Guess I set myself up for that one! Fire away friends...
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
happy birthday to me
This seems kind of bold and presumptuous, but since this is the year of the
5-0,
and most anyone who reads this blog knows that already, I thought I'd start out the day by saying thank you to all who have affected and influenced my life for the past 50 years. Like someone said recently, "It's no tribute to my life, but to the patience God has had with me in keeping me all these years," and I could stretch that to include friends and family who have stood by and loved me in spite of myself sometimes. So thank you all and have a great day! We are headed for Arlington Cemetery for a Veteran's Day ceremony, then on to the Museum of Holocaust.
5-0,
and most anyone who reads this blog knows that already, I thought I'd start out the day by saying thank you to all who have affected and influenced my life for the past 50 years. Like someone said recently, "It's no tribute to my life, but to the patience God has had with me in keeping me all these years," and I could stretch that to include friends and family who have stood by and loved me in spite of myself sometimes. So thank you all and have a great day! We are headed for Arlington Cemetery for a Veteran's Day ceremony, then on to the Museum of Holocaust.
Friday, October 31, 2008
autumn's bounty
There is something that feels good about preserving a harvest. The rosier ones have a tad more cinnamon in the syrup. 
8 gallons of applesauce in the freezer too. Those are the last fruits of the year.
8 gallons of applesauce in the freezer too. Those are the last fruits of the year.gracious country living...
Hey dear senior bro-o-mine: You now QUALIFY!! And it's just down the street from us so I could visit you with the other sick and elderly! I'm sure they'd even let your sweet young wife visit you also - they're pretty laid back, and Alpine even delivers meals-on-wheels to your door step. What more could you want?
The average temp for the past 7 days is 94 - where else could you get such balmy weather on your birthday??
The average temp for the past 7 days is 94 - where else could you get such balmy weather on your birthday??
Better hurry - swimming pool and spa included.
Extra: Bubbling creek runs about 2 months of the year, and Mexican illegals camp in nearby canyon so can be hired for next to nothing to pick up your groceries and take you to your doctor appointments - of course they might have to "borrow" your vehicle temporarily (or someone else's) to get you there. No problemo!Thursday, October 30, 2008
happy birthday old man
My brother is genuine-ly old today tottering down the 55 hill.
Photo credits: pics from my niece's blog of the birthday party they gave him.
Photo credits: pics from my niece's blog of the birthday party they gave him.
The only problem with him getting old, is that he doesn't act it yet, and he keeps this young-looking wife by his side, so that nobody knows he's pushing into antique-ness, until I advertise it!
happy b-day ;)Sunday, October 19, 2008
only one story
Following is an excerpt from a letter that touched me deeply. It is from a servant visiting Africa recently, and Liberia in particular. I tried to paraphrase it to make it shorter, but I couldn't do justice to the story, so here it is in quotes, and like the brother telling the story says, "I make no apologies for the length of this, simply because the half has not been told."
"Next, was war torn Liberia. I hesitate to say anything. I left with a strong feeling that I was walking on ground saturated by innocent blood, and the fellowship that was so rich and deep amongst the brethren, behind it lies a suffering so keen in the recent past, that I would long to be careful in speaking of it in any way to open the wounds that are beginning to heal or to diminish the sacredness of its story with words that don’t really tell the story.
In brief, Liberia’s civil war lasted over 14 years. One in every 17 Liberians died. Alan and Wyngrove (two servants) stayed behind when the last plane left. They moved from their batch to a home vacated by friends who were able to leave on the last plane. Later, three young friends displaced from their own rooms sought refuge in the batch waiting out the war. But one morning soldiers wanting the apartment for themselves came and took them away down to a lagoon, and on top of a pile of executed bodies, shot them there. Alex fell with the others but didn’t die. After the soldiers left he gathered enough strength to rise up and stumble to Joseph and Webie’s nearby home. Because of the shooting no one would answer his knock. But finally he made them understand it was their friend at the door. They took him in and laid him on their bed. He told the story and closed his eyes and died. Some cruel person sent a message to the soldiers that one of the boys had gotten up and left their carnage. They came through the block of houses searching for him. A smart neighbor woman invited the soldiers in and treated them to food and drink and sent a child to warn Joseph and Webie. She kept them there until he could find a wheelbarrow and carry Alex’s body back down to the pile. And then in the dark they washed the blood from the steps, the door and the floor and hid the soaked sheets. Two years later Tom and Alan returned to the spot. The UN had taken the bodies away and erected a memorial. But as they stood there...they saw something and discovered the remains of all three boys left behind. A Bible in Joseph’s shirt pocket with his ID card, Nat’s wedding ring and Alex’s shirt that they remembered, positively identified them. Their families were notified in Liberia and America and the remains (bones) were buried.
