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Words of kindness are works of kindness, and since they cost so little and are worth so much, we should strew them plentifully all along life's way.
~Modern Proverbs
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"The heavens declare the glory of God..." Psalm 19:1
Saturday, June 29, 2002
Saturday Scruples
1. A land settlement gives First nation people thousands of square miles and millions of dollars. Someone has a petition opposing any giveaway. Do you sign it? No, I don't sign it. I need to hear both sides of the story before I make a decision on something of this magnitude.
2. At the beginning of a job interview the owner remarks: "You're the first white face I've seen all day." Later when you're offered the job, do you take it? The boss's prejudices don't make me less of a employee. I take the job, but if the boss expects me to be a part of his/her bigotry, forget it!
3. You find a crisp $20 folded on the floor of a small store. Two other customers are in the store. Do you pocket the bill? No, I don't pocket it. I ask the customer's if it is theirs, and if they say no, I turn it into the customer service people (or the equivalent).
Friday, June 28, 2002
Friday Five
When was the last time you...
1. ...sent a handwritten letter? I'm the Secretary/Treasurer for United Amateur Press Association of America. I do a lot of hand written correspondence with the membership as less than 25% have email addresses.
2. ...baked something from scratch or made something by hand? I hate cooking. The last thing I remember making from scratch was a batch of buttermilk biscuits, but that was a few months ago.
3. ...camped in a tent? I have never camped in a tent. The first thing my husband and I ever camped in was the back of a Scout. My that was cozy. Then we moved up to a camper. Now we own a small motor home and camp where there are full hookups.
4. ...volunteered your time to church, school, or community? A few years ago I taught children's church. I try to help my current church whenver there is a bake sale or garage sale fundraiser.
5. ...helped a stranger? Gee, I don't know. It is a sign of the times that we tend to avoid contact with strangers. I did help a woman the other day. We were in the grocery store and she was trying to get an item off of the top shelf. She couldn't reach and looked like she was going to try to climb the shelf. I am tall and had no trouble reaching the item for her.
A few finds
Goodness, I had fun today at the Goodwill. The day didn't start out well as we planned to go to a few garage sales, but it was pouring rain! We did go to one sale way out in the boondocks. The reason we HAD to go to that one is because it was advertising "fishing lures." Jim can't pass up any sale that claims to have fishing gear of any kind. Anyway, we got to the sale, and indeed, they did have fishing lures. Jim bought several at a quarter a piece, so he was happy. There was nothing there that I was interested in.
When we did finally get to the Goodwill, I found a whole bunch of "new" jewelry (new in the sense that it had just come in). That always makes me a happy camper, and in fact, I found 4 pieces to bring home:
1) a necklace and earring set. It is a three strand necklace, about 30 inches long. It has square, enamel, colored beads strewn along its length. The earrings match and are about 1 1/2 inches in length.
2) A pin that is about 1 inch in diameter. It looks like a dogwood blossom.
3) A pair of earrings, posts. They have one larger, round crystal (or rhinestone) surround by a square of smaller set in stones.
4) A pendant. It is about 1 inch in diameter with a black background upon which are scatter gold birds and flowers. It is beautiful!
I also found a really cute decorative piece for my front porch. It is made of wood and is based on the theme of a totem pole except it features a rabbit, dog, cat, and rooster. What is fun about it is that each piece fits onto the top of the other like a piece in a jigsaw puzzle. It comes apart like a puzzle, too. It is about 12 inches tall.
Thursday, June 27, 2002
Minority Report
Go see it. This is simply one of the best films I've seen in a very long time, especially in the SF genre. It has just the right mix of action, suspense, back story for the main character. The plot has enough twists and turns that just when you think you have the thing figured out you realize you don't have it figured out! The technology of this near future society is awesome! It is something to think that in just 50 years or so technology really will be radically different from today, but not so different that you won't recognize.
