Pumpkin is our yellow/orange colored tabby cat we've had for a long time now. He's about eight years old or so. His early life must have been harrowing because he was found in a garage after climbing in a narrow pipe from the outside to the inside. His tail was mangled and the bones showing.
The cat tends to be fairly sedentary and likes to sleep and cuddle with Sassy, another of our cats. He is pleasant and friendly with us, affectionate, but he is very shy around other people and hides when we have company. After months and months, only recently has he been coming out when my granddaughter visits and then only on HIS terms, not hers.
Well, I made a couple of crocheted links and started playing with Pumpkin now and again. He has this hilarious cry that sounds like, "Gow." It's distinctive and different, and he uses it when he wants something. So now he comes out in the mornings as soon as he sees me in the kitchen and starts the "Gow" thing, waiting for me to pay attention and get the crocheted roping.
His whole attitude has changed and he's become much more active, running around the house, chasing other cats, getting chased, and having a pretty good time.
And what was the big difference? Just a couple minutes of playing time each day, nothing elaborate or difficult. He's become more social and sleeps less. He might have even started losing a little weight and regaining his leaner figure. Right.
At any rate, I think Pumpkin is like a person's relationship with God. God pays attention to us, maybe finally gets our attention and then we really start to change, respond. We get out of our rut, we start doing things differently, we start making connections, we begin to grow and bloom again.
We can learn so much from animals. We can also learn a great deal more about God, a subject that is never fully covered by anyone no matter how long they study.
I do have a book recommendation. It's Scott Hahn's, "Rome Sweet Home." It details the story of his and his wife's conversion to Catholicism. It gets a lot of stars on the internet reviews. Check it out sometime. Hahn has become one of the leading voices in telling the story of church.
So that's about it for today. Time to go comb my lousy hair and then go to the store to lay in some supplies for this weekend's celebration of 30 years of marriage to my husband, Eric.
See you tomorrow then, same time.
Light of Christ
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Bad Hair Days
We need a little comic relief around here, I think. So I'm going to share with you a little exasperation with my hair.
Yes, I am having lots of bad hair days!! Got a perm some months back and it not only didn't take, it just made my hair that much more stubborn and unwieldy. So there's that. And then there is this argument I have to have with myself every time I shampoo -- what kind of stuff should I use to try and get this mess in order? There's some foamy stuff that does something, but what I'm not sure. There's some old waxy stuff that didn't do anything the last time. There's some spray stuff that is supposed to be a volumizer, but what on earth am I volumizing?
Hair that makes a person think of a certain individual that rides on a broom, that's what kind.
My homemade haircut a couple of months ago helped get rid of the fried ends, but not entirely. The color of my hair looks lousy. The hair on the right side of my head won't do anything that looks right at all. If I look at it from the side with my trusty mirror I get nauseated.
Time to call the beautician, sure, but what can she possibly do? Maybe just getting a good haircut would help me sort all of this out.
Because as any woman knows, so goes the hair, so goes the day. And my ugly looking hair is messing up my summer days big time. I just don't feel attractive. Once in a while I'll catch a glimpse of myself as I'm cleaning the house and pass a mirror. The result of these recent encounters is that pretty soon I'm going to get out the darkest material I can find and start covering them!! Or maybe I should just cover me.
Yep, it is just that bad. Do you relate to this at all? Because if you don't, then it's going to make me feel even worse than I already am.
I know it's minor and petty. I know that in the long run, it doesn't matter one hoot. But it BOTHERS me and that's the truth of it. Do you think God thinks I'm a ditz?
We always learned in Marriage Encounter that feelings are neither right nor wrong. They just are. And the feelings I am having are that my hair looks like ___ and I feel wretched. So there -- I've said it.
Now that I've shared with you, maybe I'll feel a little better. Maybe tomorrow I'll get on the phone and call Linda and make that dreaded appointment, get something done about this mess and get on with life!! And my class reunion is coming, and I don't want to go looking like something the cat dragged in.
Take care, all of you. Just so you know -- I don't think about holy things all the time. My brain has its own sense of humor, you know, and I just go along for the ride sometimes.
Yes, I am having lots of bad hair days!! Got a perm some months back and it not only didn't take, it just made my hair that much more stubborn and unwieldy. So there's that. And then there is this argument I have to have with myself every time I shampoo -- what kind of stuff should I use to try and get this mess in order? There's some foamy stuff that does something, but what I'm not sure. There's some old waxy stuff that didn't do anything the last time. There's some spray stuff that is supposed to be a volumizer, but what on earth am I volumizing?
Hair that makes a person think of a certain individual that rides on a broom, that's what kind.
My homemade haircut a couple of months ago helped get rid of the fried ends, but not entirely. The color of my hair looks lousy. The hair on the right side of my head won't do anything that looks right at all. If I look at it from the side with my trusty mirror I get nauseated.
Time to call the beautician, sure, but what can she possibly do? Maybe just getting a good haircut would help me sort all of this out.
Because as any woman knows, so goes the hair, so goes the day. And my ugly looking hair is messing up my summer days big time. I just don't feel attractive. Once in a while I'll catch a glimpse of myself as I'm cleaning the house and pass a mirror. The result of these recent encounters is that pretty soon I'm going to get out the darkest material I can find and start covering them!! Or maybe I should just cover me.
Yep, it is just that bad. Do you relate to this at all? Because if you don't, then it's going to make me feel even worse than I already am.
I know it's minor and petty. I know that in the long run, it doesn't matter one hoot. But it BOTHERS me and that's the truth of it. Do you think God thinks I'm a ditz?
We always learned in Marriage Encounter that feelings are neither right nor wrong. They just are. And the feelings I am having are that my hair looks like ___ and I feel wretched. So there -- I've said it.
Now that I've shared with you, maybe I'll feel a little better. Maybe tomorrow I'll get on the phone and call Linda and make that dreaded appointment, get something done about this mess and get on with life!! And my class reunion is coming, and I don't want to go looking like something the cat dragged in.
Take care, all of you. Just so you know -- I don't think about holy things all the time. My brain has its own sense of humor, you know, and I just go along for the ride sometimes.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Good Morning
So it's Tuesday at 11:08 a.m., and I'm just home from getting Ella ready to go to the Cleveland Zoo with her teacher, an aide, and some other kids. Plus, I got to spend a little time with Drew today as well. And tame his unruly blond hair which was sticking out all over the place!!
So now that I just got the ironing done, it's time to get myself ready to go to Cleveland to stop and see my sister and then go to the Cleveland Yachting Club for a tour since our reunion will be held there.
Busy day.
Hope your summer is going along well and you've enjoyed it. The weather has been unusual again this year, and the weather guy said the other day that this may be the coldest summer in 40 years. Despite all of that, since I don't need the temps to be in the 80s to enjoy myself, I've had a really good time.
It's all about scheduling some things you definitely like to do so that you always have something to look forward to. Like, art class on Thursdays from 1-3. Just two hours but it is a constant source of entertainment, thinking about what we might want to work on next week and looking over what I've done in order to improve.
This Sunday we are celebrating 30 years of marriage, which seems amazing to me. I just can't imagine where the time has gone. When I look at the pictures of the family starting back in 1984, the progression is there, but the overall effect of the 30 years is really just not felt, at least not by me.
Coming up on this 30th anniversary makes me think of all the decisions that I've made over this time period and thinking about how inconsequential some of them seemed at the time, but how important they are in total. Just little day-to-day decisions like what to eat, when to go to bed, how to spend the time, what to join, that kind of thing.
So I'll close today since there is still a lot to do to get ready, but I'll be back tomorrow. I'm thinking that we need to do something different in the blog, so it you have any ideas, I always like hearing from you. You can reach me most easily by emailing knelsen@uakron.edu.
Thanks again, and have a wonderful day.
So now that I just got the ironing done, it's time to get myself ready to go to Cleveland to stop and see my sister and then go to the Cleveland Yachting Club for a tour since our reunion will be held there.
Busy day.
Hope your summer is going along well and you've enjoyed it. The weather has been unusual again this year, and the weather guy said the other day that this may be the coldest summer in 40 years. Despite all of that, since I don't need the temps to be in the 80s to enjoy myself, I've had a really good time.
It's all about scheduling some things you definitely like to do so that you always have something to look forward to. Like, art class on Thursdays from 1-3. Just two hours but it is a constant source of entertainment, thinking about what we might want to work on next week and looking over what I've done in order to improve.
This Sunday we are celebrating 30 years of marriage, which seems amazing to me. I just can't imagine where the time has gone. When I look at the pictures of the family starting back in 1984, the progression is there, but the overall effect of the 30 years is really just not felt, at least not by me.
Coming up on this 30th anniversary makes me think of all the decisions that I've made over this time period and thinking about how inconsequential some of them seemed at the time, but how important they are in total. Just little day-to-day decisions like what to eat, when to go to bed, how to spend the time, what to join, that kind of thing.
So I'll close today since there is still a lot to do to get ready, but I'll be back tomorrow. I'm thinking that we need to do something different in the blog, so it you have any ideas, I always like hearing from you. You can reach me most easily by emailing knelsen@uakron.edu.
Thanks again, and have a wonderful day.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Another Take on a Familiar Topic
We talked about discernment a little while back. Yesterday, we talked about busy-busy-busy. And yesterday afternoon I went to spend an hour with Jesus in the Holy Hour.
The book I picked up off the shelves was all about discernment; one section dealt with the idea of being busy-busy-busy and at face value it looks good. A person going about doing all kinds of good things for people, sacrificing time, talent and treasure to live out her faith. But the book pointed out that even in this seemingly good work, an individual can get so busy doing the work that they neglect the other part of their life -- their prayer life.
For Mother Teresa to go out into the streets of Calcutta and find the dying, she needed to have physical strength and food. She also needed to allow God's strength to flow through her veins by means of her prayer life. The book talked about how we can get busy-busy-busy to the extent that we think we are running on our own. We can forget about God's input and God's many gifts to us through reflection, quiet, and prayer.
That's where discernment comes in. God can send us email-like messages into our heads, if we only listen. And he will let us know that we are running on our own steam, that we aren't fueling ourselves with prayer, that we are falling into the danger of great temptation by neglecting our relationship with Him which is primary.
Jesus himself gives us the model for the balance between a busy life and our prayer lives when he entered into the garden at Gethsemane. He knew what was coming and He needed to prepare himself for it with a time of prayer. His disciples couldn't go the distance; their busy pace caught up with them and they all fell asleep. Jesus was obviously very distressed by this! So we can see that Jesus puts a high value on prayer and on praying together.
We've talked about this before -- that prayer doesn't have to be a formal set of memorized prayers. Prayer can be going on nearly all day. Prayer can be about praise and thanksgiving -- for example, finding your way to a place you've never been before. Prayer can be about thanking God for helping a child avoid a near-accident. Prayer can be about a conversation with God; first you talk, then get quiet and let God talk.
It's the quiet part I'm not too good at. I'm good at the talking, so I'm working on the other. Hence, the Holy Hour. There are two places where I seem to fall asleep very quickly. One is on our comfortable couch in the living room. The other is at Holy Hour! Yikes, I'm doing the same thing as the disciples did!
