Morning! I am working on my first cup of coffee and I slept in a little later than usual..when it’s 7 degrees outside that quilt feels so comforting!!
Having lunch with a couple former coworkers and two of our favorite customers today. We will be taking a wool project we have been working on for “show and tell”. We are doing this once a month and I enjoy how this keeps us connected. Praying the Lord will use this time to deepen relationships with the three who know Him not…that they might be drawn to know Him.
I so agree with you, Jo, about how long it is for children to wait for Christmas when all the stores etc. decorate early for it.
It makes sense to put out decorations here in the warmer weather of fall. Otherwise, I prefer to wait until after Thanksgiving. It seems Christmas usurps Christmas otherwise. However, each to her own.
Good morning. The children put the outside solar lights up yesterday afternoon on some trees in the tree pasture. Then we had a power outage and those were the only lights on for miles. Easier to put them up when it is not all covered in snow. And we get to enjoy them for longer.
I am paring down my decorations this year. Tree is up and I will only plug in the lights in the evening. No garlands on the porch…just a simple little tree on the bench and a red tartan plaid throw on the rocking chair. Wreath is out on the pine by the road and wreaths are on the back door and the basement door. I put a little tree in the 1950 red flyer wagon by the driveway. Simple touches that bring a smile here and there. If I can’t have snow I’ll have cozy 😊
I found a fudge recipe that has pumpkin, peanut butter, cocoa powder (of course) and uses Truvia for an alternative to sugar. It has a cup of Truvia. Does anyone have experience with it? Some artificial sweeteners can cause intestinal issues. I don’t want to deal with that. Truvia is suppose to not have that issue so much, but I need the truth and not just advertising hype.
I went to get an emissions check and the to the tag office this morning. It’s a beautiful day to be doing errands like that.
I can’t imagine what masking is doing to small children. They learn tremendously in those early years and a lot of it is facial expressions which are now masked.
I have a friend who does nanny type jobs and said when she picks up kids from school that their masks are all slobbery. It can’t be good for them to go all day in a mask. Really. That alone would insure homeschooling for my family.
I don’t fight the masks, I think they have some benefit (we’re not sure how much) and it’s a gesture — a very Christian one, I’d say — to show you also are concerned about other folks around you and are doing what you can. I see it as adopting an attitude of grace and mercy to our neighbor.
No one “likes” masks. But it is the situation we are living in right now. Otherwise, aren’t we just sliding back to everyone doing what is right in their own eyes?
If wearing masks is not something one can abide by, then I suppose the solution is to voluntarily self-quarantine, for now, from settings in which masks are required.
This all will pass, seemingly just not as quickly or as soon as we’d all hoped a year ago.
God has brought this trial to us in this time. How will it be used by the church, his followers?
(And I’m the first to admit I’ve fallen way short over the past almost two years at times, falling into a silent kicking-and-screaming mode more than I’d care to admit.)
All of this has been hard. But trials usually are. We’re tired, weary and often short-tempered, all of us at times. We also realize how precious “normal” was.
Slow day at home, too. My energy gets zapped by all the negatives I have in my life right now. I ponder what I will do for church in the new year. I will have to pray big on that need.
Curious about churches, when people look to join, are they typically these days given a list of requirements they must fulfill for membership including a specific financial commitment?
No church we have joined has ever had such specific requirements in the past. That is my current pastor’s approach toward new prospective members. Of course, since I was already a member from the dissolved church I was not given the hard line requirements.
Once when Art and I considered joining a PCA church they did require a time commitment to Sunday school, church service attendance, and a weekday small group attendance. Art was unwilling to commit to that much time. It did seem a bit impossible with the weekday requirement for those people with demanding jobs and a long commute.
I do not mind the masks for adults and older children. I was concerned for the little ones who are learning speech and social skills and all sorts of things by looking into the faces of parents and teachers and grocery clerks and doctors. All of that has been removed for little ones for the past couple of years. The formative time.