The premise of the story is that in this future world there is a law enforcement unit called "Pre-crime." With the aid of three "pre-cogs"--the brain-damaged children of drug users who have become adults and in the process genetially altered to be used in prediction of future crimes of murder--the pre-crime unit identifies murders and then arrests them before the crime can be comitted. The pre-cgs are never wrong (or are they?). Anderton, the director of Pre-Crime, certainly thinks something isn't quite right when he is fingered as the future murder of a man he doesn't even know.
Monday, June 24, 2002
Monday Memories
Share your memory of getting "the talk". Who told you about the birds and the bees? Were they uncomfortable? Were you?Share your memory of getting "the talk". Who told you about the birds and the bees? Were they uncomfortable? Were you?
I don't remember getting a specific talk about the birds and the bees from my parents. My mother told me about the menstral cycle when I was in the fifth grade. What I learned about how the male and female bodies worked, I learned in sex education in high school when I was in 9th grade. It was a coed class, too. How embarrassing it all seemed back then.
Monday Mission
1. Do you wear glasses/contact lenses? If so would you consider going through Lasik surgery? (Or if you already have, please tell us about it) I have worn glasses since the 8th grade (a very long time ago, indeed!). No, I wouldn't consider having Lasik surgery. I don't mind the glasses. In fact, everytime I put them on in the morning I think how wonderful are the glasses because I can see!
2. Did you ever have to wear braces? How are your teeth? (any cavities, any pulled teeth, root canals, etc.) I never had to wear braces and I still have most of my teeth, though in the last two years I have had three pulled, not counting the upper wisdom teeth which were pulled many, many years ago. I wish my teeth were not so prone to decay. In the last 30 years there have been only two times that I didn't need to have work done after I saw the dentist for a checkup.
3. What (if any) recent movies have moved you emotionally? Which one and how so? No recent movie has moved me emotionally, but I recently watched Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon on cable TV. It was a strange movie, I'm not sure I liked it, but I think about it quite often.
4. I visited my dear Mema in the managed care facility Sunday and while she is doing well, I was sad for her. Living out your final days/years someplace like that seems so lonely to me. Would you rather live the remainder of your golden years in a rest home, or pass away before it came to that? I think I wouldn't mind being in a rest home if I still had my mind and was able to get around physically. I wouldn't like to be dependent on anyone in order to accomplish the activities of daily living.
5. Sometimes, but not nearly often enough, I will just stop and marvel at the amazing planet on which we live. The eco-system, life and death, nature, the perfect balance that keeps us alive, the universe, it can all be mind-boggling if you let your mind get carried away. What natural creation or phenomenon just flat-out leaves you with a sense of wonder? The Grand Canyon. Enough said! I plan to see it in person one day.
6. Have you ever been in a fist fight or a situation where you had to get physically violent with someone else? How did that come about? Any consequences? I have never been in a fist fight, but once when I was in high school I ripped a hand full of hair out of the head of a girl that had been tormenting me for some time. She was a bully. After that she never bothered me again.
7. Many times I look back in hindsight and think of how I should have handled a situation. Are there any recent happenings that you wish you would have handled differently? What happened and what do you wish you'd done? No recent happenings that I can think of, but if I could go back about 25 years, I would certainly make different choices in the way I lived my life.
BONUS: How far away can you go, and still be dancing with me? It's a small world, especially with the Internet, don't you know?
Sunday, June 23, 2002
Sunday Op-Ed
1. Doughnuts What is one food, other than potato chips, that I avoid while dieting? Doughnuts are on the list of food I would rather not have around the house while dieting.
2. Coffee What is not nearly as satisfying when decaffinated? Since an episode of heart palpitations, I have been on the decaffed variety, and instant at that! Yuck, why do I bother?
3. Summer What season is the most fun to spend with the children? Summer is best spent at the park pitcing horseshoes and flying kites. Oh, yes, and with a bit of camping thrown in just for the heck of it.
Saturday Scruples
1) You're starting a new restaurant. Video Lottery Terminals (VLT's) would bring in needed cash. Do you install them? No, gambling is a vice that has harmed too many innocent people.
