51 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 5-31-16”

  5. Lions, tigers, bears coyotes, and crocodiles! Oh, dear! I’ll enjoy a turtle, thanks to AJ. Gorgeous photo.

    I checked the downstairs thermostat, and it read 80, but my tablet says its 67 outside. That’s a serious discrepancy.

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  6. One of our Mobile agents is on a personal mission to rescue wayward turtles. He finds them on the sides of roads and in other precarious situations, tosses them in his truck and drops them off at a nature bog/park. I think he may have lost count of how many he has rescued.

    Does anyone else remember recipes that called for “turtle eggs”. I remember turtle egg icing or being used in cake was supposed to mean the cake was extra good, but I can’t really imagine anyone gathering real turtle eggs and making anything. Perhaps it was just a name.

    Tomorrow is the DAY! BG and I drive over to New Orleans to spend the night and catch at 6:30 flight on Thursday. I am nervously excited. For all of my bravado, I haven’t traveled “alone” in quite a while. By alone I mean the ADULT IN CHARGE. I have checked and double checked everything. My San Francisco Tour Guide emailed BG a list of places to see so that she could rate them 1,2,3….what she would like to see. Me? After years of hearing about In-N-Out Burgers I am looking forward to having one for lunch.
    My Bible Study group had dinner together last night and everyone will be praying for us next week. I have asked a few other people I know to pray also. We both need healing, restoration, and whatever else we can take away from our time there.

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  8. Good Morning….I slept like a rock last night…the grandkids are with their parents and the grandparents are exhausted!
    We are socked in with fog and drizzle…but the Springs has blue sky and sunshine….maybe I’ll drive into town! We are all to have thunderstorms this afternoon…perhaps it’s just a good day just to stay home and read…

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  9. Kim- You’ll wish there were In-and-Out burgers in the South. I wish we had them here, but am told that will not happen in a long time. They only have stores within an 8 hour drive form their farm, or wherever they get their tomatoes and other ingredients. So Arizona is about as far East as you’ll find them. We stopped there in Tucson and it was good.

    As for turtles- one of my college roommates was a student worker for the herpetology professor at my college. He would spend his weekends in ponds and other wetlands studying turtles. Because of his position he could keep some as pets. Our house had an aquarium with turtles. It was fun watching the turtles swim and climb onto the platform he made with a heat lamp. Once he and his coworkers found a baby soft shell turtle in the road that they had run over. It was still alive and about the size of the old silver dollars. He brought it home and let it grow. When we parted ways the turtle was about 6″ in diameter. A few years later we heard that it had gotten out of the aquarium and died of dehydration under their couch.

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  10. Many years ago, I turned over travel troubles to my sixteen year olds. Get me from point A to point B. They knew I could not handle the stress and confusion and they all handled it. Of course, I have not traveled on an airplane in over ten years and hope to never do so.

    One of our first adoptees had a turtle. She kept it for a couple of years. I finally told her the turtle would probably be happier out with other turtles. So she built a fence and put it in the pond. It got out and she found it (or a similar one) a year or two later, dead on the road. She wailed and sobbed for days. But she loves me anyway.

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  13. I re-sent my turtle photos to aj, it must be turtle season. Mine are cute & they don’t have flies. 🙂

    Chas, maybe you don’t have coyotes because you have bears. Although we have bears, too, just not right in the middle of our residential areas usually (although sometimes a wayward bear coms out of the mountains and finds a nice swimming pool in the more northern reaches of LA).

    Last dog that got mauled (yesterday morning) was in the neighborhood where our councilman lives.

    In-and-Out, best ‘fast food’ burger you can probably get. There’s one near me, I don’t hit it often, but it’s a treat when I do — there’s always a long line of cars at the drive-through.

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  14. We had a widespread power outage this morning (everything just came back on recently). I called DWP to report it but wound up trapped in their automated system that kept insisting that I pay my bill (which is only $14 this month as I purposely overpaid last time and isn’t due for another 2 weeks).

