Do You Know Someone with this Condition?

=D

Time for a chuckle... Dilbert does it again!

It's My City... Love It or Leave It!

Here we go again.

Not that I disagree, but where you live is ALSO about friends and family. However, if it weren't for friends and family, we'd be long gone!

Flying Our Flag: Upside Down or Right Side Up?

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Guess which one is the anti-war protester? Read this and you might be surprised!

No matter which side of the aisle you sit on, you'll be proud of these men for the way they resolved this.

I hope this story is picked up nationally for its 15 minutes of fame in the limelight. There is a lot to learn from this incident.

We Three

(us at the rest area, 3-18-08)

What a day we've had!

We woke up this morning and decided we needed a day off work. Since Rick took an early retirement two years ago, we've had our noses to the grindstone, building our Offbeat business. Things haven't gone as planned exactly (in more ways than finances; children moving away, health, etc.) and I've been really blue lately. We thought a drive to the mountains to immerse ourselves in Spring and all the fresh green hills and colorful wildflowers would be comforting.

Right away, I sensed the Lord in our conversation. We talked easily of our dreams, our disappointments, our vision for our future, and how we trust the Lord to guide us. Can I just say that I am married to an amazing man?! I am so blessed to be partnered with this guy. He provides such a balance for me. I have a natural tendency to pessimism (don't look so surprised-HA!) and melancholy. The further we drove, the more optimistic I felt about things. I felt hopeful with a renewed sense of Christ's love for me.

About 40 miles up, we passed over a river bridge and noticed a little deserted rest area. Deciding to stop for a few moments, we turned off the road and doubled back to it. As we pulled into the parking lot, we saw a car tucked back out of sight from the road. It looked familiar.

(Bryan, Ces, Mia and soon-to-be-born Baby)

Before I knew it, I was jumping out of the car and running toward some of our very best young friends, Bryan and Ces! What a random meeting! A Tuesday morning, far from home, on a work day. Coincidence? I think not...

We had such a pleasant interlude with them and their tiny daughter, talking about our lives and catching up. (They have filled some gaps for us since Bec and Josh have moved, and Shay and Charity live a few hours off.) This dear family was out there with their canoe, fishing, also enjoying the day, and reveling in their Creator.

As we drove away, Rick and I looked at each other and just smiled. It was obvious that our Silent Passenger had spoken; we were driving, but He was directing. We can count on Him to do that with us. Always.

And that is very comforting.

(continued...next post down)

~~

Further Up the Road...

(click on the picture to enlarge it)

We stopped at a country cemetery. It's really interesting to read all the headstones, and to realize that someday, all any one on earth may know of you might be what's written there.

When we walked back to our car, I caught a reflection of the cemetery in our back window, alongside a sticker, "Don't waste your life". That struck me as very symbolic.

I took a quick digital snapshot. When I got home, it looked really strange to me! The cemetery was completely whitewashed, due to the sunlight and the contrast between the black car and the bright background. I'm not trying to be overly artsy, but I did a one-step tweak (poster edges) in photoshop, and I thought this turned out kinda interesting.

Tag- You're It!

I was tagged by Jessica, I think. (Okay, I'm a little late, but I've been preoccupied.) The deal is to ask a "would you rather..." question and then tag five more people. I'm not tagging anyone, but here's my question.

It's summer.

Would you rather (body or board) surf in the cold Pacific Ocean with big waves

-or-

in the warm Atlantic Ocean with small waves?

Happy Birthday, littlest C!

We celebrated our grandson's birthday yesterday at his home in Marin. Little C. is one year old! He's a delightful, happy boy. His big sister, S., had a lot of fun orchestrating the candle blow-out, and overseeing the gift opening. When he went to bed early, she took his toys for a trial-run and approved of them all. ;-)

You know you've lost your head to technology when...

...you wake up in the morning and check the weather on your Blackberry while still in bed, instead of looking out the window. Don't ask me how I know this.

Go ahead, comment. You can be anonymous!

Visit Elizabeth!

Elizabeth has a new blogspot to keep everyone caught up on her life at college. She asked me to pass the word on...

Taco Feast!

We had some young friends in this evening for a Taco Feast! C----- brought a chile relleno casserole, S---- brought the guacamole, and Y----- brought Coca Cola and Jaritos in the glass bottles. I fried 25 terribly-unhealthy-but-delicious-tacos; not one was left.

We girls (two are expecting) ate at the kitchen table, and the guys balanced plates on their laps in the living room.

