With the rising cost of petroleum based ? ? almost anything, it seems evident we as a Nation and as a People within this Nation can no longer "Allow" ourselves the luxury of waiting our Government(s), Federal, State, County or City/Township to do something to help the Common Good; or cause a reduction in dependence on traditional power generating sources.

In today’s highly charged political climate; we as Christi-in believers are hard pressed to remain non-respecters’ of persons given we live in a Republic of elected / appointed officials’.  One of the tragic problems that would seem to have always been around, and is recorded in our biblical record is that of individual representatives’ being less moral, ethical or steadfast in their stewardship of their charges.

One thing I have noticed of late is the magnification of some of the candidates’, the likes of which have never been seen in America.  We are for the first time offered to choices among a man of African American decent and a Woman who we have a fair amount of public history on.  Biblically speaking in the Old Testament especially we don’t see much good reordered about a nation that is led by a women or child; and yet we find ourselves today with similar issues to choose amongst.  The man is considered a neophyte, and the Women a domineering person who would take on the traditional role and persona of a man.  I don’t have a personal bias toward either, and yet I do have biblical reservations’.

There comes a point where we must guard ourselves, households and families against the cares, concerns and entanglements of this world; remembering we are seeking a different country, that we are simply pilgrims in this City, County, State and country.  Yet, we are still commanded to be good citizens and respond properly to those in authority.  To the end we may Glorify Our Heavenly Father, in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  We are also called to be fruitful in a way seldom seen in the same way in the secular society around us.  We are called to “Manifest” the likeness (the Praying, Thinking, Speaking, and doing) of our Lord, Christ Jesus growing “in” us daily.

We know that the decisions of the flesh impact the Spirit Soul and Body as the temple of our Indwelling Holy Spirit.  We also know that, we can grieve the indwelling Spirit in our knowing to do right and not doing it.  Spiritual Maturity is a process of making good spiritual decisions and learning from success’ and failures’ to become better led by our indwelling Holy spirit to be able to be taught of the spirit, about spiritual matters. 

We are told that whatever we find to do with our hands; we are to do with all our might, fervently as unto the Lord.  I mention this here, because if we start with integrity of heart and continue with integrity of heart, looking steadfast upon the Lord of Glory and like Him, saying and doing “Not” our “Own” wills’ but the Father’s then we may very well be found acceptable.  I am not saying we will not be disappointed from time to time, but we must be willing to take the hits as they come and to become more then an over comer to join together to be what the body of Christ Jesus “Locally” in manifestation is to be. 

We are the people of God, who speak the truth in love to all persons, unto reconciliation, and stand fast on the commandments of God’s Revealed Eternal Truths.  As such, we must always be searching the scriptures daily to be abiding in the word and letting it abide in us richly.  When the half truths, innuendos and falsehoods make themselves known; we must be ready to confront in love and truth to be the voice of reason and as a ministering spirit (indwelling) be obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit to See, Hear, Think, Speak,  and Do the Will of the Father.

Which of the candidates’ you believe is most closely matching our mutual values is your choice, choose wisely please.  May our Lord, teach, guide and keep you and yours.

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Chaplain, Randall Jacobsen Sr., is Chaplain with M.O.R.E. Ministries, American Legion Post 19, VFW Post 651, Rolling Thunder Inc, IN-5, and United Veterans of Delaware County.  And an active member in Citizens of Delaware County for Property Tax Repeal.  http://www.propertytaxrepeal.com/

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As a local entrepreneur, and one that has built our reputation on quality and customer service and have been around for some twenty years now; I think I am in a position to speak to what works and what doesn't.

One thing I have come to find out is we are unable to affect change on those things we are invariably linked to; and what we are linked to is often just as in need of serious cash flow as we are.  Even after having pared back to the bone all our "fixed" costs and enerted into "Survival Mode" to help us outlast the Local Recession; which appears more a full blown depression then a recession to me. 

I find I am unable to mitigate the costs any further, and am at the present time am bemused by the changes taking place by our surrounding support tecnologies, that being the Phone company and internet service we have put so much dependence upon as to be more "exposed", and susceptible to outside influences, either direct or indirect,  then I am pleased with. 

We are simply making the daily decisions we can, as resources make themselves available, and praying for relief for those we don't currently have the resources to apply.

What is about to happen next in our ability to communicate with our local population is all out of my hands for the most part.  We have for the first time in many months received a "disconnect notice" for our ISP/Business Phone provider and will very soon lose our ability to communicate to incoming calls.

So this blog today is my attempt to let you the prospective Client know we are still here, still operating, and hopefully will be able to correct the situation soon.  If you find you can't connect with us through our normal means; please call 765-747-1934 which is our Home Phone and is not up for disconnect.  I may not be able to respond to an email for a little while but will if necessary go to the public library and use their computers to retrieve my emails.

