Monday, June 30, 2008

More about me

Saying for the day: If they give you ruled paper, write the other way. ~Juan Ramon Jimenez

It is Monday and time to share a bit of me in a meme.
This meme is the result of a tag by Quilly.
I love memes but hate tags.
That may tell you more about me than the meme.

Two Names You Go By:
1.) Dr. John
2.) Grandpa

Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
1.) nightshirt
2.) glasses

Two Of Your Favorite Things:
1.) my 0 scale train layout
2.) my camera

Two Things You Want Very Badly At The Moment:
1.) A barrel with dirt for the clematis
2.) Better lungs

Two Favorite Pets You Have Or Had:
1.) Hessa
2.) BoBo

Two Things You Did Last Night:
1.) read
2.) watched Law and Order CI

Two Things You Ate Last Night:
1.) Piece of apple pie and ice cream
2.) Activia

Two People You Last Talked To:
1.) Pennie
2.) Betty

Two Things You Are Doing Tomorrow:
1.) blogging
2.) working on the layout

Two of Farthest Trips Taken In The Last 5 Years:
1.) from Neenah to Milwaukee
2.) from Crystal Falls to Neenah

Two Favorite Holidays:
1.) Christmas
2.) Easter

Two Favorite Beverages:
1.) Diet Dr. Pepper
2.) Diet Pepsi

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal . The whale was back yesterday afternoon. There was no orange paint on its back. Now Tommy UK doesn’t know if it is the same whale and the paint , which should have lasted two or three days, somehow came off or if there is more than one whale in the lake. He still thinks this might be the same whale that is being seen at Kootenay Lake. He is basing that on the driblet and on the fact that the whale in the Lake of the Loons never appears at the same time as the whale on Kootenay Lake. At first he thought there must be some kind of underground river between the Lake of the Loons and Kootenay Lake. But no whale could swim that fast over that distance so something else has to be at work here. Not only is it a mystery how a whale shows up in the Lake of the Loons but how is it transported from one lake to the other, if that’s what’s happening. Tommy UK loves a mystery.
The Tommy Club and Tammy continue to try to discover the secret of the white rabbit which hasn’t been seen since their investigation began. She thinks it is because whoever is behind the hoax is afraid of being caught so he is keeping it hidden for the moment. Tommy UK told here there have often been long period between sightings and the two things probably aren’t related at all.
Mayor Trumble announced that the Blue Notes Drum and Bugle Corp from Ishpeming will play in the fourth of July parade this year. Every other year they have had only the Liar’s Club 65 piece band but this year one of the three members has to be out of town on the 4th. The Blue Notes are left over from a time when almost every UP town including Pigeon Falls had a drum and bugle corps. Those were the good old days. In addition to the usual parade there will be a big picnic out at the Lake of the Loons and a massive display of fireworks.
******

Today's Link-Retail Hell Underground- One weird blog
It was a good day until now. I did some blogging, left some comments, did some reading, watched a little television. My sister Dawn called and told me what's going on in the rest of the family. Then I went to close this blog with a picture. Blogger wouldn't let me. I fooled around for an hour. I have given up and now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Sunday, June 29, 2008

I can not not believe

Saying for the day: He does not believe who does not live according to his belief. ~Thomas Fuller

Why do I believe in Jesus?

Some people believe in Jesus because they want to go to Heaven.
That seems reasonable.
Heaven sounds like a nice place to go.
But that’s not why I believe.

Some people believe in Jesus because they want to stay out of Hell.
That seems reasonable.
Hell doesn’t sound like a nice place to go.
But that’s not why I believe.

Some people believe in Jesus because they want to impress other people.
That sounds reasonable.
It is good to have people think highly of you.
But that’s not why I believe.

Some people believe in Jesus because ma or pa or grandma or grandpa believed.
That seems reasonable.
It is good to follow after those you love.
But that’s not why I believe.

I don’t think much about Heaven or Hell.
I’m not afraid of dying.
I don’t care what people think . I never have.
I loved my grandparents and my parents but their faith was their faith.

I believe in Jesus because
Long ago now
When I was lost, scared, and confused.
When I was sure there was no God and the world made no sense at all.
Jesus put his arms around me and said
“ John I love you”.

From that time on unfaith was not an option.
I could no longer not believe.
I had felt His love and His pain.
I knew what that love cost.
Unfaith was not an option.

Rebellion was an option.
Running was an option.
But to avoid the cross the world had for me I had to turn my back on the joy.
For in Him was a joy and a peace the world could not ever give me.
Unfaith was not an option.

So I have spent my life sharing that joy with as many people as possible.
I have rejoiced as some responded.
I have cried as others turned away.
I know what He has to give.
I know how much He loves .
Unfaith is not an option.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal . Nancy and Tommy TW spent the second day of their vacation boating on Kootenay Lake. The tour boat leader gave them a history of the area and pointed out significant parts of it’s history like the cherry grooves. Then without any warning there was a whale swimming alongside the boat. They could have reached out and touched it. It swam alongside for almost a half an hour.
Tommy UK called Nancy last night. His father has Vonage and it costs him nothing extra to call anywhere in the United States or Canada. He asked Nancy about the whale she saw. He was very disappointed to discover that it had no orange spot. He was so sure it was the same whale. It just fit the driblet so nicely.
Today Tommy UK is the acolyte at Last Lutheran Church. He will light the candles, handle the offering plates, and assist at Communion. Tommy UK takes this responsibility very seriously, most of the time. He does enjoy Pastor Joan’s preaching.
Bonnie McGregor was in Church this morning. This made Pastor Joan a bit nervous. Seminary never taught her anything about delivering babies. She felt better when she saw that Nurse Practitioner Mrs. Koski was in Church as well.
******

Today's Link-Lemonholm- A look at Hell
Woops! I almost forgot to give the real fact from yesterdays list. It is number fifteen. The paper airplanes are to be made of a special chemically treated paper that can withstand 400 degree temperatures.
Is was a kind of sad day. Pastor Seim who has been our Pastor for a year preached his last sermon with us. Our new full time Pastor is coming in the middle of July. Pastror Seim was a good preacher and a very nice person. After church we went grocery shopping. Then I worked on St. Mark's website. I could not get the last hymn of the day which was God Be With You Till we Meet Again to play in the background. The code I used for this blog did not work on the website. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA
Pastor Seim-

Labels:

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Real Facts Again

Saying for the day: A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. ~Douglas Adams

Today I perform my weekly public service. I give you fifteen internet facts . These are things that you can astonish your friends with. Of the fifteen “facts” one is a “real fact”. Past real facts have included the Mona Lisa has no eyebrows , Jimmy Carter was the first US. President to be born in a hospital., the original name of Bank of America was Bank of Italy, Gatorade was developed in Florida, the simplest and most popular cosmological model predicts that you have a twin in a galaxy about 10 to 10 to the 28 meters from here, the original Celsius scale had boiling at 0 and freezing at 100, and a rampant Rhino tried to mate with a Renault Laguna in a British Safari Park.

