I want to know his NAME

A bit of news from the town where I grew up ...

A good idea takes on speed

BATTLE CREEK, Mich., Dec. 29 (UPI) -- A Paw Paw, Mich., man's idea to free his car mired in mud went slightly awry when the driverless vehicle careened across a field at 100 mph.

Calhoun County Sheriff's Lt. James McDonagh told WWMT-TV, Kalamazoo, the 29-year-old man tried to push his car out of the mud Wednesday but found it impossible without someone in the vehicle to pus the gas pedal.

So, he grabbed a toolbox from his trunk and put it on the gas pedal of his rear-wheel drive car. A couple of pushes later, the car popped out and sped off across a muddy field at speeds reaching 100 mph, McDonagh said.

The car even became airborne a couple times until it hit a tree.

The embarrassed driver was not ticketed.

the best wine

I was reading in John 2 this morning, where the Lord turned the water into wine -- His first miracle.

Wine is often a picture of joy in the Bible ... and aren't there times in OUR lives where the wine runs out, just like it did at this wedding in Cana? Sometimes even when there is every reason for joy (as there was at the wedding), our joy will still run dry.

If we offer Him whatever's left ... the water in the wash-pots, He can make it joyous. And His joy comes in unexpected ways, overwhelming quantities, and quality that excells what we can get on our own. It also comes at the end of things ... sometimes there's a bit of lean-ness to go through first.

Exercise-wise, I got to the gym last night for a good, long while.

Trinka

exercise accountability

I missed 3 days last week - (not consecutive, but still not good). But I am headed to the gym right after work!

For Christmas a friend is giving me a year's subscription to cable internet ... after a 3-year hiatus, I'll have access at home again. I have missed it!

Trinka

a bit of politics ...

I just couldn't resist this one. :)

• Ways to be a Good Democrat
  
  You have to be against capital punishment, but support abortion on demand.
  
  You have to believe that businesses create oppression and governments create prosperity.
  
  You have to believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding Americans are more of a threat than U.S. nuclear weapons technology in the hands of Chinese and North Korean communists.
  
  You have to believe that there was no art before Federal funding.
  
  You have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by cyclical documented changes in the earth's climate and more affected by soccer moms driving SUV's.
  
  You have to believe that the same teacher who can't teach 4th-graders how to read is somehow qualified to teach those same kids about sex.
  
  You have to believe that hunters don't care about nature, but urban activists who have never been outside of San Francisco do.
  
  You have to believe that having self-esteem is more important than self-respect or actually doing something to earn it.
  
  You have to believe the NRA is bad because it supports certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good because it attacks certain parts of the Constitution.
  
  You have to believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.
  
  You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are more important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, Gen. Robert E. Lee, and Thomas Edison.
  
  You have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides are not.
  
  You have to believe that the only reason socialism hasn't worked anywhere it's been tried is because the right people haven't been in charge.
  
  You have to believe that illegal Democratic Party funding by the Chinese government is somehow in the best interest of the United States. But, complain, that all of our jobs are going out of America to China .
  
  You have to believe that this message is a part of a vast, right wing conspiracy.

Merry Christmas

I hope you all have a blessed day today. :)

Who is this fellow? You know ... the one whose birth started this whole Christmas thing?

He claimed to be God.
(Not "a" god. "THE" God).

He claimed to be the only way to heaven ... "THE way, THE truth, THE life"
(very intolerant fellow, really.)

What do you think of Him?

Off to our 8:30 service and then to my mom's for dinner. :)

Trinka

acini di pepe

Whew knew there WAS such a thing? It's a little tiny pasta, that I had in a WONDERFUL salad recently. I got the recipe, and plan to make it for Christmas. So last night, I went to the store, and bought all the ingreidents. Except I forgot the pasta. How's that for strange ... buy the pasta salad ingredients, and forget the pasta. :)

Went BACK to the store this morning, and discovered that acini di pepe pasta isn't quite as easy to find as one might hope. :) More shopping to follow at lunch today! (I'll copy the recipe at the end ... it's one of the few pasta salads I've found that contains vinegar that doesn't taste overwhelmingly of the stuff).

Got to the fancy, expensive gym on my free-week coupon last night, and discovered it's not NEARLY as nice as the $60/year university gym. The equipment is less stable; there are fewer options in weight machines, and the weights listed on the side of the machines don't seem to be "true" to how heavy they feel (assuming the ones I'm used to are standard). I usually lift 72 pounds with my arms, and 84 with my legs ... yet on these machines last night, there were times I could barely budge 70 pounds, and other times it felt way too light. I'm realizing how thankful I am for my alumni benefits at the college! I used the eliptical machine for a while, and definately am a fan - they're easy to use, not too hard on the knees, and less "bouncy" so you can read while you're on them.

Looking forward to Christmas - may your day bring to mind He whose birth it celebrates!

Trinka


Acini di Pepe Salad

1 1/2 cups acini di pepe pasta, or any small pasta such as orzo
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup red grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup yellow grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 cup finely sliced radicchio
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1 1/2 cups basil leaves, torn into large pieces
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook the pasta for about 6 minutes or until tender.
Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Toss the pasta with the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt.
Fold in the tomatoes, pine nuts, radicchio, onion, and basil.
Sprinkle with the feta cheese.
Serve at room temperature.

what're you hungry for?

I was reading in Luke 1 this morning, specifically in Mary's song after she saw Elizabeth, and was thinking about the coming Messiah she was carrying.

v. 53 says, "He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away."

If we bring our hungers to Him ... He's ready to fill us with good things. But if we're too "rich" to need Him ... if we're satisfied with our own answers ... we'll go away empty.