    Argh. And sigh. I finally hung up. Typical service you get from them, they’re the most despised department in the city of LA.

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  15. Haven’t seen a turtle in years but I saw tortoises yesterday at Safari West. Adorable #5 was enchanted watching them lumber away!

    Off to teach on Paul’s wild sailing adventure.

    My son had a video of the book of Acts–it’s acted out but only uses Scripture. It’s really been helpful with this class. Dean Jones plays Luke and is also the narrator. We’ve really enjoyed watching the chapter rather than taking turns reading aloud.

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  16. The turtles I saw were at averill park, michelle — sad, though, local residents w/the help of some city employees have taken a bunch of the geese and ducks out of there now as the neighborhood coyotes are using the park as part of their regular hunting grounds. I walked the dogs up there late yesterday afternoon and it was sad not seeing the pond teeming with ducks and geese. They’ve found relocation options, preserves that apparently don’t (yet, anyway) have coyote issues.

    Creation groans 😦

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  18. Last night we got home from a week and a half away, a week of it in the Smoky Mountains. We also had one night that our daughter booked for us and chose the location (and it was such a nice hotel, in such a lovely area, that we’ll likely go back sometime and make it a destination), and two nights in Nashville on our return.

    My husband and I–especially my husband–really needed a vacation. He has chaired our pastoral search committee the last year and a half (and we finally got a pastoral candidate called and he accepted the call–we had two who declined the call because they got other calls too)–and so we got to celebrate and take a break.

    The timeshare was loud and I didn’t sleep well, and the staff are rude. (They pretty much insist on your listening to a sales spiel, and since we’re there for vacation and have no interest in buying a timeshare–it belongs to my sister-in-law–they treat us with contempt. They also call multiple times during the week, including 9:45 the first night.) We didn’t have internet (they wanted to charge us $40 a week) and we did need it for church business, so we drove to McDonald’s a few times to get their internet. But otherwise, the week was truly lovely, one of the best weeks of my life.

    I was especially hoping to see wildflowers, since our other three trips to the Smokies have been in the fall. But according to all the guides, the best wildflowers are in March and April (before the leaf canopy limits the shade), and we were there the end of May. One trail that was supposed to have great wildflowers in May and June was a huge disappointment, and a couple of the trails we hiked weren’t expected to have wildflowers of any extraordinary level, but were known for their creek views or whatever. We ended up going on the Laurel Falls trail, which we might have skipped since we’ve hiked it a couple of times and my husband thinks it’s overrated, except that it’s named for mountain laurel and I knew that to be in bloom. So we took that trail, and on it we saw the wildflowers we missed other places. Flowers bloomed early this year, so several species I hoped to see (based on “late May/early June” published bloom dates) were already over with. But we saw the laurel in abundance, and 12 or 15 other species, including three I’d consider showy. We did a river trail on a later day that also had a few lovely wildflowers, including a species a local couple had never seen but that took up maybe 30 feet of trail on one side, just exquisite.

    In addition to the wildflowers, we saw beautiful views of water cascading over rocks, including several waterfalls; four bears; wild turkeys absolutely everywhere, including a tom that literally stepped in front of the Prius and put up his fan (just as though he were a crossing guard stopping traffic); good views of the mountains veiled in clouds and mist; multiple birds, including at least two new species for me, three for my husband (I’d seen the scarlet tanager before, but he hadn’t), and probably actually more than that except not all got identified. Funny thing is, in all the time we spent in the mountains (including sitting on our deck, which was across from a forest and gave us good views of birds), I only saw one woodpecker–a very good view of a pileated woodpecker flying across, landing briefly, and then flying again. (No good photos–flying birds are tricky to catch–but a great view.) We had some truly excellent butterfly sightings, too. We also just had plenty of time to talk and be together, and it was an exquisite week.

    Eventually I’ll send AJ a handful of the 2,000-plus photos I took, but I’ll also post a link on here once I have made a “photo book,” so that people can see some of the loveliness, including some surprises, things I’d never seen before. (Don’t worry, no snakes. I only saw one, and didn’t get a photo.)

