Spring to Boise

I wish the tree looked like this longer. The blossoms disappear so quickly.

Birthday Cake

Would you like a piece of Ronnie's birthday cake?
Fresh strawberries or cherries?
Whipped cream?

Captions Needed

Anyone have some good captions for these pictures of Kayla?

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Thirty-two Years

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Linda and I spent anniversary number 32 in Milton-Freewater visiting our daughter and her husband and her little girl. It was a wonderful weekend.


We had a great time visiting, and we snuck away for a little while to have our anniversary dinner at El Sombrero Restaurant. Very plain on the outside, but totally different and very colorful on the inside.

Great food--and wonderful company.

How about that halo?

NEW TOY

Or...something else I will not have time to use.

The other day JCP was having a clearance sale and if you were lucky enough to need or want something they put on a super clearance sale you could get some fantastic sales. So I got a NEW TOY.

It is a USB Turntable that can be used to record old records to your computer and then transfer them to CD's. It was about 95% off! With discounts, I paid under $9.00 for it. (List price was $169.00) I could not turn it down.

I finally got around to installing the software and trying it out. Guess what! It works! I had a little trouble understanding exactly how to do what I wanted to do, but I think I finally got it.

To try it out, I recorded one piece. I chose Malaguena, a Spanish piece, from the album the Soul of Spain by 101 Strings. It was probably recorded in the late 1950's.

Stereo sound was just becoming popular. Dad wanted to get a nice radio/record player. So my parents purchased one from Sears. It was a console model probably about 4-5 feet wide that had the speakers and the radio and record player all in one. A popular finish for wood furniture was "blond" so that is what they got. It had AM/FM radio and there was a unique feature on it. You could play the AM and the FM at the same time. Remember, stereo was just becoming popular on records and FM stereo had not yet been invented. The idea was the some radio stations were broadcasting one channel of the stereo record on AM and the other channel on FM. So, by turning on both the AM station and the FM station at the same time, you could listen to the music in stereo. Clever. Also, you could tune in some nice classical music on FM and the news on the AM and have a musical background to the news--as if anyone would want to do that.

When my dad got the stereo, he wanted a good record to play on it that would demonstrate the performance of the equipment he purchased. As I remember, the salesperson suggested the Soul of Spain by 101 Strings. So Dad bought it. (or they might have given it to him for buying the stereo--I do not remember) I still remember Dad putting the record on the first thing after it was set up and turning the volume up on the set. Fairly "Jazzy" for my Dad at that time. I liked it--and so did the rest of our family.

So when I saw the album in the box in the garage, I thought I would try out my new toy by recording the first song on the record, Malaguena. And that is why I chose that particular music.

The next one I chose was the record our choir in high school, Adelphian Academy (Holly Michigan), made when I was a Junior or Senior (1964-1964). I had not listened to it for a long time so I thought it would be fun to try it out. There were 34 of us in the choir. We performed at the academy and also has quite a number of trips to churches around the area. (day trips, never overnight)

Click on the picture to enlarge. You may be able to pick me out.

Being in the choir was fun--sometimes. But, it was a lot of work and the director took it very seriously. They were a group of a lot of really nice kids--so that made it fun. As I listened to the record today, the music was, what shall I say, more "serious" than I had remembered. Yet some of it was probably fairly progressive for back then.

That is just a couple memories that my NEW TOY triggered as I looked through the old records.

Trees

I like trees.

Some of my best friends are trees.

They are strong, yet flexible.

They stay the same, yet they change with the seasons.

They do not care what I am thinking, only that I am.

Each one is unique, and special in its own way.

They will always be there when I need them.

...until they are cut down...

...and thrown into the fire.

The Train I Got to Ride

July 1979

We were visiting Linda's relatives in Kenney, Illinois. I took a walk and was watching a train crew do some switching. I talked with them a little and they invited me to ride with them. I did not have to be asked twice. I love trains. This was the one and only time I got to ride a freight train.

This was a pretty old line, and not kept up very well as you can see by the pictures. It has been around since 1851. Unfortunately it no longer exists as the Illinois Central. It is now part of the Canadian National Railway, since 1998.

In 1900 a minor train wreck at Vaughn, Miss., achieved worldwide fame because an engine-wiper named Wallace Sanders wrote a song about the incident. The engineer, the only person killed, was one John Luther Jones, nicknamed "Casey". His dramatic death trying to stop his train and save lives made him a folk hero.

THE BALLAD OF CASEY JONES

Come all you rounders if you want to hear
A story 'bout a brave engineer,
Casey Jones was the rounder's name
"Twas on the Illinois Central that he won his fame.

Casey Jones, he loved a locomotive.
Casey Jones, a mighty man was he.
Casey Jones run his final locomotive
With the Cannonball Special on the old I.C.

