Red Heeler Ranch

I miss everybody.

2010-08-15T22:24:00.000-05:00

Spacehook and blogging are two very different things. I like my job, but I miss having the energy to peruse all the blogs I enjoy, and write long posts myself. I miss being able to do the Friday Five on Friday. Everyone who still comes over here faithfully to check on me, thank you. I miss y'all. I'm fine, I just have to go to bed now. Sleep well, friends.

Agreeing to disagree

2010-08-02T20:54:00.000-05:00

A dear friend of thirty-seven years' standing wrote to me of his concern that President Obama "is moving America towards economic ruin in order to establish a socialist regime and eventually a dictatorship". He could not have been more serious.

I am stunned that a person I have known and loved for decades could believe such a thing. These days I don't have the mental energy after work for sustained debate, much less to deconstruct piece by piece all of the proof-texts he sent me from The Audacity of Hope that "prove" Obama is "really" a Muslim (implication: we're all gonna die). I just told him that I believe the President is a brother in Christ and that he seeks God's guidance in one of the hardest jobs on earth. I sent him a couple of pertinent references from Snopes.com (which, I have learned, convinces no one whose mind is already made up).

W. and I have always been able to talk about everything, but it looks like that just changed.

Sugar

2010-07-25T17:36:00.000-05:00

Here's the newest member of our household! Sugar is a small, very sweet dog that was rescued from a shelter by my friend C's mother, probably about eight years ago. The dreadful scar on her back is where some lowlife apparently poured some sort of acid on her. Amazingly, she is a friendly, trusting dog, and is well-behaved. C's mom has Alzheimer's and is in a nursing home, and C and her family have been keeping Sugar for four or five years now. They already had another dog, and for various reasons keeping two dogs has been a financial hardship. Back when Amie was still living I told C we would be willing to take Sugar some day. Well, after Amie died we got Riley...then we got Lena...and I felt more and more like I had made a promise I wasn't keeping, to one of my oldest friends (we go back to the late '70's).

The Scientist and I have been talking about maybe getting a second dog, and I made the big mistake of going on my favorite cattle dog rescue site, looking at all the available heelers, and getting really interested in several. But the issue of Sugar kept nagging at me, and last weekend I called C and said, let's try it. So Sugar and her paraphrenalia arrived on Monday night. Riley grouched and grumped a few times at first, but they have been coexisting peacefully since then.

No, she's not a heeler, but she's a sweet girl who needs us. On her head she has a horrid cyst or tumor of some sort, which is coming off tomorrow. Sugar is a Velcro girl who follows me all over the house, and is picking up on our household routines very well. She just wants to love and be loved. That, we can manage.

The master bath is finished!

2010-07-25T17:20:00.000-05:00

Fabulous, humongous shower for two, before:

during...

and after!
Vanity area, before...
during...
and after!

Friday Five: Hot Fun in the Summertime?

2010-06-25T12:27:00.000-05:00

Songbird invites us to list five things we love (or don't!) about summer. Easy!

1. The food! Sweet peaches, berries, cherries, and--best of all--our very own backyard tomatoes. Nothing can compare with those.

2. (A corollary to #1) Grilling! And not just meat, delicious as that is. I'll post a fabulous grilled squash salad recipe later today.

3. Trips to the beach.

4. The hypnotic call-and-response of the cicadas and peepers on summer evenings.

5. Summer music--reminds me of younger years, when summer really was a carefree time. "Hot Fun in the Summertime" will be playing in my head for the rest of the day.

Honesty compels me to add that there are two things I absolutely detest about summer:

1. Humidity! And regardless of where you live, if you've never been to Houston in August, trust me, you DON'T know exactly what I'm talking about...and...

2. HURRICANES!!!

2010-06-04T23:41:00.000-05:00

So I have just completed my first week at my new job, and I am worn out, overwhelmed with new information, but very glad I made the change. I am working for a large (VERY large) national mental health managed care company as their new Autism Specialist. Many states have now mandated coverage of autism treatment, and insurance companies are scrambling to catch up. So are many parents and treatment providers, who have not had much of an opportunity to have intensive autism treatment like applied behavior analysis (ABA) covered by insurance before.

The last time I worked as a mental health care manager, fifteen years ago, the managed care atmosphere was very different, and I left because all of the jokes about my going over to the dark side of the force were finally too close to the truth for me to laugh. In those days care managers really were pressured to limit and deny treatment as much as possible. I'm glad I decided to take this job, though, because everyone I have met this week seems compassionate, positive, and very concerned to help people get the best possible use of their mental health benefits.

Because I was an in-network provider with this company for well over a decade, a lot of the care advocates already knew my name and have said things like, "I've been referring people to you for years!" My closest coworker and mentor here is a care advocate that I've been on a first name basis with for about ten years, from all the times I submitted treatment requests to him--but we had never met face-to-face before my interview.

I had not been planning to leave my old job, but I realize now that I've been phoning it in for a while and was more ready for a change than I knew. This is a totally different situation, and a welcome new beginning.

First installment: Lena

2010-05-28T17:25:00.000-05:00

Is anyone still out there? I have a lot to tell. First of all, Lena has a forever home! (more of that in a moment)

Aaand, we spent a week dawdling around the British Virgin Islands on this magnificent vessel.

And then...I found a new job, which starts on Tuesday. (That was the unbloggable.)

And last week...we had a great meetup with RevDrKate and her new husband (don't you love the sound of that, Kate?) R at one of our favorite restaurants.

And on top of all of that, we are in the throes of completely remodeling the master bathroom.

But first things first. Lena was adopted by a very nice couple with two young children, who fell in love with her at an adoption fair. All was going well until they observed that their daughter was breaking out in welts whenever Lena licked her! The rescue coordinator and I were so discouraged...then the family reported that they were going to make this work, and would try to teach Lena not to lick the child. Lena is quite a licker, so please pray that somehow this will work for sweet Lena and her new family.

Riley doesn't miss her at all. :)

(Edited to add:) Well, I just found out that Lena is back on Petfinder. Apparently she couldn't stop licking (no surprise there). I am thankful they loved her enough to bring her back to the rescue coordinator, who loves her too and will keep her safe until she's adopted again. So if you are praying for sweet Crystal girl to find her forever home, please add a prayer for sweet Lena girl too.

a good tired

2010-04-25T16:26:00.000-05:00

Spiritual Renewal Weekend is over, and although the turnout was smaller than I had hoped, it went very well. I am worn out, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. So many people worked so hard to support this weekend. I confess that for so long I just looked forward to the moment when it would be over...now I can see how the Spirit carried it, the whole time. Why do I ever worry about these things?

The Scientist is at a conference in Florida, where he is giving a talk tomorrow. Last night there was a pirate-themed wedding at the resort where he is staying. Wonder who married the happy couple? And what would he/she say? "Arrrrr, I now pronounce ye sailor and wench"?

Lena spent yesterday at an adoption fair, where two families took a great interest in her. The rescue coordinator told me that one family spent about an hour petting and playing with her. Both families took the coordinator's business card, said they were going home to talk about it, and wanted to be sure Lena would be at the same event next Saturday (she will). Prayers, please!

And prayers, please, for the people who have suffered and lost loved ones and homes to yesterday's tornadoes in Mississippi and Alabama, especially in Yazoo City, where my mother graduated from high school. When you are driving through my Delta homeland headed for Jackson, Yazoo City is where the Delta's tabletop suddenly meets rolling hills, lush with kudzu in the spring and summer. There is a cafe in Yazoo City called Stubb's where one can enjoy the best chocolate chess pie on this or any other planet. Jimmy Carter held a town hall meeting at Stubb's during his presidency. Yazoo City is also the home of Willie Morris, whose essays I have enjoyed, and who died the day before my father died (odd thing to remember, I know). I no longer know anyone in Yazoo City, but I feel as if tragedy has befallen a friend.

And I have a great big unbloggable (a good one, which is unusual for unbloggables) on the horizon too!

Six more days until vacation, but until then, everyday life goes on...pardon me now, while I go to find the plunger and unstop one of the toilets, before heading off to session meeting....

RIP Alex Chilton

2010-03-19T17:07:00.000-05:00

Memphis musician Alex Chilton died this week at 59. You probably remember him as the lead singer of the Boxtops ("Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane/Ain't got time to take a fast train"), but in the early 70's after the Boxtops broke up he was the leader of Big Star, a great band that in its day was more of a critical than a popular success. Their best songs still sound fine today. I have been listening to my old LP of their album Radio City, singing along with "September Gurls" and remembering the boy who gave me that album...

I found a recent and very good video of a reunited Big Star performing "September Gurls" in San Francisco a couple of years ago, but I'd rather look at this tribute video and reminisce about life and love (the unrequited variety) in 1974.

Friday Five: Movies

2010-03-19T16:16:00.000-05:00

Jan says:
Whenever daughter MJ comes home on breaks from college, I get to go to movies, which has me thinking about motion pictures. Plus, it is fun to watch rented dvd's at home, which my husband prefers.Share your preferences, opinions, and recommendations about movies! Choose 5 types of movies to discuss:
action
thriller
mystery
drama
comedy
foreign
animated
children's
science fiction
western/cowboy
?
Bonus: Tell about the first movie you ever saw and/or the last one!

Drama: Is this the best category for Lord of the Rings? I think Return of the King is my all-time favorite movie. Amadeus would fit here too. Some dramas are not to my taste; I don't really care for spy movies (except Sean Connery Bond films--they don't count as drama), war movies, etc. The Scientist was amazed that I fell asleep watching The Hunt for Red October.

Foreign: I'm going to lump "thriller" in with "foreign". I am thinking of an exciting and stylish French film, Diva, from 1982. Haven't seen it since it was new--might have to check for it on Netflix.

Romantic comedy: This is my "escape" category. When I'm tired, stressed, a little blue, this is what I want to see. Moonstruck, When Harry Met Sally, What's Up Doc?, Return to Me, It Happened One Night, The Philadelphia Story, on and on...

Romance: Two of my very favorite romantic films are Sense and Sensibility and Enchanted April, but you wouldn't really call either a comedy. I'd put The Turning Point in that category, too (or maybe just drama). If you enjoy dance (or just want to admire the young Baryshnikov), don't miss that one.

Comedy: Sometimes I just want to laugh. I love Ghostbusters ("When someone asks you, are you a god, YOU SAY YES!"), Young Frankenstein, and one of my all-time favorite films--such a period piece now--A Hard Day's Night. Sometimes we rent stuff that's both dumb and hilarious--a few weeks ago we enjoyed Rock and Roll High School. Hey! Ho! Let's go!

Animated: Classic Disney, of course. And I enjoyed Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings, years ago. We watched both Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle to see what all the fuss about Miyazaki was about, and I'm sorry to say I still don't know.

And speaking of classic Disney, my mother always told me the first movie I saw was Cinderella, but the first one I remember was 101 Dalmatians! Most recent? We are in the middle of The Soloist--maybe we'll finish watching it tonight.

2010-03-14T17:08:00.000-05:00

The Scientist and I had a nearly perfect day yesterday. With clear skies and the temperature in the mid-70s, we spent most of the day outside, weeding the beds, planting tomatoes, and replacing all of the plants that froze during our unusually cold weather this year. I'm so happy to see life and color in those beds again. We enjoyed the company of two happy, well-behaved dogs all afternoon. We grilled Elgin hot sausage and lovely pastured pork chops from Yonder Way Farm, then cleaned up and went downtown to the ballet, where we received a seating upgrade and--for the first and probably the last time--sat in a loge box, just like the rich folks. And indeed we are rich, in every way that matters.

However, two blocks away from our home, a family in our neighborhood has been living their worst nightmare: their Marine son was killed in Afghanistan earlier this week. Our peaceful little day seems meaningless beside what this family is suffering. I have no profound comments on the nature of war; I just grieve for the death of this young man and so many like him. Please remember his family in prayer.

Lena

2010-02-02T18:45:00.001-06:00

Here's Lena, our foster girl. Isn't she cute? The pictures can't show how soft her fur is, or the way her long tail curls up. (We haven't had a dog with a tail in years!) She is very young and --when she's not feeling shy or unsure of herself--playful and rambunctious! Riley has been doing his grumpy-old-man routine and looking up at me as if to say, "When is she leaving?" Sometimes he grouches at her a little, but nothing serious has gone on. She is responsive and seems willing to leave him alone, but every now and then she gives him a play-bow to say, "Come on, don't you want to play?" He sighs.

Lena is affectionate and happy, but very timid about all of these new experiences. Doorways! Slick floors! Stairs! All of her fleas are gone, but she's been scratching so hard from having had them, that I had to take her for an allergy shot today. The rescue coordinator is having her spayed this weekend.

She has the potential to be a great family dog. I can see her adapting well to a family with gentle older children or teens who will be patient with her timidity and help her gain confidence and security.

Had she not been pulled from the shelter on Sunday night, she would have been euthanized on Monday. We are so glad that didn't happen, and so happy to help this sweet dog find her forever family. I wonder if Riley will miss her after she's gone?

Friday Five: Social Media

2010-01-29T12:55:00.000-06:00

KathrynZJ is wondering:

1) What have been the benefits for you of social networking (blog, twitter, facebook, etc...)

Blogging brought me a wonderful group of far-flung friends, most of whom I would never have met otherwise. It also has provided an outlet for writing at times when I had something to sayand no other place to say it. Facebook has helped me reconnect with some old friends and keep up with folks on a daily basis.

2) Which medium do you use the most? Or if you use them all, for what do you use each of them?

It seems to me that the social aspects of blogging have largely been taken over by Facebook. I still blog when I have something on my mind and no other outlet for it, but lately I blog less than I used to...and have noticed that many other bloggers are doing the same. I've never used Twitter and don't even know how (or care).

3) If you could invent a networking site (with no limits on your imagination), what would it provide? What would it not provide?

I think between blogging, FB, and email (remember email?), and just picking up the telephone, all of my networking needs are met.

4) Who have you met that you would not have met if it were not for the 'miracle' of social networking?

