good reminder this morning

I have a daily Bible reading sent to me from BibleGateway. (I find if I have a reminder sitting in my in-box, I remember to take a minute to read before I dive into my "to do" pile!

Todays's reading was 2 Timothy, chapter 2.

The first two verses caught my attention:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,
for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

Am I praying for those in authority? I need to be. And I think it's particularly important since the upcoming president is one I didn't vote for. It would be easy to focus on the negative, instead of praying for God to use him.

It was good to note how God wants us to pray for our leaders ... we aren't to pray for economic prosperity, or for decisions to be made that we agree with. (though I'm inclined to do that occasionally!)

Rather we're to pray that government will, essentially, allow us to go about our business, living for God, without interruption.

Realistically, at least for the forseeable future, even a liberal government is very likely to do that! We're quite blessed in that regard here in the States.

But I do need to remember to pray for Obama. He's going to have an overwhelming job dumped on him very soon.

I also want to remember to pray for President Bush. In my opinion, he's been most unfairly maligned by the press. He's done a tremendous job under extremely difficult circumstances, and I'm sure he's looking forward to returning to a quiet life in Crawford!

Did I ever show you?

How the saddle turned out when I got it done, and hung up?

Can't remember ...

If not, here it is!

any male readers I have may want to skip this one ...

I just ordered this wonderful critter ... it SANDS the hair off your legs, so you don't have to shave.

It works great.

Consider this an unpaid endorsement!

thoughts on grocery store etiquette

I've once again been reminded why I avoid stores ... and particularly why I avoid stores on Saturdays.

Wouldn't it seem reasonable that, if a person wanted to chat with 5 or 6 friends, it would be pleasant to find a nice coffee shop somewhere? The appeal of gathering in a wagon-train-style circle, surrounded by grocery carts, blocking all traffic down supermarket aisles ... well ... it's one I just don't understand.

And I do hope that one day, I will have a life that is leisurely enough that I would be inclined to wander slowly through a store, casually looking over the merchandise in case something appeals to me. I can't fathom it ... but it sounds pleasant.

But if I do ... please let me remember to stay to one side or the other, so others who are trying to fit too much stuff in too small a time-frame have room to pass me, instead of clenching their jaw as they are forced into unwelcome-leisure as they dawdle behind me.

Anyhow ... yep ... I'm glad I can do most of my shopping online. :)

(and I'm sure anyone who would be stuck in the same environment with me is also very glad to NOT have me there!)

a local bank's new promotion

OK ... you tell me ... when you see this banner, what do you think?



It is hanging on the front of a local bank, and all I could think was ... "what a strange promotion they're having."

I read it as swipe (steal) this sign, and you get $500.

It's intended as a promo for their credit card ... swipe (use your credit card), sign the bill, and get $500.

Wondering how many of these signs will disappear if others read it the same way I did? :)

well, that was strange ...

Yesterday around 9:00 a.m., I was sitting at my desk, and a man came to the door.

We have an electronic locking system, so I buzz people in when I see them.

However, this fellow ran up to the door, yanked on it a couple times, and then yelled D_____ it! and ran around the side of the building, with a mustardy-yellow-jeep-thing driving right beside him. I had hit the button to open the door to let him in, but he was already storming off before he heard it open.

The music director heard this, and walked down to see what was going on. The jeepish-suv-ish thing picked the man up, and they drove back around the front of the building, saw music-guy standing in the door, and gave him the finger as they left.

This ... is ... very strange behavior.

I'm rather thankful that he didn't hear the door open!

I do get people coming into the building sometimes who are frustrated because they're lost, or who have to use the bathroom in a hurry, etc. But if it were something like that, I would have thought they would have stopped and come to the door again when they saw music-guy there.

Kind of makes me wonder if jeep-thing was a get-away car, and they had something illegal in mind!

weird!

I have never yet ...

seen a dog in a costume who didn't look either homicidal or deeply embarrassed.

There is one golden retriever who MIGHT be having a good time, but goldens are SO sensitive to their owners' emotions, that I'm guessing he's just trying his hardest to enter into the spirit of things. :)

acorns are little nuts

In honor of Acorn's tireless efforts to register voters amongst underserved populations - for instance, the dead, housepets, and Disney characters, it has been declared that anyone who was registered to vote through an Acorn voter-registration drive will be voting on Wednesday next week.

That's right - they get their own day ... since it was so hard for them to register on their own, we've set aside a special time slot just for them.

So plan on it ... next week Wednesday ... you get the polls all to yourself. Tea and cookies will be served.

bypassed beauty

I went for a walk with my camera this afternoon, just enjoying the leaves. It was one of those exceptionally windy days that makes the branches dance, and the leaves blow everywhere. It was quite lovely! I thought maybe you'd like to share it with me.



