Ma's Literary Corner

 
More of "Narnia"...this time from The Last Battle. The Dwarfs have been tossed through the stable door but cannot see the wonders around them. Convinced they are still tied up in the small dark stable, they huddle in a circle, facing each other...

"Are you blind"" said Tirian.
"Ain't we all blind in the dark!" said Diggle.
"But it isn't dark, you poor stupid Dwarfs," said Lucy. "Cant' you see? Look up! Look round! Can't you see the sky and the trees and the flowers? Can't you see me?"...

..."Aslan," said Lucy through her tears, "could you--would you--do something for these poor Dwarfs?"

"Dearest," said Aslan, "I will show you both what I can, and what I cannot, do." He came close to the Dwarfs and gave a low growl: low, but it set all the air shaking. But the Dwarfs said to one another, "Hear that? That's the gang at the other end of the stable. Trying to frighten us. They do it with a machine of some kind. Don't take any notice. They won't take us in again!"

Aslan raised his head and shook his mane. Instantly a glorious feast appeared on the Dwarfs' knees: pies and tongues and pigeons and trif'les and ices, and each Dwarf had a goblet of good wine in his right hand. But it wasn't much use. They began eating and drinking greedily enough, but it was clear that they couldn't taste it properly. They thought they were eating and drinking only the sort of things you might find in a stable. One said he was trying to eat hay and another said he had got a bit of an old turnip and a third said he'd found a raw cabbage leaf. And they raised golden goblets of rich red wine to their lips and said, "Ugh! Fancy drinking dirty water out of a trough that a donkey's been at! Never thought we'd come to this." But very soon every Dwarfs began suspecting that every other Dwarf had found something nicer than he had, and they started grabbing and snatching, and went on to quarreling, till in a few minutes there was a free fight and all the good food was smeared on their faces and clothes or trodden under foot. But when at last they sat down to nurse their black eyes and their bleeding noses, they all said:

"Well at any rate there's no Humbug here. We haven't let anyone take us in. The Dwarfs are for the Dwarfs."

"You see," said Aslan. "They will not let us help them. They have chosen cunning instead of belief. Their prison is only in their own minds, yet they are in that prison; and so afraid of being taken in that they cannot be taken out..."

C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle, (New York: Harper Collins, 2000), pp. 165, 165-167
 

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Hols of the Day

I figured with January slipping away we'd better do something.

First of all, mention must needs be made of an anniversary which took place just seven days ago...

January 24--Eskimo Pie Day. This is incredibly important because the man who invented them lived right here in lil' ol' Ioway :-)

Have I not said time and again that Iowa is a happenin' kind of place?

Today in History:

1928--Scotch tape 1st marketed by 3-M Company

1929--Leon Trotsky expelled from Russia to Turkey

1933--Hitler promises parliamentary democracy

1934--FDR devalues the dollar in relation to gold at $35 per ounce

1958--"Jackpot Bowling" premieres on NBC with Leo Durocher as host

1958--James van Allen discovers radiation belt (Oh hey...van Allen was at the University of Iowa! It seems there is no end to the Hawkeye state's contributions to culture and science :-)

1964--US report "Smoking & Health" connects smoking to lung cancer

1975--Barry Manilow's "Mandy" goes gold (now, now...I liked Barry Manilow)

1994--Dow Jones hits a record 3,978.36

2008--Loren Hoyt visits the dentist

Here at ye olde homesteade it's currently 10 degrees with fair skies and only -5 wind chill.

What I want to know is...can Hill chill Bill?
 

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Four Old People

Or more to the point, our four oldest kids :-D

Since they aren't living at home at the moment, either for purposes of college, work or actually having a life, I thought it would be nice to send out a smallish update on each.

I'm sure the world wants to know and equally sure the four of them won't mind in the least.

Ardith: Haven't heard a whole lot since the Iowa caucus of early January, when she apparently wowed them by handing in three and a half pages of potential planks. She's still putting up with Jason and I imagine that boy has never eaten so well. Ardith is an excellent cook which just goes to show you that not every homemaking skill (or lack thereof) is handed down from mother to daughter.