Where do I begin! Everyone who might possibly read this today, except for my friend QG, who got me into this blogging business. Blogging has been a blessing and a joy to me, and I have loved the times I've been able to spend with RevGal friends.

5) Who do you secretly pray does not one day try to 'friend/follow' you?

Nobody that I can think of. I have hit the "Ignore" button on FB once or twice.

BONUS: What was the most random/weird/unsettling/wonderful connection you made that would not have happened if it were not for the ease of which we can find each other in the computer realm?

When I put my maiden name on FB, naturally people from junior high and high school started popping up. I was a bit mystified at why some of them might want to friend me, but so far no harm has been done. One day, one of my (not-serious) high school boyfriends sent me a suggestion that I friend another (more serious) high school boyfriend. After a little hesitation, I wondered what harm it could do now, and out of curiosity I sent him a friend request. Well, he is deeply involved in breed rescue and fostering, and we've exchanged a number of dog rescue-related messages. With the encouragement (urging? exhortation?) I've received from him and my dear Dogblogger, I have decided to try fostering rescue dogs. Riley is used to living with other dogs, and seems a bit lonely by himself. We'll see what happens!

Friday Five (on Saturday): Trains, Planes, and Automobiles

2010-01-23T22:35:00.000-06:00

The Scientist and I returned this afternoon from a nice overnight trip to San Antonio, where we were able to combine business and pleasure. Unfortunately, we discovered right after we got home that some dirty scoundrel had gotten hold of our credit card number and had gone on quite a spree today in a midwestern state far, far away. Card's cancelled, game's over, no lasting harm done, but I was still furious. We think someone at the place where we went for a nightcap last night must have copied the number and given it to someone else, who then hopped on a plane (we were very close to the airport) and had a fine time today until Visa brought it to a halt. Well, perhaps that's what we get for hanging out in bars...

Anyway, thanks to Songbird for these traveling questions:

1) What was the mode of transit for your last trip?

Car. That gave us plenty of room to bring a cooler for the Texas olive oil and olives we found at the farmer's market this morning, not to mention our leftover barbecue. We had to get home in time to pick up Riley at the vet, so the dairy will have to wait until next time.

2) Have you ever traveled by train?

Yes, several times. When I was in kindergarten, our class boarded one of the last passenger trains to serve my home town and rode with our teachers to the next town, seven miles east. The grownups knew that passenger trains were almost gone, and wanted us to experience a little bit of train travel while we still could. In college, friends and I took the Panama Limited from Memphis to New Orleans to visit a suitemate, but all I remember about the train ride is that we had to be at the station in the middle of the night. I must have dozed most of the way. About twenty years ago, the Scientist and I took the Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to San Francisco. How we enjoyed the ocean views and scenes we hadn't seen from the highway, such as the space shuttle launching pad at Vandenberg AFB.

3) Do you live in a place with public transit, and if so, do you use it?

Alas, no. There is a rail line nearby that gets heavy freight use but (in my opinion) would be perfect for commuter traffic. The Scientist and I predict that will happen around the time of our retirement!

4) What's the most unusual vehicle in which you've ever traveled?

Perhaps the Venetian water taxis that go to and from the airport, and the water buses, or vaporetti, that everyone uses to get around town. The schedules are easy to follow, and riding in a vaporetto along the Grand Canal is a travel experience found nowhere else.

5) What's the next trip you're planning to take?

I can hardly wait for May, when a number of heavy church responsibilities will finally be behind me, and we can celebrate in the British Virgin Islands aboard the lovely Arabella!

Another golden tail

2009-12-30T09:32:00.000-06:00

Many hugs and condolences to Kievas Fargo and Chartreuse Ova on the loss of their beautiful dog Fenway, who fought cancer for over a year. Kievas has posted some wonderful photos of Fenway and Little Sprout, growing up together. Blessings on Fenway's humans, and I trust that Fenway is running free with our other dear ones at the Bridge today.

Visions of sugarplums (canine variety)

2009-12-26T15:04:00.000-06:00

Why herding dogs need a job

2009-12-10T22:12:00.001-06:00

Friday Five Do Nothing Edition

2009-12-04T10:01:00.001-06:00

It's snowing in south Texas this morning! Yes, it's a beautiful sight, coming down. It's not sticking at the moment, but as the temperature falls during the day, the roads should become slick later on. I have a confession: a combination of concern about the weather (we are supposed to go downtown to the ballet tonight, but we aren't willing to risk our necks for it), dealing with three dogs who do NOT want to go out and take care of business, and a couple of unbloggables for good measure, have got me feeling grouchy this morning. However, I am praying not to ACT grouchy and hoping the feeling will follow the behavior!

(Breaking news: the owner of the salon where I have a nail appointment later just called to ask if I wanted a trial appointment with her new massage therapist, about 90 minutes from now! Do I ever!! Now this should improve the mood...)

Well, anyway, here are five things I'm not doing to prepare for Christmas:

1. Racking my brain for appropriate little ditzel gifts for everyone and her dog.
We have been blessed with an abundance of pecans this year, and everyone can expect some yummy spiced pecans or Christmas cookies.

2. The jury is still out on Christmas cards. They've been purchased, but I haven't started writing an annual letter yet. I may not.

3. Going overboard with decorating. A wreath and garlands on the front door, the tree, and my angels placed around the house, will be about it.

4. Shopping till I drop. I took advantage of Cyber Monday, and now I'm almost finished.

5. Being at church every single time the door opens. I have no pressing need to attend Cookies with Santa, etc. Of course I will enjoy the regular services and our Christmas concert.

I won't play the bonus right now; gotta go get a massage and get beautiful! Maybe later!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T17:00:00.001-06:00

Dinner's over...time for a nap!

Some cheese with that whine?

2009-11-11T22:24:00.001-06:00

I just took down an ultra-whiny post I put up earlier, droning on about the state of my masseter muscle and how it has taken a doctor, a chiropractor, a dentist, and some killer muscle relaxants to undo the painful damage I've been doing to my jaw this week by clenching in my sleep. The stress is not coming from work or home--it's coming from church.

I have to find a way to slough it off when people are mad at me because I scheduled a meeting at a time when it conflicted with their pet project, or when I am having to shoulder a responsibility that started out as someone else's (long story). I can and do say "no", in fact I just said no to a teaching request yesterday. But, you know, not only can I not please all of the people all of the time, I also have to learn to be OK with that and not take it out on my own body in my sleep.

As I told my chiropractor on Monday, God is a solace. God's people often are not.

Welcome to Riley

2009-11-10T20:24:00.000-06:00

Real life has interfered with blogging recently, but I have been remiss in not posting about our newest family member! Sweet Amie had been gone about a month when I realized I really wanted another dog. We wanted another older heeler, and thanks to Petfinder.com we headed off to Cajun country (Lafayette, LA) a week and a half ago, and came back with this fine gentleman!

Riley (who looks a bit timid in this photo because he is afraid of cameras) is about eight years old, and limps because of an old injury to his left back leg. But when he wants to run, he picks up that foot and takes off like a rocket on the other three feet! He loves people, other dogs, dinner, walks, and lots of attention. He is not fond of cats and was very proud of himself when he chased one out of our backyard the day after his arrival. He has been very well-behaved in the house, and seems happy to be with us.

The rescue group had called him Felix, but we decided that he needed a Cajun name in honor of his origins. We discussed and rejected Boudreaux, Thibodeaux, Gumbo, Boudin, Gator, Zydeco...I started thinking of Cajun and zydeco musicians. When I got to the great Steve Riley, frontman of the Mamou Playboys, we decided Riley was an excellent name for a boy dog!

My mother-in-law's dogs, Otto and Cody, are staying with us while she recovers from a recent surgery. Riley lived with six other dogs in his foster home (can you imagine?) and seems glad to have them around. But I agree with the Scientist: "This is a little too much dog!" More pictures soon, I hope.

Angus and Tuesday's Excellent Adventure

2009-10-04T18:08:00.000-05:00

Hi! Tuesday here! We had a fun weekend! The Alpha and the Typist brought The Boy and me to see Aunt Zorra and Uncle Scientist! Here we are all ready to go to a place called Galveston. We rode for a long time.

Here I am with my Aunt Zorra. We had fun together.

Finally we stopped and walked around a cemetery. The Boy and I stretched our legs and Uncle Scientist took some pictures.

The Alpha found a thing called a geocache. All of the thumbhavers liked that. But geocaching makes you thirsty.
We walked around by some old buildings on a street called the Strand, where a lot of people were walking and having fun. All of the people thought we were very fine dogs. One man asked if The Boy was a "Callahoochie". Aunt Zorra didn't laugh out loud, but she thought that was very funny.
Then we rode on a big boat that looked just like this!
The Boy and I had to stay in the car. But when we looked up--there was the Typist!
Aunt Zorra sat with us in a park while the other thumbhavers went to see a boat and a submarine. She said she had seen them before and would rather sit with us.
Then the strangest thing happened. We went for another walk and saw some water that chased us! The Boy tried to catch it, but it kept running away.

He said it did NOT taste good.
Then we went to a place where all the thumbhavers ate while we lay next to the table. Everybody had a good time and they were glad they could take us there.
We had a lot of fun. Aunt Zorra said she was very, very happy to have dogs in the house again.
She told us all to come back any time!

2009-09-27T21:20:00.000-05:00

We buried Amie's ashes today. We scattered some on what we call "the azalea trail", where she loved to walk back and forth, scratching her head and back on the azalea bushes, every day. Then we buried the rest where we can see the marker, and the white begonias I planted there, from our back window. I ordered a marker for Zorra too, to put next to Amie's as a memorial.

Thanks to my dear Dogblogger who called at just the right time this afternoon, and thanks to my pastor, who is also a dog person and understood that I needed a little pastoral care today.

An autumnal Friday Five

2009-09-25T10:17:00.000-05:00

Singing Owl is feeling autumnal (why yes, I do like that word):

Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest. Jeremiah 5:23b

The Autumnal Equinox has just come 'round again. I took a look back at our Friday Fives and noted that it always seems to make the Rev Gals and their Pals think of changes.

There is something so nostalgic about this time of year, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. The nights grow cooler, crops are harvested, for some of us the leaves are beginning to change colors. The scent of smoke is in the air, pumpkins are in the stores (or on wagons, or in roadside stands for those of us in the country). I'm thinking of putting away my summer clothes and pulling out the sweaters. And I have a tub of Fall-themed items that my husband just lugged up from the basement. I'm looking for my scarecrow.

For this week, let's share some memories along with some hopes and expectations.

1. Share a Fall memory.
In the heart of the Texas Hill Country there is a hidden nook known as Lost Maples State Park. One of Texas' few stands of bigtooth maples grows there on the banks of the Sabinal River, and in the fall they change colors in a way we don't usually see around here. Twenty years ago, when the Scientist's mom still lived on the edge of the Hill Country, the three of us spent a beautiful fall day wandering through the maples. I think it's time for a return visit.

2. Your favorite Fall clothes--(past or present)?
I love sweaters! I have to restrict my purchases every year, since here there are so few days that we actually need heavy pullover sweaters. A few weeks ago I did allow myself one Shaker knit turtleneck in charcoal heather, on sale. Maybe by December or January the days will be chilly enough for me to wear it!

3. Share a campfire story, song, experience...etc.
I have fond memories of the bonfires and wienie roasts at Girl Scout camp, and I still giggle when I remember the night one girl got a bit too exuberant, bouncing a hot dog on her wire hanger while shouting, "I'm a ROOTIN', TOOTIN'--" ...what? We'll never know, because at that moment her hot dog flew off the hanger and disappeared into the night while twenty girls shrieked with delight. OK, you had to be there--but forty years later, I'm still laughing.

4. What is your favorite thing about this time of year?
I love the first hint of coolness in the morning air, telling us that summer is over and autumn is really on its way. We've been enjoying that this week, with the arrival of our first real cold front on Tuesday. By mid-October we will probably be experiencing my favorite weather, clear days with daytime temperatures in the 70's and evening temperatures in the 50's.

5. What changes are you anticipating in your life, your church, family...whatever...as the season changes and winter approaches?
The Scientist and I are trying to adjust to a big change right now: the first time in twelve years that we have not shared our lives with a dog. How strange it is to come home to an empty house. Our plan for now is to remain dogless until, as dear Dogblogger says, we find the dog who really needs us. But we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our houseguests Angus and Tuesday next weekend--and their humans too, of course! :)

Bonus: What food says "AUTUMN" at your house? Recipes always appreciated.
I love this Cranapple-Walnut Cake from the old Moosewood Cookbook. It's an ideal Thanksgiving dessert for guests who don't care for pumpkin pie. If you are blessed, as we are, with a pecan tree in your back yard, you can substitute pecans for walnuts.

2009-09-13T16:30:00.000-05:00

The House Dog's Grave

I've changed my ways a little; I cannot now
Run with you in the evenings along the shore,
Except in a kind of dream; and you, if you dream a moment,
You see me there.

So leave awhile the paw-marks on the front door
Where I used to scratch to go out or in,
And you'd soon open; leave on the kitchen floor
The marks of my drinking-pan.

I cannot lie by your fire as I used to do
On the warm stone,
Nor at the foot of your bed; no, all the night through
I lie alone.

But your kind thought has laid me less than six feet
Outside your window where firelight so often plays,
And where you sit to read--and I fear often grieving for me--
Every night your lamplight lies on my place.

You, man and woman, live so long, it is hard
To think of you ever dying
A little dog would get tired, living so long.
I hope that when you are lying

Under the ground like me your lives will appear
As good and joyful as mine.
No, dear, that's too much hope: you are not so well cared for
As I have been.

And never have known the passionate undivided
Fidelities that I knew.
Your minds are perhaps too active, too many-sided. . . .
But to me you were true.

You were never masters, but friends. I was your friend.
I loved you well, and was loved. Deep love endures
To the end and far past the end. If this is my end,
I am not lonely. I am not afraid. I am still yours.

