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I remember hearing about Sarah Palin from somewhere ... maybe a blog? ... about the time Fred Thompson dropped out of the race.
When it became evident McCain was going to be the candidate, I was quite discouraged. However ... I have much-renewed optimism at Sarah's presence on the ticket!
She has strong conservative positions. She's not from the traditional Washington batch of folks.
I'm very, very happy about this!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
welcome to the neighborhood
subtitled:
Why I was beating on the door of #18 and ranting at midnight.
I'm on the board of our condos, and so have occasionally been involved in interviewing prospective buyers.
In June, I interviewed the fellow who bought the unit directly above me.
(anyone care to guess where this is headed?)
He was in his early 20's, and so we repeatedly asked him if he understood that this was a quiet, early-to-bed, early-to-rise kind of community.
"oh yes," young man says, "that's what I'm looking for."
OK
We vote young man in.
(ok ... now want to guess? feel free ... )
First some background ... on the first night of the olympics, I was kept awake all night by loud music, pounding feet, and loud-voiced-men in the parking lot.
OK, thinks I, it's one time.
He's having an olympic-watching party ... I'll ignore it.
But ... last night ... around 9:00, I heard the same pounding/music/shouting combination.
And it continued
and continued
and I got hot
and hotter
and hotter
until ... finally, I found myself upstairs, pounding on his door at 11:30.
Music stops, but door does not open.
No problem ... I can make myself heard -- door or no door.
"You agreed to a 10:00 quiet hour when you bought this place. I expect you to abide by your agreement."
Stomp downstairs, bathrobe flying behind me. Feet may or may not have been making sparks as they struck the ground ...
Music resumes. Pounding resumes. Shouting resumes.
Stomp upstairs, with fire in my eyes.
Louder pounding-on-#18-door.
(repeat first statement) followed by, "I won't come up here again. I'll just call the police."
Music stops. Pounding stops.
However, loud talking continues, out in the parking lot, until 2:00 a.m.
OK. It's an improvement ...I'll live with the loud talking, though I still think it's incredibly rude ...
But I'm now kicking myself for voting "yes" on this guy. :(
Addendum ...
I waited until 10:30, and gave him a call.
He responded very well, and seemed to (or pretended to!) understand the issue.
I tried to practice "love thinks the best" (see post on 1 Cor. 13), and suggested that maybe his friends were not overly concerned about the neighbors, because they weren't THEIR neighbors, but that I was sure he would understand the situation and keep them under control in the future.
I put on an "older neighbor who wants to like you, but also expects a certain standard of behavior" manner. That whole "taking charge" thing is not something I'm particularly good at, so I think God helped me strike a balance between firm and friendly.
Whew ... back to house cleaning. Dirt is so much easier to understand than people!
Why I was beating on the door of #18 and ranting at midnight.
I'm on the board of our condos, and so have occasionally been involved in interviewing prospective buyers.
In June, I interviewed the fellow who bought the unit directly above me.
(anyone care to guess where this is headed?)
He was in his early 20's, and so we repeatedly asked him if he understood that this was a quiet, early-to-bed, early-to-rise kind of community.
"oh yes," young man says, "that's what I'm looking for."
OK
We vote young man in.
(ok ... now want to guess? feel free ... )
First some background ... on the first night of the olympics, I was kept awake all night by loud music, pounding feet, and loud-voiced-men in the parking lot.
OK, thinks I, it's one time.
He's having an olympic-watching party ... I'll ignore it.
But ... last night ... around 9:00, I heard the same pounding/music/shouting combination.
And it continued
and continued
and I got hot
and hotter
and hotter
until ... finally, I found myself upstairs, pounding on his door at 11:30.
Music stops, but door does not open.
No problem ... I can make myself heard -- door or no door.
"You agreed to a 10:00 quiet hour when you bought this place. I expect you to abide by your agreement."
Stomp downstairs, bathrobe flying behind me. Feet may or may not have been making sparks as they struck the ground ...
Music resumes. Pounding resumes. Shouting resumes.
Stomp upstairs, with fire in my eyes.
Louder pounding-on-#18-door.
(repeat first statement) followed by, "I won't come up here again. I'll just call the police."
Music stops. Pounding stops.
However, loud talking continues, out in the parking lot, until 2:00 a.m.