Sharon: Has just been retained for another 3 month post with the company she works for. The "temporary" job that was supposed to go from August-September has now stretched through April. Sharon has Kendra over once in a while on the weekend to watch a movie, which is basically why Kendra went to college in the first place. Sharon seems to like winter in Indiana but I don't think we should hold that against her.

Jason: Claims that even though his co-op job has occasional slow periods, "It is still pretty good and frankly, a lot better than being on a ladder or digging a ditch." Yes, that is a quote. He even says working is preferable to being back at school, though I find that hard to believe. Currently he's saving up to buy his dear mother an LCD monitor.

Kendra: In her second semester and has landed an 8-10 hour per week job at the campus grill. I am told that so far she hasn't poisoned anybody, so I think that's a plus. Her first biology exam of the year came back with a 99.75% and she'll probably want to hand in some extra credit assignments to make up that missing .25% (It's alright Hon, I'm sure you tried...)
 

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Life at Prairie Bridges

 
Ma took a little time from her recent shopping trip to stop off at Prairie Bridges Park. This meant I had to forgo a trip to Goodwill, but sometimes grave sacrifices must be made in life.

First time I've ever seen female mallards at the park. Melinda figures the strange markings on the right-most male are that of a juvenile not quite finished with his color changeover.


Aside from the ducks and geese in the front pond, I saw no living thing. No juncos...blue jays...not even a lowly sparrow.

Paws across the water


I never noticed the thorns in summer


Even though authorities block off the roads during winter so that cars won't get stuck, snowmobile trails are evident and...hmmmm, it looks like a four-wheeler got in and drove across the ice...


Wow...some peoples went to a lot of trouble to set up a hockey rink.
I'm assuming they'll be taking those boards away before the ice thaws.

Geese...practicing line dancing, no doubt.

 

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Here's your chance...

...to do something worthwhile.

It takes all of 3 or 4 seconds and costs absolutely nothing.

The small amount of time involved in this activity will run up a counter which will help facilitate the donation of a free mammogram. The corporate sponsors/advertisers use the daily number of visits to donate a mammogram in exchange for advertising.

Here is the site. Click on the pink rectangle that says,

"Click Here to Give, it's FREE!"

You can bookmark it with your everyday sites and then click on it each morning when you log onto your computer :-)

Thanks to cousin Terry for sending this and many thanks for your participation.
 

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Ma and the Big Bad Blizzard

 
Morning dawned as well as a nasty forecast. Unfortunately, son numero duos needed his pro-time. Ma knew what she had to do and steeled herself for the trial.

Warm sweater, gloves and coat were donned. The Green Lincoln of Unremitting Heat was removed from it's docking station and with engine humming and door locked, Captain Ma was heard to forcefully command, "En-gage!"

The trip commenced with cloudy skies and a brisk wind. As the 4th mile of gravel road was traversed, small snow pellets were heard to click against the windshield. The son glanced up briefly from his school book and then bent to renewed study. With a cool but wary eye Ma scanned the horizon and noticed a faint but perceptible haze in the distance.

Strange forebodings shivered through her chunky frame.

A perfect 90 degree turn brought their substantial vehicle to the small rural highway. Traffic was sparse and the haze deepened. Bits of frozen whiteness could be glimpsed at times upon the stark, unfeeling pavement.

There was a barely discernible moan to the car's heater, as though it feared to continue into the teeth of the wind. Something...was out there.

With the clinic destination near at hand, twisty lines of snow could now be seen snaking across the roadway. Whirling...writhing....shifting in tortured swirls before an unrelenting wind.

With a calm expertise Ma maneuvered the vehicle into the last available parking space. Then, heads bent against the cold onslaught, mother and son fought their way into the building, temporarily delayed by the need to manually open the automatic door.

