49 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 8-26-15”

  2. Good morning everyone. I had strange dreams last night. One, if I was a writer would make the beginnings of a really good book. In the beginning children were being let ouf of class for recess and two boys were racing by. They bumped into a girl who later became part of their trio. Somehow the dream wound through their lives to college. One of the boys developed cancer and as he was dying the girl was with him. His parents asked her to say his eulogy. She couldn’t get through it so the other boy (who had always been there) walked up, put his arm around her and finished reading the eulogy. Several years later they named their first child after their friend. (You know with me it HAD to have a happy ending.)

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  3. Hello to all!
    Miss Bosley sends purrs.

    I woke up at 4:30 and decided not to go back to sleep since husband has an IRS conference downtown and needed to leave earlier than usual.

    In Bible reading, I was in the part about not expecting Jesus to return when it is his timel. When things are going badly we always seem to be looking for him. So do you think times may get better so we will be caught up in good things instead of being watchful? Just curious if anyone cares to answer. Do you do anything specifically to be ready for his return?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. No Janice. I do nothing to prepare for the return of Jesus. I go about living my daily life. I grew up during a time and in a church when everyone was preparing for the Rapture to happen in 2000, They were selling prep kits before the “preppers” became a thing. They talked about a computer located at 666 Some Avenue, NY, NY that was commonly referred to as the Beast. We were going to lose out Bibles when the Soviets came so we had to memorize verses NOW. They would routinely ask us if we had to flee out home what ONE thing would we take (the correct answer was your Bible). I lived in terror of being left on earth to fend for myself when my mother and father were gone.
    NOPE. I do NOTHING to prepare. I may be foolish, but I (sometimes) sleep at night. I figure what I am doing is good enough and if it isn’t I don’t deserve heaven.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  5. The last word Jesus gave was “WATCH”.

    More on that later.

    Bears have been seen in downtown Hendersonville. Every year they have a bear on each corner in Hendersonville. They are sponsored by some organization. You will notice that this is a police bear so you need to be careful on this corner. An artist paints the bear according to some scheme. Teacher, doctor, whatever.
    The store behind it is Mikes on Main. The place where we had breakfast on 17 August.
    I came out and took the picture on a whim, and sent it to Aj on the same whim. I don’t know how many bears there are. At least a dozen, maybe twenty. Each fall they are auctioned off and raise a couple of hundred each for a charity they have selected. You see bears wherever you go in Hendersonville. There’s one outside the YMCA. You stroll down main street on a nice day, you will see someone having his/her picture taken with a bear. .

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  6. Chas, they gave human features to that bear. I was living in Chicago when cows went up everywhere. I saw a bunch of them, but I never drove around to see how many I could find (I think I did walk a few extra blocks to find some more), so when a book came out with photos of all of them, I bought it. (The “Cows on Parade” has been in more than 75 cities since then, I read, but Chicago was the first.)

    In our town they’ve done rocking chairs or bicycles, and once they had a few pianos scattered around that people could play–how you can put pianos outside even on non-rainy days and have them be playable, I do not know; I assume someone took them inside on any day with a chance of rain.

    Chicago’s cows were fun and creative. Artists had a choice of two or three poses of “forms” to buy, and some of them jointed a leg or two, joined two cows together, or otherwise changed the shape a bit. (I looked it up, and sure enough one can see many of the the cows online, here: http://photos.redeyechicago.com/redeye-flashback-cows-on-parade-overtake-chicago-20130829/ )

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. I saw a photo on facebook that I shared. It was a photo of a woman taken at some sort of breast cancer awareness event. She had on a t-shirt that said “Heck yes they are fake. The real ones tried to kill me”.

    I also had a friend who posted this morning that he had a job interview yesterday. One of the questions he was asked was besides his credentials what else made him a good candidate for the job. His response was priceless. He told them he wasn’t on the Ashley Madison List.

    It seems that unfortunately Alabama is in the #1 spot for Ashley Madison accounts. Someone shared the list with me. I recognized some of the names from my town. They even had the people’s home address. I don’t agree with cheating, but I also don’t agree with publishing this list. These people have spouses and children who are going to be embarrassed and hurt by this mess.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  9. My, my, who knew Alabama folks were so busy? 😉

    Funny photo, and somehow it *says* “Chas” all over it. I laughed out loud.

    Another busy day today, still tracking homeless stories (trying to connect with a couple homelessness “experts” on the east coast today and following up on the local free lunch program sponsored by one of the town’s Catholic churches suspending the service for a week due to “aggressive behavior” by clients). There’s another proposal being floated to set up what would be a permanent homeless encampment in one of the port warehouses which (I’m sure) will go nowhere fast.

    I skipped covering a meeting last night as much of the community comments now are getting just redundant with the same people saying the same things.

