50th Tipton County Pork Festival

49 years ago this week the Tipton County Pork Festival was launched, and thus it is that the 50th Annual Pork Festival will be underway Thursday, September 6 and will run through Saturday evening.

This link will take you to the festival homepage where you may find the schedule and the entertainment on the docket.

[Public service announcement by String Too Short to Tie.]

 

Most Recent Thousand

 Finished this morning;   

dismantled this evening.

Jesus in Decapolis

A few months ago the Sunday lesson was taken from the account of the Master's visit to the land of the Gadarenes, or Gergesenes, as they are called in the KJV.  Review here.

Briefly, Jesus had gone to the Heights where he met the demon-possessed, cast the demons into a herd of swine and two thousand animals ran into the sea and drowned

Jesus, it seems to me, made this visit to a strange place in exhibition of this love for all people.  He came to the Gadarenes bearing healing and salvation.  But when the swineherds ran into the city to report the doings of this Jesus in the countryside, the people, the entire city, ran out to him.  Ran out to him seeking his favor?  No! They ran out to him pleading with him to leave their country forthwith.

Now why would they do that?  Loss of the swine, of course.  Those pigs were worth more to them than healing, love, salvation.

What have you in your life that you value so highly that you might ask Jesus to depart and withdraw his gifts?

Matthew 8:28-34

Honoring Mother

110 years ago today my mother, Vera L. Morrell, was born near Hartman, Colorado.  Mama left her earthly family behind 27 years ago.  We still miss her.

The first Ford Model T came off the line six weeks after Mom's birth.












The telephone of the day.



I think is is safe to say that Mother's parents had neither of these modern conveniences, situated as they were on the High Plains of Eastern Colorado.

 
Mom was married 58 years to the love of her life, my Dad, Delbert W. Lacy

A Tale of Two Men in Egypt

Then Moses called for all the leaders of Israel. He said to them, “Pick out a lamb or a young goat for your families, and kill the Passover animal.  Take the branch of a hyssop plant, dip it in the blood which is in a bowl, and put some of the blood on the top and sides of the door frames of your houses. No one may leave the house until morning,  The Lord will go throughout Egypt to kill the Egyptians. When he sees the blood on the top and sides of the door frame, he will pass over that doorway, and he will not let the destroyer come into your home to kill you. --Exodus 12:21-23 (GW)

On the afternoon of the 14th, neighbors Amos and Hezron each of whom had killed a young goat, were in the front of their houses daubing the animals' blood onto the lintels and doorposts.  Amos looked over and said, "I am so frightened; terrified, even."

"But," Hezron responded, "you are painting the blood on the door frame, even as Moses told us to do.  God promised you will be protected.  Nothing to worry about."

"I know," replied Amos, "but I have only one son, and if I should lose him I simply don't know what I would do!"

The men closed themselves with their families into their homes, ate the Passover meal just as Moses directed.  The Death Angel passed through Egypt as foretold.

Which of the two men lost a son? 

**********

Neither of them.  Both followed the Lord's directive, both were prepared.  Human emotions do not abrogate salvation.

Beauty for Ashes

The little tree that provided such springtime beauty for many years is dead.

Beauty, though, continues on.

And while I may be personally puzzled as to the way the world works, BBBH and I were able to solve this 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle!

Lincolns and More

Last week we took a little spin down to Louisburg, Kansas where we saw a large RV park out in the middle of nowhere.  Near the entry to the park was a little "strip mall' constructed in more or less Old West style, wooden buildings and so on.  A few stores occupying same but on the south end of the complex we espied a garage, front door open and a gleaming '57 Thunderbird facing the world.  We had to stop.

We got out of our car and walked over to the building.  We entered and were greeted by the owner who clearly enjoyed having visitors ogle his workmanship, for he is a quality restorer of classic cars.  The conversation enlightened us considerably.  The T-Bird he had just finished for a customer, having redone a previous restoration and correcting the problems therewith.  He declared it now "better than new" and I don't doubt it.  Here is a rather poor picture of the 'Bird, as it is severely back-lighted.

Next to the 'Bird was a '64 Lincoln Continental 4-door convertible.  I expressed considerable interest in the car as I drove a Continental for six years in the sixties and early seventies.  Mine was not a convertible.  The gentleman advised me to take a look outside at the south end of the building, as there was a completed Continental out there which he had just finished and taken out.

Next to this Lincoln was a '65 Mustang, a marque which I also owned.  I bought mine new in1965.

This is what we saw out under the trees, my old heart-throb!  Isn't she beautiful?

Why?

I am a fan of air conditioning.  Willis Carrier is my hero.  Yet I ask "Why?" is this wonderful convenience so often and so severely abused?  This is primarily in reference to public spaces.  How you use your unit in your own home  or in your automobile is  your business.  Enjoy.  But it is essential, at least in the Midwest where summer temperatures typically hover in the nineties that one carry a jacket or sweat shirt with him if he is planning a foray into a restaurant or public office.

Following a number of wonderful days in Kansas where the temperatures were often in the low nineties we headed homeward.  Typical Midwestern day, we stopped in Springfield, Illinois for an evening repast.  We were seated eight feet, literally eight feet, from the device pictured here.  Observe that  it is set calling for 70^oF and that the thermometer component records 70^oF.  I had to get up, go outside in the ninety degree heat, walk to my vehicle and get a jacket so that I could partake of my meal.  Hands were still cold, but my heart kept beating.