Janette Kok

Up and down

2012-02-02T21:44:00.000-08:00

This evening when I left work, I left on time, and it was not even twilight--it was still sunset. On the downside this evening at home I am either having a severe allergy attack or starting a cold.

A good word

2012-02-01T22:14:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of February. February is one month closer to spring than January is, and it's shorter, which helps spring come sooner. It was twilight instead of night again when I started my drive home from work. And while I was at work I noticed through the window that we were getting some sunshine. I heard birds twitter.

Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad. (Proverbs 12:25)

Water, water everywhere

2012-02-01T21:57:00.000-08:00

This morning when I was just about ready to leave for work I knocked over a full glass of water, which shattered and splashed water over the kitchen floor. I made some outcry of distress and frustration, and the dog came running to see what all the excitement was about. While I used up a quarter of a roll of paper towels soaking up the water and wiping up the glass splinters, I had to keep telling him, "No! Get back!" or he would have walked right into the mess and probably gotten glass in his paws.

Am I one?

2012-02-01T20:07:00.000-08:00

Well, so what's been happening in my life lately? Last night, the front cover fell off my copy of Excellent Womenby Barbara Pym.

A well-read book

Peace

2012-01-31T22:44:00.000-08:00

Sleep my child and peace attend thee,
All through the night
Guardian angels God will send thee
All through the night
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping
Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,
I my loving vigil keeping
All through the night.

While the moon her watch is keeping
All through the night
While the weary world is sleeping
All through the night
O'er thy spirit gently stealing
Visions of delight revealing
Breathes a pure and holy feeling
All through the night.

Love, to thee my thoughts are turning
All through the night
All for thee my heart is yearning,
All through the night.
Though sad fate our lives may sever
Parting will not last forever,
There's a hope that leaves me never,
All through the night.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)

Pass it on

2012-01-30T22:58:00.000-08:00

So this morning on my drive to work, yesterday's song, "For Those Tears I Died," was stuck in my head, especially the chorus. Driving down Memory Lane, even though it looked like the Guide Meridian, I then remembered a song that we sang so often in my youth that it almost became tiresome.

In our denomination (the Christian Reformed Church) when I was growing up, what now is called a youth group was then called Young People's. My Young People's group from the area of Syracuse New York went on a Young People's retreat with some other Young People's in Upstate New York, maybe Rochester. I think we slept in sleeping bags in the church basement. And we attended the Sunday morning service where we contributed to the worship by singing "Pass It On." No one in Young People's needed a song book or printout of the words to sing that song. We knew it inside out. As a boy in my group muttered when we were told what we'd be doing, "You can't have a Young People's retreat without singing 'Pass It On.'"

I searched for it on Youtube and there were lots of videos where earnest people sang this song sincerely but not beautifully. And there was a video of "Evie" singing it that reminded me all over again that her style of singing is really not my cup of tea. And then I found this one:

Nice. Apparently this is a Gospel group from Australia, Endless Praise. They do the Southern Hemisphere proud.

Drops

2012-01-29T22:26:00.000-08:00

Raindrops did keep falling on my head today, whenever I was out of doors. The ground is saturated and the ditches are full. A fairly typical Sunday, involving church, visiting my sister-in-law, and going to the grocery store.

Writing about rain drops made me remember a song I used to sing at the campfire at a Christian summer camp (Tonto Rim) when I was in middle school or junior high. The word "drops" was the trigger for my memory, but then I recalled the song was about tear drops not rain drops. It was "For Those Tears I Died." I googled it, and I found this video that has exactly the 70s vibe I recall, and a mid-song testimony, which was also very Christian campish:

Going to that camp was a wholesome enjoyment for me. It was not run by Christian Reformed people, but several girls my age from the Orangewood Christian Reformed Church would go. I know I went at least twice. I forget how long it was, too. A week? But I'm not sure I remember a Sunday there. Maybe five days? Hard to recall. That was a long time ago.

We would hike and counselors would teach us and talk to us about our faith. At meals there were standard jokes and songs. Every morning we sang, "Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory, Glory." I know one year we put on skits. And there were the nights we sat around the campfire and sang songs and I think the counselors would also share some of their testimonies. I had fun, I enjoyed the woods/camping aspect, I benefited from the instruction without being made uncomfortable by it, and when camp was over I was glad to get home, too.

Dusting

2012-01-28T10:43:00.000-08:00

This morning, just as my dog and I set out on our walk, the sky started to deposit the infamous "wintry mix" on the landscape. There was no accumulation, just a dusting.

Hopefully this doesn't stick around long.

Electric blue sky

2012-01-27T19:05:00.000-08:00

Tonight when I left work, it was only twilight instead of night time. It was night by the time I got home, but still that's an improvement.

Evening star

2012-01-26T22:47:00.000-08:00

Beautiful crescent moon and Venus tonight.

Crossing the Bar
Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892)

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,
But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;
For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar.

1889

The almost Benedictine way

2012-01-25T22:03:00.000-08:00

I read once, and was impressed by, the Benedictine adage that after any encounter with another human being you should ask yourself, "Did I see Christ in him? Did he see Christ in me?"

So a while back I was dreading a meeting with a client. Could I see Christ in him? In a messed up and unpleasant person in the middle of a litigious and bitter divorce? Wouldn't it be almost blasphemous to see Him in that guise?

But then I came up with an alternative. I imagined that Christ told me, "Jan, I've got this friend who's kind of messed up and unpleasant. Sadly, he's in the middle of a litigious and bitter divorce. I know you're worried about your own issues, but could you help my friend out?" Believe it or not, that changed my heart toward Mr. John "messed up and unpleasant" Doe.

Can I rise above my self-centered concerns to help a friend of Jesus? Yes.

While I could not imagine my Lord as a messed up and unpleasant person, I could easily imagine that He has many friends who are messed up and unpleasant.

Ahem.

*Looks in mirror*

Everybody loves raiment

2012-01-24T20:40:00.000-08:00

Last week I was reaching up to the shelf in my closet, trying to get one particular shirt, when about half a dozen garments fell on my head. As I stood there, crowned with vesture, I thought, It's really time to go through my closet and get rid of things I don't wear anymore. So I added that to my mental list titled "Things I Really Should Do Around the House."

Ta da!

2012-01-21T15:30:00.000-08:00

Here's the clean driveway.

Spring training

2012-01-21T13:44:00.000-08:00

Meanwhile, a crocus bloom has opened up on the pot of crocus I have inside, and more buds are coming up.

Here's the open bloom. So pretty.

When I was browsing the internet to read about crocus (and also to find out the correct plural form--according to Merriam-Webster, it's crocus or croci), I found out that the spice saffron is made from the reproductive parts of a certain breed of crocus.

A friend of mine in California made paella for his guests, of whom I was one, and the recipe included saffron. He mentioned it was expensive.

You kind of wonder who first thought of pulling the stigmas out of that one particular kind of flower and preparing it in a special way to add it to food.

Thawing

2012-01-21T13:25:00.000-08:00

Today the temperature is up above freezing, in the 40s, so the snow is melting, but things are still slushy and slippery. I thought I should shovel our front walk and at least make a path to the mailbox for my parents.

Here is the front sidewalk cleared off.

Here is the path to the mailbox.

I ended up staying out there a couple hours and cleared off the whole driveway, but I didn't take a picture of the clean driveway before I came in. Maybe I'll get a picture when I go get coffee for me and my parents.

While I was working, I had my dog's leash hooked over the knob of the side door into the garage. Later my dad came out (safely walking on clean pavement to the mailbox) and took pity on him and brought him in to stay with them until I was done.

Patiently waiting.

Here's the other fun thing about winter weather. No wonder it's my fourth favorite season.

Sloppy boots.

Oh, well. It was a workout and a labor of love.

I know who holds tomorrow

2012-01-19T21:36:00.000-08:00

I sent this to some cousins on Facebook last week:

It was one of those cases where I preached the message I myself needed to hear. As Jane Austen put it, in Persuasion, "When the evening was over, Anne could not but be amused at the idea of her coming to Lyme to preach patience and resignation to a young man whom she had never seen before; nor could she help fearing, on more serious reflection, that, like many other great moralists and preachers, she had been eloquent on a point in which her own conduct would ill bear examination."

Whenever I was able to drive in to work, I sang the first verse and chorus:

Verse 1
I don't know about tomorrow,
I just live from day to day.
I don't borrow from its sunshine,
For its skies may turn to gray.
I don't worry o'er the future,
For I know what Jesus said,
And today I'll walk beside him,
For he knows what is ahead.

Chorus:
Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow,
And I know who holds my hand.

But I would be obliged to admit to myself that I was trying to borrow from tomorrow's sunshine and I did worry o'er the future.

Today as I was driving in to work, I sang it again, and this time it came true. There is one particular thing I'm hoping for that has caused me this worry o'er the future, but God blessed me with the realization that if I don't get what I hoped, there are still other paths I can take. I made Plan B, Plan C, and Plan D, and then I was able to lay Plan A before God's throne and leave it there. I worked all day without thinking much about it, and even now I still don't know the outcome. But I am at peace.

Verse 2
Every step is getting brighter,
As the golden stairs I climb;
Every burden's getting lighter;
Every cloud is silver-lined.
There the sun is always shining,
There no tear will dim the eye,
At the ending of the rainbow,
Where the mountains touch the sky.