2) You're a personal trainer. You start an affair with a client who thinks the workouts now should be free. Do you insist on payment? No, unless I was a complete scoundrel.
3) Your spouse would be upset if she knew you forgot the asthma kit when you took baby to the park. Do you lie to avoid a fight? I tell the truth if asks, buy why bring it up if it isn't mentioned?
Friday Five
1. Do you live in a house, an apartment or a condo? A two storey house, with wonderful faux brick siding that was put on, like, back in the forties.
2. Do you rent or own? Own. The final payment was made about 15 years ago.
3. Does anyone else live with you? Yes; husband (sleeping right now), four boys (watching the Star Trek TNG marathon on TNN), three dogs (out barking at nothing, as per usual), and one (rather fat) cat (an orange tabby named Pedro).
4. How many times have you moved in your life? Nine times, I think, not counting the first time when I was a toddler (which I don't remember, but every time we drove by it, Mom would point out the house we first lived in).
5. What are your plans for this weekend? Friday--yard sales, Saturday--yard sales and a birthday party, Sunday--church then a nice long afternoon nap.
Monday, June 17, 2002
Monday Mission 2.24
1. What does Father's Day mean to you personally? Father's Day doesn't really mean much to me. My father was an alcoholic, so there was never many times of celebration in our home. I love my Dad inspite of his alcoholism, and by the time of his death in 1986, I had as good a relationship with him as was possible in our circumstances.
2. Was there a Father, or a Father Figure in your life as you grew up? My father figure was God. I had a realization when I was about 14 that if God loved me so much that he would send his son to earth so I could have a relationship with He, He was a God of love and so nothing like my earthly father.
3. If you are a parent, is the father of your child(ren) involved on a daily basis? Is that even important? My husband and I are are foster parents.Yes, it is important.
4. With Rosie, Callista, Jodie and Camryn all raising children without Fathers, Hollywood seems to be sending a message that children do not need male role models. Do you agree? Are these "stars" sending a good message to the young adults who admire them? The ideal family is Mom, Dad and Children. Sometimes that isn't the reality. Single parents can do a successful job of raising children, but it is hard. In my opinion, to present single parenthood as the ideal is sending a wrong message.
5. Do you think the absence of a loving, caring father in the life of a child could have any influence on their sexual preferences when the child grows up? Yes, in the sense that many children of absent fathers in searching for a substitute for that love can enter into sexual relationships that are harmful to them.
6. Was there ever a time when your father became "uncool." Or maybe embarrassed you? My Dad was not sober often enough to notice if we were "uncool." I don't know that my Dad ever embarrassed me, but I knew better than to bring my friend around.
7. Are you ever too old to kiss your Dad? No, if you have opportunity to show affection to your father, do it. Life is short! The worst thing is to have regrets because your Dad dies before you could tell him how much you love him, or before you could make things right with him if your relationship is rocky.
BONUS: When you coming home, dad? Dad died many years ago. It is rather of question of when am I coming home, i.e., to heaven when I die. I believe that Dad had a relationship with God at the time of his death and will be there when I reach my heavenly home.
Melanie's Monday Memories
Melanie: While driving back from the consultancy job I had today, I saw two dead kangaroos, and one dead rainbow lorikeet on the road. We often notice things while we're travelling, either as a driver or a passenger that make an impression on us for some reason. What trip did you make, where you noticed something that made an impression that stuck with you? It doesn't have to be something you saw, it could have been a sound you heard, or a particular scent.. what was your memory?
Me: I remember going to Grandma's every Saturday. On the trip to her house we passed through a particular stretch of road. On one of the big trees at roadside someone had posted the sign "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." I do believe that was one of my first exposures to the Gospel, and I am grateful to the person who posted that sign.
