Yes, I realize I've kind of fallen off the map in terms of posting. So I'm experimenting with a blogging program for the Mac called MarsEdit.
Among other things, I can create/edit posts offline, and I can post here, Undependent, a personal blog I'm experimenting with over at VOX, and an internal company blog.
Daring Fireball, one of my super favorite blogs, digs MarsEdit.
And since I can try it out for 30 days with no charge, seems like a good deal to me.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Monday, February 04, 2008
"Deep Seeded"?
I saw this phrase used in a writing recently. The writer was referring to something deeply felt. I had always thought the phrase was "deep-seated". I am correct, apparently, and the writer is mistaken.
Steve Peifer and the Policeman
I have posted before on Steve Piefer and his ministry in Kenya. Among the things he has done is to have organized a school lunch program for many schools in Kenya. During the recent troubles, getting food to the schools has been a big problem. He reported this to those of us on his email list:
We have been trying hard to get the food to the schools. Margaret, the Kenyan woman who administers the School Lunch program, asked me to go with her to Muchorui, one of the nine schools we have just been able to add to the feeding program; we are up to 34 schools and 15,000 thousand children fed a day. Thank you for what you have done.
She asked me to go with her because, although she is adept at dodging riots and problems, there was one policeman that she couldn’t get past. He was insistent that she couldn’t pass his checkpoint without giving him nine bags of maize.
I’ve had several bad experiences with police in Kenya. Once I was delivering food and they told us they were going to arrest us; they explained that we would need to drive them to the police station, where they would process our paperwork, and then I would drive them back to their checkpoint. Then, I would drive myself back to the jail so they could put me in jail. Another time I picked up a drunken police officer who amused himself by pointing his rifle at the back of my head.
I wasn’t anxious to do this. But sometimes you just need to have a showdown with the worst of yourself and face your fears. I went with her and met the policeman.
Policeman: You must give me nine bags before you are permitted to pass.
Me: Why?
Policeman: Because you have stolen it.
Me: Here is the bill of sale.
Policeman: I will not allow you to pass until you pay me nine bags of maize.
Me: I will do it if you do one thing for me.
Policeman: What is it?
Me: You must go with me to the school and pick out 40 children who will not be fed because of what you have done. You tell me which 40 do not deserve food, and I will give you the bags.
Policeman: I will do it.
At this point, he stopped and said `I cannot make that choice.’
Me: Neither can I.
Policeman: You can go.
So we went and the children were so happy. Prices have increased so much that many of these kids will only eat what is provided at the school.
(Want to help? Here's the link to Steve's website that deals with the food program.)
We have been trying hard to get the food to the schools. Margaret, the Kenyan woman who administers the School Lunch program, asked me to go with her to Muchorui, one of the nine schools we have just been able to add to the feeding program; we are up to 34 schools and 15,000 thousand children fed a day. Thank you for what you have done.
She asked me to go with her because, although she is adept at dodging riots and problems, there was one policeman that she couldn’t get past. He was insistent that she couldn’t pass his checkpoint without giving him nine bags of maize.
I’ve had several bad experiences with police in Kenya. Once I was delivering food and they told us they were going to arrest us; they explained that we would need to drive them to the police station, where they would process our paperwork, and then I would drive them back to their checkpoint. Then, I would drive myself back to the jail so they could put me in jail. Another time I picked up a drunken police officer who amused himself by pointing his rifle at the back of my head.
I wasn’t anxious to do this. But sometimes you just need to have a showdown with the worst of yourself and face your fears. I went with her and met the policeman.
Policeman: You must give me nine bags before you are permitted to pass.
Me: Why?
Policeman: Because you have stolen it.
Me: Here is the bill of sale.
Policeman: I will not allow you to pass until you pay me nine bags of maize.
Me: I will do it if you do one thing for me.
Policeman: What is it?
Me: You must go with me to the school and pick out 40 children who will not be fed because of what you have done. You tell me which 40 do not deserve food, and I will give you the bags.
Policeman: I will do it.
At this point, he stopped and said `I cannot make that choice.’
Me: Neither can I.
Policeman: You can go.
So we went and the children were so happy. Prices have increased so much that many of these kids will only eat what is provided at the school.
(Want to help? Here's the link to Steve's website that deals with the food program.)
Sunday, February 03, 2008
More on Convervatives and McCain
It is understandable to lament the absence of conservative purity, but ahistorical to suggest that any recent Republican president would have met any of the litmus tests now demanded, given the dependency of the middle class on entitlements and its touchy-feely worldview. Victor Davis Hanson
But the other point of view.
MORE: Good article on McCain in the conservative Weekly Standard.
EVEN MORE: Victor Davis Hanson discusses each candidate. Did you know that both McCain and Thompson are cancer survivors? Thompson had/has lymphoma. He has a beautiful wife. I didn't know we had so much in common.
But the other point of view.
MORE: Good article on McCain in the conservative Weekly Standard.
EVEN MORE: Victor Davis Hanson discusses each candidate. Did you know that both McCain and Thompson are cancer survivors? Thompson had/has lymphoma. He has a beautiful wife. I didn't know we had so much in common.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Me too; this time from Kenya!
8 things I'm passionate about:
1. Seeking first the Kingdom of God
2. My family
3. My friends
4. New things and new ideas (I am my father's daughter)
5. Kenya
6. My students
7. Beautiful places
8. Cooking for my family and friends and students (I am my mother's daughter, too)
8 things I want to do before I die:
1. Fall in love and get married
2. Run a marathon
3. Become a doctor
4. Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro
5. See more of Africa
6. Have more adventures
7. Hang out more with my wonderful family
8. Pray more
8 things I say often:
1. Hi, how are you? or Habari?
2. I'm fine, thank you. or Mzuri.
3. Hodee (this is the kikuyu way to say "Hi, is anyone home? I'm coming in!")
4. Hello my wonderful students.
5. Hey guys, please be quiet.
6. I love coffee.
7. I'm tired.
8. Oh my.
8 [books I've recently read] (I changed this one since I really don't have a TV to watch here):
1. The Great Gatsby, by F. S. Fitzgerald (this one for English class)
2. Busman's Honeymoon, by Dorothy Sayers
3. When the Crocodile Eats the Sun, by Peter Godwin
4. The 2 1/2 Pillars of Wisdom, by Alexander McCall Smith
5. The Kiterunner (can't remember the guy who wrote it--but it's the one you're thinking of)
6. Left to Tell, by Immaculee Ilibagiza
7. Have his Carcase, by Dorothy Sayers (a prequel to #2)
8. Middlemarch, by George Eliot
Songs I could listen to over and over (or the most listened to songs on my itunes) (this would be a good playlist formy funeral, by the way--not that I'm planning on that happening anytime soon, of course--I've still got to do those 8 things listed above :)
1. Love and Peace or Else, U2
2. All These Things I've Done, The Killers
3. Psalm 131, Waterdeep
4. Vivir Sin Aire, Mana
5. Blessed To Be a Witness, Ben Harper and Ladysmith Black Mambazo
6. Into the West, Annie Lenox (LOTR soundtrack)
7. Blessed Be Your Name, Matt Redman
8. At the Moment, Stavesacre
8 Things that attract me to my best friends:
1. They're interested in really getting to know me
2. I'm interested in really getting to know them
3. They're passionate about some or all of the things listed above
4. We can hang out and talk, and especially laugh, for hours, peferctly content
5. There's something a little different about them--it's hard to say exactly what it is; I had a friend who called this "mustard"--something that definitely runs counter to the mainstream or expected
6. Their lives aren't all about themselves
7. They're not too picky
8. I feel completely at ease in their presence
8 Things I have been reminded of this past year:
1. God's faithfulness
2. God's mercy and grace
3. How wonderful my parents are
4. How blessed we are in the US to have a democratic system which really does work quite well
5. I love learning
6. I love new experiences
7. I love helping people
8. I love not always having a schedule or structure in my days
8 People I think should do "8":
See post below.
1. Seeking first the Kingdom of God
2. My family
3. My friends
4. New things and new ideas (I am my father's daughter)
5. Kenya
6. My students
7. Beautiful places
8. Cooking for my family and friends and students (I am my mother's daughter, too)
8 things I want to do before I die:
1. Fall in love and get married
2. Run a marathon
3. Become a doctor
4. Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro
5. See more of Africa
6. Have more adventures
7. Hang out more with my wonderful family
8. Pray more
8 things I say often:
1. Hi, how are you? or Habari?
2. I'm fine, thank you. or Mzuri.
3. Hodee (this is the kikuyu way to say "Hi, is anyone home? I'm coming in!")
4. Hello my wonderful students.
5. Hey guys, please be quiet.
6. I love coffee.
7. I'm tired.
8. Oh my.
8 [books I've recently read] (I changed this one since I really don't have a TV to watch here):
1. The Great Gatsby, by F. S. Fitzgerald (this one for English class)
2. Busman's Honeymoon, by Dorothy Sayers
3. When the Crocodile Eats the Sun, by Peter Godwin
4. The 2 1/2 Pillars of Wisdom, by Alexander McCall Smith
5. The Kiterunner (can't remember the guy who wrote it--but it's the one you're thinking of)
6. Left to Tell, by Immaculee Ilibagiza
7. Have his Carcase, by Dorothy Sayers (a prequel to #2)
8. Middlemarch, by George Eliot
Songs I could listen to over and over (or the most listened to songs on my itunes) (this would be a good playlist formy funeral, by the way--not that I'm planning on that happening anytime soon, of course--I've still got to do those 8 things listed above :)
1. Love and Peace or Else, U2
2. All These Things I've Done, The Killers
3. Psalm 131, Waterdeep
4. Vivir Sin Aire, Mana
5. Blessed To Be a Witness, Ben Harper and Ladysmith Black Mambazo
6. Into the West, Annie Lenox (LOTR soundtrack)
7. Blessed Be Your Name, Matt Redman
8. At the Moment, Stavesacre
8 Things that attract me to my best friends:
1. They're interested in really getting to know me
2. I'm interested in really getting to know them
3. They're passionate about some or all of the things listed above
4. We can hang out and talk, and especially laugh, for hours, peferctly content
5. There's something a little different about them--it's hard to say exactly what it is; I had a friend who called this "mustard"--something that definitely runs counter to the mainstream or expected
6. Their lives aren't all about themselves
7. They're not too picky
8. I feel completely at ease in their presence
8 Things I have been reminded of this past year:
1. God's faithfulness
2. God's mercy and grace
3. How wonderful my parents are
4. How blessed we are in the US to have a democratic system which really does work quite well
5. I love learning
6. I love new experiences
7. I love helping people
8. I love not always having a schedule or structure in my days
8 People I think should do "8":
See post below.
Kellsey Tagged Me
OK. Let's see here:
8 Things I'm Passionate About
1. Carol
2. My family
3. Being a Christian
4. Having time to myself
5. Order
6. New things and new ideas
7. Carol's cooking
8. My friends
8 Things I Want to Do Before I Die
1. Go camping in the Blue Ridge Mountains during the Spring
2. See a jaw dropping miracle and know that's what I'm seeing
3. Read the Great Books
4. Play golf well enough not to be embarrased
5. Learn to cook
6. Speak Spanish
7. Write something useful or entertaining or both
8. Get my work done
8 Things I say Often
Not sure here what to do. Does this include what one would say to himself and not to others? Or only to others? I will include both. And as there are two Pauls, I am not sure for whom I should be talking, so I will include both here as well.
1. Carol, you are a marvelous cook person!
2. Thank you so much, Lord! Thank you!
3. If I get under my desk, will they be able to find me?
4. Where did I put (a) my keys, (b) the remote, (c) my wallet, (d) my watch (e) etc.
5. Shoot!
6. I'm sorry. That was Bad Paul. I'm Good Paul. I try to keep Bad Paul in the closet but he will get out, especially toward the end of the work week. So, on his behalf, I'm sorry.
7. God help us! (I inherited this from Juanita.)
8. I'm going to bed.
8 TV Shows I Recently Watched
I don't watch much TV. I saw most of the NFL playoff games. I saw a couple episodes of Terminator. I'm watching Walter and Morgan's set of the first two seasons of West Wing. That's it.
Songs I Could Listen to Over and Over
Very few, actually, especially on an over and over basis. Very few on Kellsey's list ring a bell at all. I'm just not in the loop. Sad, isn't it? My mind goes to arias and other classical pieces, some songs from the sixties, and a few Crash Dog pieces. But beyond that I strike out here. Sorry.
Things that Attract Me to My Best Friends.
1. They put up with me. This is a great mystery and, actually, a jaw dropping miracle.
2. They have a positive outlook.
3. They ask me about my family. And its OK if they tell me about their's first. But they do ask about my family.
4. They agree with me reasonably and disagree with me reasonably.
5. They take my belief in God and his Son and the Holy Spirit seriously, even if they reject those beliefs totally.
6. They are humble and they are self-confident.
7. If they are younger, they treat me with a certain deference. That doesn't mean that a younger person needs to agree with me, of course.
8. They are not so "other directed" in the Riesman sense. They have ideas that run against the popular culture, not for the sake of running against it but because those ideas are well grounded. Their house is built on the rock.
8 Things I have Learned (or been reminded of) this year.
Already? Its just been a month.
1. Bad Paul and Good Paul are the same, and I am responsible for both of them. Sigh.
2. I have to delegate, but in delegating I cannot disconnect from the task. Delegation is not getting rid of responsibility. It transforms responsibility. Shoot!
