cool to hot

Well I have no burning issues to write about so I will talk about a cool one that becomes burning. That would be clay. The days here in the sunny south are warm, however, it can get cooler at night. When I go to work with my clay in the morning it is cold. Cold hands are stiff hands. The nice thing is I can heat the water I work with...warm water on cold spinning clay....ah that is nice. Today I only hand built. I am trying to make something my mother sketched for me. Her sketch and description were very vague, so I have a backup Christmas gift in case she cries when I present her with my rendition of her idea. I am looking forward to firing these things, but the most fun is the glaze firing. Looking at the newly glazed things is sort of like birthday surprises. You never know how they will turn out til you see it.

Alcohol

I have been thinking about the mixed blessing of alcohol. Yesterday had been a long day. Jim and I were headed home and stopped in the Bulldog for supper. I had a hamburger and a beer called Blue Moon with an orange squeezed into it, very yummy and satisfying. Sometimes when I am home I have a glass of wine with my meals, but sometimes I keep going and have too much and feel yucky the next day. There are some people in my life who drink way too much, so much it is messing up their lives. Alcohol is a poison. My sister in law's sister has ruined her life with alcohol. She is younger than I am and looks 70. She now has permanent brain and body damage due to alcohol. Christ turned water to wine. God turns water into wine all the time with His grapes and the fermenting activities of his creation. God forbids drunkenness and excess. I think that can also mean too often as well as too much. Our bodies are amazing things. May we walk in wisdom always in regards to them and in love toward those around us.

Another Family Party

Well this was the last family party, I look forward to Thanksgiving when most will gather again. I am really sick that Duff isn't going to be here or at least with Ryan. WE WILL MISS YOU DUFF :-(

Chapel Hill and New clay source

Jim and I went to Chapel Hill Saturday. Jim reshaped the road with our wonderful, blue New Holland tractor. Jim drives that thing like he was born to do it! On the way back to Brandon, we drove down Hwy 18, past a place I had bought clay from once upon a time...sure enough there were lights on and a car present so we stopped to check it out. This particular dealer is only open on Friday and Saturday, but he is open! I joyfully bought 150 lbs of clay and am looking forward to working with it Wednesday. YiPEE

new post

My Clay lady has sold out and left town. No clay source have i found to replace her :-(
I am going to mom's tomorrow, dad will remove a bad spot from my skin, Daniel and Jim think it is Basal Cell Cancer... Oh the joys of aging. Caucasion skin needs to stay out of the sun!
No great thoughts to share.
I am reading Pilgrams Progress and the book of Lamantations. They kind of go together amazingly enough....

Rehearsing for the Big Day

Trey and Hilary, Hilary is my neice, Trey my new nephew, their pastor at Redeemer and Trey's father and groomsmen. I love weddings between true lovers!

What were we looking at?

Family

Well I must say I really like all my family being together. With all its difficulties, misunderstandings, and pain there is nothing outside of fellowship with God in Christ, better than fellowship in family. I have found this often difficult to achieve. Time, distance, a differing of minds, limitations in some members ability to understand and the resulting alienation felt by the non understood, sometimes simply hunger or a bad mood can disrupt it all. Hooray for those times of fellowship, hooray for those times of fun, hooray for those times of forgiveness, hooray for those times of forbearance, hooray for family!

she really was a bridesmaid!

cleaning

We have alot of company coming next week to help celebrate Hilary's upcoming nuptials. So of course there has been a need to clean up the house. Our comfort level of clutter is way higher than a guests....the Pippen hair does not bother us so much either, however others may not like the clinging black and white Dalmation hair. (It does not matter what you wear, it always shows) So our dear sons, James and Daniel are keeping Pippen while we have our house full, especially since my mom and dad will be here...watch that black suit Daniel, don't let Pippen near it! Jim spent three hours cleaning the floors today, they do look great, When I go to clean it seems I get sidetracked by organizing. Any-who..the second law of thermodynamics is in evidence allll over my house. Susan, I won't have it all done by Monday....come prepared.

esl

Well I began some English as a second language training to help newcomers to these English speaking shores cope with conversational English. Our teacher, Mary Jane, was effective and entertaining. I do not know how many people will come to these classes, however, I am looking forward to working with these people. I remember how lost I felt in the Dominican. I knew a little Spanish, however what we learned in school and what I was hearing was very different. I cannot imagine the impact the strong, local southern accent has on these people's understanding. It should be interesting....