Saturday, June 15, 2002
Saturday Scruples
1. You phone a friend at 2 a.m. but accidentally dial another friend. When his indignant voice answers, do you hang up? It depends on how good of a friend it is that I woke up. If it is a close friend who know my foibles and can laugh with me, then yes, I tell them. But, if it is just an acquaintance, I hang up. Of course, with the advent of caller I.D. it would probably be best to identify yourself in either case.
2. You're about to buy a newspaper when you notice the vending box is open. Do you pay for the paper? Yes, I pay for the paper, and then I let someone know the vending machine is open, or else close it myself if it isn't broken.
3. A new business opportunity could make you rich. Do you try to involve family members and in-laws? Of course, as long as it isn't some "get rich scheme" that you know better than to touch with any length of pole!
Friday, June 14, 2002
Friday Five
1. How often do you do laundry? I do laundry 4 or 5 times a week. I have four teen/pre-teen boys. Theirs is the bulk of the laundry.
2. What's in a typical wash load? Boys clothes
3. Front or top loader? Top
4. Do you use fabric softener in the rinse cycle? No
5. Dryer or clothesline? Dryer. I'm too lazy to use a clothesline, even though clothes dried out in the fresh air smell wonderful.
Bumper Sticker Wisdom
Woman shall have the last word of any argument.
If man says any word after that it shall considered be the start of a new argument.
Wednesday, June 12, 2002
The one that didn't get accepted
Haiga copyright 2002 by Deborah Beachboard
Not a lot happening todayIt was the last day of school today. So, now I get five (5), count them--5, as in five male-type people in my house every day all day long! Ain't life grand?. The good news is that at least the children will go to the park with me and pitch horseshoes, my favorite sport! But, that's probably because I can actually play the game. My bad knees prevent me from doing running games like baseball (it's boring anyway) and soccer (the boys' favorite). In addition to horseshoes, we fly the kites when it is windy enough. The guys have stunt kites, so that's fun for them.
Tuesday, June 11, 2002
Two for Tuesday
1) Everyone's gotta pay the bill somehow. Tell us a little about the work you do. Me? Work? I don't think so. I retired when my husband did, so I am a woman of leisure, well, in between all of the household chores and looking after said hubby and the foster children.
2) Do you have a "dream job"? If so tell us about it. Writing poetry and actually earning money for it.
Monday, June 10, 2002
It's FateI guess I'm just a "padawannabe" (to steal a term from Karen of The Force APA). This is the image I got when I hit the randomize button at The Mini-Mizer
More Questions and Answers
I in turn stole these from JK over at The Trash Heap.
The idea is to answer the questions below using song lyrics, with all lyrics being from the same artist. Sound like fun? Let's do it ...
1. Are you male or female?
Kentucky woman
She shines with her own kind of light
2. Describe Yourself.
Porcupine pie, porcupine pie, porcupine pie,
Vanilla soup, a double scoop please.
No, maybe I want, maybe I won't, maybe I will.
The titti fruit, with fruity blue cheese.
3. How do others feel about you?
Turn on your heartlight
Let it shine wherever you go
Let it make a happy glow
For all the world to see
4. Describe your spouse:
The boat that I row won’t cross no ocean;
The boat that I row won’t get me there soon.
But I got the love and if you got the notion,
The boat that I row’s big enough for two,
Just me and you.
5. What would you rather be doing?
We're headed for the future
Come on, lean on me
And I'm gonna lean on you
We're headed for the future
And the future's ours
6. Describe where you live:
It's a beautiful noise
Goin' on everywhere
Like the clickety-clack
Of a train on a track
It's got a rhythm to spare
7. Describe how you love:
Then I saw [his] face
Now I'm a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind
I'm in love
I'm a believer
I couldn't leave [him] if I tried
8. Share a few words of wisdom:
And the singer sings his song, And we dance along
With thanks to The Neil Diamond Lyrics Page
Sunday, June 09, 2002
Sunday Op-Ed
1. Religion should never be a substitute for faith! Religion can become a trap of form without substance. God is not found in the rituals. The rituals extend from us to God as we recognise his presence and seek to worship him to the best of our understanding. I love going to church, being with God's people, and being in the presence of God. I enjoy the ritual of communion, baptism, music and praise, but there is no fulfillment in those things without knowing God in my heart.
