Heard on the radio, as the local drive-time guy was trying to address the differences between what we might espouse out loud and what we might actually do when it comes time to vote:
When you find yourself in that ballot box...
1. Phone call
My youngest brother, B3, called Saturday. He and his 2 youngest kids were at the airport retrieving luggage. [Apparently, what flies to Vegas stays in Vegas.] Our conversation, in part, incuded this exchange:
B3: So, where's Izzy?
Me: He's in Cheraw for the Jazz Fest.
M3: Cheraw has a jazz festival?
Me: Yea. Turns out, that's where Dizzy Gillespie was born.
B3: Get out!
Me: That's what Dizzy did.
Me (starting to tell a story about something I saw on the Late, Late Show): The other night, I was up late and ...
Izzy: [laugh started, then the choking up, then a more subdued laugh, then more choking ... pattern continues for 2-3 minutes.] The other night? Thanks for a great laugh.
The Littlebarns are pretty sure they've got the cutest baby on the planet, and Lil Miss herself certainly does make a convincing case, ...this young lady not withstanding...
One of my nieces, about 6 weeks old in this photo
However, I'm pretty sure I'm related to the cutest toddler around.
Out for ice cream tonight.
A little taste to see how cold it is.
Bday pic -- we're three.
Blowing out her three candles, one at a time.
Your cute fix is available @ the Flickr site.
Last evening, I passed the 10,000 mark in photos up on Flickr. Most, you'll not be surprised to know, are likely of pediatric relatives of mine. (This is different from the rest of the interweb, which seems to consist of pictures of cats with cute captions.)
Photo 10,003 was one my favorites from the lovely evening at the Olympic love nest of Waldie & Baldman.
See the rest of the set here.
As the financial apocalypse gets ever closer, it's time to fess up to some ignorance (but I'm looking for others like myself.)
Am I the only person who didn't know until a month or so ago that Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Reserve were NOT parts of the US government?
One more other note before I retire for the evening:
We're excited about a small group of folks from this side of town (or close enough) who have begun joining us on Tuesday evenings to read and discuss the Scriptures. We are reading 1st Peter. Each week we read the entire epistle, listening for a particular theme. We discuss that theme, spending a lot of time on application, and discussing the really interesting questions that folks raise. I much prefer reading the scriptures themselves to reading someone else's opinions and discussing the opinions. However, we do use the commentaries, notes, etc., to see how others have addressed issues we are interested in exploring.
Afterwards, we spend time sharing and in prayer for one another.
Who knows how long this will last? I hope through the rest of the school year, at least. It's been a literal God-send for us. Izzy and I really felt the need to spend more focused time in the Scriptures and in prayer, especially prayer for others. I'm looking forward to seeing how God works in our lives through this small group.
Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious: coming to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious. You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Warning: politics-free post.
It's an absolutely lovely evening, the sort of which might have been fun to spend wandering around the state fair. I've always liked the crowds and lights and energy -- Izzy not so much. Not sure if we'll go this year -- I doubt that there are many (any?) low-carb choices in the fried food on a stick category (other than the stick itself.)
So, since they didn't go to the Fair, what on earth DID the O'Cayces do this evening? Glad you asked. Izzy started a load of laundry, and the washing machine finished it well before the clothes were rinsed/clean/drained. This is an older machine that we got 5 years ago for $50 (plus dryer) courtesy of BiL who gets these things 2nd hand when the prison system is done with them. Izzy had already spent $25 buying a new motor for this one last year. He tinkered a bit, but couldn't see the obvious problem. We thought about it for a while, and decided that we'd gotten our $75 worth. Time for a new machine.
So, we drove northwest into deepest, darkest Harbison on a Friday evening just at the end of rush hour. To the mall. The mall. Izzy at the Mall (!) The fine people from Sears will be delivering a new front-loading, high efficiency washer sometime Sunday afternoon and hauling off the old one. We'll get the sopping wet, soapy clothes out before they arrive.
I'm anticipating that we'll start looking at dryers soon. Not that there's anything wrong with our current prison surplus free one, (well, anything more than the fact that it's a free, prison-surplus 20+ year old dryer), but because of the height issue. Like everybody else, we use the washer dryer as extra prep space. I think the several inches difference will seem awfully inconvenient.
At least, that's the argument I hear myself trying to make as I contemplate blowing the savings cushion on an appliance.
In other news, I'll be heading off to bed well before 2:30 AM tonight. Nice change after a long week of school on-call for work, etc. Tomorrow -- I'll do stats while Izzy gets convivial with the Slow Food Columbia people at an Waldie & Balman's home.
Later Saturday night, I'm seriously looking forward to spending time with Waldie & the Baldman in their Olympic Love Nest. We'll be a few blocks from the fair -- might be as close as we get this year.
One other note: can't close without saying that Izzy's pasta sauce is oh-so-good. Ditto the baba ghanoush he made for me yesterday, and the shake with carb smart "ice cream" and his homemade Kahlua. Good week for eats here at the House of Chez Casa.