Every year this burning bush is particularly vibrant, and I love the way the tree in the foreground forms an arch over it.
























lace, made without hands.






The fellow who went with this house was out with a leaf blower, battling back the forces of nature. Beauty can be untidy ... and untidiness can not be allowed to run rampant. (Though with the wind we're having today, he might be better advised to put off the battle for another time!)






beauty lying in the gutter

Our pastor came to us from a Lutheran & Presbyterian background, so he brought with him some traditions with which we were unfamiliar. One of those traditions was celebrated today, and that was Reformation Sunday.

We took the time to look at the gift that was given to us, in that we have the Scriptures in our own language. This is a relatively new development, and yet we've become so accustomed to it, that it's easy to not notice.

The book that's right now sitting on the seat of my car, and copies of which are in almost every room of my home, is here because blood was shed to bring it to me. Just like those leaves lying along-side the road, it can become common-place. I need for it NOT to be. The gift of being able to read, and understand, the very words of God, in my own language, without fear of persecution, is a rare one. Not many have enjoyed this combination of circumstances down through history, and I need to treasure it more.

Sarah Palin polling really well with fast-food drive-through workers

The day after McCain picked Sarah Palin as his VP, I made a sign and stuck it in my back, driver's side car window. It says "Vote Sarah Palin for Vice President" and has a picture of the two on the bottom.

It's amazing how often I will drive through a fast food drive-through line (it's amazing how often I DO drive through fast food drive through lines ... but that's another subject), and the worker will make a positive comment when she sees the sign in the window. I find it most encouraging. :)

fun with Photoshop

I've been tinkering with Photoshop Elements, trying to learn how the tools work.

I haven't quite figured it out yet ... but I am enjoying playing with it!

Here's a couple of pictures from my trip to Italy that I was playing with - a pretty foo-foo from the Duomo, layered on top of the roof of the Galleria.

kids yogurt?

On meandering through the grocery store while a friend shopped last night, I noticed an entire section devoted to "kids yogurt."

I'm wondering ... what, exactly, makes it different from "adult yogurt"?

It's non-alcoholic? Does't require a driver's license to operate?

I've long hated the commercials for "Juicy Juice" ... not only is the name itself annoying to me (Juicy Juice, as opposed to "dry" juice? Or "sandy" juice?), and apparently, from the ads, it's marketed exclusively to parents in order to be served to children.

Then, today, I noticed a special line of "children's skin and hair care products."

Why? hair is hair. skin is skin.

These special "kids" products strike me as one of those areas where rich (compared to the rest of the world) Americans are being trained to have needs where none exist.

me and pop culture

I recorded Saturday Night Live last night because Sarah Palin was on it.

There's a whole world out there of which I'm ignorant (and gladly so). I understood maybe 20% of the jokes. :)

Now, the Sarah Palin parts were GREAT. I do like that lady.

I know ... I'm posting an awful lot of videos lately ...

But you've got to watch the two videos of this women speaking.

liberalism epitomized ...

Brian said I had to post this video

Let me say ... I can't QUITE believe this is real ... I'm sure it's just something someone has done to mock the environmentalists. But it's funny either way?

funeral home thoughts

I got called in to work today at 1:00 to make a video for the funeral home.

Since I started this job, I've found it to be kind of a strange mental situation ...

I'm on call for certain days, and may or may not get called in, and so I need to keep that in mind while making plans.

The odd part is this ...

I can plan ahead that I may need a 4-8 hour chunk of time on a certain day, and if I do, I'll also get a chunk of much-needed income.

Meanwhile, if I DO get called in to work, that means there is a family out there, who has absolutely NO IDEA that their life will change completely in that same time period.

It's weird, really ... planning for something that will make such a minor impact on my life, when those whose lives will be forever altered have no way to plan whatsoever.

On a happier note ... here's some funeral humor for you. :)

A Country Funeral


As a young minister in Kentucky, I was asked by a funeral director to hold a grave-side service for a homeless man, who had no family or friends. The funeral was to be held at a new cemetery way back in the country, and this man would be the first to be buried there.

I was not familiar with the backwoods area, and I soon became lost. Being a typical man, I did not stop to ask for directions. I finally arrived an hour late.

I saw the backhoe and the open grave, but the hearse was nowhere in sight. The digging crew was eating lunch. I apologized to the workers for my tardiness, and I stepped to the side of the open grave. There I saw the vault lid already in place. I assured the workers I would not hold them up for long, as I told them that this was the proper thing to do.

The workers gathered around the grave and stood silently, as I began to pour out my heart and soul. As I preached about 'looking forward to a brighter tomorrow' and 'the glory that is to come,' the workers began to say 'Amen,' 'Praise the Lord,' and 'Glory!' The fervor of these men truly inspired me. So, I preached and I preached like I had never preached before, all the way from Genesis to Revelations.