2. Politics can be an active part of a Christian life. The Bible says to obey every ordinance of man for Christ's sake. To me that implies that in a country where the citizen can be active in politics, he should be. Whether that activity is going to the polls, writing letters to govenmental bodies, belonging to political organizations, or actually running for office, the Christian has the right--by both law and morality--to do so.
3. Money is what makes the world go around, but the Bible admonishes us that it is the root of sorts of evil. We have to be careful then that our reliance is upon God first, after which we may spend money prudently.
The Pastor's Perspective
"Confidence is a grand thing. If we have it we can successfully withstand the most difficult times; without it we are easy prey to defeat and despair. ..." ~ Mike Kozowski
Saturday, June 08, 2002
Saturday Scruples
1) While a house guest, you accidentally smash a clay bust of your host. It could have fallen by itself. Do you keep silent? No, I confess. It's embarrassing, but if it is a valuble piece it's probably insured.
2) Your elderly mother-in-law doesn't like nursing homes but can't live alone. Do you invite her to live with you? Yes, there is no difference between my husband's mom and mine. The only reason to say no is if the mother-in-law requires a greater level of care than the children can handle.
3) A 12 year-old girl has cancer. Her father refuses to allow chemotherapy. Instead, he believes in alternative medicine. Should the child be removed from his custody? That is a hard one. Is the chemotherapy going to benefit the child in the long run? So many times chemotherapy only postpones the inevitable and the patient is horribly miserable in the meantime. If the chemotherapy will benefit the child, then yes, the court should step in and order the treatment, but not remove the child unless the parents fail to comply with the court order.
The Sum of All Fears...
...was a terrific movie, engrossing from beginning to end! Ben Affleck did a credible job as a younger Jack Ryan--when the scenes weren't being stolen by Morgn Freeman. What an incredible actor is that man! James Cromwell was very good as the American President. I also enjoyed seeing the actor who plays Sloan in the TV series Alias as one of the presidential advisors, and the actress who plays Rebecca in The Practice in a brief appearance as the head of the nuclear assessment team.
The premise of the movie is that an Israeli plane goes down in 1973 during a conflict with Eygpt and Syria. Aboard the plane is an unexploded nuclear bomb. 29 years later the bomb is found by a local man who sells it to an arms dealer who in turn sells it to a terrorist group who in turn sneak it into a major U.S. city, but...
the nuclear detonation isn't the focal point of the story, or rather, trying to stop the detonation isn't the focal point (which is a pleasant turn. How many times can we watch a hero disarm a bomb and not be bored because we know that no matter how close to zero the timer gets, the hero will be successful), it is simply the device that brings about the focal point--Jack Ryan trying to stop Russia and the U.S. from commiting MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction). The reason Russia and the U.S. are on the verge is because the terroists set things up to look like the bomb was planted by the Russians.
There are only two points in the movie that I had trouble with: 1) Why didn't "they" kill the local man after he sold the bomb? Everyone else who worked with the bomb was killed. 2) I found it difficult to believe that a young, inexperienced Jack Ryan would be granted access to the hotline between the U.S. and Russia (a major plot point) no matter how sincere his plea.
Thursday, June 06, 2002
Velvet.Vicissitude= [See No Evil]
Which monkey are you?
Jim and I finally went to our first garage sale of the year. Usually we've been to all of them so far, we are something of fanatics when it comes to yard sales and such. I don't know what has caused us to avoid them lately.
Anyway, I didn't find anything, but Jim found 4 pair of jeans for 1 dollar each. They looked brand new, too. I'm glad he found them because he hasn't been able to find any new ones he likes. Most of the styles on sale these days are tight in the legs and huge in the rearend. Jim hates them
I did find some stuff at the Goodwill, though. I found a pin. It's an older lookin one. It is 12 K gold filled. The rim is oval shaped and in the center is an ivory rose. I don't suppose it's real ivory, but it looks nice. I also found a goldtone hummingbird pin. It has a ruby type stone for the eye. Plus, I picked up a pair of earrings. They are about two inches long and composed of several strands of shells and beads. Quite the 80s thing I believe. I remember having similar pair around about that time.