3. Reading the Bible every day is just so, so helpful.
4. If you eat too much, you gain weight.
5. I need one day off a week. Period. Let's see what to call it? Sabbath maybe.
6. Carol is so beautiful.
7. I don't deserve these blessings. God is tough, but God is merciful and a font of Grace. I haven't the slightest idea why. He simply defines love. Jaw dropping.
8. I can't keep up with things.
8 People I think should do "8"
1. Those on Kellsey's list
2. Sean
3-8 Guys from Friday morning breakfast. (Let me know if you will do this, and I will add you to the list of folks who can post on this blog.)
Thanks, Kellsey!
8 Things I'm Passionate About
1. Carol
2. My family
3. Being a Christian
4. Having time to myself
5. Order
6. New things and new ideas
7. Carol's cooking
8. My friends
8 Things I Want to Do Before I Die
1. Go camping in the Blue Ridge Mountains during the Spring
2. See a jaw dropping miracle and know that's what I'm seeing
3. Read the Great Books
4. Play golf well enough not to be embarrased
5. Learn to cook
6. Speak Spanish
7. Write something useful or entertaining or both
8. Get my work done
8 Things I say Often
Not sure here what to do. Does this include what one would say to himself and not to others? Or only to others? I will include both. And as there are two Pauls, I am not sure for whom I should be talking, so I will include both here as well.
1. Carol, you are a marvelous cook person!
2. Thank you so much, Lord! Thank you!
3. If I get under my desk, will they be able to find me?
4. Where did I put (a) my keys, (b) the remote, (c) my wallet, (d) my watch (e) etc.
5. Shoot!
6. I'm sorry. That was Bad Paul. I'm Good Paul. I try to keep Bad Paul in the closet but he will get out, especially toward the end of the work week. So, on his behalf, I'm sorry.
7. God help us! (I inherited this from Juanita.)
8. I'm going to bed.
8 TV Shows I Recently Watched
I don't watch much TV. I saw most of the NFL playoff games. I saw a couple episodes of Terminator. I'm watching Walter and Morgan's set of the first two seasons of West Wing. That's it.
Songs I Could Listen to Over and Over
Very few, actually, especially on an over and over basis. Very few on Kellsey's list ring a bell at all. I'm just not in the loop. Sad, isn't it? My mind goes to arias and other classical pieces, some songs from the sixties, and a few Crash Dog pieces. But beyond that I strike out here. Sorry.
Things that Attract Me to My Best Friends.
1. They put up with me. This is a great mystery and, actually, a jaw dropping miracle.
2. They have a positive outlook.
3. They ask me about my family. And its OK if they tell me about their's first. But they do ask about my family.
4. They agree with me reasonably and disagree with me reasonably.
5. They take my belief in God and his Son and the Holy Spirit seriously, even if they reject those beliefs totally.
6. They are humble and they are self-confident.
7. If they are younger, they treat me with a certain deference. That doesn't mean that a younger person needs to agree with me, of course.
8. They are not so "other directed" in the Riesman sense. They have ideas that run against the popular culture, not for the sake of running against it but because those ideas are well grounded. Their house is built on the rock.
8 Things I have Learned (or been reminded of) this year.
Already? Its just been a month.
1. Bad Paul and Good Paul are the same, and I am responsible for both of them. Sigh.
2. I have to delegate, but in delegating I cannot disconnect from the task. Delegation is not getting rid of responsibility. It transforms responsibility. Shoot!
3. Reading the Bible every day is just so, so helpful.
4. If you eat too much, you gain weight.
5. I need one day off a week. Period. Let's see what to call it? Sabbath maybe.
6. Carol is so beautiful.
7. I don't deserve these blessings. God is tough, but God is merciful and a font of Grace. I haven't the slightest idea why. He simply defines love. Jaw dropping.
8. I can't keep up with things.
8 People I think should do "8"
1. Those on Kellsey's list
2. Sean
3-8 Guys from Friday morning breakfast. (Let me know if you will do this, and I will add you to the list of folks who can post on this blog.)
Thanks, Kellsey!
Friday Morning Bible Study Breakfast at Grunberg's
Left to right: Brad, Austin, Paul, Sam and Russ. (Missing Hank, Rick, and Rob.)
Friday Night Under the Lights
Last night Carol and I went to Milander Stadium to watch the girls soccer team from Miami Springs Senior High play Lourdes in the Class 6A Regional Tournament. Last year Springs lost a heartbreaker to Lourdes in the same tournament when Lourdes tied them in the waning minutes of the game and then beat them on penalty kicks. But last night, Springs blasted Lourdes 3-0, two of the scores being made by Abby Carr, my friend Austin's younger daughter.
This is the first time I had seen Abby play, but through Austin, the community newspaper, the Miami Herald and word of mouth from others, I have been following her soccer career for several years. Only a sophomore and actually a year younger than her grade level, she has already achieved recognition county and state-wide as an outstanding soccer player. Last year she was All-Dade, first team - as a freshman. So last night I got a chance to see her.
Amazing. I wish I had the knowledge of soccer to be able to describe what I saw accurately, but I'll do the best I can.
The first thing I noticed about her is her field presence. She doesn't seem to spend any unnecessary energy. From her position as a forward, she seems to know just where to be on the field and moves there quietly and efficiently, watching the play intently. Then quickly she moves to the point where she thinks the ball will travel, and usually gets control of the ball and takes it or sends it where she wants it to go a good part of the time. And she moves with remarkable fluidity and grace, again with evident purpose, intelligently.
Her first score came off a foul committed against her as she was driving toward the goal. Her penalty kick sailed over the heads of the wall and then the goalie: a perfect arc into the net. The second kick was a free kick from the edge of the penalty box. As Abby again drove for a score, the goalie dove for the ball right at the edge of the penalty box, and as the goalie fell, taking Abby down with her, the goalie touched the ball with her hand just outside the box, so it was a hand ball.
It must have seemed to the Lourdes players that what followed would be a penalty kick, but it was a free kick. In other words, the refs would not stop the action until the defense got into position as the refs would do on a penalty kick. Maybe it looked like a penalty to the Lourdes players. But Abby astutely and immediately put the ball right down on the ground and kicked it into the goal. The Lourdes team was scattered all over the field and wasn't ready. Shame on them, but it reflected the sort of smart move that characterizes Abby's play.
That second goal broke the back of the other side - the third point scored by the daughter of the Miami Springs Mayor was very near the end of the game and icing on the cake. Abby had a number of other shots on goal that showed her quickness and phenomenal accuracy.
Carol and I sat with Austin in the stands. The first half of the game, we were on the Lourdes side, because it put us at the end of the field where Abby was playing. Behind us were several men, watching the game and commenting, Lourdes fans. They started talking about Abby's play not long after the game started - she was playing right in front of us there. And their remarks were full of respect and admiration. The three of us heard those remarks of course. What a joy the whole thing must be for Austin.
It was fun to be at Milander Stadium again. This is the field for Hialeah High School, my alma matter (Class of '64), and I saw a bunch of high school games there. This also the home field for Miami Springs Senior High, so we saw many more football games there, as our children moved through that school. (But never soccer games, curiously.) Milander looks much the same, except the field is now some sort of astroturf. Austin said that the ball rolls faster of that surface.
It didn't seem to bother Abby.
This is the first time I had seen Abby play, but through Austin, the community newspaper, the Miami Herald and word of mouth from others, I have been following her soccer career for several years. Only a sophomore and actually a year younger than her grade level, she has already achieved recognition county and state-wide as an outstanding soccer player. Last year she was All-Dade, first team - as a freshman. So last night I got a chance to see her.
Amazing. I wish I had the knowledge of soccer to be able to describe what I saw accurately, but I'll do the best I can.
The first thing I noticed about her is her field presence. She doesn't seem to spend any unnecessary energy. From her position as a forward, she seems to know just where to be on the field and moves there quietly and efficiently, watching the play intently. Then quickly she moves to the point where she thinks the ball will travel, and usually gets control of the ball and takes it or sends it where she wants it to go a good part of the time. And she moves with remarkable fluidity and grace, again with evident purpose, intelligently.
Her first score came off a foul committed against her as she was driving toward the goal. Her penalty kick sailed over the heads of the wall and then the goalie: a perfect arc into the net. The second kick was a free kick from the edge of the penalty box. As Abby again drove for a score, the goalie dove for the ball right at the edge of the penalty box, and as the goalie fell, taking Abby down with her, the goalie touched the ball with her hand just outside the box, so it was a hand ball.
It must have seemed to the Lourdes players that what followed would be a penalty kick, but it was a free kick. In other words, the refs would not stop the action until the defense got into position as the refs would do on a penalty kick. Maybe it looked like a penalty to the Lourdes players. But Abby astutely and immediately put the ball right down on the ground and kicked it into the goal. The Lourdes team was scattered all over the field and wasn't ready. Shame on them, but it reflected the sort of smart move that characterizes Abby's play.
That second goal broke the back of the other side - the third point scored by the daughter of the Miami Springs Mayor was very near the end of the game and icing on the cake. Abby had a number of other shots on goal that showed her quickness and phenomenal accuracy.
Carol and I sat with Austin in the stands. The first half of the game, we were on the Lourdes side, because it put us at the end of the field where Abby was playing. Behind us were several men, watching the game and commenting, Lourdes fans. They started talking about Abby's play not long after the game started - she was playing right in front of us there. And their remarks were full of respect and admiration. The three of us heard those remarks of course. What a joy the whole thing must be for Austin.
It was fun to be at Milander Stadium again. This is the field for Hialeah High School, my alma matter (Class of '64), and I saw a bunch of high school games there. This also the home field for Miami Springs Senior High, so we saw many more football games there, as our children moved through that school. (But never soccer games, curiously.) Milander looks much the same, except the field is now some sort of astroturf. Austin said that the ball rolls faster of that surface.
It didn't seem to bother Abby.
Friday, February 01, 2008
I've Been Tagged
My friend Katy has tagged me. So, here are my things of 8:
8 Things I am passionate about:
1. The Trinity
2. Scripture
3. My husband and children
4. The rest of my family
5. My friends
6. Rich and full stories
7. Helping soon-to-be-new-moms get ready for their babies
8. Fuzzi Bunz and Bum Genius 2.0 All-in-One Diapers
8 Things I want to do before I die...
1. See my children grow up
2. get the toddler totes I designed actually made and maybe sold
3. Go to Italy with my husband on a romantic getaway
4. Sleep until I can sleep no more, instead of waking up at 5:15 every morning with my daughter
5. Paint every room in my house a different color
6. Grow into a more disciplined spiritual life
7. Maybe get my counseling license...but I am not really sure that I REALLY want that....we'll have to wait and see
8. I can't think of anything else here....ummmmm, hmmmmm....eat more nutella?
8 Things I say often...
1. Good job!
2. Stop Whining and use your words nicely please
3. I completely understand
4. I love you so
5. I love you even when I am angry or frustrated
6. All ahoo **
7. I'm sorry
8. I forgive you
(Sheesh! Can you tell I am the mother of a 3 year old?)
** this one is because I am on book 15 out of 20 of the Aubrey/Maturin series--by patrick o'bryan--a british naval historical fiction series based in the Napoleonic Era.
8 TV Shows I have recently watched...
1. Stargate Atlantis
2. Flash Gordon
3. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Don't know if I'll stick with this one or not)
4. Backyardigans (a Nick Jr. show)
5. Blue's Clues
6. Man, with the writers on strike this is it, although usually I would be watching Grey's Anatomy, Lost, and maybe Private Practice as well
8 Songs I could listen to over and over...
1. Thanksgiving--George Winston on piano
2. A Woman's Work--Kate Bush
3. Homesick--The Kings of Convenience
4. How to Save a Life--the Fray
5. I'll Fly Away--as done by Alison Kraus
6. Resplendent--BIll Mallonee and the Vigilantes of Love
7. Redemption Day--Sheryl Crow
8. Don't Give Up--Peter Gabriel
8 Things that attract me to my best friends...
1. love of Jesus
2. genuineness
3. vulnerability
4. honesty
5. self-awareness
6. laughter
7. healthy boundaries
8. a deep appreciation of the silly things in life
8 Things I have learned (or been reminded of) this past year...
1. Parenting is it's own spiritual discipline
2. God loves me deeply
3. God is patient, so so patient
4. the importance of laughter, especially when you'd rather scream
5. the importance of washing cloth diapers by the second day (and not letting them sit for too long...phew!)
6. how much of a rest it is for my soul to sit down and immerse myself in a good book
7. That I am not enough for anyone else, even for my children (or perhaps especially!)
8. That I am not responsible for how others respond and can only change myself and my reactions
8 People I think should do "8"
1. Macon
2. Paul
3. Carol
4. Mary
5. Walter
6. Scott
7. Lindsay C.
8. Emilie W.
8 Things I am passionate about:
1. The Trinity
2. Scripture
3. My husband and children
4. The rest of my family
5. My friends
6. Rich and full stories
7. Helping soon-to-be-new-moms get ready for their babies
8. Fuzzi Bunz and Bum Genius 2.0 All-in-One Diapers
8 Things I want to do before I die...
1. See my children grow up
2. get the toddler totes I designed actually made and maybe sold
3. Go to Italy with my husband on a romantic getaway
4. Sleep until I can sleep no more, instead of waking up at 5:15 every morning with my daughter
5. Paint every room in my house a different color
6. Grow into a more disciplined spiritual life
7. Maybe get my counseling license...but I am not really sure that I REALLY want that....we'll have to wait and see
8. I can't think of anything else here....ummmmm, hmmmmm....eat more nutella?
8 Things I say often...
1. Good job!
2. Stop Whining and use your words nicely please
3. I completely understand
4. I love you so
5. I love you even when I am angry or frustrated
6. All ahoo **
7. I'm sorry
8. I forgive you
(Sheesh! Can you tell I am the mother of a 3 year old?)