So I'm working on it, learning to pray for alertness, changing positions from kneeling to sitting, getting up to get a book, etc. Not only is sitting quietly a signal to my brain to fall asleep; the time of my Holy Hour (2:00 p.m.) is when my blood sugar seems to hit a low. Bringing a snack to Holy Hour just doesn't sound appropriate to me!
So, my friends, I hope you have a wonderful Saturday and weekend. I'll be back on Tuesday and let's find something interesting to talk about.
The book I picked up off the shelves was all about discernment; one section dealt with the idea of being busy-busy-busy and at face value it looks good. A person going about doing all kinds of good things for people, sacrificing time, talent and treasure to live out her faith. But the book pointed out that even in this seemingly good work, an individual can get so busy doing the work that they neglect the other part of their life -- their prayer life.
For Mother Teresa to go out into the streets of Calcutta and find the dying, she needed to have physical strength and food. She also needed to allow God's strength to flow through her veins by means of her prayer life. The book talked about how we can get busy-busy-busy to the extent that we think we are running on our own. We can forget about God's input and God's many gifts to us through reflection, quiet, and prayer.
That's where discernment comes in. God can send us email-like messages into our heads, if we only listen. And he will let us know that we are running on our own steam, that we aren't fueling ourselves with prayer, that we are falling into the danger of great temptation by neglecting our relationship with Him which is primary.
Jesus himself gives us the model for the balance between a busy life and our prayer lives when he entered into the garden at Gethsemane. He knew what was coming and He needed to prepare himself for it with a time of prayer. His disciples couldn't go the distance; their busy pace caught up with them and they all fell asleep. Jesus was obviously very distressed by this! So we can see that Jesus puts a high value on prayer and on praying together.
We've talked about this before -- that prayer doesn't have to be a formal set of memorized prayers. Prayer can be going on nearly all day. Prayer can be about praise and thanksgiving -- for example, finding your way to a place you've never been before. Prayer can be about thanking God for helping a child avoid a near-accident. Prayer can be about a conversation with God; first you talk, then get quiet and let God talk.
It's the quiet part I'm not too good at. I'm good at the talking, so I'm working on the other. Hence, the Holy Hour. There are two places where I seem to fall asleep very quickly. One is on our comfortable couch in the living room. The other is at Holy Hour! Yikes, I'm doing the same thing as the disciples did!
So I'm working on it, learning to pray for alertness, changing positions from kneeling to sitting, getting up to get a book, etc. Not only is sitting quietly a signal to my brain to fall asleep; the time of my Holy Hour (2:00 p.m.) is when my blood sugar seems to hit a low. Bringing a snack to Holy Hour just doesn't sound appropriate to me!
So, my friends, I hope you have a wonderful Saturday and weekend. I'll be back on Tuesday and let's find something interesting to talk about.
Friday, July 25, 2014
Too much!
I hate that ad on television for Angie's List where the woman says, "I'm busy, busy, busy." Aren't we all?
I've also heard that phrase, "ask a busy person." I suppose that means that a busy person might also take on one more job, OR it could mean that the busy person just can't say no. There was a whole book written about how to say no to obligations/invitations/responsibilities. Sometimes it is necessary to say no to preserve sanity and family life.
Well, right now I'm a little bit swamped, so I apologize again for yesterday. Honestly, until I sat down this morning to do the blog, I'd forgotten all about yesterday. Isn't that terrible? But I do want to keep this thing going, and posting daily on a schedule is one of the rules. And I've been messing up.
Not to wish anything away, but once I get the book typed, the class reunion finished, and the craziness of summer, then things will return to a more quiet pace. And then what? That's why I say -- I'm not going to wish it away but right now too many things have landed on my plate.
Maybe you relate to this chaos; maybe you do better managing the chaos. I figured I'd get this posting done this morning, because the roofers are coming and will be working right over my head on a section of roof damaged by that storm about a month ago. Then it will even SOUND like chaos.
Doesn't it seem like the world's gone nuts lately. The story that keeps coming to my mind all the time is Mosul. The Christians there had a church and Mass was said there for I think they said 1600 years. Today they have a deadline. Convert to the Islamic faith or die. It's appalling! There are going to be martyrs today in Mosul, like there were martyrs after Christ's death. At least one time or another in our lives, we might have had someone challenge us by saying -- what if someone said it's your life or your faith? With God's perfect plan, we save our lives by losing them in the faith.
The student at Columbine who identified herself as a Christian died as a martyr. Many priests have died for the faith over the years, notably Maximilian Kolbe. In his case, he offered his life to save that of another prisoner in Auschwitz.
When we gather together as Christians at church, we are bolstered and blessed with our togetherness and we are ready to take on the world again. It is the temptations of the world that fall before us every single day and it is those temptations that we must resist.
I'm talking about the lure of materialism for one thing. I'm talking about wasting time on things that don't matter. I'm also talking about busy, busy, busy.
Even we Christians can easily fall into the trap of filling our lives with so much "stuff," even when it is good stuff until we are worn out, tired, and useless for much of anything.
When Mother Teresa was a younger nun, she got permission to go out among the poor. Day after day she would go out and she found herself so moved with pity that she offered others her lunch. Finally, suffering from exhaustion and hunger, one of the older nuns who was taking care of her gave her some very good advice. She told Mother Teresa that she couldn't be of any use to God if she didn't take care of herself. From that day on, Mother Teresa ate her lunch to fuel her body for the work of the Lord.
So let us shoulder our cross today and do the work of the Lord, wherever that may be. And let us not get trapped in too much busy, busy, busy. I'm talking about myself here too!!!
I've also heard that phrase, "ask a busy person." I suppose that means that a busy person might also take on one more job, OR it could mean that the busy person just can't say no. There was a whole book written about how to say no to obligations/invitations/responsibilities. Sometimes it is necessary to say no to preserve sanity and family life.
Well, right now I'm a little bit swamped, so I apologize again for yesterday. Honestly, until I sat down this morning to do the blog, I'd forgotten all about yesterday. Isn't that terrible? But I do want to keep this thing going, and posting daily on a schedule is one of the rules. And I've been messing up.
Not to wish anything away, but once I get the book typed, the class reunion finished, and the craziness of summer, then things will return to a more quiet pace. And then what? That's why I say -- I'm not going to wish it away but right now too many things have landed on my plate.
Maybe you relate to this chaos; maybe you do better managing the chaos. I figured I'd get this posting done this morning, because the roofers are coming and will be working right over my head on a section of roof damaged by that storm about a month ago. Then it will even SOUND like chaos.
Doesn't it seem like the world's gone nuts lately. The story that keeps coming to my mind all the time is Mosul. The Christians there had a church and Mass was said there for I think they said 1600 years. Today they have a deadline. Convert to the Islamic faith or die. It's appalling! There are going to be martyrs today in Mosul, like there were martyrs after Christ's death. At least one time or another in our lives, we might have had someone challenge us by saying -- what if someone said it's your life or your faith? With God's perfect plan, we save our lives by losing them in the faith.
The student at Columbine who identified herself as a Christian died as a martyr. Many priests have died for the faith over the years, notably Maximilian Kolbe. In his case, he offered his life to save that of another prisoner in Auschwitz.
When we gather together as Christians at church, we are bolstered and blessed with our togetherness and we are ready to take on the world again. It is the temptations of the world that fall before us every single day and it is those temptations that we must resist.
I'm talking about the lure of materialism for one thing. I'm talking about wasting time on things that don't matter. I'm also talking about busy, busy, busy.
Even we Christians can easily fall into the trap of filling our lives with so much "stuff," even when it is good stuff until we are worn out, tired, and useless for much of anything.
When Mother Teresa was a younger nun, she got permission to go out among the poor. Day after day she would go out and she found herself so moved with pity that she offered others her lunch. Finally, suffering from exhaustion and hunger, one of the older nuns who was taking care of her gave her some very good advice. She told Mother Teresa that she couldn't be of any use to God if she didn't take care of herself. From that day on, Mother Teresa ate her lunch to fuel her body for the work of the Lord.
So let us shoulder our cross today and do the work of the Lord, wherever that may be. And let us not get trapped in too much busy, busy, busy. I'm talking about myself here too!!!
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Yikes
Yes, it is Wednesday. And yes, there was no new posting yesterday. Because I forgot again.
A little too much on my plate lately, I guess. We went to spend time with my sister on Sunday. On Monday, I took my granddaughter over to her cousins' house for a nice swim and didn't get home until around 4:30 or so. Tired from being out in the heat. Then yesterday morning, I went over to get Ella ready for camp at 6:30 a.m. It was still dark when I left the house!
After I came home on Monday afternoon, I started on a project for someone at The University of Akron. This professor and his colleague wrote a book some years ago about the distribution trap. This would be the situation that companies get into when they decide to sell their products at the big box stores. It would sound like a wonderful way to make buckets of money, but it rarely works out that way. There are some holdouts who have stayed with their original business plan -- one of them being STIHL (chain saws) -- and it has paid off for them. They have a consistently great product and a distribution system that work s well for them.
The reason why my professor friend is doing this is because a publisher wants to come out with the second edition of the book. He realized that he doesn't have any files for it, no computer-generated chapters to work from. So I have to key in the entire book for the two of them and edit it as I go because there are a number of mistakes. It's hard on the back, but yesterday I figured out how to set up my copy holder thingy and use that to prop up the book. This is going to be much, much better. Oh, and I had to figure out how to use the footnote feature in Word which for some amazing reason I never had to use before.
The brain is getting a workout, so maybe you can cut me a little slack about yesterday.
What else did I want to talk about? Well, let's see . . . it's kind of like "Dear Diary," isn't it?
Ummmm on a serious note, did you happen to see the photographs of the people walking through the absolutely breathtaking field of sunflowers looking for bodies from the downed Malaysian jet? It was such a contrast between the beauty and the sadness of it all. More than 200 of those on the plane were Dutch citizens. I just have to wonder why the pilot would want to take that route when several cargo planes had already been shot down in that area, and apparently other pilots have avoided the area in question.
One other story caught my attention a week ago. A Vietnam vet's wheelchair broke in a Lowe's store near quitting time. Several employees found a chair for the man and took his wheelchair apart, reassuring him that they wouldn't quit until it worked again. They fixed it up on their own time and sent the man on his way. The employees were praised by their boss; he was very proud of them and he should be. This is called character!! This is what our country has always been about. It's what inspires me.
So I'm going to pray for these three guys -- and that veteran who did finally get a new wheelchair.
Take care, everyone. Sorry about my lapse.
A little too much on my plate lately, I guess. We went to spend time with my sister on Sunday. On Monday, I took my granddaughter over to her cousins' house for a nice swim and didn't get home until around 4:30 or so. Tired from being out in the heat. Then yesterday morning, I went over to get Ella ready for camp at 6:30 a.m. It was still dark when I left the house!