I finally closed the lengthy service with a prayer, thanked the men, and walked to my car. As I was opening the door and taking off my coat, I heard one of the workers say to another, 'I ain't NEVER seen nothin' like that before, and I've been puttin' in septic tanks for thirty years.

what was your first computer?

This past week, a friend started doing some shopping because the (25 gig) hard drive on her laptop had filled up.

I was thinking of how unimaginable this would have seemed to me when I bought my first computer in 1989. I'm not sure we even USED the term "gig". :) I had a 200 mg hard drive, and I can remember deleting documents when I needed to make room for new software.

My very first computer was a 286 with a pretty amber monitor (the ones at the college were green ... I thought the amber was SO much nicer.) I had considered the cheaper 80/86 (is that the right term? can't remember for sure ...), but I decided to spend extra on the bigger computer, so it would LAST me a while.

It came with a funny windows-ish thing called Geoworks, and a dot matrix printer - all for only $1,100! What a DEAL! If I remember correctly, I was still using it in 1993 when I signed up for my first Internet service - AOL at 10 hours/month, I think. I used Pro-Write and WordStar mainly ... with occasional forays into some kind of really basic desktop publishing program. That was IT, and I thought I was really techy!

What was your first computer?

P.S. ... out of curiosity, I just looked at my own hard drive. I have 80 gig, and 28.8 is full. YIkes! What IS all that stuff? :)

introvert vs. extrovert

This week, one of my co-workers and I were discussing the differences between introverts and extroverts.

I have always associated "introvert" with "shy", but he described introversion and extroversion as where a person finds their energy ... are they energized by being with people, or is it wearisome?

I found it quite an enlightening idea. Because, while I am not particularly shy, I find social occasions exhausting. While I enjoy them, I am always relieved to get into a room alone and close the door afterward!

It never occurred to me that extroverted people don't experience that same feeling ... that they might actually gain energy the longer they're at a gathering, while I gradually wind down and start taking long breaks in the ladies' room, longing for things to end for the evening. Interesting!

On a different note ... here's a new picture of the adorable nieces. I thought this was great!

Neat quote today

This was on my google home page ... thought it was so good:

"Forgiveness is the answer to the child's dream of a miracle by which what is broken is made whole again, what is soiled is again made clean."
- Dag Hammarskjold

bored with the board

After last night's condo meeting, I decided that I'm just not condo-board material. (as opposed to board material, which would be wood, which, I'm not either, but I digress.)

Our condo board meetings are a picture of ineffectiveness if I've ever seen one. There are long, drawn-out conversations that have nothing to do with board business. And often these same conversations are repeated, almost verbatim, at every meeting.

(For instance, we have a rule on our bylaws against leaving trucks parked outside the building overnight. At every meeting, there is discussion as to why this rule exists, and whether vans and SUVs constitute "trucks.") No resolution is ever achieved, or attempted. It just seems to be a ritual pet-topic.

I'm a non-leader down to my bones, but the aimlessness of these meetings is such that I find myself pushing them forward, demanding answers, requesting the next agenda item, etc. Then I get home, grinding my teeth and clenching my jaw.

So, after last night's demonstration of inefficiency, I am going to tender my resignation. I'm tired of being infuriated by these gatherings!

I'll just write my monthly check, and consider that the extent of my contribution to the community!

dance like no one's watching

Here's adorable niece #2 doing just that. :)

my brother's new blog

I woke up this morning to discover an email from my sister-in-law, telling me that my brother has a new blog.

I already enjoy sister-in-laws blog very much, and it's nice to have brother blogging also. He used to write a newspaper column, and did a great job. So I'm glad to see he's putting his hand to a keyboard again. :)

Eugenics in America

Have a look at an excellent blog I read today.

amazon doesn't know what to make of me ...

I started my Christmas shopping this week. I know ... it's ridiculously early, but I find I make wiser decisions if I'm not doing it quickly, and I also find I enjoy Christmas more if the shopping is done before the busy-ness starts!

Anyhow, all that is to say ... Amazon is desperately trying to make recommendations according to my previous buying habits.

However, I've had one friend ask me to order power tools for her (she doesn't like shopping online.) I use my personal account to order books for the church where I work. I buy gifts for the adorable-nieces. Then there is my own stuff.

So ...

Amazon recommends power tools, and children's games, and deep theological books, and the occasional pretty necklace.

I'm almost tempted to throw in the occasional order for really cheap, random stuff, just to confuse their computers even more. :)

Have you seen this yet?

If not, take a second and watch it. This is one of our veterans.

communication confusion

subtitled:
how I discovered my sister-in-law's phone doesn't display from whom text messages come!

I texted my delightful sister-in-law to find out how adorable-niece-#1's doctor's appointment went. (Both nieces have selective mutism, and are going to begin treatment for it.)

She responded back with detailed reports, and a great deal of affection, and also mentioned that my absence was probably a contributing factor, but that treatment was promising.