** this one is because I am on book 15 out of 20 of the Aubrey/Maturin series--by patrick o'bryan--a british naval historical fiction series based in the Napoleonic Era.
8 TV Shows I have recently watched...
1. Stargate Atlantis
2. Flash Gordon
3. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Don't know if I'll stick with this one or not)
4. Backyardigans (a Nick Jr. show)
5. Blue's Clues
6. Man, with the writers on strike this is it, although usually I would be watching Grey's Anatomy, Lost, and maybe Private Practice as well
8 Songs I could listen to over and over...
1. Thanksgiving--George Winston on piano
2. A Woman's Work--Kate Bush
3. Homesick--The Kings of Convenience
4. How to Save a Life--the Fray
5. I'll Fly Away--as done by Alison Kraus
6. Resplendent--BIll Mallonee and the Vigilantes of Love
7. Redemption Day--Sheryl Crow
8. Don't Give Up--Peter Gabriel
8 Things that attract me to my best friends...
1. love of Jesus
2. genuineness
3. vulnerability
4. honesty
5. self-awareness
6. laughter
7. healthy boundaries
8. a deep appreciation of the silly things in life
8 Things I have learned (or been reminded of) this past year...
1. Parenting is it's own spiritual discipline
2. God loves me deeply
3. God is patient, so so patient
4. the importance of laughter, especially when you'd rather scream
5. the importance of washing cloth diapers by the second day (and not letting them sit for too long...phew!)
6. how much of a rest it is for my soul to sit down and immerse myself in a good book
7. That I am not enough for anyone else, even for my children (or perhaps especially!)
8. That I am not responsible for how others respond and can only change myself and my reactions
8 People I think should do "8"
1. Macon
2. Paul
3. Carol
4. Mary
5. Walter
6. Scott
7. Lindsay C.
8. Emilie W.
Another Florida Election Scandal!
I had earlier reported that I had changed by mail my registration from Democrat to Republican, so that I could vote in the Florida Republican primary. However, when I arrived to vote on Tuesday, the voter roll there still showed me to be a Democrat and nothing could be done. So I voted as a Democrat.
Intellectually, I was disappointed. But in my heart . . .
Intellectually, I was disappointed. But in my heart . . .
McCain vs. Conservatives
I'm glad to see, finally, that some conservatives in the blogosphere are questioning the doom and gloom attitude of their movement regarding McCain. (See various recent posts and links on Instapundit.)
Having been a voter for 40+ years, I can tell you that the Republican Conservative movement only once had a Presidential candidate who won, and that was Reagan. And during that time, they only had one other Presidential nominee, Barry Goldwater. In fact, start at the end of WWII and you still have to wait until Reagan to get a conservative in the White House. And I would suggest that the people elected him more on the basis of his communication skills and the weakness of the Democratic nominees than on ideology.
What hubris that the conservatives believe that they somehow own the Republican party and that now its been stolen. They never did. They never will. I like this comment to which Glenn Reynolds linked. I think it summed up what the conservative movement needs to do.
Having been a voter for 40+ years, I can tell you that the Republican Conservative movement only once had a Presidential candidate who won, and that was Reagan. And during that time, they only had one other Presidential nominee, Barry Goldwater. In fact, start at the end of WWII and you still have to wait until Reagan to get a conservative in the White House. And I would suggest that the people elected him more on the basis of his communication skills and the weakness of the Democratic nominees than on ideology.
What hubris that the conservatives believe that they somehow own the Republican party and that now its been stolen. They never did. They never will. I like this comment to which Glenn Reynolds linked. I think it summed up what the conservative movement needs to do.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Sweet Sweet Smile
While Macon is busy posting about skiing with Aidan, I thought I would throw in a couple of photos of the girl. Even sick, she has a sweet sweet smile!
Aidan On Ice
I'm on vacation. Remember last time?
Today Aidan took his first trip on skis. His Papa (Kellsey's Dad) coached him, and I walked along beside him. (Kells was the photographer.) Aidan did really well, though I have no idea if he'll want to do any more skiing until next year.
No skiing for me anymore. Just the board. I like only having to worry about two edges, instead of four.
Today Aidan took his first trip on skis. His Papa (Kellsey's Dad) coached him, and I walked along beside him. (Kells was the photographer.) Aidan did really well, though I have no idea if he'll want to do any more skiing until next year.
No skiing for me anymore. Just the board. I like only having to worry about two edges, instead of four.
Good-Bye, Sarah Connor
I watched my third and last episode of the Terminator series Monday night. For the same reason I stopped watching Heroes two years ago, I am letting Sarah go. The reason is the graphically obscene way the show deals with human bodies, not in the pornographic sense, but in the sense of gore and mutilation. Even my senses, dulled as they are by the staged violence of the media for 60+ plus years, found what I saw on Monday just too repelling. I reacted the same way that I reacted to the cadavers that were all over Heroes by its second or third episode. (And, for that matter, to the images in Sin City.)
When we consider that our corporeal selves are the image of God, should we voluntarily expose ourselves to such contrived and violated images?
When we consider that our corporeal selves are the image of God, should we voluntarily expose ourselves to such contrived and violated images?
Ah, Miami!
This morning I went by the little food/coffee stand in our lobby. Its refrigerated display includes some little Jello cups, and I decided to get one because my stomach has been giving me a little trouble the last few days and I'm eating carefully.
It was busy and noisy, and when the saleslady got to me I asked for some "Orange Jello". She bent down and brought up a bottled orange drink. "No", I said, "orange Jello", and pointed to a row of little cups at the bottom of the cabinet. "Oh," she said, "Yello. That's Yello." "OK," I smiled, "Yello", and I got it.
It was busy and noisy, and when the saleslady got to me I asked for some "Orange Jello". She bent down and brought up a bottled orange drink. "No", I said, "orange Jello", and pointed to a row of little cups at the bottom of the cabinet. "Oh," she said, "Yello. That's Yello." "OK," I smiled, "Yello", and I got it.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
So, what did you think?
UPDATE: I saw the second episode last Monday night. It was very good too. I think I am getting hooked. Glenn Reynolds likes it. Here is his post on various Terminator editions.
Someone needs to come up with a graphical way to chart the various time jumps, because this is beginning to get complicated and I am getting on in years. Let me see, do we know people who are graphically gifted?
UPDATE: I saw the second episode last Monday night. It was very good too. I think I am getting hooked. Glenn Reynolds likes it. Here is his post on various Terminator editions.
Someone needs to come up with a graphical way to chart the various time jumps, because this is beginning to get complicated and I am getting on in years. Let me see, do we know people who are graphically gifted?
Friday, January 11, 2008
Internet Power
Last night, Carol and I wanted to watch the Republican Presidential candidate debate. We thought it would be on the Fox network channel here in Miami. It was not. Perhaps it was on the Fox cable news channel, but we do not have cable.
So we went to Foxnews.com on the internet, and there it was.
Power to the People!
So we went to Foxnews.com on the internet, and there it was.
Power to the People!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The Ultimate Reference of Merit
The December 2007 issue of The New Criterion magazine features a special section on Art. It includes an essay by Marco Grassi, a "private paintings conservator and dealer in New York". The essay, entitled "The Great Collectors" proposes that "one way to understand the history of art is through a history of collecting." Grassi writes, "We can divide the last century into four periods, each exemplifying certain attitudes toward art collecting". He goes on to describe those periods in a very well written and informative way.
Grassi is not happy about the last period, which he describes as "the postmodern". In this period, typified by the Saatchi brothers, the norm is "the exploitation of art for speculative and headline-grabbng self-aggrandizement . . . Museums, rather than being final destinations for lifelong collecting endeavors, have all too often become useful marketing stopovers for lender-entrepreneurs who exercise droit de signeur over the holdings . . . "
Grassi cites the yearly Miami-Basel "kermesse" as an example of the culmination of the postmodern malaise. He writes:
Drawing a line, in this time frame [of the past century], from Frick [the "imperial" phase, 1880-1920] through Kress [partnered with the Continis] and Simon [the "modern"], and ending with Saatchi, one sees all too clearly how these collectors embody the aspirations, myths, an ideals of each period; and how - in an ascending curve - the function of money has played an ever-increasing role. Wealth, of course, has always been important, but now it has become, finally, the only protagonist - the ultimate reference of merit, quality, content, and meaning.
I certainly cannot second guess Grasso on his history, but I can affirm the idea that money seems to have become "the ultimate reference of merit, quality, content, and meaning" in so many endeavors, including the law. But is this new or is this simply God versus mammon, an eternal struggle, although one with which our country seems to be having particular difficulty?
Grassi is not happy about the last period, which he describes as "the postmodern". In this period, typified by the Saatchi brothers, the norm is "the exploitation of art for speculative and headline-grabbng self-aggrandizement . . . Museums, rather than being final destinations for lifelong collecting endeavors, have all too often become useful marketing stopovers for lender-entrepreneurs who exercise droit de signeur over the holdings . . . "
Grassi cites the yearly Miami-Basel "kermesse" as an example of the culmination of the postmodern malaise. He writes:
Drawing a line, in this time frame [of the past century], from Frick [the "imperial" phase, 1880-1920] through Kress [partnered with the Continis] and Simon [the "modern"], and ending with Saatchi, one sees all too clearly how these collectors embody the aspirations, myths, an ideals of each period; and how - in an ascending curve - the function of money has played an ever-increasing role. Wealth, of course, has always been important, but now it has become, finally, the only protagonist - the ultimate reference of merit, quality, content, and meaning.
I certainly cannot second guess Grasso on his history, but I can affirm the idea that money seems to have become "the ultimate reference of merit, quality, content, and meaning" in so many endeavors, including the law. But is this new or is this simply God versus mammon, an eternal struggle, although one with which our country seems to be having particular difficulty?
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Dave McDonald
On a somewhat difficult estate planning matter, I have run into a lawyer I have known for years, Dave McDonald. He is sort of the "general counsel" for a successful businessman who became my estate planning client last year. This has given me an occasion to renew my acquaintance with Dave, who is a terrific trial lawyer.
I found that out during the early 70s, in a jury trial in which I represented Lloyds and he represented the owners of a cargo airplane that crashed in Africa. My client had the "hull" coverage, meaning that the Lloyds syndicate I represented was supposed to pay the owners the value of the airplane that went down. Our defense, as I recall it, was a clause the excluded coverage in the event of a war. The plane may have been shot down by guerrillas.
I knew I was in trouble when all the older trial lawyers at the firm I was with back peddled away from the case. (The trial was only the second or third I had tried on my own.) The case was actually controlled by a lawyer in a law firm in New York City through whom the case came to my firm. He didn't went to settle the case, and insisted we try it, and I did, and the NY lawyer sat next to me during the trial as an observer. A locally well known judge, Judge James W. Kehoe, presided. (His weekend job was as a referee for high school football games. Later, he became a federal judge in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida.) It was before a jury.
When the jury came back with a verdict for Dave's client, several of the jurors came over and shook my hand and told me I had done a good job, which is the only time that ever happened. The court house was close enough to our law office to walk, and we always did. Before I returned from the court house to our law office, Judge Kehoe had called one of the senior partners at the firm to tell him that I had done a good job and that the NY lawyer was a jerk.
Anyway, Dave did a fine job in winning the case for his client. He was always a complete gentleman and was (and is still) a gritty, intelligent advocate. I was glad to run into him again on the current estate planning case.
I found that out during the early 70s, in a jury trial in which I represented Lloyds and he represented the owners of a cargo airplane that crashed in Africa. My client had the "hull" coverage, meaning that the Lloyds syndicate I represented was supposed to pay the owners the value of the airplane that went down. Our defense, as I recall it, was a clause the excluded coverage in the event of a war. The plane may have been shot down by guerrillas.
I knew I was in trouble when all the older trial lawyers at the firm I was with back peddled away from the case. (The trial was only the second or third I had tried on my own.) The case was actually controlled by a lawyer in a law firm in New York City through whom the case came to my firm. He didn't went to settle the case, and insisted we try it, and I did, and the NY lawyer sat next to me during the trial as an observer. A locally well known judge, Judge James W. Kehoe, presided. (His weekend job was as a referee for high school football games. Later, he became a federal judge in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida.) It was before a jury.
When the jury came back with a verdict for Dave's client, several of the jurors came over and shook my hand and told me I had done a good job, which is the only time that ever happened. The court house was close enough to our law office to walk, and we always did. Before I returned from the court house to our law office, Judge Kehoe had called one of the senior partners at the firm to tell him that I had done a good job and that the NY lawyer was a jerk.
Anyway, Dave did a fine job in winning the case for his client. He was always a complete gentleman and was (and is still) a gritty, intelligent advocate. I was glad to run into him again on the current estate planning case.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Sysyphus
Our last 2007 business day at the firm closed with a bang. Putting together the numbers so that my partners and I can decide on a fair way to divide the profits is always a challenge. For the past several years the other partners were content to have me figure all of that out. To have any sort of hope of getting the division just right requires us to collect the data as close to the end of the year as possible. Then we need to analyze it, decide on a division proposal, present it to the other partners and get their approval, and then notify our payroll manager (Paychex) of how it should cut the checks. Our deadline was 2 PM on Monday. Carol called Paychex about 1:55!