After I came home on Monday afternoon, I started on a project for someone at The University of Akron. This professor and his colleague wrote a book some years ago about the distribution trap. This would be the situation that companies get into when they decide to sell their products at the big box stores. It would sound like a wonderful way to make buckets of money, but it rarely works out that way. There are some holdouts who have stayed with their original business plan -- one of them being STIHL (chain saws) -- and it has paid off for them. They have a consistently great product and a distribution system that work s well for them.
The reason why my professor friend is doing this is because a publisher wants to come out with the second edition of the book. He realized that he doesn't have any files for it, no computer-generated chapters to work from. So I have to key in the entire book for the two of them and edit it as I go because there are a number of mistakes. It's hard on the back, but yesterday I figured out how to set up my copy holder thingy and use that to prop up the book. This is going to be much, much better. Oh, and I had to figure out how to use the footnote feature in Word which for some amazing reason I never had to use before.
The brain is getting a workout, so maybe you can cut me a little slack about yesterday.
What else did I want to talk about? Well, let's see . . . it's kind of like "Dear Diary," isn't it?
Ummmm on a serious note, did you happen to see the photographs of the people walking through the absolutely breathtaking field of sunflowers looking for bodies from the downed Malaysian jet? It was such a contrast between the beauty and the sadness of it all. More than 200 of those on the plane were Dutch citizens. I just have to wonder why the pilot would want to take that route when several cargo planes had already been shot down in that area, and apparently other pilots have avoided the area in question.
One other story caught my attention a week ago. A Vietnam vet's wheelchair broke in a Lowe's store near quitting time. Several employees found a chair for the man and took his wheelchair apart, reassuring him that they wouldn't quit until it worked again. They fixed it up on their own time and sent the man on his way. The employees were praised by their boss; he was very proud of them and he should be. This is called character!! This is what our country has always been about. It's what inspires me.
So I'm going to pray for these three guys -- and that veteran who did finally get a new wheelchair.
Take care, everyone. Sorry about my lapse.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Challenger
What I love about Challenger baseball is that the parents all get along, no one disputes the calls, and everyone has a wonderful time!
My granddaughter has been playing on the Holly Hills Challenger A's for either three or four years now. She enjoys the games which only last an hour. Each team bats through the order at two at bats, and each team is in the field for two at bats. Pretty simple but effective.
Parents meet other parents who have children with disabilities and have a chance to talk in a language that belongs to them and their families. Some of the children play in wheelchairs, some in walkers, some are able bodied but may have learning disabilities.
When the games are over, each bench clears and meets on the field for congratulations, a show of sportsmanship.
Today is the Challenger league's big tournament which could have been played anywhere in Ohio. It's been held in the Dayton area before, Columbus area, etc. Canton got it this year, and the fields are on Maple Street in North Canton adjacent to the Hoover historic home.
Hope the rain holds off long enough to get some games in!! These kids have been arriving Friday night for a full day of baseball and I hate to see them disappointed. However, when we had opening day at Barr Elementary School and it rained, I've never seen such well behaved children. They were so patient as we waited to see if the games would be called for the morning slot.
I hope you have a great weekend and I'll talk to you again on Tuesday. I can't believe that time has flown so fast! My grandchildren start school on the 19th, 20th, and 21st, respectively. What happened to a full summer break?
What I remember from my grade school years was once Labor Day came, that was it. And the temperatures by that time had already started to shift, the days shortening. The days might shorten these days, but the temperatures hang in there for a couple of weeks into September a lot of times. Must make the kids crazy, wanting to be outside!!
Take care.
My granddaughter has been playing on the Holly Hills Challenger A's for either three or four years now. She enjoys the games which only last an hour. Each team bats through the order at two at bats, and each team is in the field for two at bats. Pretty simple but effective.
Parents meet other parents who have children with disabilities and have a chance to talk in a language that belongs to them and their families. Some of the children play in wheelchairs, some in walkers, some are able bodied but may have learning disabilities.
When the games are over, each bench clears and meets on the field for congratulations, a show of sportsmanship.
Today is the Challenger league's big tournament which could have been played anywhere in Ohio. It's been held in the Dayton area before, Columbus area, etc. Canton got it this year, and the fields are on Maple Street in North Canton adjacent to the Hoover historic home.
Hope the rain holds off long enough to get some games in!! These kids have been arriving Friday night for a full day of baseball and I hate to see them disappointed. However, when we had opening day at Barr Elementary School and it rained, I've never seen such well behaved children. They were so patient as we waited to see if the games would be called for the morning slot.
I hope you have a great weekend and I'll talk to you again on Tuesday. I can't believe that time has flown so fast! My grandchildren start school on the 19th, 20th, and 21st, respectively. What happened to a full summer break?
What I remember from my grade school years was once Labor Day came, that was it. And the temperatures by that time had already started to shift, the days shortening. The days might shorten these days, but the temperatures hang in there for a couple of weeks into September a lot of times. Must make the kids crazy, wanting to be outside!!
Take care.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Chinks in the Armor
According to the legend, Sir Lancelot was an amazing knight but because there was a chink in his armor, the enemy was able to inflict a flesh wound.
So a chink is a vulnerability, a soft spot. We all have them, and some we know well. Other faults have done a good job of hiding and only show themselves in times of extreme stress. That's how the stressful times in our lives test us and help us to know ourselves better.
Going to my class reunion meetings means that I've gotten to know the people I spent the formative years with. And I genuinely like them. But all the way down to my core, whether it blends or not, I am a conservative person. My values were shaped as a child by my wonderful mother who always got to the quick of something. And then moving to this small town and working in a conservative academic department (an oxymoron in some places in the U.S.) for 17 years, my conservatism was well rooted.
The world might not make much sense these days, but my world does. When we are doing our watercolor painting, my friend and I often remember Bob Ross, the television painter, who always says you can make the painting whatever you want -- it's your world.
Wish that were so sometimes, but I have to live in this world and watch the news. The real test of your own belief system is to watch the news and weigh this and that without a lot of distress. That's because down deep, in the soul, you know what's what. Some say that this might be that great and misunderstood gift -- discernment.
Let's set up a scenario here -- a young Christian woman meets a man and he seems like a great guy. BUT, there is just something that doesn't set right for the woman. She just has this feeling that won't go away, won't quit, won't diminish and she follows her feeling. She keeps the relationship superficial and protects herself. He moves on. Maybe one day she finds out that the guy is really bad, or he is married, or he lies. Whatever -- the gift of discernment has given her the opportunity to make a better choice.
The gift of discernment helps us to know with certainty something that has others much in the dark. Sometimes it brings about an awareness that is extremely uncomfortable.
My classmates have experienced the numbing experiences of President Kennedy's death, the War in Vietnam footage, and what I call the "jading" of America, where we tend not to take anything at face value. But we've processed all of those experiences in different ways, and have come up with different conclusions. It's okay. Like I said, I still like them. It just makes me think, that's all.
From a website, yourspiritualgifts.com -- I found this excellent material about discernment:
The spiritual gift of discernment is also known as the gift of "discernment of spirits" or "distinguishing between spirits." The Greek word for the gift of discernment is Diakrisis. The word describes being able to distinguish, discern, judge or appraise a person, statement, situation, or environment. In the New Testament it describes the ability to distinguish between spirits as in 1 Corinthians 12:10, and to discern good and evil as in Hebrews 5:14.
The Holy Spirit gives the gift of discernment to enable certain Christians to clearly recognize and distinguish between the influence of God, Satan, the world, and the flesh in a given situation. The church needs those with this gift to warn believers in times of danger or keep them from being led astray by false teaching. See also I Corinthians 12:10, Acts 5:3-6; 16:16-18; 1 John 4:1.
So you can see that this is a very special gift for a Christian person to have. I pray that you have it.
Enjoy your Friday!!
So a chink is a vulnerability, a soft spot. We all have them, and some we know well. Other faults have done a good job of hiding and only show themselves in times of extreme stress. That's how the stressful times in our lives test us and help us to know ourselves better.
Going to my class reunion meetings means that I've gotten to know the people I spent the formative years with. And I genuinely like them. But all the way down to my core, whether it blends or not, I am a conservative person. My values were shaped as a child by my wonderful mother who always got to the quick of something. And then moving to this small town and working in a conservative academic department (an oxymoron in some places in the U.S.) for 17 years, my conservatism was well rooted.
The world might not make much sense these days, but my world does. When we are doing our watercolor painting, my friend and I often remember Bob Ross, the television painter, who always says you can make the painting whatever you want -- it's your world.
Wish that were so sometimes, but I have to live in this world and watch the news. The real test of your own belief system is to watch the news and weigh this and that without a lot of distress. That's because down deep, in the soul, you know what's what. Some say that this might be that great and misunderstood gift -- discernment.
Let's set up a scenario here -- a young Christian woman meets a man and he seems like a great guy. BUT, there is just something that doesn't set right for the woman. She just has this feeling that won't go away, won't quit, won't diminish and she follows her feeling. She keeps the relationship superficial and protects herself. He moves on. Maybe one day she finds out that the guy is really bad, or he is married, or he lies. Whatever -- the gift of discernment has given her the opportunity to make a better choice.
The gift of discernment helps us to know with certainty something that has others much in the dark. Sometimes it brings about an awareness that is extremely uncomfortable.
My classmates have experienced the numbing experiences of President Kennedy's death, the War in Vietnam footage, and what I call the "jading" of America, where we tend not to take anything at face value. But we've processed all of those experiences in different ways, and have come up with different conclusions. It's okay. Like I said, I still like them. It just makes me think, that's all.
From a website, yourspiritualgifts.com -- I found this excellent material about discernment:
The spiritual gift of discernment is also known as the gift of "discernment of spirits" or "distinguishing between spirits." The Greek word for the gift of discernment is Diakrisis. The word describes being able to distinguish, discern, judge or appraise a person, statement, situation, or environment. In the New Testament it describes the ability to distinguish between spirits as in 1 Corinthians 12:10, and to discern good and evil as in Hebrews 5:14.
The Holy Spirit gives the gift of discernment to enable certain Christians to clearly recognize and distinguish between the influence of God, Satan, the world, and the flesh in a given situation. The church needs those with this gift to warn believers in times of danger or keep them from being led astray by false teaching. See also I Corinthians 12:10, Acts 5:3-6; 16:16-18; 1 John 4:1.
So you can see that this is a very special gift for a Christian person to have. I pray that you have it.
Enjoy your Friday!!
Thursday, July 17, 2014
The Restaurant
Well, let's see. The porch has been many things in the pretend world -- a store, an art studio, an animal sanctuary -- and now, a restaurant.
The cash register was busy as customers purchased their meals at the Nelsen Family Restaurant. I thought I'd go for broke and ordered the Chateau Briand (for one), a Caesar salad, iced tea and for dessert, baked Alaska. Nice. There's no liquor permit or maybe I'd have ordered wine.
I got plastic carrots, a plastic whole chicken, a tiny glass of nothing, and a glob of either ice cream or mashed potatoes -- hard to tell which. Then I used my plastic credit card (a fake) to pay for the plastic meal.