Within minutes of checking in and sitting down, the large glass windows of the clinic display a disquieting sight...snow is falling, nay, spewing in earnest from the heavens. Increasing winds gust and heave great clouds of frozen ice crystals, forming malevolent shapes, ever changing, ever churning.

It is starting to look wicked out there.

As time passes, patients cancel. The waiting room slowly empties yet still no word from the lab technicians. Ma looks nervously at the windows and wonders if they have been forgotten...

Oh will no one stop this mad and torturous waiting?

Apparently not. Ma wanders ever so humbly up to the desk whereupon the wonderful lady looks and sensing Ma's telepathic message of desperation, ("I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE!") places a call to the lab.

Within minutes all is accomplished.

Now it is time for the dangerous trip home. Ma and her finger-pricked son make their hunched-over way to the car where entry is procured and then, blessed respite from the wind. The engine starts and seat belts are buckled...but, what is this? An unmanned SUV...with its lights on?

Ma knows what she must do. Releasing the seat belt she once again braves the wind and snow to turn off the hapless vehicle's lights. The vehicle is LOCKED! Inside a small child's woolen hat lies helpless on the front seat, a mute appeal to spare the owners from some startless fate.

In an attempt to gain the license plate number, our heroine takes labored steps to the front of the vehicle, only to slip on the ice, falling flat on her back! Is she hurt? Is she unconscious? NO! Vowing greater vigilance Ma scrambles to her feet and with her ever facile mind commits the license plate, make and color of the roadster to memory.

After reporting this vital information, she is back in her own car, blissfully shielded from the increasing storm's winds. And now to home!

Ma glances carefully both ways before pulling out onto the road. Visibility is poor..no wait, it is non-existent! Can't see...can't see....whew, the barest edge of white line reappears. The white-out lasted only 2 seconds, but it seemed more like four. Ma proceeds with flashers for the next five miles.

At last the fog of wind-driven snow relents allowing for near normal driving speed. Our brave middle-ager permits herself the luxury of relief.

Upon arriving safely home Ma hops onto the treadmill where she burns calories while watching the noon news. She is not surprised to learn the roads she has traversed so recently are no longer recommended for travel. Ma concurs...oh yes, Ma concurs.
_____________________

So, that was my morning.

Soon after arriving home the weather looked like this...



An hour after the above picture was taken, this is what it looked like outside...

Not an exact comparison since the first photo underwent additional editing, but you get the idea.

The temperature is now 0 with sustained winds at 35 mph. They say the wind chill is -27 but somehow that seems high.

Technically our county resides in a small 'blowing snow advisory' notch located between two blizzard warnings. But since the county just west of us is under the blizzard warning, and since we live one mile from the county line, AND since I remember what it was like to drive this morning, I'm callin' it a blizzard.

Especially after I looked out the front window a little while ago and saw this...you can no longer see the road in front of our house.
Excuse the dirt spots on the window, but ain't no way I am going outside!

The local school system hardly ever calls off classes, but I noticed they let out "4 hours and 30 minutes early," today.

It seems to be dying back a tad at the moment. Oh look...we're up to 1 degree F.
 

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Sunday Night

We did something different last evening. Our church broke up into three groups and met at locations nearest for Bible study and Lord's table time. Fellowship followed.

People didn't have to attend the house nearest them. One could always go further away if you thought they were having better food :-D

(pardon the poor quality of photos. Always keep in mind that Ma is not a professional)

We went to the Weikert's home which is only a coupla miles down the road.
But what is Melinda chuckling about....?

'Tis the winsome Holly Pearl, baby of unblinking fame :-)
Yeah..sorry about the red eye...Ma tried to take it out but her editing skills came up with something far more disturbing.

Trevor and Nolan are irresistibly drawn to the fair damsel.


Trevor made himself right at home. I think Ezra still had most of his hair when we left...


Lydia using an object lesson to explain the Southeastern Asia domino theory to Nolan and Wally.


Loren talking with Dean about possible improvements to the church's sound system...
..."but then I thought, 'why not a double row of sub-woofers all along the back wall?' "

(it's barely possibly I elaborated on the conversation, ever so slightly)

Notice the cool mirror effect? In the world of photography we call this 'dumb luck.'