But this year, Carol and I started early in putting together a format for allocating revenues and costs in a deliberate manner, using our commercial time and billing system and figuring out how to import its data into Excel spreadsheets we invented ourselves. Carol really worked hard at the task, and I put hours in on the matter. At one point, we engaged our accountants to help us, but we realized that beyond their confirming that our general approach was correct and helping Carol with some adjusting entries (as they do each year anyway), the real work was up to us.
During the year, Carol had collected a number of articles concerning compensation approaches for law firms that I found very helpful. Of course, having been in law firms since 1972, I have had experience with all sorts of approaches. One of the articles showed a sort of history of law firm compensation that exactly reflected my own experiences. When I began practicing, the compensation scheme was basically seniority driven and that lasted well into the 1980s until the firm essentially exploded because the younger partners felt the system unfairly held them back economically. Then we moved into a struggle between the "origination" approach and the "billable hour" approach, with "originations" finally prevailing, at least for awhile. But that contributed to firm instability in a big way. In all of these approaches, firm management sought to capture just the right "formula", a sort of deus ex machina solution. This way, with a formula, one wouldn't need to actually sit down and look at his partners in the eye and say, "This is how much I think you are worth and how much I think I am worth", and then sit back and see if anyone is upset to the point of walking out. But that's really the way it is, finally, whether that the explosion (or not) takes place at the end of the year in fast motion or whether the explosion occurs in slow motion, taking several months thereafter finally to pull the relationships apart.
We worked hard to put together a formula that was mainly based on "production", that is, how many dollars came in the door as a result of one's billable hours. We then worked on attributing dollars to partners that were earned by non-partners. Finally we allocated costs to each partner and came out with a "net revenue" number for each of us.
But we didn't distribute on the basis of net revenue. We took those numbers and added intangibles to it. One intangible was a sense that we should treat each other the same. Another was "originations" - how much recognition should be given to the partner who brought in the client in the first place, regardless of how much he worked on the client's case. And other factors as well. When we finished massaging the numbers, one could ask why we had gone to the trouble of getting to the "net revenue" numbers in the first place. But that number was the platform upon which our gestalt allocations could be made. And everyone had the spreadsheets that got us to the "net revenue" numbers. So there was full disclosure. Finally, when we had our meeting with 2 PM breathing down our necks and reached agreement on the numbers, everyone at least seemed to be happy.
So we got that big stone up to the top at 2 PM December 31.
Of course, it rolled down the mountain yesterday, and I'm beginning to walk down after it this morning. I know a lot of people are making that walk this morning. If it's happiness I feel, it is a strange sort of happiness.
But this year, Carol and I started early in putting together a format for allocating revenues and costs in a deliberate manner, using our commercial time and billing system and figuring out how to import its data into Excel spreadsheets we invented ourselves. Carol really worked hard at the task, and I put hours in on the matter. At one point, we engaged our accountants to help us, but we realized that beyond their confirming that our general approach was correct and helping Carol with some adjusting entries (as they do each year anyway), the real work was up to us.
During the year, Carol had collected a number of articles concerning compensation approaches for law firms that I found very helpful. Of course, having been in law firms since 1972, I have had experience with all sorts of approaches. One of the articles showed a sort of history of law firm compensation that exactly reflected my own experiences. When I began practicing, the compensation scheme was basically seniority driven and that lasted well into the 1980s until the firm essentially exploded because the younger partners felt the system unfairly held them back economically. Then we moved into a struggle between the "origination" approach and the "billable hour" approach, with "originations" finally prevailing, at least for awhile. But that contributed to firm instability in a big way. In all of these approaches, firm management sought to capture just the right "formula", a sort of deus ex machina solution. This way, with a formula, one wouldn't need to actually sit down and look at his partners in the eye and say, "This is how much I think you are worth and how much I think I am worth", and then sit back and see if anyone is upset to the point of walking out. But that's really the way it is, finally, whether that the explosion (or not) takes place at the end of the year in fast motion or whether the explosion occurs in slow motion, taking several months thereafter finally to pull the relationships apart.
We worked hard to put together a formula that was mainly based on "production", that is, how many dollars came in the door as a result of one's billable hours. We then worked on attributing dollars to partners that were earned by non-partners. Finally we allocated costs to each partner and came out with a "net revenue" number for each of us.
But we didn't distribute on the basis of net revenue. We took those numbers and added intangibles to it. One intangible was a sense that we should treat each other the same. Another was "originations" - how much recognition should be given to the partner who brought in the client in the first place, regardless of how much he worked on the client's case. And other factors as well. When we finished massaging the numbers, one could ask why we had gone to the trouble of getting to the "net revenue" numbers in the first place. But that number was the platform upon which our gestalt allocations could be made. And everyone had the spreadsheets that got us to the "net revenue" numbers. So there was full disclosure. Finally, when we had our meeting with 2 PM breathing down our necks and reached agreement on the numbers, everyone at least seemed to be happy.
So we got that big stone up to the top at 2 PM December 31.
Of course, it rolled down the mountain yesterday, and I'm beginning to walk down after it this morning. I know a lot of people are making that walk this morning. If it's happiness I feel, it is a strange sort of happiness.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
But what about world peace?
Anyone want to argue about man's depravity?
Thanks Instapundit.
(On the other hand, we have only his side of the story. But beauty queen? No.)
UPDATE: This is a very sad looking group of people. Note also that the beauty pageant people are not exactly backing up their winner 100%. The beauty pageant's spokesman said:
"While this young woman was indeed named Miss Pima County 2005, we find it important to note that the Miss Pima County scholarship pageant was under different leadership at the time."
Thanks Instapundit.
(On the other hand, we have only his side of the story. But beauty queen? No.)
UPDATE: This is a very sad looking group of people. Note also that the beauty pageant people are not exactly backing up their winner 100%. The beauty pageant's spokesman said:
"While this young woman was indeed named Miss Pima County 2005, we find it important to note that the Miss Pima County scholarship pageant was under different leadership at the time."
Monday, December 31, 2007
She Walks!
You know, you can never get the camera fast enough, and once you've got it, they'll never do for you again what they just finished doing before you got the camera.
Honor had just walked back and forth between me and Macon at least a few times, a feat that required her to take 3 or 4 steps at a time each way. As soon as I got the camera, it was all over. So I am very sorry not to have recorded for all of you fine folks one of her longer jaunts. Even so, it is so fun to have a video of at least this one step. I hope that all you grandparents and aunts and uncles (and friends) enjoy!
Honor had just walked back and forth between me and Macon at least a few times, a feat that required her to take 3 or 4 steps at a time each way. As soon as I got the camera, it was all over. So I am very sorry not to have recorded for all of you fine folks one of her longer jaunts. Even so, it is so fun to have a video of at least this one step. I hope that all you grandparents and aunts and uncles (and friends) enjoy!
Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'....
Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce a very fine young rider, Miss Honor.
All that bouncing at the beginning is totally her. Macon is not helping her bounce at all. She really likes riding Fire!
All that bouncing at the beginning is totally her. Macon is not helping her bounce at all. She really likes riding Fire!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
London: The World's Financial Capital
I read this boast somewhere the other day. I can believe it. All the oil money the West sends to the Middle East is recyled back to the West through Islam-friendly Britain where, at Oxford, public loudspeakers call the submissive to prayer. But are we far behind?
Trouble in Kenya
Mary sent us an email advising that RVA is delaying the opening of the new term because of the election difficulties. She's OK, she said. But a matter for some prayer.
Lojack for Laptops
WSJ reported on Thursday about a service offered by Absolute Software Corp. under which you download tracking software to your laptop, which then sends a signal to the service's monitoring center every time it logs onto the internet. If you report your machine missing, the service will be able to trace the computer by its Internet protocol address. "The company then works with law-enforcement agencies to recover the laptop by locating the network it has logged on to - say, a local coffee shop." The article mentions two other such services, Cyberangel Security Solutions and Brigadoon Security Group.
I haven't read these sites with any care, but it seems to me that the thing to do is for the service to send a virus to the computer, having preset a sort of portal so that it gets by the firewall or general virus security. (I am assuming that everything would be backed up, so you really can survive without the machine.) Or maybe the signal would simply lock the Laptop down, if there was any chance of actually retrieving the machine.
And I would have it connected to a little mp3 program that would scream, "Help, Thief! Help, Thief, Call the Police!!!"
I haven't read these sites with any care, but it seems to me that the thing to do is for the service to send a virus to the computer, having preset a sort of portal so that it gets by the firewall or general virus security. (I am assuming that everything would be backed up, so you really can survive without the machine.) Or maybe the signal would simply lock the Laptop down, if there was any chance of actually retrieving the machine.
And I would have it connected to a little mp3 program that would scream, "Help, Thief! Help, Thief, Call the Police!!!"
Friday, December 28, 2007
A Mile Wide and an Inch Deep
I heard someone say this about Christianity in Kenya when I was there. I thought, "But what about the American church?"
Bill Hybels seems to think something like that exists here and that his approach to ministry had something to do with it.
Bill Hybels seems to think something like that exists here and that his approach to ministry had something to do with it.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Juanita's Bible
I was looking at Juanita's old Bible last night. The frontispiece reads "Presented to Mother by Paul, Little Walter, Daddy. Birthday - November 17, 1950." She was 30 that year. Notes in the Bible, remind me that my brother Walter died the following March. (He was two years younger than I; born September 8, 1948.) My sister came along December 11, 1952.
There's a page between the Old and New Testament entitled "Deaths". Here are notes from that page:
Audrey Atrue Jordan Warren born March 13, 1902, died February 1, 1949. Buried Panthersville Presbyterian Church, Panthersville, GA, Dekalb, County. (My mother's mother. Jordan was her maiden name; Warren, the family name of the husband, Ike, to whom she was married when she died. I never heard or read of the name "Atrue" before last night.)
Walter Levi Stokes born June 6, 1877, died December 20, 1949. 5:15 PM. Buried December 22, 1949 2:00 Westview Cemetery (Atlanta) (My dad's father. I have only one memory of him, a visit, probably Thanksgiving the year he died. He was sick and in bed. I was three years old that year. I don't know where that middle name came from.)
Hettie Louise [Johnson] Stokes. Born October 24, 1884. Died July 12, 1959 7:30 AM. Buried July 14, 1959 2PM Westview Cemetery (Atlanta). (My dad's mother. She moved to Miami Springs sometime in the early 50s and lived with my Aunt Frances' family. My Aunt Frances and her family moved to Miami Springs from Greensboro about that time.)
Walter Johnson Stokes. Died October 10, 1996. Westview - ATL. (My dad. He was born August 9, 1912.)
Walter Johnson Stokes II Born September 8 1948, died March 21, 1951, buried March 23, 1951. Westview Cemetery. (Again, my little brother. I have lots of pretty clear memories of him. He was born with damage to his brain because of a lack of oxygen during the birthing process. He had "infantile paralysis" as a result, had to wear braces on his legs and had "convulsions", which is what they called seizures back then. I don't recall anything wrong with his mind. We played together a lot. He died of one of those "convulsions" at Variety Children's Hospital. By the time our kids came along, that hospital was known as Miami Children's Hospital, and again became a familiar place to me. He really wasn't a "II". He was a "Jr.", because he had my dad's name. But my grandmother called my dad "Junior" because his dad was a Walter too, even though Grandfather Walter's middle name was not Johnson but Levi. But my grandmother called my dad "Junior" anyway, so my parents gave my brother the "II". But why wouldn't they call him III then, I would ask my mother? She said it was because he did not have the same name as Walter Levi, he had the same name as my father. But why not III, then, I would ask, if they weren't going to pay attention to middle names. She would just look at me. Pretty appalling mix-up, I would say. I guess that would make my son Walter number IV. But that wouldn't make sense, because Macon always said Walter was II, but I think Macon was referring to something else and he wasn't thinking Roman numerals. My brother is buried in Westview too. I remember riding the train up to Atlanta from Miami with my Mom and Dad. I think we rode the train because the casket with my brother in it was on the same train. We had a Pullman compartment where the porter came in when we were ready to go to bed and put down the beds. I remember the funeral at the Hemperley Funeral Home, and my brother beforehand in the open casket in one of the parlors. He looked like he was asleep. I was sure all that I had to do was reach over and open his eyes and he would wake up. My mother was with me and she told me that it wouldn't work. I was 4 years old. I remember her being dressed up like we were going to church, and I remember her being very young. The memories of all that are very, very clear.)
Carlos Mason Hemperley died June 11, 1971. (This was my mother's father, and my "grandaddy" growing up. What a hero he was to me. He was just 70 when he died, and had been getting ready to come to my graduation from law school when he went to the hospital. Carol and I skipped the graduation ceremony and drove down to Atlanta, hoping to see him before he died, but got there in time for the funeral. He's buried in Westview Cemetery. I don't know where the "Carlos" came from, other than the fact that we are direct descendants of El Cid. Just kidding. The "Mason" is the family name of my grandfather's father's business partner. They were in the retail furniture business, and carried a line of caskets. They spun off the casket business into a funeral home and my great-grandfather founded Hemperley Funeral Home in East Point. My cousin, Carlos M. Hemperley III (?), son of my uncle Carlos M. Hemperley Jr., carries on that business to this day. My grandfather offered a place in that business to my dad early on. Nope. There are lots of good stories about my granddaddy.)