Chorus:
Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow,
And I know who holds my hand.

Verse 3
I don't know about tomorrow,
It may bring me poverty;
But the one who feeds the sparrow,
Is the one who stands by me.
And the path that be my portion,
May be through the flame or flood,
But his presence goes before me,
And I'm covered with his blood.

Chorus:
Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow,
And I know who holds my hand.

"I Know Who Holds Tomorrow," 1950
Lyrics and Composer: Ira Forest Stanphill (1914-1993)

As much as I've searched on the internet, I have not found a video or recording of all three verses. People seem to sing verse 1 and then either verse 2 or verse 3. I like them all. The language in verse 2 is perhaps a bit florid. "At the ending of the rainbow" sounds more Land of Oz than Kingdom of God, but I like it anyway. What is the dream of Oz but a longing for the Kingdom of God?

Learn the tune and then sing all three verses, and God bless us every one.

Looking on the bright side

2012-01-18T21:50:00.000-08:00

So a blizzard rages out of doors, but a tiny bit of spring is in a pot on my dishwasher. Here is a potted plant I bought at Safeway this weekend:

And here, closer up, is the flower that is emerging from its sheath:

It's a crocus, in case you were wondering. Crocus are the first flowers to come up outside in the real spring. This is a preview of spring. A teaser.

When will the storm be over?

2012-01-18T19:00:00.000-08:00

Took my dog out for his evening walk. Both this evening and this morning he was disconcerted by the strong, cold winds we're having. Even he was willing to just do his business and go back home. I did not wear gloves because I planned to be out such a short time, and tonight, after just a few minutes, my fingers were actually painful from the cold.

All the online news items I'm reading about this storm talk like it's over but it's not over where I live.

Perhaps if someone would sing,
it would be over.

Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!

2012-01-18T13:04:00.000-08:00

I mentioned last night that the weather was frightful. Here is video of what is happening over and over today.

I stayed home from work. If it's blowing like this in our back yard, which is relatively sheltered, it's far worse out on the Guide or the Hannegan with the wind screaming straight out of the Fraser Valley and across the open countryside.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful

2012-01-17T20:46:00.000-08:00

It really is.

Big and fluffy

2012-01-16T15:28:00.000-08:00

We received some more snow overnight. I took this picture before my dog and I tromped over it:

On Friday night, my great-nephew was hoping for significant snowfall so that he could build a snow fort. I hope this satisfies him. I asked him if he was hoping for a snow day from school (as I always did), but he said no, because then they tack on a day at the end of the year. So he's already grown-up enough to see long-term effects, though still young enough to want to build a snow fort. That's probably a good age to be. I did not share with him that in my ill-spent high school days I always hoped for a snow day so that it would pay off for me not to do my homework. Sometimes I took the gamble of not doing it in hopes of a snow day. If the snow day failed me, then during my morning classes I did homework that was due in my afternoon classes. I was what's known as an underachiever in high school.

This afternoon, it snowed some more -- big, fluffy flakes. I thought of that old fast food commercial: "It's big bun." "A big, fluffy bun." "Where's the BEEF?"

Here are the big, fluffy flakes:

I guess deep in my heart of hearts, I still would like to get a snow day. Today it was unnecessary, as it's a holiday. Today in the U.S. we honor the great civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a great man, worthy of honor, but that's another topic.

Meanwhile, here's a peaceful picture of snowfall in our back yard:

The gilder of every pleasure, the soother of every sorrow

2012-01-15T22:57:00.000-08:00

Had a nice little chat with my sister this evening, so that I could air some concerns and put my mind in order. I feel sorry for women who don't have a sister. Second best would be a friend who's like a sister, with whom you have built a lasting friendship, but no one knows you like someone who grew up in the same home with you and you've known each other for as long as you can remember (or maybe she remembers before she knew me, but I bet not much).

It made me think of in Pride and Prejudice when Elizabeth was able to talk over some things with her sister Jane ("Elizabeth's impatience to acquaint Jane with what had happened could no longer be overcome") and, after they talked, Elizabeth said, "I was very uncomfortable. I may say unhappy. And with no one to speak to of what I felt, no Jane to comfort me and say that I had not been so very weak and vain and nonsensical as I knew I had! Oh! how I wanted you!"

Jane Austen herself had a sister she was very close to, Cassandra. When Jane Austen died, Cassandra Austen wrote to their niece, Fanny, "I have lost a treasure, such a sister, such a friend as never can have been surpassed. She was the sun of my life, the gilder of every pleasure, the soother of every sorrow; I had not a thought concealed from her, and it is as if I had lost a part of myself."

Such a friend as never can have been surpassed

Weather report

2012-01-14T23:21:00.000-08:00

Overnight we received a very tiny bit of snow. Here is the deck, after my dog and I walked across it on our way to start his morning walk:

Side note: Every winter when it snows, it's a fresh discovery to me that I walk with my toes pointed out a bit. I'm the opposite of pigeon-toed.

The temperature was above freezing this morning. Under the noble fir tree, you could hear the melting snow dripping:

The snow was heavy, wet, and slushy.

A significant amount disappeared during the sunlit hours, but when a significant amount also remained by the time the sun went down. The temperature dropped below freezing, the slush froze and became crunchy, and damp spots on the pavement became black ice. We might get more snow tonight and over the next few days, although they use words like "light" and "flurries," so I guess we won't get deep accumulation. Looks like cold temperatures for a while, though.

Not lost

2012-01-12T23:23:00.000-08:00

Well, I did get a good night's sleep last night, so I was not drowsy on my home. Still, I missed my exit on the freeway. I usually get on Highway 5 to go home. For a long time I took the Guide Meridian exit and drive the Guide to Lynden.

That reminded me of the years we lived in Phoenix, Arizona, when I was a girl, and we would drive Highway 5 from Southern California all the way to Bellingham and take that very exit to get to Lynden. I would be very excited at that point--if I was awake.

Side track thought: We'd always plan to drive x number of days from Phoenix to Lynden but my parents always decided on day x - 1 to drive straight through the night to Lynden. We would arrive at my Grandma's little house on Hawley Street in the deep dark hours and stumble into the house and into bed. Then the happiness of waking up in the morning in Lynden. We had such lovely long vacations there, too. Since my dad was in the military, he had 30 days of leave per year. Did we spend all 30 on our visits to Lynden? Seems like it. And I was young enough that 30 days felt like a long time. End of side track thought.

But during the pre-Christmas season this winter I stopped taking that exit. Traffic was heavy and slow by the shopping mall and Costco, it was dark, and driving conditions were difficult to be in the congestion. The exit is ill-designed as well. When you get off the exit ramp onto the Guide you are immediately in an exit-only right lane and have to switch lanes to the left to keep going straight. Meanwhile, people pulling up behind you want to get into the exit lane.

So I started taking the Northwest Avenue exit, the next one north, then turning right onto Bakerview and taking Bakerview to the Guide at just the other side of the shopping mall. Sometimes I would miss the right turn onto Bakerview but then immediately turn around and come back to it. That is because I seem to recall getting lost off Northwest once and ending up driving around on the Lummi Reservation for quite some time. But eventually, due to a recent conversation with my sister-in-law and a longer ago conversation with an aunt, I realized if I stayed on Northwest I could catch another road to the Guide, like Axton or Pole, and finally I experimented with my belief that if I stayed on Northwest forever it would turn into Wiser Lake Road and bring me to the Guide very near Lynden, and it turned out my belief was correct. So that's how I've been going home lately.

But tonight I drove past the Northwest exit and didn't realize it until I was driving past the Bakerview exit, at which point I exclaimed, "What! Did I miss the Northwest exit?" Yes, yes, I did. "Well," said I, "I guess I'll have to take the Birch Bay Lynden exit, although that is a bit out of my way." But then I remembered that there is a way to Lynden even from the Gates of Ferndale. So when I got to Ferndale, I was cautious. Not the Main Street/City Center exit. That's a weird exit, too, with a long frontage road. I can barely find my way to the Denny's that is right there, much less to Lynden. Then the next exit was Portal Way. Was that it? If not, would I spend much of the evening driving around the north county in the dark? I had a full tank of gas, so I risked it. I thought would turn into the Enterprise Road and take me to the Birch Bay Lynden Road much nearer Lynden than the freeway exit. I couldn't tell if it did turn into Enterprise, but it did bring me to the Birch Bay Lynden Road, and I proceeded to Lynden in triumph. I can find my way around the north county! Even in the dark I know which direction the mountains are in (that would be east in some dialects), which direction the water is in (aka west), and which direction Canada is in (some people call that direction north).

But I'd better not boast or next thing you know tomorrow night I'll be driving around the north county in the dark, wondering where I am.

The dozey drive home

2012-01-11T20:40:00.000-08:00

I didn't sleep well last night. I woke up for quite some time in the small hours. I did okay at work, but driving the long, straight, dark stretch on the way home, I was struggling with drowsiness. I hope that now I am tired enough to fall asleep right away and sleep till morning.