It existed in our minds and lifestyles. Yeah, ‘normal’ changes throughout our lives, but gradually, not all at once with a big lockdown of everything.
But yes, I agree it will be a long time before we’re back to thoroughly “normal” after all of this finally fades. Losses have felt harder during this time, I think.
And how different was last Christmas for all of us?
We’re past the worst of it, I would say (but I may be wrong, there could be another random variant that strikes and wipes out even more of our immunity). As I kept saying to myself when this all started, God is doing something …
_______________________________
So my printer was acting up, getting a big ERROR message and a loud, horrible grinding sound every time I turned it on, with the error message flashing.
I looked it up on YouTube, discovered there was something likely jamming the space where the ink cartridges were. So I opened it up and there it was, a random, stray piece of paper that had found its way in there, all inky and crumpled. I got it out and it works again.
Janice, in the past 45 years I’ve joined a conservative congregational church (CCCC), an Open Bible church, a Presbyterian church (PCA), and two Baptist churches (BGC). None had a specific commitment required, either for money or for time serving. It was clear only that we were expected to participate in the life of the church and to give as we were able.
A Friiends (Quaker) church I belonged to in the 1990s had a giving “pledge” you could fill out at the beginning of the year, but you provided the amount and I think it was voluntary to fill it out. It was certainly not checked-up on, to my knowledge, things happen throughout the course of a year. But I think it helped the church in some of its planning and it may also have helped members to stay on track if they had their own goals written down.
No other church I’ve been part of (an earlier Quaker church/meeting in the ’80s and more recently 2 Reformed Presbyterian churches) has had anything like that, other than, as Kevin says, an understanding in taking membership vows that you are to be a faithful member of the body, participating in weekly worship and, as gifts or time allow, in other activities.
Sitting at the tire place to see what got in my back tire…slow leak🥴
No one is wearing a 😷 mask and we are social distancing just like at the restaurant I just visited. If some want to wear a mask that is great I just don’t see wearing one as a witness to others. My grandkids are not required to wear them at their school and the environment there seems happier and their Covid numbers are lower than those of similar sized campuses requiring masks. Keeping their distance and washing hands frequently seems to be working. 🙌
I am hating masks more each day. I am also wearing them less. It is funny, but at school I also have a face shield, which is not very clear. So I can choose to not be able to breathe very well or not be able to see very well.
None of the children at our school have to wear masks. A few do wear them it is up to the parents. If I am over 6 feet away from a child, I don’t need to wear one. So I tend to teach from a distance.
Newsletter is done and sent, even the group that went wonky and I had to send as individuals. I am beginning to be like Chas, to see those addresses and then copy them correctly was difficult.
I sat next to a teacher on a flight this summer who worked with special ed ESL students K-3.
“Yikes! How did you teach them over Zoom?”
He talked all the way from San Francisco to Nevada about his techniques!
Basically, each child had an adult sitting next to him throughout the class. He had 9 students and he purchased a copy of the math manipulates for all of them, and dropped them off.
He would stay up until midnight putting together powerpoint slides demonstrating the math techniques–asking them to use the same color blocks he used on the slides in the math lessons.
He said it was very difficult, but at least he didn’t have to wear a mask on Zoom, which made a difference for many kids. He was back in school in September, relieved to be there.
At least one of our Sunday School teachers wears a shield.
In my Bible study, we’re separated somewhat, but can remove our masks to speak. That’s the only way most of us can hear well enough!
A friend asked what I had said yesterday to have the Russian father wiping away tears as he left the school after picking up his son.
I shared his son’s journal with him. For several weeks the son has simply been writing words from the word wall. Yesterday I sat next to him and talked about what he was doing. Then he wrote “I go to the village” I asked him how he went, plane, boat? He said ‘on a boat” and then wrote that.
It was amazing to have him form and write an English sentence.
