101 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 8-1-20”

  4. Morning! Chas my guess would be a blade of grass covered in morning dew…? Whatever it is it looks fresh and moist! 😊
    A stay at home day for me…dusting, mopping, laundry, gardening (spraying deer be gone on my plants!)

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Is that a QoD Kim?

    Let’s see. We had COVID, floods, snow, impeachment (or was that last year?), murder wasps (which seem to have stayed in the Northwest only), plagued squirrels, aliens. What else could happen?

    Liked by 1 person

  9. My dad kept hoping that the Lord will return.
    But I suspect that the world situation will get much worse before that happens.
    It can, you know. With China behind it.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. I was reading Revelation when it started. I’m now in Exodus’ plagues.

    Things aren’t looking good for the world—except in both Book and life, I know Jesus is coming!’

    Liked by 5 people

  11. Art had a dead battery when he started out to work so my brother is here. They will be replacing the old battery. My brother told me yesterday on the phone that he could not believe how long Art’s battery had lasted. Speak of the devil . . . we were on the subject of the car because my brother had planned to go to the office and change Art’s oil today. I told Art he needed to thank God that the car was here when it died, especially in this heat people don’t need to be stuck out somewhere with a car that won’t go.

    Liked by 2 people

  12. My blood pressure was high this a.m. so I ate pineapple tidbits. I hope that takes it down. I had some salty pickles yesterday and have not gotten much exercise lately. I need to get back on track with healthier habits.

    I have a new book to read, How Not To Die, which recommends hibiscus tea to lower blood pressure. I have not tried that yet.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. I think the pic is one of Cheryl’s best. It perfectly displays the beauty and order of God’s creations. Look at the water drops, all different sizes, but perfect symmetry to one another. Looking at the leaf itself shows more of this, plus the plants God given design which let’s it cup and hold the water it needs without it simply running off. It’s the smallest detail addressed by a Creator who cares for and sustains all his creations, including us.

    And Cheryl’s pic captured all of that very well. 🙂

    Liked by 6 people

  17. Kind of like Michelle’s butterfly pic yesterday.

    I was enjoying the chicory this morning. I love chicory, it makes me happy. Such a happy flower, just there in the morning unless the sky is overcast. Beautiful detail in each bloom. What an amazing Creator!

    Liked by 2 people

  18. Yes, beautiful shot in the header. Such exquisite detail!

    Good morning, everyone. I got a nice email yesterday, which I wrote about on Rants and Raves a few minutes ago.

    Nothing much new to report besides everything I wrote over there.

    1st Arrow just arrived — home for the birthday party this weekend — so I will leave you all to your conversations, whatever they may be. Enjoy, and God bless!

    Liked by 4 people

  19. Trying to think if I ever had any roommates. Don’t think so. Other than, when I moved out from home, I moved into an elderly lady’s home to be an assistant. Did not work well from my perspective as I was terrified of her. Moved on to my own apartment and then a little teeny house and then husband. Summer camp does not count, nor does working as a camp counselor.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. I had a sister as a roommate. I had a couple of other roommates in an apartment for one summer. Then I had my husband who has been my best roommate.

    I made need to catch up from yesterday, mumsee, but I have thought about your question of the food ‘borrowing.’ It seems to me the bigger question is one of honesty and permission and respect for others. The food is the least of it. A discussion on being honest, asking permission and consequences seems to be in order. Most of that is probably discussions you have had many times over. Trying to build character is such a challenge, especially at that age.

    Liked by 5 people

  21. Happy Saturday, everyone!

    It’s going to be warm out here today, 84 they’re saying. It must be August. But right now the house is still cool from the night.

    I really do have to get out to water just about everything later today, I’ve skipped 2-3 days. Don’t want to lose anything.

    I need to stop feeding the cat so much, she’s getting chubby. I guess 10 meals a day is maybe too much, even though she only eats a few bites each time.

    Dogs get fed once a day and are perfectly fine, they never complain or whine and they weigh what they should.