Robinson Jeffers, 1941

Before and after

2009-09-12T14:48:00.001-05:00

Two days on

2009-09-10T17:31:00.000-05:00

Exhausted. Stomach's upset. Don't want to do anything. I think it's called grief.

Fortunately I've been able to stay home all week, while we've had workmen in the house. Our beautiful new floors and fireplace surround are finished, and I'll post pictures after all the furniture and doodads are back in place.

Because of her increasing indiscretions, and her fondness for fervently and vigorously scratching and pawing the floor (she never figured out that she couldn't scratch up a nest on the tile), I told the Scientist for months that we should not try to get our new floors until after Amie was gone. We decided to go ahead anyway. Little did I know the floors would go in the very day after she left us.

Missing you so much, my Little Biscuit.

A golden tail, and two broken hearts

2009-09-08T15:32:00.000-05:00

We let our dear Amie go this morning. Her passing was very peaceful. She was the sweetest-natured dog I've ever had, and I miss her terribly. Thank you all for your prayers and warm wishes.

Checking in

2009-09-06T21:18:00.001-05:00

Workmen were here on Friday to pull up the dining room carpet, allowing us to bleach the slab (removing evidence of canine indiscretions) before they return on Wednesday. I'll be taking a stay-cation of sorts this week, to oversee the remodeling. We are replacing the DR/LR carpet and the foyer tile with laminate, and putting new tile in the downstairs half-bath and around the fireplace. The Scientist is plastering and painting the half-bath, to give it a whole new look. I guess I'd better take some before and after pictures!

We had the most dramatic storm last night; very little rain, but lightning streaking across the sky again and again, such as we haven't seen in months. We were enjoying it from the relative safety (I guess) of the back porch until this huge flash and BOOM suddenly came from, it seemed, our neighbor's back yard! We went inside then!

Amie shows her age more every day. She sleeps about 20 hours a day now. A few weeks ago we learned her kidneys are beginning to fail. She won't eat the prescription diet from the vet, so I've been giving her a combination of chicken, sweet potato, and brown rice. That worked fine for a week, but now she walks away from that too. Over the past two weeks or so, she has shown increasing signs of canine cognitive dysfunction; some evenings she paces and pants for an hour, and often looks confused. The dog who used to dance and skip when it was time for a walk stands and stares at us when we call her to go out, and sometimes we have to gently lead or push her outside when we know she needs to go. Even so, she has had several accidents in the house recently. But she is still my sweet girl, even if she doesn't always remember that now. Tonight, after appearing disoriented and mildly agitated for most of the day, she came over and gave me a big kiss. It hurts to know that our days with this precious dog are drawing to a close.

Work is fine, but I'm looking forward to taking a break this week. Church is fraught with all the "joys" of serving on session and chairing a committee. At least I still get to sing.

Have a relaxing and peaceful Labor Day. Amie and I would appreciate your prayers.

Ouch!

2009-08-18T18:05:00.000-05:00

Young client, noticing Amie's picture in my office: That puppy?

Me: No, she's a very old dog. She's like an old lady.

Client:...Like YOU!

Friday Five:The Wild Animal Edition!

2009-08-14T18:11:00.000-05:00

Mompriest reports on a family of bobcats in her desert neighborhood, and invites us to "share a wild animal story from your life." In April 2008 (pre-Ike), the Scientist, his mom, and I went for a hike in the San Bernard Wildlife Refuge, down in Brazoria County. The prairies and wetlands of coastal Texas are a birder's paradise in the spring, and water birds like this heron are abundant.
Not only birds thrive in these marshes. We spied this guy waiting patiently for dinner!
When we returned to the parking area, we happened to see two Texas Parks and Wildlife biologists who were weighing, measuring, and banding a young hawk they had trapped.
The hawk was not too happy about its situation...
but remained calm despite the handful of folks who had gathered (at a respectful distance) to watch.
If birds can feel relief, I'm sure it was relieved when the biologists let it go and we watched it soar out of sight.
Here's a bonus. We've had several fairly close encounters with deer: that's not difficult in the Texas hill country, where they have lost much of their fear of people and will ravage your flower beds!

Farther west, though, one seldom has a chance to get as close as we were during this 2006 hike in Big Bend.
Edited to add: The Italian island of Capri is named for the wild goats that still roam its rocky hills. We took a boat trip around the island one day on our 2007 Italian grand tour, and there they were! You may have to enlarge this picture to get a good view of them.

2009-07-08T21:39:00.001-05:00

Saw an unusual sight this evening, as I was leaving church after our small (three of us) midweek service: an older man in Bermuda shorts, carrying a small white dog across a field. The dog was sitting upright in his arms, and they both looked calm and relaxed in the twilight.
No, I don't think it means anything. But I wish I could draw it.
Carry on.

It's All About the Look--Friday Five

2009-07-03T20:11:00.000-05:00

In the throes of cleaning closets, Sally pauses to ask:

1. Are you a hoarder, or are you good at sorting and clearing?
I'm not really a hoarder, but it takes me a long time to get around to sorting and clearing. I usually wait until I get a semi-annual phone call from Purple Heart, since they will pick up right at your door. It's easier to put stuff on the doorstep than to find time to put it in the car and haul it somewhere else.

2. What is the oddest garment you possess and why?
I don't think I have anything really odd. How about a threadbare pair of brown corduroy bellbottoms, circa 1972? I can barely get my leg into them now, but they remind me of all the good things about my high school years (very few of which had to do with high school itself).

3. Do you have a favourite look/ colour?
Nearly everything in my closet (and in my house) is some shade of purple, blue, rose, mauve, or gray. That makes coordinating easy.

4. Thrift/ Charity shops, love them or hate them?
I'm happy to donate, but don't like to shop there.

5. Money is no object, what one item would you buy?
A gorgeous cocktail dress suitable for dinner or the ballet, that fits perfectly on the figure I have right now.

I still have three different sizes in my closet, but I did purge the closet recently. The things that are there now are things I actually wear--along with some favorites that I hope to wear again someday soon!

RIP Sky Saxon

2009-07-02T21:38:00.000-05:00

I just found out that Sky Saxon, the lead singer of the Seeds, died on the same day as Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. The Seeds were the type of mid-60's glorified garage band that made my mother yell, 'TURN OFF THAT HONKY-TONK!!" Their biggest hit was "Pushin' Too Hard", and I also remember a song called "The Wind Blows Your Hair". After the 60's, Sky joined a cult called The Source Family and moved to Hawaii. He kept making music, though, and oddly, he died in Austin.

I'm sure there are better videos of "Pushin' Too Hard" available, but I'm posting this one because it made me laugh (which I needed to do today), and because this is my blog, and I can. :) Enjoy it! It's gassy!!

Uh...no.

2009-06-30T18:59:00.000-05:00

The mayor of Gary, Indiana says that Michael Jackson's memorial service in Gary will be "fit for the prince of peace."

News flash: That title is already taken.

Friday Five: Talkin' 'Bout...Pop Music

2009-06-26T21:45:00.000-05:00

Mary Beth says:
Happy Friday to you all! The sad news of Michael Jackson's untimely death has me thinking about music and its effects on us - individually, as cultures, as generations. Let's think about the soundtracks of our lives... 1) What sort of music did you listen to as a child - this would likely have been determined or influenced by your parents? Or perhaps your family wasn't musical...was the news the background? the radio? Singing around the piano?
I wouldn't say it was determined or influenced by my parents! By the time I was seven or eight years old, my little transistor radio was usually under my pillow at night. I adored the Beatles, of course...the Rolling Stones were a little scary...for some reason the Dave Clark Five were never really on my radar. A few years later, I used to stay up late listening to a disc jockey named Kris Stevens on WLS in Chicago (a clear channel station--it could be heard all over the midsection of the country, I suppose). By then I had moved on to Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, and the Doors--and, oh yeah, the Monkees...

2) Going ahead to teenage years, is there a song that says "high school" (or whatever it might've been called where you lived) to you? Hmmm..."Stairway to Heaven", maybe (reminds me of a boy I was absolutely crazy about in 1972)? "Maggie May"? I think more in terms of singers and bands I loved than of specific songs, though. It was the heyday of Elton John, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, Dan Fogelberg...such memories. I also discovered Dylan's 1960's music for the first time, and that was a huge part of my high school soundtrack.

3) What is your favorite music for a lift on a down day? (hint: go to www.pandora.com and type in a performer/composer...see what you come up with!)
See #2! All of the above! We do love the music we grew up with.

4) Who is your favorite performer of all time?
Answering this question is simply not possible. Dylan? The Beatles? I love so many. As far as favorite live performers, I remember awesome shows by Elton John, Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, Joni Mitchell...In Memphis in 1974 I saw Lynyrd Skynyrd steal an arena show right out from under Eric Clapton's nose. A great concert.

5) What is your favorite style of music for worship?
Traditional choral music. I love to sing Mozart, Bach, Handel, Tallis, Byrd.

Bonus if you include a video of any of the above!
This is what Elton and his band looked and sounded like the first time I saw them in concert, about a year after this 1970 BBC performance of "Burn Down the Mission" (Tumbleweed Connection forever!!). My best friend Joy and I had rushed the front of the stage along with everyone else, and I got to shake hands with Dee Murray, the bass player!

Beyond my powers

2009-06-24T14:03:00.000-05:00

My coworkers and I are still puzzling over an unusual communique received today: a hastily scrawled note on a doctor's prescription pad, requesting,"Please evaluate ________ for speech and personality delay."

If I knew an effective treatment for "personality delay", I'd be a wealthy woman.

Unexpected guest

2009-06-13T16:52:00.000-05:00

I opened the front door a few minutes ago and discovered this little visitor. About two seconds after I took this picture, I looked up in time to see an irate mama jay diving straight at my head! I got back inside in a hurry! According to our local wildlife rehab center, babies like this are fine right where they are; they are learning to fly, and their parents continue to feed and protect them. Cats beware!

There are lots of babies around now. I wish we'd been able to get some good pictures of the five little barn swallows that have been growing up right outside my supervisor's office window. Some days we don't get much done, because we're all in his office watching the birds! Four of the five have been making short forays to the nearby telephone wires, so I think they may all be gone by Monday.

At last

2009-06-13T15:17:00.000-05:00

For several years I have hoped and planned to phase out my part-time private practice, and now I'm in the process of doing just that. After nearly ten years, next Friday will be my last day to see private clients, and at the end of the month I'm moving out of my office. I do so look forward to saying goodbye to managed care hassles and wondering if/when I'll be paid, goodbye to sitting and waiting for people who don't show, goodbye to the isolation and, yes, loneliness that can be part of a mental health private practice. The enjoyment I've received there--for example, the pleasure of conducting evaluations that are like solving a mystery or an intricate puzzle--is available at my "day job" too, along with a steady paycheck and supportive coworkers. I had supportive officemates at the practice, too, but spending all day behind closed doors with one's clients usually precludes more than a quick hello on the way to the waiting room.

Closing my practice has been a goal for several years, but every change involves mixed feelings. Ten years is more than long enough to spend on something I haven't really enjoyed. However, I'm not sorry I did it, and I won't say I'll never have a private practice again. But even if I should choose to get back into private practice in the future, in a few years most of my testing kits and materials will be obsolete. I decided to sell what I could, and placed an online classified ad where other local psychologists would see it. This morning a young psychologist from across town came to my office and got a great deal on some of my equipment. I know selling this stuff is the wisest thing to do, but when I handed over my WISC-IV kit, which I've probably used about 100 times, I felt like I was selling a puppy. I hope she gives it a good home!

Moving and Changing Friday Five

2009-06-05T12:44:00.000-05:00

Sally has moving on her mind, and wants to know:

1. A big move is looming, name one thing you cannot possibly part with, it must be packed?
Since Amie is not a thing to be packed, I would have to say, family photos. Some of our oldest photos, from the 1920's and before, disappeared in one of my parents' last moves...since then I've carefully packed and moved photos myself, so that I always knew where they were.

2. Name one thing that you would gladly leave behind...
Useless, outdated paperwork and files. Last November I moved from my office of nearly ten years to a smaller office, which I will be closing at the end of June. I have not really enjoyed private practice and am not sorry to leave it behind. I did a thorough purge of my file cabinet last fall, so there won't be much to shred this time around.

3. How do you prepare for a move
a. practically?
Cleaning out junk and things we no longer want. My mother-in-law will be moving to a nearby retirement community in a few weeks, and the process of cleaning out, giving away, or selling all the stuff that neither she nor her children want, has been going on for months. Condensing a three-bedroom house into a one-bedroom apartment is never easy.

b. spiritually/emotionally?
Entrusting the people and places I love into God's hands, and looking forward to a new adventure. Praying and trusting God to continue leading me as I move forward along the path that appears to be the right one.

4. What is the first thing you look for in a new place?
The Scientist and I have not moved in seventeen years, so I had to reminisce a bit while considering this question. In a new community, initially I just try to get the lay of the land, locating the nearby supermarket, drug store, dry cleaners, etc. In a new home, I'm most interested in the size and convenience of the kitchen.

5. Do you settle in easily, or does it take time for you to find your feet in a new location?
It depends on whether I'm already a bit familiar with the location and whether I already know people there. Moving from Memphis to San Antonio right after college was difficult, and I needed more than a year to really feel at home there. That's the only time I've ever moved to a place where I knew no one, and it was probably the toughest move I've ever made. (Having my first apartment burglarized when I'd only been there a couple of months didn't help.) When I moved to Houston to take my first job, it was with the encouragement of two friends, native Houstonians who were returning home. And when the Scientist and I moved to California a few years later, we found a whole new world--but we had each other there, and the pleasure of exploring together.

The bonus for today: a new opportunity has come up for you to spend 5 years in a new area, where would you go and why?
Five years is a long time. If it were only for a year or two, I'd say Boston, San Francisco, or New Orleans, three cities I would love to get to know as more than a tourist. Or perhaps beautiful Portland, Oregon, or Seattle, where we already have many friends. Maybe Asheville, NC; it's beautiful country, it's in the South, there are lots of Presbyterians around, and I have some lifelong friends there. But five years...I probably wouldn't go any farther from here than Austin, or the adjacent hill country. Come to think of it, five years in Austin sounds great!

