88 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 2-9-19”

  2. Evidently Aj put this up before going to bed.
    Of all days, we got up early. Elvera needed to go to the bathroom. It’s too early to get up.
    Too late to go back to bed. So?
    Here we are. Sabrina, a lady who comes to help on Saturday is coming to fix breakfast so that I don’t have to fix Cheerios. So we are just waiting.
    Elvera is watching the news. Whatever that it.
    Yesterday the news was the interview of a man who is leaving his job.
    That tells you something if you’re listening.

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  3. The post was made at 5:55. We had been up almost an hour by then.

    As usual, I woke up with a tune in my head. This morning it was “Rubber Doll Rag” Another of those songs that is just melody and every instrument in the band has a swing at it. The words have no meaning, in context, but that isn’t the point. It’s the melody that every instrument plays:

    “my mommy told me,’
    If I’d bee goodie
    That she would buy me a
    A rubber dolly.

    Now don’t you tell her
    I’ve got a feller
    ’cause she won’t buy me
    no rubber dolly.

    It’s now 7:02. Still waiting, just messing around.
    C U Later
    Have a nice day.
    Nite nite Jo.

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  6. I posted this last night when the new header went up, but I’ll repost some of it here . . . whoops, I just posted some of what I’m editing. Let me go back and copy it again!

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  7. Much better, Linda, than “Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms”.
    I’m glad you mentioned that, now I’ve taken the tune, but I don’t remember all the words.

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  8. Lovely tune to have in my head, Linda, and quite a contrast to the one Chas was talking about.

    i am waiting for my husband to make me bacon, eggs, and pancakes. Actually, the pancakes are going to be reheated. He always makes a big batch and then freezes them in between wax paper. Usually they are sourdough. These are sourdough made from a mix that came in a wine type bottle. You are supposed to mix them with beer only. It was a gift and came along with a bottle of Fat Tire beer. Should have been a six pack, since one bottle did not even wet all the mix. He used ginger ale to make the batter thin enough. You can use beer or ginger ale in fish batter, hence the decision to use the ginger ale. Neither of us need pancakes with a beer flavor. It is barely noticeable, which is fine for us. The berries and whip cream pretty much mask any beer flavor. We got a bottle of huckleberry syrup with the other ingredients, which we will open today. Before we had my homemade chokecherry, which is delicious. I am sure this will be good, too.

    Some gifts are a big surprise and can cause you to try something you may not have done before. Beer in pancakes? Nope, would not have tried that. Now we can say, did that and don’t need to do it again. 😀

    Q of the D? What gift was a big surprise and/or made you try something you would not have without the gift?

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  9. The new header photo was from a recent day above 60 degrees (a brief blip, I assure you–we were back down into the teens yesterday) when the birds seemed to think it was time to prepare for spring. Three downy woodpeckers were flying around and calling. Now, normally when I see a group of three creatures in what looks like territory establishment or defense or showing off for potential mates, I assume it is probably two males and one female. If it is just two creatures, it might be two females arguing, two males arguing, or a male attempting to persuade a female he’s worth her while. But three animals seems most likely to be two males arguing over a female.

    I don’t know exactly what was going on in this instance, though, because certainly there was at least one male and at least one female; the photos suggest two females and one male are involved. I focused up where the birds were and hit the shutter every time they moved around, and figured I’d get something by doing so, and delete whatever wasn’t good. I didn’t as much “watch” the action, in other words, as I saw a lot of commotion and tried to interpret it later based on the photos I got. A video might have been more helpful, because . . .

    the bird at the top left is definitely a male, but the bird below is almost certainly a female. (I don’t see any red on the head, and a male male that is being aggressive to another male would tend to raise his red feathers, not hide them–and I don’t know that downy woodpeckers can hide the red feathers anyway, though some species do hide their bright feathers when they aren’t being aggressive.) The bird below is calling and displaying–and after doing so, it appears she flew by the other bird, moving left by him and then right by him again. Was it a courtship move with the female being the aggressor? Was it a female telling a male to get lost? I don’t know. But I always find it fascinating to see animal behavior that doesn’t fit known patterns. My photos of woodpeckers that day ended up with several that had one bird displaying (spreading wings and/or tail), and in every shot it is either definitely a female or probably a female.