OK. It's an improvement ...I'll live with the loud talking, though I still think it's incredibly rude ...
But I'm now kicking myself for voting "yes" on this guy. :(
Addendum ...
I waited until 10:30, and gave him a call.
He responded very well, and seemed to (or pretended to!) understand the issue.
I tried to practice "love thinks the best" (see post on 1 Cor. 13), and suggested that maybe his friends were not overly concerned about the neighbors, because they weren't THEIR neighbors, but that I was sure he would understand the situation and keep them under control in the future.
I put on an "older neighbor who wants to like you, but also expects a certain standard of behavior" manner. That whole "taking charge" thing is not something I'm particularly good at, so I think God helped me strike a balance between firm and friendly.
Whew ... back to house cleaning. Dirt is so much easier to understand than people!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
another fun project from Grandma and Grandpa's house
I was also given this clock:
I know ... it's in pretty bad shape! But my friend T. has built clocks from kits, and was interested in trying to get it working for me. So she's been taking it apart and cleaning it.
I thought I'd post a few pictures, so you could enjoy the progress with me!
Here is what it looks like with the face removed ... also before any work was done on it (though we may have vacuumed out the mouse turds at this point. :)
This is the identifying label on the back.
And here is how it looks as of today. She's taken the works out, cleaned and oiled them, and started cleaning the case in preparation to re-glue it. We need to find a source to purchase the glass bezel for the face, and that appears to be the biggest obstacle at this point.
I know ... it's in pretty bad shape! But my friend T. has built clocks from kits, and was interested in trying to get it working for me. So she's been taking it apart and cleaning it.
I thought I'd post a few pictures, so you could enjoy the progress with me!
Here is what it looks like with the face removed ... also before any work was done on it (though we may have vacuumed out the mouse turds at this point. :)
This is the identifying label on the back.
And here is how it looks as of today. She's taken the works out, cleaned and oiled them, and started cleaning the case in preparation to re-glue it. We need to find a source to purchase the glass bezel for the face, and that appears to be the biggest obstacle at this point.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
interesting how they phrase things
From this Yahoo News article today (about Barak Obama):
Oh really? Is that what they criticize him for? "attending a church that promoted black culture"?
This type of rhetoric from Barak's pastor, Jeremiah Wright, is ... apparently ... simply "promoting black culture."
— In a sermon after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001:
— In a 2003 sermon, he said blacks should condemn the United States:
E-mails and videos circulating on the Internet criticized him for attending a church that promoted black culture ...
Oh really? Is that what they criticize him for? "attending a church that promoted black culture"?
This type of rhetoric from Barak's pastor, Jeremiah Wright, is ... apparently ... simply "promoting black culture."
— In a sermon after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001:
"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye," Wright said. "We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost."
— In a 2003 sermon, he said blacks should condemn the United States:
"The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America.' No, no, no, God damn America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people. God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme."
Saturday, August 16, 2008
It is I for whom Scotch Guard was invented ...
Two or three weeks ago, I got some new furniture. I'd been shopping for several years, and never found that perfect combination of "I like this", "I can afford this" and "this is short enough I can touch the ground when I sit down".
I found a set on clearance that fit all three criteria, and at the same time had a pretty bench re-upholstered that I was given from my grandparents' house. (Pictures included for those who care!).
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So ... how does this post relate to your subject line, you may ask? (or if you know me, you may not NEED to ask.)
When buying the furniture, I was faced with the question of whether to have the Scotch Guard applied before I brought it home.
I went back and forth in my mind about it, as I was already spending all I had budgeted. But I finally decided to do it.
So ... this morning ... I've already had opportunity to be thankful for that choice.
It's amazing how easily "clutzy" can creep in!
I had a cup of coffee sitting on the end table, and pulled the cord to open the mini-blinds, and ... "plop" ... the end of the blind cord lands in my coffee cup, splattering coffee everywhere.
I startle, pull the cord out and lay it on the table ... and "plop" ... the other cord falls out of my hand and does the same thing.
Everything cleaned up beautifully, and I've realized how thankful I am for modern chemistry. :)
I found a set on clearance that fit all three criteria, and at the same time had a pretty bench re-upholstered that I was given from my grandparents' house. (Pictures included for those who care!).
