From my brother-in-law:
An excellent exercise for "older adults" like me:
Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 5 lb potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, and then relax. Each day, you'll find that you can hold that position for just a bit longer.
After a couple of weeks, move up to l0 lb. potato sacks. Then try 50 lb potato sacks and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a l00 lb potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute.
(I'm at this level) After you feel confident at this level, put a potato in each of the sacks.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
They Prayed Together In The Diocese Of Albany
From the Times Union:
ALBANY -- They prayed together. They recited the Nicene Creed together. They sipped from the same chalice.
On Saturday, the top lay official in the liberal-leaning U.S. Episcopal Church joined conservative Albany Bishop William Love in the first public forum of its kind since Love's consecration.
Bonnie Anderson, president of the Episcopal Church's House of Deputies, challenged the more than 200 people gathered at St. Andrew's in Albany to come up with a model for the national church of how believers of different views can communicate.
....
"We talk about the struggles of the church, and we seem to think that it all has to do with sex," Love said during his sermon. "That's only a symptom of something much deeper. That issue much deeper is God's word. How is it to be understood? How is it to be interpreted? How is it to be lived out?"
Some speakers told the bishop they felt shut out of diocesan events and publications. Some criticized links to conservative religious Internet sites on the diocesan Web page. One said he wasn't comfortable being referred to as a "sodomite" or "heretic" on a Web site recommended by the diocese.
Love said he could check the policy regarding links. He also suggested that if the speaker found the material offensive, "Don't read it."
That drew loud disapproval from the audience and, later in the session, an apology from Love.
....
In interviews at St. Andrew's Saturday, though, people on both sides of the ideological divide gave the bishop credit for showing up. A lot of credit.
"This is true Anglicanism, where you come together even with a divergence of views," said David Kennison, senior warden at St. George's Church in Schenectady and a former Albany Via Media board member.
The Rev. Peter Schofield, a conservative from Christ Church in Schenectady, said he feels Albany Via Media has been "very disruptive in the diocese." But he, too, praised Saturday's service.
"If we did worship together a lot more often than we do, I think we'd have a lot less problems," he said. "We're all one in Jesus."
What website recommended by the diocese would refer to a person as a "sodomite" or a "heretic"?
Here's the link to the Diocese of Albany's website. Could it be one of the blog sites? Here's a quote from one of the blogs recommended by the diocese:
Stand Firm is obviously the site referenced in the article below. I cannot imagine Bishop Love bowing to the demands of the crowd regarding links to this site. Given that Episcopal Cafe, a site run out of the Diocese of Washington DC links to vile places like Mad Priest, it is difficult to maintain the argument that Stand Firm represents anything more "offensive" than a viewpoint with which the small group of dissenters in Albany disagree.
Thanks be to God that the folks in the Diocese of Albany, including Bishop Love, prayed together and shared the Eucharist at the table of the Lord.
ALBANY -- They prayed together. They recited the Nicene Creed together. They sipped from the same chalice.
On Saturday, the top lay official in the liberal-leaning U.S. Episcopal Church joined conservative Albany Bishop William Love in the first public forum of its kind since Love's consecration.
Bonnie Anderson, president of the Episcopal Church's House of Deputies, challenged the more than 200 people gathered at St. Andrew's in Albany to come up with a model for the national church of how believers of different views can communicate.
....
"We talk about the struggles of the church, and we seem to think that it all has to do with sex," Love said during his sermon. "That's only a symptom of something much deeper. That issue much deeper is God's word. How is it to be understood? How is it to be interpreted? How is it to be lived out?"
Some speakers told the bishop they felt shut out of diocesan events and publications. Some criticized links to conservative religious Internet sites on the diocesan Web page. One said he wasn't comfortable being referred to as a "sodomite" or "heretic" on a Web site recommended by the diocese.
Love said he could check the policy regarding links. He also suggested that if the speaker found the material offensive, "Don't read it."
That drew loud disapproval from the audience and, later in the session, an apology from Love.
....
In interviews at St. Andrew's Saturday, though, people on both sides of the ideological divide gave the bishop credit for showing up. A lot of credit.
"This is true Anglicanism, where you come together even with a divergence of views," said David Kennison, senior warden at St. George's Church in Schenectady and a former Albany Via Media board member.
The Rev. Peter Schofield, a conservative from Christ Church in Schenectady, said he feels Albany Via Media has been "very disruptive in the diocese." But he, too, praised Saturday's service.
"If we did worship together a lot more often than we do, I think we'd have a lot less problems," he said. "We're all one in Jesus."
What website recommended by the diocese would refer to a person as a "sodomite" or a "heretic"?
Here's the link to the Diocese of Albany's website. Could it be one of the blog sites? Here's a quote from one of the blogs recommended by the diocese:
Stand Firm is obviously the site referenced in the article below. I cannot imagine Bishop Love bowing to the demands of the crowd regarding links to this site. Given that Episcopal Cafe, a site run out of the Diocese of Washington DC links to vile places like Mad Priest, it is difficult to maintain the argument that Stand Firm represents anything more "offensive" than a viewpoint with which the small group of dissenters in Albany disagree.
Thanks be to God that the folks in the Diocese of Albany, including Bishop Love, prayed together and shared the Eucharist at the table of the Lord.
Obama Sermon In Atlanta
Excerpt from Barack Obama's sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the church where Martin Luther King, Jr. ministered:
Unity is the great need of the hour – the great need of this hour. Not because it sounds pleasant or because it makes us feel good, but because it’s the only way we can overcome the essential deficit that exists in this country.
I’m not talking about a budget deficit. I’m not talking about a trade deficit. I’m not talking about a deficit of good ideas or new plans.
I’m talking about a moral deficit. I’m talking about an empathy deficit. I’m taking about an inability to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we are our brother’s keeper; we are our sister’s keeper; that, in the words of Dr. King, we are all tied together in a single garment of destiny.
....
For most of this country’s history, we in the African American community have been at the receiving end of man’s inhumanity to man. And all of us understand intimately the insidious role that race still sometimes plays – on the job, in the schools, in our health care system and in our criminal justice system.
And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King’s vision of a beloved community.
We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them. The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of companions in the fight for opportunity.
....
Brothers and sisters, we cannot walk alone.
In the struggle for peace and justice, we cannot walk alone.
In the struggle for opportunity and equality, we cannot walk alone
In the struggle to heal this nation and repair this world, we cannot walk alone.
So I ask you to walk with me, and march with me, and join your voice with mine, and together we will sing the song that tears down the walls that divide us, and lift up an America that is truly indivisible, with liberty, and justice, for all. May God bless the memory of the great pastor of this church, and may God bless the United States of America.
Whomever you're rooting for as the candidate for president, can we agree that this is a damned good speech?
From Andrew Sullivan's The Daily Dish, where you can read the whole sermon.
Thanks to IT in the comments at Of Course, I Could Be Wrong for calling the sermon to my attention.
Unity is the great need of the hour – the great need of this hour. Not because it sounds pleasant or because it makes us feel good, but because it’s the only way we can overcome the essential deficit that exists in this country.
I’m not talking about a budget deficit. I’m not talking about a trade deficit. I’m not talking about a deficit of good ideas or new plans.
I’m talking about a moral deficit. I’m talking about an empathy deficit. I’m taking about an inability to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we are our brother’s keeper; we are our sister’s keeper; that, in the words of Dr. King, we are all tied together in a single garment of destiny.
....
For most of this country’s history, we in the African American community have been at the receiving end of man’s inhumanity to man. And all of us understand intimately the insidious role that race still sometimes plays – on the job, in the schools, in our health care system and in our criminal justice system.
And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King’s vision of a beloved community.
We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them. The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of companions in the fight for opportunity.
....
Brothers and sisters, we cannot walk alone.
In the struggle for peace and justice, we cannot walk alone.
In the struggle for opportunity and equality, we cannot walk alone
In the struggle to heal this nation and repair this world, we cannot walk alone.
So I ask you to walk with me, and march with me, and join your voice with mine, and together we will sing the song that tears down the walls that divide us, and lift up an America that is truly indivisible, with liberty, and justice, for all. May God bless the memory of the great pastor of this church, and may God bless the United States of America.
Whomever you're rooting for as the candidate for president, can we agree that this is a damned good speech?
From Andrew Sullivan's The Daily Dish, where you can read the whole sermon.
Thanks to IT in the comments at Of Course, I Could Be Wrong for calling the sermon to my attention.
Thought For The Day, Two - Not Mine
It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Thought For The Day
Sometimes it is an act of courage to get out of bed in the morning. Sometimes it is an act of courage to put one foot in front of another.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Feast Day Of Wulfstan, Bishop Of Worcester
From James Kiefer at the Lectionary:
When William the Norman conquered England in 1066, he replaced most of the native Anglo-Saxon bishops with clergy from his own Normandy. The most conspicuous exception was Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester (pronounced "Wooster"), who had been a supporter of the Anglo-Saxon King Harold, but who submitted to William after Harold's death, and became one of the King's most trusted advisors. He is best remembered for his opposition to the slave trade in western England.
Readings:
Psalm 146:4-9 or 84:7-12
Exodus 3:1-12
John 15:5-8,14-16
PRAYER
Almighty God, whose only-begotten Son led captivity captive and gave gifts to your people: Multiply among us faithful pastors, who, like thy holy bishop Wulfstan, will give courage to those who are oppressed and held in bondage; and bring us all, we pray, into the true freedom of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
From Psalm 146:
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith for ever;
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
When William the Norman conquered England in 1066, he replaced most of the native Anglo-Saxon bishops with clergy from his own Normandy. The most conspicuous exception was Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester (pronounced "Wooster"), who had been a supporter of the Anglo-Saxon King Harold, but who submitted to William after Harold's death, and became one of the King's most trusted advisors. He is best remembered for his opposition to the slave trade in western England.
Readings:
Psalm 146:4-9 or 84:7-12
Exodus 3:1-12
John 15:5-8,14-16
PRAYER
Almighty God, whose only-begotten Son led captivity captive and gave gifts to your people: Multiply among us faithful pastors, who, like thy holy bishop Wulfstan, will give courage to those who are oppressed and held in bondage; and bring us all, we pray, into the true freedom of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
From Psalm 146:
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith for ever;
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
What's This?
 | My Fortune Cookie told me: Saturday very favorable for romance. Try a single person for a change. Get a cookie from Miss Fortune |
Should I? Should I dump Grandpère and seek out a single person instead? I want to know.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Because....
Because it's been a sh*tty two weeks due to happenings in the family, capped off by the car wreck, and because my daughter thinks that her parents should not be allowed out and about on their own in the city of New Orleans, she sent me the following email of unknown source:
To Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity
1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.
2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.
3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.
4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It 'In.'
5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.
6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write 'For Smuggling Diamonds'.
7. Finish All Your sentences with 'In Accordance With The Prophecy.'
8. Don t use any punctuation.
9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.
10 . Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat...use a serious face.
11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To Go.'
12. Sing Along At The Opera.
13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme.
14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.
15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.
16. Have Your Coworkers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.
17. When The Money Comes Out of The ATM, Scream 'I Won!, I Won!'
18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling, 'Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!'
19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. 'Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.'
20. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity......Send This E-mail To Someone To Make Them Smile.
It's Called Therapy
I'm doing better than emails. I'm posting it.
To Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity
1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.
2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.
3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.
4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It 'In.'
5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.
6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write 'For Smuggling Diamonds'.
7. Finish All Your sentences with 'In Accordance With The Prophecy.'
8. Don t use any punctuation.
9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.
10 . Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat...use a serious face.
11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To Go.'
12. Sing Along At The Opera.
13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme.
14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.
15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.
16. Have Your Coworkers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.
17. When The Money Comes Out of The ATM, Scream 'I Won!, I Won!'
18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling, 'Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!'
19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. 'Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.'
20. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity......Send This E-mail To Someone To Make Them Smile.
It's Called Therapy
I'm doing better than emails. I'm posting it.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Pray For Kirstin
I was going to wait until tomorrow to tell you about our drama at the end of our visit with Kirstin, who is the loveliest of ladies, so charming and smart and sweet. Grandpère and I had a most enjoyable lunch with her, and afterwards went to drive around the Garden District through the side streets off St. Charles Avenue, where there are many beautiful old houses. We came to a stop sign, and Grandpère stopped, but, unfortunately, he started up in the path of a taxi, which hit us in the rear wheel and spun us around. From the strength of the impact, I believe he must have been going fast, but he had the right of way, and GP did not.
I heard from Kirstin tonight, and she has a headache and back pain. She will seek medical attention tomorrow. In the meantime, please pray for her. GP and I are fine. We were able to drive the car home, but it is finished. I will be getting another car sooner than expected.
I regret so that our gathering ended as it did. Please pray for Kirstin.
I heard from Kirstin tonight, and she has a headache and back pain. She will seek medical attention tomorrow. In the meantime, please pray for her. GP and I are fine. We were able to drive the car home, but it is finished. I will be getting another car sooner than expected.
I regret so that our gathering ended as it did. Please pray for Kirstin.
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