I was thankful for the detailed reports, and I'll be glad to accept affection when I can find it!

(Insert information here ... that my brother was out in the field with Army-training-stuff, and didn't have his cell phone. He had told sister-in-law that he might be able to borrow someone else's phone to check in.)

Starting to get the idea?

Well, from my end, confusion wasn't too bad. There was only one text from her that made it obvious she thought she was talking to my brother.

I assumed she was texting both of us at the same time, and just had sent one to the wrong person.

So I responded back:

"I think that was meant for Cliff?"

This is where sister-in-law's day starts to get weird!

She, thinking she was originally texting my brother, assumes that last message was from "random guy" who had loaned brother his cell phone.

So the rest of the conversation she begins to assume is with "random guy" ... who is quite overly-familiar. Or with returned-to-phone-Cliff ... who doesn't sound at all like himself.

The text conversation ends ... and sister-in-law remains confused.

Until last night, when I again sent her a text message.

Which she now assumes is from either Cliff or random-guy. And doesn't know how to find out which.

A further comedy of errors continues until finally she asks, "who is this." It is then, after MANY messages, I finally think to mention my identity.

All becomes clear to both parties, and much voice-on-phone hilarity ensues.

On other news, I started my new job last night, and am having that first-day, lots-to-learn feeling. But I think I will really enjoy it. Need to find a copy of "Adobe Photoshop for Dummies". :)

a new job!

No, I didn't quit "the best job in the world" ... I'm not crazy. :)

But I did apply for a part-time job in the evenings to help fill in the gaps a bit.

I'm going to be making videos of families' pictures for a local funeral home. The hours are varied and flexible, and it's a nice low-pressure environment. Dead folks are SO non-demanding.

I'll be starting on Tuesday.

the mysteries of swimming pool etiquette

Situation:

You are trying to enter a pool full of children, in hopes of swimming laps.

Do you
a. tell the parent that you would like to have a little strip of the deep end for your very own?

b. try to swim back and forth, dodging children as you go?

c. ask the children to let you have a little strip of water, in hopes they listen to you, an unknown adult? (insert here the old saying about, "if you start to think you're powerful, try ordering someone else's dog around.")

d. stand outside the pool until a section drifts clear, and then start swimming in it like mad in hopes people will get the idea?

I tried "d." as it required the least communication.

It seemed to work for a while, until a young boy started jumping in right in front of me, causing me to snort water, and having to resort to a modified "b."

So ... I ended up giving up and coming inside after 15 minutes.

Isn't there a book somewhere on the proper way to phrase this kind of request, and to whom one should phrase it? :)

I am the allergy princess ...

what IS that body part halfway between a person's ear canal and the back of her throat ...

... the one that, somehow, reacts to pollen in such a way that the itching causes said woman to want to scrub the inside of her face with a wire-brush?

UGH! And this is me ON allergy meds.

I can still remember the first few weeks of school, when my allergies are the worst, I used to be so allergy-plagued I could hardly stand it - swollen itchy eyes, itchy ears/throat, runny nose, sneezing. I was the most miserable looking and feeling critter out there.

I'd beg my mom for allergy medicine, and when she would get it for me, it would put me into this half-trance state ... barely able to stay awake.

It was either misery, or coma ... no other option for September and October!

I'm thankful the allergy meds have improved since that time, but for some reason, they still don't touch the itchy ear/throat thing!

Now where IS that sandpaper?

A political candidate I can be excited about!

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!

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!

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.

interesting how they phrase things

From this Yahoo News article today (about Barak Obama):

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."

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!).




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. :)

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!

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.")

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!

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

awww shoot

Nothing spoils a delightfully-productive day like spilling a half-bottle of furniture polish on the floor.

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!)

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.

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.

a good reminder to look at life through these glasses

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!

Barnabas

As you may have guessed from the lack of robin pictures, my chicks have flown the coop. I raised the blind on my balcony Friday morning, and they flew away. I've gotten the nest torn down, and the porch cleaned up, and am able to enjoy my coffee out there in the morning now without irritating the tenants.

We had such a wonderful preach Sunday morning on Barnabas. He is one of my favorite people in the Bible.

Barnabas wasn't his real name, you see. It was a nickname. It means "son of encouragement." The other Christians saw him as being an encouragement and support, so much so that they changed his name.

When the apostle Paul became a Christian, the others were all afraid of him. Before he had been a murderer - hunting down Christians and killing them, and putting them in jail. Then all of a sudden, he comes around pretending to believe ... nobody bought it. Except, of course, Barnabas. The Bible says Barnabas "took him up". He vouched for him, and recommended him to the others.