Lately, my non-school/non-work time has been mostly confined to church time and drive time. From time to time, I hear interesting things on the radio that I mean to remember to blog -- time and opportunities get away from me, though.
1. We've just finished Bible Study (yay! time to spend with friends and the Lord -- I'm so glad Izzy has pushed to get this started!) and I cracked open a text book and the Internet to work on a class assignment. In the book for my nursing leadership class, I read these objectives for one of the chapters:
The crash killed four people and injured two musicians.Musicians, not people.
Had a web cam meeting earlier. Since I was the host (meaning that my speakers got to echo more than the rest of the group's), I spent a bit of time on the site before the rest of the group arrived. I discovered fun (waste of time?) features on the camera and took a screen shot. It's amazing how my eyes rearrange these blocks into something I recognize as my face.
[Two shy sisters testify at Deeds's sanity hearing]
John Cedar: Do you know the defendant, Mr. Longfellow Deeds?
[long pause]
Jane Faulkner: Oh yes, yes, of course we know him.
John Cedar: How long have you known him?
[Jane whispers to Amy; Amy whispers back]
Jane Faulkner: Since he was born.
Amy Faulkner: Yes, Elsie Taggart was the midwife.
Jane Faulkner: He was a seven months' baby.
John Cedar: Thank you, that's, that's fine. Do you see him very often?
[Jane whispers to Amy; Amy whispers back]
Jane Faulkner: Most every day.
Amy Faulkner: Sometimes twice.
Judge May: Must we have the echo?
John Cedar: Suppose you just answer, Miss Jane. Now, will you tell the court what everybody at home thinks of Longfellow Deeds?
[pause; then Jane whispers to Amy; Amy whispers back]
Jane Faulkner: They think he's pixilated.
Amy Faulkner: Oh, yes, pixilated.
Judge May: He's what?
John Cedar: What was that you said he was?
Jane Faulkner: Pixilated.
Amy Faulkner: Mm-hmm.
John Cedar: Now that's rather a strange word to us, Miss Jane. Can you tell the court exactly what it means?
Board member: Perhaps I can explain, Your Honor. The word "pixilated" is an early American expression derived from the word "pixies," meaning elves. They would say the pixies had got him. As we nowadays would say, a man is "barmy."
Judge May: Oh. Is that correct?
Jane Faulkner: Mm-hmm.
Amy Faulkner: Mm-hmm.Later...
Longfellow Deeds: Are you happy there?
Jane Faulkner: Oh, yes.
Amy Faulkner: Yes indeed.
Longfellow Deeds: Now, uh, Jane, a little while ago you said I was pixilated. Do you still think so?
[Jane whispers to Amy; Amy whispers back]
Jane Faulkner: Why, you've always been pixilated, Longfellow.
Amy Faulkner: Always.
Longfellow Deeds: That's fine, hm, I guess maybe I am. And now tell me something, Jane: who else in Mandrake Falls is pixilated?
Jane Faulkner: Why, everybody in Mandrake Falls is pixilated - except us.
Amy Faulkner: Mm-hmm.
Looks like the best place for any $$ we have might be in a sock under that mattress. With the threat of multiple bank closures, we might all need bigger socks.
Or patience -- we survived the Savings & Loan disaster in TX in the early '80's. We got royally screwed, tho, when our S&L was bought by the same guy who bought the Dallas Cowboys and fired Tom Landry. Bum Bright, the aforementioned owner, must have needed extra ready cash -- the "bank" started floating payroll checks. For two weeks. You can guess the havoc that played with our payments. 7-11 sends bounced checks back to the bank 5-6 times each....
Digression aside -- here's hoping the panic ends soon. I don't have a good understanding of high finance or economics, but it seems like these houses of cards should have been identified long ago.
Pulled from a friend's Facebook Saint of the Day feed, which I decided to check out when Blackboard went down and I couldn't finish my homework.
BLESSED LOUIS OF THURINGIA
This German prince lived during the last part of the twelfth and first part of the thirteenth centuries. He married St. Elizabeth of Hungary when he was twenty-one and she was just fourteen. The marriage had been arranged by their parents. This was the custom. But they both loved God, and he gave them great love for each other. So it was that they were very happy together. Their joy increased when God sent them their three children. The youngest was Blessed Gertrude.
Louis helped his wife in her many works of charity for the poor. He also joined her in devout prayer. Time after time, the people saw their handsome prince and his lovely wife helping the poor. It is said that once Elizabeth brought a leper into their castle and nursed him in their bed. For a moment, when Louis saw that, he was angry. Then, suddenly, instead of the leper, he saw our crucified Lord lying there. After that proof of how much Jesus appreciated Elizabeth's charity, Louis had a hospital for lepers built.