About the only time I have worn a mask was the two trips into the store to get the vaccine and once again when I went to the toy hauler the clinic is using for respiratory illness treatment. First, I don’t get out much. Second, I don’t go to places that require them. Oh yes, I stopped into the eye doctors to get my dad’s glasses and bill resolved and wore a mask for that.
This morning, outside, getting the car emissions tested, both the testing guy and I had on masks. When I left I pulled it down. I drove a short distance to the tag office. Immediately upon entry I was asked, “Do you have a mask?” I pulled it up from my neck. I had to have my head screened for temperature. “Normal.” Then I had to givre the doorkeeper officer my purse for him to check for weapons. This all probably took longer than the actual busness transaction.
Almost 2 hours at the tire place…he got the nail out though!
Janice the Mormons ask for proof of income and then a financial requirement for being part of their ward…why in the world would a Christian church have such a requirement? I would be hitting the door… 🏃♀️ 🚪
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
I think churches that require a “fee” are taking the New Testament teaching on giving the wrong way. All we have belongs to God, but that doesn’t mean we need to give it all to a local church. Jesus said, “Free you received, freely give,” and as Nancy said, it’s not to be under compulsion.
Wandering Views 
What? Chas has already posted his Pigskin picks but not posted here? He must have gone for the Cheerios after the picks.
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Morning! I am working on my first cup of coffee and I slept in a little later than usual..when it’s 7 degrees outside that quilt feels so comforting!!
Having lunch with a couple former coworkers and two of our favorite customers today. We will be taking a wool project we have been working on for “show and tell”. We are doing this once a month and I enjoy how this keeps us connected. Praying the Lord will use this time to deepen relationships with the three who know Him not…that they might be drawn to know Him.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I so agree with you, Jo, about how long it is for children to wait for Christmas when all the stores etc. decorate early for it.
It makes sense to put out decorations here in the warmer weather of fall. Otherwise, I prefer to wait until after Thanksgiving. It seems Christmas usurps Christmas otherwise. However, each to her own.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good morning. The children put the outside solar lights up yesterday afternoon on some trees in the tree pasture. Then we had a power outage and those were the only lights on for miles. Easier to put them up when it is not all covered in snow. And we get to enjoy them for longer.
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Good morning Peter. It isn’t that I’m that stupie.
Well? That too.
But I can’t really see what I’m doing anyore.
an exaple” I see the error’s above. I can’t see to fix them.
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I am paring down my decorations this year. Tree is up and I will only plug in the lights in the evening. No garlands on the porch…just a simple little tree on the bench and a red tartan plaid throw on the rocking chair. Wreath is out on the pine by the road and wreaths are on the back door and the basement door. I put a little tree in the 1950 red flyer wagon by the driveway. Simple touches that bring a smile here and there. If I can’t have snow I’ll have cozy 😊
LikeLiked by 3 people
Back to the future and Thanksgiving!
I found a fudge recipe that has pumpkin, peanut butter, cocoa powder (of course) and uses Truvia for an alternative to sugar. It has a cup of Truvia. Does anyone have experience with it? Some artificial sweeteners can cause intestinal issues. I don’t want to deal with that. Truvia is suppose to not have that issue so much, but I need the truth and not just advertising hype.
I went to get an emissions check and the to the tag office this morning. It’s a beautiful day to be doing errands like that.
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I looked up truvia on healthline. Sounds misleading and not a healthy alternative. I would stay away from it.
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I’ve never heard of trubia. Sonds like a good thing.
Good afternoon everyone. Everything is the ams here. Nothing happening.
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Afternoon? It won’t be afternoon for hours!
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I can’t imagine what masking is doing to small children. They learn tremendously in those early years and a lot of it is facial expressions which are now masked.
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I think this maskin business is not only stupid, it’s dangerous.
I doubt that it does any good at all.
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But I don’t have anything to do with it. I can just stay home, and I do.
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I have a friend who does nanny type jobs and said when she picks up kids from school that their masks are all slobbery. It can’t be good for them to go all day in a mask. Really. That alone would insure homeschooling for my family.