So that's life at the Nelsen Family Restaurant. And there wasn't much going on in the real family restaurant either. Last night I had a can of soup. My husband was off watching a grandchild play ball and I was enjoying a little solitude and quiet.
After a while, I read the newspaper during my time of quiet and found an article that talked about how to prevent Alzheimer's. It's a three-pronged process and there is no absolute formula. Eat healthy, exercise, and do brain games.
Okay, so how are we doing? Can of soup. Sitting on my butt. BUT, I did do the Jumble, the crossword puzzle, and the Sudoku!! I win.
Then an interesting TV program aired. Might have seen it before but it was worth another watch. In Leroy, New York, about 10-15 individuals, almost all teens, began to show signs of something very strange. Tics, seizures, Tourette's symptoms, pain in the joints, headaches, and some other things.
So the medical/psychological community came up with a diagnosis -- some sort of psychogenic disorder that passes from one to another because of stress and near hysteria. Wow. So I really watched the teens as they were filmed, their arms flailing around, their verbal noises, and their obvious distress. I could see a teenager doing something like that for a couple of minutes but not for months. So I felt it was something medical.
So did Erin Brokovich's group that came in and did all kinds of tests, including tests on the athletic playing field. Although Brokovich still believed that there was some contamination, tests proved negative.
The cure wasn't 100% in one direction or another. Some of the teens got an antibiotic that was designed to treat a strep throat that morphed into some kind of neurological event. And they did well, almost completely recovered.
The other group got counseling and other types of interventions, and in time, they also recovered.
One girl who did not recover immediately was diagnosed with Lyme Disease complications. She could talk well, but every sentence was interrupted by an, "Ent, Ent, Ent," sound. Lyme Disease does sound logical. We still don't know that much about Lyme Disease, caused by the bite of an affected tick but we know that it can cause sore joints and a host of other symptoms. So who knew that ticks could cause tics?
At any rate, the world isn't watching Leroy anymore, and I think Leroy is probably pretty happy about that.
The cash register was busy as customers purchased their meals at the Nelsen Family Restaurant. I thought I'd go for broke and ordered the Chateau Briand (for one), a Caesar salad, iced tea and for dessert, baked Alaska. Nice. There's no liquor permit or maybe I'd have ordered wine.
I got plastic carrots, a plastic whole chicken, a tiny glass of nothing, and a glob of either ice cream or mashed potatoes -- hard to tell which. Then I used my plastic credit card (a fake) to pay for the plastic meal.
So that's life at the Nelsen Family Restaurant. And there wasn't much going on in the real family restaurant either. Last night I had a can of soup. My husband was off watching a grandchild play ball and I was enjoying a little solitude and quiet.
After a while, I read the newspaper during my time of quiet and found an article that talked about how to prevent Alzheimer's. It's a three-pronged process and there is no absolute formula. Eat healthy, exercise, and do brain games.
Okay, so how are we doing? Can of soup. Sitting on my butt. BUT, I did do the Jumble, the crossword puzzle, and the Sudoku!! I win.
Then an interesting TV program aired. Might have seen it before but it was worth another watch. In Leroy, New York, about 10-15 individuals, almost all teens, began to show signs of something very strange. Tics, seizures, Tourette's symptoms, pain in the joints, headaches, and some other things.
So the medical/psychological community came up with a diagnosis -- some sort of psychogenic disorder that passes from one to another because of stress and near hysteria. Wow. So I really watched the teens as they were filmed, their arms flailing around, their verbal noises, and their obvious distress. I could see a teenager doing something like that for a couple of minutes but not for months. So I felt it was something medical.
So did Erin Brokovich's group that came in and did all kinds of tests, including tests on the athletic playing field. Although Brokovich still believed that there was some contamination, tests proved negative.
The cure wasn't 100% in one direction or another. Some of the teens got an antibiotic that was designed to treat a strep throat that morphed into some kind of neurological event. And they did well, almost completely recovered.
The other group got counseling and other types of interventions, and in time, they also recovered.
One girl who did not recover immediately was diagnosed with Lyme Disease complications. She could talk well, but every sentence was interrupted by an, "Ent, Ent, Ent," sound. Lyme Disease does sound logical. We still don't know that much about Lyme Disease, caused by the bite of an affected tick but we know that it can cause sore joints and a host of other symptoms. So who knew that ticks could cause tics?
At any rate, the world isn't watching Leroy anymore, and I think Leroy is probably pretty happy about that.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
The Most Important Invitation
(Hi everyone. Went to Cleveland yesterday for my class reunion committee and messed up! Forgot to upload the posting I'd prepared in advance. So sorry. Here it is.)
Our priest, Father Kevin, talked about a painting he saw many years ago. He said it pictured Jesus and a door. He stared at it for quite some time and couldn't figure out the significance of it. Someone asked him, "What's missing in the picture?"
As he stared at the door, he realized that there was no door knob on Jesus' side of the door. In other words, the invitation that God gives to us won't go anywhere until we open that door -- Father Kevin said even a crack.
God won't force Himself on us. He "invites" us to a relationship with Him. He wants us desperately to answer that knock at the door, that invitation. It's opening that door even just a tiny little bit that starts a wonderful transformation.
I was re-reading "Heaven is For Real," the other day and the book just speaks volumes about God's creation. There was a scene where the father and the son were talking and the father asked the son about what happens in heaven at night. The little boy said something like, "Dad, where did you hear that? There is no night in heaven. God's light keeps away the darkness."
The movie has gotten good reviews and I really want to see it. It is probably out in DVD format and perhaps on Pay Per View by now, I would imagine. Different individuals can argue this or that about the book, but this one small book has given a lot of people joy and hope. It is written simply, without footnotes and dissertations. It is a call to the heart.
Another movie I want to see is the one about the student who is given a hard time by his college professor for his belief in God. He has to debate in order to get the grade he wants. The movie is called, "God's Not Dead."
I remember the first time I heard that the philosopher, Nietzsche, proclaimed the words, "God Is Dead." As though the world had been left behind in a heap of darkness and decay by a mortal God. The sad thing is that many college students took that message to heart. I would imagine that they saw proof of it in the wars and insurrections, the moral depravity of some individuals, the Hitlers and Stalins. But our God is not dead!!
So again, we return to that statement -- God doesn't force Himself on us. He invites us.
The invitation might get some reinforcement from people God puts in our path whose example or kindness or generosity speaks to God's goodness and His presence. He never gives up on us, ever.
Father Kevin told us to ask Jesus for a word after Communion, in other words for Jesus to bring to our minds a verse from the Word of God -- the Bible. Well, here is the interesting thing.
Weeks and weeks ago, we selected the songs for July 13, 2014. The song we chose for right after Communion? -- "Speak Lord." Yep. And there are NO coincidences in this life. I see that more and more as I get older.
Check out the movies I mentioned, and you won't regret the decision to see them.
Our priest, Father Kevin, talked about a painting he saw many years ago. He said it pictured Jesus and a door. He stared at it for quite some time and couldn't figure out the significance of it. Someone asked him, "What's missing in the picture?"
As he stared at the door, he realized that there was no door knob on Jesus' side of the door. In other words, the invitation that God gives to us won't go anywhere until we open that door -- Father Kevin said even a crack.
God won't force Himself on us. He "invites" us to a relationship with Him. He wants us desperately to answer that knock at the door, that invitation. It's opening that door even just a tiny little bit that starts a wonderful transformation.
I was re-reading "Heaven is For Real," the other day and the book just speaks volumes about God's creation. There was a scene where the father and the son were talking and the father asked the son about what happens in heaven at night. The little boy said something like, "Dad, where did you hear that? There is no night in heaven. God's light keeps away the darkness."
The movie has gotten good reviews and I really want to see it. It is probably out in DVD format and perhaps on Pay Per View by now, I would imagine. Different individuals can argue this or that about the book, but this one small book has given a lot of people joy and hope. It is written simply, without footnotes and dissertations. It is a call to the heart.
Another movie I want to see is the one about the student who is given a hard time by his college professor for his belief in God. He has to debate in order to get the grade he wants. The movie is called, "God's Not Dead."
I remember the first time I heard that the philosopher, Nietzsche, proclaimed the words, "God Is Dead." As though the world had been left behind in a heap of darkness and decay by a mortal God. The sad thing is that many college students took that message to heart. I would imagine that they saw proof of it in the wars and insurrections, the moral depravity of some individuals, the Hitlers and Stalins. But our God is not dead!!
So again, we return to that statement -- God doesn't force Himself on us. He invites us.
The invitation might get some reinforcement from people God puts in our path whose example or kindness or generosity speaks to God's goodness and His presence. He never gives up on us, ever.
Father Kevin told us to ask Jesus for a word after Communion, in other words for Jesus to bring to our minds a verse from the Word of God -- the Bible. Well, here is the interesting thing.
Weeks and weeks ago, we selected the songs for July 13, 2014. The song we chose for right after Communion? -- "Speak Lord." Yep. And there are NO coincidences in this life. I see that more and more as I get older.
Check out the movies I mentioned, and you won't regret the decision to see them.
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Destruction
Well, now the ISIS troops went and did it!!! They are going after the holy places in Iraq and Syria, destroying temples, mosques and churches, smashing tombs, and promising to head to Mecca.
For a Muslim person, Mecca is the holy of holies. A Muslim is to make it a priority to go to Mecca once in their lifetime at least. The rock that Muhammad used as a cornerstone for the mosque in Mecca is still there, having been stolen once but finally returned after paying a hefty ransom.
I told my husband the other night that ISIS would destroy itself from within, because there is too much money, too much testosterone, too much anger. They would never remain unified. It appears that perhaps I was right. So now what they are doing has angered some of the other factions, and even other Sunnis who more or less let them have a pass in Iraq.
It's going to get messy in the Middle East. It's a civil war.
The planet is like a checkerboard right now -- with problems here and problems there. Pick a spot and there's a problem.
It shouldn't have surprised me yesterday when the Friday Akron Beacon Journal covered Lebron not making up his mind (and then he did), and all sorts of other stuff on the front page and yet not one article on the front page dealt with some of the most serious issues that face US and the WORLD.
One article on the conflict in Israel and Palestine was on page A-6..
So if we relied on the ABJ in this household to know what's going on in the world, we wouldn't have one single clue.
Well, enough about all of that for a minute. Remember Ecclesiastes? There is a purpose for everything under heaven? There is a reason. There is a time to be born and a time to die? A time for war and a time for peace? Ecclesiastes puts things into perspective in a poetic, rhythmic way. It's probably my favorite book in the Old Testament. There is a calm about it, a foreshadowing of the peace that Jesus brought to us by living on the earth, dying, returning to heaven and then sending the Holy Spirit.
This is the famous Rudyard Kipling poem that deals with the ups and downs of life and how we can control the only thing we can control -- ourselves!!
IF -- by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;
If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son!
Kipling was a Christian man, and critics blast him for that in various ways. I won't.
Have a wonderful Saturday and I'll see you Tuesday.
For a Muslim person, Mecca is the holy of holies. A Muslim is to make it a priority to go to Mecca once in their lifetime at least. The rock that Muhammad used as a cornerstone for the mosque in Mecca is still there, having been stolen once but finally returned after paying a hefty ransom.
