Tuesday, November 30, 2010

True Gall

Who, in his warped and delusional mind thought that Jeff Bridges could reprise John Wayne's role as Rooster Cogburn? Who, for that matter, is Hailee Steinfeld and why does she get to be Mattie in Kim Darby's role?

Perhaps for Peoria Playhouse Community Players, but give me a break. Some people will do anything for a buck.

Monday, November 29, 2010

STSTT, Comments Appreciated

"String Too Short to Tie" is running into its third year. We have a handful of faithful readers and some of them are faithful commenters. I appreciate the feedback. Not everyone agrees with every opinion I express, and that's a good thing. But I'm gratified that some agree with some of them.

In addition to the blogs of those who are my frequent commenters, I read several blogs that are so wildly popular that an occasional note from the author is noted with pleasure. A few of these would be Pearl from "Pearl, Why You Little;" Jon from "Stuff Christians Like;" Matt from "The Church of No People;" JennyMac from "Let's Have a Cocktail;" Jana from "The Meanest Mom."

The very first commenter in October 2008 was "Vee." Vee is not a blogger, but she is my sister and a faithful reader of STSTT. A few days later Mikki of "Here's What Let's Do" entered a note. Her Uncle Chuck of "Secondary Roads" joined in February of 2009. He was the first to grant an award to STSTT, and he is one of the most faithful followers. We have a lot in common (We're both of a "certain age" though he can't quite catch up with me.)

Candace Jean of "Steele the Day" was third in line and Hoosier Reborn a.k.a. Kurt started leaving comments. Stacy from Louisville followed so long as she was blogging, but she "caved to twitter." Elizabeth of "The Big Red Couch" leaves witty and thoughtful comments. Though she resides in Texas, she is a hometown girl.

Lin, author of "Duck and Wheel with String" joined my party in June of '09 and has been a regular ever since. I so enjoy the give and take via our posts and comments.

These people, too, are fairly regular readers/commenters.

Bob, who is not a blogger but who is a faithful reader. He sends lots of good stuff via email.

Grace of "Hugz Before You Go" lives in Filthadelphia and is a great commenter. Great blogger, too.

Ramblin' Man a.k.a Ken who is my youngest offspring.

Silver of "Reflections" who lives somewhere on the other side of the Pacific. She is a great writer, thinker and commenter.

Marydon of "Blushing Rose" posts beautiful pictures and prose for our entertainment.

Andrea who does "Arise 2Write" and "All God's Creatures" is a prayer warrior and seriously she will pray for you if you so request.

Sharkbytes, or Shark for short, runs more blogs than I can keep track of, and does it well. I regularly read "Off the Sanctuary Wall" and "My Quality Day."

Jimgrey writes "Down the Road" posting every Monday and Thursday.

Shinade, a.k.a. Jackie of "The Painted Veil" great photographer and Oklahoma blogger.

Rebecca Mecomber is the pen name of Upstate New Yorker who writes "New York Traveler" and several other blogs.

These are the people who are the most frequent commenters on my space, and thus I suppose they are my faithful readers. I appreciate anyone who takes the time to "hit" my blog, and I certainly enjoy reading after these people whom I have listed here. I know I have not included everyone. Didn't leave you out because you're not appreciated, but rather because of my limited ability to complete anything.

I deliberately have not included links, because it would be 1) a formidable task, and 2) fairly easy for anyone who wants to find these blogs to "look them up" on Google.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Praise the Lord!




1 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.


2 Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.


3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Did You Survive It?

Oooh, oh! Oww. You went shopping on Black Friday. Now you are exhausted, hurting and broke.

That warm epsom salts bath in which your feet have been soaking has cooled to tepid. Time to swing your feet up into this warm, cuddly terry towel so that I can dry and massage those aching appendages. There. Pulling down the toes, thumb pressing the metatarsal; toes back up, ah! ouch. That hurts so good. Rub in a little witch hazel.

Don't get too excited. If you can't get your hubs to do this for you, you can do it yourself. But don't be thinking "How the heck am I going to pay for all that stuff that went on the plastic today?" And never question whether the choice for Aunt Mabel was just right.

It's only twenty-eight days until Christmas, and you have things to do. Wow, do you have things to do. It boggles the mind. But tomorrow is soon enough to get started. Rest a bit now!

Friday, November 26, 2010

Black Friday


Dozens, yea thousands, are in the malls and other stores as this article goes up on blogger. I am not one of them. I wish no one anything but the best, but the shopping mania known as "Black Friday" has zero appeal for me. May corporate America put their books in the "black". It is sincerely to be hoped. Yet, too, to be hoped, is that you don't put yourself into the red. Yet many of you will do so. I suppose that most people have to reach a "certain age" before grasping the rudiments of balance between things and relationships. Many never reach that point, and those of us who do, I suspect, are regarded as either weird or too old to be of any use to anyone.

Well, enjoy yourselves. Enjoy your things. Enjoy the juggling of the bills and the decision-making with regard to which things will enhance what relationships. For myself, I will enjoy the comfort and warmth of my home, probably read a bit, perhaps catch a few minutes of the madness via the tube, just so that I have a visual validation of my smug attitude toward the whole thing.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving

Last year the turkey that accompanied our Thanksgiving greeting was adjudged by some to be too scrawny to feed the crowd. So this year we endeavored to find a plumper bird. Although we have been successful in this, we fear this fierce looking Tom may be in no mood to cooperate. In fact, we are skeered. The invitation to come on over stands, but perhaps there will be tofurkey on the menu this year!

Whatever your blessings, and we have many, be truly grateful and offer thanks unto the Lord, the provider of all good things.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Where is the Harvest Now?


Last week, we showed a view of The County now that the crops are in.
Here's where the grain went. Cars can't keep up with the intake, so it winds up on the ground. Well, now that the shrink-wrap industry has developed a "better way" the corn and beans don't have to lie exposed to the rain! Or s^*w.

This facility is on the east edge of town.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Thanksgiving!

BBBH spent three days in the kitchen preparing dinner for Sunday. And I hepped. We invited her children for an early Thanksgiving celebration. Four of Jo's children, with their spouses, and one grandchild, Alex, came to the feast. They all brought comestibles as well. Alex is the youngest of our grandchildren, and since all the rest are adults, he is the only one who was invited this time.

Alex's Aunt Shari brought her two little dogs, which together weigh about six pounds. Here's Alex with either Kenya or Tanzy. I can tell them apart when I see them together. They are litter-mates, "designer" dogs, Maltese x Shih-Tzu, or however that's spelled.

To say we all ate way too much is an understatement; and to say a good time was had by all is pretty accurate!

Our household extends to your household these wishes for a wonderful week: Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by Picasa

Sunday, November 21, 2010

from Psalm 95

O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.

The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.

O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.

For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Every Day is Someone's Birthday

Today is US Veep's birthday. He's 68.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Wizardry on Potomac

We don't raise taxes = tax cut

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Crops are In


BBBH and I took a nice scooter ride through the surrounding countryside one gorgeous fall day last week. The farmers have completed the harvest, and many of them have laid down this preparation for next spring.



This snap shows our courthouse from about two miles away.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Living Room Tables

Sunday I posted on "Retrotechnocracy" a verbal description of the tables in our living room. Since I do not post pictures on that blog, I decided to show these tables here.

1. the gate-leg 2. Dad's table 3. detail Dad's table
4. the pie-crust 5. the drop-leaf 6. the library table
7. the horizontal file cabinet 8. sewing cabinet 9. my end-table
If you did not read Matt's post yesterday, do it now.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Petula

Her very successful career in Europe led to the recording of "Downtown" which hit #1 on the charts in the US and the sale of over three million copies. She subsequently posted 15 hits in the Top 40. Petula Clark has been called the "Queen of the British Invasion."



Petula Clark was born in Epsom, England, November 15, 1932. Happy Birthday, Miss Clark.

Every American should read this blogpost by Matt. Nothing to do with today's music post.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

The Love of God




The Love of God, by Frederick M. Lehman, 1917.

1. The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

* Refrain:
Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

2. When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

3. Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

I'm Not Funny

I cancelled yesterday's post because upon reflection and a last-minute rereading I realized that whereas I intended it to be funny, it was just pathetic. Puerile. Lame. Juvenile.

There are several humorous bloggers on my to-read list. They make me laugh. They make me wish I could make you laugh. But here's the thing. While I have a sense of humor and very much enjoy reading funny stuff, I am not a funny writer. It looks so easy, too, when one is reading Pearl, or Jon, or Jana, or JennyMac. Leigh is funny, and so is Crotchety.
But I'm not funny.

Still, I enjoy funny.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Apologies

I had a post ready to go up. Decided against it, hence this "blank" page. My apologies. You may thank me for not wasting your time.

