Good Morning!
On this day in 1684 a patent was granted for the thimble.
In 1792 the guillotine was first used to execute highwayman Nicolas J. Pelletier.
In 1862 Union Admiral Farragut occupied New Orleans, LA.
And in 1982, in accordance with Camp David agreements, Israel completed its Sinai withdrawal.
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Quote of the Day
“Anyone who isn’t confused really doesn’t understand the situation.”
Edward R. Murrow
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Today is Bjorn Ulvaeus’ birthday. 🙂
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Wandering Views 
Murrow said that? I thought it was a general.
Good morning everyone. Busy day for Chas.
Because it’s Friday, that’s why.
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Morning all, and Mr. Chas.
Difficult to explain what a thimble is to my PNG children.
Friday is almost over here and the weekend has begun!
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It would be difficult to explain a thimble to most young girls
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We will just have to try using one. Perhaps on our Mother’s Day gift project. When is Mother’s Day this year?
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Good Morning to all, I took my wife to see The Quiet Man on the big screen at The John Wayne Film Festival last night. The movie was outstanding.
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It is indeed Friday!
Jo- Mother’s Day is may 11. It’s always the second Sunday in May. This year, we are getting together with Mrs L’s family on May 10 to finally have the family Thanksgiving celebration. There was sickness back then, so we tried for the first Saturday in January, which turned out to be the coldest day in twenty some years, so we cancelled. We tried again in February, but sickness and heavy snow prevented that gathering, so we just decided to wait until Spring.
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Here’s a QOD.
How do you fall asleep? I think I’ve forgotten . . .
Do you just climb into bed, close your eyes and that’s it? When do you give up and get up again?
And, does anyone want my annoying cat?
Tough night . . .
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fall asleep? Well, generally around eight o clock, my eyeballs start to close and I drag myself off to my bed and that is it. It used to be eight thirty but the sun is up earlier so I am also. My recommendation? Adopt children, especially a lot of them. And get some young ones along with the older ones.
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I usually hit the pillow and am out within five minutes. Occasionally I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to get back to sleep, but that is rare.
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If I do wake up, I figure God wants me praying for somebody and I usually fall back asleep doing that. The other option, of course, is to worry about things but I find that does not help me sleep.
No, I don’t want your cat. Annoying is redundant when discussing a cat.
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Thimbles: It is amazing of the variety and types. It is probably a fun thing to collect. I use the ones I have. I also have one for my thumb. That is a sewn leather one. I seldom us it now. I also use some liquid bandage type stuff for one finger, when hand quilting. Who would believe such a simple little thing would have had a patent? Does anyone still get a patent for any of those, I wonder?
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I will keep my mind on scripture I have memorized, too, in addition to prayer. It keeps my mind off worrying and helps keep the scripture sharper in my mind. I will seldom get up in the middle of the night. I may if it is the wee hours of dawn.
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Falling asleep has always been difficult for me. My earliest memories of lying in bed for an hour each night would go back to when I was around ten or younger. Being asleep within 20 minutes is rare for me.
I generally just allow myself to lie and think a while, change positions a few times, and if I’m relaxed enough that I should fall asleep but haven’t done it, then I try one of my tricks. (The tricks that often work for me include taking a second pillow into my arms and hugging it; counting one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two and so on for a few hundred–yes, a few hundred; breathing deeply as though I was asleep and focusing just on my breathing–that one rarely works, but occasionally; and beginning a “dream sequence,” like imagining myself walking through the woods with birdsong around me.) If I’m not asleep within about 90 minutes, or not at all sleepy after 45 minutes to an hour, then I get back up and read till I’m really sleepy. Sometimes on summer nights I never do get sleepy, and I’ve learned that on such nights I can handle a night with very little sleep and I won’t be sleepy the next day.
If I wake during the night and am not back to sleep within 30-45 minutes, I try one of the same tricks, or I get up and drink some water and then go back to bed, or I lie awake and pray, or I give up and get up for a while. But I like the last option least, because usually I end up still sleepy in the morning, and then waste half the morning sleeping in or taking a nap after breakfast.
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I thought the quote was from a newspaper editor.
I always read before falling asleep — lately it’s 1 chapter of the Bonhoeffer biography (which is excellent, by the way) and then a bit of scripture. From there I typically fall a asleep really fast.