I told my husband the other night that ISIS would destroy itself from within, because there is too much money, too much testosterone, too much anger. They would never remain unified. It appears that perhaps I was right. So now what they are doing has angered some of the other factions, and even other Sunnis who more or less let them have a pass in Iraq.
It's going to get messy in the Middle East. It's a civil war.
The planet is like a checkerboard right now -- with problems here and problems there. Pick a spot and there's a problem.
It shouldn't have surprised me yesterday when the Friday Akron Beacon Journal covered Lebron not making up his mind (and then he did), and all sorts of other stuff on the front page and yet not one article on the front page dealt with some of the most serious issues that face US and the WORLD.
One article on the conflict in Israel and Palestine was on page A-6..
So if we relied on the ABJ in this household to know what's going on in the world, we wouldn't have one single clue.
Well, enough about all of that for a minute. Remember Ecclesiastes? There is a purpose for everything under heaven? There is a reason. There is a time to be born and a time to die? A time for war and a time for peace? Ecclesiastes puts things into perspective in a poetic, rhythmic way. It's probably my favorite book in the Old Testament. There is a calm about it, a foreshadowing of the peace that Jesus brought to us by living on the earth, dying, returning to heaven and then sending the Holy Spirit.
This is the famous Rudyard Kipling poem that deals with the ups and downs of life and how we can control the only thing we can control -- ourselves!!
IF -- by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;
If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son!
Kipling was a Christian man, and critics blast him for that in various ways. I won't.
Have a wonderful Saturday and I'll see you Tuesday.
Friday, July 11, 2014
Mowing
No more putting it off, today I mow my share of the grass. We have a division of labor in this household and my section of grass is the area in the front of the house that borders the gully. It's not really that bad, but there is a slight incline which makes for a good cardio workout before I finish.
My husband's part is worse and includes a very steep slope that gets slippery when it has rained, and another slope on the far side of the house which also gets slippery. So all in all, I'll be happy to do my part and be done with it.
My friend down the street, and this is what is neat about small towns, has a pocket farm. They have about a half acre of land and absolutely make the most of it, with two garden areas, lovely flowers and bushes, roses, bird feeders and trees. She gave me some delicious black raspberries the other day and I have no idea where they found the space for them. It's an amazing little garden.
She also has moon flowers. Have you ever seen them? They bloom at night and are bright and almost pure white. In the early morning, they are still open and make a beautiful contrast with the green grass and the shrubbery nearby. Her husband dug up a root for me and we planted it, but you know the winter we had? Well, I'd guess that the root froze, just like a lot of other plants that we lost.
My friend and I go walking on Wednesday morning. We have a regular route that we take, one that is designed to avoid any homes with scary dogs that might not be secured. We are both afraid of dogs, I'm sorry to say. She had one drag her off of a bike when she was little, and I had one jump on me when I was little and another that bit me. Being fairly quick learners, we have spent the rest of our lives staying clear of dogs. While she grew up on a farm and they had dogs, I've never owned a dog.
There is a pure white cat on our route that matches the moon flowers. The first time we saw the cat, it was friendly and let me pet it. The second time it was very skiddish and took off. The worst part of the walk is when we have to navigate down Akron Avenue (Route 236) while cars and trucks whiz by. And then the next worst part is the hill that takes us to my friend's house. It's another cardio workout.
This has been a good summer for walking and it's been a great summer for my porch. It hadn't been used all that much and I felt guilty and wasteful every time I looked at it. But this summer, I've spent a lot of time out there doing watercolors and also my granddaughter has been playing out there. Now I'm so glad that we have it. It is like a little sanctuary where the outside has come inside but there aren't any annoying bugs.
Well, hope that you are getting outside too, and taking in the beautiful weather.
Today I pray that all of you are well and joyful!! Take care.
My husband's part is worse and includes a very steep slope that gets slippery when it has rained, and another slope on the far side of the house which also gets slippery. So all in all, I'll be happy to do my part and be done with it.
My friend down the street, and this is what is neat about small towns, has a pocket farm. They have about a half acre of land and absolutely make the most of it, with two garden areas, lovely flowers and bushes, roses, bird feeders and trees. She gave me some delicious black raspberries the other day and I have no idea where they found the space for them. It's an amazing little garden.
She also has moon flowers. Have you ever seen them? They bloom at night and are bright and almost pure white. In the early morning, they are still open and make a beautiful contrast with the green grass and the shrubbery nearby. Her husband dug up a root for me and we planted it, but you know the winter we had? Well, I'd guess that the root froze, just like a lot of other plants that we lost.
My friend and I go walking on Wednesday morning. We have a regular route that we take, one that is designed to avoid any homes with scary dogs that might not be secured. We are both afraid of dogs, I'm sorry to say. She had one drag her off of a bike when she was little, and I had one jump on me when I was little and another that bit me. Being fairly quick learners, we have spent the rest of our lives staying clear of dogs. While she grew up on a farm and they had dogs, I've never owned a dog.
There is a pure white cat on our route that matches the moon flowers. The first time we saw the cat, it was friendly and let me pet it. The second time it was very skiddish and took off. The worst part of the walk is when we have to navigate down Akron Avenue (Route 236) while cars and trucks whiz by. And then the next worst part is the hill that takes us to my friend's house. It's another cardio workout.
This has been a good summer for walking and it's been a great summer for my porch. It hadn't been used all that much and I felt guilty and wasteful every time I looked at it. But this summer, I've spent a lot of time out there doing watercolors and also my granddaughter has been playing out there. Now I'm so glad that we have it. It is like a little sanctuary where the outside has come inside but there aren't any annoying bugs.
Well, hope that you are getting outside too, and taking in the beautiful weather.
Today I pray that all of you are well and joyful!! Take care.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Slugs
Yes, I'll have to admit that God created slugs too. There must be a reason but honestly, just like mosquitoes, I can't think of one.
My zinnias are being chewed up by something and so I was on the warpath the other day. First, I sprinkled salt around the bottom of the pot that was getting the worst of it. Then it rained and there went the salt. Then I went to the store and bought slug bait and sprinkled it all about, including around some hostas that usually look like lace by the end of summer.
And then my curiosity aroused at how many slugs we actually have, I poured some old beer into two containers and left them outside for the night.
In the morning as my husband left for the bank or an errand somewhere, he mentioned that there were no slugs in the bowls of beer. Hmmmm. When I went outside about 30 minutes later, there were no slugs, and there was no beer.
So now on top of something eating the zinnias, we have an alcoholic raccoon out there presumably sleeping it off. I hope it made him feel awful!!
As my one son always says, you can't do things in the usual way at this house because we are out in the country. Very true. While we do have neighbors, you can really only see one house from ours. And there are 20 acres of land around us, home to all kinds of critters some of which I don't really want to know anything about.
There is no taming it. There is only holding it back, keeping it at bay.
At the old house where we lived, a stubborn bird kept trying to make a nest on top of one of those porch lights. Thing is, it had a big pokey thing sticking out of the top. How comfortable would that be? Well, she dragged mud and twigs over to the spot and made a big mess of it, and not only that, she was getting a little crazy when we went out the front door. So we had to rip it out.
And she came back again, and then she came back again. I hope she didn't "deliver" the eggs on the ground somewhere, but her location just wasn't working out for anyone.
We can learn a lot about ourselves by observing nature. Animals can be just as stubborn as we are. In the Bible, it talks about "stiff-necked people." Aren't we stiff-necked sometimes? We won't bend, give ourselves over to God's providence. We won't trust. We try to do it on our own. And especially, we won't admit when we are wrong.
Today, let us bend to our God, give him our ear, and pray that we can learn something special today.
My zinnias are being chewed up by something and so I was on the warpath the other day. First, I sprinkled salt around the bottom of the pot that was getting the worst of it. Then it rained and there went the salt. Then I went to the store and bought slug bait and sprinkled it all about, including around some hostas that usually look like lace by the end of summer.
And then my curiosity aroused at how many slugs we actually have, I poured some old beer into two containers and left them outside for the night.
In the morning as my husband left for the bank or an errand somewhere, he mentioned that there were no slugs in the bowls of beer. Hmmmm. When I went outside about 30 minutes later, there were no slugs, and there was no beer.
So now on top of something eating the zinnias, we have an alcoholic raccoon out there presumably sleeping it off. I hope it made him feel awful!!
As my one son always says, you can't do things in the usual way at this house because we are out in the country. Very true. While we do have neighbors, you can really only see one house from ours. And there are 20 acres of land around us, home to all kinds of critters some of which I don't really want to know anything about.
There is no taming it. There is only holding it back, keeping it at bay.
At the old house where we lived, a stubborn bird kept trying to make a nest on top of one of those porch lights. Thing is, it had a big pokey thing sticking out of the top. How comfortable would that be? Well, she dragged mud and twigs over to the spot and made a big mess of it, and not only that, she was getting a little crazy when we went out the front door. So we had to rip it out.
And she came back again, and then she came back again. I hope she didn't "deliver" the eggs on the ground somewhere, but her location just wasn't working out for anyone.
We can learn a lot about ourselves by observing nature. Animals can be just as stubborn as we are. In the Bible, it talks about "stiff-necked people." Aren't we stiff-necked sometimes? We won't bend, give ourselves over to God's providence. We won't trust. We try to do it on our own. And especially, we won't admit when we are wrong.
Today, let us bend to our God, give him our ear, and pray that we can learn something special today.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Is it Accommodation?
In the Akron Beacon Journal on Monday, July 7th, an article by Mark Sherman and Rachel Zoll on the front page about the court cases regarding contraception and nonprofits caught my eye.
The third paragraph states, "The issue in more than four dozen lawsuits from faith-affiliated charities, colleges and hospitals that oppose some or all contraception as immoral is how far the Obama administration must go to accommodate them."
Does anything about that sentence kind of jump out at you? It did me -- and especially the use of the word 'accommodate.'
What all of these lawsuits have in common is that they call into question the Affordable Health Care Act (or Obamacare) as far as how it oversteps the constitution in the case of faith-affiliated institutions. For me, equating the overstepping of the constitution to the remedy that the Obama administration must come up with is not accommodation -- it is a case of law.
The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "accommodating" as "willing to please", and mentions as a synonym, "obliging." Obamacare is either in compliance with the Constitution or it is not. Period. Of course, it would seem that the administration did overstep its bounds and I have a hard time believing any of their rhetoric now anyways. Like when the president said, "If you like your health care plan, you can keep it," and he followed it up with. "Period." And we know how that turned out.
As the provisions of the healthcare law became understood, the president was warned that there would be trouble from faith-affiliated groups and he did nothing to work with the dissenters. The suits were brought about because no one would talk or listen to the faith-based institutions.
The recent Hobby Lobby case which was ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby by the U.S. Supreme Court would have forced this Christian-owned company to offer all 20 of the drugs on the Obamacare list dealing with preventing pregnancy or in stopping a pregnancy that just got started. Hobby Lobby was more than willing to provide its employees with 16 of the 20, but were unwilling to provide four drugs -- the ones that essentially force a spontaneous abortion of a fertilized embryo. Many hail this ruling as a sign that the court is trying to curtail this president's power grab. (As of this morning, Harry Reid has vowed that they will be doing something about this. Such arrogance!!)