Incidentally, as baby Holly was a tad fussy, aging Ma tried her hand at holding the small one and actually got her to nod off! Naturally, I went home, slept and then dreamed about having had another baby...a girl.

As I recall, the kids were doing most of the child-care...still, it was rather refreshing to wake up, hee, hee.

Enough of this frivolity. Ma has many unpaid jobs yet to accomplish this day...
 

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One Needs to Have Goals

But first, a short update on la familia, or more specifically, Kendra....who now has a job! Yes, how about that, only one semester finished and already pulling in 45,000 thousand per annum!

Alrighty...that might have been a slight exaggeration. In actuality, Kendra is working 8-10 hours per week at the 'Grille,' which would seem to be some type of eating establishment. It's an alternative to the Grace's cafeteria which I should hasten to add, gets much better reviews than LeTourneau's. (all aspects of the campus community should be considered, when choosing a college)

So while it's true that she has a job, she is not pulling in quite the amount I previously mentioned and she is still, in fact, in college.

I just thought the 45 grand sounded exciting.
______________

On to goals.

It's important during this part of the year, when the winter doldrums can so easily set in, that one keeps a firm grasp on reality. This can be accomplished by setting definite and attainable goals for each and every day.

Ma will try and set a good example and list her goals for the day:

• Brush teeth. Yes, I do think I can get this done in a timely manner. Perhaps even before noon.
  
  
• Watch Veggie Tales with the kids. One should always make room for laughter in one's day. And since there is some spiritual lesson taught in each episode, this should count for my daily devotions. There's no law that says one activity can't count for two goals.
  
  
• Finish work at the church for this week. This will be facilitated by driving the zippy red car, which is parked out in the driveway. Because I have to walk across the yard AND operate the stick shift, this will count for part of my daily exercise. The high point of this morning's cleaning will be when I stop to eat a protein bar. It's rather chewy, so that's also part of the exercise regimen.
  
  
• Have the kids fix lunch. There's really nothing worse than coming back from two hours of cleaning and finding that you have to fix lunch. And then, it is good for kids to have to fix lunch...they get practice, Mom gets a break, and if it all plays out right, their lunch is not quite as good as Mom's lunch whereupon everyone appreciates Mom more. This is known as your 'win-win' situation.
  
  
• Nap. Sometimes I just go up and read, but I usually tell the kids that I might have to rest, too, causing much regret and remorse on their part that they have made my life so difficult. Instillation of guilt is one of the most important things a parent can pass on to a child.
  
  
• Making meatloaf, baked potatoes and....'something' for supper. This is a fairly good meal at our house and should throw them off balance after the scrambled eggs and leftovers lameness of last night.
  
  
• Make sure Nolan and Trevor get their baths. That way when we go to church tomorrow, people will think they look that good all the time.
  
  
• Sack out on the couch for Guy Lombardo and Lawrence Welk.

Like I said, it's important to have goals in life.
 

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Arte de Nolan

I saw Nolan paging through an old newspaper flyer this morning. Soon there was a request for the scissors. Later this appeared on the outside of his and Trevor's bedroom door.
Several things are to be noticed:

1) Discovery of an old Christmas advert means Ma has a few places to clean. Oh yeah...like that's news.

2) Nolan appreciates pretty artwork, but seems to have forgotten my request to NOT put tape on the wooden doors.

3) He didn't realize it was a promotion for a funeral home...or, maybe he did and tore out a coupla letters, expressing his desire that the joint become a 'more fun' residence.

Here's a new work I discovered on the fridge this morning...
Again with the sctoch tape!

'Tis a happy summer scene on the waterfront. The father and mother wave goodbye from the dock. (that's the mom with the pancake flipper in her hand...she's making eggs for her husband)

The parents--who have lots of kids--have responsibly sent them off to spend the day in waterish pursuits. Some are on the boat and some are in the water.

One child seems to have gone a tad deep for his snorkel, but perhaps he's coming up soon...