I, too, turn to prayer or scripture if I happen to wake up and toss and turn a bit, but that’s not too often, thankfully. I’m a pretty champion sleeper.
What’s strange is sometimes I’ll get a message or an alert on my phone in the middle of the night — I keep it plugged in and charging on a table in the bedroom — and everything lights up. It doesn’t usually wake me up but I’ve been awake sometimes when it happens. Feels like Poltergeist.
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I had a rough night myself. I took a benedryl before bed, woke up about 2 and took another, dragged myself to the sofa, read a couple of chapters of my book and FINALLY fell asleep around 5. The alarm went off at 6.
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Kim, that’s the worst. Makes for a hard day, but you’ll probably sleep good tonight.
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Cheryl and I have a lot in common. I also come from a family of people who don’t sleep well, sigh.
I pray, too, but that often wakes me up even more. I try mentally singing hymns, but again, that wakes me up more. I read fiction, trying to lull me to sleep, but even with my eyes aching, I can’t seem to fall asleep.
Complaint off–other than that yowling cat . . .
It’s raining in CA today, blessed be the name of The Lord. No walk, work, funeral, babysitting 60% of the adorable grandchildren. A full day and ample opportunity for God’s strength to be evident in my weaknesses!
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Okay, credit where credit is due . . . the fact the cat woke me up and the rain, meant I was sitting at my table reading Scripture when my daughter called in a panic. I helped solve her problem and a Christianity activity will now be able to happen on campus tonight (because I gave her my credit card number . . . ), so God, once again, will be glorified despite my crotchety weakness. 🙂
So what else is new? 🙂
Fascinating story from the Muslim front lines via Christian Associates. We worship a God of love and understanding and we do NOT need to fear our mission field:
http://christianassociates.org/blog/2014/04/choosing-love1/
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Waterloo – now whenever I hear that song, I see a strange sight in my memory. There was a dance after the wedding reception last Saturday. My father had stated that, while he had no moral objection, he couldn’t and wouldn’t dance. However, he does like ABBA, and when ‘Waterloo’ came on, he cut in on his new son-in-law and danced with second sibling. I have to say, my father can dance (so can second sibling). Talk about hidden talents…
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Michelle’s QoD: It depends – sometimes I am so tired, I just crawl into my bed and I’m asleep. Sometimes, I read – once, I fell asleep while reading and left my reading light on all night, which led to the accusation that I stayed up to all hours. Other times, like last night, I fall asleep initially, but then I wake up after a couple of hours and nothing I do will allow me to go back to sleep, at least not before the dawn comes. I often end up getting up and reading, surfing the net or sewing for an hour or two. If I have to start early, I never get back to sleep; if I have more time, I might go back for a couple more hours sleep in the morning.
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I fall asleep quite easily…and I rather occasionally wake up in the middle of the night. I either get up to read and pray or just pray…I usually cannot fall back to sleep though. When Paul is out of town…I have great difficulty in sleeping…like last night..ugh!
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Hmm… that makes four of us who had trouble sleeping last night…
Thimbles: I know what they are for, but they always just got in my way. I can sew much quicker without one.
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….until you push the eye of the needle into your finger….
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I seldom have trouble sleeping unless I have something on my mind.
Sometimes I pray or think of something.
If I don’t fall asleep soon, I take a valium or get something to eat because the reason is hunger.
Elvera has a unique method of fall to sleep, she sits in front of a TV set. That usually does it.
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Kim, the secret of having a successful bad attitude is in not letting your cohorts know you have a bad attitude.
It’s tricky, but you can do it.
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TV puts me to sleep every time as well, Chas…. 🙂
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The most effective way to make me fall asleep is expensive theater tickets . . . . !
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This is what used to do it for me, but now I have to share the bedroom TV.
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When I wake in the night, I have to make myself stay in bed knowing that getting up and on the computer will not help. However, it is hard when I know that you all are on here talking away. 🙂
I find a throat lozenge, sugarfree, helps relax me.
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I LOOOOOOOOOVE my camera. 🙂
I just downloaded the pics to the laptop. All 502 of them. 🙂 In my defense, about 22 were already on the card. 🙂
Memory cards and digital cameras have to be 2 of man’s finest achievements. 🙂
This is why rolls of film have gone the way of the dodo, as they should’ve.
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Hi Jo! 🙂
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TV keeps me wide awake, something about the flickering lights, I sit there like a zombie, eyes as wide as saucers. I have to turn it off if I have any hope of sleeping.