The Lord bless you and keep you

2012-01-10T23:13:00.001-08:00

Car talk

2012-01-09T21:32:00.000-08:00

Friday evening when I drove over to my sister-in-law's, my niece's husband came out of the barn and told me I should get my brake pads replaced because of the metal-on-metal noise they were making. He said that was a warning the brake pads were wearing out. I appreciated the tip.

It made me remember when my brother Dan was in his final days. At that time, my car had a bad muffler, so that it was very noisy when I drove around. Dan had very little strength (he had ALS) but after one of my last visits, perhaps the last, my sister-in-law told me that as I was driving away, Dan was murmuring about my car and concerned about my getting it fixed.

That was Dan. He was very much a big brother, wanting to make sure that his sister's car would run okay, even as he neared death. He would have liked to have fixed everybody's problems before he died. When we were kids, I found his older-brotherliness overbearing, but when we were grownups, what had been (or seemed like) bossiness changed to active care for my well-being, and I appreciated it.

Big brother was watching out for me

I did eventually get my muffler fixed, probably with the help of another wonderful guy, and that's my dad. Now I'll get the brakes fixed with Dad's help again. I've got some good guys in my family.

Good Monday

2012-01-09T21:09:00.000-08:00

Today was a pretty good day. I accomplished an important goal I set myself, so that was a spirit-booster. Trying to "live in the now."

Know You in the Now, by Michael Card:

Augh

2012-01-08T21:32:00.000-08:00

Good grief, Sunday night already? And soon I'll go to bed, which means the next thing to happen will be Monday morning.

A clean sweep

2012-01-07T21:26:00.000-08:00

Well, I drove the tree to the school and they took it off my hands. Then I came home and swept up the needles, put the furniture back in place -- including bringing back from the guest room the rocking chair, end table, and lamp whose place the Christmas tree had usurped. I put the boxes of ornaments in the furnace room, boxed up my Nativity set, and put my advent wreath, tree topper, and nutcracker into their boxes, put everything in the furnace room, brought back out items that had been displaced for Christmas decorations, threw the red tablecloth into the wash and now Christmas is completely gone from my house.

I've read that for Anglicans the time between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday is the season of Epiphany while for Catholics Epiphany is one day only and from then until Ash Wednesday is ordinary time. I feel Catholic about the time right now.

Christmas really is over

2012-01-07T11:07:00.000-08:00

Well, I've got the Christmas tree down, out the door, dragged up the outside steps, and heaved into my dad's pickup. Now it's Miller time. Not really. It's time for coffee and pop tarts. Then I'll get the keys from my dad and drive the tree to the Christian school parking lot, where they are accepting them from 8:00 to noon.

I talked to my sister-in-law last night about needing to get the lights off then get it out to the curb before bed, so that the Boy Scouts could pick it up at the "butt-crack of dawn," as my nephew calls it. She said that in the Lynden Tribune it said you could take them to the school in the morning. That gave me the option to procrastinate overnight, so of course that's what I chose. In my own defense, I was worn out last night. This morning, after sleeping in good and long, I had the energy to tackle the job. I had to push furniture around to make room to drag the tree into the middle of the room so I could walk around it unwinding the strings of lights. Another strenuous job was popping it through the door. The bottom branches were a bit too wide to fit easily. Got 'er done, and toweled up the water that spilled out of the stand in the process. The furniture is still displaced and there are still copious needles on the floor, but that can wait.

I have to get the tree disposed of, bring back the pickup, take a shower, then go to my hair appointment, then have coffee with my folks. I have a very busy day ahead.

Thank goodness it's Friday

2012-01-06T23:27:00.000-08:00

Too tired after the work week to blog much. Stressful week and particularly a long stressful Friday -- just lots of work to try to get done before leaving, and leaving late. Soooo ready for the weekend. But in lieu of much writing a picture of my deck from Christmas weekend.

Oh, tannenbaum

2012-01-05T23:09:00.000-08:00

Tonight I un-decorated my Christmas tree, which is always a somewhat melancholy task. I had to do it tonight. I got everything off but the lights. Tomorrow night, I'll pull off the light strands, which will create showers of needles on the floor, then drag it out the door, which will create more showers of needles, take off the stand, and drag the tree to the curb. Saturday morning, the Boy Scouts will pick it up. They do that every year on the Saturday after New Year's.

Tomorrow night, I won't have time for all the removing each ball; that's why I had to do it tonight. I have been procrastinating (so unlike me!) because the thought of getting out a dozen or more little boxes that the decorations came in and returning each carefully to its source just seemed overwhelming. So, to get it done, I took two cardboard boxes, one from Amazon and one from Land's End, and just put all the decorations in them any old way. So much simpler. I could promise myself to sort them out properly later, but I know that will never happen. Hopefully they don't suffer too much damage sitting cheek by jowl all jumbled together for a year.

A fitting day to un-Christmas-decorate, as tomorrow is Epiphany. Today was the twelfth, and last, day of Christmas. Twelve lords a-leaping. I guess that's better than leapin' lizards.

Leapin' lizards, Sandy!
Tomorrow's Friday!

Heavy rain

2012-01-04T22:03:00.000-08:00

Tonight the rain nicely held off most of my evening commute, but when I walked the dog it was pouring. We get a lot of rain in western Washington, but typically it's light rain, even just heavy mist. It's the rain you can walk in without getting wet, but tonight I walked in it and got soaked. It was heavy rain, sheets and curtains of rain. Even my dog, who is usually impervious to weather, found it too much and turned around early in the walk to come back home. And he found a sheltered place by the wall of our house to "do his business" out of the elements. (TMI, I know.) I don't see any flood warnings, though, for any of the local rivers. I would be most concerned about the Nooksack.

Clear and cold

2012-01-03T20:27:00.000-08:00

Well, today I got some clarity into my job situation. It wasn't the clear vision I'd hoped for, but at least it was a clear view of reality. Now I'll know how to proceed.

Tuesday is the new Monday

2012-01-02T22:21:00.000-08:00

Are we sick of that yet? Saying, "Something is the new something else"? I think the first time I heard it was, "Forty is the new thirty." Then there's the classic line from Legally Blonde, "Whoever said, 'Orange is the new pink' was seriously disturbed."

Speaking of the passage of time, I'm behind in making my New Year's Resolutions. It's January 2 already and I still just have a few floating in my mind but I haven't made a real list. I don't always make resolutions, but I thought I might this year. Maybe I could make a resolution to make resolutions in a more timely manner.

Reminds me of the joke about how one is going to join the Procrastinator's Club but one just hasn't gotten around to it yet.

Anyway, tomorrow will feel sort of like Monday to me because it will be the first workday of the week, but it will remain like Tuesday in being just four days from Friday.

Meanwhile, here's the classic New Year's Psalm. One year I suggested reading it on New Year's Eve, but my dad wasn't into it because of all the withering away like grass stuff. I like the request to teach us to number our days so that we can acquire a heart of wisdom and also to establish the work of our hands.

Psalm 90

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, "Return, ye children of men."

For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.

In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.

Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.

For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.

The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.

O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.

Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.

And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

Progess report

2012-01-01T23:57:00.000-08:00

I'm getting closer to finishing this pillow I've been working on for more than a year. I mainly work on it on Sunday afternoons at my sister-in-law's. I need to do one more rose, the scroll pattern, and then fill in the rest of the white.

Then I'll have to order a pillow back from The Stitchery, where I got the pattern, and also find a pillow insert. And I'll have a lovely pillow.

Wintry sun

2012-01-01T11:45:00.000-08:00

I love to see sunlight through a window, especially one with leaded glass. It reminds me of churches and monasteries.

I went outside to look at my dear St. Francis. Today has wintry sunlight, cold temperature, and a chilling northeast wind.

When I go outside, my most faithful friend watches me through the window. He wants me to come back in. I soon did.

At the gate of the year

2012-01-01T10:49:00.000-08:00

January 1, 2012

I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year,
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied, “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth and, finding the hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And he led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.

From the poem "God Knows" (1908) by Minnie Louise Haskins (1875-1957)

New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T23:44:00.000-08:00

Well, my folks and I had some olie bollen and egg nog, and we watched the ball come down in New York at 9:00 p.m. our time. We channel surfed a little, watched a little of Mary Poppins on CTV and part of a mass on EWTN. My folks have gone to bed, and I may go soon. It's about 11:30 but I don't feel any obligation to stay up till 12:00. I do feel an urge to eat another olie bol, but I am fighting it.

I went to church earlier this evening. It was a communion service. At one point, we wrote down a sin we'd like to be free of a piece of paper, and then we went forward, lit the paper on fire in the Christ candle, and threw it in a bowl to burn. Then we took communion. There was time to think about what to write, but while the pastor was just explaining the procedure I already wrote down three. Yeah, there's that much room for improvement.

Tomorrow being Sunday, there's another church service in the morning.

I felt sleepy around 5:00 p.m., was worried whether I'd stay awake at church (no problem), and then got a second wind from about 8:00-10:00. I'm a natural night owl, which is not a helpful personality quality in the workaday world. But I'm starting to feel a little sleepy, so I guess I should take advantage of it.

Happy New Year to you. We sang this great hymn at church:

Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.
Another year of progress, another year of praise,
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;
Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,
Another year of training for holier work above.
Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
On earth, or else in Heaven, another year for Thee.

Frances Havergal, 1874.

