Poor Palin

Today's Link
Life is Better than Good

Today's Saying
We hate some persons because we do not know them; and will not know them because we hate them. ~Charles Caleb Colton

Today's Picture
Pennie on my scooter

Why kick Sarah Palin?
She lost the election.
She has resigned as governor.
She is just one lady who can hardly do any harm.
Why kick her ?

But kick her we are.

The media kicks her.

The comedians kick her.

Even nice ladies who blog call her “scary crazy and dishonest,”

Why?

Well I see two reasons.

1. We need somebody to kick around and make fun of.
Minorities used to fill that bill but that is no longer politically correct.
Presidents can fill the bill but this one is still on a political honeymoon.

But we need somebody to feel better than.
Somebody who is scary, crazy, and dishonest.
While we .though we don’t have much, are nice, normal, and honest.

Kicking her makes us feel good.
It lifts us up.
Laughing at her is a wonderful thing
We aren’t like that , whatever like that is.

2. She is the only highly visible symbol of the Republican party.
I ‘m not sure she wants to be but the press in its role as Creator has made her so.
Stop and think for a moment about how many nationally known Republicans there are.
She is the lightning rod for all the Republican directed lightning.

I feel sorry for her.
I expect little from her in the future.
But I predict the hate and the nastiness will continue.
But she is a human being not a robot.
She is a mother and a wife.
She hurts just like we do.
Leave her alone.

Rambling Thoughts

Today's Link
Rocket Ramble

Today's Saying
You can swim all day in the Sea of Knowledge and still come out completely dry. Most people do. ~Norman Juster

Today's Picture
Visiting Granddaughter

Pennie is back to work with the help of my cart and crutches . The Doctor says the pain will last at least ten days and longer if she drives with it or walks on it.

WE went couch shopping and Betty found a new couch for our living room. Not that there is anything wrong with the couch we have other than the fact that the end is close to falling off. She managed to pick the most popular couch on the floor and so ours is backordered until September. The dog and I can enjoy the old one until then.

I have expired. In the eyes of the Patriot Act I don’t exist. We went to open a new account at a different bank and the nice lady explained that because my driver’s license has expired I can’t prove I exist. They would have taken my passport but it has expired as well. I have expired. How horrible. Now we have to find the DMV and get a new license or an identity card. The problem is the DMV office has moved and we don’t know where. It might just be easier to stamp my head expired. Betty can get a checking account . She has a valid driver’s license.

A joke on Thom’s blog reminded me of this old Finnish joke.
TA nuori naaras- epäsuora esitys polveutua Brittiläinen sanomalehti lennättää jotta Suomi jotta kirjailla by artikkeli jokseenkin Finnish palvella sotamiehenä edestakainen polveutua Talvinen Lji. Haastatella ainoa jalkaväki - herra Jussi , hän askedWhen " te johtua koti- , jahka lji aikana , mikä edellä asia te valmis? "" i-kirjain kokoonpantu hurjasti intohimoinen lempiä jotta minun aviovaimo Jussi vastata bluntly.The journalisti poissa puna , ja tried jotta heilahdus subject.After" että , I-KIRJAIN alhainen. Mikä valmis te ajaa jäljessä että? "" i-kirjain valmis se jälleen " hän answered.The journalisti hapantua by edes pimentää hiven -lta red.Other" kuin että! Uh mikä valmis te ajaa jahka te toivoisin olevani päättynyt avulla aivan että? "" i-kirjain ajaa lähettää minun skis ja had kalja "
My Granddaughter Bree thinks this the funniest Finnish joke she ever heard.

I still haven’t decided what to do we the three today’s but come August 1 they will be gone in their present form. I suspect very few people are using today’s link so that may be fully gone.

Our Tthanks to G man who suggested the bird Betty saw and pictured might be a Sandhill Crane. Betty looked it up in a Wisconsin bird book. She says that you can't tell it from her picture but the birds were as tall as her.

As one who loves comments I noticed that the new set up has reduced my comments.

BEI for Insurance

Today's Link
Grace Needs Freedom

Today's Saying
Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel. ~Author Unknown

Today's Picture
Our Wounded hero and her concerned dog

Pigeon Falls is HERE

My daughter is back from New Orleans and she is worn out. The first day back she slept in my easy chair all afternoon. Well until they took her to the emergency room. It seems on Saturday she stepped in a hole on a New Orleans sidewalk and sprained her ankle. Of course, being Pennie she ignored it until she limped home. Then she was afraid it might be broken so the trip to the emergency room. It turned out to be a nasty sprain compounded by her walking on it. Now she is on crutches.
She does have great stories to tell some of which I will share with you and some pictures.

My granddaughter Bree is here and sleeping in the computer room. So I get to this blog later than usual and since we are doing things together I have less time to visit blogs and I feel bad about that. But it is great having her here.

The dog has gotten used to sleeping in the crate here at night instead of running free at Pennie’s . It has behaved so well and allowed us all to get some sleep.

I am amazed it how good my breathing has been for the last few weeks , way above normal. Early in the summer I had four really bad days and I thought the drop the Doctor says is going to come has begun and I will be stuck dragging that oxygen bottle all day long. At that time a number of you promised to pray for me and then came this miracle. One of Thom’s nice coincidences.