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  21. Donna, such silliness. They won’t or can’t relocate the coyotes, but they put the poor ducks and geese under stress of relocation, and at a time when they are raising their young. Also, what on earth do they think the coyotes are going to eat if they try to protect all their natural food sources from them? People?

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  22. And those people are not interested in selling yours for you.

    My parents had a timeshare which was still hanging on when they both had died. My brother was executor of Mom’s estate (Dad had died several years earlier), & had to deal with them. I don’t know what the final outcome was.

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  23. NancyJill – I sure hear ya about the grandchildren.

    Emily worked all three days of Forrest’s three-day weekend, meaning we babysat several hours each of those days. And today she is working until 5, then meeting her new boyfriend for a date.

    I’m tired, & I’m getting a cold. 😦

    Lee will be picking up Chrissy on his way home from work, but he is running late, so I’ll be on my own for a while. Forrest is always a bundle of energy when he gets home from school. (Then again, since he also has a cold, he might be tired out. We’ll see.)

    After hanging up the phone when Lee called to say he was running late, I burst out crying (I am such a baby), then I just let out a yell, which hurt my sore throat. I was angry that Chrissy doesn’t live here, where she belongs & is needed.

    If she had a license & a car, she could drive over when needed, but she doesn’t.

    Gotta go get the little guy from the bus stop now.

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  24. Okay, after a burst of energy outside for a bit, he settled down when we came inside. He’s playing on the living room floor now.

    I realize I could have said no about babysitting for Emily’s date tonight, but since she’s gonna have a date with him soon anyway (last week’s plans for one didn’t work out), it really makes sense to tack it onto the end of the workday, when we’re already babysitting.

    I have some days off coming up after tonight, because Emily’s other hours are scheduled during the school day. Unless she gets called in to cover for someone, that is.

    Lee & Chrissy will be here within the half hour, I think.

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  25. all the travel on here, I realized I still haven’t booked anything for my overnight in Brisbane. Not as easy as it sounds. Some don’t have elevators and I’m not carrying my 50 pound bag upstairs. It would be helpful to have an airport shuttle. The easiest would, of course, be the most expensive one. Sigh…..
    But, today is June 1st here and I leave on the 14th.

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  26. Welcome back, Cheryl! Sounds like a (mostly) nice vacation. Glad you two got to get away.

    I am hoping to talk my husband into us taking a brief getaway (an overnight somewhere). It is our 30th wedding anniversary on June 14, and we haven’t been on a vacation alone together in 25 years. The last time was when our now 26-year-old son was a toddler.

    No family vacations, either (involving an overnight stay) since our 15-year-old was a year old. Fifth and Sixth Arrows (twelve and eight) have never been on vacation in their lives, other than a day trip or two.

    Hubby has been saying for years that vacations are more trouble than they’re worth — he’d rather just stay at home — but all he does is work as usual (6:00 a.m. to about 11:00 p.m. or midnight, Monday through Saturday — some of that at his job, some around home — and about noon to 11:00 or midnight on Sundays). He’s worn down from too many years of that, but can’t stop himself.

    He did mention, though, one time this past winter, I think, that the two of us should just get away sometime again. That is a hopeful sign that maybe he will be receptive to a night away somewhere if I bring it up in conjunction with our anniversary.

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  27. And today is my blog anniversary. (I say that every May 31.) I came out of lurking at WorldMagBlog four years ago today, after about a year of reading there secretly.

    Thanks for the memories, folks. 🙂

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  29. I am on my refurbished (new to me) phone. I am spending hours resetting up my apps. I have only added my most frequently called contacts so far. It takes so long to rebuild a life in such a small place as inside a Smartphone. Will my effort be worth it? We shall see.