Dinner at the awesome restaurant

2011-12-29T21:48:00.000-08:00

Tonight my Dad treated the local family to dinner at "the awesome restaurant." That's the Old Country Buffet. That name comes from a few years ago when we went there when my great-nephew was still a little boy. He went to the salad bar and returned with a plate of croutons, which is what he liked. When I told him that he could go back to the food counters as much as he wanted and just take the food he likes, he said, "This place is awesome!"

Tonight the cute thing was my two little great-nieces, who are 6 and 4 years old. They found out where the desserts were, especially the soft ice cream, and then whenever anyone else was ready for dessert, one or both of them would show the way. It was pretty sweet to see them take my parents' hands and lead them to the desserts.

Dark

2011-12-28T22:18:00.000-08:00

Wow, heavy rain and poor visibility again on tonight's commute. It's so dark, the wet streets are so reflective, and in so many areas the stripes on the road are difficult to see. Kind of unnerving, yet, for all that, I struggled with drowsiness. I'm feeling particularly tired this week. I think it's because it's the darkest time of the year.

Rain, rain

2011-12-27T21:23:00.000-08:00

Rainy, dark drive home this evening. Terrible visibility. It seemed as though there was a lot of standing water on the road near the Nooksack River. I looked online to see if there was a flooding warning, but I didn't see one. I did see an alert for this area for "Rainfall"! It warned of "significant rainfall." Well, okay, then.

Boxing Day

2011-12-26T20:17:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas Day has come and gone. I know that liturgically there are still ten more days of Christmas after today, but in the culture in which I am enmeshed Christmas is over.

The contorted filbert

I looked for a photo to use for today and picked this one from the day before yesterday. The weather was much the same today, and I had another quiet day at home. I did a significant amount of laundry. I wanted to accomplish more than I did; specifically, I wanted to sort through my closet and take out anything I no longer wear and put it in a box to donate. Really, that would have been such a suitable occupation for "boxing" day, but I didn't get to it.

Perhaps if I go to bed on time tonight I'll have energy after work tomorrow to do that. Maybe if I went to bed on time every night, I'd have more energy in general. I seem to recall making a New Year's resolution to that effect at the beginning of this year, and I kept that resolution ... several times. Well, perhaps I'll try again. After all, it's painless enough to make resolutions. I oughta know.

Emmanuel

2011-12-26T10:04:00.000-08:00

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5)

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:16)

Quiet and green

2011-12-24T13:31:00.000-08:00

Here is the view out my living room window this afternoon on Christmas Eve day. It's going to be a green Christmas in Lynden this year. I looked back through my blog, and it was 2008 that we had a white Christmas.

I'm looking forward to a quiet afternoon and evening, and I hope my expectations are met. I need to finish wrapping presents for the family gathering tomorrow, and that's really my whole agenda besides just enjoying being at home.

Tomorrow will be the celebratory day with church, a family get-together, and opening presents. That will be nice, too.

Tweny Years After

2011-12-23T17:48:00.000-08:00

Having finished The Three Musketeers on the Kindle, I walked right into the sequel, Twenty Years After. As its name implies, it takes place twenty years after the earlier adventures. An interesting twist is that now the four companions, though still loyal friends, are on opposite sides of France's civil unrest. The "great cardinal" Richelieu is dead and his successor, Cardinal Mazarin, an Italian, rules France through the Queen Mother, Anne of Austria, as Louis XIV is still a child. The action occurs during the Fronde. D'Artagnan, as a member of the King's Musketeers (the others have all gone on to other things) upholds the authority of Mazarin and the Queen, while not respecting them much in his own heart. Porthos joins him in the hope of receiving a barony. Athos and Aramis are Frondeurs, and there is a new young hero, Athos's secret and natural son, as well as a new villain, Milady's son. I am interested to see how it unfolds.

Healthy, wealthy, and wise

2011-12-22T06:54:00.000-08:00

Last night I couldn't get on the internet, so I went to bed early. Now that I've been to bed early and risen early, I should become healthy, wealthy, and wise. Looking forward to it.

Turn the world around

2011-12-21T07:02:00.000-08:00

I gather that today or tomorrow should be the shortest day of the year. The moment of winter solstice, when my hemisphere is tilted furthest from the sun, should occur at about 9:30 p.m. my local time, if I understand correctly. Then it will start slowly tilting back again, and the days will get longer. I'm for it.

Countdown

2011-12-20T22:36:00.001-08:00

Two more days till my four-day break for Christmas.

Late and early

2011-12-19T23:07:00.001-08:00

Company Christmas party. Late getting home. Now late getting to bed. And tomorrow morning is early. So it goes.

Fourth Sunday of Advent - Angels' Candle

2011-12-18T21:23:00.000-08:00

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:8-14)

Well, what else is there to say, really? Except maybe this:

One more week until we celebrate the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to be God with us.

Swashbuckle

2011-12-17T23:07:00.000-08:00

On my Kindle, I'm re-reading The Three Musketeers. (I bought a big compendium of Alexandre Dumas works. Interestingly, on the Kindle, buying "the complete works of" or the like is often the cheapest way to get a novel by an author.) Possibly the last time I read The Three Musketeers was in high school. That's about when the Richard Lester movies came out -- I still love those movies (The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers). I probably was attracted to the movie because Michael York played d'Artagnan, although Richard Chamberlain as Aramis might have been a draw, too.

It's serendipitous that while I'm reading this book, my mom returned to me a clay sculpture I did in high school during my interest in things Dumas, which I called "Aramis":

Aramis

From the side, it's not too bad, for a high scholar's work, although obviously I had no patience to provide any detail in the hair and perhaps used the Prince Valiant type of hair style to avoid having to make ears.

As I recall, I was most interested in the face. I was trying to make an attractive face, but apparently I lacked knowledge of realistic proportions of facial features. The eyes are extremely large, the nose long, and the top of the head narrow:

Aramis

It looks rather primitive, although I can see it also bears a resemblance to figures in Orthodox iconography, which is also a type I am attracted to.

12th-century icon of Archangel Gabriel from Novgorod,
called "Golden-Locked Angel",
currently exhibited in the State Russian Museum.
This is a faithful photographic reproduction
of an original two-dimensional work of art.
The work of art itself is in the public domain
because its copyright has expired.

I may have had a little crush on the character Aramis. If I were going to have a crush on a character from The Three Musketeers at this time of my life, it would more likely be Athos (played by the gifted Oliver Reed in the movies I liked). But I don't think I'm capable anymore of getting crushes on characters in novels. I wonder when I passed that milestone.

As I re-visit the book, I'm struck by what a good adaptation the Lester movies are, by the way. Very true to the book.

The apple of his eye

2011-12-15T23:18:00.000-08:00

I particularly love that line in the hymn: "Dear as the apple of thine eye, and graven on thy hand."

Deuteronomy 32:9-12 has this description of God's care for his people:

For the LORD's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.

He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.

As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:

So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.

Isaiah 49:14-16 has this dialogue between God and his people:

But Zion said, "The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me."

"Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."

Huisbezoek

2011-12-15T23:04:00.000-08:00

Huisbezoek is Dutch for house visitation. I have only heard it used in a church context, when church leaders, generally in pairs, visit the households of the church, but when I googled it I gathered that in the Netherlands today it can also refer to the visits of social workers and government types.

Anyway, tonight I had huisbezoek with my district elder and deacon. The old stereotype of huisbezoek was that you cleaned your house within an inch of its life, put on your Sunday clothes, and sat stiffly in the parlor hoping no one asked you a particularly difficult doctrinal question. The real purpose is to make sure you're in good relations with your church, find out if you have needs -- spiritual or physical -- that the church can address, and generally let you know that the church does care how you're doing.

The huisbezoek my church leaders are engaged on is, they have publicly announced, specifically to find out if you are involved in a small group or if you would like to be. I shared with my elder and deacon that I have been trying to improve my prayer life and I would like to participate in a small, intimate group focused on prayer -- praying with each other, encouraging one another in prayer, and providing accountability so that we could make progress -- but that I really didn't know where to get started. They suggested two names of people I know that I might want to talk to about it.

We talked about other things, too, and it was a pleasant visit. It's gratifying and encouraging to have two people visit for the sole purpose of seeing how you're doing. It makes you feel cared about.

I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord
Words: Timothy Dwight, Psalms of David, 1800.
Music: St. Thomas, Aaron Williams, The New Universal Psalmodist, 1770

I love thy Kingdom, Lord,
The house of thine abode,
The church our blest Redeemer saved
With his own precious blood.

I love thy church, O God:
Her walls before thee stand,
Dear as the apple of thine eye,
And graven on thy hand.

For her my tears shall fall,
For her my prayers ascend;
To her my cares and toils be giv'n,
Till toils and cares shall end.

Beyond my highest joy
I prize her heav'nly ways,
Her sweet communion, solemn vows,
Her hymns of love and praise.

Jesus, thou Friend Divine,
Our Saviour and our King,
Thy hand from ev'ry snare and foe
Shall great deliv'rance bring.

Sure as thy truth shall last,
To Zion shall be giv'n
The brightest glories earth can yield,
And brighter bliss of heav'n.

