Leif

Well seems like I have not posted since 09!  It is now 2012- What could make a 57 year old woman begin to post again?  Grandbaby!!!   I must admit I have a fine grandson who has been blessed with two wonderful parents.  I hope to post a photo here soon.  Leif Orrin Neill weighed in at 7 lbs 2 oz and 21 plus inches,  long and lean.... The adjustment from womb comfort to digestion, temperature variation and non muffled noise intrusions is difficult at best.  My prayer is with all new exhausted mothers everywhere that they might have hope...it is self limiting and babies do increase the number of hours they sleep in a row, even though it seems they never will and digestive problems usually work themselves out with time.  Blessings on you both as you encounter the joys and trails of parenthood.  Love you

Meredith's trek

09/13/2009 Easton Glacier: Glacier is quite broken difficult navigation.

09/11/2009 Easton Glacier: We turned back at 8,000 ft. on the Deming-Easton glaciers mostly due to crevasses which required much detouring. At 8,000 ft. there was about 6 inches of new snow from the storm activity from the past weekend.

9/10/2009 Coleman Glacier: Route impassable, thin snow bridge at 8000'

09/06/2009 Easton Glacier: Sunday Morning snowing heavily, complete whiteout conditions, did not summit.

08/31/2009 Easton Glacier: 300 feet of alpine ice at top (below is a crevasse – nice to have ice screws), very direct.

Post post

Neglected blog site. Facebook has won my time! I can look and enjoy and don't have to think a thing!

Elizabeth

Elizabeth has learned silks!  

Hi,  I really liked this, it was sent to me by my sister, Olivia.  It is making the internet rounds and the originator has been lost to me or I would give them credit.

 I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more. 

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive & everlasting. 

I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger. 

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. 

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. 

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye. 

The Reason for God

Several years ago my son Duff would often respond to diatribes with the statement, "One should be able to argue their opponents position as well as their own before they speak about that position."  It is true.  One should grapple with  another's viewpoint, one should be able to see why the 'opposition' holds that position and what are the merits of that position.  I think that is why I like Timothy Keller's book, The Reason for God, so very much.  He begins with the opposition, the merits of the objections to Christian faith, before he displays the love and teachings of Jesus.  As I have been reading this book, one of my son's favorite writers, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, is quoted.  I was struck by the beauty of these words so I will rewrite them here, in hopes that others will be ennobled by them as well.

  It is not a religious act that makes the Christian, but participation in the sufferings of God in the secular life.  That is metanoia (repentance): not in the first place thinking about one's own needs, problems, sins, and fears, but allowing oneself to be caught up into the way of Jesus Christ....Pain is a holy angel... Through him men have become greater than through all the joys of the world....The pain of longing, which often can be felt physically, must be there, and we shall not and need not talk it away  (I am reminded of Meredith's post, "In Praise of Grief" 

http://wheatie2011.blogspot.com)But it needs to be overcome every time, and thus there is an even holier angel than the one of pain, that is the one of joy in God.

Annoying mom thing

I have been thinking about what Jamie said to me and Daniel confirmed, that I am self righteous and overbearing. I surmise that my thinking which leads to self righteousness is this; I read and think I understand a scripture and how it applies to their lives and then try to force them to see it the same way. (That is probably closer to arrogance than self righteousness) Usually motivated by fear and anxiety over their well being which comes through in a very uncomfortable way.  This is a man centered approach to sanctification. It is Christ who sanctifies us, not ourselves nor our understanding, it is Christ who calls and creates the hunger and love for Him. And Christ is calling, sanctifying, and making us all whole, not only is He doing this but in the resurrection sense this work is already complete in the heavenlies; for all of us who call on His name...we may all be in different places in the working out of that salvation in our lives.   I become overbearing when I take my eyes off Christ, who is our sanctification as well as Lord of our holiness and understanding, and presume to play the Holy Spirit in their lives.  Christ is not making any mistakes in our sanctification and He does all things well.

Frustrated

I think I have been absorbing a lot of hurt and negative emotion, dealing badly with anxious people, and generally losing my perspective.

An interesting Fellow

A gentleman's word - http://agentlemansword.blogspot.com/

New Post

As I was sitting here at my desk at Neill Oil a cute girl in a small blue Toyota parked out my door. Thinking it might be someone I know but not recognizing the auto I watched for her to get out. Instead I saw her fill her water bottle with cheap box wine, using that handy spigot and not spilling a drop! soooo watch out for a drinking cute girl in a small blue Toyota, cause she did not come in....she drove Off!

Hooray

Well it has been three years since I have seen snow come down like this.  A rare event in the south, snow in December, has happened in Jackson!  I feel like a true southern girl being so excited by so little snow!  Thirteen years in Michigan left me a little jaded with snow and ice, but I think that is over!

 My lovely father died three minutes into Monday morning.  It has been a difficult week to say the least.  Healing, loving hands, hearts and friends have been everywhere.  The funeral was Friday in Cleveland, MS.  We had all made our way back to Jackson by Saturday.  Duff, Anja, Meredith, Daniel, Ben, James, Jim and I all went to Chapel Hill Saturday night.  It was lovely to walk in the woods, have a bonfire, and just  sit with these wonderful people; family who knew and loved Dad-some as grandfather, some as friend.  We will all miss him and are blessed to have had him.  My mom, who has loved him longer than their 63 years of marriage said it so completely about his death.  "I am just not ready".  It is true 63 years of living with and loving that man just was not enough for her and my 54 years have not been enough for me.  Dad we miss you.

We did this in January

We did this in January and burned it today.  Not all that we knocked down but a large pile of it!  It was a beautiful day today.  The fire burned beautifully and the hot dogs we roasted were yummy.  Hooray for wooded property!

my new hero

This is a picture of Spanky.  He is a fabulous dog.  I personally own a small, black, fluffy ankle biter named Dexter.  This is actually Meredith's dog whom I have bonded with since she left for Wheaton.  Dex and I have been out for walks and no less than three times Spanks has gotten between us and aggressive dogs.  The only one I was really worried about was the last.  A large black lab mix charged out of his electronic fence and proceeded to place his large jaws around Dexter's small neck, when I tried to intervene, (I must say I have experience with dogs and am comfortable dealing with them) this dog went berserk.  I really thought I would not get out without injury and I wasn't sure I could get Dexter out at all...then along came Spanky.   He charged in between Dexter and monster dog, totally wowed monster dog with his sheer huge ugliness, and escorted Dexter and I away from M.D.  This bulldog kept himself between us and this dog all the way home!   Needless to say he was well rewarded with hot dogs and hugs.  He now comes to visit most mornings, sometimes shoving open our back door and coming on into the bedroom to say Hi!   He is always welcome and will always be my hero!

Comment to Hilary

I was reading your blog with interest.  The comment on Russian novels caught me.  No longer a mind which is only academic - rather one which has gone with  sorrowful heart through death with friend, grief over people who hurt our dear loves, distress over sickness and debility in one formerly strong and vigorous ... ( For me even simple t.v. car chase scenes  can be hard to take --knowing Lori who was broadsided by a careless driver, years in recovery and still in pain.)  The life of Christ teaches that on this earth the bad guy often wins and destruction has its way.  Grief, the pain which cannot make it right.  The wrong which cannot be escaped.  Christ wept, we weep. Not overcome with evil but overcoming evil with good.   Sometimes working through the things which are actually happening is all we can do.  When we read or watch t.v., a diversion from the sadness is what our emotions need, not an emersion in another set of characters and the pain of their lives.  So enjoy your respites and when the mind is ready, it will approach those novels with an expanded and hard won comprehension, my dear, lovely niece.

P.S.  I really was sick Saturday night!  When I got home my temp. was 101 !

Pearce and his grammy GG

Pearce perceived his grammy G's heart and is here expounding on world peace.  She of course is delighted and amazed, as were we all.

For Best Results

Go down three blogs to begin.  Work backwards.  

His grandmother tries to do the same...

And fails.

Proof

I know that many of you may be astounded at the intellectual prowess of this tiny one.  Here you may see with your own eyes him explaining the meaning of the universe to his Aunt Susan.

Yes, it is true

There is a new wonder in the world.  This little miracle of perfection is my new great nephew, Pearce, with the emphasis on great.  He really is an intelligent little fellow and I do believe him part elvenkind. ( Note the pointed and perfect little ears)  Amy is being a dear mother to her baby boy, Cathy and Dave the proud grandparents.  We all agree he is an exceptional infant.  His Aunt Susan claims special kinship with him since they share the red hair.