I am struck by the insurance adds some of them claim to be able to save me more than I am paying for my insurance. I wonder if they will give me some money to make up the difference.

I think there must be an insurance company out there called BEI ( Big Expensive Insurance) that all these companies compare themselves to when they tell you they can save you thus and so many dollars. My question is who buys BEI insurance oin the first place? That salesman deserves some kind of award.

Speaking of awards I received this award from the Baron.
Keeping with my new policy I accept with gratitude but won’t display it on
My sidebar because it’s not exclusive. ( fussy, fussy)
Besides I love that lamp. I wanted one for the living room but Betty said “ Never!”


If in these difficult times you are struggling with your finances you might check out the Family Man’s blog.

Another rant

Today's Link
The Wishful Writer

Today's Saying
My own prescription for health is less paperwork and more running barefoot through the grass. ~Leslie Grimutter

Today's Picture
Birds in the Field behind the House

I have done a Portrait of Words Story . It is HERE.

Pigeon Falls is HERE


The other night President Obama addressed the nation concerning health care. One of the things he said was that this government action would not lower the quality of my health care. Then he said something that might very well lower the quality of my health care. He said that one of the reason health care was so expensive is because doctors were running unnecessary tests to make extra money. I don’t believe that for a moment. I’m sure some doctors do. Some doctors perform unnecessary surgery, and some doctors bill Medicare for visits that never took place but those are crooks and aren’t the vast majority of doctors. The vast majority of the doctors run tests for two reasons. The first is to protect their patient. N
Not to long ago my Doctor ran the usual test and everything looked fine. I looked to be in good health given my condition. There was no real reason to run another test except he felt uneasy. He ran the test and discovered I was low on Potassium. That could have done a lot of harm before it was finally discovered because I would be so sick. But instead he started me on a pill that corrected it. Lets suppose he listened to Obama and decided to save my insurance company money by not running the test. You get the picture.
The second reason follows on the first. If he hadn’t found the problem I could have ended up in a coma. Then my family might have sued him. The lawyer would have asked why that simple test wasn’t run. The settlement for damages, suffering , and to punish the Doctor could hit a million. That’s what our society does to Doctors. I don’t think the jury would be impressed with “ Obama wanted us to cut back on tests”.
Doctors run many tests to protect themselves from the legal system. If Obama really wants to cut medical costs he needs to get legislation passed ending punitive damage in medical cases and damages for pain and suffering. Law suits to cover all of the patients expenses could be allowed.
But Obama won’t do that because Congress is made up of lots of lawyers and lawyers give more than Doctors to both parties.

Brag a Bit

Today's Link
Bug's Eye View

Today's Saying
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. ~Leo Buscaglia

Today's Picture

_____________Our Youth Return______________________________

The creator of this blog is about to brag. This is the warning required by truth in blogging.

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I am so proud of my Church the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and that's something this critical old man seldom gets to say.

But the Youth Gathering in New Orleans was the very essence of what God has called the Church to be. Here's what Bishop Hansen said of it in his invitation to the gathering:


Eleven youth from St. Mark's , my congregation, along with three counselors accepted the invitation. They worked hard to raise the money to go.

They experienced learning, fantastic worship, and a chance to serve the area in the name of Jesus.
This is what one of our young people said:

Wow to much to say about today, one word to sum it up i think could be hope.
Hope is very important to not only this area at this time but to everyone all the time.
The people of New Orleans and the youth that gather here have hope, hope for a new and brighter future.
Today was our service day and we were assigned to clean a highway and an old ladies house.
Not going to lie the negatives, like hot weather, cranky people, and mosquitoes sucked.
Those negatives were easily outweighed by the heart warming feeling you get when you help someone you know cant do anything to help herself or her situation.
So yupp today was awesome

Every night by the wonder of the internet and streaming video we were able to share in the worship experience.

For once we did good.

I am so proud.

Click HERE for Pigeon Falls

Eighth Sunday After Pentecost

Today's Link
Bible Study Inside Out

Today's Saying
Faith is putting all your eggs in God's basket, then counting your blessings before they hatch. ~Ramona C. Carroll