As sung by the choir of Fort Massey Church (found it online by googling for the hymn):

Knowing the secret

2011-12-14T20:35:00.000-08:00

Today at work we had a presentation by the people who administer our retirement plan. I don't have a brain for finance. They talked about growth funds and bonds and other kinds of investments I don't remember because I didn't understand them. They talked long. As I sat there I thought, I have learned when preaching to keep my sermons to twenty minutes, but now I've been listening to someone talk for an hour.

I tried to breathe deeply, but not audibly, while synchronizing my breathing to the Jesus prayer. I tried to remember how to recite, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also" (Matthew 6:19-21) and, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want" (Philippians 4:12).

When they seemed to be winding things up, a co-worker kept asking them questions and prolonging the meeting. I tried to look at him in a way that pled, "Please, please, stop asking questions." But he did not receive my non-verbal communication. As a friend of mine once said, "Drink to me only with thine eyes, and I won't have to wash a cup."

Now, I respect their knowledge and their ability to think about and take an interest in the stock market. For some people, that's their gift and they should use it. Moreover, they're using it for my benefit in caring for my (extremely young and small) retirement account. I'm thankful for them and their work for me. It's good stewardship that I should try to amass a retirement account so that when I am old I have less likelihood of becoming a burden on others. But basically my understanding of money is my bank balance and whether that will pay my bills.

I do pray for grace to care about more than preserving my middle class lifestyle.

There are things I wish I had money for -- travel in particular. I would like to be able to go to Italy, multiple times so I could see various regions. And I'd like to go to Vienna, Austria, Germany, and France. And to England again. But travel is a luxury. If I can't travel abroad in the remainder of my life, that is not a hardship. Many people in the history of mankind have lived most or all of their lives in the same region. If I can provide for my needs, for food, clothing, and shelter, then I have no reason to complain.

No one can say money is not important because you're a Christian. The Bible talks a lot about money. It's useful, it's necessary, and it's dangerous. It's a tool and, like any tool, can be used for good or ill purposes.

It's easy to feel that I don't have as much money as I wish I had, but really I have more than enough for my needs right now and thus am highly blessed. My next big travel indulgence (deo volente) will be to Grand Rapids, Michigan (known to members of the Christian Reformed Church in North America as "Jerusalem") to my alma mater, Calvin College, and the wonderful Festival of Faith & Writing.

Deep thoughts

2011-12-13T22:32:00.000-08:00

I wonder what my dog's name for me is? In Peanuts, Snoopy refers to Charlie Brown as "That round-headed kid." I hope it's "The food-giver," or "The one I like to sleep by," or "She who takes me for a walk," rather than reference to any outstanding (ahem) physical feature.

Third Sunday of Advent - Shepherds' Candles

2011-12-11T23:20:00.000-08:00

Also known as Gaudete Sunday because an introductory part of the Catholic service includes Philippians 4:4: "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice"; in Latin: "Gaudete in Domino semper iterum dico gaudete."

I had a good but busy weekend but now am tired out and need to conclude my day soon, so I can face the work week tomorrow. On Saturday night, my mom, my sister-in-law, my niece, and two great-nieces went to The Nutcracker, performed at Mount Baker Theater in Bellingham, Washington, by the Northwest Ballet company. I've seen this company perform The Nutcracker at least four years now, maybe more, and this was the best performance yet. They improve every year, and this year were really excellent. Also, in past years they used recorded music, and this year they had a live orchestra, the Starry Night Orchestra, which performed excellently as well. The whole experience took a quantum leap in quality.

Four generations of women in my family
attending The Nutcracker ballet.

Afterwards we stopped at the Denny's restaurant in Ferndale, which is on the way home for some of us, and has become our traditional stopping place for a treat after the ballet. That made for a late night.

Then today we got together again, with even more of us -- including my dad, my great-nephew, and my youngest great-niece -- and went to a you-cut Christmas tree farm to cut down a tree, bring it to my house, set it up, and decorate it. Then we ate pizza for dinner and had birthday cake in my niece's honor.

Family is a blessing.

Missed the eclipse

2011-12-11T07:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I blogged about what a beautiful full moon we had the previous night, but I didn't realize till later that there had been a lunar eclipse visible from the West Coast early in the morning, 6:00 a.m.-ish. Not that I wanted to get up that early on a Saturday, but it never even occurred to me because I lacked information.

The weather report

2011-12-10T08:46:00.000-08:00

Last night was clear and cold, and the moon was full and bright. I saw the moon when I got out of my car when I got home from work and it made me remember a scene from one of the Narnia Chronicles -- think it was Prince Caspian -- where Aslan lies awake all night and he and moon just gaze joyfully at each other.

Yesterday in the morning it was frosty here in Lynden. Every plant, leaf, and blade was outlined in white. As I drove to work I could see the bare trees all drawn in white. Then as I got closer to Bellingham I drove into a heavy fog and drove in the mist the rest ohe way to work.

This morning it is frosty again, but overcast.

Winter night

2011-12-08T23:11:00.000-08:00

Last night was decidedly cold and I was decidedly sleepy, so I decided to throw an extra quilt on the bed and crawl under it at an early hour. That was a good decision.

It's decidedly cold again tonight.

This evening on my Kindle I finished a novel called Housekeeping, by Marilynne Robinson. I chose it because the author wrote a lovely novel called Gilead and a fine companion novel called Home. Although Housekeeping is good literature, I did not enjoy it as much as the other two. It was a downer for me. It put me into the mind of a sad, lonely person in unfortunate life circumstances. I wanted a happier, more hopeful resolution than I got. I can recommend the book as well-written (although I'll admit I skipped some descriptive passages) but not as likely to lift your spirits.

Gilead, on the other hand, will make you feel that you are a better person for having read it, and Home is satisfying.

Now it's time for me to crawl under that extra quilt again. My hair is wet. I may wrap it loosely in a towel to keep my head warm. "Mamma in her kerchief ... settled down for a long winter's nap" ('Twas the Night Before Christmas).

Very pretty

2011-12-06T20:06:00.000-08:00

A couple of my Facebook friends have linked to this article, "How to Talk to Little Girls," by a woman named Lisa Bloom. Her premise is that you should not compliment them on their looks because that will teach "girls that their appearance is the first thing you notice," which "tells them that looks are more important than anything." Instead, she says, talk to them about what they're reading.

With all due respect to my friends who linked to it -- who are sincere, wonderful, good people -- I find that article annoying. Why?

Well, first and foremost, the author is a killjoy. I know a couple of little girls who love to be told that they have on a pretty dress or that their hair is pretty and that they look pretty. Why should I withhold that when I know it delights them?

Another thing is, why does it have to be either/or? You can compliment girls on their looks and encourage them to read. It's not like once you say, "What a pretty dress!" you're not allowed to mention books thereafter. What's wrong with being smart and beautiful? The women in my family do it all the time.

And, finally, the author is so smug and sanctimonious about her own conversation with one little girl. She withheld any remarks about how pretty she was but got involved in talking about and reading the little girl's favorite book, even though in her heart she disapproved of the little girl's choice ("Alas, it was about girls and what they wore"). The little girl, of course, was happy to have a grown-up paying attention to her and reading with her -- all to the good. But the poor naive little thing didn't realize this was not someone genuinely showing interest in her but a woman making a "statement" and preening herself on it:

So, one tiny bit of opposition to a culture that sends all the wrong messages to our girls. One tiny nudge towards valuing female brains. One brief moment of intentional role modeling. Will my few minutes with Maya change our multibillion dollar beauty industry, reality shows that demean women, our celebrity-manic culture? No. But I did change Maya's perspective for at least that evening.

Get over yourself, lady.

I do agree with her in deploring the sexualization of children -- that it's wrong and sick for little girls to worry about their figures and for teenage girls to want cosmetic surgery -- and I don't have an answer as to how to eliminate that sickness from our society. I think parents can probably have some effect by monitoring and limiting their children's consumption of popular culture, and I suppose if enough parents did that, the culture would shift.

So I appreciate her concern, but I will still tell little girls (and big girls) that they are pretty whenever I feel like it.

Because they are pretty. So there.

Beautiful music

2011-12-05T21:47:00.000-08:00

Ah! I finally found the source for beautiful traditional Christmas music online. Through some Facebook friends, I connected with a website, or an app, or whatever, called Spotify. I clicked on a friend's choice of music and now am listening to the Worcester Cathedral Choir singing Christmas carols.

Joy to the World. Once in Royal David's City. I Wonder as I Wander.

Those ethereal boys' voices. Lovely.

Second Sunday of Advent - Bethlehem Candle

2011-12-04T20:46:00.000-08:00

My Advent candles did arrive, so now I can use a picture from today instead of from a previous year (as I did last Sunday).

I googled "Bethlehem song" to see if I could find a nice song, possibly, "O Little Town of Bethlehem," but maybe another. "Mary's Boy Child" came up because it starts out, "Long time ago in Bethlehem." I like the Boney M. version, which mixes "Mary's Boy Child" with another song I don't know from anywhere else, "Oh, my Lord." It almost makes me cry.

Ho, ho, ho

2011-12-03T23:05:00.001-08:00

Image courtesy of DailyClipArt.net

I did a whole bunch of online Christmas shopping this evening, but I did not click any check-out buttons yet. I'm leaving everything sitting in the virtual shopping carts while I sleep on my purchases.