Two underwater persons are attempting to attack a shark with spear guns. The shark has especially formidable-looking teeth and he apparently swims with mouth open, the better to show off his choppers. ("Oh the shark bites...with his teeth dear...and he keeps them...pearly white....")

To the left of the boat one can faintly see an object that was drawn and then erased. Upon close questioning the artist admitted that it had been a mermaid but after further reflection he removed it, thinking it might be 'bad.' His mother elected not to pursue that line of questioning any further.

At the bottom we see a treasure chest as well as the listing of four club members. It is thought the name order denotes their importance, the last having so little significance that he didn't even know he was in the club.

We like the picture although it makes us pine for summer.
 

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So....

...it's Friday and that means time to weigh-in....

Down, 1.5 pounds :-)

That makes a net loss of 3 pounds over roughly 2.5 weeks.

I guess I can live with that. I sorta missed those 3 half pieces of bagel I gave up this past week, though. I still have these occasional urges to snarf anything in sight but I shall endeavor to be 'good.'

Someone needs to find a way to make tasty carbs low-calorie and winter shorter.
 

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Dayo del Libraro

Survive, we did.

Books were gotten and pictures were taken...

Comfy?
Nolan reads up on his two mentors, Irving and Muktuk: Two Bad Bears.

Ethan's become quite the reader of late.
He must have carted home 10 or 12 history books.

Trevor mugs for the camera, raising the possibility that Popeye was amongst our ancestors.


Safely back home with shelved library books.

I'm finding it increasingly hard to believe 'El Shrimpo' will be six next month. Of course, Trevor's standing next to someone who's birth weight beat his by 3 pounds.

In weather news: STILL COLD. Tomorrow will warm a bit and bring an inch or two of snow. Looks like today was the best time for book acquirement.
 

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Ma's Literary Corner

Before we get all erudite let's establish a few facts:

1) It's crazy cold right now! Woke up to -15 air temp and -32 wind chill. For a bit it got even colder with an air temperature of -18. Currently it's moderated to a more reasonable -12 with only -24 wind chill.

2) We're going to the library this afternoon

3) Every time we have a library trip planned, I wake up several hours early. God does this so I can finish the last library book I forgot about until an alarm goes off in my head in the wee hours of the morning.

4) I don't usually choose the coldest day of the year to go out, but there were several mitigating factors:

  a) Yesterday looked 'out' since there was a forecast of blowing and drifting snow for the afternoon.

  b) Tomorrow looked iffy since the weather peoples had mentioned a 'chance of snow.' (the 'chance of snow' earlier this week turned out to be 5 inches)

  c) Sooner or later I had to pick a day, so I did, and adjusted certain school requirements accordingly. After that decision, the forecast for tomorrow changed...

  d) I'm not in the mood for any more changes, so we're goin' today and that's final!

____________________

The Book That Changed My Life: 71 Remarkable Writers Celebrate the Books That Matter Most to Them

Edited by Roxanne J. Coady & Joy Johannessen

Ma saw this small volume of 189 pages and immediately was struck by two things...1) It looked interesting and 2) I might even finish it before the two month deadline.

Each author only takes up 1-3 pages, not too daunting a task for my short attention span.

It wasn't long before my index card bookmark was made messy by the pen and pencil scribblings of books and authors to be read...'Camus, Gertrude Stein' and 'G.K. Chesterton.'

The book To Kill a Mockingbird came up for three different authors, as well it should.

Some entries I took note of for the author's book selection, and some I jotted down for the writer's description of their favorite book...I wanted to read what they wrote.

But here is a sample of one that caught my eye and made me chuckle...author Michael Stern claimed the book that changed his life, the one that he read the most, was the Sears Catalogue.

"It was my window on the world. Poring over the Sears catalogue and looking at its pictures taught me more about everything than anything I have ever read. I relished reading about the material lives that were nothing like my own. Where else could a nice Jewish boy growing up in a polite Midwestern suburb learn the differences between gas-powered and electric-powered arc welders, the advantage of a short-throw, lever-action hunting rifle, the serenity to be found in a family Bible with self-pronouncing type, and the superiority of let-out skins over split skins in a mink stole?"