I also found some office supply type stuff: index cards, note book paper, and a big bag of report covers. Those will come in handy for the boys' school reports.
Tomorrow morning there are several yard sales down on 14th street. Now that the bug has bitten, I'll have to get Jim up early so we can go check them out!
Tuesday, June 04, 2002
SimilarMinds.com - Compatibility testHow Compatible are You with me?
SimilarMinds.com Compatibility Test
Your match with Jenna
you are 78% similar
you are 79% complementary
MISS KEANE! THE BESTEST TEACHER EVER!
This is actually the answer I got when I answered honestly. How boring!
Of course, I didn't answer the questions honestly because I wanted to be Buttercup. Buttercup rocks!
Yeah, right!19
I act like I'm 19.
This test was brought to you by Rchel - Bringing you socks, and the Rchel Army. Take it here.
I haven't acted like I was 19 since, well since I was nineteen!
Mary
Who is Mary Russell? Why, the wife of supersleuth Sherlock Holmes, of course! I kid you not. In Laurie King's Mary Russell series that old misogamist finally gets bitten by the love bug. It is quite unexpected, of course. The series begins with the book The Beekeepers Apprentice. In it, we find Holmes in retirement in the country--just himelf and Mrs. Hudson--and bored to the edge of tears, when he stumbles--quit literally--upon Mary during one of his walks. The fifteen year old captivates him with her intelligence and soon becomes Holmes's apprectice in investigation. In a later novel, after Mary reaches the age of majority, they marry. Holmes purists may not care for this take on the master detective, but I find this series a fun romp.
Currently there are six books in the series:The Beekeepers Apprentice
A Monstrous Regiment of Women
A Letter of Mary
The Moor
O Jerusalem
Justice Hall
Ameila
I finally finished Lord of the Silent. It was as good as any of the previous books in the Ameila Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters. One of my favorite things in the book is that Ameila came a bit closer to reforming her antiquities-stealing brother-in-law, Sethos, who used to be head-over-heals for her. Again, I highly recommend this series, but start with the first, The Crocodile on the Sandbank and read them in order, for Amelia's unconventional family is ever evolving.
Two for Tuesday
1) If you could invited any three people--dead or alive--over for dinner, who would it be? First of all, I would invite Jesus, because He is the Greatest Thing that every happened to me. I would also invite my grandmother--who passed away a few years ago--because I still miss her, and my dad. I haven't seen him in a very long time. He died in 1986.
2) What would you serve? Fish and bread in honor of one of Jesus's special miracles.
Sunday, June 02, 2002
Paradise
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. ~Revelation 2:7
The word "paradise" comes from Persian word meaning "a walled in garden." It was a Persian custom for the king to invite someone dear to him to be a "companion of the garden," thus conferring special honor upon that one.
I like that. To be God's special companion in his walled in garden--a protected place full of love!
Saturday, June 01, 2002
Saturday Scruples
1) You want to quit a job without notice but you need a good reference from your employer. Do you invent a family health emergency? Probably not. If I were going to invent an excuse it would be something close to the truth. I am a firm believer in giving an employer notice, but, I have to admit, that hasn't always been the case.
2) In a parking lot, you accidentally dent someone's car door, do you leave a note taking responsibility? I would be very tempted not to, but I hope honesty would rule the day.
3) You're a homeowner. A group home for mentally challenged adults is planned for next door. Do you sign a petition to stop it? I'd like to think I wouldn't sign the petition. These people need to live somewhere. Of course, living in an area between the county jail and a youth corrections facility has probably influenced my answer since no actual harm has come to my family becaue of the inmates of these facilities. They are kept locked up though...
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