One change I made already was to take things out that I wanted to buy myself. Sometimes when I chose something for someone else, I'd think, I'd like that, too, so I'd make the quantity "2." But when I saw the total prices, I changed them to "1" and figured I'll get my own later.

Getting Midwintry

2011-12-01T21:16:00.001-08:00

Time again for a favorite Christmas poem. It's cold and frosty outside where I live, although the wind does not make moan right now. The earth my be like iron and water like stone, but snow has not fallen, much less snow on snow.

But it's close enough.

In the bleak midwinter
Christina Rossetti (1830–1894)

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, whom cherubim worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

Asymmetry

2011-11-30T22:38:00.001-08:00

At home I have an icon of Christ Pantocrator, a copy of a 6th Century icon in St. Catherine's Monastery at Mount Sinai, in Egypt. I also have a small card-sized copy of it taped to my keyboard tray at work.

This is one of, if not the, oldest images of Christ in the world. Some speculate that it is the most likely of any icon to portray Jesus' actual appearance, and they also say it has the same facial features as the Shroud of Turin. We can take that as we will.

Pantocrator is a Greek equivalent for Almighty. Christ blesses us with one hand and holds the Gospel in his other hand. The blessing hand, I've read, has two fingers raised symbolizing the two natures of Christ -- human and divine -- and the other three fingers touch each other to represent the Trinity.

What is striking, of course, is the asymmetry. The eyes are different from each other, as are the brows, the two sides of the mouth, and the cheekbones.

Here is one side:

And here is the other:

I've read that this, too, is a reflection of his dual nature. Hm. All of us have asymmetrical faces, just not always as noticeably. Here is a series of myself:

One side:

And the other:

I don't know that this says anything profound about anything, but it's an experiment I wanted to try. I thought how wonderful it would be if someday I could recognize Jesus from his picture. And if he looked at me from behind a door or pillar, I would see one side or the other of him.

I like to have a picture of him at work, just like I have pictures of some family members (and, okay, my dog) to remind me of the love I receive from him, my parents (and, okay, my dog). I have to turn away from my work to look at my family pictures, but while I am working I can see the picture of Christ by my keyboard and remember that he is present with me.

Egg nog

2011-11-29T22:02:00.001-08:00

What is it? Eggs, sugar, milk, cream, and booze. I saw Martha Stewart make some on TV once that looked mighty good.

Who thought it up? I googled "egg nog history" and found dozens of articles saying the same things in almost the same words. Obviously there is one source somewhere for this information--if it is information and not invention--but I don't know the source and don't know if someone researched this or made it up. Most of what I read all over the web is present in this Wikipedia article.

That article also links to an article on advocaat, a Dutch drink or dessert topping that is much like egg nog. According to my sister-in-law, who is closer to her Dutch roots than I am to mine, advocaat was a ladies' drink--for her parents' generation anyway. Ladies had advocaat and men had jenever, a drink similar to gin.

Cheers! or if you're having advocaat or jenever: Proost!

Insert profundity here

2011-11-28T22:21:00.001-08:00

Earlier today, I had an idea for a humorous yet somewhat profound blog entry. Wouldn't you like to read that? So would I. I can't remember what my idea was.

I looked back over old posts this weekend. I blog a bit too much about my sleep patterns: that I'm sleepy, that I want to sleep in, that I slept enough, or that I haven't slept enough.

Oh, well. It could be worse. I recently finished a biography of Martin Luther and it seems much of his personal correspondence was taken up with complaints about and updates on his constipation, hemorrhoids, kidney stones, and the like. No wonder the Great Reformer needed so much grace.

First Sunday of Advent - Prophet's Candle

2011-11-27T21:13:00.001-08:00

Well, my four-day Thanksgiving weekend is almost over. I did not accomplish as many household tasks as I had hoped, which is certainly a shockingly unexpected outcome that no one could have foreseen, unless they knew me at all. But I did do a couple things, which is better than nothing.

One accomplishment was changing three light bulbs in two ceiling fixtures. I have quite low ceilings, so I stand on the lower step of a two-step ladder, less than a foot off the floor, but it still makes me quite nervous. I have to unscrew a little knob (after some googling, I believe the term is finial) and remove a frosted glass shade, then replace the light bulb(s), then hold the glass shade in place with one hand while twisting the final into place with the other. And somewhere in the process I also usually rinse out the glass shade with water at the kitchen sink because there are always dead bugs in it. Gross.

Another accomplishment was to put seed in the bird feeders in the back yard and hang out a couple of suet cakes nearby. Sometime this year I fell out of the habit of filling the feeders, which needs to be done pretty much every week. I've had two bags of birdseed lying around my house and suet cakes in the fridge for some time now. But today I finally got them out where the birds can eat them. And the squirrels. We get lots of squirrels at our feeders.

This morning in church we sang two of my favorite Advent/Christmas songs: "Of the Father's Love Begotten" and "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel."

One last bit of Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T19:36:00.001-08:00

Before Thanksgiving ends and Advent begins, I want to sneak in this traditional Thanksgiving hymn. We didn't sing it at my church on Thanksgiving, so I found it on Youtube.

We Gather Together

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, wast at our side, all glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

Words: Theodore Baker, 1894
Dutch folk tune

Tweede Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T18:40:00.001-08:00

"Tweede" in Dutch means second. The Dutch often do celebrate a holiday for a second day: Tweede Kerstdag is Second Christmas, for example. So we had our "Tweede Thanksgiving" today with those who couldn't be there for Eerste Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving Day.

Sitting nicely at the table. Also, keeping hold of Thanksgiving
specialties such as a pumpkin and a glass of apple cider.
Note to followers in the Anglosphere: In the U.S., "cider"
is non-alcoholic apple juice. If it had alcohol, it would be called
"hard cider."

I joked the other day that we had had our quiet Thanksgiving and implied that this one would be our noisy Thanksgiving. There were a few noisy interludes, caused by inter-sibling conflict (who would guess that two kids would want to sit in the rolling desk chair at the table?), but also a lot of pleasant time together.

Behold how good and how pleasant it is for sisters to color
together in unity.

Thanksgiving Day, we had rainy, windy weather, but today it was just rainy.

I'm glad I still have one more day before going back to work. Tomorrow will be the First Sunday of Advent, which is the beginning of the church year.

The Day After Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T15:31:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, my parents, sister-in-law, and I had our "quiet" Thanksgiving. Tomorrow we will have a Thanksgiving get-together that will include four much-beloved children. It's likely to be less quiet, but even more joyful.

Today, as the day after Thanksgiving, is the first day of the pop-culture Christmas season in the U.S., as opposed to the catholic church year, in which the Christmas season doesn't start until December 25. It so happens that today is exactly one month before Christmas. I got out a nutcracker and my Nativity set for decorations. I already have a rosemary "tree" that I bought at the grocery store earlier this week. It's a potted rosemary plant cut into the shape of a Christmas tree. I hung some small Christmas balls on it and put it on my kitchen table. I hope it lives. It won't get much light.

My full-size Christmas tree will wait a while longer. I get a cut tree from a tree farm and set it up on a weekend approximately two weeks before Christmas. This year it will be exactly two weeks before Christmas. It's good for a couple weeks and then by New Year's or thereabouts when I take it down it's getting dried out. The local Boy Scouts usually do curbside pickup of trees on the Saturday after New Year's, but I wonder if this year they will do it the day before, since New Year's is a Sunday.

I have Advent candles on order from Monastery Greetings. I hope they arrive before Sunday, but I don't recall exactly when I ordered them. I know I didn't pay extra for any kind of speedy shipping, so if they're late, they're late.

It's nice having a four-day weekend. I met a Bellingham friend for breakfast at a restaurant (Hilltop Restaurant) and we caught up with each other. We both hoped to get lots done around our homes this weekend. We'll see how that goes.

I have Pandora playing Christmas music. I started with "Folk Holidays," which I generally like, but then a song came on that I don't know, when what I want are the old traditional songs. So I switched to "Joy to the World" radio where I had to give a "thumb down" to the first selection because it was some type of new, different way of singing one of the old traditional songs. The next two have been okay. It's so hard to find the perfect station. See, when I listen to Christmas carols, I just want people to sing them, not interpret them in some unique way. Please don't sing Christmas carols as they've never been sung before; please sing them exactly the way they've always been sung. Is that too much to ask?

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T07:20:00.001-08:00

It's Thanksgiving morning, and I'm thankful to be here.

I wish you and yours a blessed Thanksgiving.

I (don't really) love a rainy night

2011-11-22T21:19:00.001-08:00

I finally remembered. At a certain stoplight on my way home (at the corner of the Guide and Smith Road) I often see a big building, like a huge quonset building, that says Ural Northwest. I wondered if it sold Russian goods because I had a vague recollection that the Urals are in Russia. In a sense I was right, but it turns out Ural is the brand name of a motorcycle.

Tonight, however, I did not see that building down the road. I could barely see the road. It's dark outside now when I leave work, and this evening there was heavy cloud cover obscuring any of the lesser lights that rule the night. To complicate things further, rain covered the pavement with a sheen of water that created lengthened reflections of road signs, traffic lights, and car headlights and taillights. During the part of my commute that lay on Highway 5, the car tires kicked up spray so that it was a little scary to travel at highway speed. In spite of my tension over driving conditions, I struggled with drowsiness.