Nancy R. Della Lanford Jordan Born February 14, 1883 [Valentine's Day] Died September 9, 1971. Buried Corinth Baptist Church Stone Mountain, GA. (This was my mother's grandmother, Audrey's mother. When my mother's parents were divorced, I think my mother was abut 7, I'm not sure. But "Grandma Jordan" pretty much raised my mom. She was a "Lanford.". That was a strong family, and I heard a lot about them from my mother, especially "Great Grandpa Lanford". Macon's middle name is Lanford. Grandma Jordan (pronounced "JURdn" not "JORDON") and her husband were in the retail business in downtown Atlanta. I never noticed the "R." in her name until last night and don't know what it stands for. Ruth? I have lots of fond and even funny memories of her. She never stopped and was always working at something - sewing, cooking, cleaning. Not only did she raise my mother and her brother, Carlos Mason Hemperley Jr., she also virtually raised my uncle's three kids, my cousins Becky, Bobbie, and Butch (CMHIII), while Uncle Carlos and his wife, Ellen, ran the funeral business.)
Carol and Paul Baby Girl. Born and Died August 12, 1973. (We were going to name her some combination of Elizabeth and Rebeka. She is buried in a cemetery in Greensboro, now next to Carol's mom and dad.)
Frances Stokes Harris. Died September 2, 1991. (My dad's sister. She was widowed when I was in junior high and lived in Miami Springs into the 1980s. She then moved to Atlanta where her sons, my cousins Ken and Tim, had moved. She was about as sweet a person as one could ever meet, and she became a good friend to Carol and me during our young marriage and was there for our us when our first baby died. We always went by to see her in Atlanta on the way to or from NC on our vacations. She was buried in Westview Cemetery too, next to her husband Uncle Harold.)
Mary [Whiteside] Crocker. Died February 2, 1994. (Carol's mom, and the perfect mother-in-law. She made me feel welcome from the very first moment. Her house and her life had a peace to it that Carol brought to our family. She reminded me so much of Grandmother Jordan, especially how she was always working and serving others. For example, she was driving "Meals on Wheels" in Greensboro into her 80s and to people who were much younger than she. Much more to write about her.)
Willilu (Sox) Burch Hemperley. Died August 20, 1994. (This was my granddaddy's second wife, my step-grandmother. But she was the only maternal grandmother that I ever knew, and she was a great, great friend. She was a surgical nurse at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, and another lady that never stopped. She was tough too. Even though Juanita was her step-daughter, she treated her as one of her own and treated me as if I were her flesh and blood. Once there was a gathering of her family. She had several brothers and sisters and they all had children, some of them about my age, and all of them were there. Her father was there too, and he told all the grandchildren to line up in a line, because he was going to give each of them a $20 bill - big money back then. Grandmother walked me up and put me at the end of the line, and I got my $20. Her father didn't notice that I didn't exactly belong, and was totally confused when he realized that he had given one $20 bill more than he had figured. She never told him what happened.)
Mom liked to put notes in her Bible. One is handwritten by her, a quote from the poet/athlete Satchel Paige. "Age is a thing of mind and matter - if you don't mind, it doesn't matter."
There's a page between the Old and New Testament entitled "Deaths". Here are notes from that page:
Audrey Atrue Jordan Warren born March 13, 1902, died February 1, 1949. Buried Panthersville Presbyterian Church, Panthersville, GA, Dekalb, County. (My mother's mother. Jordan was her maiden name; Warren, the family name of the husband, Ike, to whom she was married when she died. I never heard or read of the name "Atrue" before last night.)
Walter Levi Stokes born June 6, 1877, died December 20, 1949. 5:15 PM. Buried December 22, 1949 2:00 Westview Cemetery (Atlanta) (My dad's father. I have only one memory of him, a visit, probably Thanksgiving the year he died. He was sick and in bed. I was three years old that year. I don't know where that middle name came from.)
Hettie Louise [Johnson] Stokes. Born October 24, 1884. Died July 12, 1959 7:30 AM. Buried July 14, 1959 2PM Westview Cemetery (Atlanta). (My dad's mother. She moved to Miami Springs sometime in the early 50s and lived with my Aunt Frances' family. My Aunt Frances and her family moved to Miami Springs from Greensboro about that time.)
Walter Johnson Stokes. Died October 10, 1996. Westview - ATL. (My dad. He was born August 9, 1912.)
Walter Johnson Stokes II Born September 8 1948, died March 21, 1951, buried March 23, 1951. Westview Cemetery. (Again, my little brother. I have lots of pretty clear memories of him. He was born with damage to his brain because of a lack of oxygen during the birthing process. He had "infantile paralysis" as a result, had to wear braces on his legs and had "convulsions", which is what they called seizures back then. I don't recall anything wrong with his mind. We played together a lot. He died of one of those "convulsions" at Variety Children's Hospital. By the time our kids came along, that hospital was known as Miami Children's Hospital, and again became a familiar place to me. He really wasn't a "II". He was a "Jr.", because he had my dad's name. But my grandmother called my dad "Junior" because his dad was a Walter too, even though Grandfather Walter's middle name was not Johnson but Levi. But my grandmother called my dad "Junior" anyway, so my parents gave my brother the "II". But why wouldn't they call him III then, I would ask my mother? She said it was because he did not have the same name as Walter Levi, he had the same name as my father. But why not III, then, I would ask, if they weren't going to pay attention to middle names. She would just look at me. Pretty appalling mix-up, I would say. I guess that would make my son Walter number IV. But that wouldn't make sense, because Macon always said Walter was II, but I think Macon was referring to something else and he wasn't thinking Roman numerals. My brother is buried in Westview too. I remember riding the train up to Atlanta from Miami with my Mom and Dad. I think we rode the train because the casket with my brother in it was on the same train. We had a Pullman compartment where the porter came in when we were ready to go to bed and put down the beds. I remember the funeral at the Hemperley Funeral Home, and my brother beforehand in the open casket in one of the parlors. He looked like he was asleep. I was sure all that I had to do was reach over and open his eyes and he would wake up. My mother was with me and she told me that it wouldn't work. I was 4 years old. I remember her being dressed up like we were going to church, and I remember her being very young. The memories of all that are very, very clear.)
Carlos Mason Hemperley died June 11, 1971. (This was my mother's father, and my "grandaddy" growing up. What a hero he was to me. He was just 70 when he died, and had been getting ready to come to my graduation from law school when he went to the hospital. Carol and I skipped the graduation ceremony and drove down to Atlanta, hoping to see him before he died, but got there in time for the funeral. He's buried in Westview Cemetery. I don't know where the "Carlos" came from, other than the fact that we are direct descendants of El Cid. Just kidding. The "Mason" is the family name of my grandfather's father's business partner. They were in the retail furniture business, and carried a line of caskets. They spun off the casket business into a funeral home and my great-grandfather founded Hemperley Funeral Home in East Point. My cousin, Carlos M. Hemperley III (?), son of my uncle Carlos M. Hemperley Jr., carries on that business to this day. My grandfather offered a place in that business to my dad early on. Nope. There are lots of good stories about my granddaddy.)
Nancy R. Della Lanford Jordan Born February 14, 1883 [Valentine's Day] Died September 9, 1971. Buried Corinth Baptist Church Stone Mountain, GA. (This was my mother's grandmother, Audrey's mother. When my mother's parents were divorced, I think my mother was abut 7, I'm not sure. But "Grandma Jordan" pretty much raised my mom. She was a "Lanford.". That was a strong family, and I heard a lot about them from my mother, especially "Great Grandpa Lanford". Macon's middle name is Lanford. Grandma Jordan (pronounced "JURdn" not "JORDON") and her husband were in the retail business in downtown Atlanta. I never noticed the "R." in her name until last night and don't know what it stands for. Ruth? I have lots of fond and even funny memories of her. She never stopped and was always working at something - sewing, cooking, cleaning. Not only did she raise my mother and her brother, Carlos Mason Hemperley Jr., she also virtually raised my uncle's three kids, my cousins Becky, Bobbie, and Butch (CMHIII), while Uncle Carlos and his wife, Ellen, ran the funeral business.)
Carol and Paul Baby Girl. Born and Died August 12, 1973. (We were going to name her some combination of Elizabeth and Rebeka. She is buried in a cemetery in Greensboro, now next to Carol's mom and dad.)
Frances Stokes Harris. Died September 2, 1991. (My dad's sister. She was widowed when I was in junior high and lived in Miami Springs into the 1980s. She then moved to Atlanta where her sons, my cousins Ken and Tim, had moved. She was about as sweet a person as one could ever meet, and she became a good friend to Carol and me during our young marriage and was there for our us when our first baby died. We always went by to see her in Atlanta on the way to or from NC on our vacations. She was buried in Westview Cemetery too, next to her husband Uncle Harold.)
Mary [Whiteside] Crocker. Died February 2, 1994. (Carol's mom, and the perfect mother-in-law. She made me feel welcome from the very first moment. Her house and her life had a peace to it that Carol brought to our family. She reminded me so much of Grandmother Jordan, especially how she was always working and serving others. For example, she was driving "Meals on Wheels" in Greensboro into her 80s and to people who were much younger than she. Much more to write about her.)
Willilu (Sox) Burch Hemperley. Died August 20, 1994. (This was my granddaddy's second wife, my step-grandmother. But she was the only maternal grandmother that I ever knew, and she was a great, great friend. She was a surgical nurse at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, and another lady that never stopped. She was tough too. Even though Juanita was her step-daughter, she treated her as one of her own and treated me as if I were her flesh and blood. Once there was a gathering of her family. She had several brothers and sisters and they all had children, some of them about my age, and all of them were there. Her father was there too, and he told all the grandchildren to line up in a line, because he was going to give each of them a $20 bill - big money back then. Grandmother walked me up and put me at the end of the line, and I got my $20. Her father didn't notice that I didn't exactly belong, and was totally confused when he realized that he had given one $20 bill more than he had figured. She never told him what happened.)
Mom liked to put notes in her Bible. One is handwritten by her, a quote from the poet/athlete Satchel Paige. "Age is a thing of mind and matter - if you don't mind, it doesn't matter."
Monday, December 24, 2007
Christmas Eve in Miami Springs
Tonight our church had its traditional Christmas Eve service. Lots of memories of Christmas Eve services there, and lots of friends came tonight. Among them, Marti and Hank, Jim and Donna. Marti and Jim's mother, Mary Nelle, a dear friend of Juanita, died this year too. Marti gave me a poem that Ginny Combs, another Miami Springs girl, included in her Christmas newsletter. Ginny's mother also passed away this year, and she knew Mary Nelle well and Juanita. Suzie's Mom, Charlotte, also died to this world in 2007. The first Christmas Eve Service I attended at our church was on a date with Suzie when we were 16. Four Miami Springs moms, all friends with each other, all gone to heaven this year. Here's the poem:
I see the countless Christmas Trees around the world below
with tiny lights, like heaven's stars, reflecting on the snow.
The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away that tear,
for I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.
I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear,but
the sounds of music can't compare with the Christmas choir up here.
I have no words to tell you, the joy their voices bring,
for it is beyond description, to hear the angels sing.
I know how much you miss me. [You got that right, Mom].
I see the pain inside your heart,
but I am not so far away. We really aren't apart.
So be happy for me dear ones. You know I hold you dear,
and be glad I'm spending Christmas, with Jesus Christ this year.
I send you each a special gift, from my heavenly home above.
I send you each a memory, of my undying love.
After all "Love" is the gift, more precious than pure gold.
It was always most important in the stories Jesus told.
Please love and keep each other, as my Father said to do,
for I can't count the blessing or love he has for each of you.
So, have a Merry Christmas and wipe away that tear.
Remember, I'm spending Christmas, with Jesus Christ this year.
I see the countless Christmas Trees around the world below
with tiny lights, like heaven's stars, reflecting on the snow.
The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away that tear,
for I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.
I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear,but
the sounds of music can't compare with the Christmas choir up here.
I have no words to tell you, the joy their voices bring,
for it is beyond description, to hear the angels sing.
I know how much you miss me. [You got that right, Mom].
I see the pain inside your heart,
but I am not so far away. We really aren't apart.
So be happy for me dear ones. You know I hold you dear,
and be glad I'm spending Christmas, with Jesus Christ this year.
I send you each a special gift, from my heavenly home above.
I send you each a memory, of my undying love.
After all "Love" is the gift, more precious than pure gold.
It was always most important in the stories Jesus told.
Please love and keep each other, as my Father said to do,
for I can't count the blessing or love he has for each of you.
So, have a Merry Christmas and wipe away that tear.
Remember, I'm spending Christmas, with Jesus Christ this year.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Don't tell the guys, but . . .
I'm reading A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers. When the admiring blurbs on the back cover are from Romantic Times Magazine and Affaire de Coeur, you know that, if you are a guy, you need to carry this around in a plain wrapper.
The book is the first of a three volume series called "Mark of the Lion". Francine Rivers is a gifted writer - her prose is smooth and very readable. Now and then I read someone and think, "I would love to be able to write sentences and paragraphs like that", and she is one of them. This book follows the story of a young Jewish woman, a Christian, whose family was caught in Jerusalem when the Romans leveled it in 70AD. She loses her family in the carnage but survives herself. She is taken into slavery, ending up with a wealthy family in Rome.
There are other interesting characters and a plot that carries you right along. It is a very undemanding read, which is refreshing after all the tough reading I do during the day, and the plot is just complex enough. The characters are not exactly complicated people, but they have do have flesh and blood. The themes are right out there for you to see, but that's fine. The author has done her homework on the historical period in question. It is so good to read a Christian writer who obviously knows her craft, is truly gifted, and takes great care with her writing.
Mary tells me that Francine Rivers' books are very popular among the missionary families.
Sue and Doug gave us these books last Christmas, and I finally got to open this one a couple of weeks ago. I'm on page 358 of a 500 page volume! (Francine must write all the time).
Thanks, Sue!