I'm more of a book person, myself :-) though I doubt life will permit all delectable possibilities to be devoured.

Keep warm.

Stay inside.

Read.
 

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Regarding Heat Pumps Biting the Dust

 
We're ag'in it.

'nuff said.

But of course, you KNOW Ma can say more. And despite the fervent prayers of many, she will.

I may have mentioned it's been cold this past week. Nothing quite so bad as International Falls, MN, but around or below zero several times.

Tonight may be the coldest yet, with 15-20 below.

Needless to say, the furnace has been running pert near non stop. And being the happenin' kinda people we are, our heating system includes a heat pump and something called a heat strip.

I've never been quite sure what the heat strip does, but it sounds pretty wussy to me. Probably just enough heating capacity to warm a small closet.

We've been staying fairly toasty, as long as one keeps away from the side of the house bracing the wind. Since I moved my laptop to the living room everything is hunky dory, excepting that I haven't yet figured out how to do the alt accent marks...

But getting back to unexpected bills, yesterday we noticed a disturbing trend where the surge protectors were screeching at us in a fashion not compatible with your simple tree-branch-scraping-a-wire scenario.

Loren determined that the heat pump was working too hard and flipping the breaker, turning off the furnace completely. So he switched off the heat pump and we've been running the furnace alone.

Oh yes, he also called the heating guys and they stopped by this afternoon.

The compressor motor has burned out on the heat pump and that's what had triggered the overload and thus the furnace offage.

What does this mean?

It means a brand new heat pump. I guess 13 years is a good run for those kinds of things. I guess.

I'm hoping we can get the kind they advertise on TV...you know, the ones that come in different colors and teach you how to play the guitar.

Do you suppose they have those on Ebay?
 

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The Scenic Route

 
Today in History:

1575--English queen Elizabeth I grants Thomas Tallis & William Byrd music press monopoly

(more on that, later)

It will come as no shock to hear my mind doesn't work the same way as people who are good with computers and math.

Oh, and also those with a 'Y' chromosome.

I've often wished it did, if for no other reason than to spare me the labor of keeping my eyes from glazing over while 'someone' animately points out how he plugged a light into an extension cord to decrease the load of something else...from...somewhere. ("You know, you remind me of 'Red Green,' except your stuff doesn't blow up as much.")

One of these days I'm going to read up on math again, particularly if I can find a book that explains concepts in a readable way, without 30 practice problems in-between each new concept.

And after that I'll tackle electronics, computer science and....oh, I don't know...maybe even quantum physics. But I'd like to master Chaos Theory, first.

In the meantime, I often succumb to my 'association' brain, which leads me amongst the most interesting rabbit trails.

Funny, how odd bits and pieces can spur our thoughts on a quest, discovering in the end that those seemingly unrelated morsels in fact, add up to a very full meal.

Now, what connections can be found in:

--the movies Master and Commander and Godzilla
--a Hoyt family reunion, and
--three composers ranging from 1505 to 1958 ?

You get a beautiful hymn rendition, which unfortunately no one has recorded for YouTube.

One of the activities alway enjoyed at our Hoyt reunions (which occur roughly every 2 years) is an informal hymn sing.

We sit around in someone's living room and pick favorites from the Trinity Hymnal. This puts the Iowa part of the clan at a distinct disadvantage since we're not familiar with this hymnal.

(and I will have to say here, that the Trinity Hymnal contains real hymns, as opposed to most modern day hymnals which are chock full of gospel songs and increasingly, the type of "praise and worship" items that are pretty much "me and You, God" instead of corporately oriented....but I digress)

Loren and I are good sports though, and we can be seen flipping forlornly through the unfamiliar material in a vain attempt to find ANYTHING recognizable before the rellies pick out another of their favorite dirges.