    The cat makes life miserable, knocking things onto the floor, meowing, making me desperate just to keep her quiet and to make sure she doesn’t break something (which she’s done), especially while I’m working. I will sometime just pick her up and set her outside. Her ears go down when I do that and she sulks for a while. Then she comes in and starts knocking things around again.

    Liked by 3 people

  22. I had a succession of 3 roommates but am only in touch with the first whom I consider one of my best friends for life. 🙂 The other two were more like business/financial arrangements, we all were coming and going during that season of life when we were all still young and busy with boyfriends and work and other things, and we all were pretty broke so sharing rent and utilities and the other household type expenses made sense.

    It was fun when I finally had my very own apartment.

    Honestly, I have no idea how young people out here now afford rent, but I suppose they all have to team up like we did. Still, I think the rent for our first apartment was like $250 a month or something. But we made a pittance back then, too.

    My first solo apartment was about that much also, but I was making a little bit more money by then, that was back in the days when the newspaper still gave us raises.

    – a long, long time ago 🙂 😦

    Liked by 1 person

  23. DJ – Is Annie eating a food for “senior” cats? (Is she even old enough to be considered a senior?) The reason I ask is that Heidi’s senior dog food has fewer calories than regular dog food, so I thought a senior cat food might help Annie. Well, unless she merely makes up the calories by eating more of it. I guess you’d have to experiment with it, if you wanted to try that route.

    Liked by 1 person

  24. Re: my comment from yesterday about my Facebook friend and Dr. Immanuel.

    Okay, since my FB friend accused the article (or maybe me personally) of character assassination, and in (more) response to AJ’s comment to me, I want to further explain why I had shared that article on Facebook and with my friend. (Since I have posted on more than one occasion about being careful to not tread on the ninth commandment, against bearing false witness, I was hit hard inside by her comment and AJ’s.)

    My point was that considering Dr. Immanuel’s views, which most Americans would find bizarre and anti-science, using the video with her to prove the efficacy of HCQ is not a good idea, and could backfire (although I didn’t say it in so many words, I thought the gist was there). And I have indeed seen the posts by others making fun of her, and thus dismissing her argument for HCQ.

    That was all my point was, for the FB post. My point in sharing it here was my shock that my white American friend also believes a lot of that stuff, and that she seems to have gone off the deep end (Nightingale’s words) in some ways, which saddens me for her, and for the loss of the relationship that she and Nightingale once had.

    Liked by 1 person

  25. I have never had a roommate. After leaving home, I lived on my own for a while, then moved back home to save money for a house (which didn’t happen), then married Hubby at 25. (I met him only about four months after having moved back in with my parents.)

    Nightingale and I have an interesting dynamic in our relationship. Although we are mother-and-daughter, we are now more like friends and partners in living this life, interdependent on each other. Maybe we could be considered housemates?

    Liked by 2 people

  26. Kathaleena, that has been an ongoing discussion with her. Right now she is virtuously marching around the house as fourteen is being called out for stealing nearly one hundred dollars from my sis in law several months ago, which just came to light. Daughter not realizing she is the only one who has been banned from sis in law’s house over dishonesty.

    Liked by 2 people

  27. Annie’s been on a vet-ordered prescription food for several years now (for ‘crystals’ in a urine test some years back, cats commonly have kidney issues I’m told). Not sure if it’s high or low in calories, but I believe it would be lower in proteins for kidney health? Cowboy’s on a similar prescription food.

    Liked by 3 people

  30. Just talked to my cousin in MO, he finally was able to sell his house and he got moved to where his step-grandchildren live where a new house (2,400 square feet, huge), for him is being built on the same property. That should be done by fall, they all hope. He sounds so much happier than he did the last time I talked to him — back then he was waiting for a full offer on the house, wasn’t getting any, so he was just kind of stuck waiting with realtors telling him he had to drop the price. A family with 2 young children and another on the way showed up and paid full price.

    He’s older by at least 10 years and has neuropathy in his feet so has some real physical and mobility problems as it is and was living alone which wasn’t a good situation.

    Anyway, he told me that his phone was probably going to lose power at some point but we talked until that happened 🙂 — a good 30-40 minutes at least.