PS If you like this book and the series, be sure to go back and read The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas. It was huge best-seller in the 50s, and there was a mega-movie based on the book with Richard Burton and Jean Simmons, also worth a look. And while you're at it, pick up Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace, a book that gave the genre a kick start in 1880. That one produced two terrific movies.
The book is the first of a three volume series called "Mark of the Lion". Francine Rivers is a gifted writer - her prose is smooth and very readable. Now and then I read someone and think, "I would love to be able to write sentences and paragraphs like that", and she is one of them. This book follows the story of a young Jewish woman, a Christian, whose family was caught in Jerusalem when the Romans leveled it in 70AD. She loses her family in the carnage but survives herself. She is taken into slavery, ending up with a wealthy family in Rome.
There are other interesting characters and a plot that carries you right along. It is a very undemanding read, which is refreshing after all the tough reading I do during the day, and the plot is just complex enough. The characters are not exactly complicated people, but they have do have flesh and blood. The themes are right out there for you to see, but that's fine. The author has done her homework on the historical period in question. It is so good to read a Christian writer who obviously knows her craft, is truly gifted, and takes great care with her writing.
Mary tells me that Francine Rivers' books are very popular among the missionary families.
Sue and Doug gave us these books last Christmas, and I finally got to open this one a couple of weeks ago. I'm on page 358 of a 500 page volume! (Francine must write all the time).
Thanks, Sue!
PS If you like this book and the series, be sure to go back and read The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas. It was huge best-seller in the 50s, and there was a mega-movie based on the book with Richard Burton and Jean Simmons, also worth a look. And while you're at it, pick up Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace, a book that gave the genre a kick start in 1880. That one produced two terrific movies.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Upcoming Elections in Kenya
Thursday, December 20, 2007
The McCaffrey Report on Iraq Status
This is a fascinating and informative report by a retired General and adjunct professor at West Point. Here's one gem among many:
Mr. Rumsfeld was an American patriot, of great personal talent, energy, experience, bureaucratic cleverness, and charisma—who operated with personal arrogance, intimidation and disrespect for the military, lack of forthright candor, avoidance of personal responsibility, and fundamental bad judgment.
Read every word of it.
Mr. Rumsfeld was an American patriot, of great personal talent, energy, experience, bureaucratic cleverness, and charisma—who operated with personal arrogance, intimidation and disrespect for the military, lack of forthright candor, avoidance of personal responsibility, and fundamental bad judgment.
Read every word of it.
Something Fun
Well, it's been a while since I made the time to post anything, so I thought I'd put up a few pics.
For Halloween, Aidan was Dr. Aidan, and Honor was a Tulip Fairy (doesn't Macon look fabulous wearing Honor's little Tulip Fairy headband?)
Also, I just wanted to include a recent photo of Aidan and his pony, "Fire." Fire lives at my parents' house and has been quite the hit. And, for any of you out there who doubt that children imitate what they see on television, let me share a story. There is an episode of the Backyardigans where Uniqua is a western horse rider and Pablo is a jockey. They compete against one another and at one point as they are boasting and competing, they decide to ride on their horses, standing on one leg while the horse turns in circles. What do you think was the first thing Aidan did after getting onto Fire's back? That's right! He got up on one leg and "rode" Fire while standing on said one leg. Note: all the while he was saying, "Look, Mommy, I can ride just like Pablo and Uniqua!"
This does not bode well, and I can't wait to start explaining to the emergency room doctors about the fantastical feats that my children will no doubt soon be doing.
For Halloween, Aidan was Dr. Aidan, and Honor was a Tulip Fairy (doesn't Macon look fabulous wearing Honor's little Tulip Fairy headband?)
Also, I just wanted to include a recent photo of Aidan and his pony, "Fire." Fire lives at my parents' house and has been quite the hit. And, for any of you out there who doubt that children imitate what they see on television, let me share a story. There is an episode of the Backyardigans where Uniqua is a western horse rider and Pablo is a jockey. They compete against one another and at one point as they are boasting and competing, they decide to ride on their horses, standing on one leg while the horse turns in circles. What do you think was the first thing Aidan did after getting onto Fire's back? That's right! He got up on one leg and "rode" Fire while standing on said one leg. Note: all the while he was saying, "Look, Mommy, I can ride just like Pablo and Uniqua!"
This does not bode well, and I can't wait to start explaining to the emergency room doctors about the fantastical feats that my children will no doubt soon be doing.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Hate Crimes Trump Gun Control Ideologies
At least with the Miami Herald. Otherwise, you would never hear of this from MSM.
UPDATE: Speaking of Race and Guns, see what Condoleezza says about gun-control.
UPDATE: Speaking of Race and Guns, see what Condoleezza says about gun-control.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
FIU Med School and Miami Children's Hospital
The new med school at Florida International University (opening 2009) will be working with Miami Children's Hospital, the latter institution having been a big part of our family's life.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Big personal life changes
I'm changing my voter's registration to Republican so that I can vote for McCain. Having gotten a new workstation at the office that has Word 2007 already installed, I'm changing to Word and saying good by to WordPerfect. Both choices are flawed and I'm turning my back on a lot of history, but the choices are the best available at this point.
UPDATE: Good company.
UPDATE UPDATE: See the video.
UPDATE: Good company.
UPDATE UPDATE: See the video.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The Baptists are Coming! The Baptists are Coming!
Huckabee corrals the endorsement of Pastor Howard's kids. He can't lose!
(Pastor Howard is my partner Jane's pastor, at the First Baptist Church of Homestead. See his blog here. Funny post here.)
Monday, December 10, 2007
Maybe not the way to win the election, but . . .
Huckabee, wow! But this was in 1998. Will he affirm it today? Will be interesting to watch.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
O, Christmas Tree!
We had a Christmas party at our house Saturday night for the people in our Bible study classes and their spouses. The purpose was, in part, to force us to get our house ready for the Holiday. With none of our children coming home this year, we thought we needed a little prodding like this. The rest was social.
Counting Carol and me, we had 29 people. Carol crock-potted a turkey breast (a recipe from Micki) and fixed a chicken curry dish that we enjoyed last year in Kenya at the home of one of Mary's colleagues. The curry is served on a bed of rice (or wrapped in a chapati; one of our Indian friends brought chapati, which is sort of like a tortilla, but made of wheat, I think). The curry called for toppings, chopped pineapple, raisins, chopped onions, and chopped peppers, all of them together if you like (and I liked - mmmm!). For the rest of the feast, it was "covered dish", a formula for a plentiful and varied banquet.
This is what our Christmas tree looks like. (Click on the picture to enlarge. At the bottom of the tree, on the right hand side, is a little felt christmas-tree ornament that Walter made, and it has his photo in it.) Once I got the tree in place, Carol did the decorating. (I have to confess, I don't have much patience for tree trimming. But I help with untrimming it.) The tree is in our living room, next to the bookcase.
On the bookcase are some items from Christmas past, including two Nativity creations of Mary, one on a shoe-box lid (three shelves from the bottom, on the left) and the other made from Popsicle sticks (five shelves from the bottom, on the right). The two stockings hung on the bottom are for Carol and me (Carol made them years ago, and one each for the kids). The stocking toward the top of the right bookcase belonged to Juanita, and she bought it years ago from the 10,000 Villages store in Montreat. It is embroidered and was made in India, I believe. It's there in memory of her. She celebrates her first year in heaven this year.
On the top of the bookcases, on the right, there is a reindeer head, made from the base of a palm frond, the part where the rest of the palm frond is attached to the trunk. Mary and Walter each made one of these in pre-school. The other one is hanging elsewhere in the house.
The tree, of course, is also full of memories, as family Christmas trees become over the years, and the rest of the living room, den, dining room, and kitchen are full of such objects as well.
As people are finding out that we have no kids home this Christmas, we are getting some invitations for meals and the like on Christmas day. But we are going to drive over to see my sister Julia and her family in New Port Richey, FL, after we get up and open our presents. My niece Audrey is having a party at 4PM that day, and so we will go to that party and spend the night with Julia, her husband Greg, and their son, Gregory Paul. We will drive home Wednesday morning.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Way to go, Steve!
Steve Peifer won one of CNN's Heroes awards on December 6. There's a lot at the CCN site about the show, the process of selection, video, and photos of Steve and the other winners and nominees. I would start here.
The Love of a Christian Father
At yesterday's men's breakfast, the issue of abortion came up, and Austin told us a family story of a Christian father's leadership and love.
Years ago, Austin's uncle and aunt brought into their home to live a teenage boy, 15 or 16 years of age, whose own family was so broken that the young man did not have a place even to sleep. (Austin's uncle and family are members of the Reformed Church, where Austin's immediate family were Pentecostal. He described how important and intensely held were the particular Christian beliefs of their two families, and it seemed to us that presently a great deal of that intensity has seeped out of American Christianity.)
The boy was about the same age as a daughter of Austin's uncle, and after awhile she became pregnant by the boy. I can only imagine the intensity of that crisis. Abortion would have been a quick solution and, of course, throwing that ungrateful boy out of the house.
Instead, Austin's uncle told the young people they needed to get married and, as their respective guardians, he signed the marriage license on behalf of each of them.
Now this young couple have grown up; they have 8 children and a couple of grandchildren. (Austin said the couple's own children married young.) They live in their own house, near where Austin's uncle and aunt live, with a big yard that has a big tree and a tire swing and a bunch of kids running around having fun. The young man is a cabinet maker and so good at it that wealthy people from Boston fly him to their city to do work for them. Their first baby was a boy, Josiah, and all of their children have Biblical names. Josiah attended Pensacola Bible College.
I have heard Austin tell that story before, and I love to hear it. What a wonderful story of love, of a sort of muscular forgiveness on the father's part, and of how God redeems a difficult situation, especially when those "in charge", a father this time, are obedient to him.
Years ago, Austin's uncle and aunt brought into their home to live a teenage boy, 15 or 16 years of age, whose own family was so broken that the young man did not have a place even to sleep. (Austin's uncle and family are members of the Reformed Church, where Austin's immediate family were Pentecostal. He described how important and intensely held were the particular Christian beliefs of their two families, and it seemed to us that presently a great deal of that intensity has seeped out of American Christianity.)
The boy was about the same age as a daughter of Austin's uncle, and after awhile she became pregnant by the boy. I can only imagine the intensity of that crisis. Abortion would have been a quick solution and, of course, throwing that ungrateful boy out of the house.
Instead, Austin's uncle told the young people they needed to get married and, as their respective guardians, he signed the marriage license on behalf of each of them.
Now this young couple have grown up; they have 8 children and a couple of grandchildren. (Austin said the couple's own children married young.) They live in their own house, near where Austin's uncle and aunt live, with a big yard that has a big tree and a tire swing and a bunch of kids running around having fun. The young man is a cabinet maker and so good at it that wealthy people from Boston fly him to their city to do work for them. Their first baby was a boy, Josiah, and all of their children have Biblical names. Josiah attended Pensacola Bible College.
I have heard Austin tell that story before, and I love to hear it. What a wonderful story of love, of a sort of muscular forgiveness on the father's part, and of how God redeems a difficult situation, especially when those "in charge", a father this time, are obedient to him.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Monday, December 03, 2007
The Other Robert E. Lee
Maybe Robert E. Lee is not a big deal in that part of your mind's eye that looks back over American history. He wasn't at the center of my study of Southern history at Duke, but I understood something like he was the greatest man the South ever produced, etc. I did enjoy Grant's biography, which I read a couple of years ago, but I guess, from the South's perspective, Grant's best use was as a slightly disreputable, cigar smoking foil for General Lee, and that the best thing one could say about Grant was that he treated General Lee well and let the rebels keep their guns at Appomattox.
In the September 2007 issue of The New Criterion, Daniel Mark Epstein has it out for Lee, as he reviews Elizabeth Brown's Reading the Man: A Portrait of Robert E. Lee Through His Private Letters. His review, entitled "Who Cares About Robert E. Lee?" presents the revisionist view of the great man.
For example: Lee married well, or it looked like that initially. But when he was 49, his father-in-law died, "naming him as executor in charge of a debt-ridden estate and 196 slaves on several plantations". The father in law stipulated in his will that the slaves should be liberated, and they all expected to be. But Lee didn't liberate them and, instead, leased out the able-bodied ones to raise money for the estate. He broke up families to do so and "most of these families had been together since General Washington's time". Two of the slaves ran away when they learned they would not be freed, a young man and a young woman, brother and sister, but they were apprehended and brought back. Lee supervised 50 lashes for the young man and 20 for the young woman.
This is only one part of the indictment. The indictment also alleges that he was not such a great general, that he was silent when the Virginia legislature might have stayed in the union had he spoken up, and that he resigned his commission, thereby renouncing an oath, and took up arms against the US, all out of pride and not out of a true sense of duty to Virginia. The worst charge of all (to my mind) was that he was an engineer and thought like one. Now, as a liberal arts major, I can concede that that criticism may have some merit to it.
But first Beowulf, and now General Lee. I just don't know what to say,
In the September 2007 issue of The New Criterion, Daniel Mark Epstein has it out for Lee, as he reviews Elizabeth Brown's Reading the Man: A Portrait of Robert E. Lee Through His Private Letters. His review, entitled "Who Cares About Robert E. Lee?" presents the revisionist view of the great man.
For example: Lee married well, or it looked like that initially. But when he was 49, his father-in-law died, "naming him as executor in charge of a debt-ridden estate and 196 slaves on several plantations". The father in law stipulated in his will that the slaves should be liberated, and they all expected to be. But Lee didn't liberate them and, instead, leased out the able-bodied ones to raise money for the estate. He broke up families to do so and "most of these families had been together since General Washington's time". Two of the slaves ran away when they learned they would not be freed, a young man and a young woman, brother and sister, but they were apprehended and brought back. Lee supervised 50 lashes for the young man and 20 for the young woman.