    Like

    Reply

  12. Oh, here come the realists. Waiting for mumsee …

    I’ve been evaluating my kitchen counter space and realized it’s organized all wrong (based on the limited # of electrical outlets I have — though I surely could use more of those anyway). So I think I’m going to switch everything up in there.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  13. Being the home of Chick-fil-A, Atlanta has ‘those’ cows. 🙂

    Son lives in a TX town that has sculptured Longhorns. I guess it is difficult to find a place in our nation that does not have cows of one sort or another. If it’s not the real cows, then it’s the fake cows, and if it’s not the fake cows, then it’s people in cow costumes, and if it’s not people in cow costumes, then it’s people who generally look like cows as they graze and chew their cud.

    Like

    Reply

  15. The metropolis of Toronto for a while had cement moose at different locations. When the moose were auctioned off, small businesses bought them up, and they can now be seen scattered about in small communities in southern Ontario.

    Like

    Reply

  16. The weather is cool this morning. I decided to mow. I overdid it considering how thick the grass is. I was about to faint when I came in and had to push Miss Bosley away because I felt like barfing, too. I hate when I just keep pushing myself to that level. I am now taking a long break. My next door neighbor is mowing her grass, too. At least our yards will be in sync. I pulled up a lot of new little plants in that clay dirt/dead grass area on the bank by the neighbor’s house. The plants look like little mimosa trees. I need to get some more dirt and replant the ground cover in that area.

    Like

    Reply

  17. Kim @10:50: I don’t know. The whole thing reminds me of what Christ said, “For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.” (Luke 12:2-3)

    I have seen too many affairs that were so long concealed that when they became known their poison had become too strong to be overcome. Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to concealed immorality in a family. It only festers and infects each member until they are all sick with the same deadly disease. I have treated many infected wounds, and I know that the best way to treat such infections is to cut them open and drain out the pus until the wound is thoroughly cleansed.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  19. Janice – I don’t obsess over Jesus coming back, as some seem to do, but I make sure my heart is ready if He does come back soon. Right now, with my daughters not walking with Him, I hope He delays a bit, & that He saves them soon.

    You mentioned something about Facebook the other day. My opinion on it is that it is a mixed bag. Many of my friends post pretty innocuous stuff – funny things, inspirational sayings, photos & stories about their families, etc. Of the ones that post about political &/or social issues, some post respectful comments or articles, & then there are those (the minority among my friends, thankfully) who post the combative or downright hateful memes & such.

    I’ve mentioned the junk YF posts. Quite frankly, considering she is a very intelligent young woman, who considers herself quite intellectual, too, it surprises me that she posts such contemptuous things, articles with the sole purpose of bashing Republicans & conservatives.

    Another friend posts anti-Christian stuff fairly often, as well as anti-conservative things. But I also have a couple very conservative friends who post the conservative version of contempt toward liberals.

    I also have a couple friends who post very interesting, enlightening articles, with sometimes-long comment threads filled with good, respectful discussion. I have learned a lot from them.

    I try to post articles or things that are more respectful & rational, & I often post my own words (or articles) about our attitudes toward others. I’ve had people thank me for my thoughtful, reasonable posts, but I try not to get a big head about it. 🙂

    Every now & then, an article I share may have a little dig at liberals, but if I notice that, I kind of apologize for it, & urge people to ignore that part but consider the rest. Mostly, though, I will not post an article that puts down liberals or Democrats, even though the rest of the article may be good. (There is a conservative writer named Matt Walsh who often makes very good points on issues, but he is so sarcastic toward liberals that I won’t share anything from him. My liberal friends already hate him & won’t learn anything from what he writes.)

    So, Facebook may have some ugliness on it, but I have read about “campaigns” (I think I saw them called) on Twitter that are pretty ugly, too. YF once shared an article about one of those in which people were posting things attacking conservative Christians. It was something like #thingsjesusneversaidbutconservativechristiansthinkhedid (probably not really that long). One was “Love your neighbor unless he’s gay.” Another was something along the lines of “It’s okay for a child to die of hunger as long as CEOs get their huge bonuses”.

    My point is that both Facebook & Twitter are mixed bags, with each being used for good & each being used for bad. Unfortunately, it’s the bad that we hear the most about.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  20. We saw bicycles all over downtown Sarasota while we were there. They were decorated in different ways buy artist(s). My cousin didn’t know much else about them. maybe I’ll send some pics to AJ.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  22. Janice, I, like Kim, used to have trouble with the terrifying images the idea of the Rapture and Tribulation would evoke. These days I just remember that Christ said, “Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.” If I am doing whatever God has given me to do, then I am watching for Christ’s return. “But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk,” then, it is time to fear the coming of Christ.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  23. It wasn’t the rapture so much for me–that was a positive image for me–but I did have this nagging idea that someday all of us would be embarrassed one by one watching a movie of all the bad things we’ve ever done, with our friends and family watching too. I mean, what good can it possibly do for my sister to see that I momentarily had a really mean thought about her? I realized one day that the thought probably came from this Chick tract more than anything: http://99.198.99.154/flash1.htm