Friday Five: Vacation, all I ever wanted...

2009-05-22T16:16:00.000-05:00

Mary Beth has vacations on her mind, and wants to know:

1) What did your family do for vacations when you were a child? Or did you have stay-cations at home?
Summer was my father's busiest time of year, so we stayed home then. If we got away during the winter, we usually went to visit relatives--seldom more than a few hours' drive away. I can only remember a few big trips: a visit to Eureka Springs and surrounding areas for the Folklife Festival when I was in sixth grade; trips to New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast (my first visit to the beach) a little later, and a trip to Nassau (my first airplane flight) when I was about fourteen.

2) Tell us about your favorite vacation ever:
Two years ago, the Scientist and I were blessed to spend three weeks in Italy. We were with a congenial, very small group as we explored Sorrento, Pompeii, and the Amalfi coast, followed by sojourns in Rome and Venice, day trips (not enough) to Florence and Siena, and a whole week of roaming around Tuscany. Wonderful scenery, interesting sights, and you can imagine the food and wine. I hope I am never so old that I forget the things we saw and did on that vacation.

3) What do you do for a one-day or afternoon getaway...is there a place nearby that you escape to on a Saturday afternoon/other day off?
We have lived in the suburbs for seventeen years, but we are urban creatures at heart. We love to spend an afternoon around our old stomping grounds in Houston, wandering through one of the museums or some out-of-the-way gallery, then having supper at one of our favorite restaurants, or trying out a brand new place.
Because Houston is so hot and humid much of the year, the office buildings and other public buildings downtown are connected by an elaborate tunnel system, full of shops, restaurants, and other businesses--a subterranean city. At midday during the summer, most people are underground, and the streets are nearly deserted! We keep saying we are going to take a day off sometime to explore the tunnel system--maybe this will be the year.

4) What's your best recommendation for a full-on vacation near you...what would you suggest to someone coming to your area? (Near - may be defined any way you wish!)
Anyone who enjoys city life and its amenities, including art, music, and good food, could have a great vacation in Houston. In October, November, March, April, and May, it's beautiful and the climate is pleasant. Take your pick of ballet, opera, symphony concerts, along with music and dance provided by smaller local companies too. There are a number of fine museums and interesting small galleries. Because Houston is such a multicultural city, you can probably find whatever you would like to eat, from mom and pop cafes of every description, to the finest of fine dining. And bring your swimsuit and flip flops so you can go and stimulate the Galveston economy!

5) What's your DREAM VACATION?
I dream of going back to Italy, with enough time and money to roam at will, as long as we wanted. To spend a week or two at an agriturismo in Tuscany or Umbria, or to rent a little apartment in the Dorsoduro district of Venice, or to see everything we wanted to see in Florence and Rome, and then wander north to areas we missed last time, like the Lake Como region. Maybe someday!

Bonus: Any particularly awful (edited to add: or hilarious) vacation stories that you just have to tell? ("We'll laugh about this later..." maybe that time is now!)
We laughed until we cried when this happened (you had to be there), and it still makes me laugh! In Italy we fell in with two couples about our age; one couple had deep-south roots, and the other couple was from New Jersey. The week we were in Tuscany, it rained--sometimes a little, sometimes a lot--every day. We didn't really care. But on our last night in Cortona, the six of us were walking to a local restaurant when, with little warning, the sky opened. We dashed for a nearby archway, where we huddled, drenched, watching sheets of rain blow across the street. No one spoke, until our Jersey girl, in her pure Joisey accent, muttered, "Tuscan sun--my ass."

Friday Five: A Bug's Life

2009-05-08T16:59:00.000-05:00

Sophia says:

As I was walking the beach today, I was surprised and delighted to find it swarming with ladybugs. The sweet little red beetles are one of my favorite insects and also my daughter's blogname--though as of this morning she was thinking of changing it to Butterfly. I'll keep you posted.
This got me thinking about spiritual insect trivia: Did you know that medieval mystics and theologians esteemed the bee for its dedicated work and transformation of ordinary ingredients into sweetness? That Spider Woman is an important creator Goddess to many Native American tribes? Or that Francis of Assisi was reminded of Jesus not only by lambs being led to slaughter, but also by worms (think "I am a worm and no man" from the Psalms)-- so he picked them up and took them out of stomping-vulnerable spots?!
In that spirit, this week's Friday Five is a magical mystery tour through God's garden of creepy crawlies!
1. Ladybugs or ladybirds? Pillbugs or roly-polys? Jesus bugs or water skeeters? Any other interesting regional or familial name variations?

Ladybugs, roly-polys, and water skeeters. I probably would have been scolded if I had called them Jesus bugs. Can't think of any variations...

2. Stomp on spiders, carry them outside, or peacefully co-exist?

Either stomp, or peacefully co-exist, depending on my mood. An exterminator once told me that the chemicals required to kill spiders are so toxic that you really don't want them around the home--plus, after all, spiders do eat other bugs. I've never seen a black widow or brown recluse at my house, so I tend to leave the spiders alone.

3. Favorite insect?

Butterflies, I suppose.

4. Least favorite?

Roaches and silverfish!!

5. Got any good bug stories to share?

When my friend Joy and I were children, we often passed part of a summer day by staging roly-poly races on my back steps. Champion racers would race again and again, as long as they didn't roll up into a ball to escape!

Sophia's account of the ladybugs on the beach reminds me that one of my pleasant memories of California is of hiking in the mountains with friends and coming upon a fallen tree, covered with ladybugs. That was the only time I've ever seen such a thing.

Bonus question: share a poem, song, quotation, etc. about insects.

When I was a child I had the odd little book pictured above, by Edward Gorey (creator of the cheerfully macabre intro to PBS's Mystery!, among lots of other cheerfully macabre works). The Bug Book is a simple story of a group of bugs whose peaceful existence is threatened by the appearance of a large bully bug. They confer, drop a big rock on him, and celebrate his demise with a party. That's it. Pretty strange. What's even stranger is that the first edition of that book goes for about $885 now!

BE memories

2009-04-25T17:46:00.000-05:00

Coming a bit late to this post...Alas, I forgot my camera, but my memories will last.
*Joyfully meeting up with the DFW-area crew at the airport, where they kindly waited for me to eat lunch, and sympathized when I dropped tomato soup on my white sweater. (It came out.)
*Our shuttle driver, who seemed to be enjoying his passengers, but wasn't quite sure what to think about a van full of lady preachers.
*Sitting in the sun with old friends and new, amid beautiful healthy roses, watched over by a seven-foot statue of St. Francis.
*The joy of seeing RevDrKate so in love.
*The icons in our beautiful worship space, and the joy of worshiping God together there.
*Roaming around Old Town Scottsdale, following RevHoney and the Vicar on the trail of a geocache, then introducing Sue to fresh guacamole at a place called the Salty Senorita!
*Saturday morning with Mid-Life Rookie, walking the trails behind the retreat center, then sitting and gazing out over the desert as we talked. So different from gazing out over the beach at Cozumel, but just as relaxing.
*She thanked me for not mentioning the tarantula I saw, until after it was gone!
*Delving into the "begats" of I Chronicles and rejoicing to discover Sheerah, builder of cities (I Chron. 7:24).
*Singing with Sophia, Mary Beth, and Dogblogger. My longing to sing with the RevGals was satisfied by this, and by the singing we did at our final worship together.
*Hanging out around the bonfire together, then later singing and praying together some more, surrounded by the sounds of the desert night.
*Wil's gorgeous golden vestments, Mary Beth's reading, Mompriest's breaking of the bread: a few mental snapshots from our Sunday worship under the clear morning sky.
And many more...

Arizona bound!

2009-04-15T17:00:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, that is!
And because a few (very few) inquiring minds want to know: the pedi is OPI's Pompeii Purple.

My toes are ready for their closeup, Mr. DeMille!
Be back next week!

ETA: That picture has been up more than long enough.
Back from Arizona! Happy and tired! Good night.

2009-04-10T16:23:00.000-05:00

It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end it's only a passing thing, this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come and when the sun shines it'll shine out the clearer.

Prayer request

2009-04-07T21:35:00.000-05:00

I've been asked to consider serving on the session again. I haven't been on session in years, always using my Presbytery activities as an excuse. But I'm not doing anything with Presbytery right now, and PNC is over. Please pray with me as I pray for discernment. Thanks.

Of course she did!

2009-04-07T17:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday the Scientist sent me a link about bravehearted Sophie Tucker, a stalwart and remarkable canine who fell from a boat in rough water off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Her grieving humans could not find her, and gave her up for dead. Meanwhile, Sophie swam five nautical miles to a nearly-uninhabited island, where she survived by hunting wild goats until she was rescued and returned to her humans, four months later! She has readjusted to suburban life and is doing fine.

Good girl, Sophie! You could only be an AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOG!!

One reason why I live here

2009-04-05T21:15:00.000-05:00

Road trip and retreat

2009-04-05T20:51:00.001-05:00

Here's where we spent the weekend: in a luxurious cabin at a dog-friendly B & B that's fifteen miles from downtown Hip City, but a world away. Phones, TV, and wi-fi were all turned off.

We roamed acres of woods that opened onto a bright meadow where even old cattle dogs (and their people) can run free.

We sat in the swing on our screened porch watching birds that we seldom see in our area of the state, waded in the creek (well, Amie did), drove through miles of rolling hills and bluebonnets to visit dog-friendly wineries, ate sumptuous breakfasts prepared with local eggs and meats, and in the evening we grilled squash with locally pastured pork chops, right behind our cabin.
Everybody slept well.
We had to stop at a sporting goods store to buy a second cooler for all of the meat and wine we brought home! Now I'm already planning our return....

Spring update

2009-03-23T17:42:00.000-05:00

The sweet alyssum has almost completely gone to seed now, and I should probably go ahead and pull it out. But the pansies and the cyclamen are still hanging on!

Our azaleas are nearly gone now. These pictures were taken a week or two ago.
If you look closely, you can see that azaleas of three slightly different shades were accidentally planted next to one another--but I think it was a happy accident.
This bougainvillea might not look like much compared to some you've seen, especially the ones I remember, cascading over tall white adobe walls in southern California. But this one is magnificent to us. The Scientist has alternately coddled and threatened it for years, and this year it has finally burst forth, blooming all over.
Please bear with me when I post all of these pictures; this is only my second spring to have a nice garden!

Tired and happy

2009-03-22T20:14:00.000-05:00

Our new pastor preached his first services with us today. I am very happy. We worked hard yesterday and today getting ready for, then cleaning up from, the welcome luncheon for him and his family.

Our fifteen months of prayer and work on the PNC are over. We're having a last-hurrah meeting tomorrow night. I have loved it.

God is good.

If you've ever wondered...

2009-03-12T18:03:00.001-05:00

...what I look like on a typical weekday when I head out to do battle with the forces of ignorance and sloth, well, now you know.

"My strength is as the strength of ten, because my heart is pure."
Or something like that.

(Hat tip to PG.)

Moving along

2009-03-11T21:00:00.000-05:00

Well, we had such a great weekend with all the Dogblogger crew...arrived on Friday just in time for the Alpha's fabulous barbecued brisket. On Saturday we enjoyed the Tutankhamun exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art, then met the Vicar for an excellent Indian meal...then on Sunday we went to church and enjoyed hearing Mid-Life Rookie preach! A lot for one weekend, yes? The dogs mostly got along, although Amie did tell that young whippersnapper Tuesday to settle down once or twice. (Tuesday wasn't doing anything wrong; it's just that Amie is OLD.)

"I had a good time, but now I'm ready to go home."

Unbloggables at work are weighing on my mind tonight, so I thought I'd escape to the garden:
When the landscapers planted our caladiums last spring, they supposedly disposed of the previous winter's cyclamen bulbs. But when I started getting this bed ready for fall, I found seven dormant cyclamen that had been overlooked. They don't usually last more than a year, but I replanted them, and lo and behold, here they are. (Amie has nearly stomped the pansies into oblivion.)

The camellias have been wonderful, too.

After I recharge the camera, I'll get some pictures of the azaleas, too.

Friday five: Hasty Pudding Edition

2009-03-06T12:36:00.000-06:00

Our regular poster, Sally, having been oppressed by Blogger today, I bring you a hasty Friday Five on the subject of pudding. If you are not a fan of pudding, then you will feel solidarity with Sally, except that you will be oppressed by pudding instead. ;-)

1) First of all, thumbs up? or thumbs down? Do you like pudding?
Yes, I love pudding.

2) Instant or cooked? (Does anyone make pudding from scratch?)
There are two from-scratch recipes in the old More with Less Cookbook, one for vanilla and one for chocolate, that are very easy. When we have pudding at home (very rare), that's what we have.

3) If you had to choose, would you prefer corn pudding or figgy pudding?
Corn pudding--yum. Great side dish. I think the figgy pudding of the song is actually something like a fruit cake. That's OK too.

4) Have you ever finger painted with pudding?
Probably, many decades ago.

5) Finally, what is the matter with Mary Jane?
Her parents don't yet know that she's allergic to rice--the pudding makes her tummy hurt!

Bonus: Share a favorite recipe that includes pudding!
Instead of vanilla wafers, layer vanilla pudding with sliced bananas and your favorite granola. Easy.
Now we're heading out of town!

Guest blogger: Amie

2009-03-05T19:03:00.001-06:00

How do you like my new pants? You do? I'm not sure I do. Mama and Daddy say I have to wear them whenever I'm in the house. They said I have to get used to them now, because I'll have to wear them this weekend when we go to Angus and Tuesday's house. Please pray for us when we are riding in the car tomorrow (I'll probably go to sleep until we get there). I will be happy to see Aunt Typist and Uncle Alpha. I think I'll be glad to see Angus and Tuesday too. Mama says I have to be polite, and I will! See you next week!

Nice Facebook juxtaposition

2009-02-26T14:24:00.000-06:00

On the left side of the screen:
"The Girl Effect (www.girleffect.org).
Change starts with a girl."