I struggled with drowsiness again just a few minutes ago when I tried to play Facebook Scrabble. I looked at my letters and started to doze off.

Tomorrow I work, then two days off (a four-day weekend) for Thanksgiving!

Wild night

2011-11-21T20:47:00.001-08:00

It's a wild and windy night out there. I can hear it blowing. I should turn off my computer when I go to bed, in case we have a power outage. I should have turned off my computer at work, too, but I didn't think of it.

Will I feel cozy or sad when I lie in bed listening to the wind? I think I've written before how when I told my dad that hearing the wind at night made me feel ... and I paused, he said, cozy, but I was about to say, sad. He feels how nice it is to be warm and sheltered when he hears the wind. Right now, with the lights on, I don't think much about it, except that the power could go out. But when I lie in the dark I tend to picture a poor stray cat trying to stay warm out there. And the vast darkness with things moving in it.

When I thought of how wild it sounds out there, I knew there was a poem by Emily Dickinson about wild nights. It's fairly suggestive for a woman of her era, or so it seems to me.

Wild nights - Wild nights!
Emily Dickinson (1830–1886)

Wild nights - Wild nights!
Were I with thee
Wild nights should be
Our luxury!

Futile - the winds -
To a Heart in port -
Done with the Compass -
Done with the Chart!

Rowing in Eden -
Ah - the Sea!
Might I but moor - tonight -
In thee!

Early to bed

2011-11-20T21:28:00.001-08:00

Going to bed in a timely fashion tonight because I want to keep getting well. Heading into a short work week. Thanksgiving on Thursday.

Reading on the Kindle:

Waiting in the wings on the Kindle:

Frightful

2011-11-17T21:05:00.001-08:00

We are getting some precipitation in the form of the infamous "frozen mix," aka "wintry mix." Just what the doctor ordered. Not.

If you google "frozen mix," you will get a few links about weather but more about blended margaritas. This weather is less fun than a margarita.

So, the weather outside is frightful, but it's not letting it snow.

Oddly, there are no songs (that I know of) about wintry mix. Let it slush, let it slush, let it slush.

Much better

2011-11-16T22:41:00.001-08:00

Lots of aspirin/Advil and a good night's sleep have helped. I still have a cough, but that's about it. Maybe a little tiredness, but that might just be the result of a day in the life.

What ails me

2011-11-15T19:01:00.001-08:00

I started coughing Sunday night, continued Monday, last night could feel it in my throat and chest, coughed a lot today and feel achy. And I feel cold. Driving home from work, I cranked the heat in my car so it got so warm and toasty in there. I was as snug as a bug in rug. I thought of stopping at the drug store to buy cough syrup, but I couldn't stand the idea of getting out of my warm car into the cold, cold air any sooner than necessary.

Necessary was at the bank because I got paid today and I had to deposit my check at the ATM. It was imperative that I replenish my coffers, lest I stage my own private financial crisis.

When I got home I had to feed and walk the dog. His walk is necessary as the great outdoors is his restroom facility. I didn't even take off my commuter coat, though I did add a headband to cover my ears. I took him for the shortest walk possible that still accomplished our mission (if you know what I mean).

Then I went through the house turning up heater units just a little higher than I normally put them. I changed my attire to: long johns, a flannel nightgown, a flannel robe, cotton socks topped by wool socks (I cannot wear wool next to my skin because I am a delicate flower), and I currently have a shawl-like small blanket over my head and shoulders.

The microwave just binged that my Marie Callender's chicken pot pie is heated up. I'm hoping after I eat to work up enough energy for a hot shower. I very much want to go to work tomorrow because missing a day is more bother than working while sick, and I know if I go to work I'll want my hair to be clean. Then, unless I'm completely stupid, early bedtime.

I suspect this is the most exciting blog on the internet tonight. Top my adventure, if you dare!

A title

2011-11-14T21:19:00.001-08:00

Reading on my Kindle: Wait for Me! -- a memoir by Deborah Vivien Freeman-Mitford Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, the youngest sister of novelist Nancy Mitford, and the 10th Duchess of Devonshire.

I love Nancy Mitford's novels The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate.

Every one of the daughters in the Mitford family was unusual in some way. The oldest, Nancy, was a talented novelist and biographer; the next, Diana, married Sir Oswald Mosley, the leader of the British Union of Fascists; Pamela farmed and cooked and had a blue Aga stove to match her eyes; Unity Mitford idolized Hitler and tried to kill herself when England and Germany went to war, but only succeeded in inflicting brain damage on herself; Jessica Mitford went left where her sisters went right, married and became a true communist and wrote The American Way of Death; and Deborah, the youngest, married a duke's younger son, became a duchess, and helped preserve a great estate.

I've read a good biography of them, The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family, but you would have to be quite interested in the Mitfords to read it. (I was.)

Too soon!

2011-11-12T22:43:00.001-08:00

In the 7-day forecast, a week from today, there's a 40% chance of light snow!

The age meme

2011-11-12T22:40:00.001-08:00

I got an e-mail from Facebook telling me a friend has a birthday and also how old he's turning. I thought, "Huh, he's older than I am." Then I realized, "No, wait. I'm older than he is."

Sometimes I forget how old I am.

Also, I'm not good at math.

Baby face

2011-11-11T22:53:00.001-08:00

People around me seem younger than they used to. On Northwest Cable News (NWCN), every time I see one news anchor, I think, "What? Are you even a high school graduate yet?" Evidently he is.

A friend of my dad's, who's in his 80s, told my dad, "The older I get, the older 'old' gets."

Hymn sing

2011-11-10T23:01:00.001-08:00

For some reason when I'm driving, one of two hymn tunes will come into my head, not necessarily my favorite hymns, although good hymns. I will unconsciously start humming either "How Great Thou Art" or "My Jesus I Love Thee." Other hymns require a conscious effort to produce.

Thursday is the new Friday

2011-11-09T22:09:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow is the Friday of my work week, although it's the Thursday of reality. I'm happy to have just one more day to go. I'm anxious about how much I need to get done tomorrow. The down side of a 4-day work week is trying to squish 5 days worth of work into it.

50%

2011-11-08T21:49:00.000-08:00

My work week is half over. Two down, two to go.

I'll be checking final election results tomorrow morning.

November Monday

2011-11-07T21:46:00.000-08:00

Worked my work day and did a decent amount of work.

Filled out my local ballot this evening. It's due tomorrow. I could mail it, but I think I'll bring it personally to the Auditor's Office. Or maybe I'll swing through the Lynden Library on my way out of town and put it in the drop box.

I am particularly interested in the results for sheriff, county executive, and auditor, and for Initiative 1183 -- concerning "hard liquor."

How did I vote? That's my secret.

It's great to live in this great Republic. Voting is both my duty and a privilege.

November Sunday

2011-11-06T21:42:00.000-08:00

A beautiful but cold autumn day. Some good hymns at church. Kind words and some talk about dahlias with a good church member. Visiting aunts and uncles. Pumpkin pie. Put more plants away. Laundry. Sandwiches for the coming work week.

It's a four-day work week, Monday through Thursday. Friday will be Veterans Day.

Herbsttag

2011-11-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

Today I took down my hanging plants, which had been lightly nipped by frost this week, and swept the shady side of the deck. It is the beginning of clearing and straightening up the deck for winter.

Tonight we turn the clocks back, and now for a few months I will not see much of my deck and yard by daylight during the work week, only on weekends. I feel some melancholy about that but not an excessive amount. I will probably start seeing more light in February, and start thinking about and possibly buying (although it will be too early) new plants in March. Today I feel the value of a season of dormancy and darkness, although I may tire of it by next February.

Here is a good poem, originally written in German (below) and translated into English:

Autumn Day

Lord: it is time. The summer was immense.
Lay your shadow on the sundials
and let loose the wind in the fields.

Bid the last fruits to be full;
give them another two more southerly days,
press them to ripeness, and chase
the last sweetness into the heavy wine.

Whoever has no house now will not build one anymore.
Whoever is alone now will remain so for a long time,
will stay up, read, write long letters,
and wander the avenues, up and down,
restlessly, while the leaves are blowing.

Translated by Galway Kinnell and Hannah Liebmann, "The Essential Rilke"

Herbsttag

Herr: es ist Zeit. Der Sommer war sehr gross.
Leg deinen Schatten auf die Sonnenuhren,
und auf den Fluren lass die Winde los.

Befiehl den letzten Fruchten voll zu sein;
gieb innen noch zwei sudlichere Tage,
drange sie zur Vollendung hin und jage
die letzte Susse in den schweren Wein.

Wer jetzt kein Haus hat, baut sich keines mehr.
Wer jetzt allein ist, wird es lange bleiben,
wird wachen, lesen, lange Briefe schreiben
und wird in den Alleen hin und her
unruhig wandern, wenn die Blatter treiben.

-- Rainer Maria Rilke, Paris, Sept. 21, 1902

Nonsense

2011-11-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

I was watching "Gardening with Ciscoe" while browsing the internet, and I muted during commercials. So while my attention was distracted, "Ciscoe" ended and another show started. What caught my attention was the closed captioning:

Huh?

