer bag, and a purse, all stealth black with a shiny airplane-shaped tag affixed to them.  That way there is no doubt which ones are 100%  TSA checkpoint "meet the nice police officer" free.  

Food on the road is another matter. Airport prepackaged food is generally carbon dated for freshness and most hotel food is horribly expensive when all I need is a little snack.  Plus, I can't just run to my favorite burger joint in the middle of a shift (yes, that's pineapple on there with the teriyaki sauce, I put it on my pizza too, heathen that I am)

So I make sure I have not only tools to protect, but also tools to keep me comfortable and running at good efficiency when I can't get a regular meal.

So today, a few select things from my handy "ground only bag,". It's not everything, it's just a couple of things you may not have tried.

Let's see.

Knife  - "check".

Skin salve- "check"

Train Whistle?  - well you know the liberals recommend that women carry a whistle instead of a gun in case some rapist tries to forcibly jump their caboose?

I'll take my concealed carry piece, thank you.  The whistle is simply a reminder of a fun day with my husband on one of our first dates.

The square that looks like a microwave burrito?

You heat them up for a minute or three in the microwave (depending on size) and they'll mold to that sore neck or knee or whatever and keep deep moist heat on it for a long time, no fuss, no chemicals and cheap. Don't buy one, they are simple to make! Get some sturdy natural fabric (synthetics could release toxic fumes as they are nuked)and sew it up into the shape you want (this one is perfect for my neck), leaving an inch or two open on one side to fill. (Don't fill it completely full, you want it to mold to your body).

 

 Fill full of dry white rice and stitch shut. If you want a fragrant bag, add a few pinches of one or more of the following - lavender, ground cloves, ginger, rosemary, cinnamon, crushed mint to the rice and put in a sealed container or a few days, stirring occasionally, then fill.  If the bag needs a freshening after a while (cover is soiled or it smells like cooked rice even when it's cool) simply take out a few stitches, empty, hand wash and dry, and refill and restitch.

Outdoors you could heat it up in an empty dutch over for a bit. I think you could probably wrap it in foil well and just stick it in the coals, but if you've been lifting or bending all day, you will appreciate it at night.

Another item that always handy in the bug out kit and the squirrel bag, O'Keeffe's Life Out There,  a thick mixture of glycerin and water (no oil) that protects skin from deep cold and hard wind when I'm out in the elements for long stretches. It's the one non-scented that has kept me from getting blisters on my hands during particularly hard work in the cold or the elements. Highly concentrated, just scrape off a tiny piece with a thumbnail, soften between your fingers and rub on hands, face, whatever mother nature is after. 

And of course, a good quality protein bar.  Having to eat on the run, or miss meals, I've tried about every kind of protein and "healthy" bar out there. Most are dry and chalky and have white sugar or fake ingredients that sound like a lab experiment.  These are ones I have on hand pretty regularly, and yes, they are all hippie vegan but they are still really filling and tasty).  They have a number of flavor combinations using various nut butters. Most healthy bars I'll eat if I have no choice, this one I'll munch on any day.

That's it folks, just a few things that go in the bag when I hit the road.

And watch when you're driving.  If you hit frozen range cattle, it's gonna hurt. 

Barkley Feb. 24, 2014

It's been 8 years tomorrow, on a cold day like today that we lost Barkley. I still miss him, remembering as the last of the snow melts. Oh, how Barkley loved to play in the snow. But I can only think of these words as I picture him in my mind's eye bounding out from the trees with his favorite toy and I smile.

May have been the losing side.

 Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

Captain Reynolds - Firefly

A Tomcat you can Tame - the Beretta 3032

• The .32acp was a standard police round in Europe for decades, and is still seen around in small, inexpensive pocket pistols in the US and elsewhere.  One of those is the Beretta 3032 Tomcat is a simple blowback pistol with a single and double action mechanism. Fitted with a frame-mounted thumb safety, it's small but it's not crafted cheaply. The frame is aluminum alloy, and the slide and barrel are either carbon or stainless steel though the grip material is plastic. It is available in an "Inox" variant, with stainless steel barrel and slide and the frame anodized to look the same.

For a short time a titanium model was also available. It's been reported that only 1,500 of the titanium models were made, but I was not able to verify that. There was also a Tomcat Tritium version with tritium night sights.