    I love that photo too, Cheryl.

    Gladwell, didn’t he return to his Mennonite roots? I’ll have to read the link. Good writer.

    Liked by 3 people

  31. Roommates? I had two college dorm roommates for my two years away. The first one and I got along okay for awhile, but she was from a very small town maybe one county over from the college and I was from the city. She was the one who went out drinking a lot and would be out past curfew and sometimes sneak into the dorm through our window. I became friends with her friends, one a valedictorian, who did not do such things. By third quarter a new gal transferred in from Auburn and my roommate had asked for another roommate so for my last quarter of my first year and all of my second year I had my second roommate. I think she did a quarter abroad since she was an Art major. Her boyfriend’s roommate at Ga. Tech became my boyfriend (lasted about ten years). She and her boyfriend got married and eventually got divorced. That boyfriend and I did not get married. I have not heard from that roommate in years. In addition to her Art degree, she went on to get an MBA and do some work in the government, maybe with procurement, up north.

    I also had an apartment in Atlanta shared with two roommates when I transferred to Georgia State. Eventually they moved on and another gal in the apartment complex moved out of her one bedroom to share the three bedroom with me. It did not work out so well. She got a dog and did not keep up with the mess it made, she would cook an elaborate meal and not clean up from that, etc. Personally I liked her fine for conversation, but she was not a good roommate due to hygienic considerations. She worked as a secretary for a dean at Ga. State. I ended up moving from there to another apartment complex for a short time where I was by myself. I was not happy living alone so moved back home. Later my friend and I got an apartment together (my friend in CA). She eventually married her boyfriend and I stayed in that apartment until I found this house to buy. With buying the house, came a great set up for housemates, 2 bedrooms and a bath upstairs and the same layout downstairs. I found a roommate through work. I did not know her, but had friends who knew her. She was trying to get out of a relationship. She was not with me long until she disappeared. The GBI was looking for her. It turned out she had abandoned her job and eloped with the guy she had been living with. One day I came home from work and her things were all gone. After that I tried another roommate, someone I knew from work who was divorced and shared custody of a four year old boy with her ex. She stayed with me until Art and I got married. I really hoped she would move, but I never told her she had to. We had a good situation for having separate living spaces in the house. But thankfully she realized it was best not to keep living here once we got married, and Art moved in.

    Do I get the prize for most roommates? I think that was 9 in all.

    Liked by 1 person

  35. Janice, we already had a winner yesterday with several times that many.

    Before college, my sister and I shared a two-bedroom, one-bath apartment with someone we had worked with at McDonald’s (I don’t know if any of us was still working there by the time we got the apartment, but when we started making plans, we all worked there). Then I went to college, and at college I had at least seven roommates (including summer roommates, since I stayed on campus each summer), though we aren’t counting college roommates.

    After college I decided I didn’t want a roommate again unless/until I got married. I was OK with housemates, but didn’t want to share a bedroom again. I’d shared with my sister for most of my first 22 years (all but the year before she was born, the year after she moved out, and the year we had an apartment with another girl and the two of them were roommates and I had my own room–so 19/22 years) and then had roommates for four years in college.

    After graduation I rented a bedroom in a house that had five other people living in it, then a house that had two other people, then I rented a house for more than seven years and in that time housemates came and went, four in all. Those were my Chicago years. The housemates I had in that last house were interns at our church, and they lived with me for one or two years except one who was only there for a summer.

    In Nashville I rented a bedroom in a house owned by a married couple. He was an airline pilot and had recently had his hub city changed from Nashville to Dallas, and they had to rent a room in Dallas in addition to the house they owned in Nashville, and so they rented out a bedroom for income. He wasn’t home very much and I mostly stayed in my room when he was to allow them more time together, so he probably doesn’t count as a housemate but she does. Then I bought my own house, and over the next eight years I had three housemates (plus four foster children)–I advertised to find those housemates, and that isn’t the most pleasant way to find someone who will be living in your home with you. So that’s sixteen plus the husband and the foster children. Plus my parents, six siblings, one husband, and two stepchildren. Add the college roommates and the total is three dozen people with whom I have lived at least six weeks. (My mother and my sister, 20 years each, the longest; the six weeks with the foster daughters the most intense; the nearly nine years with my husband, the best.)