On the right side of the screen:
"Do you know about the Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori?"

Yet another golden tail

2009-02-18T20:32:00.000-06:00

This is Harley, my sister-in-law's gentle basset hound. Harley appeared in her driveway, a half-grown puppy, about thirteen years ago. He arrived with a scar on his nose and a broken rib. I wonder if he sensed that there was already a basset in that house (Rosebud, the queen, gone on several years ago) and that he would be safe and loved there? Harley was a good companion all of his life; he loved people and other dogs, and got along with everyone. He became blind a couple of years ago, but didn't lose his interest in people or his love for life.

I wish I had a photo of his other side; he had a perfect white UT Longhorn right in the middle of his left side. Good thing my SIL wasn't an Aggie.

Recently Harley has had very little energy, and last week my sister-in-law found out he had lymphoma. Yesterday Harley had no more strength left, and it was time to let him go. He was a very good boy, always. I hope that when we get to the Bridge we'll hear Harley, "Aroo"ing to welcome us.

Random stuff

2009-02-16T22:56:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day: Beautiful flowers, candlelight, the good china, and our traditional beef stroganoff and molten chocolate cakes. So far, so good...until we looked up from our mutual reverie just in time to see...the dog, peeing in the living room.
This came on the heels of a relaxing afternoon, enjoying a glass exhibit at the Center for Contemporary Craft, then driving past our old duplex in West U. and remembering strolls through the neighborhood, nearly eighteen years ago.
Unbloggable extended family stuff is driving. us. nuts. Prayers for patience and wisdom are appreciated.
On Sunday, the congregation voted to call our new pastor. No dissenting voices were heard. (Yet.) I'm so glad he will be here soon, but actually a bit sorry to see the PNC come to an end.
At work I made a stupid mistake that will affect the provision of services for one of our clients. I have an idea about how to rectify it, but I will have a lot of egg on my face. "What! You mean you're not perfect?" my friend D said. No, I surely am not. I hope that straightening this out will be less miserable than I anticipate.
As Scarlett said, I'll think about it tomorrow. Good night.

Friday Five: Pets

2009-02-13T20:23:00.000-06:00

Sophia says:

My son's tiny beloved lizard, Elf, is looking and acting strange this week. His skin/scales are quite dark, and he is lethargic. We are adding vitamin drops to his lettuce and spinach and hoping and praying that he is just getting ready to shed his skin--but it's too soon to tell. Others in the ring have also been worried about beloved pets this week. And, in the saddest news of all, Songbird has had to bid farewell to her precious Molly, the amazing dog who is well known to readers of her blog as a constant sacrament of God's unconditional love. So in memory of Molly, and in honor of all the beloved animal companions who bless our lives: tell us about the five most memorable pets you have known.

This has been a difficult week. Sadly, Lutheran Chik's beloved Cassie went to the Bridge this morning too. I am sure LC would appreciate a kind word tonight.

I have been owned by five dogs:

1. Boots was a black puppy my dad brought home from somewhere out in the country (bought from someone who had a litter, I think--not a stray) when I was about six. He grew up rambunctious and wild, and I was too small to manage him. I don't think average families put the effort into training their dogs then, that most people do today. My dad used to recall Boots jumping on my friends and me and knocking us down, and would say, "He didn't have a brain in his head." My parents gave Boots to a family with several boys who could run and play with him and wear him out! I saw him occasionally when we happened to drive past their house, but never got out to pet him.

2. After Boots, we went to the local shelter and I picked out a friendly yellow puppy that I named Chips. We dropped him off at the vet to be bathed and wormed, but Chips never came home. Mama told me, very gently, that he had died. Years later I understood that, like most dogs at the shelter, he had probably been very sick and the vet had euthanized him.

3. Then we had Janie--short for Lady Janice of Elmwood (our subdivision). A big Beatles fan from an early age, I named her for Paul McCartney's girlfriend, Jane Asher. She was described as a "field cocker", some mix of cocker spaniel and a leaner, rangier breed. Janie was our companion for about nine years. She loved my mother and would follow Mama around the yard while she gardened. After we sold our house at the beginning of my senior year in high school (a story for another day), Daddy gave her to a farmer friend who gave her a loving home. Many years later Daddy told me that Janie had died peacefully in her new home about two years after she left us.

4. I didn't have an animal companion again for nearly twenty-five years. Then I found Zorra, my precious girl. Two years after her death I remembered her here. She was the most beautiful, funny, maddening dog I have ever known. There will never be another like her.

5. My sweet Amie is lying at my feet right now, waiting for her daddy to come home. In late 2004 I started looking for another heeler because we thought Zorra might need a companion (alas, Zorra didn't agree, but that's another story), and on Petfinder.com I saw a sweet-looking dog described as a "quiet, unassuming, slightly overweight older dog who likes to sit back and watch what's going on." The dog was described as a male, and they had named "him" Frayser. Frayser's picture touched my heart, and as I told the Scientist, "No one is going to go to the shelter to get a fat old dog." So I took the car and the Scientist loaded Zorra into the truck (so they could meet on neutral territory) and we all headed to Lockhart, Texas to bring Frayser home. Well, he was a she, and much older than advertised. She took immediate possession of the Scientist, warning another dog to leave him alone before we ever left the shelter! Zorra kept her distance. I drove Amie home, softly talking and singing to her most of the way. She wasn't too sure about Zorra (and vice versa), but she became attached to her humans very quickly. She is still a quiet dog who likes to sit back and observe before getting involved. She has survived homelessness, shelter life, and cancer surgery with a sweet, loving spirit, and I love coming home to her every day.

Here's my favorite picture of Amie and Zorra, sitting on the back porch with the Scientist's mom:
Zorra, as always, is queen of all she surveys...poor Amie seems to be wondering, "When is this thing going to turn on me?"

Friday Five: My Favorite Things

2009-02-06T17:19:00.000-06:00

Just a few, off the top of my head:

1. An uncommitted Saturday morning, to sleep in as long as we like (snuggled in another favorite thing, flannel sheets, this time of year), followed by a leisurely brunch of eggs, bacon, pancakes, waffles, scones, biscuits, or some such things....all from scratch...and good coffee, lots of it...and the newspaper. (I know I'm behind the times, but I still believe a literate household includes a daily newspaper. And yes, I can read the news on my laptop, but that's no fun at the table.)

2. An equally uncommitted Saturday afternoon and evening, to spend "inside the Loop", wandering through museums and galleries, followed by dinner at some interesting new place.

3. Watching Amie jump, dance, and frisk like a puppy when it's time for her walk or when she's just saying, "Yes! Please, please, I DO need to go outside!!"

4. Cooking and eating. The co-op had a special on chicken wings this week, so we're having chicken wings Hawaiian tonight--an old favorite I haven't fixed in a long time.

5. The sound of the garage door going up, telling me the Scientist is home. Won't be long now--so I'd better go get started on those chicken wings!

Friday Five: HGTV Edition

2009-01-30T16:03:00.000-06:00

Will Smama says: Greetings all!

As some of you may know I am in the midst of my first home purchase. It is a new-build and so some of the fun was picking out upgrades and major decor items to my taste rather than walking into a previously owned home that needed to be upgraded room by room (pink and teal tiles in the bathroom, anyone?). As much as decorating is not my thing, I did try to embrace the moment because just how many times do you get to have a do-over on kitchen cabinets/floors/countertops?And so, my questions to you this fine Friday involve your home past, present or future...

1) If you could, what room in the place you are currently living would you redo first?
The master bathroom. I would tear out the tub and shower and put in a much larger shower stall with two shower heads, a place to sit, and, let's say, 13" blue/gray tile instead of the institutional-looking 6" white tile the builder installed. Then I'd replace the old tub with a whirlpool tub (the bathroom is already wired for one, but we couldn't afford such fancy options when we built this house). I'd probably have to give up some closet space for my great big shower stall, but it would be worth it.

2) What is the most hideous feature/color/decor item you have ever seen in a home?
We moved back to Texas from California in 1991, and began house hunting. Before we decided to build new in the 'burbs, we looked at lots of close-in homes from the 1950's and 1960's. Nothing in our price range had had many upgrades. The one that made the most lasting impression was the early '60's ranch house with the vivid royal blue shag carpet, and the fire-engine red kitchen cabinets...Then there was the house on which we actually made an offer (SO glad that didn't work out); the tile in one bathroom was bright pink, and in the other, lime green.

3) What feature do you most covet? Do you have it? If not, is it within reach?
We've been upgrading the kitchen little by little, and our Christmas present to each other was something I've wanted for years: a really nice gas range. The Scientist insisted that we get the model with the convection oven! I confess we haven't tried that out yet--but we will.

4) Your kitchen - love it or hate it? Why?
I love my kitchen. It's roomy, sunny, and there is a good flow from the work area to the breakfast area and the living room. As in every home, when we have a party, the kitchen is where people tend to gather, so I'm glad it's fairly large and open. We put in new tile and wallpaper about five years ago, added new window shades after that, and in the past few years have replaced all of the appliances except the refrigerator. This week we finished repairing the recent damage to the breakfast area, and were so thankful that we had JUST BARELY ENOUGH of the kitchen wallpaper that we still like! I wasn't looking forward to wallpapering the whole kitchen again!

5) Here is $10,000 and you HAVE to spend it on the place you are living now. What do you do?
Oh boy! See #1 above...or maybe I would finish the kitchen with solid granite countertops and real oak cabinets to replace the "oak" veneer cabinets that the builders installed.

BONUS: Why do you think there was such a surplus of ugly bathroom tile colors showcased in all homes built from the 1950's right through the early 80's?
Well, of course in those days, people didn't think bright pink, lime green, or turquoise were ugly colors for tile (or bathtubs and toilets!). They thought their tile was beautiful and very stylish. Even the earth tones from the 80's and 90's look kind of funny to us now. Wonder what people will think of our current decor in 20 years?

2009-01-28T18:12:00.000-06:00

I love being married to a man who calls home to say, "I'm going to stop at Lowe's and pick up a new toilet, but I wanted to call it to your attention that there is a beautiful moon out."

A Cabin Fever Friday Five

2009-01-23T09:34:00.000-06:00

Singing Owl has cabin fever, and reports:
Here in snow country we are settled in to what is a very long stretch of potentially boring days. The holidays are over. It is a very long time till we will get outside on a regular basis. The snow that seemed so beautiful at first is now dirty and the snow banks are piling up. Our vehicles are all the same shade of brownish grey, but if we go to the car wash our doors will freeze shut. People get grumpy. Of course, not everyone lives in a cold climate, but even in warmer places the days till springtime can get long. Help! Please give us five suggestions for combating cabin fever and staying cheerful in our monochromatic world?

Well. I admit that relating to this dilemma is not easy when today's forecast is "sunny and 78 degrees", and the camellias are in bloom. So I started thinking about what I like to do in mid-August, when it's 98 degrees outside with 90% humidity, and I hunker down in the house, thankful for central air conditioning:

1. Make a list of all the movies you've been wanting to see (having a Netflix queue helps, of course), and watch one or two per week.
2. Play your favorite music. Sing along, loudly.
3. Think of a meal that sounds interesting and delicious, and prepare it with your favorite kitchen assistant at your side. If you are so inclined, open a special bottle of wine to accompany it, not the everyday stuff. (Go ahead! What are you saving it for?)
4. Read, read, read. Nothing heavy, though; light fiction and travelogues are perfect.
5. This does NOT apply to me, but if you are crafty like Mindy, or love to sew, make something colorful and cheerful.

Well, it's supposed to be colder tomorrow, so I guess I should go out and pull weeds now. I'd rather stay inside!

Rosa Sat...

2009-01-22T18:57:00.000-06:00

(Thanks to my friend and pastor Becky for posting this first...)

Friday Five: Take Me, Baby, or Leave Me

2009-01-16T14:00:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Songbird for today's musical F5:

Although written by a young man, this song from "Rent" became an anthem for women of a certain age ready to be taken on their own terms. Maureen and Joanne love each other, but they are *very* different.

Whether it's new friends or new loves or new employers, what are five things people should know about you?

1. I like people, but I'm very introversive and I need a lot of alone time. Sometimes in groups that need overwhelms my social skills, and I can come across as aloof or even a bit odd. It's not about you. (well, maybe sometimes it is :)) Give me a little time alone and I'll be back, ready to have fun.

2. I love good food, creatively prepared, but I'm not an insufferable snob about it. I'll go eat wherever you want to go, but if you ask me where we should go I'll have a good suggestion. And if I offer to cook, take me up on it.

3. Psychology is my occupation, not my life. Please don't come up to me at a social gathering looking for free advice about your love life, your unruly child, or your family of origin. I'll be happy to give you a referral.

4. If I haven't had my coffee yet, approach at your own risk. Just one cup in the morning, but I need that one cup!

5. I'm a proud Southerner/Texan who can't imagine living north of the Mason-Dixon line. For one thing, folks talk funny up there. For another thing, I'd freeze!

Here's a bonus: I bet I can answer nearly any trivia question about American or British popular music, 1964-1974. Go on, try me!

Weekend odds and ends

2009-01-11T15:02:00.000-06:00

As we were sitting down for dinner on Friday night, the Scientist asked, "Why is the floor wet under this window?" Answer: because the 17-year-old toilet upstairs had suddenly outlived its usefulness and had begun to pour water down the wall. I called the insurance company, and within the hour two gentlemen appeared with enormous fans and dehumidifiers to assess the damage and begin drying it out. The fans are noisy, but we don't care. It appears that we caught it so soon, we may not lose any sheetrock. No claims adjuster as of yet, though.
I am reluctantly concluding that I need to go buy some doggie diapers for a forgetful little old lady with four legs, who has chosen the dining room as her new potty.
I am thankful that I have only some insignificant little First World problems such as these.
After I went and got us some kolaches (no pancakes after all, with the kitchen area in chaos), we took a break from all of the above to see an interesting exhibit at the Museum of Natural Science, The Birth of Christianity: A Jewish Story. Lots of ossuaries and other artifacts to delight the Scientist, and I also enjoyed the ancient manuscripts, including a section of Isaiah from Qumran and a number of NT texts, including one that included the last few verses of Ephesians, followed by the beginning of Galatians (instead of the other way around), and another with a little of the Gospel of John. The epistles text was the oldest of those NT manuscripts, dating to about 150-200 CE. We've seen some of the Dead Sea Scrolls before, but I think this was the first time we'd seen early NT manuscripts. A Saturday spent wandering through a museum, followed by dinner in town (seafood this time), is our favorite kind of Saturday.
Now I have to go work on the PNC's brochure that soon will introduce our new pastor to our congregation! Bye.