The 9 mm is often pointed to as the minimum caliber for serious defensive uses and for good reason. I'm one of many who consider that too small. For home defense, I have a .45 with hollowpoints. In concealed carry, unless clothing prevents otherwise, I carry a .45 while traveling in areas I might need it, and 9 mm otherwise. 9 mm, compared to the .45, is smallish and the .32 acp, in comparison, has about half the power of the 9 mm. It's a 70-grain slug at about 850 fps. Not a man stopper. Perhaps not even a man-slower, if they are high on drugs.


On the other hand, it's a small hideout pistol, meant to be quite the little surprise when you pull it out of your pocket holster or small bag. Draw, fire until the bad guy is distracted or down, and run like hell. Perfect for slipping in your pocket if you're running to the corner store. Or for deep cover concealment when nothing else is available.

One feature on the Tomcat (which I believe was adopted by Taurus) is the 'tip up' barrel. (meaning the barrel can be released to pivot on a pin under the muzzle). This feature allows a round to be inserted into the chamber directly, without manipulation of the slide. Likewise, the chamber can be easily inspected for its load status. Ammunition companies have also improved on the .32 ACP load, by making it in 60-grain hollow-point. CorBon is making some serious kick-butt defensive ammo for the .32 ACP. It's not .45 or 9 mm but it's a step up.


To load the pistol, insert a loaded magazine. Then, you can chose to rack the slide OR push a lever and tip the rear of the barrel up, exposing the chamber. You drop in a loaded round, push the barrel back into place, and the weapon is loaded. The slide never need be operated, and the hammer need not be cocked as a result. Since it's a double-action pistol (like my trusty Sig), the shooter can just squeeze the trigger to fire. Also easy for people with weak hand/arm strength to load.

So what about accuracy? Don't expect a whole lot, it has a very short barrel and small, all-matte sights - notch in the rear and a blade up front with no dots to line up. But then again, not a real issue, the piece is meant for close-range work where there won't be a lot of opportunity for aiming. But it's quite accurate for its size, even with the little sights.

Ladies, you may find the DA trigger a bit heavy, though I prefer it to the .32 Kel-Tec's trigger pull. SA is fine. With the blowback, recoil is snappy for it's size, but more than manageable. If you have small hands, this works well. People with large hands may only get a couple fingers around the grip, and if you have larger hands like I, there's a chance of slide-bite. You can add a stock with a large palm swell as an alternative.

Another drawback, other then the firing power, The pistol lacks an extractor, relying upon the expanding gasses to force the spent casing rearward. This means that racking the slide will not remove either unspent or defective cartridges. This can lead to complications in a self defense situation, but is often balanced out by the tip-up barrel. There have also been some design issues, with reported frame cracking and failure to feed. This gun has not experienced it, and has been nothing but reliable.

By American standards, underpowered, though I'm sure many of you can relay stories of how it was quite lethal. In my opinion though, in self defense I prefer the 9 mm and most definitely the .45.

For me, if there's an imminent threat to my life, the .32 is one step above "Look. . a Squirrel!"

Yet there are times this gun might come in handy. Certainly, if I was a criminal, I'd give pause if I was looking at this, as opposed to no gun.

There are better concealed options, but if you have your mind on one of these as an ultra-small concealed option there are others you might look at as well. Kel-tec is one. Compared to it, the Beretta is a bit large and thick. But I didn't like the Kel-tec near as well, for feel in my hand and looks alone. It felt like a little plastic squirt gun to me though a partner at work loves his Kel-tecs. On the other hand, it's light, it's thinner and their customer support is really good. If you're buying, try out both. Look and feel and comfort are important in any gun that may, on a given day, be a concealed piece for you.

But, for tiny pocket pistols, I'd stick with the Tomcat. It's better than an unkind word, and almost as easy to carry. It's so small and light it would be easy to lose it in a purse (it's less than 1 pound) so make sure you have a purse with a built-in holster for stability and easy access (perhaps my readers could suggest one).  It's also good for clothing that's snug as well. Keep it clean (it doesn't like lint) and lightly lubed, feed it some nice Silvertips, Gold Dots and Federal HS JHP's, house it in a nice pocket holster and you'll have a another friend for life.

I miss you Barkley.