Today's Picture

In the Liturgical Churches today is celebrated as the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost and the Gospel according to the Common Lectionary is John 6:1-21.
I love this text because it contains two miracles. But they aren’t miracles as we usually think of them. There is no healing here. There is no magic waving of the hands. There is no patting on the head.
‘One of the problems with miracles is that both believers and unbelievers misunderstand their purpose. People that think that miracles are to prove the faith or to create faith. So believers proclaim them and unbelievers debunk them.
The truth is as my Grandfather used to say “ You can’t make anybody believe no matter what you show them. They have to decide to believe on their own.
If miracles don’t create faith what is their purpose ?
Sometimes like in the first part of the Gospel the purpose of the miracle is just to help people, no strings attached.
People were hungry and Jesus saw to it that they were fed.
He didn’t stand up an announce that his next trick to prove He was God was to multiply a little food do they could all eat.
He just sat them down and fed them.
He was not trying to prove anything.
Most of the people probably didn’t even know a miracle had happened.
They did know they got fed and that Jesus was somehow responsible but instead of seeing Him as God they wanted to make Him King so the food would keep coming.
Nor does Jesus correct them and say something like “ I am God believe in me because of the miracle.”
No! He just shakes his head and makes a quick departure.
For those who want miracles to prove something this is a disappointment. For those that don’t believe in miracles it seems hardly worth debunking.
But to Jesus hungry people got fed and that was good enough.
Now the second miracle is more spectacular. Jesus walks on water.
Now if you wanted people to believe he was God he would have done it during the day when the Sea was calm and everybody on the shore could see Him. It would have been fantastic.
But instead he comes walking on the water in the midst of a horrible storm. One can hardly see ten feet ahead.
He comes not to unbelievers but to believers.. He comes because the disciples are scared.
The immediate result of this miracle is not more faith but more fear.
They see Him walking on the water toward the boat and decide He is a ghost.
The only good thing is in time he calms both them and the storm.
Please note the purpose of the water walk was not to prove anything but to comfort his disciples.
Most of the miracles in our lives are God reaching out in love.
The world calls the wonderful things coincidences.
But the believer knows they are the loving touch of God.
To my believing friends I have had enough of those wonderful happenings to give Praise to God.
To my unbelieving friends I have had so many wonderful coincidences that I still have to praise God.
The loving God touches our lives , even the lives of unbelievers with miracles.
ALLELUIA.

Pastor Joan 's sermon is HERE

Pastor Steve had a great sermon on this text this morning. You can hear it HERE.

Random Thoughts

Today's Link
No Polar Coordinates

Today's Saying
When our relatives are at home, we have to think of all their good points or it would be impossible to endure them.
~George Bernard Shaw

Today's Picture
My Granddaughter Bree

Today I did Raven's Wordzzle. You can see it HERE.
Pigeon Falls is HERE.

My daughter is having a great time in New Orleans. If you want to see what her group is saying about the gathering click HERE.
If you want to see the evening celebration click HERE after 6:00 Central Time

At the end of the month I will decided what to do with the three today’s. I am now fairly certain they won’t stay in their present format.


I went to Pick and Save grocery shopping yesterday. They have a large selection to choose from than Wal Mart so the Pick part of the title is fine. But everything is about 10% higher than Wal Mart on the same items so there is no Save in Pick and Save. Piggly Wiggly has better prices and good selection but Pick and Save and Wal Mart are closer.

I know good people shouldn’t shop in Wal Mart but I don’t understand why. Perhaps somebody can tell me. The clerks there always seem happy and are so very helpful as compared to some other stores. They were the first one to have electric carts for people like me . They even have a bathroom I can ride my electric scooter into with no doors.

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Just a Reminder- Portrait of Words Stories are due Tuesday. Click on the Portrait of Words symbol in the sidebar or click HERE.

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Paint the Road White

Today's Link
Hyperenergy and Other Obstacles

Today's Saying
The true secret of giving advice is, after you have honestly given it, to be perfectly indifferent whether it is taken or not, and never persist in trying to set people right.
~Hannah Whitall Smith

Today's Picture

Today I did a flash 55. You can see it HERE.
Pigeon Falls is HERE.



When you see the following symbol you will know I’m on my Soap Box. You are in store for a rant. With the symbol we frame the rant.

The other day I saw a Noble prize winning scientist on television who said there is something the nation could do now that would negate the effect of all the cars on American roads on Global Warming. We don’t have to wait until years from now when all the measure congress is passing will finally kick in.
Before you jump to the conclusion that I have been watching Fox News again or listening to conservative radio let me assure you I haven’t.
This man in the secretary of energy in the Obama Administration. He is no wild conservative.
He says that what we need to do is paint all the black roofs, black roads, and black parking lots white. This will reflect back to outer space enough heat to make up for what the C02 is holding.
This would be a wonderful time to do it if we really want to do something about Global Warming now.
Why is this a good time?
We have lots of unemployed and we have stimulus money.
We could give the money to the counties and direct them to hire people, give them paint and brushes and put them to work.
We would cut unemployment.
See money fused directly into the economy.
Help slow Global Warming.
We could only win.
But despite the fact that this comes from the President’s Secretary of Energy I predict it won’t happen.
Why?
1. It is too simple. Just too easy to understand. Congress doesn’t like simple.
2. It’s not “ modern”. Paint has been around for a long time. We like new, complex, Scientific solutions.
3. The jobs will only be temporary. True but if the economy starts to move new real jobs will be created.
4. The politicians don’t really care about Global Warming just the power it gives them. No power here.
5. The paint lobby is far too small and didn’t give enough to help elect people.
So we have something that can help. A Nobel prize winning scientist says so. But it just won’t happen
That’s the way the government works.


My daughter is having a great time in New Orleans. If you want to see what her group is saying about the gathering click HERE.