Then, later, Paul and Barnabas were traveling together with Barnabas' nephew John Mark. They got into a disagreement about whether Mark should continue on the journey, because he had failed them previously. Barnabas vouched for him, "took him up" again, to the point where Barnabas and Mark continued on separately. And Barnabas's support changed Mark, to the degree that later, Paul, in one of his final letters, asked Mark to come and join him, because he was useful in the ministry.

We don't know a lot about Barney. He is shown as a preacher, but quickly his role seems to diminish into a support and help to the others.

That is the role I've always loved ... being an encouragement to the people who are out in front, doing the big stuff. I love Barnabas, because I want to BE a Barnabas.

Have you seen The Lord of the Rings series? Remember Sam Gamgee? He was my favorite ... quietly in the background, supporting Frodo in doing the impossible.

I was reading tonight in Spurgeon sermons to see what he had to say about Barnabas, and I liked this quote very well:

Many who have believed through grace also need help by way of consolation. You would be astonished if you knew the large number of believers in Christ who are tempted to doubt, despondency, and distress of mind. In the present congregation there are a number of persons depressed in spirit, who can hardly look up, who will judge, when I am speaking, that I am referring to them; and I must confess that I am thinking of them, and do very often think about them, and long to see them come forth from their present gloom. It is a great joy to me if I can help them at all by describing my own experience of down-casting and up-lifting. These bruised and broken ones need binding up. Brothers, if you are like Barnabas, “sons of consolation,” be not slack in your blessed service! O ye spiritual men, trained in the school of sorrow, put forth your best endeavors to minister to minds diseased. Pour in the oil and wine of the gospel wherever there is a wound gaping and bleeding. A word fitly spoken, a promise seasonably quoted, may help much those who have believed through grace.

There will probably be more about this to follow!

an email forward that was actually new to me (and funny!)

DR. PHIL:
The problem we have here is that this chicken won’t realize that he must first deal with the problem on “THIS” side of the road before it goes after the problem on the “OTHER SIDE” of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he’s acting by not taking on his “CURRENT” problems before adding “NEW” problems.

OPRAH:
Well I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I’m going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

GEORGE W. BUSH:
We don’t really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

DONALD RUMSFELD:
Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

ANDERSON COOPER/CNN:
We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

JOHN KERRY:
Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken’s intentions. I am for it now, and will remain against it.

JUDGE JUDY:
That chicken crossed the road because he’s GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN:
To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART:
No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer’s Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level.

DR SEUSS:
Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I’ve not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY:
To die in the rain. Alone.

GRANDPA:
In my day we didn’t ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS:
Isn’t that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of crossing the road.

JOHN LENNON:
Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together - in peace.

ARISTOTLE:
It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

BILL GATES:
I have just released eChicken2006, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet explorer is an integral part of eChicken. The platform is much more stable and will never ever, ever reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN:
Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

BILL CLINTON:
I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE:
I invented the chicken!

COLONEL SANDERS:
Did I miss one?

robins, day 11

blogging about blogging ...

I was thinking today about why I enjoy doing this ... typing up little thoughts that may or may not ever get read by anyone at all!

Really, it's kind of vain, isn't it? Thinking folks are interested in the robins hatching on my porch, or the latest goofiness from the condo neat-police.

So, outside of the obvious hubris, what causes me to do this?

Well, there's the fact that it seems to keep me alert to the funny things going on around me. While I'm irritated at the people who came 45 minutes late for the chairs, I can, at the same time, think, "this is great blog material." Speaking of such, have you noticed how long it takes women to pull away from the gas pump? (Women other than me, I mean!) I'm waiting in line, and Barbie gets into her car, puts away her credit card, puts away her receipt, fluffs her hair, puts on her sunglasses, puts on her seatbelt, and THEN pulls away from the pump. We were in the middle of the Costco lot - she had at least 300 empty parking places directly between her and the exit where she could have paused to do this hair-fluffing!)

In contrast to the above example, it makes me look for the positive. If anyone DOES happen to read, I'd hate for my post to drag down their day. I want to put out things that are uplifting, or at least not depressing.

I notice the details more. I love seeing my robins grow, but I probably wouldn't climb up onto the porch furniture and snap a picture of them every day if I weren't posting it here. (incidentally ...note to the lady in the condo downstairs: yelling "be careful" when you see someone precariously perched on a lawn chair on a second floor balcony is NOT helpful.)

It makes up, at least partially, for my miserable correspondence skills (and even MORE miserable telephone skills.) It's keeping me in touch, at least a little bit!

I wish everybody would do it!

what are you looking at

I ran across a lovely post today about how we can choose what we see. Please take a minute and read it - it will change your day!

robins, day 10

even more crowded ... and they're getting VERY vocal when they feel their dinner is delayed.

cranky ...

Yesterday, I gave away a couple chairs. The folks who were picking them up were 45 minutes late, and the phone numbers they gave me didn't work.