Friday Five: Pancakes

2009-01-09T21:41:00.000-06:00

Thanks, Sophia, for a fun Friday Five!

1. Scratch or mix? Buttermilk or plain?
Scratch, always. The Scientist is my pancake chef extraordinaire, and always consults a recipe from an old Southern Living cookbook called Southern Country Cooking. The combination griddle/waffle iron we received at a kitchen shower 26 years ago is still going strong, and it gets a good workout. We use buttermilk whenever we can, but yogurt (maybe thinned with a little milk) is an adequate substitute.

2. Pure and simple, or with additions cooked in?
The simplest is the best...unless we happen to have some fresh blueberries!

3. For breakfast or for dinner?
Our favorite time for pancakes is Saturday brunch. Not every Saturday is leisurely enough for such a lovely and civilized meal, so the Saturdays that are, are special.

4. Preferred syrup or other topping? How about the best side dish?
I prefer honey, while the Scientist likes Lousiana cane syrup. We usually have either sausage patties or very crisp bacon alongside.

5. Favorite pancake restaurant?
I may have to surrender my foodie credentials for saying so, but I love to go to IHOP!

Bonus: Any tasty recipes out there, for pancakes or other special breakfast dishes? Bring 'em on!
An outstanding recipe for banana-caramel pancakes appeared in Bon Appetit about three years ago and can be found here. It is basically buttermilk pancakes with a banana mashed into the batter, then a sumptious syrup is made with bananas and brown sugar. It's like Bananas Foster over pancakes, only without the rum. (Rum pancake syrup? Interesting thought.) These pancakes are so special, we only (and always) make them on Christmas morning. You may wish to indulge sooner!

P.S. The Scientist just walked by and innocently asked, "What do you want for breakfast tomorrow?" What do you suppose I said?

Another great one is gone

2008-12-28T16:56:00.000-06:00

Let me take a moment to remember the great singer/songwriter Delaney Bramlett, who died yesterday at 69. He and his then-wife Bonnie and their band Delaney & Bonnie & Friends toured with Eric Clapton in 1969, and made a fabulous live album with him that was part of the soundtrack of my high school years. Both Delaney and Bonnie were powerful singers, and played with a great backup band including Carl Radle on bass and Jim Gordon on drums. Delaney wrote or co-wrote a number of popular songs from that period ("Superstar", "Never Ending Song of Love").

YouTube is not cooperating with me today, but the link is to a clip from a 1969 BBC performance with Eric Clapton and Dave Mason. (Dave Mason wrote "Only You Know and I Know", but Delaney and Bonnie's version is better.) I think the gentleman in the green sweater, on Bonnie's left, is Bobby Whitlock, a mighty soulful singer and keyboards player himself, who later joined Clapton in Derek and the Dominos. Although I wouldn't want to be fifteen again, I enjoyed traveling back in time for a few minutes while watching this clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir2eAEhtXvE

Rest in peace, Delaney, and thank you for the music.

2008-12-25T00:55:00.000-06:00

Carol - Written in 1946
Flocks feed by darkness with a noise of whispers,

In the dry grass of pastures,

And lull the solemn night with their weak bells.

The little towns upon the rocky hills

Look down as meek as children:

Because they have seen come this holy time.

God's glory, now, is kindled gentler than low candlelight

Under the rafters of a barn:

Eternal Peace is sleeping in the hay,

And Wisdom's born in secret in a straw-roofed stable.

And O! Make holy music in the stars, you happy angels.

You shepherds, gather on the hill.

Look up, you timid flocks, where the three kings

Are coming through the wintry trees;

While we unnumbered children of the wicked centuries

Come after with our penances and prayers,

And lay them down in the sweet-smelling hay

Beside the wise men's golden jars.

Thomas Merton

Exmas or Crissmas?

2008-12-19T20:27:00.000-06:00

A Lost Chapter from Herodotus
by C. S. Lewis

And beyond this there lies in the ocean, turned towards the west and the north, the island of Niatirb which Hecataeus indeed declares to be the same size and shape as Sicily, but it is larger, and though in calling it triangular a man would not miss the mark. It is densely inhabited by men who wear clothes not very different from other barbarians who occupy the north-western parts of Europe though they do not agree with them in language. These islanders, surpassing all the men of whom we know in patience and endurance, use the following customs.

In the middle of winter when fogs and rains most abound they have a great festival which they call Exmas, and for fifty days they prepare for it in the fashion I shall describe. First of all, every citizen is obliged to send to each of his friends and relations a square piece of hard paper stamped with a picture, which in their speech is called an Exmas-card. But the pictures represent birds sitting on branches, or trees with a dark green prickly leaf, or else men in such garments as the Niatirbians believe that their ancestors wore two hundred years ago riding in coaches such as their ancestors used, or houses with snow on their roofs. And the Niatirbians are unwilling to say what these pictures have to do with the festival, guarding (as I suppose) some sacred mystery. And because all men must send these cards the market-place is filled with the crowd of those buying them, so that there is great labour and weariness.

But having bought as many as they suppose to be sufficient, they return to their houses and find there the like cards which others have sent to them. And when they find cards from any to whom they also have sent cards, they throw them away and give thanks to the gods that this labour at least is over for another year. But when they find cards from any to whom they have not sent, then they beat their breasts and wail and utter curses against the sender; and, having sufficiently lamented their misfortune, they put on their boots again and go out into the fog and rain and buy a card for him also. And let this account suffice about Exmas-cards.

They also send gifts to one another, suffering the same things about the gifts as about the cards, or even worse. For every citizen has to guess the value of the gift which every friend will send to him so that he may send one of equal value, whether he can afford it or not. And they buy as gifts for one another such things as no man ever bought for himself. For the sellers, understanding the custom, put forth all kinds of trumpery, and whatever, being useless and ridiculous, sell as an Exmas gift. And though the Niatirbians profess themselves to lack sufficient necessary things, such as metal, leather, wood and paper, yet an incredible quantity of these things is wasted every year, being made into the gifts.

But during these fifty days the oldest, poorest and the most miserable of citizens put on false beards and red robes and walk in the market-place; being disguised (in my opinion) as Cronos. And the sellers of gifts no less than the purchasers become pale and weary, because of the crowds and the fog, so that any man who came into a Niatirbian city at this season would think that some great calamity had fallen on Niatirb. This fifty days of preparation is called in their barbarian speech the Exmas Rush.

But when the day of the festival comes, then most of the citizens, being exhausted with the Rush, lie in bed till noon. But in the evening they eat five times as much supper as on other days and, crowning themselves with crowns of paper, they become intoxicated. And on the day after Exmas they are very grave, being internally disordered by the supper and the drinking and reckoning how much they have spent on gifts and on the wine. For wine is so dear among the Niatirbians that a man must swallow the worth of a talent before he is well intoxicated.

Such, then, are their customs about the Exmas. But the few among the Niatirbians have also a festival, separate and to themselves, called Crissmas, which is on the same day as Exmas. And those who keep Crissmas, doing the opposite to the majority of the Niatirbians, rise early on that day with shining faces and go before sunrise to certain temples where they partake of a sacred feast. And in most of the temples they set out images of a fair woman with a new-born Child on her knees and certain animals and shepherds adoring the Child. (The reason of these images is given in a certain sacred story which I know but do not repeat.)

But I myself conversed with a priest in one of these temples and asked him why they kept Crissmas on the same day as Exmas; for it appeared to me inconvenient. But the priest replied, It is not lawful, O Stranger, for us to change the date of Crissmas, but would that Zeus would put it into the minds of the Niatirbians to keep Exmas at some other time or not to keep it at all. For Exmas and the Rush distract the minds even of the few from sacred things. And we indeed are glad that men should make merry at Crissmas; but in Exmas there is no merriment left. And when I asked him why they endured the Rush, he replied, It is, O Stranger, a racket; using (as I suppose) the words of some oracle and speaking unintelligibly to me (for a racket is an instrument which the barbarians use in a game called tennis).

But what Hecataeus says, that Exmas and Crissmas are the same, is not credible. For the first, the pictures which are stamped on the Exmas-cards have nothing to do with the sacred story which the priests tell about Crissmas. And secondly, the most part of the Niatirbians, not believing the religion of the few, nevertheless send the gifts and cards and participate in the Rush and drink, wearing paper caps. But it is not likely that men, even being barbarians, should suffer so many and great things in honour of a god they do not believe in. And now, enough about Niatirb.
(from God in the Dock): The Nacirema are a lot like the Niatirbians, yes? With all the hurrying, and all the lists we have made today, let's stop, take a breath, and be thankful that we are here for Crissmas, not Exmas.

Friday Five: Countdown to Christmas Edition

2008-12-19T12:29:00.000-06:00

Songbird admonishes us:

It's true.

There are only five full days before Christmas Day, and whether you use them for shopping, wrapping, preaching, worshiping, singing or traveling or even wishing the whole darn thing were over last Tuesday, there's a good chance they will be busy ones.

So let's make this easy, if we can: tell us five things you need to accomplish before Christmas Eve.

OK, this IS easy. On my reduced schedule this year, most things are done. I still need to:

1. make fruitcake cookies (this will happen today)
2. make broccoli salad, twice--for a party tomorrow night, and for Christmas dinner, which we are NOT hosting
3. haul a large frozen turkey, which we did not use at Thanksgiving, to the home of our friends with whom we will be having Christmas dinner
4. wrap one more present for the Scientist, after it arrives
5. listen to my favorite Christmas music, rest and consider the Lord's coming

May the peace and joy of this season enfold each person who reads this...beyond all the sermon writing and last minute service planning; beyond all the cooking, baking, shopping, and wrapping; beyond the travel hassles; within and beyond the grief that this season heightens for many; may Christ be born anew in us all.

Winter rest

2008-12-18T14:16:00.000-06:00

Three weeks later. I'm feeling well enough now to treasure these last quiet, solitary days at home, which will be over all too soon.

The tree is finally decorated, and lovely--it is good company for me when I'm on the couch and Amie has retreated to the Scientist's closet to snooze. Between my convalescence and the Scientist's schedule, the naked tree sat in the living room for three days before we finally "dressed" it. We have spent most of this week decorating a little at a time, rather than the do-it-all-in-one-night approach we usually employ. What a pleasure to say hello again to each old friend as I take it out of the box--Santas, stars, and angels alike.

I collect Christmas angels. I didn't know that until the day, some years ago, I realized there were more than twenty on the tree. Each one reminds me of a particular vacation, or the friend who gave it, or a Christmas forty years ago. They probably number about thirty-five now, not counting all the freestanding angels arrayed on the oak buffet in the foyer. The Scientist said, "It looks like you've got all the heavenly host in here."

The Scientist is away, overseeing a clinical trial, but will return tomorrow night. Please pray for the patient who will undergo this experimental treatment tomorrow.

Shopping (mostly online this year) is done, wrapping is almost done. I'm waiting for one more book for the Scientist--a book about the Minoans, to accompany the tome on the Mycenaeans that has already arrived.

Not singing in the Christmas concert this year was hard, but getting to just sit and enjoy it was fun. The most beautiful piece was an obscure cantata that deserves to be heard more often, Ralph Hunter's Sing Noel. I can find only one recording, by Gloriae Dei Cantores. It's a thoughtful and creative medley of carols, but is seldom performed--in fact our choir director described our presentation as its "Southwest premiere". If it were better known, it would become a mainstay of Christmas concerts.

This afternoon's dilemma: will the pleasure of making fruitcake cookies outweigh the aches and pains that probably will follow? Maybe I'll wait and make them this evening. Maybe I'll just lie here on the couch and look at the tree for a while.

Sabbatical

2008-11-25T18:09:00.000-06:00

That's how I've decided to treat the next six weeks...can't work, can't drive, can't do much of nothin' but I can take advantage of the time I've always wanted to have at home. This is how my typical weekday is shaping up:

7:00 get up, shower and put on fresh nightgown, have breakfast with the Scientist
8:00-12:30 check e-mail, blogs, etc. etc. and read on the couch (I'll share what I'm reading in another post)
12:30-1:00 sit up, make a sandwich
1:00 creep upstairs (slowly, oh so slowly, and backwards) and watch Northern Exposure
2:00-5:00 (after creeping back downstairs) take a nap
5:00-7:00 dawdle around, attend to Amie, put casserole in oven (Casseroles! Do we have casseroles!)
7:00-10:00 eat and hang out with the Scientist
10:00 and so to bed.

Not bad for now, but I think it will start getting old soon. Also, I probably won't need quite so much nappage in a couple of weeks. I am planning to use this time to read, certainly, but also to write; and I will be spending more time in prayer too.

Anyway, that's my day. How was yours?

Mix and Stir Friday Five

2008-11-21T20:15:00.000-06:00

As we enter the big baking and cooking season, Songbird asks:

1) Do you have a food processor? Can you recommend it? Which is to say, do you actually use it?
Although I enjoy fancy gadgets as much as anyone else who loves to cook, I have never owned a food processer. Between the KitchenAid mixer, its attachments, and the blender, I've never felt the need for one.

2) And if so, do you use the fancy things on it? (Mine came with a mini-blender (used a lot and long ago broken) and these scary disks you used to julienne things (used once).)
I would, if I had them!