This is only one part of the indictment. The indictment also alleges that he was not such a great general, that he was silent when the Virginia legislature might have stayed in the union had he spoken up, and that he resigned his commission, thereby renouncing an oath, and took up arms against the US, all out of pride and not out of a true sense of duty to Virginia. The worst charge of all (to my mind) was that he was an engineer and thought like one. Now, as a liberal arts major, I can concede that that criticism may have some merit to it.
But first Beowulf, and now General Lee. I just don't know what to say,
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Bush Gets One Right!
Some backbone on stem-cells gets him some credit. (See my earlier post on the stem cell breakthrough subject.)
Friday, November 30, 2007
Say, Can You See?
Yesterday I met with a delightful octogenarian lady, and she told me that in the late thirties she had sung with a band. "After one performance," she told me, " a man came up to me and said, 'You must be a lot older than you look.' I asked him why he would say that, and he said 'You know so many of the old songs, you must be older than you look.' I told him, 'Mister, I know the Star Spangled Banner, but I wasn't born in 1812!'"
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Ron Brummitt and the Miami Rescue Mission
The Herald prints something positive. Ron has preached in our pulpit at MSPC many times. The Miami Rescue Mission was doing its good work when I was growing up at Central Baptist. No references in the article to Jesus, a few to "God" if you keep reading. That's the best we can expect from the Herald. But Ron knows where his power comes from, and the people there too.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Chipotle Mexican Grill has arguably become the country's most successful fast-food chain in recent years by rejecting almost every major technique on which the industry was built.
-WSJ 11/23/07
Cool website too.
-WSJ 11/23/07
Cool website too.
Belief in Medicine
Faith does not necessarily make physicians more likely to help the poor, according to a survey by University of Chicago researchers Farr Curlin, John Lantos, Marshall Chin, and the Yale New Haven Hospital’s Lydia Dugdale, MD’06. They discovered that 35 percent of nonreligious physicians they surveyed worked in underserved communities, while 31 percent of self-identified religious ones did. Researchers published their findings in the July/August Annals of Family Medicine. The survey also asked physicians whether they viewed medicine as a calling; religious doctors who said yes were no more likely to practice in poor areas than those who answered no.
-From the Sept/October 2007 University of Chicago Magazine.
(I'm sure Christian lawyers do much, much better.)
-From the Sept/October 2007 University of Chicago Magazine.
(I'm sure Christian lawyers do much, much better.)
What Good's a Liberal Education?
The current issue of UChi Magazine has an article on Leslie Key, who has a PhD in biophysics, and is an assistant professor in the UChi psychology department, a member of the committees on neurobiology and computational neuroscience, and an olfaction researcher. Her research team just "reported in the August Journal of Neuroscience the first direct measurement of how, as the subtlety of an olfactory decision increases, the brain's olfactory bulb intensifies coordinated neural activity." I know that this research is intensely interesting to everyone, but what I wanted to mention was how Leslie Key got to where she is, according to the article.
She earned a liberal-arts degree in 1983 from St. John's College in New Mexico, then spent three years in Los Alamos with GenBank, a forerunner of the Human Genome Project. "In 1985 she began a biophysics PhD at the University of California, Berkeley, that she interrupted after a year, traveling and working as a programmer for five years before finishing the degree in 1995."
Obviously a liberal arts degree is a sure way to get lost in the woods. I hope that by now this poor woman has settled down and been able to focus on something long term. And is she married?
She earned a liberal-arts degree in 1983 from St. John's College in New Mexico, then spent three years in Los Alamos with GenBank, a forerunner of the Human Genome Project. "In 1985 she began a biophysics PhD at the University of California, Berkeley, that she interrupted after a year, traveling and working as a programmer for five years before finishing the degree in 1995."
Obviously a liberal arts degree is a sure way to get lost in the woods. I hope that by now this poor woman has settled down and been able to focus on something long term. And is she married?
Immigration and Unemployed Blacks
In September 2006, after multiple raids by federal immigration agents, Crider Inc., a Chicken-processing factory in Stillmore, Georgia, lost three-fourths of its 900-member workforce, most of whom were Hispanic illegal immigrants. To find new workers, plant owners raised wages by more than a dollar per hour and offered free transportation from nearby towns. Within weeks, Crider had hired roughly 200 local African Americans from the area's state-funded employment office to fill some of the vacancies. It was the first time since the late 1990s, when Hispanics started moving to Stillmore in large numbers, that the plant's productions line were manned mainly by blacks.
Thus begins an article on the connection being explored by a UChi professor between immmigration - both legal and illegal - and African American employment.
Although the introduction sounds like the basis of a Tancredo like argument about controlling our borders, you will see that the Chicago professor, Jeffrey Grogger, uses this example as all the more reason "to think about skill acquisition as a means to improve the labor-market position of African Americans in light of the immigraton we see."
Thus begins an article on the connection being explored by a UChi professor between immmigration - both legal and illegal - and African American employment.
Although the introduction sounds like the basis of a Tancredo like argument about controlling our borders, you will see that the Chicago professor, Jeffrey Grogger, uses this example as all the more reason "to think about skill acquisition as a means to improve the labor-market position of African Americans in light of the immigraton we see."
Saturday, November 24, 2007
"Beowulf"
(ALERT! Some people may think I give away too much in this review. I don't think so, but proceed at your own risk.)
This is not an easy film to evaluate. We saw it at an IMAX in 3D. That's a completely overpowering experience in itself, something qualitatively different, at least as I experienced it, than viewing a movie in a conventional theater setting.
The animation is astonishing. At first, one simply reacts in a sort of back-peddling way to the the 3D experience, which the film makers particularly exploit at the beginning with dramatic and explosive scenes. In addition, one is somewhat detached at first because the people in their animated forms seem less than real, but very interesting nonetheless. In other words, as you work yourself into the movie, you are a curious and fascinated and critical spectator. But after a while, your brain somehow settles down and gets involved. You start to live in the movie. That's a familiar place to be with a good movie, but this one somehow occupies you (or you it) more intensely simply on account of how the film makers put the thing together visually and aurally. Again, to an extraordinary extent it is the medium that takes you over.
The story is a different matter, and the characters, but I do not mean that the movie fails here. At first, the characters are interesting, as I already indicated, not as people as such but in their verisimilitude. But after awhile, you "forget" about that and actually accept them as "people". Although Beowulf, the hero, is a sort of screamer (at least at first) like the commander in 300, which I find annoying, he certainly becomes more of a human as the story develops than a lot of heros I've seen lately, including those in 300.
The story is about great temptation, great betrayal as one yields to it, and, finally, redemption, at least for the individual if not for the world. (What will happen to the world as it deals with evil is left hanging at the end.) I found that plot especially interesting because I have just finished reading The Kite Runner, another story of betrayal, an excruciatingly painful betrayal (I almost put the book down at that point), and redemption. Neither of these stories is written by Christians. (In Beowulf there is, in fact, gratuitous Christian bashing, which won't sell the producers any tickets to the evangelical community, and the author of The Kite Runner is of Muslim background.)
In both Beowulf and The Kite Runner, redemption is achieved by the works (and suffering) of the protagonist. But in The Kite Runner the opportunity for those redemptive works appears to be providential (or is it a plot-device, who knows). In Beowulf, the opportunity for redemption is provided by self-knowledge ("conviction"), guilt, and a second chance that the forces of evil themselves provide. In Beowulf's universe, as in ours, evil cannot keep a promise because that is the nature of evil, and that provides the redemptive opportunity.
The nature of the good is far less developed, even stunted in this movie. We see the unaccountable loyalty of Beowulf's wife and that of his friend, who engages in self-deception all the way to the end. The "gods" are remote and uninterested. There is only Beowulf and whatever he can muster. As I also indicated, we are not sure that this will be enough for anyone but Beowulf.
I have no idea of the extent to which the movie hews to the classic tale of Beowulf. I imagine it roams far afield. So it needs to be viewed on its own merits.
One other thing about the film I must mention is the beauty of Angelina Jolie. The animation moves her beauty to a place that no human can possibly occupy, something like, I suppose, what the Greeks did in idealizing beauty with their sculpture. That beauty dominates the last scene of the movie (this is not the scene from the trailers) and she is simply breathtaking. How could any man withstand her? In such a universe, where overhwelming beauty is the tool of hell, what hope is there?
The show has comic books aspects, of course, and sometimes it is simply crude, especially at the beginning. This is not Shakespeare or Homer or Tolkien. You have to allow for that. But as a total experience I would say that it is well worth seeing.
UPDATE: Good review in CT.
This is not an easy film to evaluate. We saw it at an IMAX in 3D. That's a completely overpowering experience in itself, something qualitatively different, at least as I experienced it, than viewing a movie in a conventional theater setting.
The animation is astonishing. At first, one simply reacts in a sort of back-peddling way to the the 3D experience, which the film makers particularly exploit at the beginning with dramatic and explosive scenes. In addition, one is somewhat detached at first because the people in their animated forms seem less than real, but very interesting nonetheless. In other words, as you work yourself into the movie, you are a curious and fascinated and critical spectator. But after a while, your brain somehow settles down and gets involved. You start to live in the movie. That's a familiar place to be with a good movie, but this one somehow occupies you (or you it) more intensely simply on account of how the film makers put the thing together visually and aurally. Again, to an extraordinary extent it is the medium that takes you over.
The story is a different matter, and the characters, but I do not mean that the movie fails here. At first, the characters are interesting, as I already indicated, not as people as such but in their verisimilitude. But after awhile, you "forget" about that and actually accept them as "people". Although Beowulf, the hero, is a sort of screamer (at least at first) like the commander in 300, which I find annoying, he certainly becomes more of a human as the story develops than a lot of heros I've seen lately, including those in 300.
The story is about great temptation, great betrayal as one yields to it, and, finally, redemption, at least for the individual if not for the world. (What will happen to the world as it deals with evil is left hanging at the end.) I found that plot especially interesting because I have just finished reading The Kite Runner, another story of betrayal, an excruciatingly painful betrayal (I almost put the book down at that point), and redemption. Neither of these stories is written by Christians. (In Beowulf there is, in fact, gratuitous Christian bashing, which won't sell the producers any tickets to the evangelical community, and the author of The Kite Runner is of Muslim background.)
In both Beowulf and The Kite Runner, redemption is achieved by the works (and suffering) of the protagonist. But in The Kite Runner the opportunity for those redemptive works appears to be providential (or is it a plot-device, who knows). In Beowulf, the opportunity for redemption is provided by self-knowledge ("conviction"), guilt, and a second chance that the forces of evil themselves provide. In Beowulf's universe, as in ours, evil cannot keep a promise because that is the nature of evil, and that provides the redemptive opportunity.
The nature of the good is far less developed, even stunted in this movie. We see the unaccountable loyalty of Beowulf's wife and that of his friend, who engages in self-deception all the way to the end. The "gods" are remote and uninterested. There is only Beowulf and whatever he can muster. As I also indicated, we are not sure that this will be enough for anyone but Beowulf.
I have no idea of the extent to which the movie hews to the classic tale of Beowulf. I imagine it roams far afield. So it needs to be viewed on its own merits.
One other thing about the film I must mention is the beauty of Angelina Jolie. The animation moves her beauty to a place that no human can possibly occupy, something like, I suppose, what the Greeks did in idealizing beauty with their sculpture. That beauty dominates the last scene of the movie (this is not the scene from the trailers) and she is simply breathtaking. How could any man withstand her? In such a universe, where overhwelming beauty is the tool of hell, what hope is there?
The show has comic books aspects, of course, and sometimes it is simply crude, especially at the beginning. This is not Shakespeare or Homer or Tolkien. You have to allow for that. But as a total experience I would say that it is well worth seeing.
UPDATE: Good review in CT.
Running into the Winklers at Cozy Corner
Only two of our Saturday men's breakfast regulars showed up at Cozy Corner this morning. It was rainy, and probably people didn't want much to think about food at this point in the Thanksgiving Week. But Richard Miller and I were there, and we will opt for quality any time.
Across from us I noticed a young couple with a baby girl, about Honor's age. The little girl and I made eye contact, and she kept turning around and looking at me during the entire breakfast. I thought her dad looked familiar, but I wasn't sure, until his wife spoke to me about how fascinated their daughter was in Richard and me. (Richard didn't have anything to do with it.) About that time, the father asked me if I was "Mr. Stokes" and I recognized him as Mike Winkler immediately, one of Walter's good friends. They were getting ready to drive back to Orlando, having visited his family in Miami Springs for Thanksgiving. They both work for a Christian Counseling firm in Orlando, New Beginnings. Here's a webpage with their bios and pictures (scroll down).
They attend an Anglican church in Orlando that is under the authority of the Bishop of Rwanda. Kelly told me the name, but it didn't stick in my mind. I told them Mary might be coming to Orlando this summer, and they were very interested in that.
Across from us I noticed a young couple with a baby girl, about Honor's age. The little girl and I made eye contact, and she kept turning around and looking at me during the entire breakfast. I thought her dad looked familiar, but I wasn't sure, until his wife spoke to me about how fascinated their daughter was in Richard and me. (Richard didn't have anything to do with it.) About that time, the father asked me if I was "Mr. Stokes" and I recognized him as Mike Winkler immediately, one of Walter's good friends. They were getting ready to drive back to Orlando, having visited his family in Miami Springs for Thanksgiving. They both work for a Christian Counseling firm in Orlando, New Beginnings. Here's a webpage with their bios and pictures (scroll down).