Casey pulled into memphis on Number Four,
The engine foreman met him at the roundhouse door;
Said, "Joe Lewis won't be able to make his run
So you'll have to double out on Number One."

If I can have Sim Webb, my fireman, my engine 382,
Although I'm tired and weary, I'll take her through.
Put on my whistle that come in today
Cause I mean to keep her wailing as we ride and pray.

Casey Jones, mounted the cabin,
Casey Jones, with the orders in his hand.
Casey Jones, he mounted the cabin,
Started on his farewell Journey to the promised land.

They pulled out of Memphis nearly two hours late,
Soon they were speeding at a terrible rate.
And the people knew by the whistle's moan.
That the man at the throttle was Casey Jones.

Need more coal there, fireman Sim,
Open that door and heave it in.
Give that shovel all you got
And we'll reach Canton on the dot

On April 30, 1900, that rainy morn,
Down in Mississippi near the town of Vaughan,
Sped the Cannonball Special only two minutes late
Traveling 70 miles an hour when they saw a freight.

The caboose number 83 was on the main line,
Casey's last words were "Jump, Sim, while you have the time.
"At 3:52 that morning came the fareful end,
Casey took his farewell trip to the promised land.

Casey Jones, he died at the throttle,
With the whistle in his hand.
Casey Jones, he died at the throttlle,
But we'll all see Casey in the promised land.

His wife and three children were left to mourn
The tragic death of Casey on that April morn.
May God through His goodness keep them by His grace
Till they all meet together in that heavenly place.

Casey's body lies buried in Jackson, Tennessee
Close beside the tracks of the old I.C.
May his spirit live forever throughout the land
As the greatest of all heroes of a railroad man.

Casey Jones, he died at the throttle,
Casey Jones, with the whistle in his hand.
Casey Jones, he died at the throttle,
But we'll all see Casey in the promised land.

To Hear or Not To Hear

Sometimes we do not hear what God is telling us,
because He is not saying what we want to hear.

Sometimes God has to call several times before we realize who is calling.

Sometimes we cannot hear God calling, because we are talking.
We need to ask the question, then listen. We can learn only when we are not talking.

Sometimes we need help to hear God calling.
We may need to counsel with some of God's other friends.

...think about it

Sign

I like reading signs. Most are not very interesting, but once in awhile a good one comes along. Even if it is for something you have no need for. Here is one of those.

(seen near Milton-Freewater, Oregon.)

Hidden Meaning of Gifts

I wonder if there is sometimes a hidden, or not so hidden meaning behind the giving of certain gifts.

Like if your boss has B.O. and you give him some deodorant for his birthday.



Or if someone in your office has bad breath and you give them a tooth brush and some breath mints.



The meaning behind these gifts are very obvious.

But maybe some are not so obvious. Like what about when someone gives you a rubber mallet for your birthday and it is clearly marked "Deadhead Mallet".


Is something being implied here?



According to Archie Bunker (All in the Family T.V. show--1970's) Meathead means "Dead from the neck up." Archie always called his sou-in-law Meadhead. Could "Deadhead" be a synonym for "Meathead"? And when the Deadhead mallet is especially one of very good quality, does that imply an especially dead head?

No reason. Just wondering.

[ Actually, I really like the mallet. It is a good one and I will put it to good use. And because it is "bounce resistant" it will not bounce too far when I hit my head with it. So, thanks for the fine tool.]

Finally She Has Been Captured !

Linda in jail on a drummed up charge!

Now you know how I finally caught her.

Love does strange things.

Picture at Rockome Gardens, Illinois, 7/79.

So Little !

I did not remember that Linda and I were so little in July, 1979. We sure have changed since then.

These pictures were taken at Rockome Gardens, Illinois.

More to Think About

LaVerne Opp, a retired pastor, was Sabbath the speaker a couple weeks ago. He had some very thought provoking comments. What interested me the most was comments taken from an August 2009 letter from Brad Thorp, Director; and Gary Gibbs, Associate Director of the Hope Channel. Thank you, Pastor Opp, for bringing this to my attention.

Brad Thorp ------------------------------------------------- Gary Gibbs

The title of their letter is:

Crises are changing the world...
The pope thinks he has the solution!

Thorp and Gibbs stated in their letter that our world is going through change of prophetic proportions. We are entering a new chapter of Earth's history. "...this new chapter that has begun is found in Revelation 13. This predicts a time when global crises prompt church and state to unite in a tragic union." "... the pope, the United States, and other global leaders are lining up to fulfill these age-old prophecies in our day... The past few weeks have seen what surely is one of the most remarkable confirmations of Bible prophecy in recent years."

In response to the current global financial crisis, pope Benedict XVI recently issued a comprehensive plan for rescuing the world from the brink of disaster. The encyclical, Charity in Truth, was released in time for leaders of the world's industrialized democracies to consider during their G-8 summit in Italy..." (See the previous blog) "The pope is also reported to have personally given President Obama a copy during Obama's first visit to the Vatican."