The court's prior ruling, the one that found that all of his Labor Relations Board appointments were illegal, since they were made while the Senate was in session, was ruled on by a 9-0 vote, meaning that even the president's own appointees to the court ruled against his actions.
All of this should signal that we have a problem here, and there are indications that it may be growing. There are indications that in some instances states are going to take over for where the federal officials are not acting, such as in the case of illegal aliens being bused into the United States and dropped off somewhere with no food, money or a place to stay. With a paper in hand that tells them to report to an immigration official within 15 days. Guess how many don't? One place where three buses arrived a population of 5,000 people. Really? Why can't this president act to make it legal to turn the buses around and send them back?
The drug cartels are taking money from the people to come to the United States. Newspapers in various Central American countries told citizens that this is the time to go -- that no one would stop them and they could get into the country. The newspapers promised an education and opportunities in America at a time when we as a country are struggling to provide for ourselves.
One man who was interviewed was asked about compassion. He said that he is a compassionate person but that his town has absolutely nowhere to put the people on the buses, and that to allow them entry would be completely without compassion.
Here's something that really got to me -- the drug cartels coach the children to say that they were abused or that they were fleeing gangs because they know that America is a caring place and that we protect our children. In truth, the children on the buses are coming because someone saw an open door.
How many years have citizens been saying that they want the border secured? Why is it six or eight years later and the border is still not secure? How many years have citizens been telling their elected officials that they want American energy independent? If we would have started along that road back in the 1970s, where would we be now?
Yes, I wrote a column about my love for America, and I do love my country. But I don't like what is going on right now and I'm concerned about the direction this president is taking us in. That's plain and simple.
If you get a chance and want to understand a little better the differences between liberal and conservative and messages and miscommunication, go see "America," now playing in theaters in this area. It will help you understand so much better than I could ever explain in this posting.
God bless you, God bless America, God guide America.
The third paragraph states, "The issue in more than four dozen lawsuits from faith-affiliated charities, colleges and hospitals that oppose some or all contraception as immoral is how far the Obama administration must go to accommodate them."
Does anything about that sentence kind of jump out at you? It did me -- and especially the use of the word 'accommodate.'
What all of these lawsuits have in common is that they call into question the Affordable Health Care Act (or Obamacare) as far as how it oversteps the constitution in the case of faith-affiliated institutions. For me, equating the overstepping of the constitution to the remedy that the Obama administration must come up with is not accommodation -- it is a case of law.
The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "accommodating" as "willing to please", and mentions as a synonym, "obliging." Obamacare is either in compliance with the Constitution or it is not. Period. Of course, it would seem that the administration did overstep its bounds and I have a hard time believing any of their rhetoric now anyways. Like when the president said, "If you like your health care plan, you can keep it," and he followed it up with. "Period." And we know how that turned out.
As the provisions of the healthcare law became understood, the president was warned that there would be trouble from faith-affiliated groups and he did nothing to work with the dissenters. The suits were brought about because no one would talk or listen to the faith-based institutions.
The recent Hobby Lobby case which was ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby by the U.S. Supreme Court would have forced this Christian-owned company to offer all 20 of the drugs on the Obamacare list dealing with preventing pregnancy or in stopping a pregnancy that just got started. Hobby Lobby was more than willing to provide its employees with 16 of the 20, but were unwilling to provide four drugs -- the ones that essentially force a spontaneous abortion of a fertilized embryo. Many hail this ruling as a sign that the court is trying to curtail this president's power grab. (As of this morning, Harry Reid has vowed that they will be doing something about this. Such arrogance!!)
The court's prior ruling, the one that found that all of his Labor Relations Board appointments were illegal, since they were made while the Senate was in session, was ruled on by a 9-0 vote, meaning that even the president's own appointees to the court ruled against his actions.
All of this should signal that we have a problem here, and there are indications that it may be growing. There are indications that in some instances states are going to take over for where the federal officials are not acting, such as in the case of illegal aliens being bused into the United States and dropped off somewhere with no food, money or a place to stay. With a paper in hand that tells them to report to an immigration official within 15 days. Guess how many don't? One place where three buses arrived a population of 5,000 people. Really? Why can't this president act to make it legal to turn the buses around and send them back?
The drug cartels are taking money from the people to come to the United States. Newspapers in various Central American countries told citizens that this is the time to go -- that no one would stop them and they could get into the country. The newspapers promised an education and opportunities in America at a time when we as a country are struggling to provide for ourselves.
One man who was interviewed was asked about compassion. He said that he is a compassionate person but that his town has absolutely nowhere to put the people on the buses, and that to allow them entry would be completely without compassion.
Here's something that really got to me -- the drug cartels coach the children to say that they were abused or that they were fleeing gangs because they know that America is a caring place and that we protect our children. In truth, the children on the buses are coming because someone saw an open door.
How many years have citizens been saying that they want the border secured? Why is it six or eight years later and the border is still not secure? How many years have citizens been telling their elected officials that they want American energy independent? If we would have started along that road back in the 1970s, where would we be now?
Yes, I wrote a column about my love for America, and I do love my country. But I don't like what is going on right now and I'm concerned about the direction this president is taking us in. That's plain and simple.
If you get a chance and want to understand a little better the differences between liberal and conservative and messages and miscommunication, go see "America," now playing in theaters in this area. It will help you understand so much better than I could ever explain in this posting.
God bless you, God bless America, God guide America.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Fran Sapper
Today is the funeral of Frances Sapper. Not too many people ever met Frannie.
Years ago our church decided to participate in something called "Renew." It was a way for people to get to know people, and for people to share their faith with one another. I decided to join.
The sessions were held at the home of a former neighbor on a weeknight each week. As we began to organize these meetings, someone told me that a neighbor of mine wanted to come but didn't like to drive in the dark and needed a ride. It was Ann Sapper and I said, sure, I'd pick her up and bring her to the meetings. I'd never met Ann before.
Ann lived in a split level home just on the other side of Akron Avenue with her two daughters, Joan and Frances. Ann's life was a labor of love, as she was now a widow raising two grown girls who were severely developmentally disabled. As we drove along the two-lane road to the meetings, Ann slowly shared with me the details of her life and she talked matter-of-factly, never asking for pity. She explained that she had stopped going to church when one of the girls threw a prayer book one Sunday and raised a ruckus. From that point on, she started tuning into the Mass for shut-ins each Sunday.
Clearly enjoying the company of other adults, Ann relished her short time away from home but became concerned if the meetings went on a little too long. She needed to get home to the girls, to be sure that they were all right. Joan had the mental age of about three or so. Apparently, Frances was born with severe cataracts and back in 1930 they didn't know what to do for her. She was legally blind her whole life. Joan suffered from autism and was developmentally delayed. At the funeral this morning, Fr. Kevin said that after Ann's husband died in 1965, she had to go back to work and she put Joan in charge of Frances, a job she did well even though she couldn't see well at all.
Fr. said that Frances was a bit of a fashion plate and told people that if she'd been able to see, she would have liked to design dresses. She also loved trivial pursuit and played the game with staffers at Gas Light.
Everyone worried about what was going to happen to the girls when Ann's health failed, but she had that all figured out. All three of them moved to Gas Light Villa on Highmill Road at the same time, leaving their cozy home. Ann reasoned that the girls would know the familiarity of the place and although they would surely miss her, they would be surrounded by people whom they'd seen nearly every day. They would also be able to attend services there and receive Communion.
Ann was indeed the first to go. And then some years later Joan at age 75. And now the baby, Frances.
A friend of mine told me that Frances was awakened for the fourth of July, like she was every morning, and she was dressed in her red, white and blue. And then mysteriously without any warning, she died wearing the colors of her country.
I can't imagine anyone who didn't think what I did -- that the three of them are all together now with Jesus. It's so comforting and wonderful to know that the girls who grew up at a time when children like them weren't well received have been received with overwhelming joy in heaven by a God who doesn't measure us by IQ tests and milestones, but envelopes us with His amazing outpouring of love.
Ann asked me into the house on one occasion, and Frances and Joan were curious and friendly. They were engaging and clearly well cared for. Their mother was proud of them and did what she could to help them, sending them to Whippledale School. She knew every nuance of their personalities, their individual likes and dislikes, their capabilities and their limitations.
The funeral today is going to be one of celebration, because like the prodigal son come home, the last of the trio has arrived and Ann is rejoicing in heaven with both of her girls.
God bless the staff of Gas Light Villa for all of the kindness and care they gave to Ann, Joan and Frances for their work was also a labor of love.
Years ago our church decided to participate in something called "Renew." It was a way for people to get to know people, and for people to share their faith with one another. I decided to join.
The sessions were held at the home of a former neighbor on a weeknight each week. As we began to organize these meetings, someone told me that a neighbor of mine wanted to come but didn't like to drive in the dark and needed a ride. It was Ann Sapper and I said, sure, I'd pick her up and bring her to the meetings. I'd never met Ann before.
Ann lived in a split level home just on the other side of Akron Avenue with her two daughters, Joan and Frances. Ann's life was a labor of love, as she was now a widow raising two grown girls who were severely developmentally disabled. As we drove along the two-lane road to the meetings, Ann slowly shared with me the details of her life and she talked matter-of-factly, never asking for pity. She explained that she had stopped going to church when one of the girls threw a prayer book one Sunday and raised a ruckus. From that point on, she started tuning into the Mass for shut-ins each Sunday.
Clearly enjoying the company of other adults, Ann relished her short time away from home but became concerned if the meetings went on a little too long. She needed to get home to the girls, to be sure that they were all right. Joan had the mental age of about three or so. Apparently, Frances was born with severe cataracts and back in 1930 they didn't know what to do for her. She was legally blind her whole life. Joan suffered from autism and was developmentally delayed. At the funeral this morning, Fr. Kevin said that after Ann's husband died in 1965, she had to go back to work and she put Joan in charge of Frances, a job she did well even though she couldn't see well at all.
Fr. said that Frances was a bit of a fashion plate and told people that if she'd been able to see, she would have liked to design dresses. She also loved trivial pursuit and played the game with staffers at Gas Light.
Everyone worried about what was going to happen to the girls when Ann's health failed, but she had that all figured out. All three of them moved to Gas Light Villa on Highmill Road at the same time, leaving their cozy home. Ann reasoned that the girls would know the familiarity of the place and although they would surely miss her, they would be surrounded by people whom they'd seen nearly every day. They would also be able to attend services there and receive Communion.
Ann was indeed the first to go. And then some years later Joan at age 75. And now the baby, Frances.
A friend of mine told me that Frances was awakened for the fourth of July, like she was every morning, and she was dressed in her red, white and blue. And then mysteriously without any warning, she died wearing the colors of her country.