If you want to see the evening celebration click HERE after 6:00 Central Time

The HUB

Today's Link
Something Sighted

Today's Saying
If you want to truly understand something, try to change it. ~Kurt Lewin

Today's Picture
On the way to New Orleans

So you can see I am almost done housekeeping.
I have moved and changed just about everything.
The new concept is that this blog is the hub of my little empire.
Here the fortress comes from the clouds.
Here I ramble on about this and that.
From this blog you can go to my other blogs.
There is one playing with words.
Today that has a story based on the latest Quill words as well as a Quivel
You can get there by

Then there is the Pigeon Falls blog.
All the news from Pigeon Falls will be found there.
You can get there by
But the hub has no agenda.
Some time I’ll just share my life.
Sometimes a bunch of pictures.
Sometimes I’ll get up on my soap box and rant a bit.

Well it isn’t all together true.
There is one agenda left.
Every Sunday I will look at the Gospel for that day as found in the Common Lectionary.

As to the three Today’s ? I haven’t made up my mind yet. So they stay for now.

Since this is sort of a ramble on there will be no separate Wrap UP.

My daughter managed to get the group lost yesterday in New Orleans. She was the map reader. I have been lost with her enough times that I should have warned them.

Earlier both the Story and the Pigeon Falls blogs were refusing comments but that seems to have ended now.

The ELCA Live Web Feed from the youth gathering is HERE

Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Bad Tomatoes

Today's Link
Frankly My Dear

Today's Saying
A bend in the road is not the end of the road... unless you fail to make the turn. ~Author Unknown


Today's Picture

The first tomatoes from our hanging garden. Look good don't they.
But this is what they look like on the bottom.
We are just not good farmers. We have no idea why this happened.

The blog change continues.

Sometime today a new logo should appear. I’m having some trouble with that. But I’m going to take my virtual hammer and see if I can beat it into shape. Then I’ll put on my virtual boots and kick start it. I hope.

The sidebar is just about done. I got rid of lots of stuff and streamlined the rest.
Thanks to everyone who voted. It does help a bit.

Even as I write this blog my daughter and the youth group from St. Mark’s should be arriving in New Orleans. They and several other youth groups left yesterday by bus.

My oxygen has been great for several days.

My son Peter ended up in the emergency room Monday having had some kind of attack at school while he was working. He came home yesterday. They have sort of ruled out heart problems and are now looking at his stomach.

The Republicans and then the Democrats poured all that money into the economy and the unemployment rate keeps going up. It makes me nervous.
I feel sure that it won’t be long before the true believers start throwing virtual rocks at the other side.

Went to fellowship at St. Mark's this afternoon. Now I need a breathing treatment.

GBYA

News from Pigeon Falls

The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal
The new jail is ready. The town hired “Pre-Fab Jails Inc” to build it and it went up in a week. There is an office for the Constable and one for his assistant as well as two cells. It has electronic locks and all kinds of alarms. For all of that it is only intended for housing convicts for a day or two. It will be a place to put an unruly drunk overnight or a real criminal waiting to be transferred to the County Jail.
Constable Ican Gettum says it is the best little jail in the Upper Peninsula and he is very happy with his new offices.
Pastor Joan noted that it is right across the road from Last Lutheran so it will be easy to visit those in jail.
Mayor Trumble has slated a ribbon cutting ceremony for noon tomorrow. It will also be a chance for the sober community to meet the new Constable.

House Cleaning Begins

Today's Link
Live and Learn

Today's Saying
If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies.
~Author Unknown

Today's Picture

Poor Dragon

Today the change in this blog begins.
Excitement is in the air.

Blood is on the mouse pad.
Betty and the newest dragon had a confrontation. She wanted to take his Pepsi Can. He wanted to keep the can and as you can see from the picture it cost him a wing. You just don’t bite the Betty. Betty is remorseful, after all it was only a can. She has offered to try the surgery to put the dragon back together. The dragon, however, is wary.

I have decided, at least for the moment on number 5 from yesterday’s list and the housekeeping has begun.
As the day move along you will see changes to the sidebar , my first objective.

If it isn’t there already there will be a poll so you can give me a little help moving the furniture of the rest of the blog.

I am designing a new fortress logo. Should be ready in a few days.

Am considering double entries on some days so I can do flash 55 and something else or Quilly’s Words and something else. In any case you get the idea.

Pigeon Falls may very well end up with a blog of its own. My blog as it is now has just too many things in it. I’ll talk to Eino and see what he thinks.

Am also contemplating reactive commenting. Thom seems to have so much fun doing that. Your questions might even get answered.

In the future I will accept all awards that I receive with the understanding that I ignore any and all conditions.
However the only awards to go to my sidebar will be those I earned by doing a task ( ie. 30 days of poetry) or awards designed exclusively for me. Awards already given to half the internet are nice but won’t be posted.

Enough for Today. I have to quit writing and go back to working on the logo.