In the Mean time you can trust we are still available to you and still open Tues-Sat 10:30-5:30 and will still have the lights on for the time being, and could sure use your help to make headway on doing better then we have been able to this past two months.

The Holiday Season between the day before thanksgiving and shortly after new years is suppose to be the big time for most retailers.  Ours never materialized; and am now forced to make further cuts and live with whatever happens as a result of not being able to make further cuts or pay what is now due.  To that end we; we have been using No Credit terms to the extent we are still liquid in many ways but cash flow is so poor right now we don't have sufficent capacity to respond to every demand at present.

We ask you our clients and patrons to understand that God is Supplying all our "Needs" and your Prayers and Blessings are always needed, welcome and your patronage is always appreciated.

Thank You, and God Bless You, in the Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ,

Randall L. Jacobsen Sr.

To say we have been in "Survival Mode" now for some seven years is to say a lot in one sentence.

East Central Indiana and especially Muncie and Delaware Co. have been experiencing a sever reduction in big manufacturing and business' in general, and of course wages are going hand in hand in the mix.  We were once a thriving manufacturing community anchored to automotive parts to the big three.

Now days, we are NO LONGER anchored to much of any serious manufacturing and especially not to the Big Three.  For that matte the Big Three aren't even the Big Three anymore that existed in the same ranking in 1980 when I first moved here.

Our little shop grew from 400 Sq Ft in 1987 to 840 Sq Ft in 1990, to 5,400 Sq Ft. in 1992 through 1997 when the recession started in our area and became entrenched in 1997 and we ended our lease in the then Meadows Shopping Plaza and moved to smaller space of 1,200 Sq Ft. and then in 2000 came back to the house location we left in 1992.  Now in the same "Land" we are living in that home, having sold with conditions, our home at 1894 to our daughter which shares a common drive with ours and acts as an exit for our now Quonset Hut's Sewing and Surplus operation that supports our Ministry and allows us to make a living to keep the Gospel Nonchargeable.

Our current operation is broken into three (3) Quonset Huts; (1) 1810 E. Jackson St. is the Overflow Hut, (2) is the Supply Hut, carrying the Footwear, Head-wear, and clothing items of Military Surplus, and the (3rd) is the Rigger Hut, where I make over several hundred items' doing Custom Made to Order Sewn goods Products, Repairs, and some alterations; as well as handle the bags, cases, packs, pouches and novelty items of Military and Biker interest and of course still outfit everyone from Missionaries to Mercenaries.  The Real difference is we do all this in a combined space of 720 Sq Ft, so we are finding new ways to pack 20 lbs into the proverbial 5 lb sack.

Photo taken Sow N Sews and Army Navy Surplus Of Muncie,  by Randall Jacobsen of the first Snow of Dec 2007, by Cell Phone.  Hut at left foreground is Overflow Hut, the next Hut is the supply Hut (car next to it) and the next one (distant) is the Rigger hut, where we do our custom sewing and repairs.

We expanded our parking and improved our lighting and now have a try on space with privacy screen and heat and cooling that we didn't have last year.  So Better lighting, space, heat, cooling and phone service, I would say we are improving over the past several years performance.  But our Map on this site is still accurate, and we have given up trying to move the temporary Huts on to the 101 Macedonia's Ave. location due to unresolved issues over buried tanks west of our property line that the County Commissioners have not been able to find a way to remove.  So here we still are after 10 years of trying to get them to remove them so we can build along the property line and increase in size.

So if you are looking for us use the online map, as it is accurate, and it looks like we will be here for some time.  Or at the very least til we see those buried tanks removed and are able to finish what we started ten years ago.

View of the approach to 1806-1810 E. Jackson St.  Turn Left "between" the End One Way sign above the roadway, and the Overhead RR trestle.  Our driveway is between the RR Embankment and the White House on the left just before the RR Embankment.  If you pass "under" that trestle, you have gone too far.

I still encourage visitors to visit our site, and look at our Suppliers Catalogs and pre-view what you are looking for and call or email me and check to see if we have it in stock.  Very likely we will or at least have it on order or can get it within three ground service days.  And as always, we Match Prices with the Cost of Shipping added in to our Zip Code.

An email I received from Michigan City today; inquired: 

Q.  Chappy J; what is the “proper way”, to clean / store the “Bunny”, or “Mickey Mouse” Boots, and MuckLucks?

A.  The two types of Boots used in the artic and other cold weather climates, break down into two types of need; Dry Cold and Wet Cold.

Dry Cold is used in areas where consistent temperatures get down to well below freezing and stays there.

For Extended daily use in temps down to minus -25 degrees F the tar black in rubber begins to separate from it; so the white latex “Bunny Boots” are used for such environments for extended periods of exposure.  For intermittent exposure the Zip-Up Front Muck Lucks’ with pull out liners are used for outings between buildings and routine maintenance/ housekeeping duties in and around facilities. The liners are the same comfy hi-density wool material used inside the Bunny Boots additional insoles are added as needed for extra warmth.