I can't imagine anyone who didn't think what I did -- that the three of them are all together now with Jesus. It's so comforting and wonderful to know that the girls who grew up at a time when children like them weren't well received have been received with overwhelming joy in heaven by a God who doesn't measure us by IQ tests and milestones, but envelopes us with His amazing outpouring of love.
Ann asked me into the house on one occasion, and Frances and Joan were curious and friendly. They were engaging and clearly well cared for. Their mother was proud of them and did what she could to help them, sending them to Whippledale School. She knew every nuance of their personalities, their individual likes and dislikes, their capabilities and their limitations.
The funeral today is going to be one of celebration, because like the prodigal son come home, the last of the trio has arrived and Ann is rejoicing in heaven with both of her girls.
God bless the staff of Gas Light Villa for all of the kindness and care they gave to Ann, Joan and Frances for their work was also a labor of love.
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Fireworks
Last night we went to Cleveland via the television screen and watched a gorgeous fireworks show. There were some aerial fireworks that I'd never seen before.
There were some that seemed to depict a bow, others that burst like stars, and still others that painted squiggles in the sky.
In the background were playing some of the songs that tell the story of our love for America.
When did you start loving America? I was thinking about that last night while we watched the "bombs bursting in air." Can you think of a moment when that realization came to you? Maybe for me it started with the Memorial Day parade in Fairview Park, Ohio, where I was raised. When I marched in that parade as a Girl Scout.
Maybe it was at Girl Scout camp when at the end of a tiring day we would gather around the flag and sing, "Day is done, gone the sun, from the lake, from the hills, from the sky. All is well, safely rest. God is nigh."
Maybe it was at President Kennedy's inauguration when he called Americans to an active life of service.
Maybe it was when we gathered together and sang the National Anthem.
Whatever the circumstances, I developed a deep love for this country. I haven't had to travel the length and breadth of her to know that it is an amazing land. The extremes of hot and cold, the vegetation ranging from cacti to huge redwoods. Bodies of water enormous, medium, and small. Flat lands and high mountains.
One of our graduate students at The University of Akron came from Latvia. She and a couple of friends decided to take a road trip across a few states. When she returned from that trip, she had many interesting things to say, but one of them was that she could not believe how kind and friendly Americans are. She said that they experienced some car trouble and people came to their aid. She has returned to Latvia where she is in real estate, but she continues to have a deep respect for the United States. I saw our country through her eyes and it made me even more proud than I already was.
But I am an Ohioan and here I shall remain.
Last night as I looked out the bedroom window at sunset, the yellow rays of the waning sun were casting amazing shadows through the trees and bathing everything below in a beautiful glow. Another beautiful day in Ohio, and the corn is nearly knee high.
God bless America. God keep America. God, listen to our prayers for America.
There were some that seemed to depict a bow, others that burst like stars, and still others that painted squiggles in the sky.
In the background were playing some of the songs that tell the story of our love for America.
When did you start loving America? I was thinking about that last night while we watched the "bombs bursting in air." Can you think of a moment when that realization came to you? Maybe for me it started with the Memorial Day parade in Fairview Park, Ohio, where I was raised. When I marched in that parade as a Girl Scout.
Maybe it was at Girl Scout camp when at the end of a tiring day we would gather around the flag and sing, "Day is done, gone the sun, from the lake, from the hills, from the sky. All is well, safely rest. God is nigh."
Maybe it was at President Kennedy's inauguration when he called Americans to an active life of service.
Maybe it was when we gathered together and sang the National Anthem.
Whatever the circumstances, I developed a deep love for this country. I haven't had to travel the length and breadth of her to know that it is an amazing land. The extremes of hot and cold, the vegetation ranging from cacti to huge redwoods. Bodies of water enormous, medium, and small. Flat lands and high mountains.
One of our graduate students at The University of Akron came from Latvia. She and a couple of friends decided to take a road trip across a few states. When she returned from that trip, she had many interesting things to say, but one of them was that she could not believe how kind and friendly Americans are. She said that they experienced some car trouble and people came to their aid. She has returned to Latvia where she is in real estate, but she continues to have a deep respect for the United States. I saw our country through her eyes and it made me even more proud than I already was.
But I am an Ohioan and here I shall remain.
Last night as I looked out the bedroom window at sunset, the yellow rays of the waning sun were casting amazing shadows through the trees and bathing everything below in a beautiful glow. Another beautiful day in Ohio, and the corn is nearly knee high.
God bless America. God keep America. God, listen to our prayers for America.
Friday, July 4, 2014
Happy Fourth
Today we remember that on July 4, 1776, the Thirteen Colonies declared their independence from Britain. Thomas Jefferson was the principal author, and the measure was passed by the Second Continental Congress and actually signed about a month later.
Two of the signers, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, later became president and incredibly died on July 4. James Madison, one of our founding fathers, also died on July 4.
John Adams wrote to his wife that the event should be commemorated from this time onward, with "pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations." And so it has always been.
The men who signed the Declaration suffered much for it and many of them lost everything before the fighting was over. Their improbable victory over England was awe inspiring to many, but the victory was in part possible because they got help with military advice and fighting men from France.
Bill Ayers, whom I wrote about yesterday, said in his interview with Megyn Kelly that he is not proud to be an American, and he cited a number of different times in our country's past where he felt we made terrible decisions. I think we all know that America isn't perfect, any more than we are perfect, but the U.S. has been an incredible force for good in the world. He must not have learned about the history that I've learned, including the article about the little French children who celebrate each year the Americans coming to liberate France during WW II.
We liberated and then we left for home.
Today I thank God that we can get up in the morning and plan our day knowing that we are free to get in the car and drive wherever we need to go, stop in any church that has its doors open, pray as often as we want, speak our mind, write a blog, vote, seek a job, volunteer, and pick up groceries from a store that has an amazing bounty!!
The men who signed the Declaration were courageous and took a step that would bring war, but war was the only way to get their freedom, the very freedom they sought when they came here in the first place.
Once the colonies were free from the yoke of England, peace reigned again. When the leaders wanted the American people to pass a Constitution, they did so without any sort of violence or coercion of any kind. They did it through the media --- through the brilliant writing of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison in their Federalist Papers, 85 articles that appeared in newspapers all over the colonies.
We have such a rich history to celebrate and to be thankful for -- to thank God for.
Happy 4th to you!!
Two of the signers, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, later became president and incredibly died on July 4. James Madison, one of our founding fathers, also died on July 4.
John Adams wrote to his wife that the event should be commemorated from this time onward, with "pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations." And so it has always been.
The men who signed the Declaration suffered much for it and many of them lost everything before the fighting was over. Their improbable victory over England was awe inspiring to many, but the victory was in part possible because they got help with military advice and fighting men from France.
Bill Ayers, whom I wrote about yesterday, said in his interview with Megyn Kelly that he is not proud to be an American, and he cited a number of different times in our country's past where he felt we made terrible decisions. I think we all know that America isn't perfect, any more than we are perfect, but the U.S. has been an incredible force for good in the world. He must not have learned about the history that I've learned, including the article about the little French children who celebrate each year the Americans coming to liberate France during WW II.
We liberated and then we left for home.
Today I thank God that we can get up in the morning and plan our day knowing that we are free to get in the car and drive wherever we need to go, stop in any church that has its doors open, pray as often as we want, speak our mind, write a blog, vote, seek a job, volunteer, and pick up groceries from a store that has an amazing bounty!!
The men who signed the Declaration were courageous and took a step that would bring war, but war was the only way to get their freedom, the very freedom they sought when they came here in the first place.
Once the colonies were free from the yoke of England, peace reigned again. When the leaders wanted the American people to pass a Constitution, they did so without any sort of violence or coercion of any kind. They did it through the media --- through the brilliant writing of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison in their Federalist Papers, 85 articles that appeared in newspapers all over the colonies.
We have such a rich history to celebrate and to be thankful for -- to thank God for.
Happy 4th to you!!
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Interesting Interview
Both Monday and Tuesday evenings, Megyn Kelly interviewed Bill Ayers, former member of the Weather Underground. He has never allowed an interview before.
Ayers and his wife Bernardine Dorhn chose to oppose the war in Vietnam by setting off at least 20 bombs. His Weather Underground also bombed a police station, killing one policeman and another blast that killed four innocent people. Plans were being made by the group to bomb a military base dance which surely would have killed any number of servicemen and their dates. That plan was foiled when three members of the group blew themselves up in a Georgetown townhouse, one of them Ayers' best friend and another his girlfriend at that time.
As I listened to the now 70-year-old Ayers, it occurred to me, especially as Kelly played sound bites and read from Ayers' books, that Ayers and his wife were profoundly immature. And it would seem they remain so to this day.
The violence that he unleashed in his plan to overthrow the U.S. government did not bring an end to the Vietnam War. If anything, it caused a lot of people to dig their heels in. At least that is my take on it. What finally changed policy in regards to Vietnam was Lyndon Johnson's decision not to run for a second term, and Richard Nixon's campaign promise to end the war. What finally changed policy in regards to Vietnam was that the American PEOPLE were weary of this civil war that we were in the middle of and let those feelings be known.
Martin Luther King showed that progress and change comes much more easily and lastingly with nonviolence. And so he marched and he spoke all over the South. We don't celebrate Malcolm X's birthday; we celebrate King's. And we certainly don't celebrate Ayers' birthday.
Destruction does not stop destruction, or deaths death.
Ayers admitted that he'd like to think that if the situation presented itself, he would still consider bombing. Wow.
The Weather Underground's language was one of violence and complete lack of respect. He brushes off any blame for the violence that actually killed people as being the work of other members of the group. But he was the leader of the group. He denies that the coarse and violence language that both he and Dorhn spoke escalated the group's behavior.
Ayers went on to a nice life as a university professor after getting his law degree at age 43. His wife followed behind him and also got a job as a university professor.
So the "establishment" that they eschewed for all of those years was the very same one they joined. They cashed their state university checks and participated in a pension program. He doesn't see the hypocrisy of it at all. He can coast either way in a blink of an eye.
He says he doesn't know Barack Obama well at all, that he simply had a reception for him at his house. He says he wishes he knew him better because he'd like to give him some advice. The advice:
Universal health care for all -- does he know some magic that would pay for this? Obamacare is turning out to be a huge mess and a joke, so why would we go a step farther towards socialism?
The drone flights -- I'm not sure how I feel about them but how does he think we should fight terrorism? So we are to believe that we bomb American buildings as a means to an end, but we just let the terrorists plan and carry out the demise of American citizens?
He doesn't make any sense. I guess he never did.
Ayers and his wife Bernardine Dorhn chose to oppose the war in Vietnam by setting off at least 20 bombs. His Weather Underground also bombed a police station, killing one policeman and another blast that killed four innocent people. Plans were being made by the group to bomb a military base dance which surely would have killed any number of servicemen and their dates. That plan was foiled when three members of the group blew themselves up in a Georgetown townhouse, one of them Ayers' best friend and another his girlfriend at that time.
As I listened to the now 70-year-old Ayers, it occurred to me, especially as Kelly played sound bites and read from Ayers' books, that Ayers and his wife were profoundly immature. And it would seem they remain so to this day.