Joseph and Webie, like everyone else at that time, had to scrounge for food, crossing lines between the rebels and the military. They were both blocked away from the home one day while foraging for food. The grandmother, two daughters and baby were left behind. A rebel commander found and took the two girls to his home village and kept them there. Two months later when Joseph got back through to the home, he found the remains of the grandmother and baby. They starved to death. Two years later, the workers with the help of the Red Cross and UN were able to trace the two girls and they were eventually returned to the family unharmed. Today the younger of the two, Lorpu, is in her third year in the work. This year her field is Benin where she is happily learning French. She and her best friend, Kebie, had heard of convention in other countries during the war. They were in their last years of high school when they decided to save their money and go to Accra, Ghana for the convention. Lorpu gave her money to Kebie and said, “You keep it for me, you’re stronger, even if I cry and beg don’t give it back to me.” So for a year they often skipped lunch at school to save for their journey. Convention time came and they counted up their savings...not enough. “We’ll just keep on saving!” So for another year they saved and dreamed. And this time they had enough. They learned it would be a three day trip so they prepared food for three days, leaving Monrovia, crossing half of Liberia, the country of Ivory Coast and finally across Ghana to Accra. The workers and friends were joyfully awaiting their arrival in Accra. But they didn’t come. Four days passed, five, six and no word of their whereabouts. Finally after 11 days the poor girls arrived, hungry, no bath for eleven days, sitting on the bus afraid to get off, until their feet and legs were swollen. The military had harassed the driver for bribes all the way, stopping them and threatening them, but at last their dream came true. They were at convention. The friends in Ghana persuaded them to stay and go to school and work. They did. After a year in baking school they returned and opened a very successful bake shop in Monrovia. Lorpu had offered for the work but it was the one thing that she could not bring herself to tell Kebie, because of the cost of separation. Whatever Kebie saw that was special, she bought two, “You pick, Lorpu!’ And Lorpu would do the same. They never ran out of things to share. But the week Lorpu had to tell Kebie that the door had opened and she would soon be leaving for the work, that very day after she had prayed so hard for help to tell her dearest friend, Kebie fell sick. Lorpu spent the week doing all she could to save her. Kebie passed away from a very aggressive form of hepatitis and was buried. Lorpu’s father has worked for the American Embassy the past 15 years. This year they offered him US residency in return for his faithful service. But he and Webie have chosen to stay in Liberia where they wish to do all they can do while they can. His colleagues cannot understand. Each one in Liberia has a very tender story to tell. This is only one."
"Next, was war torn Liberia. I hesitate to say anything. I left with a strong feeling that I was walking on ground saturated by innocent blood, and the fellowship that was so rich and deep amongst the brethren, behind it lies a suffering so keen in the recent past, that I would long to be careful in speaking of it in any way to open the wounds that are beginning to heal or to diminish the sacredness of its story with words that don’t really tell the story.
In brief, Liberia’s civil war lasted over 14 years. One in every 17 Liberians died. Alan and Wyngrove (two servants) stayed behind when the last plane left. They moved from their batch to a home vacated by friends who were able to leave on the last plane. Later, three young friends displaced from their own rooms sought refuge in the batch waiting out the war. But one morning soldiers wanting the apartment for themselves came and took them away down to a lagoon, and on top of a pile of executed bodies, shot them there. Alex fell with the others but didn’t die. After the soldiers left he gathered enough strength to rise up and stumble to Joseph and Webie’s nearby home. Because of the shooting no one would answer his knock. But finally he made them understand it was their friend at the door. They took him in and laid him on their bed. He told the story and closed his eyes and died. Some cruel person sent a message to the soldiers that one of the boys had gotten up and left their carnage. They came through the block of houses searching for him. A smart neighbor woman invited the soldiers in and treated them to food and drink and sent a child to warn Joseph and Webie. She kept them there until he could find a wheelbarrow and carry Alex’s body back down to the pile. And then in the dark they washed the blood from the steps, the door and the floor and hid the soaked sheets. Two years later Tom and Alan returned to the spot. The UN had taken the bodies away and erected a memorial. But as they stood there...they saw something and discovered the remains of all three boys left behind. A Bible in Joseph’s shirt pocket with his ID card, Nat’s wedding ring and Alex’s shirt that they remembered, positively identified them. Their families were notified in Liberia and America and the remains (bones) were buried.
Joseph and Webie, like everyone else at that time, had to scrounge for food, crossing lines between the rebels and the military. They were both blocked away from the home one day while foraging for food. The grandmother, two daughters and baby were left behind. A rebel commander found and took the two girls to his home village and kept them there. Two months later when Joseph got back through to the home, he found the remains of the grandmother and baby. They starved to death. Two years later, the workers with the help of the Red Cross and UN were able to trace the two girls and they were eventually returned to the family unharmed. Today the younger of the two, Lorpu, is in her third year in the work. This year her field is Benin where she is happily learning French. She and her best friend, Kebie, had heard of convention in other countries during the war. They were in their last years of high school when they decided to save their money and go to Accra, Ghana for the convention. Lorpu gave her money to Kebie and said, “You keep it for me, you’re stronger, even if I cry and beg don’t give it back to me.” So for a year they often skipped lunch at school to save for their journey. Convention time came and they counted up their savings...not enough. “We’ll just keep on saving!” So for another year they saved and dreamed. And this time they had enough. They learned it would be a three day trip so they prepared food for three days, leaving Monrovia, crossing half of Liberia, the country of Ivory Coast and finally across Ghana to Accra. The workers and friends were joyfully awaiting their arrival in Accra. But they didn’t come. Four days passed, five, six and no word of their whereabouts. Finally after 11 days the poor girls arrived, hungry, no bath for eleven days, sitting on the bus afraid to get off, until their feet and legs were swollen. The military had harassed the driver for bribes all the way, stopping them and threatening them, but at last their dream came true. They were at convention. The friends in Ghana persuaded them to stay and go to school and work. They did. After a year in baking school they returned and opened a very successful bake shop in Monrovia. Lorpu had offered for the work but it was the one thing that she could not bring herself to tell Kebie, because of the cost of separation. Whatever Kebie saw that was special, she bought two, “You pick, Lorpu!’ And Lorpu would do the same. They never ran out of things to share. But the week Lorpu had to tell Kebie that the door had opened and she would soon be leaving for the work, that very day after she had prayed so hard for help to tell her dearest friend, Kebie fell sick. Lorpu spent the week doing all she could to save her. Kebie passed away from a very aggressive form of hepatitis and was buried. Lorpu’s father has worked for the American Embassy the past 15 years. This year they offered him US residency in return for his faithful service. But he and Webie have chosen to stay in Liberia where they wish to do all they can do while they can. His colleagues cannot understand. Each one in Liberia has a very tender story to tell. This is only one."
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