Anniversary

2011-11-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

Today is the 5th anniversary of my oldest brother's death. Today, I reviewed some of my memories of that day, but I can't share them publicly. It would somehow feel disrespectful.

I'll just share that as ALS took his physical strength away, the verse he repeated was from 2 Corinthians 12:9: "My grace is sufficient for thee, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Just the usual

2011-11-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I told the doctor about my knee. He checked it out and didn't see anything unusual. He didn't have a magic pill (darn!), but he did allow as how if I wanted to keep taking Advil I could, as long as it didn't upset my stomach. He referred me for an X-ray, so we can either diagnose or rule out arthritis. I also received a 'flu shot and a booster shot for tetanus and whooping cough, so I am well-inoculated.

Shots have come a long way in my lifetime. Medical professionals used to come at you with a terrifying hypodermic and an inch-long needle, but today's shots were minor prickles, and once I took off the Snoopy band-aids I could hardly find where I had been injected. I don't know exactly what type of tool they used for the shot because I averted my eyes from the action. I cannot watch a needle go into myself (or anyone else). I don't think I would faint, but it would horrify me.

Dave Barry once wrote about how when he was a kid in Armonk, New York, whenever his mom took him to the doctor's office, he was always anxious to leave as soon as possible because the longer his mom and the doctor chatted, the more likely the doctor would suddenly decide to give him a booster shot. Probably not in the arm, either.

In other news, I went to work and did my job. On my Kindle I downloaded the complete Anthony Trollope. That's a big file. At home, I am reading a thick biography of Beatrix Potter, which I bought on Saturday at the Katz book store in Lynden--a used book store.

What with walking the dog, microwaving a TV dinner (as they were called in the misty past of my youth), and brushing my teeth, I'm quite dizzy from the excitement of my day!

That reminds me that yesterday I was driving to work, when I started to think of things I could complain about, instead I named some things to be thankful for, and sang a rousing chorus of "Count Your Blessings." At work, a co-worker asked, "How are you doing?" I turned around and told her, "I'm counting my blessings." She found that amusing, in a good way. She also is a church-goer, so I think she caught my allusion. She even offered a suggestion, which was that coffee was a blessing. I heartily agreed.

Snap, crackle, pop

2011-11-02T23:09:00.000-07:00

The title of this post signifies the sounds my joints make when I move around. Well, specifically, it's the one knee. After I sit a while, when I first stand up my knee hurts badly. After a few painful steps, it snaps audibly and then it still hurts but not as badly.

Tomorrow afternoon I have a doctor's appointment. I say that to anticipate my sister's question: When are you going to see a doctor about your knee?

Think they'll have a pill that will fix it?

Catching up

2011-11-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

Oops. I last wrote Saturday and now it's Tuesday. It was a busier weekend than usual for me. I shopped on Saturday afternoon for a gift for my nephew's birthday. Saturday night I went to a Harry Potter-themed party. Sunday afternoon was my nephew's birthday celebration.

Last night, my niece and her kids came over to use our house as a base for trick-or-treating. They live in the country, where the houses are too far apart and the roads too dark and lacking shoulders or sidewalks for kids to trick-or-treat. So they come here and trick-or-treat in our neighborhood.

My youngest niece, age 4, was not along. She was sick -- sick to her stomach -- and had to stay home with daddy while her siblings went trick-or-treating. I heard she was very, very sad about this and shed many tears. I don't blame her. Just think, no Halloween again for a whole year. For her, that's 1/4 of her whole life! That would be like 12 years for me. Poor little sweetie.

Here she is with her mom on a happier day.

Everybody's working for the weekend

2011-10-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

This morning I put on a pot of coffee before I took my dog for his walk so that when I came home I would smell the coffee when I walked in the door. My plan worked perfectly.

It was a pretty walk, though cold. It was just getting light and the eastern sky was yellow. It was a little misty, and red, orange, and yellow colors were scattered through the neighborhood on the trees and bushes. When I came back into our cul-de-sac, I wished I had brought my camera because the maple tree looked so gorgeous. This is a picture from last week Saturday. It's like this, only more so.

It's such a pleasant, relaxing feeling to sleep until I wake naturally, get up gradually, take my walk when I'm ready, then come back in and be able to stay home and potter around my house. When I was spooning the coffee into the brewer, the line of the Loverboy song came into my mind, "Everybody's working for the weekend." I do feel, sort of, that my weekends are my reward for my work week. I work for a living Monday through Friday, then on Saturday and Sunday I live my living.

Actually, I have a good job. Out of my varied job history, I would say this is the job I'm doing the best at. I feel fairly cheerful (for me) in the mornings as I drive to work. In the past I've had jobs where I was consumed with dread and anxiety on my morning commute. I think the change has been within me over the decades, not necessarily that all the jobs I used to dread were that dreadful, but at that time I was someone who felt dread. Now I feel more gratitude for having a job that I'm good at, with pay that meets my needs, and where the people I work with are reasonably pleasant. My standards for happiness have come down, perhaps, and I'm happier because of it.

So it is no denigration of my job or workplace to say that I would not do that job if I did not get paid for it and if I did not need the money. I've known women who say that their sense of identity comes from having a career. They wouldn't want to not work -- in the sense of paid employment. As women, what they're saying is, even if they had a husband who earned enough for their household to live on, they would still want to hold a job. Or I suppose if they had an inheritance they could live on they would still want a job. Whereas if I had enough to live on from another source, I would gladly forego employment.

However, since I must work and (if I'm fortunate enough) will do so for probably (hopefully?) another twenty years, I try to infuse it with meaning through prayer and mindfulness. I try to remember the presence of Christ with me in the workplace, to do my tasks well, and to extend my prayers and any kindness I can show to my co-workers. Christ has placed me there to serve him in that place through doing that job, so I do my best. So I'm not really just living for the weekends. I'm living fully in and through my job. I just like weekends better.

Another question is whether if I had my Saturday schedule every day, would it seem meaningless instead of relaxing to get up and feel there was nothing I had to do? I'm sure that I would soon work out a schedule of some kind of tasks around the house and garden and of church involvement, so I would not have a day with nothing to do. That's our nature.

All in all, it's probably wholesome for me to have to work for my living.

When I searched the word "work" on BibleGateway, I saw several uses that can help me understand the nature and meaning of work:

1. Creation, plants and animals, and people are the work of God's hands.
2. In Exodus, first there is the hard work the Israelites do in Egypt as slaves, but then there is the skilled work they do in manufacturing the tabernacle.
3. Idolatry = worshipping the work of our own hands.
4. Jesus refers to his own actions as work -- his work and his Father's work.
5. Paul is a worker by being a missionary, but he also works for his own living.
6. God is working in us.
7. We are not saved by works, but we are saved to do work for God.

Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working” (John 5:17).

Slaves [Employees], obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving (Colossians 3:22-24).

Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed (Exodus 23:12).

Excitement

2011-10-28T22:15:00.001-07:00

How sad is it that a major high point of my week is sleeping in on Saturday morning? I am so looking forward to it.

Deep thoughts

2011-10-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

A bottle of Pepto-Bismol is sitting on my counter. The "Pepto" is writ large, while "Bismol" is small. A old roommate of mine occasionally had recourse to Pepto-Bismol, but she didn't like the taste. She called it "Dismal-Bismol."

I don't mind the taste. Not that I would drink it by the cupful as a pleasurable beverage, but in its recommended dose it's quite tolerable. Peppermint flavored. I used to think the "Pepto" referred to peppermint, which is good for your stomach -- that's why Dutch people often eat a peppermint after a meal, particularly a spicy meal -- but I think it really refers to the word peptic, as in peptic ulcer. According to Merriam-Webster, the word pepsin derives from pepsis, the Greek word for digestion.

"Bismol" refers to the active ingredient, bismuth subsalicylate.

Anyway, the label reminded me of the Pepto-Bismol commercial that was on TV in my mis-spent youth, where someone would hold their hand to their mouth and gurgle, "Indi ... (urp) ... gestion," then the announcer would reply, "Pepto ... Bismol." While the person was burping, their picture would be all distorted like a fun-house mirror, but at the name "Pepto-Bismol" they would return to normal. That was quite explicit for its time about the problems Pepto-Bismol treats.

Then they went a little further. A man in the commercial would ask in a confidential manner, "Do you mind if I talk to you about ... diarrhea?" My dad would always yell, "Yes!" He minded. That commercial was also quite "out there" for its time.

Now, there's nothing you can't say on TV, and they sing and dance about stomach problems.

I wish I could say that I am shocked, disgusted, and dismayed by the vulgarity of this commercial, but I can't. It makes me laugh.

Medium

2011-10-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

Well, the work week is more than half over. It's neither the fastest nor the slowest week I've had. Just medium.

This morning there was frost on the ground.

A couple little thoughts on prayer

2011-10-25T22:44:00.000-07:00

Looking for time to pray. If I want to spend significant time in prayer, what's necessary is that I should like praying more than I like the other things that take up my time. Or at least that I should value it more. What we really spend our time on shows what we really value.

And trying to pray well. I can start by praying badly. I do some of that already -- why not even more? It may be that the fruit of my unskillful, bumbling prayers will be better prayers.