    Like

    Reply

  24. This morning I got a coupon for a free photo book. Those are 20 pages, and I figure if I keep it to 30, I only have to pay for 10 pages plus shipping, and it’s inexpensive. I was trying to figure out a subject, and briefly debated “summer,” limiting it to photos taken on my block this summer. So then I started listing photos that would be included within those limitations. And I came up with deer (definitely an emphasis on bucks and fawns), butterflies (Monarchs and several other species, including caterpillars), a small frog, a chipmunk, a praying mantis, wildlflowers, dragonflies, some lovely sunsets, wild turkeys, some good hawk photos, other insects, birds (including the indigo bunting and the goldfinch on the sunflower), ripe apples in the orchard next door (including a photo of a bright male cardinal with the apples), some geese flying across the sky at sunset . . . there’s simply no way that even with the limit of “the natural world . . . ” (no people, human-bred dogs, buildings, etc.) “this summer, on my own block” that I can keep it to 30 pages and do anything close to justice for this summer. So I think I’m going to have to limit it a whole lot more, maybe wild turkeys or insects, and do the “summer” one another time!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  25. Re: Janice’s 8:02

    In Matthew 24, Jesus speaks extensively about his return. This is all that he says about it.
    But he gives three illustrations about it. They all say the same thing in different ways.
    WATCH
    I interpret this in the light of the type of illustration to mean:
    When the Lord returns, he expect us to be about the business.
    I know several people who lived anticipating the immanent return of Jesus.
    He did not come in their lifetimes.
    But when they come to their judgment, they’ll find that they were doing the right thing.

    I, BTW, don’t believe in an “immanent return”. Matthew 24:9f. Esp. v. 19 & 29. and Paul in II Thess. 2.-

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  27. Regarding FB….Today is my husband’s birthday. I have been filling out all sorts of documents that required his date of birth. Guess when I realized that TODAY was the day? This morning when I checked FB because I saw a message bubble on my phone that a friend posted. Her grandmother died last night. When I logged in it told me the 3 people I know who have birthdays
    TODAY. Guess what? It is Mr. P’s Birthday. I am not a good wife today.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  28. I waited a good amount of time before doing the little bit of lawn left. Even so I just feel so wiped out from the effort. The neighbor guy across the street came over when he saw me back out and said he had trimmed on my cedar tree on the far side so the neighbor could more easily mow and he offered to trim the tree all the way around. I said ok and thanks. Now we can see better when we pull out of the driveway. But I do not know if my husband will be pleased with the trimming of the tree. Guys can be territorial sometimes and my husband can seem particularily so about trees. Once a snow/ice storm had weighted down a smaller cedar tree so it bent over from the base and was cracked. I ended up cutting it down although my husband thought it could be saved. I truly believed from the damage it would not snap back upright. I think husband was a bit mad over that for a week or so. He does seem to get over things pretty easily, but I prefer no conflict if possible.

    Like

    Reply

  30. So, Janice, if you weren’t sure your husband would be pleased, why didn’t you ask him to wait till your husband got home, and you could ask him? Did it have to get done right then for some reason?

    Like

    Reply

  31. We have one of those naturally funny people as our receptionist.
    Monday–she was sick, went home, on the way she was pulled over for speeding. She threw up in her coffee cup from that morning. The poor rookie cop wanted to call and ambulance but she talked him out of it.
    Tuesday—She stepped on and broke the President of the Company’s expensive sunglasses
    Today–I had lunch with her and ended up with sour cream in my hair.
    I am almost afraid of what she will do tomorrow. It really was funny what all has happened this week.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  32. Janice, once upon a time I had a pyracantha growing up the front of my house. Every time I got in the flower beds to do anything I ended up with puncture wounds. I asked my husband to cut it down. He refused. I asked my father to cut it down. He refused. One day they both saw it cut down, piled at the street, with it’s roots dug up. I cut it down with a hacksaw. They both laughed. I used to be full of a lot more spit and vinegar than I am now.
    Mr P recently made a comment about my yard maintenance habits. That I lacked any. He doesn’t know what he is in for. I know what I am capable of and I know his limitations.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  33. There’s a cat out in our back field that missed a lecture or two when he took his hunting lessons. Five adult turkeys are out in the field, and the cat is slinking up and down a few yards away, trying to figure out a strategy to capture a bird that would really make his owner proud of him.

    The turkeys have now moved farther away, and maybe the cat has given up, since I don’t see him any more. But he made several passes up and down, so I have to think he was scenting that delicious odor and considering how a big brave cat like him could surely succeed. It’s just a bird, silly! You can do it!