Have a wonderful weekend, wherever you may be!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Owl and Panther

`I passed by his garden, and marked, with one eye,
How the Owl and the Panther were sharing a pie--'

The Panther took pie-crust, and gravy, and meat,
While the Owl had the dish as its share of the treat.
When the pie was all finished, the Owl, as a boon,
Was kindly permitted to pocket the spoon:
While the Panther received knife and fork with a growl,
And concluded the banquet--

Mock Turtle: "the most confusing thing I ever heard." *
from Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

*Can't you just hear Groucho deliver that line?



Tuesday, November 9, 2010

The Maharajah and the Coconuts

This blog is not political in nature, and I pretty much keep my political opinions to myself. For the most part. Sort of. Sometimes.

But, I have read from more than one source that the trip of King Barack and Dancing Queen Michelle to India is costing two hundred million dollars a day. Can that be right?
 I don't mean the calculation, I mean, Can that be right?


I once heard about a lady in a Bible study class who responded to the question, "How many children did Solomon have?" The question was asked in conjunction with the biblical statement concerning the number of wives and concubines the man had. Her response? "Why, why-- it staggers the imagination!"


The costs of this current tour to the Asian subcontinent is infinitely more staggering. Wonder what the return on the investment will be. Too bad they picked the coconuts. The odds are small anyway, and think of the excitement it might have engendered.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Super Powers

On the other hand, some of us are not still young, Marcus. In point of fact, we despair of ever achieving super power status. It is sufficient to be able to rise, shower and dress; to then place one foot after the other, to find the coffee pot and a mug. Fly? I think not. In the dreams and fantasies of our youth, we moved the earth, we conquered worlds. We are fortunate indeed to have lived a life in which we did not provide serious impediment to the progress of society. "Lead, follow, or get out of the way". Some of us exercised sufficient "powers" to stay out of the way.

We, too, merit recognition.

Cartoon: Foxtrot by Bill Amend

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Semantics

`Then you should say what you mean,' the March Hare went on.

`I do,' Alice hastily replied; `at least--at least I mean what I say--that's the same thing, you know.'

`Not the same thing a bit!' said the Hatter. `You might just as well say that "I see what I eat" is the same thing as "I eat what I see"!'

`You might just as well say,' added the March Hare, `that "I like what I get" is the same thing as "I get what I like"!'

`You might just as well say,' added the Dormouse, who seemed to be talking in his sleep, `that "I breathe when I sleep" is the same thing as "I sleep when I breathe"!'

`It is the same thing with you,' said the Hatter, and here the conversation dropped, and the party sat silent for a minute, while Alice thought over all she could remember about ravens and writing-desks, which wasn't much.

Charles Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll

Let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. --The Epistle of St. James 5:12

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Grrrr!



















Seriously, not enough precip to hurt anyone. But it's the idea, a precursor of things to come. (First snowfall, 05NOV10)

Edsel Ford

It is a sad irony that Edsel Ford, after whom the famed automotive flop was named, had nothing to do with the design, manufacture or introduction of this behemoth in 1958 that insured that the term "Edsel" became a synonym for "flop". Mr. Ford, in fact, had served as president of the Ford Motor Company for nearly a quarter century. He was responsible for the design and introduction of the Model A which supplanted the famed Model T. This marque sold over four million units during its four year run.

Edsel Ford was also responsible for bringing Lincoln into the Ford fold, and was the principal force in the design of the Continental. He is credited with many other achievements during his tenure as president. He succumbed to cancer in 1943.

My late wife's brother-in-law was one of the first to own a 1958 Edsel Citation. It was a boat!


Edsel Bryant Ford, November 6, 1893 – May 26, 1943 RIP

Friday, November 5, 2010

Bonfire Night

November 5, 1605. In the cellar under the House of Lords, Parliament, London, Guy Fawkes was discovered with 36 barrels of gunpowder. Purpose, to blow up parliament and possibly kill King James I along with many others. Rationale, the king was not lenient enough in allowing catholics freedom to worship as they saw fit.

Fawkes was but one of thirteen conspirators, but his capture assured the ultimate disclosure of the plot and the demise of all participants in the plot. Gruesome tale.

November 5 is celebrated as "Bonfire Night." Some British wags question to this day whether this is a celebration of the capture of Fawkes and the foiling of the plot, or is it a commemoration of the correctness of the notion that the government should be blown up.

Much has been written about this fascinating bit of British history. Here is an excellent source of information.
Image: Bonfire Night blaze, BBC
Double-header today. Scroll down for an honor post.

Sparky Anderson

"Talent makes the manager. You get all the talent out of your players that you can. That’s all that managing is. Getting every ounce out of them that you can. Tony LaRussa and Bobby Cox, I marvel at them. They’re really good. They get the most out of their talent, year after year after year."