. . But the facts I make up could be true. I am a really good maker upper. In any case you can tell your friends “ It must be true because I read it on the internet. Today’s list:

1. In 1899 Wisconsin was the first state to pass a compressive horse protection act.

2. The first “ Annual International Paper Airplane Contest” took place in London England in 1963. It was won by a fifteen year old American.

3. The oldest Lutheran Church building in America still being used for worship is in Crosslake, Minnesota.

4. The first Lutheran Church to be built in America was built in 1756. It is now a museum

5. Popular Science Magazine is a merge of “ House of Science“ and “ Science for Everybody“.

6. The largest Northern Pike ever caught weighed one hundred twenty two pounds and was six feet long..

7. Under the Wisconsin Horse Protection Act it was illegal to leave a horse outside if the temperature was below zero Fahrenheit.

8. Oranges are not native to Florida but were brought by the Spanish explorers.

9. The inventor of the jet plane got the idea from watching balloons fly when you filled them and left go without tying them off.

10. An old pulpit supposedly used by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright sold on eBay for eleven thousand dollars.

11. The pygmy orchid found only in the jungles of Brazil is the rarest flower in the world.

12. Other than man only horses can see colors. All other animals see shades of gray.

13. Most Lionel trains are now built in Mexico.

14. The highest recorded jump by an elephant is one foot seven inches.

15. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, has pledged $300,000 to pay for the flying of one hundred paper airplanes from the International Space Shuttle back to earth.

There you have our fifteen internet facts. One is for sure true. The others could be because I make up good stuff. Can you pick out the “ real fact”.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal . Yesterday Nancy and Tommy TW saw Kootenay
Lake for the first time. It was so much bigger than the Lake of the Loons that it almost took their breath away. That’s when they saw the whale. Regardless of what Sergeant York said it was a real whale. Nancy had been on an ocean cruise and had seen whales and this was a whale. Then it dove and was gone.
Back at Pigeon Falls Tommy UK had the Tommy Club stop chasing rabbits for the day and join him in a project. He wanted to be sure that the whale they saw was the same whale every time. So he got a paintball gun and filled it with special paint balls that would leave a bright orange stain on the whale that would last for several days. He assured the Club it would not be harmful to the whale. So they had waited yesterday afternoon until the whale surfaced and then shot it. The paint ball broke on the back of the whale leaving a big orange circle. The whale didn’t even seem to notice. After a time disappeared under the water. Tommy and the Tommy Club will be back to check again tomorrow.
Yesterday saw several more people try the Liar’s Club local contest. Their scores were so low their stories won’t be printed here. Where have all the great Liar’s gone?
Buddy East reminded the members of the July 20th deadline on the internet contest. So far there are only two entries. But those two entries are better than most of the local stories they are hearing.
The House funeral will be held Tuesday at Last Lutheran. Burial will follow in the old cemetery next to her father and mother.
*****

Today's Link-The Swan Speaks- She won a writer's contest
The one "real fact" will be revealed tomorrow . I had a great day today. I spent the morning reading. Then we left The fortress. We went to Stein's. What a joy. So many flowers. We didn't buy any but just riding my scooter through them was fun. After that we went to Jo Ann's Fabrics so Betty and Pennie could load up on sale items as that store was moving. I was bored but the ladies have to have some fun. Then we went to Blueberry Hill for luch and I had the world's worst waffle. From there to Barnes and Noble. Then back home. I went back to reading and finished the fourth book in my summer reading. Just one left to go. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA
Betty's niece, niece's husband, and new baby.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Saying for the day:Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant. ~Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus), Satires

We are threatened by Global Warming on the one hand and dependence on foreign oil on the other. Our economy is a shambles. Gas is up to $4.00 a gallon. Congress is too busy playing politics.
Never fear Mighty Mouse is here.
Ever week Mighty Mouse won a battle but every week there was a new battle to fight. Winning one battle helped save the day but it was never enough.
That’s the way it is on the energy front. We are winning battles but they only cut into and don’t solve the problem. But then every little bit helps.
The good news I have for you today is not about an experimental way of creating energy. It is in use already in several places in the world and in the next few years it will be much more widely used. Mighty Mouse is here.
Today’s break through , big city busses powered by biogas.
This is what Popular Science says of biogas:
“There isn’t enough biogas to power every car on the road, but it could replace nonrenewable, polluting fuels such as diesel for mass transportation. And unlike natural gas extracted from deep wells, biogas does not make a net contribution to greenhouse-gas emissions because it doesn’t release carbon trapped in fossil deposits.”
Biogas is created from sewage, crop stubble, and restaurant leftovers. Bacteria break down the organic waste and after purification it is compressed. It can then be used to run vehicles.
Though there is not enough potential biogas to run all the cars it could run all the city buses and make a significant dent in the amount of oil needed..
This is not a future dream as cities in Europe are already using biogas for public transportation. The city of Linköping in Sweden runs its entire bus fleet and its commuter train on biogas .
Already in the United States the city of Eugene, Oregon. Is planning on converting its entire bus fleet to biogas.
With gasoline at $4.00 a gallon other cities are bound to follow suit. As they do the need for oil will decrease.
That’s good news. And it’s here now.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal . Nancy and Tommy TW are tired this morning. They arrived in Kaslo yesterday afternoon after a very enjoyable train ride. Nancy’s relatives and friends had a welcoming party for them last night. Sergeant York the RCMP without a horse was there. He enthralled everybody with stories of the Mounties. Tommy TW even took some notes thinking it might help in breaking his writer’s block.
Today Nancy’s relatives are taking her on a tour of Lakeside Park including a ride on the streetcar. They will get to see Kootenay Lake and hear something of it’s history. They even have a stop planned at the community of Yaqan Yukiy, translated as “the place where the rock is standing.” It is the center of research into the origin of the local Indians. In any case a full day is planned.
Back in Pigeon Falls Tommy UK continues studying driblet 49 and doing some internet searches while Tammy and the Tommy Club continue in their effort to show that the White Rabbit is a hoax. It is possible, of course, for both of them to be right. That is the driblet may have meaning and the white rabbit could be a hoax. In any case both are working hard.
It is almost time for Bonnie McGregor to have her twins and so Mrs. Koski, the nurse practitioner is looking in on her every other day. Once a week she is coming in to the clinic and ol Doc Simpson is checking as well. Everything seems to be on schedule. We do have the driblet that may apply to her as well.
Miss. Althea House died in Chicago . Her funeral will be in Pigeon Falls. She was very wealthy and the rumor is that Last Lutheran will get a good share of that money but that is at the moment only a rumor. She will have a splendid funeral, the rich always do. Pastor Joan has been asked to officiate. The House fortune was accumulated by her father the lumber baron , Herman House.He was an uncle of the now famous Dr. House.
******