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I don’t fight the masks, I think they have some benefit (we’re not sure how much) and it’s a gesture — a very Christian one, I’d say — to show you also are concerned about other folks around you and are doing what you can. I see it as adopting an attitude of grace and mercy to our neighbor.
No one “likes” masks. But it is the situation we are living in right now. Otherwise, aren’t we just sliding back to everyone doing what is right in their own eyes?
If wearing masks is not something one can abide by, then I suppose the solution is to voluntarily self-quarantine, for now, from settings in which masks are required.
This all will pass, seemingly just not as quickly or as soon as we’d all hoped a year ago.
God has brought this trial to us in this time. How will it be used by the church, his followers?
(And I’m the first to admit I’ve fallen way short over the past almost two years at times, falling into a silent kicking-and-screaming mode more than I’d care to admit.)
All of this has been hard. But trials usually are. We’re tired, weary and often short-tempered, all of us at times. We also realize how precious “normal” was.
LikeLiked by 2 people
?Normal? will never come back, if it exver existed..
There is always something else.
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It is a slow day on here.
Slow day at home, too. My energy gets zapped by all the negatives I have in my life right now. I ponder what I will do for church in the new year. I will have to pray big on that need.
Curious about churches, when people look to join, are they typically these days given a list of requirements they must fulfill for membership including a specific financial commitment?
No church we have joined has ever had such specific requirements in the past. That is my current pastor’s approach toward new prospective members. Of course, since I was already a member from the dissolved church I was not given the hard line requirements.
Once when Art and I considered joining a PCA church they did require a time commitment to Sunday school, church service attendance, and a weekday small group attendance. Art was unwilling to commit to that much time. It did seem a bit impossible with the weekday requirement for those people with demanding jobs and a long commute.
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I do not mind the masks for adults and older children. I was concerned for the little ones who are learning speech and social skills and all sorts of things by looking into the faces of parents and teachers and grocery clerks and doctors. All of that has been removed for little ones for the past couple of years. The formative time.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It existed in our minds and lifestyles. Yeah, ‘normal’ changes throughout our lives, but gradually, not all at once with a big lockdown of everything.
But yes, I agree it will be a long time before we’re back to thoroughly “normal” after all of this finally fades. Losses have felt harder during this time, I think.
And how different was last Christmas for all of us?
We’re past the worst of it, I would say (but I may be wrong, there could be another random variant that strikes and wipes out even more of our immunity). As I kept saying to myself when this all started, God is doing something …
_______________________________
So my printer was acting up, getting a big ERROR message and a loud, horrible grinding sound every time I turned it on, with the error message flashing.
I looked it up on YouTube, discovered there was something likely jamming the space where the ink cartridges were. So I opened it up and there it was, a random, stray piece of paper that had found its way in there, all inky and crumpled. I got it out and it works again.
I love youtube.
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Janice, in the past 45 years I’ve joined a conservative congregational church (CCCC), an Open Bible church, a Presbyterian church (PCA), and two Baptist churches (BGC). None had a specific commitment required, either for money or for time serving. It was clear only that we were expected to participate in the life of the church and to give as we were able.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A Friiends (Quaker) church I belonged to in the 1990s had a giving “pledge” you could fill out at the beginning of the year, but you provided the amount and I think it was voluntary to fill it out. It was certainly not checked-up on, to my knowledge, things happen throughout the course of a year. But I think it helped the church in some of its planning and it may also have helped members to stay on track if they had their own goals written down.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No other church I’ve been part of (an earlier Quaker church/meeting in the ’80s and more recently 2 Reformed Presbyterian churches) has had anything like that, other than, as Kevin says, an understanding in taking membership vows that you are to be a faithful member of the body, participating in weekly worship and, as gifts or time allow, in other activities.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sitting at the tire place to see what got in my back tire…slow leak🥴
No one is wearing a 😷 mask and we are social distancing just like at the restaurant I just visited. If some want to wear a mask that is great I just don’t see wearing one as a witness to others. My grandkids are not required to wear them at their school and the environment there seems happier and their Covid numbers are lower than those of similar sized campuses requiring masks. Keeping their distance and washing hands frequently seems to be working. 🙌
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I am hating masks more each day. I am also wearing them less. It is funny, but at school I also have a face shield, which is not very clear. So I can choose to not be able to breathe very well or not be able to see very well.