just had to post it

Nathan wears Ties

Clinton Meets With Guy With Tie

Gary Jules

I like Gary Jules Music, some songs, Pills, Mad World, One Little Light, Dustcloud and Honeybees, Whichita, and Adalucia.. I would post a link but don't know how yet.

cowardice

Thoughts on being a Christ follower in a culture that praises pursuing truth, but dismisses anyone who claims to have found it... There is a strong desire in most people to be well thought of by ones peers. In non-church, intellectual circles, one way to be dismissed quickly (among many) is to state that you believe Christ is God come in the flesh. Some, who have believed cultural propaganda, tend to lump such a believer with flat earthers or antiscience thought and at best look on you condescendingly as someone who believes in a rather arcane superstition. Sometimes, there is a deeper price to pay than just being intellectually dismissed. In such a hostile atmosphere, it is easy for those who are prone to conflict avoidence, to practice small acts of cowardice. May the Lord give us loving hearts (so that it is through no unkind actions of out own that we are so treated) and may He give us courage, if we are to be dismissed and treated unkindly, because we follow Him. He was not treated very nicely by the educated of His time either.

Happy Birthday Duff

Duff is my third child, hooray for threes, may the world be full of them!

Kids

For all you out there in my reading audience, I wish to impart some wisdom from this 50+ brain of mine. So if you hate hearing such things read no futher.
First my basis for my statements. Teaching young ones for about 12 years, raising four of my own, having my nephew for five years, and most of the research now coming out about young ones. So now my thoughts.
The first five years of a child's life can either give that child wings or cripple them for the next five. Day care (defined as one worker to six or more kids in an institutional setting) is the bane of a young child's development. Infants and pre-fives need face time with a loving parent, lots and lots of time. It is very difficult to see what difference it makes while that little one is still so tiny, the difference begins to show at five. Sons of mine, marry women commited to being the mothers of your children, or if they are not, marry someone who is willing to support you while you raise the babe...just don't put them into an institution for 30 to 60 hours a week from the age of six weeks. The complex development of the human brain is so beyond our knowing and needs careful tending. Even with careful tending things go wrong, how much more so when handed over to a stressed, underpaid, non emotionally invested woman or man, (no matter how well intentioned) in an enviroment with minimal stimulation. For futher reading on this subject I recommend, "High Risk, Children without a Conscience".
When one is young; career, living up to one's potential, making an impact in the world, seem paramount, raising a baby can seem so unimportant compared to these things, when one gets older, one realizes the most important and only eternal thing in this world we deal with are other people and the most important are the children we bring in this world. So that is what I wanted to say, not original nor even the best stated, but from the heart. MOM

BM continues

see takauji link...Puppy poo

Time to navigate away from BM

Well I just read all my comments, then re-read my post, it is really funny, thanks guys, needed a good laugh after a long trip and conflict ridden trip to Wheaton. What is it that is so refreshing about laughter? I think it must release alot of endomorphs or something....much love to all ... mom

School

Monday is my first day of the new school year with students. I have spent the last week preparing. The preparation was fun!
I got to unpack all my neato, art supplies that I will be using this next year, plus play around with some of the 'new for me' stuff. (did you know that crayola has come out with some metallic oil pastels that are designed to not roll off the table?)
The school also offered an insightful continuing education series on behavior modification and teaching. It basically uncovered a huge flaw in the whole approach. While BM (don't you love those initials?) can create immediate results, used alone it does nothing to change ultimate heart issues and therefore fails. Once the external structure is removed ( and who can sustain it forever?) the child returns to the previous behavior because their heart is not changed. The BM manipulation technique is very effective in dealing with cattle and dogs but limited in dealing with children. In dealing with older children, it can be downright harmful. It can even create a cynical atmosphere infused with the miasma of anger. The manipulator sets himself up as supremo environment controller and behavior evaluator. The object of his BM technique, the spiritual child, (who feels manipulated) may then set their intellect to trumping or manipulating the manipulator....interesting stuff. BM was really pushed during the ancient days of my education, is it still being trumpeted as louldly?
My favorite BM technique was strong on carrot, weak on stick... To get my excited, talking students to quiet down and focus on their art I would have them play the quiet game. All who remained quiet would get a lifesaver, the talking ones would not get one -plus they have the ignominy of losing the game. It really will motivate those second graders for about a month, then some of them start to think that missing that lifesaver wouldn't be as bad as missing their conversation...or they will just bring their own candy and who needs yours anyway? There were a few, however, that learned being quiet and focused was the first step of entering that wonderful creative zone where time disappears and the joy of making happens. Maybe I will keep that quiet game after all...just have as my focus the creativity of the spiritual child who really needs his heart changed, not just the behavior.

Sleeping Sarah

I had the privilege of meeting Sarah last time I was in Pittsburg. While there, I was able to take some photos. Since it was Sarah's birthday I thought I would post a couple of them, however she has her eyes closed in EVERY SINGLE ONE!!!! I will say this, I remember her as a wide-awake, fun-loving girl, these photos do not do her justice. Happy Birthday Sarah

Back in time

As Daniel begins his second year of medical school I thought now would be a good time to look back and post some photos from his first year 'white coat ceremony'

Jimbo help!

As you can see I can now post photos again! The one below is Duff armed and ready to assemble furniture, his sister in disbelief and shock. I think I will post more photos.

still can't do it

Something has changed and I still cannot create that link, either I have forgotten a step or there is a new process due to an
i-photo update download I did. Too bad, there were some neato pictures from Pittsburg.

No pictures

I am having trouble getting the photos uploading, thankfully Daniel is in town and can probably solve this problem. Yeah!

Pittsburg

Well I had my first trip to Pittsburg. The roads were very confusing, the architecture was diverse and interesting, the Omni Hotel was fabulous,and the visit very profitable. We were able to move Duff from a basement pit of an apartment to a clean well kept apartment. It is so nice to have a setting to think of when I talk to Duff, no longer is it an amorphous grey background. We met two new folks, Physic's Ryan and wonderful Sarah. Both of whom were a delight to be introduced to...Emily was there and it was good to get to know her better. We all had a great time as well as a hard work time. Daniel hopes to be in Pittsburg July 16th, maybe James will go with him, I think James would move there if there was a good job available. Next, photos

home-safe

Well my sister and her husband John are back from Israel. They apparently had a marvelous trip but are very glad to be home. Daniel's home is shaping up very nicely. He has stained the wood floors cherry and they look marvelous.
Jamie got home safe despite the fact that his transmission died and clutch cable broke, sounds like new car time to me...
Duff is home safe with what seems to be a fabo new apartment with high ceilings and a front porch

frithsplot

Frith splot Frith=brushwood, splot=plot of gound, sometimes used for splotch, splash

A neato word I came across in reading "The History of the Devil" by R. Lowe THompson. A poorly written hodge-podge of information that nevertheless contains some good beginning points for futher research.

ahh tube amps

As I sit here lisitening to the mellow sounds of Duff's tube amp. I find myself ever thankful for Jim's interest in music and its acoustic. By the way, Duff your tube amp is fixed.

whew

Well it all started with a phone call Friday the 18th with the news of Aunt Nell's death. Meredith and I were cruising to Iowa by Friday and returned late Tuesday. Nell Shima was a wonderful woman and will be deeply missed. The funeral service was Catholic. It was the first Catholic funeral I have attended and I found a great deal of comfort in the ceremony associated with Nell's death. Meredith and I made it home by tuesday the 22, shopped for graduation the 23, the graduation was on the 24th and went wonderfully well...Mom and Dad came and we had a party that night, fun! Busy weekend, family came for a memorial day bar-b-que, yum, Mom came back from New York Tuesday, James flew in from Detroit that night. Jim got sick and remains so....flu I think, however he still pushes on...Mom and I have been shopping and visiting, she will leave this afternoon. I miss Duff alot.

proper dress

Well I am here to get some idea of what is the general consensus out there about proper dress. I was taught that one dressed for the occasion. It was a way of showing respect. I realize in this age of individualistic self expression, the inconvenience of changing ones clothes or style of clothes might not come easily, however I ask the question," Are there any situations in which a certain style of dress is a way of showing deference and honor to the people providing the occasion?" If that is so, is it disrepectful to the occasion (and thereby to the people creating the occasion) to dress in a way that is not in harmony with the cultural norms of the society in which one finds oneself? Do we have the right as individuals to define what we think is proper dress or does society have the right to define proper dress for an event?

summer

Since most of the family is on school schedule free time is on the horizon for most of us. That means seeing one another more often, plus better blogs. Hopefully it will also mean more photos on Daniel's site. I especially like the bug photos. Maybe more snake pictures from Mule Jail? Duff, don't you have a camera? Some nice feet shots would be interesting. Always Dad's favorite. We went to see Spider Man tonight. It was a neat0 show, much fun...

A Good Deed

Well I have been very refreshed by a good deed done for ME!
For various reasons I no longer have lawn service. Jim has been valiantly trying to stay ahead of the growing grass and weeds, however, they often are ahead of him. Nate saw our problem and kindly offered to mow and trim during his recent visit. YEAH!! My lawn looks great and what a relief for Jim. What a blessing for my neighbors, no more seed weeds blowing into their bermuda. No more shaggy lawn! Well for at least a week or so...

almost finished

I think we are all almost finished with school. I think of how wonderful it is to be on a school calendar. I love being able to finish and have summers off, I love having holidays, the change in workload, type of work, and freedom to concentrate in different areas when all the grades are done. It is best being the teacher, but even as a student I appreciated the generous amounts of time off given for other pursuits in the summer. May everyone's summer be wonderful.

Mohammed figure?

I know in much of western liturature there are redemptive themes with a "Christ like" figure. I do think Robert Jordan has modeled his Rand al Thor after Mohammed rather than Christ.

Robert Jordan

Well I am currently reading number 11 in his Wheel of Time series. I began this series years ago when I noticed most of the young men in my high school art class were reading his books, Ever eager to spur the imagination, or find a hook into the visual imagination of my students, I picked up the books to see what they were about. It is sorta kinda like Dune meets middle earth, with about five to ten main characters depending on how you define main...and they are all having these intertwined stories, adventures, quests, ect. If any of you ever work with children, young adults...it is always a good thing to pick up and read what they are reading --voluntarily, They often appreciate having an adult with whom to discuss the book, plus it gives great material for art work. More on this topic later...

Links

As I guess you can see I have learned about links. It is great to be able to create these links to all you marvelous people. I am out of time now but if it is o.k. I will be adding more of my favorite blogs to visit, that is you Emily, Christian, Kyla, and others. Vicki Church if you are out there and have a blog site please link to mine. Otherwise I will just link to george. :-)

Bitch

Bitch, I have been thinking about this word lately. In Webster's it is defined as a female dog, wolf, fox, or otter. That has brought a little understanding into how it has come to be used as an informal derogatory,(as in a woman whom one dislikes or considers unpleasant and malicious, said woman usually expressing that unpleasantness and maliciousness through her tounge.) What I have had trouble understanding is how these attributes came to be associated with a dog. I have owned female and male dogs and have found both sexes to be loyal, forgiving, teachable, and ready to forget that last angry outburst of mine in exchange for a good scratch behind the ears. (Oh that man could be so easily consoled......or can he?) Now how can those doggie attributes be associated with a carping woman? I have never (that I can recall) been called 'bitch' to my face, but if I am, I think I will ask, "Now are you refering to the female dog, wolf, fox, or otter?" and if they say dog, I think I will reply "Well Thank You." If they reply wolf, fox, or otter I will reply, "Insult heard and to be reflected on..." (Cause I would imagine that a female wolf, fox, or otter is much more descriptive of the point the accuser is trying to make)

Solomon Kane

Well I purchased 'The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane' in order to understand Duff's hero better. I know why Duff loves SK so much. The man carries a sword or rapier and with it and his courage defeats the bad guys. Since Duff was attacked by dogs at the tender age of two he has had a great love for swords. His young mind quickly understood a sword can equalize a fight between a dog and a two year old. Prior to the incident he had a plastic sword with which he played at times. His dad had made him a wooden sword as a present for Christmas. (the attack occured the day before Christmas Eve) After the dog attack, that landed him in surgery for over two hours, I was concerned he would ever after fear dogs. (My older sister Cathy had a bad experiance with dogs when young and I saw her work through dog fear.) One thing changed about Duff, after he left the hospital and was home for Christmas, and that was his attitude towards swords. Instead of occasional play as with the prior plastic sword the wooden sword his dad gave him, never left his side. He slept with it, he carried it about, and I eventually made a holder for it so that he could belt it to himself and have his hands free.
One day a large golden retriever type dog came into our front yard, I could tell he was simply curious about Duff and had no attack in mind so I stayed back to watch Duff and see how he would handle this large strange dog coming into the yard. I was ready to chase it off and rescue if needed, but as I saw little Duff drawing his sword and advancing on the dog I realized no rescue was needed. Duff went and bopped the dog on the head with his sword and told the dog, "GO AWAY", well the dog turned tail and ran. Duff sheathed his sword and as he turned toward me, the smile on his face was amazing. He had seen the enemy, been prepared, and was victorious on the field of battle with a foe twice his size and by a type of foe who had once defeated him. Well, I must say ,in many ways, that is how he has conducted himself since then, only the foes are often much larger and harder to discern and the ravages they make in lives not as quickly amenable to simple surgery. This foe, of course, is evil ideation. So Fight on Duff, keep your sword sharp and your mind discerning!

Daniel the Nexus

Well I was thinking about the way I use my blog and access other blogs, which is always through Daniel's site. Dad also commented on the fact he accesses his own blog through Daniel's. Then it dawned on me, (as I had a request from Vicki Church about accessing our blogs), Daniel is the nexus. So thanks Daniel for creating this web of connection and being the channel through which newly initiated bloggers may flow till we cut our own. And I need to create a link for Vicki to your site via my own which I don't know how to do...Love Your MOM

Tribute to a great dog

This was truly one of the best dogs ever. Intelligent, faithful, funny, playful, protective. I really miss Maurice.

shut down

New Post
Whenever I have company coming I quit everything except cleaning the house, shopping, cooking, and going to work. Now that all the company has gone I can post again! Had a great weekend with mom, dad, Susan, Pam and Wilson Benton, plus two great parties in which I was able to get to know some of Hilary's friends better. Hilary has great taste in people, I must say and I do. I am already thinking of the next party. I have a standing rib roast that should feed about eight people.....

New Post

Daniel is teaching me to post pictures. This is one of our pastor and his family from Michigan.

Ready for a sixties party

23

Dad and I went to see 23 last night. Jim Carrey played his well, he can do other that comedy! It was a surprise for me. Thought I would hate it but found it to be a rather well done psycological study with a principled ending.

criticism

o.k. I have been thinking alot about criticism lately. About being self-critical, situation critical, created work critical, child critical, & peer critical. The worst aspect of being critical is the expression of those adverse and diapproving comments and judgements. It can destroy self motivation to constantly be talking to oneself with a & d comments and judgements, it sure sounds like complaining when it concerns ones situation, it can freeze me on any art expression I am attempting, it can strip a child of self respect, depress and demotivate them, and with ones peers it can create tension, hurt, an unwillingness to work together. However if we do not exercise some analysis and judgement we can end up being really unpleasant selves, allow terrible things to continue without intervention in situations, never improve in our artistic endeavors, have a child think they are all that and a bag of chips (as Jamie always says) and become totally obnoxious, and render one's own ability to work in a group impossible. So I guess I have been rendering judgements on myself and expressing some self disapproving comments about some of my past critisims I have made, many of which stemmed from personal pride and prejudice, (hmm sounds like a good book title) and wondering how to better deal with the need to analyze, behave toward the execrable, and above all love and give thanks for all and in all situations, as Jesus has taught us. If anyone has any insights.....

Well my last post was many moons ago and my brother says it is time to update. The problem is I have nothing witty to say, I have not figured out how to post pictures, and I so enjoy reading other folks blogs and commenting on them that I feel I have been posting in a way. By the way, brother Duff do you have a blog site? If anyone is interested in the Church family out there reading my blog here is a link to their blog. Maggie has really grown into a beauty, baby George is the adorable first child of Jenny, and the Vicki Church look alike with Michael is his new bride to be. I don't know how to do a link but this is the address and maybe it will surprise me and be a link.
http://www.georgeaugust.blogspot.com/