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  37. It was suppose to feel like 100° here. My brother said he would mow. I took up his offer. I was going to mow before it got so hot, but we were all involved with the car. battery.

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  40. We have some of that extra heat here in Connecticut. We’ve had high heat and high humidity for about two weeks now, with the “feels like” or “real feel” being over 100 sometimes. (It is currently 89, with the heat index being 99.) But we have not had any real rain for a few weeks. It will cloud up and look like a storm is coming, then there will be a brief sprinkle, if even that, and the clouds move on.

    One day last week the forecast called for thunderstorms. The day started out bright and sunny, and then clouded up with a dark sky, so I decided I should go out to get the mail before the rain started. My neighbor Tonya was outside her apartment having a cigarette, and we remarked about the storm being about to start. As I got the mail, I felt a couple raindrops, and as I passed Tonya on my way back, I called out that it was starting. Shortly after getting back in the house, the clouds moved away and it was bright and sunny again.

    Our lawn is getting brown and crispy. We are supposed to have thunderstorms tomorrow, and I hope we do.

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  41. DJ – One of my teacher friends from church once said that she hated when August rolled around because it indicated that summer was coming to an end. So I told her to consider August 1 as July 32, August 2 as July 33, etc. She got a kick out of that, and even mentioned it in a Facebook post a year later.

    Liked by 3 people

  42. I have 3 wasp nests under the eves on my garage, all in a row. I’d noticed a few wasps flying around near there yesterday but forgot to check it later — so today I took a closer look and, sure enough, LOTS of wasps.

    I had a nest under there once before, several years ago, so I called the same service I used that time.

    Always something.

    Liked by 1 person

  43. Ok, found the guys who came last time — they even have a link on their website to a story I did where I quoted them (back in 2011), can’t remember if I’d done that story before or after I used them.

    Anyway, he’s on his way over, $85 which isn’t bad

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  44. So I think I quoted them in the story about the dog and must have then remembered them when I had the first wasp’s nest so called them. But I couldn’t remember their names, somehow the web link and site looked familiar, then I noticed the newspaper link. I’d totally forgotten about that story.

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  48. Summer tanagers eat bees and wasps…have any of those in your area? I use wasp spray normally but we had those tanagers hanging out and for once had no problems 😊

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  49. That poor dog!

    *******
    Has anyone here worn Oofos shoes? If so, what do you think of them?

    I stumbled across an ad for them and then looked them up. They are supposedly very comfortable shoes, but expensive! Okay, I realize that some people routinely pay over $100 for a pair of good shoes, but I am cheap. 🙂 However, I am tempted to invest the money for a pair if they are as good as they say.

    The reviews look good, and I saw one that mentioned that the pair I was looking at are good for high insteps, which I have.

    https://www.oofos.com/collections/women

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  50. Too bad I didn’t live closer to you, DJ. I have three cans of wasp/hornet spray. My husband seems to forget he has them and buys another when he needs it. They do work well and spray a long ways away.

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  52. I am wearing oofos right now. They have great support for my insteps. I mostly wear them as my indoor shoes. I can wear them outside and will occasionally, but mostly they are what I put on when I come inside. I took them to PNG and showed everyone. They are so soft, yet supportive.

    Liked by 1 person

  54. They’d advise real estate agents to carry a can of wasp spray. Good for getting wasps but better for spraying in the face of an attacker. It sprays farther. Of course balancing your car keys, your cell phone with your e-key, the information on the house and a few other things I am not sure how you are supposed to hold on to a can of wasp spray and it’s large to attach to your car keys.

    Liked by 4 people

  55. It has been four months now since we have been to church.
    I went to a service in the ball field once. Elvera hasn’t gone at all, but it doesn’t matter. She is not aware.

    Liked by 2 people

  56. I remember back-to-school ads in August. Now-a-days Walmart puts school supplies out in June. That’s one way to ruin summer for children.