They attend an Anglican church in Orlando that is under the authority of the Bishop of Rwanda. Kelly told me the name, but it didn't stick in my mind. I told them Mary might be coming to Orlando this summer, and they were very interested in that.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Going to see "Beowulf" tonight
Here.
With Van, Joe, and Margaret Lahmeyer. Carol will be scrapping with Juliet.
I'll give you a full report tomorrow.
With Van, Joe, and Margaret Lahmeyer. Carol will be scrapping with Juliet.
I'll give you a full report tomorrow.
The Primaries
I'm still a Democrat. Should I change parties so I can vote in the Republican primary, or stay a blue-dog Democrat? Staying a Democrat, I would vote for Hillary, and there's no question about that. Moving over, I would be in a quandry. Just whom can I trust over there? I think I know what I have with Hillary. I thought I knew what we had with GW, and I was wrong in some very important respects. As to the Republicans, I like McCain (good comments from others to that post), Romney, Giuliani, Thompson, in that order. As to Huckabee, I just don't know. Is he a dark horse or a Trojan horse? I find him worrisome, more so than, for example, Giuliani.
I'm talking primaries here. Not the general election.
I'm talking primaries here. Not the general election.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Fortieth Thanksiving
Carol and I will have our fortieth Thanksgiving together tomorrow. The first two were before our marriage in 1970. They each took place in Greensboro at Carol's house. I was in law school, and I flew down from Chicago. Carol remembers that I didn't like mushrooms then, and that among the dishes her mother, sister, and she prepared for the first Thanksgiving were green peas mixed with pearl onions and mushrooms. She remembers that I picked out the mushrooms. In fact, she says that the only thing she remembers about that Thanksgiving is my picking out the mushrooms. How did I ever get this woman to marry me?
Tomorrow it will be just the two of us for Thanksgiving dinner here in Miami Springs. This will be only the second one we have spent alone together, just the two of us. The first one was my third year of law school. We had been married in September of that year, just a week or so before the school year began. We lived in an apartment in one of the law school dorms. We were "resident heads", and our job was to look after the other law students who lived there. It was a co-ed dorm, and our apartment, made from three adjoining dorm rooms, was on the floor where the women lived. The dorm was built in college Gothic style and was old and stately. The room that served as our living room had a fire place and was well furnished. It had a bay window that overlooked the reflecting pool in front of the dramatically modern law school building. The dorms adjacent to the law school (known as "Burton-Judson") had a dining hall. The ceiling was two stories high, wood beamed across the ceiling, with heavy rectangular tables and high back chairs. The dining hall crew had a Thanksgiving meal for those who stayed there over the holiday, and that's where we had our first Thanksgiving feast. So we weren't really alone, because there were students and dining people there too. Carol had to work that day at the UC Hospital, where she was employed as a "ward secretary", but she came back across the Midway for the dinner.
Carol remembers that we were alone together one other time, "when we had Macon". Then she thought that maybe Walter had been born by then too, so maybe not. I pointed out that we would not have been alone together even if Walter had not been born, if we had Macon. She thinks I misunderstood what she said, but, on behalf of Macon, I took umbrage. The fact is that one is never alone when Macon is in the same house. But she was talking about our being the only adults. So I calmed down and let the umbrage pass.
Anyway, we will truly be alone together tomorrow for the meal, although we will go down to the Lahmeyers for dessert.
By the way, I'm over the mushroom thing, but there still won't be that dish tomorrow.
Tomorrow it will be just the two of us for Thanksgiving dinner here in Miami Springs. This will be only the second one we have spent alone together, just the two of us. The first one was my third year of law school. We had been married in September of that year, just a week or so before the school year began. We lived in an apartment in one of the law school dorms. We were "resident heads", and our job was to look after the other law students who lived there. It was a co-ed dorm, and our apartment, made from three adjoining dorm rooms, was on the floor where the women lived. The dorm was built in college Gothic style and was old and stately. The room that served as our living room had a fire place and was well furnished. It had a bay window that overlooked the reflecting pool in front of the dramatically modern law school building. The dorms adjacent to the law school (known as "Burton-Judson") had a dining hall. The ceiling was two stories high, wood beamed across the ceiling, with heavy rectangular tables and high back chairs. The dining hall crew had a Thanksgiving meal for those who stayed there over the holiday, and that's where we had our first Thanksgiving feast. So we weren't really alone, because there were students and dining people there too. Carol had to work that day at the UC Hospital, where she was employed as a "ward secretary", but she came back across the Midway for the dinner.
Carol remembers that we were alone together one other time, "when we had Macon". Then she thought that maybe Walter had been born by then too, so maybe not. I pointed out that we would not have been alone together even if Walter had not been born, if we had Macon. She thinks I misunderstood what she said, but, on behalf of Macon, I took umbrage. The fact is that one is never alone when Macon is in the same house. But she was talking about our being the only adults. So I calmed down and let the umbrage pass.
Anyway, we will truly be alone together tomorrow for the meal, although we will go down to the Lahmeyers for dessert.
By the way, I'm over the mushroom thing, but there still won't be that dish tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Question for Christian Republicans
Now tell me again why you are supporting Giuliani and not McCain? (Thanks, Glenn.)
Is it the social issue thing?
Is it the social issue thing?
Versailles Restaurant
"The unofficial town square of el exilio." If you come visit, we'll go have dinner there.
Monday, November 19, 2007
On "Going Home"
Great new post on Mary's blog. And a fascinating first comment to that post as well.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
"Therapeutic" Cloning: Right.
The idea is to create an embryonic clone of a patient, then transplant altered versions of that embryo's cells back into the patient. Because the DNA of the transplanted tissue would match the DNA of the patient, the immune system likely wouldn't reject it.
From the WSJ's Health section on Thursday, in an article reporting that monkey embryos were cloned by scientists in Oregan. (Originally reported in Nature.) The next step is to take a rhesus embryonic clone to full term "and thereby create the world's first cloned money." Next is to test "whether fresh tissue derived from rhesus clones can treat diabetes or other diseases in a monkey, a process known as therapeutic cloning."
And the next step after that? Oh, we already know that, there was a movie about that two years ago.
From the WSJ's Health section on Thursday, in an article reporting that monkey embryos were cloned by scientists in Oregan. (Originally reported in Nature.) The next step is to take a rhesus embryonic clone to full term "and thereby create the world's first cloned money." Next is to test "whether fresh tissue derived from rhesus clones can treat diabetes or other diseases in a monkey, a process known as therapeutic cloning."
And the next step after that? Oh, we already know that, there was a movie about that two years ago.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Primary Trouble in Kenya; RVA's First Term Nearly Over
Mary posts on primary election difficulties in Kenya this week. She links to an All Africa news post about ballot day on Friday. (The article refers to "rungu democracy". What's a rungu?)
I found it interesting how thick the news account was with stories of guns being drawn and fired. Kenya has very strict gun-control. Oh, well.
The account also reports that a particular polling place was invaded by two rogue elephants. Elephants. Hmmm. Probably Bush's fault.
Democracy is a messy enterprise, and I pray that Kenya gets through this election season in good shape. As I do for us here in the US and our own election season.
Mary reports that classes for the first term ended yesterday and that exams begin this Monday and finish on Tuesday, Then the kids are gone. On the evening of Thanksgiving, Nov. 22, commences the AIM-Kenya Missions Conference, and it goes until Monday, Nov. 26. Teacher work days are scheduled for November 27 thru November 29, with a special luncheon for the teachers in Nairobi on the 27th. Then the term is over for the faculty by November 30. (It was about that time last year that we journeyed to Kijabe. Wow, the time went by fast!) We look forward to hearing about Mary's plans for the break.
I found it interesting how thick the news account was with stories of guns being drawn and fired. Kenya has very strict gun-control. Oh, well.
The account also reports that a particular polling place was invaded by two rogue elephants. Elephants. Hmmm. Probably Bush's fault.
Democracy is a messy enterprise, and I pray that Kenya gets through this election season in good shape. As I do for us here in the US and our own election season.
Mary reports that classes for the first term ended yesterday and that exams begin this Monday and finish on Tuesday, Then the kids are gone. On the evening of Thanksgiving, Nov. 22, commences the AIM-Kenya Missions Conference, and it goes until Monday, Nov. 26. Teacher work days are scheduled for November 27 thru November 29, with a special luncheon for the teachers in Nairobi on the 27th. Then the term is over for the faculty by November 30. (It was about that time last year that we journeyed to Kijabe. Wow, the time went by fast!) We look forward to hearing about Mary's plans for the break.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Preach the gospel to "panta ta ethne"
I am enjoying and being instructed by Fr. Donovan. He points out that when Jesus commands us to "preach the gospel to all the nations of the world, to disciple, make disciples of, to evangelize all the nations" the Greek words for "all the nations" is pantha ta enthne. Rather than to nation states, Donavan writes, the words "would refer more to ethnic, cultural groups, the natural building blocks of the human race."
It is surely here in the midst of the cultures of the world, and not in the church, that the ordinary way of salvation must lie, the ordinary means of salvation, the very possibility of salvation for most of the human race. Or else it is a very strange God we have.
The gospel must be brought to the nations in which already resides the possibility of salvaton. As I began to ponder the evangelization of the Masai, I had to realize the God enables people, any people, to reach salvation through their culture and tribal, racial customs and traditions. In this realization would have to rest my whole approach to the evangelization of the Masai.
Pretty radical, no? Sounds a little missional to me, by that I mean the idea that God is already working in peoples outside the church, and it is our job as missionaries somehow to get involved with his work. Do I have that idea of what missional means right? Anyway, I'm reading on.
It is surely here in the midst of the cultures of the world, and not in the church, that the ordinary way of salvation must lie, the ordinary means of salvation, the very possibility of salvation for most of the human race. Or else it is a very strange God we have.
The gospel must be brought to the nations in which already resides the possibility of salvaton. As I began to ponder the evangelization of the Masai, I had to realize the God enables people, any people, to reach salvation through their culture and tribal, racial customs and traditions. In this realization would have to rest my whole approach to the evangelization of the Masai.
Pretty radical, no? Sounds a little missional to me, by that I mean the idea that God is already working in peoples outside the church, and it is our job as missionaries somehow to get involved with his work. Do I have that idea of what missional means right? Anyway, I'm reading on.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
The Few. The Proud. The Wow.
Did you see that new commercial for the Marines? The one with the guys doing a 21st century manual of arms to a military drum beat with a whiff of hip-hop and cutting back and forth to action scenes? Where do I sign up?
(Here it is.)
(Here it is.)
Friday, November 09, 2007
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Melissa's Engagement Party
This afternoon we attended Melissa's engagement party at Jack and Lynn's house. Melissa is Mary's great friend. She is in the fashion industry in Manhattan, and will be taking her 6th trip to China shortly, where she goes to examine products intended to come stateside. She and Scott are to be married at our church in Miami Springs in March. She asked me whether I would sing, as Mary won't be able to be there as a bride's maid. I would be happy to stand in for Mary, as long as I don't have to wear a dress. (Of course, we would all like to have Mary there.)
The first photo is of Melissa and Scott. The second is of Melissa and Mary's parents.
"I'm Confused by the Fact that I'm Happy"
WaPo articles the angst of young, beltway do-gooders who see themselves underpaid.
Hat tip to Glenn Reynolds, who picked this up and comments. Also see Glenn's follow-up post here.
Hat tip to Glenn Reynolds, who picked this up and comments. Also see Glenn's follow-up post here.
Saturday, November 03, 2007
"The statistics are that 30,000 orphan children die a day."
The November 3 World Magazine has an article featuring Jim and Suzanne Faske, a couple in Brenham, TX, who have adopted to the point where they will soon have 15 children. They are in an adoption support group called Forever Families and work with a Campus Crusade group called Hope for Orphans. The title to this post is part of a statement Suzanne makes in connection with a struggle they had to adopt "Rachel, a little girl from China with arthrogryposis, a congenital disorder that gave her clubbed feet and a dislocated hip at birth". (The Faskes are on the Forever Families website here.)
The article states that China recently capped the size of adoptive families at four children and, at one point, even shut down its government adoption agency. China was embarrassed that it was pulling ahead of Russia in the number of children being adopted away.
Mary reports that Kenya discourages foreigners from adopting their orphans and taking them out of the country. See her comment.
When Carol and I were in Kenya, we spoke to a young couple who were missionaries working with one of Kenya's national prisons. They told us how a guard begged them to take newly born twins that he and his wife would not be able to support. The missionaries refused, because they said that if it became known that they would take in such children, they would be flooded with requests.
UPDATE: There is more about Rachel, mentioned in the World article, here. Warning: if you are attempting to suppress an interest in adopting a child, do NOT read about Rachel nor otherwise explore the Forever Families website.
The article states that China recently capped the size of adoptive families at four children and, at one point, even shut down its government adoption agency. China was embarrassed that it was pulling ahead of Russia in the number of children being adopted away.
Mary reports that Kenya discourages foreigners from adopting their orphans and taking them out of the country. See her comment.
When Carol and I were in Kenya, we spoke to a young couple who were missionaries working with one of Kenya's national prisons. They told us how a guard begged them to take newly born twins that he and his wife would not be able to support. The missionaries refused, because they said that if it became known that they would take in such children, they would be flooded with requests.
UPDATE: There is more about Rachel, mentioned in the World article, here. Warning: if you are attempting to suppress an interest in adopting a child, do NOT read about Rachel nor otherwise explore the Forever Families website.
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