3) Do you use a standing mixer? Or one of the hand-held varieties?(And isn't that color delightfully retro?)
My cherished KitchenAid mixer, which looks exactly like the beautiful blue one in Songbird's picture except that it is white, is about twenty years old and going strong. Of the three attachments shown in Songbird's picture, the dough hook gets the most frequent workouts at our house. The Scientist loves to make bread with the KitchenAid. I often use the impressive-looking shredder cone attachments (sold separately) for grating lots of cheese or veggies. After the little hand-held mixer that predated our marriage finally died a couple of years ago, I got a three-speed KitchenAid hand-held, which works like a little champ and does everything I need it to do.

4) How about a blender? Do you have one? Use it much?
Yes, mostly to make pesto--or this soup (adapted from Mariquita Farm), which is a great way to use up carrots:

Carrot and Cumin Soup
1 large onion, chopped
5 or 6 carrots, thinly sliced
3 T. olive or canola oil
1 tsp. ground cumin (or maybe just a little more, not too much)
1 tsp. salt
4 cups water or stock
Cook onion in oil until soft. Add carrots and seasonings and cook for a minute. Add water or stock and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, until very soft. Puree in blender (be careful!). While the soup cooks, toast about 1/4 c. chopped pecans in a 350 degree oven for about six or seven minutes--just until they darken slightly--and toss with a little melted butter. Sprinkle them on top of soup when serving. This makes about four big soup-bowl-size servings.

5) Finally, what old-fashioned, non-electric kitchen tool do you enjoy using the most?
I use a good old-fashioned balloon whisk for sauces or gravy, at least once a week. I don't know what I would do without it.

Bonus: Is there a kitchen appliance or utensil you ONLY use at Thanksgiving or some other holiday? If so, what is it?
I had to think about this for a while! All I could come up with, is the cheesecloth that I oil and use to cover and baste the Thanksgiving turkey!

P.S. I'm home taking it easy after dealing with some medical stuff, and won't be cooking or baking next week. Waaah!

How many people do you know who would be sad about that?

Friday Five: Funny Papers

2008-11-07T09:54:00.000-06:00

Thanks, PG, for this fun Friday Five!

After an exhausting election here in the states it's time for some spirit lifting! Join me with a nice cup of tea or coffee or cocoa and let's sit back and read the Funny Papers!

1. What was your favorite comic strip as a child?

Well, I always read Peanuts, of course, but for some reason I liked following all of the "soap opera" strips too, and I still do. (A bit of trivia: when my parents sold their house and moved into an apartment, they wound up in Apartment 3-G.)

2. Which comic strip today most consistently tickles your funny bone?
Nearly every day I laugh out loud at Get Fuzzy.
(ETA: Unlike me, Nachfolge took the time to show you why.)

3. Which Peanuts character is closest to being you?

Which Peanuts Character Are You?
	You are Schroeder. You are brilliant, ambitious, and brooding; you tackle tasks with extreme focus. People don't always interest you as much as other pursuits, though, so you can come off as aloof.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

I don't think this is accurate, though. Maybe the "brilliant, brooding, and aloof " part. ;)

4. Some say that comic strips have replaced philosophy as a paying job, so to speak. Does this ring true with you?

Well, I think that many of the most popular strips have addressed the mysteries and foibles of the human condition with humor--and that's why we have loved them.

5. What do you think the appeal is for the really long running comic strips like Blondie, Family Circus, Dennis the Menace as some examples?

They remind us of a time that seems to us now to have been gentler and more innocent, although it really was not much different than our own. Of the three examples given, Blondie is the only one that has become even slightly contemporary (e.g., Blondie now has a career, Dagwood has a computer on his desk). The gender roles in Dennis the Menace, for example, are preserved in amber, ca. 1955.

Bonus question: Which discontinued comic strip would you like to see back in print?

Oh, no, just one? How can I possibly choose among Calvin and Hobbes, Bloom County, and The Far Side?

And now a little story: The time: summer of 1990. The place: a quiet (at least it was when we came in), attractive little restaurant in Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, WA, where the Scientist and I were vacationing after attending a friend's wedding in Tacoma. At a nearby table were two couples, one about our age (early thirties) and an older couple who appeared to be the woman's parents. The younger man spent the entire meal loudly haranguing his in-laws about matters political and social. Everyone in the restaurant received the benefit of his opinions. Finally they finished eating and left, and again the little restaurant was quiet. Our waitress rushed over, all giddy, and gushed, "Do you read Bloom County?" "Used to," we replied. She nearly squealed. "That was Berke Breathed!"

2008-11-05T10:05:00.000-06:00

I cried last night during his acceptance speech. I couldn't help it.

Yes, we can.

Play it, Sam

2008-10-31T17:35:00.000-05:00

(Hat tip to Singing Owl.)

You Are an Ingrid!

You are an Ingrid -- "I am unique"

Ingrids have sensitive feelings and are warm and perceptive.

How to Get Along with Me
* Give me plenty of compliments. They mean a lot to me.
* Be a supportive friend or partner. Help me to learn to love and value myself.
* Respect me for my special gifts of intuition and vision.
* Though I don't always want to be cheered up when I'm feeling melancholy, I sometimes like to have someone lighten me up a little.
* Don't tell me I'm too sensitive or that I'm overreacting!

What I Like About Being an Ingrid
* my ability to find meaning in life and to experience feeling at a deep level
* my ability to establish warm connections with people
* admiring what is noble, truthful, and beautiful in life
* my creativity, intuition, and sense of humor
* being unique and being seen as unique by others
* having aesthetic sensibilities
* being able to easily pick up the feelings of people around me

What's Hard About Being an Ingrid
* experiencing dark moods of emptiness and despair
* feelings of self-hatred and shame; believing I don't deserve to be loved
* feeling guilty when I disappoint people
* feeling hurt or attacked when someone misundertands me
* expecting too much from myself and life
* fearing being abandoned
* obsessing over resentments
* longing for what I don't have

Ingrids as Children Often
* have active imaginations: play creatively alone or organize playmates in original games
* are very sensitive
* feel that they don't fit in
* believe they are missing something that other people have
* attach themselves to idealized teachers, heroes, artists, etc.
* become antiauthoritarian or rebellious when criticized or not understood
* feel lonely or abandoned (perhaps as a result of a death or their parents' divorce)

Ingrids as Parents
* help their children become who they really are
* support their children's creativity and originality
* are good at helping their children get in touch with their feelings
* are sometimes overly critical or overly protective
* are usually very good with children if not too self-absorbed
Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Animal updates

2008-10-29T19:10:00.001-05:00

Amie went to the vet, who confirmed that she was suffering from a flea allergy. Two shots, two bottles of pills, and many $$$s later, she seems to be feeling better.

On a sadder note, our sweet office cat, Grisi, has gone to the Bridge. She went missing one recent morning, and after a search, two of my coworkers found her body, stretched out in a grassy area near our patio. There was no obvious sign of trauma, and I am sure we'll never know what happened to her. We buried her near the spot where she was found; we can see her grave from the patio. My friend D ordered a plaque that says, "Cats leave paw prints on our hearts", which we placed on her grave day before yesterday.

As I've said before, I come from a long line of dog people. Grisi was the first cat I have ever gotten to know. Some of us are still hearing "Meeow (feed me)" echoing down the hall. I felt honored that mine was one of the offices she would visit, even though I had to set her on the floor whenever she hopped onto my desk and walked on my papers! A couple of chairs in the building were hers and hers alone, and when she curled up and went sound asleep her little tongue would protrude, just like this:

Rest in peace, sweet girl. We miss you.

Weekend rambles

2008-10-26T22:21:00.000-05:00

The Piney Woods of east Texas contain a deep forest known as the Big Thicket. Over the past sixty years or so, logging and general development have taken a lot of it away. Recently, two bullies named Rita and Ike added to the destruction. Last weekend the three of us headed to Hardin County to see some of what was left. The state parks where we had hoped to hike are closed now (thanks a lot, Ike), including one that had just completed about $750,000 of post-Rita renovation. Fortunately, much of the Big Thicket National Preserve has reopened. There we found some broken and fallen trees, but they were absorbed into lush areas of great beauty, diversity, and solitude:

Cypress swamps reminiscent of my Mississippi Delta homeland.

Long trails surrounded by all shades of green, opening into meadows scattered with wildflowers.

Village Creek--we'll come back and canoe here another time.

Four of the five types of carnivorous plants found in North America grow in the Big Thicket, but the only one we identified was the pitcher plant.

"Bugs check in, but they don't check out!"

Here's the main lodge at the remote country B & B where we stayed, at the end of a long gravel road. We slept in the barn, which was a lot nicer than that sounds!

The owners of the B & B also have a small nursery on-site, with pick-your-own blueberries in season, and satsumas (like a tangerine) and Meyer lemons that we enjoyed picking to take home. We also bought a Meyer lemon tree, which grows well in this area and will be a nice reminder of our weekend in the Thicket. Flowers like this Confederate rose (actually a type of hibiscus) also grace the property.

I loved the way they start out nearly white and fade to dark pink, just like cotton blossoms...something else that reminded me of the terrain of my childhood.

Amie seemed to enjoy walking with us, since it wasn't too hot, and we ambled at her pace. However, we covered about four miles on Saturday, which was a lot for an old dog. Other hazards of the deep woods presented themselves: mosquitoes and fire ants for us, and fleas and ticks for poor Amie. We dusted and bathed her as soon as we got home, and I know there are no bugs on her now, but the poor girl has been scratching like mad all week. I read that dogs that are seldom exposed to fleas can have an allergic reaction to flea bites, lasting a week or so. We've been treating her with home remedies but I think I may have to take her for an allergy shot tomorrow. The Scientist and I have been scratching and brushing her all weekend, and when we stop she nudges our hands to ask for more.

This region is only a hundred miles or so from our home, but we felt as though we were much farther away. Except for the bug bites, we'd love to go again.

Catching up

2008-10-26T22:09:00.000-05:00

It doesn't seem like two weekends ago that we had a great meetup with The Boy and his humans. We talked, barbecued, ate, and enjoyed a leisurely walk with all the dogs (including Otto and Cody, my MIL's dogs). The dogs got along, and the humans began discussing our next meetup (sometime after New Year's, perhaps). Here's another version of the photo the Typist posted:

Thanks for coming, y'all! In another couple of years we WILL do Galveston!

Always reforming

2008-10-26T21:03:00.000-05:00

At least I hope I am. It feels that way this week. Being re-formed doesn't always feel good.

This morning for Reformation Sunday we sang a Bach cantata (number 118) that is usually translated "O Jesus Christ, My Life's Light", although the translation we sang was a bit different:

O Jesus, Lord, my light and life
My hope, my joy, my aid in strife
On earth my visit is but brief
And bowed am I by sin and grief.

This week I am comforted to have such a powerful aid in strife.

Lord Sabaoth His name
From age to age the same
And He must win the battle.

Amen.

Still here

2008-10-10T18:13:00.000-05:00

Lots going on, not much that's bloggable.

My MIL had another back surgery that we thought would be fairly minor. It turned out to be nearly as extensive as her surgery last Christmas, with several nights in the hospital and a stay in rehab (where she was moved today). Please pray that this will help, and for patience and lovingkindness for all....
Head cold and pinkeye. Don't worry, that's all I'm going to say about that.
People who no-show (twice).
Pastor Nominating Committee: Busy, interesting, exciting, unbloggable!
And finally, something that is both exciting and bloggable: this weekend we're seeing the Typist, the Alpha, and The Boy! Cannot wait!
Have a peaceful weekend!

It's a Johnny Appleseed Friday Five

2008-09-26T17:34:00.000-05:00

Raise your hand if you know that today is Johnny Appleseed Day!

September 26, 1774 was his birthday. "Johnny Appleseed" (John Chapman) is one of America's great legends. He was a nurseryman who started out planting trees in western New York and Pennsylvania, but he was among those who were captivated by the movement west across the continent.

As Johnny traveled west (at that time, the "West" was places like Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois) he planted apple trees and sold trees to settlers. With every apple tree that was planted, the legend grew. A devout Christian, he was known to preach during his travels. According to legend, Johny Appleseed led a simple life and wanted little. He rarely accepted money and often donated any money he received to churches or charities. He planted hundreds of orchards, considering it his service to humankind. There is some link between Johny Appleseed and very early Arbor Day celebrations.

So, in honor of this interesting fellow, let's get on with the questions!
(I'm sorry the font is so wierd! Today's score is Blogger 1, Zorra 0.)

1. What is your favorite apple dish? (BIG BONUS points if you share the recipe.)
I LOVE apple dumplings. Last October I posted my favorite recipe here.

2. Have you ever planted a tree? If so was there a special reason or occasion you can tell us about?
(Warning: this is sad.) We moved into our new house in December 1991, and the following spring we planted a pecan tree in the backyard, in memory of the baby we had lost in September 1991. That tree now towers over the house, is the centerpiece of the back yard and patio, and has given us wonderful pecans for many years. Ike took a lot of them this year, but he didn't get them all!

3. Does the idea of roaming around the countryside (preaching or otherwise) appeal to you? Why or why not?
I love roaming around the countryside with the Scientist, but I would not enjoy a nomadic lifestyle. I'm too much of a homebody for that.

4. Who is a favorite "historical legend" of yours?

How about a family historical legend? Supposedly I had an ancestor who was attempting to manage the farm by herself while her husband was off fighting in The War (if you're asking "which war?" I know you're not from the South). Legend has it that a lone Yankee soldier walked up to the house, and the dog began to bark. He raised his pistol to shoot the dog. My ancestor appeared on the porch, aimed her shotgun at him, and said, "You shoot that dog, and I'll shoot you." Legend has it that he turned and walked away. Every Southern family has at least one story like that--I hope mine is true!

5. Johnny Appleseed was said to sing to keep up his spirits as he traveled the roads of the west. Do you have a song that comes when you are trying to be cheerful, or is there something else that you often do?
Sometimes I sing a psalm, like the praise song set to Psalm 18:
I will call upon the Lord
Who is worthy to be praised.
So shall I be saved from mine enemies.
The Lord liveth, and blessed be my Rock
And let the God of my salvation be exalted
The Lord liveth, and blessed be my Rock
And let the God of my salvation be exalted

It helps!