So, I had hauled one chair outside my condo door, and the second downstairs onto the front porch, where I was sitting and waiting for them. (I don't let strangers into my house - just doesn't seem safe. I give away a lot of stuff on freecycle, and always just take it down into the lobby for the people who are picking it up.)

No show. No working phone number.

I waited a half hour, and hauled everything back upstairs.

15 minutes later (45 minutes after they had committed to arrive), they rang the doorbell.

I felt, and unfortunately acted, really cranky. Still feeling that weird combination of irritated and guilty-for-being-irritated.

To top it off ... no email this morning thanking me, or apologizing for being late.

robins, day 9

starting to get awfully crowded in that nest.

Progress of work on the old saddle

This is a picture of where we started. I had already vacuumed off the worst of the dirt and cobwebs, but it's still terribly dusty, with bird droppings.



Here it is after two cleanings and some work on getting the rust and corrosion off the metal parts. The irons are on their way to my dad, who said he had a machine at work that would clean the rust off them for me. (Notice my favorite tv show - Monk - playing in the background while I worked). :)




This is where we are today. Last night I gave it one final cleaning and then rubbed in some Equips Saddle Food. A friend (thanks Denise!) recommended both the Equips and using the straps to start training the flaps to lay flat, instead of bending up.



I'll post one final picture when it's done, and the stirrup irons are on again. I've ordered a brass saddle rack to hang it on. (It's sitting on my quilt rack right now!)

Some history of the saddle that I found interesting: my Grandmother's brother Bert was in Germany during WWII, and brought this saddle back with him. As far as I can tell, it hasn't been used much - either before or after its journey across the Atlantic!

As I was cleaning it, I discovered some stamping on the cantle that confirmed (along with some research I did online) that it had been a Nazi cavelry saddle. But I figure 60+ years languishing away in the barn has purged it of its sordid past, and I can enjoy the beauty of it and its family connections. :) (I tweaked the color and contrast on the stamp picture to make it show up better - the color of the leather is a bit "off" in that picture because of that.)

robins, day 7

robins, day 5

Big difference between day 4 and day 5! Eyes and beaks are open, and they look more like birds than deformed earthworms. :)

the sad story of the Dremel

I moved into my condo five years ago. At that time, there were many home improvement projects facing me, and one of the tools I thought might be helpful was a Dremel.

So I bought one. Paid a good bit for it, too.

And it's never been out of its case.

This disuse wasn't due to a lack of NEED for the Dremel - on the contrary, there were many projects for which it would have been ideal.

"So," you may ask, "why haven't you used it?"

"Because I read the instructions when I bought it, silly," would be my answer.

You see, if I were to sum up the first few pages of the instructions, it would look something like this:

If you use this tool, it will blind, maim or kill you.

So, you see, I've never touched it. Instead, when I go into my basement storage room, I throw side-long glances at its case, in fear that it will jump down off the shelf and try to bludgeon me when my back is turned.

But ... remember that old saddle I posted about? Well, it has some metal rings and fittings that are just crying out for a Dremel.

No, no. I haven't USED the Dremel.

But I did successfully bring it up from the basement. That's SOMETHING, isn't it?

robins, day 4

There are a few more feathers starting to appear, but their eyes haven't opened yet.

robins, day 3

Robins, day 2

Had a nice time after work today. I found a township park right by where I work. I took my kayak out on the park's lake, and had such a nice paddle before I came home. Hope to do that more often!

Robins ... still ugly. :)

these things do get me thinking

I can see that these quotes are going to prove to be a real source of blog fodder!

Today's: "I have lost friends, some by death, others through sheer inability to cross the street." - Virginia Woolf

Isn't that the truth. The loss of someone by death is horrible, but it's final and definite. You know what happened.

Then there are friendships that just fade into the sunset. For whatever reason, communication proves too difficult to maintain. I find myself often fighting tooth & nail to prevent the loss of friendships that are drifting away in that manner. But it seems that if it's going to happen, it's going to happen, and maybe it's just better to not fight the process!

some childhood memories

This saddle was in my grandparents' barn, and I remember dusting it off when I was a kid, thinking it was so neat. My grandmother's brother Bert brought it back from World War II.

They've been dealing with the things in the house after my grandpa's death, and I was blessed to receive the saddle yesterday. I'm looking forward to cleaning it up, and getting the leather soft and oiled again. I thought I'd display it in my living room.

Gotta give my neighbors something to wonder about ... I'm sure they're discussing when I'm going to show up with the horse to go with it. :)

newly hatched robins

The chicks hatched some time between last night 5:00 and today at 11:00.

Like the last batch ... they're painfully ugly. :)

Love it!

From the ihasahotdog site:

excellent quote today

I have a google-widget that gives me a new quote every day.