News from Pigeon Falls

The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal
Last night Tommy UK was just at the point in the dream where he would see his birth mother’s face when he suddenly woke up.So he began to wonder if he is afraid to see who it is.There is the possibility that He might not like his birth parents as they could be somebody like the Petrovichs. There really isn’t anybody in town that he really wants to be his birth mother. He feels so confused and just a bit frightened..
When he had the newspaper route he used to have cookies and cocoa with Mrs. Trumble and tell her all his troubles. Now she is so busy running the town that she has little time for him. But today he got up early and went down to the Town Hall to tell her his troubles just like the old days. He explained to her that Nancy, Eino, and Pastor Joan have all told him you can’t trust dreams. But Tammy says he will know when it is real. He also told her he is afraid his birth parents might be unlikable.
Mrs. Trumble listened , something she does well. Then she smiled and said “ I’m with Tammy . You will know and if they are at all like you they will be likable."”
As he left he heard her humming to herself.

Wrap UP

Another great breathing day. As you . I'm sure, have noticed I have changed the sidebar. I got rid of some things. We saw Pennie off to New Orleans with the Youth Group. Pray for her and the young people. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

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More of Me Almost

Today's Link
Day by Day

Today's Saying
The kind of humor I like is the thing that makes me laugh for five seconds and think for ten minutes. ~William Davis

Today's Picture

I have to confess something to you today.
I am tired of this blog.
I am tired of the Mighty Walking Wizard.
I am tired of my sidebar.
I am tired of today’s everything-link, saying, or picture.
I am tired of the blah logo.
I am tired oif being locked in.
Monday is me
Every other Tuesday is Portrait of Words
Every Thursday is Quilly’s words
Every Friday is Flash 55
Every Saturday is Raven’s words.
Every Sunday a little sermon.
There is no freedom to be crazy.
To do anything that comes into my muddled mind.
I am tired of the blog.
So as I look at it I have some choices.

1. I can say Amen. Close it up and shut it down. I have seen blogs do that, good blogs. They were better blogs than mine. Now they are gone and there is no trace of them.

2. I can take an extended vacation with the possibility of never coming back. The blog, however remains, like a ghost town on the net. Lots of those out there.

3. I can just blog now and then when the mood strikes me. My old friend Catch is doing that.

4. I can take a measured vacation with announcement of a return date. The folks at Friends of the Reston Library are doing that.

OR

5. I can houseclean. I can throw things out. Change the logo. Change the sidebar. Get rid of the Wizard. Throw out the today’s. Spin Pigeon Falls off into a blog of its own. Throw out my schedule. Write what I want when I want.

For the moment I’m leaning toward number 5.
But we will see.

News from Pigeon Falls

The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal
Poor Tommy UK. He keeps having the same dream over and over. He is held by his birth mother. She is rocking him and singing to him but he can’t see her face. He tries but it is as if she wants to hide it. When he caches a glimpse it looks familiar but he doesn’t see her clearly enough to identify her. But there is something about the voice and the sound.
So Tommy went to Pastor Joan this morning and told her how troubling the dream was. She told him to be careful. Dreams are not reality. He might see in the dream somebody he knows like Nancy , his adoptive mother, or even Mrs. Trumble. But that wouldn’t make them his birth mother. The song might be a real memory but the voice could just as easily belong to somebody he sees every day like a school teacher. This was not at all what Tommy wanted to hear. It was not good news.
So he went to see Eino. If he thought Pastor Joan was disappointing Eino was even more so. Eino told him you couldn’t trust dreams at all. They were not rational. They were images created by the mind and it was very doubtful, according to Eino, that they touched on reality at all.
When Tammy found him sitting in the boat house he was almost despondent. She told him to ignore Pastor Joan and Eino. It was his dream and he had to decide if it was real or not. She felt in his heart he would know.

Wrap UP

Sorry about this post. I was feeling a bit down this morning. But I have spent part of the day thinking of changes to make this more fun and that in itself was fun. Then Betty decided I should go with her and Pennie to see Harry Potter and I did. That's when I understood that it wasn't the blog that was the problem it was that between the rough breathing days and things that were going on here I've only been getting out on Sunday. I had a summer version of cabin fever. By the way if your going to the Potter movie reread the book first because the movie is a bit disjointed. So many of you wrote such kind comments I am overwhelmed. Life is good. But now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

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Seventh Sunday After Pentecost

Today's Link
Hit the Back Button to Move Forward

Today's Saying
Mark 6:34When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.
Today's Picture

In the liturgical churches we have reached the seventh Sunday after Pentecost. The Gospel is Mark 6:30-34; 53-56
The story begins with Jesus and his disciples tired and so busy they have no time to eat. Finally Jesus says to them let us go to solitary place. Let us rest. Let us gain strength. And they got into the boat and headed toward a quiet place.
All human beings need a time to refresh . That why we have vacations and days off from work. We get a chance to renew ourselves. The Christian sometimes goes on a Retreat to allow God to be part of that making new.
The only problem for Jesus is that it is a clear day and the people can see the boat way out on the lake. They figure out where he is going. Thus when he arrives there is a crowd waiting to meet him.
This is where the difference between Jesus and most of us becomes apparent.
I would have looked at the crowd and in disgust told the disciples to sail on. Perhaps, since the lake was quiet even just sat in the boat out on the lake and rested. If I had gotten out of the boat I would have told the people to go away. Come back tomorrow.
But Jesus has compassion for them. He sees their needs and feels their pain.
So he sets about healing them.
You can’t blame the people. They don’t have Doctors or hospitals like we do today. It was Jesus or nothing. So they carried, dragged , or rode their loved ones to him.
And over and over and over he healed them.
Then they would tell people who would go to neighboring towns and tell people and so wherever Jesus went mobs of sick people met him.
And he healed them over and ver and over.
There was no rest.
But this was not the mission of Jesus. He was not sent to heal. He was sent to announce a breaking in of the Kingdom of God. He was sent to tell people things were about to change.
But his love for people kept getting in the way.
And yet those actions were also proclamation.
They prepared the way for the coming kingdom.
People who had been healed were ready to believe he had risen from the dead.
They were ready to believe in a new covenant based on grace instead of law.
They were ready to sing Jesus loves me.
They could because he had.
I can because he does.