    Like

    Reply

  35. rkessler,

    Our older boys are basically done with school, though there is always the opportunity to do more. One seventeen year old has pretty much resisted doing any school work other than while he was at the youth challenge. We suspect his mental capacity is taxed. The other seventeen year old has a lower IQ and is probably maxed as well. That does not mean they can’t learn more, it is just in what direction. Anyway, the sixteen year old has handily passed the public school education with just a tenth/eleventh homeschool education, and since he has zero desire for college, he could quit. But, they all want to play sports. That means they must be enrolled in some school. I told them they either do school or pay rent. They have chosen school, based on the sport. So, I told them if they do school, they have to pay one hundred fifty dollars deposit on the books, returnable if they finish the courses. One seventeen opted to go to public school, that is fine. One seventeen is lagging in schoolwork so I told him to pay two weeks rent of seventy dollars per week. The sixteen year old paid the deposit and got done with his day of school work in just under two hours. He is good for football. There was some moaning and groaning but I am not going to allow young men to sit around playing video games all day. Pay up or move out.

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

  36. Sounds quite a wise move to me, mumsee.

    I have some sea shells along with some ballast balls in a basket in my bathroom. My mom always had some sea shells and such in her bathroom in some way. Anything beautiful from nature can be used in home décor, I would think.

    I saw one post on how many people from a city here were on the list at the Ashley whatever sit. The amount is unreal. I really mean unreal. There is no way. The percentage is ridiculous and I don’t believe it. Which leads to my question: How do we know anyone listed is, in fact, someone who signed up? I know some have admitted it, but wonder about everyone on the list.

    Like

    Reply

  37. Sea shells — A friend recently has gone toward ocean themes in her house decor (after they’ve taken vacations to the Bahamas, Hawaii & the Virgin Island in the past several years) so I’ve enjoyed buying little gifts along those lines for her.

    I recently gave her a deep blue (glass) dolphin I bought at the LA Science Museum gift shop. My friend also loves-loves-loves the color blue.

    Like

    Reply

  39. Yard maintenance is not my thing. I still need to call the gardeners and get an estimate on tree trimming, which hasn’t been done in a few years so it’ll be a very big job I’m afraid. 😦

    With rain predicted for this winter, I’m thinking of going back to a bag or two of grass seed for the front yard since I’ve never been able to decide what drought-resistant plants to use instead. I also procrastinate a lot. At this rate, I will have managed to procrastinate straight through a 4-year drought.

    (Mind you, I printed out websites, went to a class & pondered much over drought-resistant plants; I just never got around to buying or planting — partly, I think, because someone told me once they tried to actually plant they realized their soil was all wrong … so then they had to redo the soil layers, which cost plenty more … )

    Like

    Reply

  41. Chas he has a bad back. He can’t do the yard work that I would want so I will do it myself or hire it done. He can move and week whack but as for digging around with a shovel he can’t do it.

    Like

    Reply

  42. Kim, I know that you know that I was kidding when I said that.
    However!
    Early in our marriage, Elvera was surprised at the things I could do. The plumbing, electrical work, work on the car, etc.
    The thing abut that is, she grew up in a family where the men went to work, made the living, but that’s all.
    Not exactly, her father worked on the railroad and grew cotton. The cotton was to give his eight children something to do. Elvera picked cotton after school. But they sent them all to school, but they had chores. Like picking cotton and tending the cow and chickens, etc.
    The soldier she went with in Columbia couldn’t change a tire. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  45. Chas, if anyone had warned me that my husband didn’t like to read, I’d have taken warning. However, our bookcases are full and getting fuller, and both of us read a lot.

    The cool thing was that we had a lot of the same authors or even same series, but not much actual overlap in what books we had. (And we both agreed we would keep our own nice sets of Lord of the Rings. We have different editions, both of them nice, and that’s OK.)

    Like

    Reply

  47. Cheryl, the neighbor offered to trim at that time since the weather was cooler and he had already trimmed on the other side because that neighbor had asked. I got the feeling he did not want to leave the job half done. I knew it was good for safety reasons to get that part trimmed so I said yes. I explained to my husband how this began at the lady neighbor’s request, so it was not just the guy, out of the blue, offering to help. My husband did not have a problem with it, and he did not even notice that it had been trimmed when he got home.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  48. Cheryl, the only reason I thought my husband might be angry was because of past reactions about neighbors and trees that were more negative than I expected. My husband is more mellow than he use to be, but some things still surprise me. Like this week asking if I could get rid of his Calculous book that is wrapped in plastic because it was grubby, maybe mildewed. Our son put it in the plastic so as to keep other books from damage. Husband had an immediate negative on getting rid of it even when I suggested I could get a used one in better shape for him. I was surprised the book he has not used in a number of years meant that much to him. He finally said I could get rid of it, but I haven’t.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment