So Many Books, So Little Time

I just bought three books, which is kind of unusual. Normally, the public library is my favorite resource.

I've been reading on a multitude of blogs about the "Twilight" series, however, I did not buy any vampire books. Besides, my father's family came from the Carpathian Mountains in what was Transylvania. Yes, really. So I don't need to read about anything like that... LOL And some day I'll tell you the name of my great great great great great aunt. Maybe. But when you google her name it gets kind of gross!

Nancy got me started this time; recommending this book, "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilizatin" that Ronald darling and I both will enjoy. I also bought "Somebody's Gotta Say It!" by Neal Boortz and "Younger Next Year" which is supposed to make me as healthy and strong at 80 as I should have been at 50. We'll see how that works for me!

But I can't start any of them now; I am going to finish "Jesus the Christ" before I start teaching the New Testament in Seminary. I've never completed the book in 41 years but I am this time. An hour on the bus each day is making it easier to find time to read. Home time is spent in a recliner with the TV on and the laptop on my lap (go figure)!

I was just reading Talmage's commentary about Lazarus raised from the dead. The Lord did not do anything more than necessary. He knew where Lazarus was buried, but he asked anyway. He could have made the stone that sealed the tomb move or disappear, but he told the entourage to move it. He could have caused the burial clothes that bound Lazarus and hampered his movements to drop, but he instructed the family and friends to loose him. All that was humanly possible he had done by those with him. That which they could not do, the miracle, he performed.

I'm finding the insights illuminating.

So, People Think I've Got Quirks...

If they only knew! LOL

The RULES1. Link the person who tagged you…In my case, Katie.
2. Post these rules.
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them

Okay, I like the idea of a theme that Katie gave us; here goes.

I sing at the drop of a hat. Well, actually at the drop of anything. Mostly show tunes, but anything really.

1. I sang to Ronald darling when we were dating but he married me anyway. He heard "Whatever Lola ('Lona) Wants" although I didn't do the dancing that Gwen Verdon did. (You young 'uns have no idea what I'm talking about, right?) He also heard "Big Spender" - I've never seen the show, but the 'fun, laughs, good times' line seemed perfect!

2. I sing "Good Morning" from Singing in the Rain or "Oh What A Beautiful Morning" from Oklahoma to my seminary class. Talk about scary at 5:30 in the morning! At least one of my students told me it I was scary. I try dancing along too, but that's not so good.

3. I sing all the songs that my sister and mom and I sang at the kitchen sink every day. "Red, Red Robin", "Bye, Bye Blackbird", "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot". I've taught a couple of them to my grandsons too, although I don't think my daughter is thrilled about that.

4. I grew up going to a variety of Protestant churches and (of course) singing in a gazillion choirs. And I remember a lot of the hymns that I sang then that we don't sing now. "The Old Rugged Cross" and "Love Lifted Me" were my favorites. And I remember the Protestant words to hymns we sing in the LDS church. "How Gentle God's Commands" equals "Blest Be The Ties That Bind (our hearts in Christian love)". "Israel, Israel, God is Calling" equals "What a Friend We Have In Jesus".

5. There are wonderful, cheery, upbeat, disgustingly happy songs and I think I know and sing them all! " High Hopes" by Frank Sinatra, "Look on the Bright Side of Life" from The Life of Brian, "Goin' Courtin'" from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and everything from The Music Man. And a whole big long bunch of others.

6. The song that comes to mind most often (in a non-spiritual vein) is again from Oklahoma. It is one I have always wanted to perform but it is inappropriate for a stuffy old broad like me to sing in a church talent show setting. And that is just about the only place I sing where other people can hear me. I did sing it on a very brave day in an audition for a real show. I don't know where I got the guts to do that, but they didn't gag.
Oh, I didn't mention the name of the song, did I? "I C'ain't Say No!".

You would think that singing all the time would have made me good by now. *sigh*

Is He As Stupid As He Sounds?

I heard a story, probably apocryphal, about a bishop who's son bore his testimony. "And our family is much happier since we stopped using the F-word and the S-word."

Poor bishop! He had to explain to the ward that the F-word was fart and the S-word was stupid.

Perhaps I shouldn't have used the S-word in the title of this entry, but I just can't think of any other that says exactly what I mean without sounding even worse.

I've posted before about my belief in the Fair Tax proposal, HR 25. It would fund the government at the current rate (which is too much, but first things first) and solve one of our major problems which is funding for Social Security and Medicare. Not that they both don't need to be fixed and/or eliminated, but funding will reach crisis proportions soon.

But a basic understanding of our current federal income tax system should be required of all elected officials to the House and the Senate. And certainly from the majority leader of the US Senate. But Harry Reid has not a clue! Really! Get a load of this!




We definitely need a change this election cycle!

One year in high school the physical education plan was to find a sport we would enjoy and continue throughout our lives. It didn't work for me, of course but may have for others.

We tried field hockey. The hockey stick is never supposed to be swung higher than the waist. I got hit in the mouth and got a lovely split lip. Crossed that one right off the list.

We tried gymnastics; leaping across the horse thing-y AKA vault, the uneven parallel bars, floor exercises and the balance beam. Usually there is only one spotter, but they had to have three or four for me; I was terrified! And not very good.

The one sport that I might have pursued was golf. We practised driving in gym, putting in the yard and then they took us out to play nine holes of real golf. We went to the Kitty Hawk golf course to play. I scored 90 on 9 holes. I could have done better - in fact, I did do better. But they would only let me count 10 strokes per hole. I would have scored much higher if they let me count all of them, maybe even twice as good! ;)

But getting back to Olympic sports - gymnastics, even though I couldn't perform, became one of my all time favorite sports to watch. What they do is amazing! Here is a comedian performing on the uneven bars. I loved it - enjoy!

Blogosphere

Until a few months ago I had no idea that a gazillion people were putting thoughts out for the whole world to read. It's fun to stumble onto something fun or fascinating or frivolous... there's also freaky, but I back off those as fast as ever I can! LOL

I found these musings of a dad and thought you might enjoy them too.
Things As They Really Are.

Hope There's a Pot of Gold Somewhere!!!!!!!!

This is one of the rainbows from last weekend with my baby sister:

Sisters

I've been having a lot of great experiences recently - had another over the weekend. My sister was coming to Akron to meet up with some online buddies, of which I am one, nominally. LOL So I drove up from the temple and stayed overnight. I hadn't seen her since my mom's funeral two years ago, so this was really great. We only had Saturday and then Sunday morning, but we talked and laughed and made resolutions not to let two years go by again. And I only got marginally weepy when we said goodbye. Since I am a big crybaby, that was an accomplishment.
I forgot my bathing suit so missed out on the pool, but got in a nice nap on the deck. The weather Saturday was on again, off again rain. A little thunder, a little lightening and two rainbows, one after each major-ish rain storm. Rainbows make everything special. But there were four cameras (none mine) and six people yelling, get the rainbow, get the rainbow! It was a hoot!

I am posting a picture of us that we took; it's the only one I have so far. If she sends me a better one, I will swap it out. We were looking at one of the rainbows, I didn't react fast enough for my closeup. I am going to blame the photographer for the fact that I look older and heavier - but I think that's a cop out!

All's Right With the World!

It rained a little last night, so it was cloudy this morning. Not total clouds, some light, some dark, with little pieces of sky in between – just beautiful. We drive west toward Huber every morning, and as we drove we spotted a beautiful rainbow. As the angle changed, the colors became brilliant, absolutely wonderful! As we admired the colors, the angle continued to change. That was when we saw the second rainbow. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a double rainbow, but it was glorious. *

Which means, God’s in His Heaven and all’s right with the world.

*This isn't it, but it's close! lol

God Bless the USA

We live in a great and wonderful country; the creation of which was inspired of God. And it continues to this day because of the love and dedication of its citizens.
More importantly, it is because of the love and dedication of the citizens who put themselves in harm's way for our sake. I am an Air Force brat living near an Air Force base with dozens of military people in my ward (congregation). I am grateful for the sacrifice that they make and the sacrifice of their families. I don't say it often enough: Thank you and God bless you.

The Best of Times, the Worst of Times

When you have children, you worry. Am I doing things right, will they turn out okay, how will they do in the real world - and how bad is that world going to be? But they grow up any way and go out into the world and worrying doesn't do any good. It doesn't stop, by the way, but it doesn't do any good.

And then you have grandchildren. I know that seems a long way away to the young mothers out there, but it happens faster than you can believe. And you worry. The world we live in is wonderful and very, very difficult. When you are in worry mode, the world seems even worse than it is. I am comforted by this message from Harold B Lee:

"In my lifetime I have seen two world wars plus Korea plus Vietnam and all that you are currently witnessing. I have worked my way through the depression and managed to go to law school while starting a young family at the same time. I have seen stock markets and world economies go crazy and have seen a few despots and tyrants go crazy, all of which causes quite a bit of trouble around the world in the process.
So I am frank to say tonight that I hope you won't believe all the world's difficulties have been wedged into your decade or that things have never been worse than they are for you personally, or that they will never get better. I reassure you that things have been worse and they will always get better. They always do---especially when we live and love the gospel of Jesus Christ and give it a chance in our lives" (The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, p. 202).