News from Pigeon Falls

The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal
Over at Last Lutheran Pastor Joan is getting ready to preach. Here is part of her sermon:
In the last month we had a lot of problems here in Pigeon Falls. We saw strange creatures that came out of the trench behind the Town Hall. We had no idea of what they might do. Them some came that seemed to be carrying weapons and we really got frightened.
At the point some words from today’s gospel came back to me .” They were like sheep without a shepherd”.
So we went looking for a shepherd.
People stopped in to Nancy’s looking for direction and information. Some stopped and talked to Eino who is very shepherd like. Other looked for Tommy UK who was missing for a bit. There were even those who came to Herman here at Last Lutheran.
What Herman told them was that the Good Shepherd was always there for them. God never forsakes us. He called on them to trust no matter what.
Well the crisis is over.
But we still need the Shepherd .
We still need to learn to trust Jesus.
We do!

Wrap UP

It was a good day today. My oxygen was up. I got to Church. The sermon was great. WE had a service of sending for our youth who are going to a big conference in New Orleans. I reworked the church website. I visited all the blogs that left comments yesterday. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

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Raven's Challenge 72

Today's Link
Weaver of Grass

Today's Saying
I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck. ~Emma Goldman

Today's Picture

It is Saturday and time to play with words supplied by Raven's Wordzzle
This Week's Ten Word Challenge will be: corn pone, delegation, nectarines, happiness, 12 going on 13, prancing horses, magenta, butterflies, fragmentary, arthritis
For the mini challenge: lavender cowboy, over the moon, preparation, zebra, area rug

The Mega Challenge as
The Ongoing Adventures of Agent 012

Poor Agent 012 , last week he was out in blueberry country trying to determine if Mute was responsible for the increased crop spoilage. It turns out the spoilage came from bacteria carried by butterflies that had moved North because of global warming. All he achieved from that trip was a bad case of poison ivy which caused him to scratch his leg until it turned magenta. No happiness for him there.
But today he was in Corn Pone, Texas, center of Texas oil refining. He was sitting at a table in the Lavender Cowboy Café eating a cold fresh nectarine. Outside on the street the temperature had reached 110 degrees and the air conditioning in the café wasn’t doing a very good job. The main street was empty with no cowboys and no prancing horses.
He was there because the Agency had received some fragmentary information that Mute had made preparations to blow up one of the oil storage tanks. His immediate problem, however, was a delegation of 12 going on 13 year olds . Every time they shouted “ over the moon” something hit him.
Soon he decided he had learned all he was going to learn there and after paying his bill and buying a couple more nectarines he went back to his apartment. At least there the air conditioner worked and there were no kids. . As he entered the room he noticed two things , the stuffed Zebra was gone from the table and the area rug had been moved. Then the lights went out.
When he came to he was tied to a pipe and surrounded by barrels marked high explosive. On the barrel in front of him was a timer that was ticking down the reaming time. The place was damp and his arthritis was starting to cause him pain. At least he wouldn’t hurt long.
This wasn’t going to be his day.

The ten word challenge-Good Pain

He was 12 going on 13 but he already had arthritis. It was so bad that even holding a piece of corn pone or a nectarine cause him great pain. Despite that fact he was here as part of the delegation made up of riders of prancing horses. For Billy his fragmentary happiness came in riding and winning. And he did win. He won the world renowned Magenta Cup. The judges said they had never seen horses prance like that .But it was a happiness achieved only at the cost of great pain. Sometimes as he clutched the reins the pain was so great that tears ran down his face. But all that could change now. They had an extract made from Brazilian butterflies that could take away the pain. Billy considered the medicine and then turned it down as he couldn’t risk changing his way of doing things. It made him a winner.

The mini challenge-Poor Dumb Kid

Clem sat on the area rug in front of a roaring fire and cried. “Dad !They are calling me gay and I’m not gay. I’m not . It’s so over the moon to even call me that.. I’m not gay. Now a feel like a zebra in a horse herd. Everybody stares at me.”
“Well son. If you want to make preparations to change that the first thing I would do is get rid of that lavender cowboy suit your Aunt Mabel gave you.