    The woodpeckers were so focused on one another that I moved closer to their trees and ended up below them, at the base of their trees. It’s much easier to approach a creature that is singing or arguing with another of its kind–though a dangerous maneuver if the animal itself is dangerous (e.g., elk or bear). With the smallest woodpecker in the US, it’s a safe enough maneuver. There are too many twigs on these trees to get really “open” photos, but getting closer allowed better shots than I would have otherwise had.

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  11. Kathleena. I never got a gift like that.
    I always got shirts and ties. My friends gave me a battery for my 25th BD because they were tired of pushing my car to start it.
    I was the only one of our crew that had a car.
    A ’50 Chevvy. Nice car but it was five years old. That was old in those days.
    I bought it when I made Sgt in the AF.

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  13. I had one of the Apple Cinnamon Bran bars with English Breakfast tea. I made a few of those heavier breakfasts while at Hilton Head and we loved them, but we can not do that routinely.

    One gift that brought a new tradition into our lives? Our neighbors use to give us cookies from a big cookie swap that the wife attended. One of the cookies was chocolate with broken up pieces of peppermint sticks in the cookies. I have made those some with the peppermint stick candy my brother gives at Christmas. I have not done that in several years. But I would like to!

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  14. The only gift I can remember like that is my children and husband giving me the smart phone in 2017 for Christmas. I would not have bought one. I do use it regularly to keep in contact with the growns and with husband when he is on the road.

    Oh, and several regional cookbooks of various kinds have expanded our eating which has expanded us.

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  15. Kathaleena, I have a different twist on “trying something we would not have otherwise.” When I was a young teen, an adult cousin (my mom’s nephew) sent our family a package of candied pecans. They were maple flavored and just about the best thing any of us had ever eaten. We showed self-control and made them last, but it was difficult–they were extremely good.

    When we finished them, Mom asked for the recipe. Turns out it wasn’t maple, but rum. 🙂 We were a diligent teetotaling family, so we never did try the recipe. I wouldn’t mind having it today, though! They were exquisite.

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  16. I just dragged out of bed, I seem to have come down with a cold. I had a headache all day yesterday at work and woke up with it again this morning, along with sinus congestion. I was supposed to meet the cousins at an RC memorial service for one of their aunts today but am staying in.

    We had a good rain early this morning but now the sun is out. I think we have more rain coming tomorrow, though, and again during the next week. .

    I love “Be Thou My Vision.” We’re having a hymn sing at church tomorrow night and among the pieces we’re singing (with parts) will be “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” “Holy, Holy, Holy,” “Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted,” “Low In the Grave He Lay,” “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” “And Can It Be That I Should Gain,” and the “Doxology.”

    Sounds like we’ll be warming up for Easter.

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  17. Aaaah. My house is clean. With a fully functioning husband we were able to vacuum the entire main floor and wash most of the floors. What a relief.

    I am so thankfully he is doing so well again. (not just because he is the vacuumer in the house)

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  22. I have never heard “Stricken Smitten and Afflicted” before, though the tune sounds familiar. Though I don’t particular like it. Drags too much. I didn’t understand the words of the first one. l

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  23. Well, on a positive note, the worship bands can’t (or don’t) really play this one. 🙂

    https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/hymns-we-should-sing-more-often-stricken-smitten-and-afflicted/
    ________________________________

    Hymns We Should Sing More Often: Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted
    MARCH 31, 2015 | Kevin DeYoung

    … A few hymns–like Holy, Holy, Holy or Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing—are familiar to many congregations and get sung in conferences and other large gatherings. Unfortunately, for a growing number of churches, there are no hymnals in the pews (or on the chairs), and consequently there is little opportunity to draw from the deep well of Christian hymnody. Most of the hymns in this series are not unfamiliar, just underutilized. I hope you will enjoy learning about these hymns as much as I have and enjoy singing them even more.

    **********
    Sticken, Smitten and Afflicted

    These sober lyrics, set to a somber tune, make for an ideal Lenten hymn. The opening line draws from Isaiah 53:4 and its description of the Messianic Suffering Servant: “We considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.” In verse two, we are forced to consider the depth of Christ’s passion, his groaning, his betrayal, his insults, and his unmatched grief. The deepest stroke that pierced him, however, was the stroke that divine justice gave. …

    … Thomas Kelly (1769-1855) wrote more than 750 hymns, including this one in 1804. Kelly planned to be a lawyer but after his conversion the Irishman decided to enter the ministry. He was ordained as an Anglican priest in 1792, but later became a “dissenting” minister. …
    ____________________________-

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  28. Couldn’t taste any beer in the pancakes. The pancakes my husband makes are thin, almost as thin as crepes.

    If we are talking technology I would have to mention our first microwave was a gift, that I didn’t think I would use it much. Now I would not want to be without one. I even make casseroles in it and rice. Also, I was given a Fitbit and found I do enjoy having it. There is nothing like young people to keep you up on technology.

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  30. One of my brothers got a microwave as a newlywed 21-year-old because a member of his church asked whether they wanted a TV or a microwave as their wedding gift. We grew up without either, though Mom bought a convection oven / toaster oven when I was a teenager and I learned how useful those are. When my brother cited the “microwave or TV?” question, I thought, “That would be a tough one! I don’t want either!” I was only 16 at the time, though.

    Through the years I have had microwaves and televisions only when someone I am living with (roommate or husband) owns one, but I have bought toaster ovens and stand mixers on my own. I do see the convenience of a microwave, but I’m not sure I would replace the TV or the microwave, even today, if my husband died and they died too. Well, living here I almost certainly wouldn’t replace the TV, since we don’t have cable and thus we can’t get any TV. My husband is willing to pay for cable once we get to a place where we can afford it, but for me personally cable is one of those things I won’t pay for.

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  31. I’ve heard of “Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted,” but am quite sure I have never sung it or heard it. The church my sister was attending at the time of her husband’s death sang this one, as she has mentioned it a few times. (If I’ve sung it, it was one time, and the first time through something you aren’t really singing it. It’s not impossible we sang it at his funeral, but some of the words are familiar and others aren’t, and the tune isn’t familiar.) I’ve really never attended a church that would have had it on its playlist, oddly enough. My Baptist church in Chicago and my PCA church in Nashville both used the hymnal plus choruses (in other words, they sang hymns only from the hymnal); my church up north used the hymnal plus a psalter, plus just two songs (Song of Simeon and the Doxology), which they would print in the bulletin; and my church here sings from the Psalter. So my only chance to sing hymns written in the last 15 or 20 years, or not in the hymnal, would be at a conference or church other than my own. (I know this is an old one, not a new one, but as far as I know it hasn’t been in any hymnals I’ve used.)

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  34. Art did not give Miss Bosley food before he left. I had to devise a way to feed her without bending down. I went downstairs and got a long tube of gift wrap. I used the tube as a chute for putting food in her dish on the floor. Miss Bosley did not know what to think about that!

    Art got booked with seven clients today. That is more than he usually does in a day. My brother said it is working out well for him and the new lady at the front desk. At least he probably will be nicer to her than he is to his sister. He still wants to pick on me as he did when we were kids (way too often when we share close quarters)..

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  35. On Tim Challies’ Facebook page, I just came across this quote from John MacArthur: “The heart can only go as high in worship as it can go deep in theology.”

    I am not sure I agree with this. There have been many “simple” believers throughout the centuries who have not had the time or ability or whatever else might be needed to delve deep into theology, but have had a deep, enduring faith in Jesus, with deeply worshipful hearts.

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  36. Karen, I totally disagree.
    My mother had a fifth grade education. Her theology was what her preachers told her.
    She loved Jesus. I once told Dr. Jones. “I would rat here have my mother praying for me than any preacher I know.”

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  37. I asked for a clip on watch and my daughter gave me fitbit. I didn’t want it and wondered what she was thinking. It quickly meant I was keeping track of my walking and walking much more. Something is wrong with this one as over here a battery is only lasting a week or two. At home over Christmas it lasted much longer. Now it won’t sync.

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  38. Kizzie, that is worded wrong. I’m guessing he doesn’t mean you have to have deep understanding of the “meat” of theology, but that you can’t stay on the surface and let emotion be the motivation power of worship.

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  39. We didn’t want a microwave either, but my father-in-law was always a “fast adaptor,” and gave us one for Christmas 37 years ago. I decided it would be helpful for my husband to warm up leftovers for dinner when he came off shift work in the middle of the night.

    Of course, it became much more.

    Recently our adult children–all with science degrees– were befuddled when presented with an air popper to make popcorn . . .

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  40. Well I am just now catching up! I was reading some of your posts while in the waiting room at the eye doctor but couldn’t log in…hmmm why do we have to have and remember passwords!!??
    Have to get new glasses. My stigmatism is worse on my good eye and better on my bad eye. She suggested reading must have gotten difficult for me…which it had. I have new “floaters” in my left eye and a small bump on my right which she will just watch to see if there are changes in those new findings. But the pressure was good and overall health of the eyes is very good…but I still cannot drive at night!!

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  41. I cook many things in the microwave. I was never given one. The first I had was a combo Microwave/Convection oven. I studied books on microwave cooking and found it very useful. When I visited with my friend from CA at her brother’s home in SC this past year. I think she was amazed at how well my fresh brocolli turned out cooked in the microwave. I will fix Brussel sprouts in it tonight. The veggies retain more nutrients when cooked in the microwave or steamed rather than being boiled.

    I love an air popper especially for making strings of popcorn for Christmas. I’ve had a spiralizer since two Christmas’ back and I have never used it. The food processor I received as a wedding gift did make for wonderful slaw. That gift changed our lives somewhat but not drastically.

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  42. Agree with cheryl on theology quote. Having good and well grounded theology doesn’t necessarily mean a seminary education or even much book learning at all, other than Scripture itself and an open, perceiving heart by way of the Holy Spirit. It makes plenty of sense to me.

    Well, I just slept for 4 more hours, I just feel really tired. Come to think of it, I’ve felt tired most of the week, it’s like I just needed to crash for a day. No headache or sniffles right now so maybe it’s not a cold, maybe I was just feeling rundown. It was a really busy week, I think I did 2 stories on most days. I passed up a chance to be on a Boston radio program last night to discuss LA’s typhus outbreak. I’m sure they found someone better equipped. But sometimes when you write a story you’ll get those offers from other media to come and “discuss” it.

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  45. Nancyjill, glad your vision is okay for day driving at least. I am just stuck at home right now. My life has withered since everyone (Art & Bro) is involved with tax season. There is nothing in the yard to take photos of for my haiku. i am having to use all my old photos for posting that daily. But truly the worst part is not being able to pick up a pen or anything else that drops. And we won’t talk about the litter box that needs cleaning. Well, I may have to mention it to Art.

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  46. Sounds like the litter box will be Art’s job now 🙂

    Do you have one of those “grab-it” gadgets, they’re remarkably handy, I keep my near the washer dryer to get things that slip off and in between the machine and the wall.

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  50. Janice I kept holding my breath while she was examining the health of my eyes. I thought she was going to tell me I cannot drive ever! She kept telling me to breathe!!
    How long will it be before you can bend your head? That must be difficult as it seems to be such a natural reflex to do so! I loved the “tube feeding” story as well! Bosley must be so amused!! 🐈

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  53. I need to get in for an eye exam. I also need to catch up on my mammograms, I’ve been lax in some of those things.

    And my car needs to go in for a diagnostic test on that “check engine” light that is on all the time now, I do know it’s some kind of emissions problem and so I need to figure it out — and fix it — before April when my registration is due and it’ll need to pass the state’s smog test.

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  54. Cheryl and DJ – I see your point about the MacArthur quote, but if that’s what he intended, then his wording is quite off, and can easily be taken to mean it how Chas and I understood it.

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  55. I have the weirdest cold. It is there, I know, because I don’t feel well, but the usual symptoms are muted – only a very slight running nose, cough, etc. – so that it doesn’t look outwardly like I am sick.

    The city church used ‘Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted’ last year. It is a lovely hymn.

    I will be playing organ with the band tomorrow. Still a learning experience for me, learning to blend my classical training into a rock/pop style. I’ve done it several times now, but it will be a long time before I’m confident doing it.

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  56. I’ve been feeling off this week myself. Sometimes I feel like I am getting a cold, and other times I don’t. But most of all, I have been very tired and worn down all week. (And I don’t even have a good excuse to feel worn down.)

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  57. Kizzie I have felt that way too! I started supplements to ward off any incoming illness! A couple of days I just didn’t have an appetite…didn’t really feel sick, just not hungry. I was quite thirsty and drank a lot of fluids. I kept thinking it was a subconscious thing happening because so many people I have been around have been sick. Thankfully I haven’t gotten sick…praying you feel better…perhaps it is just the winter blues! ❄️

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  58. On K’s QoD: I don’t think any gift has surprised me more than the dollhouse my father made for me, but I have told that story here before. As for a gift that got me doing something I wouldn’t have done otherwise, my dear friend and relative, who is a professional level pianist, used to give me piano sheet music that challenged me and got me playing new pieces, like a complete collection of Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words, which I still play pieces from, such as this one (I am not so polished a performer as this though):

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  59. okay, here is a weird question. I have a microwave and it is almost the exact same one that I had over 30 years ago. I use it to reheat things for dinner. But, I have never microwaved broccoli. Mine hasn’t been turning out too well in the steamer. So, Janice, how do you microwave your broccoli?

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  60. All right, more than 30 Valentine cards made, “Happy Valentine’s Day” greetings put in, addresses collected, and the first five personalized and ready to go. I can finish the Southern and California ones tomorrow, to be mailed Monday, and the rest for Tuesday and Wednesday. I still have to make two or three, but most are finished except for preparing them to be mailed.

    A friend of mine who died just one year ago was an author of children’s books, one of them a best-seller. She said people would ask her if she enjoyed writing and she would answer, “I enjoy having written.” Well, I enjoy writing itself (not every detail, but most of it). And I enjoy making cards, too–but not so many at one time, with a deadline. I enjoy having finished them. 🙂 In a way it was fun this year never to have a template, and have each one be individual. But it’s easier to make them to a template if there are going to be so many of them.

    I pulled four out of the stock, three of them as cards my husband would like (one for Thursday, the others for another time) and one that would actually make a nice template for another year; I replaced them with unsent extras from previous years. I ended up needing 35 in all, and that is with not sending them to about 10 girls at church who would qualify under the “rules” I use most years. (Usually I send them to all girls 18 and under, plus girls who are over 18 but already on the list from subsequent years and still at my church.) But that was more than I could make, and I ended up making them only for girls in families we know and not making one for the youngest baby. This church is three times as big as our last one! Next year I’ll probably send them to all the girls (but I won’t still send them to some girls up north, as I did this year), but this year it would have been too much and they don’t know me anyway.

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  63. Strong wind out there for chores this morning, but I remembered how cold Kare has it, and was able to thank God for the opportunity to live here and grow adults out of children, and feed lots of blackbirds, starlings, hawks, eagles, sparrows, etc.

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  67. No new snow here and it is 32 degrees with the wind blowing. But there is blue sky and sunshine in this forest!
    We went to church and now husband is taking a nap as is his dog. I am readying myself to pick up where I left off on my sewing project. Tomorrow another coffee meetup with friends…Fri, Sat and tomorrow…good thing I like coffee!! ☕️ the Lord is good indeed and yesterday’s meetup with my Buddhist friend was surprising. She was tender and vulnerable and she hugged me tightly as we went our separate ways. I sensed something different this year as her birthday (this past Wed) approached. She was adopted from Korea through Holt International Adoption Agency. The Holt’s were strong believers and friend has a huge soft spot for whom she refers to as “my first grandparents” She still has a letter written to her by Mrs. Holt and a photo. I told her yesterday that my life has been ever so blessed because she was born…she cried. Sadly her adoptive family was not kind and the dad was abusive…all the while living the “Christian life” at church…he was the head elder. And adoptive mom cowered never sheltering her children from harm. There is so much pain. Continuing to pray she will indeed find rest , life and hope in our Lord Jesus…..

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  69. Oh Jo, wow.

    My parents had four boys and then a couple in their church died (car accident I think) and they left behind four sons. Mom and Dad were going to adopt two and another family another two, and then a family came along that could take all four.

    Hearing the story, I expressed surprise that I could have had six older brothers, and Mom said no, if they had adopted those two boys, I “wouldn’t be here.”

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  70. Jo, I wash the brocolli and trim the larger stems by removing the outer tough skin. I then place it in a rectangular glass type baking dish with the thick stem side facing out because it cooks a.bit faster around the edge. The smaller pieces of brocolli go in the center. I put in some water, maybe half an inch or so, and seasoning along with butter or oil, if desired. I cover it with a plate or wrap a paper towel over it to help it steam. A whole head of brocolli should cook for a out seven minutes and then let it sit for about two minutes. Then see if it is cooked to the softness/crispness you prefer. You could then cook it for a minute or two longer if needed. Lesser amounts require shorter times I used the time that I have found to be best for a high power microwave. With a lower power model the time would need to be increased. You can, of course, put some butter on it at the end of preferred. I like it plain to save on calories. I hope it turns out well for you. You could look it up on the web and see if my instructions sound similar to others

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  72. Jo, all the recipes I looked at call for a much shorter cooking time on the brocolli. I like the stems tender and not crispy. Also I do not know if the recipes were using the large heads of brocolli or smaller. You should probably start checking it at four minutes of cooking time for preferred doneness. Remember it keeps cooking for a minute or so after removing it.

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  73. I’m still feeling very low energy, like I have some kind of bug, so I’ve slept much of today already. I literally have not left the house since I got home from work Friday night. But I do need to get some groceries so will take care of that this afternoon with a quick trip out.

    I have strange dreams sometimes when I sleep during the day.

    We’ve had rain off and on overnight and today still, but I think it’s gone now for a couple days. It is supposed to return midweek to give us a few more full rainy days up until or into next weekend. We’re having a very good year, at long last. We were way overdue. Let’s hope we’ll get kick-started back into our more normal yearly rain pattern after this so we can get past this years-long drought we’ve been stuck in.

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  74. I thought of you, DJ, when I read about the polar bear invasion in some Russian settlement. The people are not allowed to shoot the bears which are no longer afraid of people or shots fired or car horns. Perhaps you could run up there and give them some pointers on shaking coin cans. When you are feeling better and a bit more energized.

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  75. 75! I wish the temp were closer to that. Now I hear there’s more snow and/or ice for tonight. School tomorrow? We’ll see.

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  76. Cheryl, that’s why I put the temperature at -40. No F or C. But the windchill was -45C or -49F.

    It warmed up to -25C (-13F) so we ran the car through the carwash 🙂

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  77. Mumsee 🙂 I’m sure we’d be all about love for the polar bears.

    I’ve heard the term “predator protection” with regard to our evolving laws and the kinder, gentler approach to big bad wolves (yes, they are beautiful and should not have been wiped out, but … pendulum swing), coyotes and bears. Just seems like there might be a middle ground somewhere?

    My quick store run somehow got timed to a sudden downpour that hit shortly after I left the house. Unfortunately, I was in sandals, jeans & sweatshirt, our normal California winter wear since it hadn’t been raining most of today, and not well prepared to go sloshing though puddles.

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  78. We’re in the 50s during the daytime and low 40s at night (much chillier farther inland closer to the mountains — and the snow has been amazing this year in those areas). We’re tough.

    Rain is forecast daily from Wednesday through Sunday this coming week.

    My grass hasn’t been this green in years. Roses are blooming. And Charlie Brown, well, he’s very happy.

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  79. DJ, I have the same kind of low energy feeling. I just let the nurse whom I do my clinical shifts with know that I won’t be coming in tomorrow. I just have a feeling that if I don’t give myself a rest for a least another day, I could end up with pneumonia. The cold is definitely in my lungs now, I can feel the inflammation, but still, all symptoms like coughing, are really muted, which is very strange.

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  80. I don’t think polar bears have EVER been afraid of people. They have no need to be afraid. They are one of the scariest bears out there.

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  81. roscuro, same here, no real obvious cold symptoms beyond mild ones, but I just feel completely out of steam and can’t seem to get enough sleep.

    We also now have one of our 3 remaining local newsroom reporters out for 2 months (broken upper arm & back compression injury) which means the 2 of us who are left will presumably have to find a way to cover his cities & the refinery/environmental-related beat that he also handles. Probably not happening as we both have full plates with our own beats. We’re also without a port reporter so i’m pinch hitting already on that. One of the senior editors is supposed to talk to us tomorrow about how we’ll handle the latest staff shortage.

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  82. I saw polar bears in Nunavut, or rather, I saw their skins, as a hunter was drying a couple of polar bears skins outside his house. The Inuit have no illusions concerning polar bears. One of the Inuk workers in the clinic had a seasonal cabin, a permanent structure, built out on the land and it was ripped to literal shreds (she showed us the pictures) by polar bears. Bears are enormously strong for their size – the black bear is only about the size of a large dog, but it can do far more damage with its claws and teeth than any dog – and the polar bear is huge, standing up to 10 feet on its hind legs,. There were two people killed last year in Nunavut by the bears. The Inuit have been reporting that the polar bear population is growing, but supercilious scientists insist that the Inuit don’t know what they are talking about and that the polar bear population is shrinking – the age of colonial attitudes of superiority is not over: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/13/polar-bear-numbers-canadian-arctic-inuit-controversial-report. Yet, despite the scientists’ protestations, polar bears are listed as being of least concern on Canada’s list of threatened or endangered species. Still, every time there is a story on global warming threatening the survival species, guess which animal is shown in the pictures?

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  84. Cheryl – The Boy chose to make his Valentine’s Day cards for his classmates by himself. He did a nice, cute job. The ones for his best friends are pop-up cards. (When you open the card, a figure “pops up”.) 🙂 At Nightingale’s suggestion (and nightly reminders), he worked on a few each night until he had them all finished.

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  85. DJ – The way you describe how you have felt this week – very tired, low energy, feeling like you can’t get enough sleep – is how I have felt, too. I wonder if it’s one of those weird viruses that don’t seem to do much, but really take it out of you.

    You mentioned dreams. Like you, I tend to have some vivid and/or weird dreams. Recently, I had a fairly mundane dream about sitting in a living room, talking to some relatives.

    When I awoke, I realized that all the relatives in the dream – my parents, my mother-in-law, and my husband – are all dead! If I were the kind to think of those kinds of dreams as omens, I would have been freaked out!

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  86. Polar bears aren’t even afraid of NUCLEAR SUBMARINES! When they surface at the North Pole (usually some sort of special op, it’s not normal), they have to stand a watch on the sail with a rifle to keep the bears from gnawing on the boat’s outside covering. (I don’t know what they’re covered with; if it’s a secret, I apologize, Google.)

    Gorgeous day here, in the 50’s. We drove to lunch in San Jose and back. It took all afternoon but good conversation.

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