None of the children at our school have to wear masks. A few do wear them it is up to the parents. If I am over 6 feet away from a child, I don’t need to wear one. So I tend to teach from a distance.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Newsletter is done and sent, even the group that went wonky and I had to send as individuals. I am beginning to be like Chas, to see those addresses and then copy them correctly was difficult.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So good I got it twice!
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I sat next to a teacher on a flight this summer who worked with special ed ESL students K-3.
“Yikes! How did you teach them over Zoom?”
He talked all the way from San Francisco to Nevada about his techniques!
Basically, each child had an adult sitting next to him throughout the class. He had 9 students and he purchased a copy of the math manipulates for all of them, and dropped them off.
He would stay up until midnight putting together powerpoint slides demonstrating the math techniques–asking them to use the same color blocks he used on the slides in the math lessons.
He said it was very difficult, but at least he didn’t have to wear a mask on Zoom, which made a difference for many kids. He was back in school in September, relieved to be there.
At least one of our Sunday School teachers wears a shield.
In my Bible study, we’re separated somewhat, but can remove our masks to speak. That’s the only way most of us can hear well enough!
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JO” It is my eyes that cause my problem. I sincerely hope that isn’t yours. You can’t fix that.
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Thanks for letting me know. You see you were in the wonky group that didn’t work, so I had to send it again.
Of course I know who gives themselves a creative name!!
It is Friday here and time to head for school. Please pray as of my eleven students, four were absent yesterday.
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We wear masks like this one for choir: https://www.etsy.com/listing/949738490/singers-mask-for-choral-performance?
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Enjoying the fun names. I type on too many screens to keep track of how to get on and off.
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A friend asked what I had said yesterday to have the Russian father wiping away tears as he left the school after picking up his son.
I shared his son’s journal with him. For several weeks the son has simply been writing words from the word wall. Yesterday I sat next to him and talked about what he was doing. Then he wrote “I go to the village” I asked him how he went, plane, boat? He said ‘on a boat” and then wrote that.
It was amazing to have him form and write an English sentence.
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I haven’t worn a mask since last May. I don’t miss them at all.
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About the only time I have worn a mask was the two trips into the store to get the vaccine and once again when I went to the toy hauler the clinic is using for respiratory illness treatment. First, I don’t get out much. Second, I don’t go to places that require them. Oh yes, I stopped into the eye doctors to get my dad’s glasses and bill resolved and wore a mask for that.
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This morning, outside, getting the car emissions tested, both the testing guy and I had on masks. When I left I pulled it down. I drove a short distance to the tag office. Immediately upon entry I was asked, “Do you have a mask?” I pulled it up from my neck. I had to have my head screened for temperature. “Normal.” Then I had to givre the doorkeeper officer my purse for him to check for weapons. This all probably took longer than the actual busness transaction.
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To mask or not to mask, that is the question for the lucky ones.
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Janice, that would be a huge red flag for me – having to promise money. Just no.
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Kare, that and so much more😥
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Almost 2 hours at the tire place…he got the nail out though!
Janice the Mormons ask for proof of income and then a financial requirement for being part of their ward…why in the world would a Christian church have such a requirement? I would be hitting the door… 🏃♀️ 🚪
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think churches that require a “fee” are taking the New Testament teaching on giving the wrong way. All we have belongs to God, but that doesn’t mean we need to give it all to a local church. Jesus said, “Free you received, freely give,” and as Nancy said, it’s not to be under compulsion.
LikeLiked by 1 person
hmmm…. I suppose you have all gone to sleep again. It is hard to have a conversation when either I’m asleep or you are.
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