Wet Cold Black Rubber Mickey Mouse Boots with the Air Valve (air lift type) or without (non-pressurized)

For use in heavy wet snow or slush to standing water areas; When New, they came with a blue tag attached and it gave instructions on how to care for your boots. 

Then there is the Army Field Manual FM 31-70, for Cold Weather Operations that elaborates further. 

(1) Boots, Cold Weather, Rubber with Air Valve.

The outside of the boots should be treated with approved agents. Normally, the insulated boot can be repaired with ordinary tire patching or air mattress patching material. If these items are not readily available, friction tape or even chewing gum may be used temporarily to plug up the hole and prevent moisture from damaging the insulation. If the damage cannot be repaired, the boots should be removed, air-dried, and turned in for replacement as soon as possible.

Caution: Do not clean with abrasive materials. Also do not apply polish or paint to any part of the boot as it will result in deterioration of the rubber. (ArmorAll™ is my product of choice)

The inside of the boots should be washed at least once a month with a mild soap, and rinsed with warm water, and thoroughly dried before wearing again.

Note:  If “starting” to feel sensitivity or redness or if a blister develops.  If skin is broken, medicate and cover and then apply a product Called Dr. Scholl’s Moleskin™ or something similar, to cover the affected area, as another way of keeping the rubbing down to a minimum.

 (2) Socks. Socks should be worn a pair at a time and may be used in conjunction with Wicking Sock Liners made of Polypropylene, or Dacron Polyester; worn next to the foot and under the wool artic socks to reduce perspiration build up next to the foot. 

Socks should be washed daily, using lukewarm water to avoid excessive shrinkage. After washing, they should be wrung out and stretched to natural shape before drying. Holes in socks should be repaired as soon as possible, taking special precautions to avoid bunching or roughness of the mended area. It should be noted that proper repairs under field conditions are almost impossible and that blisters should be expected if field mended socks are worn, with out skin protection * see above.

For Muddy/Messy/Gooey or Caked Boots:

1.       Using a soft bristle brush, gently remove any caked dirt, mud or debris from surface.

2.       Wash with clean “mild” soapy water (if available), and “Rinse” with clean warm water thoroughly afterward.

3.       Dry with a terry towel inside and out and let “Air Out” or use a electric boot dryer system if available (often used for cowboy boots) to dry them overnight completely, before next use.

4.       When storing for “End of Season”, clean thoroughly and place in bag to keep out dust, insects and rodents.  Place in cool dry place out of direct sunlight.

Note:  Myself and old timers I have talked to over the past thirty years have given me additional hints on their care and use of the Boots and storage.

1.         With the invention of ArmorAll™  or a similar product, for Rubber and Synthetic Rubber, it is recommended and I agree that a light lubricant be applied occasionally during the season and especially at the end of the season for storage.

2.         The bag of choice is not plastic, as it can condensate and cause moisture to accumulate and become a problem on the inside lining.  The bag I prefer is an old nylon laundry bag and it’s best to make sure it is clean so as not to attract rodents.  Even the smell of a tasty tidbit will attract them and you would end up with gnaw through holes from them foraging for food.

3.        I also agree that a corn starch with several mothballs seem to deter mice and such from wanting to get inside the boots. And the corn starch absorbs and seasonal moisture that might otherwise develop.

4.        Some of my friends do use plastic shopping bags and then put desiccant inside each boot, in a small fabric pouch to control moisture while stored.

5.        As I wrote last time, use of a liquid cement such as liquid rubber or similar is great at repairing minor holes from nails and thorns and such on the Black Rubber Boots.  And Shoo Goop type products do a great job on building out areas that may get severe wear from pedals or shovels and such.  You simply clean the surface of the area to be applied well, add a little to the desired spot and let cure completely.  Repeat the process as often as you need, as long as the primary surface is intact and it will last you many years of use.  On the White Latex Boots, you can find a liquid latex to repair surface cracks being sure to let it cure completely also.

A popular Myth has developed around the use of the Air Valve in either the black or white boots.  Actually it is intended for pressurization while in-flight on Military un-pressurized aircraft or any aircraft that you may find you need it.  Once on the Ground, you are to close the valve and NOT ATTEMPT to further Pressurize the boots.  Inflating, will only damage them and you will end up replacing them or going without. 

Randall Jacobsen is Proprietor of Army Surplus Of Muncie and the head Semester, for Sow N Sews Custom Sewing N Repairs 1810 E. Jackson St. Muncie, IN. 47305     Open: 10:30-5:30 Tues-Sat      Phone: 765-281-8804 E-Mail: ansom47305@yahoo.com is trained in U.S. Army Logistics, Artic-Cold and Tropical Weather Operations; with over thirty years of helping people with their logistical needs.

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