All fifteen words in one sentence - Story Time

The delegation of 12 going on 13 year old boys with arthritis were being seated on the magenta area rug in front of the fireplace while preparations were made for the famous Lavender Cowboy to tell them stories of zebras going over the moon, prancing horses the size of butterflies, corn pone that created happiness and even fragmentary nectarines that sang.

Of course the dragons were busy today you can see them HERE.

News from Pigeon Falls

The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal
It is Saturday and time to look back on the week in Pigeon Falls.
Monday– Delegations of people kept coming and checking to make sure the trench is gone. They looked so relieved.
Other people kept telling stories of the strange beings that remained. Somebody saw a creature that looked like a Zebra but it had a head on each end. Another swore he saw some magenta butterflies the size of eagles . Willie swore he saw teeny tiny little prancing horses but nobody takes Willie seriously.,
Tuesday– Mrs. Sarri got the area rug she had ordered from the “ God’s Own Ministry “ program. The rug had been prated over and the evangelist even cried on it. If she stood on it and prayed it was supposed to cure her arthritis. For three days she had prayed in preparation for its coming and it didn’t work. She had sent the ministry $100 as a gift to get the rug. So she called and complained but the nice talking man said the problem was she didn’t have enough faith.
Wednesday-Robert who is 12 going on 13 saw one of those bouncing heads and tried to talk to it. It gave him happiness to do that but happiness at that age is at best fragmentary. The head stuck out its tongue and spat at him.
Thursday– Nancy served corn pone along with her other good things in honor of her Aunt Millie who had come from Texas. Her aunt was wearing her lavender cowboy boots and tended to say “over the Moon!” a lot but she was a good lady. In Texas she raised nectarines and she brought some to Nancy.

Wrap UP

I tried to visit and read all the blogs that wrote a wordzzle today. There are such creative people out there. I love their stories. I also visited every blog that left comments yesterday. Breathing today was very good.But now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

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Flash 55

Today's Link
Titus the Dog

Today's Saying
Consider how much more you often suffer from your anger and grief, than from those very things for which you are angry and grieved. ~Marcus Antonius

Today's Picture
Betty's sister Susan and husband Bob

Flash Fiction 55
Friday 55 Flash Fiction is brought to you by G-man (Mr Knowitall). The idea is you write a story in exactly 55 words. If you want to take part pop over and let G-man know when you've posted your 55.Here is today's story.

Discrimination

There are lots of whites and no blacks.

That is not acceptable to me.
So add a black or even two blacks.

But there will still be many whites.
So get rid of some whites.
Remove them !

But then we will be short .
What should we do?
I don't know .

It's your group's

crayola box.

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Since I discovered it was okay I am writing a second flash 55 which will be a continuous story but a complete story every week. Here then is the fourteenth chapter in the exciting ongoing adventures of Sir Laughsalot and Robberhood
The entire story to date is HERE
The most recent chapters are HERE

King Underwood proclaimed a day of rejoicing throughout the land.The square table was saved.
Sir Laughsalot had folding metal legs made for it and laughed when the termites broke their teeth.
But the poor First Chair Knight still did not have a leg to stand on and now his wooden arm was under attack.

News From Pigeon Falls

The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal

For some reason that I still can neither understand nor explain today's Pigeon Falls after the above introduction ends up as a flash 55. Must be some kind of learned response.

Tommy UK has had the same dream several nights in a row.
In it he is a baby being held by his birth mother.
But he can't see her face.
In each dream he comes closer to seeing her.
Tonight might be the night and it might be an actual memory not just a dream.


Of course the dragons will be busy today you can see them HERE.

Wrap UP

I tried to visit all the flass 55 blogs but we really need a linksy. I'm sure I'm missing sum. I visited all the blogs that visited yesterday. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

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A Ple for Help

Today's Link
Samba for Rats

Today's Saying
Cooperation is the thorough conviction that nobody can get there unless everybody gets there. ~Virginia Burden

Today's Picture

This is a plea for help.
Thom and I have taken on the task of keeping Portrait of Words alive.
This is the blog that gives people a set of pictures that they can combine with their imagination to create stories.

We need pictures.

I know that some of you my regular readers are really great picture takers. I know you have archives filled with pictures. Could you please let us use six.

Please!

Here is what we need ( General guidelines)
1. A picture of a person or persons
2. A place -House, hotel, castle, island , barn etc.
3. An activity-Boating, card playing, eating , any activity
4. A means of transportation- Bus, car, train, boat, elephant, camel etc.
5. An object- A dog, a carving, things in a shop , almost anything
6. Another object

What do you get for letting us use six of your priceless pictures?

1. Our endless gratitude

2. A link to your blog when the pictures are used

3. A thank you on the Portrait blog when the pictures are used. 4. The right to display this symbol on your blog ( very exclusive)



5. The opportunity to read fantastic stories based on your pictures.



6. The knowledge that you got a poor old man back in his chair and out of his begging posture.( My knees hurt)

You can e-mail the pictures to me at

jlinna@new.rr.com

I wait to hear from you.