I loved today's:

Forgiveness is the answer to the child's dream of a miracle by which what is broken is made whole again, what is soiled is again made clean. - Dag Hammarskjold

things I wish I knew

A blog I read periodically had a post today on things the author wished she knew. It got me thinking along those lines. (surprisingly my list often paralleled hers - we're about the same age, so that may be why.)

It broke down into two categories for me ... things I wished I knew that, in theory, I could learn, and things I wished I knew for which I have no natural aptitude, and very little ability to learn.

The hopeless list first ...

Things I wish I knew for which I have no aptitude:

* Music. I've taken lessons in piano and voice. I've had college classes. I've read. I just don't "get it". There's some fundamental "music section" missing in my brain. I enjoy it, but I know there's a level that other people "get" that I just don't. It's like a color-blind person looking at a garden. They appreciate it, but there's a knowledge of something missing.

* Art. Can't draw. Can't paint. no talent here whatsoever.

Things I don't now, could conceivably learn and would like to know:

* ballroom dancing (how to do it) and ballet (how to appreciate it)

* classic literature - for an English major, there is a great deal I haven't read

* investing - I'm hopeless, but dislike money stuff, so I avoid learning it

* history - I know a great many events, but not the big picture, or dates, and how things interact

* geography - if I don't know someone who's lived there or traveled there, I probably don't know where it is

How about you? Any on your list?

while we wait for the robins

Please visit this amazing site that shows a hummingbird nest as the babies hatch & grow.

fireworks ...

OK kids,

We've established it. You light it. It goes "boom."

I can understand finding it interesting ... once.

But do we need to KEEP lighting them? They are all going to do exactly the same thing.

Really. I promise.

what American car companies just don't get ...

I want to buy American.

I want a hybrid.

I do NOT want an SUV.

Do they make one single car that fits these qualifications?

Nope.

It makes no sense to me to buy an enormous vehicle when I'm usually the only one in it and rarely haul anything heavier than a gallon of milk.

quote of the year

The only difference between Detroit and Third World nations in terms of corruption is that there are no goats in the streets in Detroit.
- Sam Riddle

Yep.

no longer an empty-nester

The robin laid eggs again this weekend. I think only 3 are new. She laid 3 in her first batch, and there were only 2 chicks, so one of the four is one that didn't hatch last time.

I hope, once they hatch, to take a picture every day, so we can watch them grow.

OK ... just one more political post

How would CNN have reported the D-Day invasion?

Have a look.

thoughts on spontaneity

After the last post, thought I should try and put something up that was at least a LITTLE less cynical. (Lest D. see it, be affronted at my over-the-top-right-wingedness, and never read my blog again). :)

I am the world's least spontaneous person. Truly.

Those who know me are completely aware of this, but I was considering yesterday how this quality enters into so many little decisions.

Yesterday in the car, I was in the right lane (of 3), in preparation for an exit about a half mile ahead of me.

I saw several people driving in the left lane, who turned their blinker on, and moved over two lanes to the right, in order to get onto the same exit ramp I was using.

It struck me how foreign that would be to me. The only reason I could envision myself doing this is if I had suddenly realized I was missing my exit.

There was no last-minute-panic going on with these folks. They just didn't bother to move over until they were ready to exit.

I'll bet if someone calls those folks to suggest an evening out that same day, their first response would be "yes, sounds like fun!" I always have to mentally go through my plans for the evening first ... important plans like, "I was planning to water the plants on the balcony and empty the dishwasher," before I'm able to tear myself away from the original schedule and adapt to the new idea.

I'm glad I have spontaneous friends ... otherwise I think I'd turn into one of those little old ladies who "can't go out on Monday, because that's the night I clip my toenails." :)

Bad Trinka! No biscuit!

The Midwest vs. New Orleans ...

Have you seen the pictures from the Midwest floods of the people looting the liquor stores, carrying away televisions from retail stores, sitting on the roof begging for someone to take care of them; collected in the stadium complaining about the food and shelter being provided?



Neither have I.


(stolen from an email forward ... I have no idea who originally wrote it.)

awesome, awesome, AWESOME video

I don't understand the talk about "investing" at the end ... but I LOVE LOVE LOVE the rest of the video!



God changes lives, when we box up the mess, and give it to Him.

Please note - I've been told that links to inappropriate videos are appearing after this one is played. Please hit "stop" just before it ends, so you don't have to deal with them. Sorry about that!

Chick update

I was taking a picture of this little fellow on the side of the nest, and he flew away. His brother is still hunkering down, taking advantage of the free worms.

angry chicks

I went out onto my porch this morning to water the plants. In the process I scared off Mama-Robin, and she flew away before feeding the chicks.

They were ANGRY ... they stood up as tall as they could in the nest, and protested with all their little might. Their little spotted-tummies were all puffed out in indignation. It was quite adorable. Here's a picture of them today, in more sedate moments.



Today is my concealed-carry class. I'm so looking forward to it!