.JPG)
So ... how does this post relate to your subject line, you may ask? (or if you know me, you may not NEED to ask.)
When buying the furniture, I was faced with the question of whether to have the Scotch Guard applied before I brought it home.
I went back and forth in my mind about it, as I was already spending all I had budgeted. But I finally decided to do it.
So ... this morning ... I've already had opportunity to be thankful for that choice.
It's amazing how easily "clutzy" can creep in!
I had a cup of coffee sitting on the end table, and pulled the cord to open the mini-blinds, and ... "plop" ... the end of the blind cord lands in my coffee cup, splattering coffee everywhere.
I startle, pull the cord out and lay it on the table ... and "plop" ... the other cord falls out of my hand and does the same thing.
Everything cleaned up beautifully, and I've realized how thankful I am for modern chemistry. :)
Friday, August 15, 2008
Detroit
My perception of the city has been epitomized in the behavior of its mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick.
To those who live there, and are of a different character ... please accept my sympathies and apologies for mentally including you in this characterization!
To those who live there, and are of a different character ... please accept my sympathies and apologies for mentally including you in this characterization!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
what we ARE decides how we react
While I was swimming yesterday afternoon, I was praying about the best way to approach a tricky inter-personal situation - specifically what response would show love to the individuals involved.
I decided to read through 1 Corinthians 13 (the chapter dealing with love), and see how it applied.
On first reading, I was a little frustrated. This talks so much about what to BE, and so little about what to DO.
Then my next thought was ... what we ARE is absolutely foundational to what we do.
When I read through again, there seemed to be so much there that DID pertain to how I should react.
Here's some of my thoughts as I read through it:
1 Corinthians 13:
4 Love is patient
Iit's quite easy to be very patient with my own failings ... but I need to exercise that same patience with others. God is working in their lives, and who am I to decide He's not dealing with them fast enough, or in the areas I think he should?),
love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
(am I seeking the other people's best in this situation? Or just concerned because it's bothering ME? Do I think I'm "above" struggling with this issue?)
5 does not act unbecomingly;
(even if they are acting unbecomingly, or rudely, responding to them that way is not loving)
it does not seek its own,
(in desiring this situation to be rectified, I shouldn't have my own interests as part of the motivation)
is not provoked,
(is it irritating me? it shouldn't be!)
does not take into account a wrong suffered, (in some versions, this is written "thinketh no evil" or "thinks the best")
(am I concerned about some offense toward myself? it's God's job to deal with that, not mine! I want to choose to put the best possible spin on any situation -- rather than choosing to think the worst.)
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
(put up with the situation, trusting that good will come, and God will use it for good ... more than that ... rejoicing in the knowledge that God promises to "work all things together for good.")
I decided to read through 1 Corinthians 13 (the chapter dealing with love), and see how it applied.
On first reading, I was a little frustrated. This talks so much about what to BE, and so little about what to DO.
Then my next thought was ... what we ARE is absolutely foundational to what we do.
When I read through again, there seemed to be so much there that DID pertain to how I should react.
Here's some of my thoughts as I read through it:
1 Corinthians 13:
4 Love is patient
Iit's quite easy to be very patient with my own failings ... but I need to exercise that same patience with others. God is working in their lives, and who am I to decide He's not dealing with them fast enough, or in the areas I think he should?),
love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
(am I seeking the other people's best in this situation? Or just concerned because it's bothering ME? Do I think I'm "above" struggling with this issue?)
5 does not act unbecomingly;
(even if they are acting unbecomingly, or rudely, responding to them that way is not loving)
it does not seek its own,
(in desiring this situation to be rectified, I shouldn't have my own interests as part of the motivation)
is not provoked,
(is it irritating me? it shouldn't be!)
does not take into account a wrong suffered, (in some versions, this is written "thinketh no evil" or "thinks the best")
(am I concerned about some offense toward myself? it's God's job to deal with that, not mine! I want to choose to put the best possible spin on any situation -- rather than choosing to think the worst.)
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
(put up with the situation, trusting that good will come, and God will use it for good ... more than that ... rejoicing in the knowledge that God promises to "work all things together for good.")
Monday, August 11, 2008
have I ever told you about this great formula?
In the "Tightwad Gazette" books, Amy Daczyn shares this wonderful formula to get stains out of fabric.