    Liked by 2 people

  61. Over here in Exodus 13, Passover has occurred and the Hebrews don’t hit the clear road, they head into the desert.

    I’ve always heard God took them on a circuitous route through the desert “together Egypt out of the Jews” and so they would learn to trust Him for all. Those are important lessons.

    But Enduring Word has an additional idea:

    God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near: The coastal route (the Via Maris, known as “the way of the sea”) was the shortest and most common way to go from Egypt to Canaan.

    Yet it was also the road where Egypt’s military outposts were. God knew the people of Israel were not ready to face this yet (lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt), so He led them a different way.

    i. It would have been easy for the Israelites to think that the Via Maris was the way to go; it had good, easy roads, the shortest distance, it was a trade route so food and water could be bought.

    But the dangers of the way were too great, though they could not see them. God anticipated dangers they could not see.

    ii. In the same way, God will never allow us to face more than we are able to bear; He knows what we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13).

    “He carefully chose their way out of Egypt; not the nearer, but the safer. He tempts not above what we are able: but so orders the matter, that evils are not ready for us until we for them.” (Trapp)

    Liked by 1 person

  62. Two Saturdays now I have shown property to a man who will be moving up here from South Florida to be closer to one of his daughters and grandchildren. He came up yesterday and we have narrowed it down to two houses. Tomorrow he goes for pre-op and Thursday he will have his bladder removed. He has cancer. He’s a nice man and whether or not he is able to buy a house when this is all over is beside the point. If you think of it, please pray for him. His name is Richard.

    Liked by 6 people

  65. Something posted on Facebook by a liberal friend, but with a good point:

    ” ‘Sheep’ is a strange insult for Christians to use.

    Also insults are strange things for Christians to use.”

    Liked by 4 people

  66. Praying for Richard.

    I don’t do wasp nests by myself, but thanks for the spray tip. It my mind, it clearly falls under that category of “What could go wrong?”

    Yeah.

    This morning we had fog! And fog horns in the harbor, along with the sounds of a train running by the port.

    Church starts in an hour, sermon today is on the Book of John.

    Liked by 2 people

  69. sorry, Oofos. They look good for knees. But yes, pretty pricey.

    I was sad to see Wilford Brimely died, the house worker I used so much from the dog park said people always told him he looked and sounded like him (and he did actually).

    Loved him in Absence of Malice.

    Liked by 2 people

  70. I see the Oofos advertised. I have never tried them.

    Our church had an outdoor service in the back of the church. The church was basically gifted a small lot behind the church with an alley between. It was in that space the congregation sat on our own chairs. The praise team and speakers were in the little parking space behind the church. It worked out well. The speakers were quite loud, IMO, and I am curious as to whether or not they will get any complaints. Our church is on a corner lot and there are churches on two of the other corners. Members of the church live in the house on the other corner.

    I have read that bear spray is more effective and sprays a distance, Kim, FWIW. You are wise to be prepared.

    Liked by 2 people

  71. It was a good church service with a baptism in the parking lot and later we had a prayer call for about an hour. I was doing the Sunday a.m. Sunday school, but I am taking a break from that for a time.

    Liked by 1 person

  75. DJ, I understand your concern and shared it for years but wasp spray is quite simple to use. Do it in the evening or early morning when everybody is in the nest or on it, stand a good distance and not directly under the nest or downwind. It is very fast and very effective. And a good thing to know how to use.

    Liked by 1 person

  76. I’ll think about it mumsee, I’ve heard of the spray option. But these nests — three in a row but separated along and between the eves — were not a particularly easy to see, let alone target except from a fairly close distance.

    And with a crazy knee, it just could have ended badly. 🙂 I don’t need anything else going on right now.

    Calling the wasp and bee guy seemed a decision of wisdom in my case.

    Liked by 4 people

  78. We had outside church in the back area again today, with communion. I moved my chair as the sun was invading my space. Later I realized I did not have my communion cup. I finally found it where I had stepped on it. whoops! The wafer was okay and there was one drop of the juice left.