The violence that he unleashed in his plan to overthrow the U.S. government did not bring an end to the Vietnam War. If anything, it caused a lot of people to dig their heels in. At least that is my take on it. What finally changed policy in regards to Vietnam was Lyndon Johnson's decision not to run for a second term, and Richard Nixon's campaign promise to end the war. What finally changed policy in regards to Vietnam was that the American PEOPLE were weary of this civil war that we were in the middle of and let those feelings be known.
Martin Luther King showed that progress and change comes much more easily and lastingly with nonviolence. And so he marched and he spoke all over the South. We don't celebrate Malcolm X's birthday; we celebrate King's. And we certainly don't celebrate Ayers' birthday.
Destruction does not stop destruction, or deaths death.
Ayers admitted that he'd like to think that if the situation presented itself, he would still consider bombing. Wow.
The Weather Underground's language was one of violence and complete lack of respect. He brushes off any blame for the violence that actually killed people as being the work of other members of the group. But he was the leader of the group. He denies that the coarse and violence language that both he and Dorhn spoke escalated the group's behavior.
Ayers went on to a nice life as a university professor after getting his law degree at age 43. His wife followed behind him and also got a job as a university professor.
So the "establishment" that they eschewed for all of those years was the very same one they joined. They cashed their state university checks and participated in a pension program. He doesn't see the hypocrisy of it at all. He can coast either way in a blink of an eye.
He says he doesn't know Barack Obama well at all, that he simply had a reception for him at his house. He says he wishes he knew him better because he'd like to give him some advice. The advice:
- Close Gitmo
- Universal health care for all
- Stop the drone flights
Universal health care for all -- does he know some magic that would pay for this? Obamacare is turning out to be a huge mess and a joke, so why would we go a step farther towards socialism?
The drone flights -- I'm not sure how I feel about them but how does he think we should fight terrorism? So we are to believe that we bomb American buildings as a means to an end, but we just let the terrorists plan and carry out the demise of American citizens?
He doesn't make any sense. I guess he never did.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
The Mystery of the Middle East
(So far as I understand, the information below is accurate.)
With the situation in Iraq and surrounding countries in some peril due to the aggression of the ISIS forces (Islamic State of Iraq and Afghanistan), it seemed like a good idea for me to review the whole picture.
And it is interesting.
In 610 A.D. (after Christ), a businessman named Muhammad who went to the caves each year to fast and pray received a revelation and this began the Quran or "recitation," which he began to preach. He was 40 years old when the revelation came.
Then in 622 A.D., Muhammad and his followers migrated founding an Islamic state in Medina.
By the time of Muhammad's death in 632 A.D., Islam had spread through the Arabian Peninsula to the borders of Jordan and Iraq, and then within 100 years to India, the Caucasus (mountains), Turkey, the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa.
Abu Bakr succeeded Muhammad, because he was a designated caliph, the most pious of Muhammad's followers. These individuals became the Sunnis. However, some thought succession should be by blood line only and after assassinating the fourth caliph they made Ali the new prophet. These individuals became the Shiites.
So here are some interesting points about the two groups and the religion as a whole:
Who are the Kurds? They are a minority ethnic people that first appeared in medieval times. They are alleged to be of a number of different ethnic origins including semetic, and they have their own language. They live in parts of Syria, Armenia, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. Some Kurds inhabit the mountains that border Pakistan.
The concern about the situation in Iraq as ISIS forces and Iraqis battle is that the winner will take over the entire region and form a caliphate, a word that comes from caliph. A caliphate is an Islamic state, presumably led by one leader as was Medina long, long ago.
This is very basic, but I hope it gives both you and me a better understanding, so that when I listen to the news, I can understand more fully.
Christians differ from the Muslim religion and the Jewish faith in this sense. Both Muslims and Jews believe in one God, a monotheistic system of belief. Christians, however, differ in a very significant way. We believe in the trinity, the three persons of Father, Son and Holy Spirit in one God.
We'll talk again tomorrow. Keep cool!! It's a sauna out there.
With the situation in Iraq and surrounding countries in some peril due to the aggression of the ISIS forces (Islamic State of Iraq and Afghanistan), it seemed like a good idea for me to review the whole picture.
And it is interesting.
In 610 A.D. (after Christ), a businessman named Muhammad who went to the caves each year to fast and pray received a revelation and this began the Quran or "recitation," which he began to preach. He was 40 years old when the revelation came.
Then in 622 A.D., Muhammad and his followers migrated founding an Islamic state in Medina.
By the time of Muhammad's death in 632 A.D., Islam had spread through the Arabian Peninsula to the borders of Jordan and Iraq, and then within 100 years to India, the Caucasus (mountains), Turkey, the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa.
Abu Bakr succeeded Muhammad, because he was a designated caliph, the most pious of Muhammad's followers. These individuals became the Sunnis. However, some thought succession should be by blood line only and after assassinating the fourth caliph they made Ali the new prophet. These individuals became the Shiites.
So here are some interesting points about the two groups and the religion as a whole:
- Muslims believe that there is no God but God and that Muhammad was his prophet.
- They believe that they must offer prayers five times a day.
- They believe that they must fast and pray during Ramadan.
- They believe that funds permitting, Muslims should make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetimes. This is called hajj.
- Sunnis believe that the first four caliphs were the rightful followers of Muhammad.
- The Shiites believe that the imams or clerics are divinely inspired and that they are descendants of the prophet.
- The Islamic law to Sunnis is loosely defined and rather than to the clerics defers to the state. The Shiites believe in their clerical hierarchy and as in Iran, the ultimate authority is the imam.
- Both Sunnis and Shiites have different sects, some very puritanical and some very mysterious.
- Sunnis make up the majority of Muslims in the following countries: Afghanistan, Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
- Shiites make up the majority in the following countries: Bahrain, Iraq, Iran,
Who are the Kurds? They are a minority ethnic people that first appeared in medieval times. They are alleged to be of a number of different ethnic origins including semetic, and they have their own language. They live in parts of Syria, Armenia, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. Some Kurds inhabit the mountains that border Pakistan.
The concern about the situation in Iraq as ISIS forces and Iraqis battle is that the winner will take over the entire region and form a caliphate, a word that comes from caliph. A caliphate is an Islamic state, presumably led by one leader as was Medina long, long ago.
This is very basic, but I hope it gives both you and me a better understanding, so that when I listen to the news, I can understand more fully.
Christians differ from the Muslim religion and the Jewish faith in this sense. Both Muslims and Jews believe in one God, a monotheistic system of belief. Christians, however, differ in a very significant way. We believe in the trinity, the three persons of Father, Son and Holy Spirit in one God.
We'll talk again tomorrow. Keep cool!! It's a sauna out there.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Friends
Last evening I was reminded of how special friends really are. My friend from the great state of Washington, Dolly, and I talked for a LONG time about all kinds of things.
I've been reminded of her often the last couple of weeks. My sister is staying in the acute rehab unit at Lakewood Hospital. Her father was the chief of surgery at Lakewood Hospital when we were little kids living close to each other -- our back yards met.
After scouting out different possibilities for getting to the hospital from Canal Fulton, and after consulting mapquest, even my husband conceded that there is just no easy way to get to Lakewood from here. So we did the old "tried and true" method and got off I-71 at W. 150th Street and headed west down Lorain Road (Route 10) to Wooster Road. This route takes me past my childhood home and Dolly's childhood home, and reminded me of how many times her father must have made that trip himself.
She told me that there is a plaque honoring her father at the entrance to one of the surgical suites. That got me to wondering if it is still in place since the hospital was taken over by the Cleveland Clinic.
The majority of the homes that were there in the 1950s and 60s are still there, most of them still very gracious and appealing. It's familiar stomping grounds, the exact same route I took to get to Lorain and Wooster to catch the North Olmsted Municipal bus that took me to school from seventh through ninth grades.
Our conversation always touches on certain things that we have in common but we also catch up on what we're doing these days. She gardens and leads a writing group. She volunteers at a food bank. She's doing some painting and fixing up at her house, heavily shaded all about with tall trees.
It was a very good conversation and made me feel joyful at how fortunate I am to have wonderful friends.
Then as I was planning a card to send to my sister, I found a perfect little poem that captures how we feel when we are sick.
"Renew My Mind, Body and Soul.
Lord, I come before you today in need of your healing hand. In you all things are possible. Hold my heart within yours, and renew my mind, body, and soul. I am lost, but I am singing. You gave us life, and you also give us the gift of infinite joy. Give me the strength to move forward on the path you've laid out for me. Guide me towards better health, and give me the wisdom to identify those you've placed around me to help me get better. In your name I pray, Amen."
The part that says, "I am lost, but I am singing." To me that means that there is hope within us, because when we are singing, our voices ring out and carry a good ways. To me it means that we have not given up and will fight the good fight.
So today, let's celebrate our special friends, the ones who stay with us through it all and always find us when we need them.
Have a wonderful day -- another hot one, but apparently possible stormy one.
I've been reminded of her often the last couple of weeks. My sister is staying in the acute rehab unit at Lakewood Hospital. Her father was the chief of surgery at Lakewood Hospital when we were little kids living close to each other -- our back yards met.
After scouting out different possibilities for getting to the hospital from Canal Fulton, and after consulting mapquest, even my husband conceded that there is just no easy way to get to Lakewood from here. So we did the old "tried and true" method and got off I-71 at W. 150th Street and headed west down Lorain Road (Route 10) to Wooster Road. This route takes me past my childhood home and Dolly's childhood home, and reminded me of how many times her father must have made that trip himself.
She told me that there is a plaque honoring her father at the entrance to one of the surgical suites. That got me to wondering if it is still in place since the hospital was taken over by the Cleveland Clinic.
The majority of the homes that were there in the 1950s and 60s are still there, most of them still very gracious and appealing. It's familiar stomping grounds, the exact same route I took to get to Lorain and Wooster to catch the North Olmsted Municipal bus that took me to school from seventh through ninth grades.
Our conversation always touches on certain things that we have in common but we also catch up on what we're doing these days. She gardens and leads a writing group. She volunteers at a food bank. She's doing some painting and fixing up at her house, heavily shaded all about with tall trees.
It was a very good conversation and made me feel joyful at how fortunate I am to have wonderful friends.
Then as I was planning a card to send to my sister, I found a perfect little poem that captures how we feel when we are sick.
"Renew My Mind, Body and Soul.
Lord, I come before you today in need of your healing hand. In you all things are possible. Hold my heart within yours, and renew my mind, body, and soul. I am lost, but I am singing. You gave us life, and you also give us the gift of infinite joy. Give me the strength to move forward on the path you've laid out for me. Guide me towards better health, and give me the wisdom to identify those you've placed around me to help me get better. In your name I pray, Amen."
The part that says, "I am lost, but I am singing." To me that means that there is hope within us, because when we are singing, our voices ring out and carry a good ways. To me it means that we have not given up and will fight the good fight.
So today, let's celebrate our special friends, the ones who stay with us through it all and always find us when we need them.
Have a wonderful day -- another hot one, but apparently possible stormy one.
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