We're not really here

No birds here ... just a pile of feathers ... move along please ... nothing to see here

People are organisms ....

People are organisms strategically placed in our days to remind us why
we are SINGLE!!!!!!!!

I received this one-line email from T. yesterday, just as VBS was making my frustration level reach critical mass. :)

It's not the kids who were making me crazy - it was the ADULTS!

One of the leaders got a letter from a mother who thought her precious little fellow had been "persecuted". Apparently he was trying to "fast" on Wednesday, and we "forced him to eat."

Um ... yeah. The oldest POSSIBLE child we could have had at VBS was 12. A LOT of 12-year-olds choose to fast. And with 280 children in the building, I'm sure we took the time to force-feed the little darling, if he preferred to not eat his lunch!

Sorry ... was that me? Did I say that out loud? Oops!

Just for something a bit more pleasant ... here was a robin picture from last night.

not the most attractive birds I've ever seen ...

I had a good trip home yesterday, even with a two hour delay at my layover.

I was sad to hear that my grandfather passed away Friday night. The visitation will be Tuesday and the funeral Wednesday.

The robins hatched while I was away. They're not very pretty just yet. :)

a sticky experience

I had such an interesting day today. Sunrise and I went and stalked the re-sale shops, looking for deals, and found some nice things.

Then I ran some errands with D., and then tonight, A. came over, and did acupuncture on my ears. It is supposed to help with losing wight. So I'm looking forward to seeing how that works out!

It was a very interesting experience. The needles hurt a little bit going in, but not horribly so. Then I sat with them in for a half hour. It was actually quite a relaxing feeling, if you can believe it. Then she put some little beads on my ears stuck down with tiny round band-aids, and I'm supposed to pinch them periodically.

We'll see what comes of it. :)

a disappointment and a delightful surprise

Today we drove down to Glen Rose, Texas. It's an area that has a lot of dinosaur tracks, and other interesting fossils and such-like.

We discovered online that there was also a creation museum, and were looking forward to seeing it. Their web site looked interesting, and the entrance fee was only $2. We were quite anticipating it, and made it our first stop. It was obvious they had construction going on, and so you expect a certain amount of disorganization.

However ...

The exhibits (which may have been interesting) weren't labeled ... not at all. So you had no idea what you were looking at. We asked the man at the desk if there was a way to know what things were, and he said, "it's all in the video."

There WAS a video playing on the back wall, with a man preaching. But he was dwelling SO long on the theory that the flood was responsible for the conditions that create the perception of an old earth that you lost interest before he ever got to the point where he explained the exhibits.

It could have been interesting ... if only they had typed up a few labels and explanatory paragraphs ... instead, it was just ... well ... kind of pathetic. I hope that it was just a result of the construction, and that if I were to go back again in two years, things would be a trifle more impressive.

The delightful surprise was finding a lovely place to relax at a park there in Glen Rose. There were enormous boulders scattered around a wide, shallow river. It flowed about 10 inches deep over solid rock - so you could walk around, and sit in the water, without walking in mud, or worrying about snakes or creepy crawlies. We spent about 2 hours there, just enjoying the place. There was even a blue heron down-river keeping an eye on us.

By the way, I want to put in a plug for the Answers in Genesis creation museum in Cinncinatti. It is excellent!

enjoying my time in Dallas

So far, the time here has been a real treat. I've gotten some great visits with D., and the retreat went very well.

She was speaking on Atonement (becoming one with) God, and Atonement with Others. So we got some great visits about what it means to know God, and forgive those who have wronged us. The ladies who were there seemed to almost all have a lot of hurts in their life, and so it was a blessing that this topic was discussed.

The camp was beautiful, and I really had some great visits, also, with D's friend A., who came along too.

Today, I visited D's church - St. Philips Episcopal. They are a neat congregation - there is a real desire to learn their Bibles, and be involved in missions work. And folks are very friendly. I always enjoy visiting, even though Episcopal worship is QUITE different from what I'm used to. I guess new cultural experiences are always good!

Then this afternoon, I went along with D., and she did a Bible study on the HIV ward of Homeward Bound drug treatment hospital. There were about 7 people attending, and I really enjoyed meeting all of them. One fellow had the neatest comment. We were talking, in general, about how God can restore a person's innocence, but at some point Joshua marching around Jericho was brought up. This fellow mentioned that it was God asking them to have faith in Him, when He had the city conquered by this strange pattern of marching. The man said, "He could have just as well asked them to hop around the city on one leg, wearing a chicken mask." The image just popped into my mind of this big army hopping, with chicken-heads. I think I won't ever read Joshua 2 again without remembering that! :)

Tomorrow we have a surprise planned for D.'s friend Sunrise. She has been wanting a shed built in her back yard, and has the foundation started. We're hoping to buy some lumber and build the floor supports while she's at work.

Hope your day was a good one!