On Valentine's Day

I was playing Cribbage with Partner inGrime and he was beating me badly.  A skunking was in my future until this hand but it still looked pretty grim.

I looked at him and said :

"So, why is playing Cribbage with this deck of cards like marriage?"

He said  "I don't know."

I said: " It begins with a heart and a diamond and it ends with a club and a spade."

We got a good laugh out of that.  Unfortunately, he had to go to a meeting out of town today so our Valentine's Day was commemorated over the weekend.  No crime scene tape was involved. . .

On Value

The card from Dad arrived in the mail on this date 8 years ago, a note from my big brother on the back. It was less than two weeks before Barkley left us, losing that fight with bone cancer.  It was just 2 months before my brother too left us, losing his own battle with cancer The card within was one of Dad's famous "action cards" that either spring out some cartoon form or made some noise such as a Police Siren  "PUT THE CANDY DOWN!"

What was scrawled across the back of the envelope in my brother's handwriting, but still him, with his little signature "Bull" face (his nickname), is "Still up at 7:30 every day after chasing Rommel across AFRICA!  What a Hero, WWII Vet.  OUR Dad!!

Those cards, th0se notes. It's a ritual that went on for almost 40 years.  It is one I miss every day, for it offered that steady comfort of routine that has become, with time, the liturgy of our lives. Sometimes the cards and letters were eloquent, gleaming, noble words from a life well-lived, no text or incoming email to interrupt the current of words that flowed as fast or as slow as I wished to read them. Sometimes it was just a quick burst of words, lightning in a stormy sky, a shaky hand at the bottom of the page reminding me to "vote that (@*$ out of office!"  Those cards and notes, which now lay in a small wooden box, are more than pieces of paper, they are affirmation that I have the care of their memory.

What is it about certain things, perhaps certain people that come into our lives, that make you realize what's important, what makes you feel safe?  What is about those souls that become part of us?  They are people that some would only view as breathing embodiments of ashes and dust here on earth to soon be forgotten, but to us, they are so much more.

Is it the abiding strength?  That which radiates from within, a calm and unflinching repose when problems arise? Strength is so much more than physical, it's a faith in one's ability to dig those discreet holes to bury all of your fears, it's a power of devotion, not to yourself but to the back-breaking business of protecting all that is life, not only yours but that of those that you love.

Is it wisdom?  Not just that wisdom based on years, that time when youth and wanting are said to be behind you, even as that final breath is drawn in with the want of another, but that which comes with knowing what you stand for, then owning it.  It's cloaking oneself with outward trappings and values that have withstood generations, that bone-deep integrity that makes you feel at peace in the company thereof?

Is it commitment?  That pinky promise/blood oath of childhood in the guise of an adult, that bond, that betrothal that is worthy of the word by its history. It's not summoned or bartered or held hostage.  It's there, like flowers that bloom each year, their scent spread with the rain, so when the heavens open up to flood your world, their presence is upon you, like warm, steady breath.

Is it a look? One that has weight to it, a look that has such depth that you feel you could hold it in your hand? Is it a form? One that stays strong, even when tested, the little nicks and scuffs, simply the marks of battles fought and overcome. It's all that and more. It's the promise of dependability, sublime yet infinite, that carries you in its company from the evocable past to the continuing present.

Is it a name?  Father, brother, husband, wife, daughter, son.  If you are blessed, it is a name that you can see take shape, one that you can say until the name solidifies into something tangible, a form you can hold on to, remaining even after the air goes silent and the form is nothing but an empty doorway, framed in the fading light of Glory.

If you're lucky you will have that. If you lose it, mourn its passing. If you find it, never let it go.

- Brigid

Wilder Supply Company

I'm a fan of natural, organic skincare.  In my younger days, I'd spend hundreds of dollars on high-end cosmetics and skincare, which frankly didn't do much more than Ivory Soap and Sunscreen.  As I got older and needed a little more care for my dry, fair skin, I looked into natural products specifically those made by small, family-run farms/ companies.  It helped my wallet, my skin looked great, and I was getting carded into my late 40's, even better. (Now I get whistled at by nearsighted construction workers, but hey, I'll take it)

One of those companies that I found in Alaska years ago I always went to for some specialty products for the severe cold we can get up in the MidWest (as my relatives in Montana read this and go "WIMP!")