One long, bitter cold winter, Louis had to be away from his land. When he returned, Elizabeth was overjoyed. The next year Louis left on a Crusade to free the Holy Land from the Muslims. But on the way, he caught malaria, and soon was dying. Because he had always lived in close union with Jesus, the brave ruler felt no fear of death. He received the Last Sacraments and died peacefully in 1227. Let us pray today for married couples, that their love for each other will help them grow in personal holiness.
BTW: The friend who had the saint feed dropped by the House of Chez Casa this evening with a darling book about a dinosaur who was peculiar and a lovely other dinosaur who was a free spirit and especially keen on shopping. They loved each other very much as they grew old together. We took a break from my studies and his grading to read it aloud to each other, as we sipped scotch (him) and tawny port (me) and thought mushy thoughts. Like the dinosaurs, we're older and still very much in love (not all the time, but we're so grateful when God gives us those periods of intense mushiness.)
Greetings Parents.We're sure you're every bit as excited about the new school year as we are. (Sigh.)Please take the time to fill out the following registration form.Send it in on the first day of school with your fully innoculated, adequately medicated, lice-free son/daughter.
.....4 / For this year's auction I plan to donate:
(a) Two tickets to Super Bowl XLIII
(b) Dinner for eight prepared in the winner's own kitchen by Mario
Batali.
(c) Something sad and inadequate that will be discussed in bemused tones by the more attractive mothers at pickup.
So, the bed is made. We'll be climbing in soon -- I wanted to relate this tale first.
This morning when I arose, late and sleeping in after a long week of late night computer work and assignments, I decided not to make the bed. I needed to strip it and wash/change the sheets. Not a problem. However, I was not looking forward to having to shake out all of the cat hair before washing and again before drying. We have a long-hair and she nervously, constantly sheds.
As I walked past the spare room, I saw the set of sheets that I'd removed the last time. Uh-oh! I'd set them aside, wanting to delay the whole shaking endeavor. They weren't in anyone's way, but it bothered me that they had been overlooked.
Here's where the whole vortex could have been avoided: I could have opted to NOT address those sheets today. They could go into the hamper. But no ...
First, before laundry I needed to eat. Before eating, I had to fix myself something, which had to be preceded by doing yesterday's dishes. Dishes done -- time to fix a sandwich. Wilted spinach, tomato, havarti cheese and avocado on a low-carb wrap. Pretty good.
But I didn't eat it right then and there. Off to the restroom (obvious reasons) and I decided that I needed to change out the cat litter. That's something best done before a shower, so in order I cleared the litterbox, the rest of the bathroom, and then myself.
Back to the kitchen, dried off and dressed, I stepped out onto the porch to shake out the sheets. We've had several windy rains lately and there was lots of pine straw on the porch. I didn't want to get that onto the sheets as I shook then, so, sheets down, broom up. The old porch mat hadn't dried well since the last rain, and I had a better one to use, so into the trash it goes. There's a wet spot there where it was, which I needed to clean up before i could finish sweeping the porch. I completed a brief sweep of the steps area, shook out the sheets, and placed them into the washer.
I then remembers to eat(!) and sat down to hear my favorite radio show. It's now 1 PM. I'm having breakfast. Not good.
2 PM: Back to the porch. The wet area is dry, but there's lots of pine straw blown all over the place, and things look a bit grungy. By 4:30 PM, I'd managed to scrub off/semi-power wash the porch, sweeping repeatedly, clean several years worth of flora off of an old chemical containing meat crate, shake the wet sheets out before transferring them to the drying, and start over with the sheets I'd actually taken off of the bed this morning. Lots of stuff has been thrown away; lots of stuff is cleaner than it's been for a while.
Time to make the porch more livable: the recycling and chemical storage containers were moved around, and two of the yard chairs were placed onto the back porch. Neither was in the way when it was time to shake out the 2nd set of wet sheets.
5 PM. Time for a PM snack, but first, I really needed to make the bed. Of course, looking into the mirror right by the bed, I realized that I'd not done a thing with my hair (long since dried into whatever shape it wanted to assume after a shower.) Time to use the curling iron. I then opened the hope chest to pull out new sheets, and finally got the bed made around 5:30 PM.
After a snack of middle eastern salads (tabbouleh, labni, tomatoes and baba ghanoush (homemade by Izzy!), and a nice call from Gashwin (sometime dureing the afternoon), it was finally time to do what I'd been (unconsciously?) avoiding all day. I listened to the three week-one stats lectures for my on-line nursing research course. There is an assignment on rates and ratios and risks that I'll do tomorrow.
Where did I sit to hear those lectures? Why, in a nice rocking chair on the mighty clean back porch! I stayed out until the mosquitoes found me.
Back inside, I've been working on things for my two other classes. The sheets are all folded (plus the towels - if you're in a laundry mode, you might was well do those, too) and the rugs (also washed) are drying on the porch furniture. Supper dishes are done, and it's time to climb back into that bed.
Making the bed tomorrow will probably take less time.
Taking a break from work (and from not blogging, but we had naught but dial-up last weekend.)
Best subject line in my spam inbox today:
Paris Hilton Lectures On Dickens And Dostoevsky
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