News from Pigeon Falls

The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal
Yesterday Buddy East announced the theme for this year’s local Liar’s Club Contest :
“I remember when”.
The rules are simple.
The participant tells a story of something that might have happened in their life. It must seem true but not be true.
For example one could relate how one visited Egypt and fell on a pyramid and rolled to the bottom. Now if you really did you can’t tell that story but if you imagined what it would be like you can.
Interested people should register at the Town Hall. There is a $ 5.00 registration Registrants will be contacted and a time for the presentation will be made.
Judging as always will be by ten people off the street.
Stories will be told from the town gazebo.
Liar’s Club will meet later this week to decide if there will be a contest for the internet.
People wishing to nominate girls as Pigeon Queen can get blanks at the Town Hall.
Mrs. Paula Judson the new Librarian has agreed to be in charge of this years Variety Show. If you are planning to enter an act please contact her.
Because of what happened to Bruce Curman last year spouses may no longer carry spouses twenty pounds or more heavier than them in the spouse carrying contest.

Wrap UP

Temperature went down and this was a good breathing day. Betty went to Bible study in the afternoon. I visited blogs. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

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Together Again in Pictures

Today's Link
Ice-Cream Monster Toon Cafe

Today's Saying
A group becomes a team when each member is sure enough of himself and his contribution to praise the skills of the others. ~Norman Shidle

Today's Picture
Pete and Bree at Life Fest

A Picture Story from Portrait of Words

This story was written by Betty and I together( Proving that two heads are not better than one). I would write a line and she would write a line. The only other rule was that neither of us told the other where we wanted to go but we both tried to work in the pictures of the day. Again as unbelievable as it may sound no wives or husbands were injured in writing this story. It is posted on both blogs.

Penny Sue Tractor and Colonel Montana were the names that Mr. And Mrs. Reginal Maki decided to use for their big Hillbilly party this evening. The party would be held at a small cabin in the woods they rented for the night.
It looked just like they thought a Hillbilly home should look like. Every good Hillbilly home should have a pig. But the only pig they could find was one of those fancy pet pigs that belonged to a rich friend and they had to promise no harm would come to it to borrow it for the evening.
Mr. and Mrs Maki came up with mud wrestling as one activity, since greased pig catching was ruled out not wanting to harm the pig.
At the last moment they even found a dog named Duke to complete the picture.
Turning into Penny Sue Tractor and Colonel Montana brought them to giggling as the transformation took place. Everything was ready including the fake still from which the liquor would be served in fruit jars and the deer in the pen behind the cabin for the deer tackling event.
Old hats long beards and missing teeth were the norm but Lester Cain, or at least who ,the now, Penny Sue thought was Lester Cain had deep scratches over his face, and cuts on his arms. He looked like he had been in a fight with a mountain bobcat and she assumed it was part of his costume. He staggered as he picked up his fruit jar and sat at the teeter-tottering table. Suddenly the table went over and he fell to the ground looking very much like he had died. Mrs. Maki screamed out his name, and ran to him finding that the blood pouring from him was not fake but real.
That was when the Federal Agents choose to raid the party and arrested them all for a long list of offenses including having an illegal still. Mr Maki tried talking to the agents explaining that everything was fake for a party, but the with the body they were not buying his explanation.
As the agents were rounding up the guests, a couple and a teenager, Billy Jones and his parents walked in , Billy also with multiple scratches. It didn't take long to discover that Lester and Billy had a fight and according to Billy he stabbed Lester while defending himself. Billy was caring a pitch fork as part of his costume, but Lester, somewhat drunk, thought he was the devil.
Tomorrow they would be arraigned and the authorities would discover they had among others the District Attorney, the Mayor, and the Chief of Police, the strangest group of Hillbillies ever arrested.

News from Pigeon Falls-

The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal
It is almost August and The town Council put out the almost final schedule for this year’s Pigeon Days.
It as follows :
August 1-Pigeon Calling Contest-$5.00 entry fee-$1000 prize. (To win pigeon must land on some part of your body)
August 2-Pasty eating contest-$ 5.00 entry fee-$50 prize. (losers pay for their own pasties.)
August 3-9 Art on the Yellow Brick local artists and others share their art .
August 8- Pigeon Queen Contest- Masonic Hall
August 13 - 15-Local Variety Show– 4.00 a ticket
August 15- 4k Yellow Brick Road run $5.00 to enter -Everyone gets a "I ran on the yellow brick road sweatshirt. Winner gets I reached the Emerald City sweatshirt.
August 15– Spouse carrying contest.
August 10-16 Old Time week-Local people dress up in the clothes of 90 years ago.
August 10-16 Finals for local Liars Club Contest
August 22-Big Race Day-three Legged Races, Potato sack races, wheelbarrow races and others
August 23- Community church day- Pastor's exchange pulpits
August 29- Pigeon Day Parade- Pigeon Day song by Vicki East
August 31-Potato Judging-Potato Farmer of the Year to be named

Other activities to be announced.

Wrap UP

Day started out well but then the temperature went up and up. Soon I was having trouble breathing. The air felt heavy. Neither Betty nor I knew how to turn on the air conditioning. So for most of the day I did very little. Then Betty's sister arrived and her husband got the AC working. We had a nice visit. Then they went out to eat I decided not to risk going out into the heat and stayed home.
Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

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