It was a wonderful evening! We also celebrated C------'s birthday. I love the freshness of these friends. I'd like to make it a monthly event...


(The first two pix are taken with my camera phone; not the best)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Flowers and a mushy card from my best friend and awesome husband, Rick.

Selling a Bill of Goods to the Poorest of the Poor

A short 2.5 minute video from John Piper.

+

He Answers To No One

A very dear family lost their young husband and father today. In these situations, one always asks, "Why?"



This morning, I was reading a book, "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis. To synopsize the portion I am referring to here, Shasta and his riding companion, Aravis, are on a desperate journey to ride to Narnia to warn of an impending attack by the Calormenes. At one point, Aravis is stalked and wounded by an unseen animal, apparently a lion. She is thus unable to continue the expedition and is waylaid with a kindly dwarf to care for her.

Shasta continues on at a mad pace and is alone the next night in an unfamiliar mountain pass, hungry and exhausted. As he thinks of the unfairness of his life until that point, tears roll down his cheeks, and he is suddenly aware of someone or something walking beside him. Shasta is terrified yet strangely comforted. I'll pick up with the story here...

Once more he felt the warm breath of the Thing on his hand and face. "...Tell me your sorrows."

Shasta was a little reassured by the breath: so he told how he had never known his real father or mother and had been brought up sternly by the fisherman. And then he told the story of his escape and how they were chased by lions and forced to swim for their lives; and of all their dangers in Tashbaan and about his night among the tombs and how the beasts howled at him out of the desert. And he told about the heat and the thirst of their desert journey and how they were almost at their goal when another lion chased them and wounded Aravis. And also, how very long it was since he had had anything to eat.

"I do not call you unfortunate," said the Large Voice.

"Don't you think it was bad luck to meet so many lions?" said Shasta.

"There was only one lion," said the Voice.

"What on earth do you mean? I've just told you there were at least two the first night, and-"

"There was only one; but he was swift of foot."

"How do you know?"

"I was the lion." And as Shasta gaped with open mouth and said nothing, the Voice continued. "I was the Lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you."

"Then it was you who wounded Aravis?"

"It was I."

"But what for?"

"Child," said the Voice, "I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story but his own."

"Who ARE you?" asked Shasta.

"Myself," said the Voice, very deeply and low so that the earth shook: and again, "Myself," loud and clear and gay: and then the third time, "Myself," whispered so softly you could hardly hear it, and yet it seemed to come from all around you as if the leaves rustled with it.

Shasta was no longer afraid that the Voice belonged to something that would eat him, or that it was the voice of a ghost. A new and different sort of trembling came over him. Yet he felt glad too.

~~~~~~~

I don't pretend to know why this great tragedy has befallen the Davises. All I know is that He is good, and He is terrifying, and He is safe -in my life. And, He answers to no one.

~~~~~~~

Do YOU see any resemblance?

Yvette sent me this comparison as her rationale that Rebecca and I look alike. I STILL don't see any resemblance!

In this photo I am about 22, sans any makeup; those were my 'hippie days'. Rebecca is about 28. Keep that in mind! (I think Rebecca is much prettier than I was)

Once a Chargers Fan, Always...

John (Dave's son), circa 1988

Siblings Dave, Lori, me, and Mike, circa 1980

Time to Vote Again!

The entries were paltry, but as promised, the vote is on! Cast your vote in the left-hand column...

Winner gets a $10 Starbucks card.

Turn Out the Lights; the Party's Over!

T'was a wonderful evening...thanks to all our friends and family who stopped in! (click on any photo to enlarge it)

Ecstatic Congratulations!

There's some wonderful news; Congratulations to Josh, Rebecca and, of course, Caleb! You have our prayers for a healthy and safe pregnancy.

(I'm going to need a new name. Any suggestions?)

Come On By!

(Rick on a recent "junk find")

(Soda Fountain/Chain Skirt Lamp, far right window)

We are very excited about an opportunity that has come along for us.

A local gallery, the Chartreuse Muse, has invited Rick as a featured artist (along with two others) during January and February. He will have the opportunity to show and offer for sale several Art Lamps.

The opening reception is Thursday, Jan. 17. Come on by! We'd love to see you...

~~~~~~~~

(Clarinet Lamp and Gas Jet Lamp)

(FireBox/Nozzle Lamp and three Blender Lamps)

(10K Watt Studio Bulb Lamp along wall)

(Lens Pulley Lamp, left, and Trouble Light Lamp, middle)