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  30. if anyone is handy on the internet and wants to research a place to stay in Brisbane, feel free. Then you could just post the link for me. Right now the exchange rate is in our favor. I am willing to pay 100 to 130 USD. Don’t want the cheapest or the most expensive. It is an expensive city, but I need to feel safe and comfortable. Place to get breakfast, airport shuttle would be good. I have looked at so many, but just can’t decide. The Novotel costs close to 300 a night, so that is not an option. My flights are standby, so can pay something for a place to stay. Of course there is the friend here who is saying the Brisbane airport and sleep on benches is a possibility. With standby flights, I don’t think that is an option as not sure if they would let me stay in the international departures area, which is where the nice benches are.

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  31. Oh, Mumsee, I feel like such a wimp when I compare my situation to yours.

    I’m fine now. I tend to have emotional reactions at times, but I get over it.

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  32. I know many have miserable experienceso with timeshares, but our experience, most all the time, has been really good. Maybe because it is a Marriott property and they seem to do things right. But my really good friend from childhood has one they inherited from parents, and they put it to good use every summer. Sometimes I have been to it when they don’t use it for the whole time. It’s in the closer to us Georgia mountains so not hard to reach. It serves as a family reunion destination for their extended family each year. It is at the head waters of a river where tubing is a big draw. It’s really fun, but the last time I was there with two girlfriends I was the one who chose not to do the tubing. Timeshares are in some ways like homeschooling. It works for some, but not all, and so much depends on location and management.

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  34. I’m not saying timeshares are miserable. We have had good vacations. Especially good with grandkids. Problem is: You have them forever. We had five and gave all away to chuck. He lets his three kids use them. Also, he takes vacations to Hawaii, Caribbean Islands and Maine. They can become a burden after a while.

    We kept the one at Surfside Beach. We go there every year. You know our routine. I go with Elvera on Friday. I return home on Monday and her sisters come and spend the rest of the week. That works well because one of her sisters would never get away except for this.

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  35. I have never understood the point of a time share. You have to keep going back to the same place, right?

    Similarly, I’ve never seen the point of a second home or a cabin in the mountains. Same issue. It locks you into returning to the same spot all the time.

    Maybe I’ve just traveled too much. I like to try new places and see new things.

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  36. Jo,

    I never go looking for them, but they seem to be everywhere I go. I liked the colors of this one, so I shot it. It was only about 3-4 inches long.

    I didn’t even notice the fly on it’s rear until I posted it this morning. I love twofers! 🙂

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  37. I went out to the store today….and just when the Thunderbirds were practicing for the AFA graduation…they flew right smack dab over the grocery store…you should have seen the smiles on the faces of all who were in the parking lot! The man behind me whispered to me…”that’s the sound of freedom”!
    My two older kiddos have timeshares…my soninlaw and his siblings inherited one from their parents….they’ve outgrown the one place for all the families, so now they take turns…but Katie has training at school this summer and it’s their turn this year…so they still have to pay….even though they cannot go.
    My son has a timeshare but they can trade locations every year…for two years they have come here to Colorado…once in Estes Park and last year to Pagosa Springs….this year they are going to NYC!

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  38. Karen, don’t compare your situation to mine. They are the same but different. I much prefer taking somebody else’s children permanently than taking somebody’s temporarily and all of the stuff that goes with that! I was just saying I understand, it is hard and emotionally draining. Especially when you want so much more for your children and they refuse to see what is before them.

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  39. Michelle – I don’t know if all timeshares work this way, but they were able to trade places. I don’t know how that was worked out, but Mom & Dad did that a few times.

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  40. Janice – Mom & Dad enjoyed their timeshare, but when they could no longer use it, & couldn’t sell it, she (because it was after Dad died) still had to pay the monthly maintenance fees.

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  41. Karen, your daughter may “belong” with you in the sense that she is welcome there, but not in the sense that she morally should live with you (and provide free childcare for her sister on a regular basis). We really just can’t have such expectations of our adult children, and having them can lead us into bitterness. And really, the free childcare thing isn’t fair to her (or to you).

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  42. Michelle (again) – Many of us introverts would love to have a private get-away, like a cabin somewhere. Some families have a cabin near a beach, lake, or river that different branches of the family can use & enjoy.