I used it on a pair of white shorts I wore hiking in Yosemite (don't even talk about the wisdom of that choice), and it got them clean -- years after I stained them.
Get a five gallon bucket
put in
1 cup chlorox 2
1 cup cascade dishwasher powder soap
add a bit of hot water and mix it up.
Put in the stained clothes, and fill the bucket the rest of the way. Mix it again, and let it sit overnight, then wash the clothes.
It's amazing the stuff it will get clean!
I used it on a pair of white shorts I wore hiking in Yosemite (don't even talk about the wisdom of that choice), and it got them clean -- years after I stained them.
Get a five gallon bucket
put in
1 cup chlorox 2
1 cup cascade dishwasher powder soap
add a bit of hot water and mix it up.
Put in the stained clothes, and fill the bucket the rest of the way. Mix it again, and let it sit overnight, then wash the clothes.
It's amazing the stuff it will get clean!
Democratic National Convention Schedule
6:00 PM - Opening Flag Burning Ceremony
6:05 PM - Pledge of Allegiance to the U.N.
6:15 PM - Secular Prayers by Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton
6:30 PM - Antiwar Concert by Barbara Streisand
6:40 PM - Ted Kennedy Proposes a Toast
7:00 PM - Tribute to France
7:10 PM - Collect Offerings for al-Zawahri Defense Fund
7:25 PM - Tribute to Germany
7:45 PM - Antiwar Rally (Moderated by Michael Moore)
8:25 PM - Ted Kennedy Proposes a Toast
8:30 PM - Terrorist Appeasement Workshop
9:00 PM - Roundtable Discussion of Taxes: "Calling for Higher Taxes on Others While You Pay None"
9:15 PM - Bill & Hillary Clinton Host a Seminar on "The Successful Selling of White House & Air Force One Mementos on eBay"
9:20 PM - Gay Marriage Ceremony (Both Male and Female Couples)
9:30 PM - * Intermission * Special Guest Soloist Jane Fonda
10:00 PM - Posting the Iraqi Colors by Sean Penn and Tim Robbins
10:10 PM - Reenactment of Kerry's Fake Medal Toss
10:20 PM - Howard Dean Screamfest 'Yeeearrrrrrrg!'
10:30 PM - Seminar: "The Boy Scouts and Other Paramilitary threats to National Security"
10:40 PM - Ted Kennedy Proposes a Toast
10:45 PM - Abortion Demonstration (NARAL)
11:00 PM - Multiple Gay Marriage Ceremony (Threesomes, Mixed and Same-Sex)
11:15 PM - 'Maximizing Welfare' Workshop
11:30 PM - 'Free Saddam' Pep Rally
11:50 PM - Ted Kennedy Proposes a Toast
12:00 AM - Kerry-Edwards 2004 Sealed With A Kiss
12:01 AM - Ted Kennedy Proposes a Toast
12:02 AM - Ted Kennedy Proposes a Toast
6:05 PM - Pledge of Allegiance to the U.N.
6:15 PM - Secular Prayers by Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton
6:30 PM - Antiwar Concert by Barbara Streisand
6:40 PM - Ted Kennedy Proposes a Toast
7:00 PM - Tribute to France
7:10 PM - Collect Offerings for al-Zawahri Defense Fund
7:25 PM - Tribute to Germany
7:45 PM - Antiwar Rally (Moderated by Michael Moore)
8:25 PM - Ted Kennedy Proposes a Toast
8:30 PM - Terrorist Appeasement Workshop
9:00 PM - Roundtable Discussion of Taxes: "Calling for Higher Taxes on Others While You Pay None"
9:15 PM - Bill & Hillary Clinton Host a Seminar on "The Successful Selling of White House & Air Force One Mementos on eBay"
9:20 PM - Gay Marriage Ceremony (Both Male and Female Couples)
9:30 PM - * Intermission * Special Guest Soloist Jane Fonda
10:00 PM - Posting the Iraqi Colors by Sean Penn and Tim Robbins
10:10 PM - Reenactment of Kerry's Fake Medal Toss
10:20 PM - Howard Dean Screamfest 'Yeeearrrrrrrg!'
10:30 PM - Seminar: "The Boy Scouts and Other Paramilitary threats to National Security"
10:40 PM - Ted Kennedy Proposes a Toast
10:45 PM - Abortion Demonstration (NARAL)
11:00 PM - Multiple Gay Marriage Ceremony (Threesomes, Mixed and Same-Sex)
11:15 PM - 'Maximizing Welfare' Workshop
11:30 PM - 'Free Saddam' Pep Rally
11:50 PM - Ted Kennedy Proposes a Toast
12:00 AM - Kerry-Edwards 2004 Sealed With A Kiss
12:01 AM - Ted Kennedy Proposes a Toast
12:02 AM - Ted Kennedy Proposes a Toast
Saturday, August 09, 2008
awww shoot
Nothing spoils a delightfully-productive day like spilling a half-bottle of furniture polish on the floor.
Friday, August 08, 2008
sometimes ebay makes so little sense ...
I have some books up for sale.
With over a day still to go, a 1985 soft cover copy of Pilgrim's Progress is going for $3.25 (plus shipping).
Two people are bidding back and forth over it like crazy.
I almost didn't put it up for sale at all, because it's so unremarkable an edition. Plus there are about a million copies of Pilgrim's Progress for sale ... it's available anywhere, including for free download online.
It just makes no sense.
But I'm happy to take their money. :)
It IS a great book, by the way ... if you haven't read it, you should! (but don't pay $3.25 for a ratty old paperback!)
With over a day still to go, a 1985 soft cover copy of Pilgrim's Progress is going for $3.25 (plus shipping).
Two people are bidding back and forth over it like crazy.
I almost didn't put it up for sale at all, because it's so unremarkable an edition. Plus there are about a million copies of Pilgrim's Progress for sale ... it's available anywhere, including for free download online.
It just makes no sense.
But I'm happy to take their money. :)
It IS a great book, by the way ... if you haven't read it, you should! (but don't pay $3.25 for a ratty old paperback!)
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
old saddle - finished!
Here is how it turned out. Many thanks to my dad for his machine-shop magic in getting the stirrups cleaned up. It was neat that they were dated - one in 1936 and one in 1937.
The flaps over the stirrup buckles still stick up more than I'd like, but I'm going to keep using Denise's suggestion to drape weights over them, in hopes they'll flatten a bit more.
not a bee at all
I did some looking online, and found this "bee hawk moth", which looks like our little friend from last night. They're native to the U.K., but it sure looks like we've got a population of them here in G.R. as well.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
what manner of bee is this?
I went out to Meijer Gardens with some friends tonight, and we saw this most unusual bee. He was fuzzy and colored like a bumble-bee, but longer, and looked almost like a hummingbird in the way he flew.
Anyone know anything about the little guy? We're intrigued ...
some nice surprises yesterday
First, thank you to Trixie at Farm Home Life. I entered a give-away on her blog, and won a $25 Walmart Gift Card. She sent her readers over here to visit, and I wanted to welcome them today. :)
Yesterday, I had my kayak out and drifted up to a little family of ducks. There was a momma and two half-grown babies. I was able to get within 6 feet of them, and they didn't seem at all concerned. We were near the shore of the gravel pit, and they were feeling free to nibble at bottom-of-the-water tidbits while I was there. It was quite a delight.
Yesterday, I had my kayak out and drifted up to a little family of ducks. There was a momma and two half-grown babies. I was able to get within 6 feet of them, and they didn't seem at all concerned. We were near the shore of the gravel pit, and they were feeling free to nibble at bottom-of-the-water tidbits while I was there. It was quite a delight.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Friday, August 01, 2008
why I'm not interested in having my own business ...
I just sold some books on ebay.
I made $35
I spent $41 in shipping.
UGH!
Every time I sell something to someone in Canada, the USPS online international postage calculator leads me astray! I had two packages heading for western Canada. It said they could each go priority for $10, which is what I charged the buyers. One was $17, and the other $18.
This is my irritated look! I just paid $5 to sell 4 books.
No more Canadians for me!
I made $35
I spent $41 in shipping.
UGH!
Every time I sell something to someone in Canada, the USPS online international postage calculator leads me astray! I had two packages heading for western Canada. It said they could each go priority for $10, which is what I charged the buyers. One was $17, and the other $18.
This is my irritated look! I just paid $5 to sell 4 books.
No more Canadians for me!
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