Thorp and Gibbs go on to say, "We have read Charity in Truth and have identified ten crucial points that show the pope's agenda was predicted in Bible prophecy. We list them here for you along with the paragraph numbers where they are found in the document."

• A Global Government. The pope is calling for a "true world political authority" to fix the problems that plague the world. (67)
• Church and State. The pope says this new political authority will make its decisions based on spiritual values. (Chapter 5)
• The Papacy at the Head. These spiritual values cannot be derived from just any religion, since not "all religions are equal." (55)
• Religion, Politics, and the Economy. The church must influence all areas of society since God must have "a place in the public realm, specifically in regard to its cultural, social, economic, and particularly its political dimensions." (56)
• Power to Enforce Law. This "political authority" must have "real teeth" and "be vested with the effective power" to enforce its laws around the world. (67)
• Control Buying and Selling. The new world governing power will institute socialistic policies for government to redistribute wealth. (Chapter 3)
• Resurgence of Labor Unions. Labor Unions are to be empowered to "play a decisive role" in the new world order. (25)
• The Church's Goal. Pope Benedict says that this encyclical is to help achieve "The goal of the history of the human family"--to build "the universal city of God." (7)
• Redefining Religious Liberty. While claiming not "to interfere in any way in the politics of States," the pope redefines "liberty" as happening when the world obeys laws shaped by the Roman Church's spiritual values. According to the pope, as the church influences states to enforce its view of "truth" on others, people are set "free." "This mission of truth is something that the Church can never renounce." (9)
• Immortal Souls. The non-biblical belief that man has an immortal soul helps to inspire the pope's global agenda. "Man is...God's creature, whom God chose to endow with an immortal soul." (29)
  

"When we first read Charity in Truth and discovered these ten points, we were astounded to see how remarkably similar the pope's agenda is to what God's Word predicted the Roman Church would do in the last days. It is amazing to see this taking shape in our time!"

I find this quote more relevant today than ever before:

"The agencies of evil are combining their forces, and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones." (9T11, E.G.White)

So, it this to be a wake-up call for us? Perhaps the end of the old, and the beginning of the new may be nearer than we think! Is that BAD NEWS, or GOOD NEWS to you? More to think about.

***

You may read the Hope Channel letter for yourself at: http://www.hopetv.org/uploads/media/Hope_Channel_August_2009_letter_on_Vatican_Encyclical.pdf

You may read the entire encyclical for yourself at: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.html#top

Something to Think About

The United States Supreme Court is made up of a total of nine justices. Six, 66%, are Roman Catholics. Only 25% of the population of the U.S is Roman Catholic. It does not look good for civil and religious liberty. The beast of Revelation 13:11 is about to speak as a dragon.



On June 29,2009 Pope Benedict XVI signed an encyclical entitled Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth). Speaking of this document, Cathy Lynn Grossman stated in USA Today (7/7/09) the following:
"Pope Benedict XVI today called for reforming the United Nations and establishing a 'true world political authority' with 'real teeth' to manage the global economy with God-centered ethics.
"In his third encyclical, a major teaching, released as the G-8 summit [Group of 8 world leaders--France, Italy, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Russia] began in Italy, the pope says such an authority is urgently needed to end the current worldwide financial crisis. It should 'revive' damaged economies, reach toward 'disarmament, food security and peace,' protect the environment and 'regulate migration.' "




Pastor Stephen P. Bohr (Secrets Unsealed, Fresno, CA) says, "This certainly sounds like the New World Order that is described in Revelation 17 where all the world religions and political systems come together 'with one mind' to attempt to solve the world's problems..."

Something to think about.

Only One

A couple days ago I went to Borders book store at lunch as I often do. I like to look around and perhaps read a few paragraphs of a book or two. This day was different.

I looked up to see a small boy, about five years old. He was walking with crutches. Then I noticed why. He had only one leg. I watched as he walked toward his mother. He was speaking a little loudly and his mother corrected him. He immediately obeyed and spoke softer. She asked him to do a couple other things and he did them without questioning. It appears his parents were doing a fine job raising him.

The little boy maneuvered very well on crutches. He had obviously used them for some time. As I watched my heart ached for the little boy, and his family. I can not imagine what it would be like to have to go through life with only one leg. Yet as I watched him, I was encouraged because he was doing so well. I am sure he will do fine in life and he will be successful in spite of having only one leg.

Sad, but encouraging. I think I will always remember the image of the little boy on crutches and when I looked to where his legs should be, there was only one.

Thirty Years Ago, and Now

Here are some pictures of "My Honey" and me taken over thirty years ago, about 1978. Thought some of you might be interested in the "style" back in prehistoric times.

Then...
















...and there there is NOW.



...let's try that again. OK?