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AJ, last year in my Christmas letter I mentioned the amazing fact that I shot about 7,000 photos last year.
I have shot about 3,000 in the month or so I’ve had this new camera.
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Oh, and make it 5.
I don’t sleep well in hotels, and I don’t travel well at all anymore. Between the drive and the bed, I’ve got 2 sore knees and a back. 😦 I tried a nap before dinner, but that didn’t pan out. I’m always up for a nap, but this time I just couldn’t. But I’m hoping tonight is better. 🙂
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Cheryl,
Cool right? 🙂
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the flowers changed, it must be spring
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Hi Mumsee! 🙂
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Hi The Real
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Wow, Aj is really wide awake! Love the new photo, whoever took it. Are those tiger lilies?
I tried to capture a kingfisher with my camera yesterday. By the time I got outside, he was gone. They are almost a teal blue. Not worth trying an indoor shot with screens on all the windows. maybe I need to add a little glass window, just to be able to take photos from inside, hmmmm….
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looking around, trying to decide where a small window would fit.
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Tiger lilies now? We don’t get those until July. I’ll miss the yard of this old house. The previous owner planted a lot of flowering perennial plants such that there is something in bloom all throughout the spring and summer, and if warm enough, well into the fall.
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I often have trouble going to sleep, or getting back to sleep when I wake up in the middle of the night. Sometimes what helps me fall asleep (after I have prayed) is to go through the alphabet, naming things by letter. That doesn’t really explain it well, though.
I might do girls’ names…Amy, Annette, Bonnie, Christina, Cynthia, Diana…
Or fruits & vegetables, or movie titles, or things found in the kitchen, or historical persons, etc. If an answer for a letter doesn’t quickly pop up in my memory, I do this…Da, De, Di, Do, Du (through the short vowel sounds & the long vowel sounds), until something comes to mind. Of course, it takes longer when the beginning letter is a vowel, & I have to go through the consonants.
Writing this all out, I realize it sounds complicated & silly, but it often works for me, because it gets my mind off other things. I used to count backwards, but that lost its effectiveness for me.
One thing I read, that I haven’t yet tried, is to concentrate on relaxing each body part.
Speaking of sleep, I need to go to bed now. Babysitting in the morning. R said he “will see” about picking up Forrest for the day.
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I often find that when I can’t sleep, if I try to stay awake, I end up falling asleep.
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I’m guessing the photo at the top is from an arboretum or some such place; it has that look. Exquisite!
Jo, I’d love to get a photo of a kingfisher. I almost got one last summer–it was sitting still for me on a log in the middle of a river, but I just couldn’t find him in my camera lens. (That’s sometimes a problem with a long zoom.) Just as I found him, he flew. I’m hoping to get another chance someday; they are really lovely birds. We also had one at the eagle watch we attended a few months ago, flying back and forth across the water. Several others saw him, but I got only a glimpse before he flew in under the bank and was gone. (The ones I’m familiar with are belted kingfishers, sort of the colors of a bluebird only bigger; undoubtedly you have a different variety.) My favorite sight of one, though, was the day I looked out my window over a creek, in a house I rented my first summer in Nashville, and watched a kingfisher diving from a branch into the creek, and coming back up with a fish.
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Someone told me that these are related to the kookaburra, only much smaller.
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Well, I did it, after a test drive all over centre and up and down the hills, I told the folks that I would buy their car. We figured out that it is a 91, so new right? It is a small Toyota station wagon and is 4wd. i talked to one of our mechanics and he raved about it. when I told him the price, he was astounded as he felt that it was worth much more. A good sign! I had to tell my friends his reaction thought, didn’t want to get the car under false circumstances. Also they gave me the price in PNG kina. Well, right now the kina is going down, so basically the car is getting cheaper each day.
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We are so close,
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and you are probably all sleeping, so
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I will have to get 49!!! 🙂
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Then I should get 50. Good night, Jo.
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Congrats on the car, BTW.
I got to show my husband a kookaburra in the zoo a couple years ago. I was pleased that I knew what it was even before I saw the plaque, even though it isn’t a local bird and I’d never actually seen one before.
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What color is the little station wagon?
It’s raining here!
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raining here too. It is navy blue and gray, but very faded from the sun.
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good night to you, but it is only 5:30pm here and time for dinner
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