    Actually, the thought of living full-time in a cabin by a body of water sounds nice. 🙂

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  43. Cheryl – I didn’t mean belong in that way. I don’t mean that she should live here so we can take advantage of her labor. (And she does get paid, but not a lot.)

    My comment about belonging has more to do with the fact that she is living with the McKs, who not only are a bad influence on her spiritually & other ways, but are not helping her to adapt to adulthood at all. So to me, if she has to live with a family, she “belongs” here, with her own family.

    Because they are not helping her grow, not encouraging her to learn to drive, for example (which we would be doing if she were with us), she is dependent on us to pick her up when she is needed for babysitting. (She is not emotionally/mentally prepared for getting a “real” job, so this babysitting is the only way she does make any money, as little as it is.)

    Considering that the older McK daughter (YF) is 28 years old, & after six years of being out of college, still doesn’t have a job, I hold out little hope that they would think to help Chrissy.

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  46. Kim, have a GREAT time with BG. We’ll all be praying for you. And I have to tell you I’m jealous you’ll get In N Out. We go every time we’re back there to visit, but we haven’t been in three years.

    My son’s youth group goes on a service trip each year to Tijuana participating with a World Vision development project there. They always fly into San Diego and stop at In N Out before crossing the border. Once these midwesterners get a taste of it, they always want to go back there.

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  47. Some timeshares may be a good idea for some people. But we did the math on this one (not because we wanted one, but because we were curious) and the cost to “buy” it (the up-front fee) is the equivalent of paying half a million dollars for the unit. Now, granted, it’s a very nice unit, but it’s a one-bedroom unit with only a basic kitchen and just one unit of many in the building. So basically, if you “bought it” outright (that is, you paid for 52 weeks in it), you’d be paying half a million dollars for a one-bedroom condo. In addition, the annual “maintenance” fees are the equivalent of an inexpensive hotel. We could stay in our honeymoon cabin (which was just as nice, and on its own lot and therefore private and quiet) for just a little bit more than the so-called maintenance fees! And you’re tied into vacationing with them, you don’t get your choice of rooms (our first year we had a fabulous one, but they’ve gotten worse each time since, with a nice-but-noisy unit this time), and you have to deal with the rude staff.

    I wouldn’t mind having one week at a cabin in the mountains, and if you won’t use it a given year they rent it out and you don’t have to pay the maintenance fee that year. But as this place stands, it is a complete scam. And after all the fees that were paid for us to be there this year (the purchase of the unit, the maintenance fee, the payment of a fee because it was in a different city than where they bought their unit, and another fee because someone other than them was using it) they had the gall to expect us to pay $40 to have internet service (on one device) for a week! And they called us multiple times.

    Compared to a hotel room, the suites are quite luxurious. Whirlpool tub, small kitchen equipped with dishes for six (including pans, wine glasses, etc.), a washing machine and dryer, etc. But you can get the same in a cabin for about the same amount of money without making a lifetime commitment and without being crammed into a facility with several other people in your building and hundreds on the property overall.

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  49. Karen, I agree with you that the situation with the McKs isn’t the best. At the same time, she is an adult with her own choices to make (limited functioning or not), and you too have your own choices to make–including being willing (or not) to pick her up for work. If I recall, you don’t drive either, so that is probably perfectly “normal” to her and really isn’t likely to change with everyone being more or less content with it that she doesn’t drive. (And honestly, today many 20-somethings don’t drive. Far more than when I was that age.)

    I didn’t read you as saying you wanted her there for your convenience. But I don’t think it helps her or you to fret about it–it is what she as an adult has freely chosen. You can offer her better options (like offering to teach her to drive or take her to interview for a better job), but she can accept them or decline them.

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  50. Cheryl – It really was just a frustrated outburst, because I am overtired & sick. (BTW, the reason I don’t drive anymore is because of vision problems, but I did drive for many years.)

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  51. Karen, I’m sorry that you are sick, and that life is at times (now!) quite frustrating. I know you have a lot of heavy things on your plate, and I wish you did have more family support! And I dearly wish that you could advise your kids and have them listen. May God work in them what you cannot.

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