Today's Link-Humble Origins- Check out wednesday's Smile
A very good day. I left the Fortress in the morning and got a haircut. Now I no longer look like a sheep dog.In the afternoon I put this coming Sunday's bulletin on the St. Mark's website. My sister Dawn called. Then I finished the third of the five books I had planned on reading this summer. They aren't going to be enough. I watch an hour of NCIS and then visited most of my blog links paying close attention to those that left comments on mine. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Tim and the

Saying for the day: We call them faerie. We don't believe in them. Our loss. ~Charles de Lint

Thursday has come upon us again and it is time for another fantastic, great, unbelievable Elf Tale. However, lacking one of those you will have to put up with one of mine. Which begins , as all good elf tales should:
Once upon a time, a long time ago now, before television, before computers, even before most homes had radio , in a land out there somewhere in the poorest part of this country there lived a little boy. His name was Timothy Muy Pobre but we will just call him Tim.
When Tim was three years old his father went out to get some ice cream for his birthday party and never came back. He took with him the family car. Neither his father or the car were ever seen again. But his mother always set an extra place at the family table expecting him to return.
So Tim lived alone with his mother on the edge of a dreary little town .They had a small house with only four rooms if you didn’t count the bathroom and nobody counts the bathroom. In this case that was fully proper because the bathroom consisted of an outhouse just beyond the garden and a large metal tub that Tim took a bath in every Friday. There were two small bedrooms, an all purpose room, and a kitchen with a wonderful, old wood stove. There was also a half basement below the kitchen.
To say that Tim and his mother were poor would be to understate their condition. They survived because they had a large garden and because Mrs. Pobre cleaned houses for the few people in town that had money. In the garden they grew carrots, peas, beans, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and even a small watermelon. In season Tim picked blueberries and strawberries. His mother canned everything and stored it in the half basement which carried them through the winter. The other things they needed and the property taxes were paid with what she earned cleaning. It was not a great life but they survived.
It had not always been so for Tim’ s mother. She had been born a Lincoln of the Copper King Lincolns. She had servants and anything she wanted. The good life was hers . But then she fell in love with Emanel Pobre who at that time was their gardener. Her family told her it had to end or they would disown her but she married him anyway and they did. They also made sure he would never work again in Calumet again. Thus having no other choice our two lovebirds put all their belongings in the old car and moved far away. She never contacted her parents again.
So being poor was very hard on Tim’s mother. But she did the best she could to give Tim a good life. When he was little she read to him every night from their one treasure a first edition of “ Jack and the Beanstalk” which her grandmother had given her. It was her only contact with the old life. She read the story to Tim so many times that he knew the story by heart. He dreamed of getting some magic seeds and delivering his mother from poverty. He knew just where he would plant the seeds.
There were problems with his dream, of course. They had no cow and there was no market where he could sell the cow if he had one. So he dreamed that some stranger would give him the seeds in exchange for a dozen eggs from the hen house. They did have some hens. But the years went buy and the stranger never came.
While he was waiting Tim was a helpful boy. He helped his neighbor harvest her apples and didn’t ask for any money. She was so happy that she gave him a bag of apples. That night they had apple pie.
He helped his other neighbor pick her cherries and took no money for the service. She gave him a bag of cherries. That night they had cherry pie.
All of his neighbors loved Tim because he was so kind and helpful.
But Tim continued to dream of magic seeds. He even planned what to put in his backpack when he started up the beanstalk and what he would say to the wife of the Giant. His mother continued to dream of the return of his father.
Then one day after he had been very helpful to a cranky old man who gave him nothing he was on his way home when the little man in the green suit with the funny curly toed shoes suddenly walked alongside him. The little man did the usual explanation which ended with Tim getting one wish. Without even thinking, the worst possible way to wish, Tim wished for some magic seeds.
“as you have wished so shall it be” said the elf.
There was a flash of light and Tim found himself walking alone clutching five very large seeds. He rushed home and planted one of them. He could hardly sleep that night.
In the morning the beanstalk had begun to grow but it wasn’t very tall. You see in the real world magic beans don’t grow as fast as they do in fairy tales. So poor Tim had to wait as day by day the beanstalk grew. It took a full month of pure agony for Tim for the beanstalk to reach the point where it seemed to disappear into a hole in the sky.
Then Tim began to climb.
To be continued.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal . Despite whales and white rabbits life goes on in Pigeon Falls and yesterday Robert Maki got his turn at the local Lion’s Club contest, the one that is vocal instead of written. Here is his entry:
The other day I was home alone at the farm, my wife having gone to visit her mother, when there was a knock on the front door. Well nobody uses my front door except those pesky religious people and I wasn’t in any mood for the end of the world so I went fully prepared to tell them to get lost . But when I opened the door there was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen and I swear her clothes gave out a bright white light of their own. For a moment I thought I had died and this was an angel sent to get me.
“Are you an angel?”, I asked.
“Heavens no!” she said “ I’m a witch”.
“There are no witches “ I said. “ That’s all nonsense. Besides if you were a witch you would be all dressed in black and have claw like fingers”
She started to laugh and laugh and then suddenly broke in to tears. It seems she was a white witch like Glenda in the Wizard of Oz. She was involved in a battle between good and evil and she had a problem. It seems she drew her strength from people believing in her like Tinker Bell in Peter Pan and people just didn’t believe in witches any more. They believe in science. She used to have hundreds and thousands of believers but not anymore. Now as her strength failed evil was beginning to win. You could see it everywhere. Children were no longer respectful, drive by shootings, tomatoes that made you sick, whales in the wrong place, the list was endless. Again she burst into tears.
So from the once mighty white witch she was now reduced to going door to door and begging people to believe in her. She was there to beg me to believe in her.
“ I’d like to “, I said, “ But could you show me something witchy that proves you’re a witch”
She waved her little hand and their on my front step appeared a large kettle of chicken soup. I’m telling you I never saw anything like it. She waved her hand again and it was gone.
So I decided to believe. You would have too.
So I am here today to ask you to believe in her. Her name is Amanda , the good witch.
Now if you don’t think the story is true or if you don’t want to believe. She left me a supply of her cards and there is one for each of you. You will notice she has her own web page.
He got two tens, four nines, and an eight or a 9.3 average. . ( A rough group of judges) He should make the finals.
****

Today's Link-More Reverberation-On quickly getting rid of junk
Great day. The oxygen was back up into the low normal range so I spent the day without having to haul oxygen bottles. ( Any day without an oxygen bottle is a great day.) In the morning I brought the elf tales and Petrovich's websites up to date. That took a bit of time because I had let them go for a while. Then I spent most of the afternoon reading.I was going to go get a haircut but we were waiting for a man from the gas company who never came. Then I did a little blogging and some research for tomorrow's blog. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

King Arthur and the Round

Saying for the day- The smallest bookstore still contains more ideas of worth than have been presented in the entire history of television. ~Andrew Ross

I have finished the first of the five books I intend to read this summer, “ The Once and Future King” by T. H. White.
If you are looking for a book with dragons, a Griffith, fairies, witches, knights in shining armor, wizards, great battles, and King Arthur and the Round Table then this book has all of those. But the dragons are too small, and nothing is as one would expect it to be. This is not the King Arthur of Sir Thomas Mallory who wrote Le Morte d'Arthur sometime between 1405 and 1471. This is not the story of King Arthur as seen in countless movies. This is not Camelot as it is ordinarily seen.
This book reads as if it was written by somebody reading Mallory while watching a marathon of Monty Python. Everything is there but nothing is quite right.
The book wrestles with deep philosophical questions like :
Why is there war?
Can a poor man get justice?
Can one love God and have a mistress?
Does it pay to be kind?
Is it ok to cut off your mother’s head if you catch her in bed with a stranger?
Should you let your enemies live after you have defeated them?
If you read this book you will never look at jousts or the quest for the Holy Grail in the same way again.
This book is to the Legend of King Arthur what “Wicked” is to the “ Wizard of Oz”

I loved the book.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal Nancy and Tommy TW left for Canada by train last night. They are on there way to Koslo British Columbia where Nancy has some old friends. They should arrive there sometime tomorrow afternoon. Nancy hopes that the trip will end Tommy TW’s writer’s block. But that will be seen. There are still those who say that the only way to end a writer’s block is to write and write and write some more.
The whale which is now being called our whale by the people of Pigeon Falls showed up again late last night. It swam back and forth and really seemed to be enjoying itself. It surfaced right next to a row boat in which a local Romeo and Julliet were spending a little time away from the eyes of their parents. They set some kind of speed record getting the boat back to shore. They will never believe our whale is a hoax.
But this morning there was no sign of the whale anywhere on the lake. One has to wonder how deep it dives and how long it can stay under.
Tommy UK is continuing his quest to understand the dribblet. He called the RCMP Sergeant who said the whale was a hoax and talked to him for a half an hour. Then he went on the internet and did some research.
While Tommy UK works at understanding the dribblet and proving the whale is real Tammy and the Tommy Club are hard at work gathering evidence that the big White Rabbit is a hoax. They are now talking to all the people they can find who have seen the Rabbit.
Will the White Rabbit turn out to be a hoax? Is the whale a hoax. Will our Romeo and Julliet ever go rowing again? What did Sergeant York tell Tommy? Does the dribblet really apply? And of course is Tommy UK really the undertaker’s son? These and other questions without answers might be answered in a future addition of News from Pigeon Falls.
*****

Today's Link-JR's Thumbprints-A trip to the dentist and beyond.
It was too good to0 last and today the oxygen level dropped a bit. But it was still a great day and I didn't need much oxygen. In the morning I started reading my new book. In the afternoon I visited all my links and left some comments. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Saying for the day: In every marriage more than a week old, there are grounds for divorce. The trick is to find, and continue to find, grounds for marriage. ~Robert Anderson, Solitaire & Double Solitaire

Those of you who are regular readers of this blog know that I have a soft spot in my heart for Finland I have shared with you Finnish videos and Finnish jokes, not to mention a little of the Finnish language. Now from Finland comes a great idea that should be followed in the United States. In April, Tommy Tabermann, a member of Finland's parliament, submitted a bill to require one week's paid vacation a year solely for romance, to counteract the country's alarmingly high divorce rate.
What a great idea. The government could proclaim the first week in some month or another to be National Romance Week. During that week all married government employees are to have a vacation with pay. Industry would follow.
Not only would this be good for marriage it would be great for the economy.
Romantic hotel or motel vacations would flourish.
Romance products would sell like never before.
Reality TV would offer the world’s greatest romances.
It could change the entire country.
Grand parents would get to know grandchildren.
A whole new nation could emerge, a happier one.
You have to admit those Finns have great ideas.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. Buddy East announced that the Liar’s Club has received two entries thus far in its internet writers contest. The Liar’s Club plans on setting up a place on the web to view them. Information on the contest can be found here.
People stopping in to Nancy’s shop are saying that the latest dribblet makes no sense. What in the world does,“It is in the lake but it can not be. It should not be. Now it is not.” mean? Nancy admits it is confusing but reminds people that it was a vision or a dream.
Tommy UK says he thinks he might understand what it is saying but he needs to do some checking. He says that if he is right the dribblet makes perfect sense. Tammy says that Tommy UK is just trying to distract them from proving the White Rabbit to be a hoax. Tommy UK says that’s nonsense . The two things aren’t related.
The Lake of the Loons whale was back again yesterday morning. It surfaced and swam around in plain sight of the people in the park. They even got some pictures that were just a little foggy. The whale was there for about an hour , swimming happily, then it dove under the water and didn’t come back.
Tommy UK spent the afternoon on the internet checking out parts of his theory. He is more convinced than ever that he knows what the dribblet means.
Poor Tommy TW is beside himself. He has a half finished novel and the worse case of writer’s block in the history of the planet. Nancy has found somebody to run the shop and wants the two of them to go visit some friends in Canada. She thinks a change of scenery and getting away from the writing might free him up. Others tell him the only thing to do when you have a block is to write and then write some more. He is going with Nancy but taking his laptop with him.
*****

Today's link-The Pedalogue- Tales from Wales
Another good day. Again the oxygen was up and we don't know why but I didn't need any all day. In the morning I started the defraging of my hard drive. Then I went and read. Then I had to remove a program that was causing me some trouble, After hat I visited a few blogs. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Monday, June 23, 2008

Monday Me Inside Out

Saying for the Day: A neurotic is a man who builds a castle in the air. A psychotic is the man who lives in it. A psychiatrist is the man who collects the rent. ~Jerome Lawrence

Saw this memo someplace can’t remember where.

Think of anything that comes first into your mind when you see this word.

1. Rambling :: talking and talking and talking.

2. Magnetic :: Personality

3. Again! :: And again and again

4. Acoustic :: Clear

5. Mahogany ::Table

6. Promises :: Forgotten

7. Ill fitting :: Clothes

8. Sublime :: ridiculous

9. Poop :: Energy

10. Disoriented :: Morning.

Now all of you amateur psychologists out there I have opened my brain to you. Please leave your diagnosis in a sealed envelope in a Mayonnaise Jar on Funk and Wagnels porch.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. Petrovich posted his translation of dribblet 49 on the Town Hall bulletin board this morning. It reads as follows:

The 49 th vision of Alexis Grencicoff

I am standing by a lake with many birds.
It is in the lake but it can not be.
It should not be.
Now it is not.

I stand by a different lake “near by the place where a rock is standing”.
It is in the lake but it can not be.
It should not be.
Now it is not.

I am back at the first lake.
It is in the lake but it can not be.
It should not be.
Now it is not.

Now I am at the second lake again.
It is in the lake but it can not be.
It should not be.
Now it is not.

I am becoming dizzy.
Back and forth.
Is and isn’t.
Blowing water.

The man in red waves his hands.
What a strange hat.
Back and forth.
Now the people wait.

Back and forth.
Is and isn’t.
Blowing water.

The man in black laughs.

I awaken.
I need a drink.
******

Today's Link-That's Swell- The thoughts of somebody trying to live the faith
This was a wonderful day. This morning I was suprised to discover that my oxygen was up in the medium level range for the first time in over a year. I didn't need any oxygen all day. Why? Who knows. I spent the moring removing Norton's and installing a new anti-virus suite. I then ran the various programs which ran late into the afternoon. I did some reading. Then I visited all my links. Near the end I had trouble with blogger whichy wouldn't let me comment. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Dreamers and Theolgians

Saying for the day:Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake. ~Wallace Stevens

Science has been busy studying us human beings> It has been working on what we are made of, how we are put together, and where we came from. Science has taken us apart down to our DNA. With the DNA it has traced our journey out of Africa and across the world. It has discovered what part of our brain lights up when we are in love. It knows how we process oxygen and food. It can even build artificial parts for us. It has gotten very good at answering the how, where, and what questions.
The one question it can’t answer is why?
Why are we here?
Why on this third rate planet, going around a third rate sun, in a third rate solar system, in a third rate galaxy, in a third rate universe has man come along?
Why are we here.
Why can we ask the question why?
The answer is not for science.
It won’t be found in a test tube.
The answer belongs to dreamers, philosophers, and theologians.
Dreamers see us as explorers of the universes. They dream fantastic books of unbelievable journeys.
Philosophers see us as the creation of the universe trying to understand itself. The evolution of a being that can sense the purpose of it all.
Christian theologians see us as the temple of God. A place where from the time that God became man in Christ Jesus the Holy Spirit has dwelled. A place where the Creator touches the creation and lets us know we are not alone. That we are not an accident . That we are not alone in an unloving universe that one day will simply fizzle out.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. If Nancy’s was open on Sunday morning, which it isn’t yesterday’s event would be the main topic of conversation. Our whale appeared in the middle of the Lake of the Loons in the middle of the big Whale picnic. There it was big as life and blowing water up into the air. At least thirty people took pictures. The problem is all of the pictures have some kind of fog or midst in them and you can’t see the whale clearly. But according to the people at the picnic there was no fog or mist so it makes no sense. The whale swam around for a bit then submerged and never returned.
Petrovich says he has found a drihblet that may apply. He missed it before because it doesn’t have the usual reference to the “ city of the birds”. He is going to get it translated and posted by tomorrow.
Tommy UK said that the whale and the dragons show that the White Rabbit doesn’t have to be a hoax. If there are dragons in Pigeon Falls, and a whale in the Lake of the Loons then there certainly can be a real three foot white rabbit. Tammy said the existence of dragons and whale have no bearing on weather the White Rabbit is a hoax or not. They can be real and the White Rabbit still be a hoax.
*****

Today's Link-Dr. Platypus- A Word about Holy Communion
Just a word about yesterdays internet facts. The right answer was number 3 and two of you guessed it right. I shouold start giving out prizes.
It was one of those nice days. I went to Church which was great after missing last Sunday. The sermon was very good. We will miss Pator Sein as his time with us is just about over. The fellowship after the service was great. I came home and spent the first half of the afternoon bringing St. Mark's web page up to date. I always have some kind of trouble with the pictures. Then I went back to reading. My sister Dawn called she is home from her mini vacation. They had a good time. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Saturday, June 21, 2008

More Internet Facts

Saying for the day: Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold. ~Leo Tolstoy

Today I perform my weekly public service. I give you fifteen internet facts . These are things that you can astonish your friends with. Of the fifteen “facts” one is a “real fact”. Past real facts have included the Mona Lisa has no eyebrows , Jimmy Carter was the first US. President to be born in a hospital., the original name of Bank of America was Bank of Italy, Gatorade was developed in Florida, the simplest and most popular cosmological model predicts that you have a twin in a galaxy about 10 to 10 to the 28 meters from here, and The original Celsius scale had boiling at 0 and freezing at 100. The readings were reversed only after Anders Celsius died
. But the facts I make up could be true. I am a really good maker upper. In any case you can tell your friends “ It must be true because I read it on the internet. Today’s list:

1. Some carrots have been discovered to contain a substance that instead of improving eye sight could actually damage it.

2. One can get high smoking regular lawn grass.

3. A rampant Rhino tried to mate with a Renault Laguna in a British Safari Park.

4. The inventor of the computer mouse called it a mouse because his cat kept playing with it.

5. Only forty per cent of the goods sold in America are made in America.

6. Swimming in water fountains in Neenah Wisconsin is prohibited by law.

7. An old Green Bay law , never rescinded, requires the serving of a slice of cheese with every piece of apple pie.

8. The train that runs from Presque Isle Park in Marquette to the Huron Mountains has been declared a mobile National Park.

9. The first toilet seen on television was on “ Father Knows Best”.

10. In Denmark the word “Dragon” may not be used in the name of a pub.

11. The creator of toilet paper by the roll also gave us paper towels.

12. No satellite has ever been destroyed by a meteor.

13. Sound travels faster in air than in steel.

14. The number of crows in the United States far exceeds that of Robins.

15. Treadmills have caused more home accidents than stairs.

There you have them. Fifteen beautiful internet facts. One is really true but the others could be. I made them up myself and I am good at making things up. In any case the next time they try to get you to eat carrots tell them you read on the internet they could damage your eyes.
Is that the real fact ? If not which is?


#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. People are so quick to jump from one thing to another. A week ago most people stopping for a cup of coffee or tea at Nancy’s were talking about a whale or the possibility of a whale. Today and yesterday they are all talking about a Rabbit or a Rabbit hoax. From whale to rabbit in a week and all because of a Canadian Mounted with no horse. It doesn’t take much to move a small town.
The Tommy Club is convinced it’s a hoax. Tommy UK is convinced it isn’t.
The Big White Rabbit itself has not been seen in over a week.If it’s a hoax whoever is behind it is afraid to bring it out while the Tommy Club is at work.
Nancy doesn’t care if it is a hoax or not. Either way it sells coffee. People just want someplace to sit and talk about it.
Tommy TW is still stuck with writer’s block. His new book is only half done and he says some of te characters have shifted and he can no longer see the end. How can his hero, the bumbling detective, find clues if he doesn’t know what clues to leave.
Nancy thinks they should take a vacation. She suggested a week in France. They could go to Paris and he could stop thinking about the novel for a week. Tommy TW is not at all sure that’s a good idea. He thinks he needs to stay and work through the block.
A whale party is planned for this afternoon. There will be a big picnic and people will get to watch the Lake of the Loons to see if the whale shows up.
******

Today's Link-Weeder's Digest-Some flowers to make the day
A very quiet day. I spent most of the day reading. Betty and Pennie went shopping. Then I did a little blog visiting. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

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Friday, June 20, 2008

On His Way

Saying for the day: Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant. ~Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus), Satires

We are threatened by Global Warming on the one hand and dependence on foreign oil on the other. Our economy is a shambles. Gas is up to $4.00 a gallon. Congress is too busy playing politics.
Never fear Mighty Mouse is on his way.
The help I’m sharing with you today is not ready yet. It is “ on the way”. In five years the first full scale plant should be in operation.
Have you ever looked at the damage done by a tornado and thought if there was only some way we could harness that power. Just think of what energy that could give us and renewable at that, Well Louis Michaud a Canadian engineer has dreamed such a dream and is now about five years away from making it a reality.
Michaud has figured out how to create a controlled tornado, a vortex of air, that will drive electric generators and create enough electricity to power 200,000 homes.
To start the tornado Michaud would use the waste heat from power plants that now is being vented into the air through cooling plants. That means we get all this new power and use no new fossil fuels. In addition we no longer vent that waste heat into the atmosphere. It is a win win situation.
If you would like more information go here .
Never fear Mighty Mouse is on his way.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. Two more people tried the Liar’s Club storytelling local contest. They got average scores of 5 and 5.6. Some people just can’t tell stories.
Liar’s Club President Buddy East wants to remind people on the internet that the other Liar’s Club contest, the one that is written not oral is open until July 20th. Information is available here.
Tommy UK had some kind of meeting with Mayor Trumble yesterday. It got fairly heated. People could hear them hollering at each other. Mrs. Trumble said something like “ It’s time”.
Tommy UK responded with a “ Not yet! Please! Not yet!.”
Then they went back to talking quietly.
Tammy asked Tommy UK what that was all about and he said that it just concerned something she had promised when he turned the Mayor’s position over to her. He thinks it’s too soon for that information to be made known.
Tammy had forgotten that there was a time when Tommy Uk was the Mayor of Pigeon Falls, it seems like so long ago.
Most of the Tommy Club is now convinced the big White Rabbit is a hoax. Only Tommy UK continues to insist it’s real. The white rabbit itself hasn’t been seen since the RCMP man was here.

Today's Link-bANK sTREeT irReLEvanTs-- - A weird story.
A pretty good day. I visited every one of my links and left comments on most of them. I read about one third of the first of my summer reading books " The Once and Future King". Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Saving Mircrosoft

Saying for the day: [A]nd then it occurred to me that a computer is a stupid machine with the ability to do incredibly smart things, while computer programmers are smart people with the ability to do incredibly stupid things. They are, in short, a perfect match. ~Bill Bryson

Some weeks are so wonderful you don’t want them to end. This is not one of those weeks. But like it or not this is Thursday and time for an Elf Tale. So here it is:
Once upon a time not too long ago in a land not too far away called California there lived a young man named Raymond Halloway. As Ray grew he , like many little boys wanted to be a whole variety of things. First he wanted to be a cowboy, then a policeman, then an astronaut, then a doctor, then a lawyer, then he got his first computer and he decided he would become the world’s greatest programmer. This was his dream. This was his obsession. He read every book on programming. He learned all the languages. By the time he could have gone to college he knew more than any college teacher in his area. And if he went to college he would have to take silly courses like English and History. So instead he went to work for a small firm that did insurance programming. His programs ran flawlessly even on Microsoft machines. But he was not satisfied. He wanted to be the world’s greatest programmer. After a time insurance programming provided no challenge, no room for growth. So he left the firm and got a low level job with Microsoft.
At this point we need to step back and see the whole Ray. Aside from his obsession Ray was a good guy. He belonged to the Church. He worked with Boy Scouts. He gave money to the needy. He cared about people. When he wasn’t programming he was doing kind deeds.
It was those kind deeds that brought him a visit from the little man in the green suit with the curly shoes. Our elf gave him the usual one wish. Ray thought for a moment and then said “make me the greatest programmer in the world”.
There was the usual flash of light and the elf said “ as you have wished so shall it be”.
After that Ray rose quickly in the Microsoft ranks. Finally he became the head programmer and was placed in charge of their new operating system. It was his job to provide an operating system that would not crash, that would live up to the promises, that would be worth what Microsoft was charging for it. It had never been done before but he was the world’s greatest programmer. He knew he could do it.
The day came. The new operating system was ready. He tested and retested it. There was no flaw. History was about to be made.
And so Microsoft unveiled Vista. You know what happened next. People found flaws. Programs collapsed , complaints rolled in.
What you didn’t know is they fired Ray. It had been his responsibility and he failed.
Now there are three morals to this story:
1. Being the best in the world is not the same as being perfect.
2. Being the best in the world won’t keep you from getting fired.
3. Nobody can save a Microsoft Operating system not even the best programmer in the world.
As for Ray he decided programming wasn’t that wonderful and became a bus driver. There he lived happily ever after.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. Yesterday Mrs. Alicia Groove who is visiting Pigeon Falls did her story for the local Pigeon Falls Liar’s Contest. And here it is:
Good afternoon. My name is Alicia Groove and I’m visiting my uncle Ray Groove out at the old Groove farm. You all know that farm I’m sure. It is the one with one of the most beautiful flower gardens in the county. My uncle is so proud of that garden. The other day I was walking in that part of the garden that has all the different kinds and colors of roses. They are so beautiful. As I bent down to look more closely at one the corner of my eye caught a movement and suddenly I realized I was looking at a tiny little winged person flying just above the ground. In her hand she held a little wand and she was pointing it at a rose and as she did the rose changed. It remained the same color but it was more vibrant, more alive. It was like watching a great painter work.
Well, I got down on my stomach so I could see better what she was doing. That’s when she noticed me.
“My goodness” she said “ I’m not supposed to let humans see me. Us faire folk try very hard not to be noticed. I probably shouldn’t have stopped but these roses just called to me.”
“You’re a faire “ I said.
“What did ya think I was a Leprechaun . They’d be turning all your roses black they would.” she said.
“You mean there are leprechauns ?” I said.
“ Of course” , she said” And elves, and gnomes and lots of little people. We try to stay out of your way because it makes you happy not to believe in us and it keeps us safe.”
“What do you mean ? “ I asked.
“ Well you like fairies and elves and what not in books but not in real life. If you were to see us in real life it would wreck your understanding of the world. You would have to catch us and experiment on us. Do the science thing. Look for faire DNA. It would be horrible” she said.
“Then I certainly won’t tell anybody about you.” I gasped.
“ O! go ahead . They won’t believe you anyway. People are very good at not believing. I will even give you a piece of magic to remember me by but it won’t help.”
She then waved her wand at me and disappeared.
So I came to tell you today there are fairies, little people with wings. They do wonderful things to flowers. If somebody would give me a cigarette I will show you what she gave me. ( A spectator hands up a cigarette)
Thank you. Watch now as I lay the cigarette in my hand and close it. Now when I open it there is a tiny live rose. She gave me the ability to change a thing of death into beautiful life. ( At that point she hands the rose to the person who gave her the cigarette and he passes it around.)
This is a wonderful gift but you don’t have to believe.
She got four tens and three nines. They threw out one nine and her average was 9.6. She should be in the final set.
Tammy said to Tommy UK it must be real did you see her make a flower. Tommy UK smiled and said look in the magic section of any Johnson Smith catalogue and you find that trick. It’s not expensive either.

Today's Link-Violet Sky- A different way of seeing flowers.
Today was my 1200th post. Just thought I's tell you that. My reading for the summer came today and I started reading so I didn't spend much time at the computer. Peter, Lori, Lori's mother, and Luke came and picked up Spanky. So we are back to one dog. Betty went to Bible study. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Expensive Poop

Saying for the day- Use the talents you possess - for the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except for the best. ~Henry Van Dyke

I don’t know if this is good or bad news but the price of bird poop has gone up. It is good news for the Peruvian company that controls the 20 islands off the shore of Peru where guano piles up , over a foot deep in some places. The company is now intensifying its poop harvesting.
It’s bad new for the poop users f the world who will now have another thing along with food and gasoline they have to pay more for.
Who wants guano?
Why producers of food of course. It is one of the greatest chemical free fertilizers in the world. That means the cost of food already increasing will increase even more..
It is good news for the workers who mine the stuff. They stand in their bare feet and pick the hard guano loose with a pick and shovel it into bags. For this they get $600 a month, three times what one makes on the mainland of Peru. I am not sure that you could get me to stand on bird poop in my bare feet even for triple the going salary.
So important has guano been to the world that wars have been fought over it.
Now this is stuff you would never know if you didn’t read this blog.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. Two more people did their stories for the local contest. One got a 7.3 and one got a 5. The 5 was as low as anybody has ever gotten. He must have had bad judges. In any case we will share with you only the stories getting over 8.
The Tommy Club went to the crossing yesterday where the White Rabbit was last seen. Tammy pointed out some odd markings that seemed to be made by a wheel and four things. Tommy UK said those could be from almost anything. But Tammy thinks they could be from some mechanical device that ran the rabbit. The rest of the Club agrees. They followed the tracks to the woods and then they just disappear. Tammy thinks that if this was a mechanical rabbit it was picked up here and loaded into something. Tommy UK still thinks they are wrong. Tammy says she understands how Tommy UK who has spent all this time defending the rabbit from Mrs. Trumble would be reluctant to admit it was a hoax. But he is just going to have to face up to it.
Mrs. Trumble says that the demon rabbit wants them to think it’s a hoax. But she knows its real and dangerous.
********

Today's Link-It's All About Me- Two kinds of exercise or ten Canadian facts.
Another do nothing day. I bloged. Then i spent the morning setting up a Photo Suite to handle all my photographs. Now all I need is to learn how to use it. My stomach is still acting up so I took a nap in the afternoon. betty spent the day trying to keep the two dogs happy. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Big Writer's Contest

Saying for the Day- Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. ~Gene Fowler

Writers Writers Writers
Short Story Writers
Long Short Story Writers
Storytellers
Would be Writers
Your chance for fifteen seconds of fame.

The Annual Pigeon Falls Liar’s Club Storytelling Contest Has Begun
Rules are below:
1. The stories can be of any length.
2. The story must be about some creature that can’t exist like a dragon or an elf or any of hundreds of fantasy creatures.
3. It must include a small town.
4. It must seem plausible on the face of it.
5. Judging will be by a local ( loco) panel.
6. There will be a Best Liar’s Plaque and a ten dollar gift certificate for the winner.
7. Stories must be submitted by July 20, 2008.
8. Entries should be e-mailed to
jlinna@new.rr.com
9. There will also be a writer’s choice award. Writer’s who submit short stories will be asked to vote for what they think is the best short story other than their own. Voting will take place after July 20 so that all the stories are in. Voting will be by e-mail to
jlinna@new.rr.com

If you have a story in you this is your chance to let it out.

The Liar’s Club would appreciate if you would pass this information to writer’s, would be writers, storytellers, and anybody else that might be interested.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. The Liar’s Club storytellers local contest started yesterday. You remember this is where the Pigeon Falls Liar of the Year is chosen. The storyteller stands in the gazebo and tells his or her story to anybody who will listen and seven judges picked from the people who happened to be around at the time. Stories are judged on a ten point basis where ten is perfect and one is “ Even your dog won’t listen”. The lowest score is thrown out the others are averaged the highest five people get to enter the final round.
Yesterday Jon Bergall who has won the contest in the past gave his story. Here it is:
A couple of weeks ago I went to Chicago to visit my great Aunt Celia. She lives on the East side in a nice little neighborhood. While I was there she asked me to go to the grocery store for her . I think it was a Sweetowl store. So off I went. I was looking for some Jell-O when I saw the most unbelievable sight. Coming down the aisle was a pleasant young man holding a flying rhinoceros on a leash. It was a about half the size of a regular rhinoceros and had four sets of wings. Well I had never seen a flying rhinoceros so I followed along behind. The other patrons paid no attention to it all. He must be a regular customer. Wow! The city is sure different than Pigeon Falls.
Now the beast seemed as well trained as my dog. The young man would issue a stay order and the beast fluttered in place until told to move again. I was just beginning to wonder what flying rhino ate when it happened. The young man reached down to get a can of something and let go of the lease. Well, I’ll tell you that beast took off like moose somebody shot at. Before you could even react it had rounded the corner and was picking up speed. The young man ran after it, hollering “ Charlie, you come back here”. But Charlie didn’t stop. Oh no. He went straight to the vegetable section and ate all the asparagus . But as soon as the young man showed up it took off again. It was quite a sight. He chased it up and down aisles. Cans and boxes were knocked to the floor. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse it was going so fast that it couldn’t stop at the big frozen food freezer. It crashed into the glass door horn first and impaled several boxes of frozen fish. That’s when the young man caught him. He got the leash back and old Charlie or young Charlie was as docile as he could be. The young man wrote a check to the manager for the damage and the asparagus and he and Charlie left the store. They got into a van and drove off.
I said to the store manager didn’t you find a flying rhinoceros to be sort of weird. That’s when he told me that there was an experimental lab down the block where they were doing things with DNA you wouldn’t believe. He had to rule the flying elephant and the flying giraffe out , the elephant because the trunk kept knocking things down and the giraffe kept breaking ceiling lights with its head. The walking shark, he found interesting, they had to keep a muzzle on it. They certainly weren’t keeping their work a secret.
Well I brought my Aunt her groceries and I got out of there. I’m glad to be back in good old Pigeon Falls where everything is normal.
Now if you doubt my story I brought one of the boxes of frozen fish home with me. See ( he holds up the box) here is where the rhino horn went in.
For this story Jon got one ten, four nines, and two eights. Or an average score of nine.
*******

Today's Link-Blogtrotter- A chance to see the world.
I don't feel any better today. In addition my internet went down just before I was going to blog. Peter brought Spanky and now we have two dogs. I visited most but not all of my links. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Monday, June 16, 2008

Still More of Me

Saying for the Day:- There are at least two kinds of cowards. One kind always lives with himself, afraid to face the world. The other kind lives with the world, afraid to face himself. ~Roscoe Snowden

I swiped this meme from Mimi

In your ENTIRE life, have you ever...

gone on a blind date? Nooooo. I'm surprised I wasn't talked into it though...

skipped school? Once because I didn’t want to get the shots the health department was giving that day.

watched someone die? Several people in my calling as Pastor.

been to Canada? Yes. Pennie was conceived there.

been to Mexico? Yes , once.

been to Florida? Yes Several times!

been on a plane? Yep ! Flew a lot when the old Blue Goose still flew.

been lost? *whew!* Have I ever! When you ride with Pennie lost is a way of life.

been on the opposite side of the country? From the middle which side is opposite?

gone to Washington, DC? Was there twice. Once with my family and once for a National Church meeting about the war in Viet Nam.

swam in the ocean? Never.

had your booze taken away by the cops? What booze?

lettered in a high school sport? You have to be kidding. I lettered in Debate.

cried yourself to sleep? On rare occasions

played cops and robbers? Sure with the Stetsons and Poggis.

played dolls? Only at Grandmas house

recently colored with crayons? As a matter of fact, I have!

sang Karaoke? Never with my voice.

paid for a meal with coins only? Never had that many coins.

done something you told yourself you wouldn't? If eating the wrong foods counts then many times!

cheated on an exam? No !

made prank phone calls. No but got some.

laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose? I have... I don't wish to do this again.

caught a snowflake on your tongue? LOTS of them!

danced in the rain? Yes! Yes! YESSSSSSSSSS! (does anybody answer No to this???)

written a letter to Santa Claus? Of course!

been kissed under the mistletoe? Certainly!

watched the sunrise with someone you care about? Yes indeed!

been arrested? No

blown bubbles? Awwwwww.... of course I have!

gone ice-skating. Yes-Fell down a lot

been skinny dipping outdoors? Once or twice . Right from the sauna

had a nickname? I don’t think so

been to Africa? Nope.

eaten cookies for dinner? They are just perfect for dinner.

been on TV? Yep. We used to broadcast our Sunday Service on TV.

stolen any traffic signs? No

been in a car accident? Ugh! Yea... not fun!

Do you have any... tattoos? No! That is an emphatic NO!

body piercings? No. You think I guy who stayed home from school not to get a shot would get his body pierced?

Do you drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? I drive a Pontiac Montana because we need to carry my electric scooter.

What do you do to relax? Blog! And other stuff!

How do you see yourself in 10 years? Alive.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. The White Rabbit hasn’t been seen since the horseless RCMP man said it was a hoax. If it is a hoax it could be out for repairs. In the meantime our dragons have continued to fly and they certainly are no hoax.
Buddy East want to remind people that the Liar’s club contest has begun. You can get information in last Friday’s post.
One of the picnickers out at the Lake of the Loon’s yesterday said he saw a plume of water on the far end of the lake. It was too far away to see what was shooting the water up into the air but it could have been a whale. By the time he called other people’s attention to it it had disappeared.
Tommy UK and the Tommy Club are still trying to solve the mystery of the vanishing people. They spent all weekend going over the area searching for clues. So far they have found nothing new. But Tommy UK just hates to give up. Somebody in the Tommy Club suggested they also try to discover if the White Rabbit is a hoax. Tommy UK opposed this but the rest of the Club thought it would be a good idea. So today some of the members are going out to the crossing where the Rabbit was last seen and are going to search the area. Tommy UK complained that they are wasting time but decided to go with them.
******

Today's Link-Awareness- Bloom where you are planted.
This was a really rough day until:. It started with very low oxygen readings, a bloated stomach, but I blogged anyway. Then we called the doctor and made arrangements for a 3:30 appointment. I then spent most of the day in bed. At 3:30 I grabbed my faithful oxygen tank and Betty drove me to the Doctor's office. It was like taking your car in to get it repaired. My blood pressure was great. My lungs were moving air well. My heart was fine. My oxygen level was in the mid normal. I was in great shape. So I asked the Doctor why I felt like I was going to die and he said it was something I ate. In a day or two I should be fine. Well now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA


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Sunday, June 15, 2008

I'm Back

Saying for the Day: I think skipping could be the answer to many of our adult health problems. ~Jeanne, as posted on iskip.com

Hi! I’m back, sort of.
I hope you missed me.
On Friday Betty and I went to the Post Office to mail out the five eBay packages. Then we went out and ate.
When we got home I became very sick to my stomach and spent the rest of the day going between bed and bathroom. Saturday was more of the same.
Today I’m a little better but won’t be able to go to Church. Among other things this has knocked my oxygen count for a loop. One of my small bottles wouldn’t carry me through the service. I hate it when people pass out in church, particularly if those people are me.
So today I’ll have to get my Church from the television. It won’t be the same. The music will be too professional. At timews it’s almost as if those services are done by robots and not by humans. But the Word will be preached.
I will miss the fellowship. The feeling of power that comes with the Holy Spirit in so many people. I will even miss the coffee after.
But this is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice in it.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. Since the RCMP man left the White Rabbit has been the big talk in the town. Can it really be a hoax? Nancy says that people coming into her shop are evenly divided. The problem for those who think it’s a hoax is figuring out who would do it. They would point to Tommy UK but this hoax costs money and Tommy UK doesn’t have a lot of that. If this is a special effects creation that somebody had made and paid for who is that somebody. Tommy UK was around most of the time when it was seen but sometimes he was in school. Mrs. Trumble was often there just after the rabbit came but she was trying to kill it. Eino was around much of the time but to accuse Eino is like accusing the Pope. There just are no good suspects. And we still don’t know if it really is a hoax. All we have is the observation of a RCMP man who didn’t even have a horse. What kind of Mounted Police Man travels without his horse?
Our dragons continued to fly after missing the night the RCMP man was here. Nobody in Pigeon Falls doubts that they are real.
Petrovich was asked what effect the rabbit not being real would have on his driblets. He said none. If the Prophet saw a big rabbit in a vision he wouldn’t know it was not real. He could only write down what he saw.
There have been no further sightings of the Lake of the Loons whale. Fewer and fewer people are going with their cameras in the hope of getting a picture and winning that prize money.
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Today's Link- Faith in Community- The Pastor's dog. Hero or class clown?
It was a hard breathing day. I did some blog visiting in the morning. I played canasta with Betty and Pennie and I won. I went back to bed. Got up and brought the St. Mark website up to date. I did a little more blogging. Both of my sons and my sister called. They all worry about me. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA
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