    Liked by 3 people

  79. okay, advice needed. How do you negotiate for a vehicle?
    I found a subaru forester 2017 with less than 20,000 miles in the color I want. It has lots of bells and whistles and of course I don’t want to spend the amount that they are asking. Especially when you add in the sales tax. You can take a look at Pioneer Motors here in town, online.

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  80. I’m awful at negotiating, which is why I appreciated the experience at Carmax.

    But in general, with the Internet tools we have know, you can do a lot of your own research to see what a ‘fair’ price might be for a similar car with those options. So at least you can know if their price is way out of bounds or if that’s what you’d spend on a similar car elsewhere anyway. Find something similar for less, maybe, and use that as an arguing point. Or just be a hard-sell customer and walk way or threaten to walk away and think about it.

    Also, definitely bring a guy friend with you, or a car savvy girlfriend who’d not shy is fine too.

    Liked by 3 people

  83. Jo that is a nice clean looking car. We have a 2014 Forester with over 100,000 miles and we have really liked the gas mileage, handling and low maintenance. Like Dj advised…take along a fella or assertive gal friend 😊 (I am horrible at negotiating prices)

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  84. That is a good looking vehicle with low mileage, Jo. Be sure and check Consumer Reports, too. I think they can let you know if that year and make has anything to be careful about. They seem to offer good and unbiased information. I always check cars out there as extra precaution.

    Liked by 2 people

  89. The new photo is a Peck’s skipper on bee balm. If you are familiar with bee balm, that should be a good way to judge how small the butterfly is (wingspan of 1 – 1 1/4 inches). It’s one of the prettier of the local skippers (a lot of skippers are pretty plain). And I was very happy that this one “sat” for me to be able to get a close-up photo that shows every hair.

    It’s funny, with film cameras I used to photograph people, scenery, trees, animals if I could find one, etc. I would have liked to photograph birds, but I simply couldn’t do so with the equipment I had–I tried a few times and was always disappointed. Then I got a camera that could almost photograph birds (it was too slow and not really enough zoom–but close enough to tease me). Once I got a camera that could photograph birds, I photographed a lot of them.

    Then I realized that under certain conditions I could photograph butterflies, and so I started doing it. Photographing butterflies made me want to shoot wildflowers too, and photographing wildflowers often meant I was shooting insects that were on them. This year I got the close-up snap-on lens that allows me to photograph those tiny insects I couldn’t get before . . . and this summer I have shot more insects than anything else. Not at all what I would have expected five years ago!

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  90. wow, I am learning things. I went to the carmax web site. amazing. They give you a price to ship the vehicle to your location. Did Dj say that you used carmax??

    Liked by 1 person

  91. Jo- I’d set a price I want to pay, then bid $1 or 2 thousand lower. The seller can refuse, so I go a little higher until a satisfactory price is reached.

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  92. There. I watched a movie. First one in months and it was very encouraging, though took a long time with fussy baby not knowing what she wanted. Thanks, Michelle!

    Liked by 1 person

  93. Jo, yes, In spring 2008 I found an ’07 Jeep that had amazingly low mileage (6,500 — it was a fleet car, one of the last Liberty’s that came off the line in 2007) but it was at the Carmax lot in Burbank.

    No problem, they had it brought to the local lot near where I lived with no obligation to purchase.

    My final test was I sent the listing to a guy who does a blog bashing Carmax, he invites people to send him one of the carmax listings and he’d let you know it it was a rip off.

    He finally responded that it “wasn’t bad,” which seemed to be pretty high praise from him, though he said I might do a little better if I shopped out of state and had something shipping in — no thanks.

    I’d been looking at new and used Jeeps for about a year so was very familiar with the prices. When I saw the Carmax one, I knew it was — from what I knew — a pretty good price, several thousand dollars less from a new model. And lots of bells and whistles I wasn’t counting on.

    Liked by 2 people

  94. This was 12 years ago, but I don’t remember any charge for them to bring it to the local lot, but maybe they charge if it’s coming from farther way — Burbank isn’t that far from me, all LA, but was far enough that is was inconvenient for me to get over to test drive it during a work week.

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