GK Chesterton wrote, "Even when men knock on the door of a brothel they’re looking for God."

I want to remember that, whatever I'm hungry for -- He has the real answers!

Got to the gym Monday night. (And a man thought I was staff and asked me what time they closed ... how 'bout THEM apples? I actually looked like I belonged there. Still pondering on the amazing nature of THAT). :)

Last night no exercise happened because of prayer meeting.

Tonight, the university gym is closed for Christmas. But I'm using a "free week" coupon at the fitness center that just opened up around the corner.

This is the "you've got to sign your life away to join" gym ... (quote from a lawyer-friend who saw the contract sitting on my desk ... "of course, you don't intend to sign this, right?") so I'm not interested in becoming a member. But I'll certainly take advantage of the free week until the university opens again. :)

Trinka

I tried to do the right thing!

Got up at 6:30 this morning (on my day off, thank you) and drove to the gym ... and it has weird holiday hours - doesn't open until 8:00. Like ... the day's half over by then! :)

Drove home again, and started in on my day. I hope to at least get in a walk later.

Also got to the library around 9:00, and they don't open 'till 10:00.

Whoever establishes business hours is obviously NOT a morning person. :)

Had the interesting cultural experience of watching the Today show this morning while drinking my coffee.

It's fascinating to get a glimpse of pop culture every now and then (from a safe distance). There were dozens of people who appeared to spend their whole morning standing outside the tv studio trying to get their pictures on television. Can you imagine? What would cause a person to wake up one morning, and say, "what I'd like to do today is stand around outside, wearing a funny hat, shrieking every time a camera is turned on."

Then, what was actually ON the program was also enlightening. There was a singer interviewed, and they made quite a big deal over him. Somebody-or-other Fox. He had a lovely voice, but the lyrics to this "wonderful song he wrote for the ladies" were ... well ... filthy.

All in all, my few minutes with the Today show this morning convinced me that I'm definately not missing anything by not watching it.

FOUR whole days off ...

In 55 minutes, I'm fixin' to shut down this computer, and not turn it on until Tuesday.

It's been a VERY hectic season, with a lot of social commitments in the evenings.

I'm SO looking forward to a bit of at-home time.

I love being in my house. Quiet. With books, and house-work, and odd jobs to do.

(all the social-types are reading this and saying, "she's taking time off to stay HOME?")

Yep. Do it all the time. :)

highly collectible

Tell me ... do you find this phrase appealing?

Would you want to purchase something that was "highly collectible"?

I'm seeing it a LOT lately, and it brings to mind tribbles ... remember them from the old Star Trek series? Get one, and you end up with hundreds ... spilling out of doors, hiding in your shoes, etc.

So whenever I see the phrase, I just want to run away, before the "highly collectible" stuff attaches itself to me, and starts multiplying in corners of my house.

Clutter = "bad thing"

Trinka

Christmas busy-ness

I've decided to give myself the year off ... I'm not hauling out the Christmas decorations, and sending only the bare minimum of Christmas cards. It's a relief, both in terms of time and money.

I might look for a clearance, easy-to-assemble fake tree after Christmas this year - mine is ratty, and hard to put together. Maybe that will make it seem like less of an ordeal to face next year.

Friday I fell on the ice, and ended up with a pulled muscle that's making exercise challenging, but I did get to the gym. Every evening is filled up through Monday the 19th, so I don't have much chance for consistency until then. I'm hoping to eat like a bird, in hopes the sabbatical won't do too much damage.

Trinka

the little mysteries of life

Yesterday I received a hand-addressed envelope with the "information you requested about our museum."

That would be an antique aircraft museum, in Georgia.

It's been 10 years, and 3 address changes since I last drove through Georgia. I don't know anyone in Georgia. I haven't visited any antique aircraft-related web sites.

So, my curiosity is quite active, wondering, "how did I request this information?" :)

If it had been a data-base printed mass-mailing label, I'd assume my name was on a history-lovers list. But the hand-written envelope creates the puzzle. (Though Georgia sounds VERY nice right now!)

One responsibility ended last night. (Though I was told yesterday that I'll be on the condo board whether I'm elected or not, as someone plans to resign at the end of January, and whoever doesn't get elected will be appointed to replace her.

Had a delightful day off yesterday. I had saved some vacation time for a proposed trip to China that didn't happen, and they asked me to use some of it up, rather than carry it all into 2006. I got to the gym early in the morning when it wasn't busy (love that!), got a few things done around the house, and made an African groundnut (peanut) stew ... which I didn't try yet, but is waiting to be heated up for my lunch today.

A good friend suggested the idea of reading through the Psalms & New Testament with a hurting friend in mind, and praying for them when various verses brought them to mind, highlighting the verses, and then giving them the Bible when you're finished. I've been doing this for the friends who lost their daughter in a car accident a couple months back, and it's been such a blessing. I'm near the end of Psalms and ready to start on the New Testament. It's been especially interesting to notice how often the sea is mentioned in Psalms. The sea can be seen sometimes as a metaphor for the idea of separation ... which for somone who has lost a family member, is definately relevant.

Here's just a little sample:

Ps 72:8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

Ps 77:19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.

God rules even in this situation! While death was not in His original plan for this earth, He isn't defeated by it.

Ps 78:13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

Ps 78:53 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

The Lord will bring His people through this ... sometimes in ways that will be totally baffling to a watching world! Without Him, the separation can be totally overwhelming.

************

N. got so much done for me yesterday - it's just a delight to come to work when she's been here. However, she told me that she's taken a part-time job, so won't be available as much from now on. While I'm happy for her, I'm selfishly feeling a bit sorry for myself!

Better get some things done around here myself! :)

Trinka