Sparky could have been talking about himself, but of course he named others whom he admired.



George Lee "Sparky" Anderson, February 22, 1934 – November 4, 2010 RIP


Thursday, November 4, 2010

There's No Place Like Home

On our next-to -last day out, we drove through "Dorothy country" and hence the title is appropriate on more than one level.
We arrived home from a wonderful vacation experience. Who am I kidding? We are always on vacation! This particular trip encompassed six days on the road and a seven-day visit with my sister and her husband in Colorado Springs.

I had the privilege of spending part of a morning with my old friend, WJ Brown. This gentleman is a friend from the time I was a boy. He is a few years older than I and someone I have always admired. He has never disappointed me, for he is a gentleman of true Christian character.

Serendipity lent a twist to the vacation that I had not anticipated. One evening while at Vee's house, a neighbor hand delivered an invitation to an open house to be held a week or so later. I glanced at the name on the card, which was lying on a counter, and recognized the man's name as that of a fellow inmate student at Colorado Springs High School nigh onto sixty years ago, a person I had not seen nor heard from since graduation. I called him. It was my classmate. He invited me to meet with him and a group of fellow-alumni who get together about once a month. I accepted the invitation, and on Wednesday evening he and his wife took me to the party. What fun! I reconnected with several guys whom I remembered and met a few I did not remember. (It was a large school, 422 in our graduating class.) Thanks Fred and Mary Jane.

Back to the theme: No place like home. As it turns out, I was not well during a large part of the trip, but convinced each moment that I would be better the next. Now that I am home, I am so glad, for my physician's office is just a short distance away, and I feel much worse.

(I hate to be a drag, introducing such a downer into the conversation, but veritas vincit.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Sunrise over Kansas

Though we did not typically get a really early start each morning on our trip, thanks to the time of year and daylight savings time, we were well on the road before the sun came up. This was the sunrise as seen from the highway in central Kansas. We were treated to a spectacle!
Later this same day, we drove through the Flint Hills. BBBH was literally in awe of the magnificence of the scenery. And so was I. Such comments as "stunning" and "Why don't people talk about how gorgeous Kansas really is?" were passed back and forth between us as we drank in the beauty of this tall grass prairie.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

LV 22 = Moving Van

Cliched though it may be, it is true that all good things come to an end. One's fondest hope is that the end of one good run is but the beginning of an even better one.

Over the past six years, we have elevated ourselves to the point that we are able to rent a moving van, and thus we do not have to rely on borrowing a farm truck. So the truck is backed up to the front porch steps and the loading process gets underway. Our possessions are not sufficient in bulk to require a second trip, especially since we are able to get our clothing into the trunk of the automobile. We are leaving Loonville behind to take up residence in Perfect.

The attempt to find a rental property in our new "hometown" led to a certain degree of frustration. The real tooth-grinder was the following conversation on the telephone.

Runner of the Newspaper Ad (Hereafter designated "RNA"): Hello!

I: Good morning. My name is Vanilla (or perhaps I used my real name) and we are planning to move into this community. I understand you have a house to rent.

RNA: Yes, sir, I have. May I ask what you do for a living?

I: I am a teacher and I have been hired by your local school board to teach math at the junior high school.

RNA: I see. Well, Vanilla, this house is located on Green Street, which is a pretty desirable location. Teachers tend to be transient and unreliable, so I think I shall have to let the place to someone else. But thank you for calling.

I wish I were making this up. But sometimes the most aggravating experiences are blessings in disguise-- deep disguise sometimes, as in this case. We did find a suitable place-- less than a block from Green Street. As it turned out, we eventually bought the house and lived in it for twenty-two years. Then they let me move to Green Street.

Loonville faded into the distance in the rear view mirrors as the vehicle smoothly cruised between the walls of corn on either side of the road. We were moving ahead, forward into the Perfect phase of our lives. This is Perfect!


© 2010 David W. Lacy

Monday, November 1, 2010

All Saints Day-- STSTT #700

This day, November 1, is a solemn day to celebrate and honor all saints, both known and unknown. The night before a feast day is a vigil in anticipation of the day, and is commonly referred to as the eve of the holiday. The Eve of All Saints Day is popularly known as Halloween and has come to be celebrated in much greater enthusiasm than is the feast day itself.

In America, and I won't attempt to speak for the rest of the world, Halloween has become a very big deal, celebrated by many as a favorite holiday. In popular culture it seems to have become so completely divorced from its origins that scarce there be a soul left who understands the religious significance of the day.

Happy Feast Day.