For the most part, the national media has moved on.

2008-09-24T18:02:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, thousands cannot.

I'm such a nerd.

2008-09-23T20:42:00.000-05:00

Did you see the article today about how the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the penny will be replaced in 2009 with several new designs to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth? Very cool, at least to me. I collected pennies when I was a child, and kept them in a little display book. For a while I had a 1909 VDB that my parents brought me from a Memphis coin shop, but I took it out to look at it so many times that I finally lost it. (It was worth about $5.00 in those days.) I think I still have a 1943 penny, made of steel.

Anyway, the lovely "wheat ears" penny above, 1909-1958, was replaced by the (boring) Lincoln Memorial in 1959. As time marches on, there are fewer and fewer of these in circulation. A few weeks ago I picked up my change in the grocery store, and--lo and behold! In my delight, I showed the cashier: "Look! A wheat ears penny!" She gazed at it, and then at me, with a look of uncomprehending disdain (a look I've received quite often over the years). I didn't care. That little prize made my day.

So what good is a penny these days? Not much, and perhaps they should be discontinued. But in the meantime, I'll enjoy finding these commemorative editions. (You can laugh--it's OK. I know I'm a nerd.)

Yeah, I got yer lady preachers...

2008-09-20T11:22:00.000-05:00

...right here under the counter.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6011663.html

Random post-Ike bullets

2008-09-16T21:31:00.000-05:00

We're still fine, with electricity, good water pressure, and plenty to eat. Thank you, God.
Our only problem right now is scarcity of gasoline. The few stations that are open have extremely long lines most of the day. Early this morning I did slip into a station where I only had to wait behind one other car. There was a $20.00 limit, cash only, but that brought me up to about 5/8 of a tank. When the Scientist went by there later in the morning, he was only able to pump $5.00 worth before the pump ran dry! But we both should have enough for the rest of the week.
My supervisor has no power at home, and brought his sweet Cavalier King Charles spaniels to work yesterday and today. They follow him all around the building, and their tails wag in unison.
Our pastors came for the early service on Sunday, and then had to head home to deal with storm-related problems. We had a nice do-it-yourself 11:15 service, with about 40 people. We kept it short. Our deacon was the man of the hour, showing up with a cooler full of iced drinks. Most of our church friends still don't have electricity.
Reluctant to waste the water with which we had filled the tub, the Scientist brought my favorite 3-quart saucepan into the bathroom and turned off the water to the toilet. Yes, we've been bailing the bathtub to flush the toilet. He said, "The engineer in me wants to see how long the water lasts." It lasted until tonight.
Favorite Lurker spent two nights with us. Her deadbolted French doors flew open in the middle of the storm, and she sat on the floor in the dark with her back against them for more than two hours. She was exhausted when she got to our house on Sunday, bearing the contents of her refrigerator. After we ate her goat Brie and homemade date bars, and drank a bottle of wine, she had a hot shower and a good night's sleep in an air-conditioned room. Much better.
We went to the Scientist's lab on Saturday and Sunday for "mouse duty". The lab mice are in special sealed cages with filtered air, and can only survive for a day if the power is off and the lids are on the cages. They were all fine, and we moved them to another room where we could remove the lids and leave the cages open on top (they don't try to climb out, but busily scurry around the cage and through their little "enrichment" tunnels). Nocturnal creatures, they were quite active and seemed to be enjoying the extended "night".
1.5 million people in metro Houston are still without power. Tens of thousands along the Texas and Louisiana coasts are suffering. Remember them tonight.

All clear

2008-09-13T21:32:00.000-05:00

We made it! Unlike 95% of the people around us, our subdivision has water and power. There was no damage to our house or to my MIL's house. We only lost a section of seventeen-year-old fence.

So much for this year's pecan crop:

...and next year's peaches. (This was our fourth peach tree since 1991, and I think we are finally ready to accept that we're not meant to grow peaches in this yard!)
And O my poor caladiums!
Like everyone else, we had a long and anxious night, but our area had only light damage compared to the storm surge areas on the coast, and Houston itself. You won't be seeing our county on the news. We went into the Scientist's lab today to check on the mice (they were fine), and saw less damage in town than we had expected to see. Many billboards were damaged, and a number of trees were broken or uprooted, but we saw little severe damage to buildings along the highways where we were. Only emergency crews are allowed downtown, so our views of the skyscrapers with the broken windows are the same as yours--on TV only.

Please pray for the many thousands who are without electricity, water, and in many cases, homes. Thank God the storm has passed.

P.S. I've been catching up on blogs, and I have to say I'm puzzled. How could there be so many people who were not waiting for a hurricane yesterday?

3:05

2008-09-12T15:08:00.000-05:00

He's home! We are going to gather some stuff and go down to my MIL's house soon. I can't get a good wireless connection at her house, so I probably won't post again until after the storm (assuming I have electricity with which to post then,which is a big assumption). Thank you for your prayers.

2:35

2008-09-12T14:37:00.000-05:00

He called about an hour ago. He had stopped for lunch! He should be here before long.

Impressive footage on TV of waves already slamming the Galveston seawall.

Turning on the TV and seeing Michael Chertoff: not a good sign.

Breezy here, with a light overcast.

11:15

2008-09-12T11:13:00.000-05:00

He called just after 10:30. He's on his way and should have no traffic or weather problems at this time. I expect him by 2:00 or 2:30.

Sounds of sawing and hammering coming from next door. However, only one or two of my neighbors have boarded their windows at this point. Potential flying objects are all inside now.

Beautiful sunny day...a light, pleasant breeze has picked up in the past couple of hours....

Update

2008-09-12T08:19:00.000-05:00

Thanks for your prayers! We are far enough west of the projected landfall, and far enough away from the coast, that we are not in an evacuation zone. In our area, Fort Bend County, we anticipate sustained tropical storm-force winds, with possibly some Category 1-level winds. It won't be fun, but we should be all right. As far as water, food, batteries, etc., we're ready.

The Scientist intends to leave San Antonio mid to late morning, so he should be back by mid afternoon. I don't think the projected tropical storm winds will have materialized that far west by then, but please pray for his safety on the road. The evacuation has gone very smoothly--nothing like the nightmare before Rita--so there has been no need to make I-10 contraflow, which could have impeded his return.

I'm going to take Amie to get her arthritis shot before the vet closes. I'll update again later.

New week coming

2008-09-07T21:56:00.000-05:00

Busy week ahead, but possibly less stressful than last week. I am pleased to report that I have increased my agency days to four and will be cutting my practice back to one day a week, if that. This should definitely lower my stress level.

Speaking of stress, have you seen Ike's latest projected path? The Scientist will be away later in the week, and it remains to be seen whether or not I will need to follow him...with my ailing MIL and three dogs in tow. We've been through a Category 3, and that was scary but managable. Right now I'm thinking that I won't leave unless it's going to be stronger than that. But I'm not thrilled about the idea of being separated from the Scientist during a hurricane.

Watching the weather report. Trying to remember to just BE.

Request from your Luddite friend:

2008-08-31T17:03:00.000-05:00

If you receive a Facebook "friend" request from me, PLEASE feel free to ignore it. You won't hurt my feelings. I responded to one I received (setting up a Facebook account in the process) because I didn't want to hurt somebody else's feelings. So...since I have no experience with this sort of thing, can y'all please explain to me the advantages of participating in this? Do I really need another way to get sucked into the internet for hours at a time? I would appreciate all explanations and comments, pro and con.

Random rambling asterisks of the beginning of Labor Day weekend

2008-08-29T21:50:00.000-05:00

...because I can't formulate a coherent F5 right now.

*Enjoyed the speech last night. I want one of those buttons that says, "My Heart Belongs to Hillary, But My Vote Belongs to Barack."

*I'm even more annoyed at the Republicans than I was yesterday. "Here, pick some random politician with two X chromosomes... OK, this one will do." I mean, I'm sure she's intelligent and capable, but the whole thing just brings out my cynical side.

*My friend Favorite Lurker and I had lunch at one of my favorite restaurants today...upscale interior Mexican. The duck enchiladas, the tiny goat-cheese cheesecake, and the little bitty chocolate mousse cake with the Mexican vanilla ice cream were out of this world. One of the things I love about this place is the fact that they make their own chocolate--they roast and grind the cacao beans themselves, so anything they serve that involves chocolate or mole sauce is outstanding.

*Coping with the realities of caring for an elderly dog: I got one of those black lights that you can hold over the carpet and it shows you where all the pee stains are. Quite impressive. Depressing, though.

*Really depressing.

*We have gathered all of our Gustav supplies (which mostly are our leftover Edouard supplies). Pray for the folks in Lousiana and Mississippi, but please pray for us too. Nobody knows just where this thing might go once it enters the Gulf.

*The Scientist had to travel for part of this week, and will be away part of next week too. Amie seems a bit more confused and distracted than usual when he's gone. (Me too.) It's so good to have him home this weekend.

*We're looking forward to a couple of events in October. Our previous jaunts with Amie have been so enjoyable, we're taking her with us for a long weekend in the piney woods of East Texas, in an area known as the Big Thicket. (We might even take her canoeing with us!) But the weekend before that, company's coming!!

*OK, that's enough rambling. Have a relaxing and restorative weekend.

Congratulations are in order!

2008-08-25T14:39:00.000-05:00

Go look at teh precious!!!!

Friday Five: When is the Fourth Friday Not the Last Friday?

2008-08-22T16:14:00.000-05:00

It's Friday afternoon, Eastern Time, and this is your faithful Songbird with a calendar-related Friday Five. Due to some confusion with our dates, I'm stepping in today, although I am usually here only on the 5th Friday, when there is such a thing.

Here are five things to ponder about dates. I hope you'll play!

1) Datebooks--how do you keep track of your appointments? Electronically? On paper? Month at a glance? Week at a glance?
I don't fool around with those newfangled electronic gizmos. I have a professional week-at-a-glance planner, with each day divided into fifteen-minute increments. My clients' complete names aren't in there, for confidentiality's sake, but I keep up with all of my appointments that way.

2) When was the last time you forgot an important date?
I don't know! I'll have to ask the Scientist if he remembers a time when I did.

3) When was the last time you went OUT on a date?
Last Saturday night, to a great mom-and-pop Tex-Mex joint down the road. Isn't it fun to finally try a place you've driven past for years, and discover a new favorite? We enjoyed ourselves so much, we had no room to stop at the nearby paleteria for dessert!

4) Name one accessory or item of clothing you love even though it is dated.
In the early 80's, we and a number of our Houston friends all moved to California at about the same time, and would get together up and down the coast when we could. In those days there was a venerable old music store in San Francisco called Chickens That Sing Music. Some years later, after the store was gone, our friend George gave me his old Chickens t-shirt. I never wear it, because it's such a relic; I love to take it out occasionally and remember when we all were young adults, just beginning to make our way in the world.

5) Dates--the fruit--can't live with 'em? Or can't live without 'em?
I like them, but don't cook with them often, except to make my fruitcake cookies at Christmas. One of my favorite restaurants serves them stuffed with chorizo and wrapped in bacon! Oh man, are they good!

Friday Five: Fall Transformations

2008-08-15T20:38:00.000-05:00

With a fine picture of a bowdark ball (bois d'arc or Osage orange, for you non-Texans) and a beautiful vase made from the wood of the bowdark tree, Mary Beth poses the pre-autumnal question:

For this Friday's Five, share with us five transformations that the coming fall will bring your way.
1. Choir break is over, and we are gearing up for fall. Some of our Advent/Christmas music is already in our folders! It will be here before you know it....
2. The long-awaited temperature change. Except for the ragweed, I love October in southeast Texas. I know summer is finally over when I feel that first hint of morning coolness, even though the temperature may still be up in the 80's in the afternoon.
3. On fall evenings, I finally get to wear my sweaters! Sweater season is so brief here, and all through fall and winter I have to resist the temptation to buy more.
4. The Scientist and a friend of ours will be teaching a new Sunday school class, Presbyterian 101. I'll help and sub as needed.
5. This is one I hope will happen this fall. I'm waiting to hear whether the agency where I work three days a week will have the funding to take me on for another day. If I can do that, I'll be that much closer to being able to close my practice. An unbloggable combination of managed care woes and frustrating office politics is deepening my desire to move on.

Bonus: Give us your favorite activity that is made possible by the arrival of fall.
Doing anything outdoors without being "wringing wet" within ten minutes! Fall (again, except for the ragweed) makes yard work, picnics, and hikes much more pleasant.

Old girl takes a tumble

2008-08-09T21:45:00.000-05:00

My poor old Amie fell down the stairs last night! She was so thrilled that her daddy was calling her to take a WALK that she did a little dance, began to hurry downstairs, missed a step, and tumbled to the landing. We were horrified, but she got up, limping a bit, and insisted on going outside anyway. This morning she was still limping, and I took her to the vet to make sure she was OK. No serious harm done, but we are watching her closely, anyway.

Her arthritis seems to be getting worse, and sometimes we think she is starting to lose her hearing. (Other times we think she's saying, "Yeah, I hear you, all right--I just don't care.") She spends a lot of time in the closet now, not just during storms, and she has become a very sound sleeper. We're trying to keep her comfortable, and monitoring her troublesome liver enzymes. Her vet thinks she's in very good shape for such an old dog, so I pray we'll have her with us for a while longer.

I give up. It was a fun meetup.

2008-08-09T00:02:00.001-05:00

I have been fighting with Blogger since this afternoon, trying to bring you this picture of Amy, her friend Jenny, and me (in the traditional RGBP stance) in front of a Santa Fe cafe last week. Photography is courtesy of the Scientist, who decided he didn't want to be in the picture. I have no idea why Blogger refuses to print this right side up (it looks just fine on iPhoto), but it has seen through all my attempts to trick it. So, Amy and Jenny, here we are, and we had a fine lunch...and if anyone knows how to fix this, please let me know! :)