In the '90s Air Traffic Control Rick Wilder had a dream of forming a community of people driven to restore the fading concept of the multi-generational, family-owned, and operated small business.  Twenty years later, Taproot Farms was achieving that as true-life farmers prizing the land and being good stewards of the resources they have, using what is available locally to provide heat, water, and power for their community. 

This winter I went to make my order and could not find them - wait!  They've re-branded.  Taproot Farms is now Wilder Supply Company, still making great products as well as several new ones, including the GLOW, and HYDRATE essential oil-based serums which are REALLY nice on the skin.  As always, they have a line of essential oils, goat milk soaps (the only soap I can use with eczema), and argan oils which are lifesavers for me, with eczema and really dry skin (the argan oil is fantastic if you have dry. easily irritated skin and can be used on the hair, beard, body, or face)  They even have an Elderberry Herb kit for just $20 so you can make your own elderberry syrup during cold/flu season (the store-bought syrup is REALLY pricy). As I type this my home smells like the Hippie Dippie Essential Oil which is an orange patchouli fragrance, great quality for the price as unlike a lot of essential oils you find at the health food stores, they are not diluted with carrier oils and they are very affordable as well.  The Frankincense is like "dope for dogs" during thunderstorms and fireworks (with the Vet's approval) and the only thing that's ever calmed them. is half the cost of what I'd been using before.

So go check them out or just stop in and say hello.  15% off through tomorrow for Valentine's day (shipping is really fast, I had my first order from Alaska in less than a week).

• Wilder Supply Company

Battle Bread

The one positive thing you could say about the bread products around him was that they were probably as edible now as they were on the day they were baked. Forged was a better term. Dwarf bread was made as a meal of last resort and also as a weapon and a currency. Dwarfs were not, as far as Vimes knew, religious in any way, but the way they thought about bread came close.

                                            -- (Terry Pratchett, The Fifth Elephant)

Having a good battle plan is essential as is the proper weapons.  Partner in Grime and I are both pretty competitive.  Weekend mornings, before making breakfast,  we play a round of backgammon on an antique board he found at Half Priced Books.  It sometimes gets pretty fierce, hands and dice moving in a flurry as both of us can strategize fairly quickly.  However, it's a battle best done when one is fully awake.

This morning I went to roll and realized my dice had gone AWOL

Check under the table.  Nothing.  Check around the table and chairs.  Nothing.  Look at Abby the Lab.  Asleep.

Partner looks at my empty dice cup and then grins and says "Did you put them in your coffee cup?"

Yup - I'll take my coffee (OK, it's Scottish tea) black. . . with snake eyes.  With that - I figured it was time to make breakfast and scones seemed like the proper element post-victory.

In the Discworld novel The Fifth Elephant -  a pivotal plot point is the theft of a dwarfen artifact called the Scone of Stone, a very well preserved bit of dwarfen battle bread that is used in their coronations. A parallel is drawn between the Scone of Stone and actual history, in that it is also broken and replicated.

The real Stone of Scone was also known as the Stone of Destiny or the Coronation Stone, an oblong block of red sandstone, about 26 x 16 inches (and over 330 pounds). At each end of the stone is an iron ring, for transport. Historically, the artifact was kept at the now-ruined abbey in Scone, near Perth, Scotland. It was used for centuries in the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland and later in England. One legend has that it was the pillow stone used by the Biblical Jacob. More believe, however, that it was the Coronation Stone of the early Dál Riata Gaels when they lived in Ireland, which they brought with them when settling Caledonia.

Eventually housed in Westminster Abbey, the stone was stolen by four college students in 1950 with the purpose of returning it to it's rightful home in Scotland. Their well-intended larceny resulted in it being broken in two. Later repaired, it was returned to the Abbey though rumor persisted that what was returned was a duplicate copy made and the original was hidden in Scotland.The other reference I remember for it was the Highlander TV series, that featured a humorous episode called The Stone of Scone where Duncan MacLeod, Amanda, and Hugh Fitzcairn were responsible for the 1950 theft.

The end of the episode implies that the authentic stone was left on a golf course in Scotland

Now that our history lesson is complete it's time for some not so durable scones, little ones made out of Kefir (a fermented milk drink you can find about anywhere) instead of buttermilk which made them VERY light and flaky and made with self-rising flour so they mixed up in just minutes.

Then, it's back to the battlefield.