(Ha ha! Just kidding you guys :-)

We do know a few and there was one gem that made a particular impression this past June.

Simply entitled, General Hymns, it is the musical setting which infuses special grandeur into the words, "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say."

Sometime in the 1500's, Thomas Tallis wrote the music. He was a prominent English church musician who wrote for the likes of Henry VIII, Edward the VI, Queen Mary and Elizabeth I. Queen Liz made things more comfy by giving both Tallis and his contemporary, William Byrd, a 21 year monopoly to write and print music. Not to take away anything from the Tallis composing abilities, but hey, ye olde monopolye couldn't have hurt.

"Third Mode Melody" being the hymn tune, along came Scottish minister and hymn writer Horatius Bonar in the 1800's to write the words. Mr. Bonar set these words to different music and all was quiet until...

Ralph Vaughan Williams came on the scene, finding the Tallis hymn tune and using it as the basis for his Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis.

The Fantasia is for orchestra, but I'm assuming it was 'Rafe,' (you don't pronounce it 'Ralph') who also put Bonar's words with Tallis' music. I had to stop searching for irrefutable proof after a coupla hours....though I'm open to an official pronouncement from someone who knows.

The orchestral music is also used quite poignantly in Master and Commander, as well as two other movies which I have not seen. Ma votes for M & C as "Best Movie Utilizing a Ship and RVW Music."

But the most extraordinary revelation came this afternoon, when Melinda heard the selection and exclaimed, "Hey, that's from Godzilla!"

Yes, wonders never cease. The one saving grace in the King of Lame Cinematography.

Much as I would like to share this haunting melody wedded to a giant Japanese monster, I've picked out an orchestral rendition of Ralph Vaughn William's Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, Part 1. When the time stamp hits 1:08, the melodic theme starts and the words under the embed can be put to the music...




I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Come unto me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one,
Lay down thy head upon my breast."
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary, and worn, and sad;
I found in him a resting place,
And he has made me glad.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,
Stoop down and drink and live."
I came to Jesus and I drank
Of that life giving stream;
My thirst was quench'd, my soul revived,
And now I live in him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"I am this dark world's light;
Look unto me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy day be bright."
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I'll walk
'Till trav'ling days are done.

-----------

And to think...this all started 438 years ago in the Renaissance.
 

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Shopping Adventures With Ma

It is snowy and cold. The roads show signs of deterioration.

Ma is faced with the potential life-or-death decision...Should she take time to stop at Goodwill?

Her lightning quick brain sorts through the odds of survival vs. the dangers of missing out on some great buy....she decides to stop.

OH HAPPY DAY! She discovers a video of The Three Tenors :D

Is this a great country, or what?

No matter what happens now, her life has been complete. Victorious Ma heads over to Wal*Mart, the dwelling place of Dove's, Lindt, and other vital necessities.

*buy, buy, buy, buy, buy*

Having safely made it out of Wal*Mart without setting off the inventory alarm, Shopping Ma fights her way to the car and notices...
..."CART ROUND-UP IN PARKING LOT 'B'!!"

Dealing with weather hardships that would daunt lesser women (not to mention, men), Adventurous Ma determines to press on....
...secure in the knowledge that if stranded, she will have enough chocolate to survive for several hours.

*GASP* The bank thermometer measures a paltry 7 degrees! How will Ma manage?
We weep for her staunch courage in the face of numbing adversity.

Upon leaving the grocery store, Driver Ma traverses snow-covered city streets with deft turnings and calm aplomb.


Aload with supplies, Victorious Ma heads home on iffyish roads.


Ma hears the wind whistling through the crack of the malicious rear window.
Unable to hold itself up, the lazy window inches downward, letting in potentially lethal cold air.

Ma takes a picture while driving (is there no end to this woman's talents?) and continues bravely on...

Oh dear! It is a forlorn cow, left out in the cold. Snow collects on the helpless bovine's hide.
Ma sends out a telepathic message of empathy..."Bon chance, mi moo-moo amigo! Be strong, My hoof-ed One..."

O blessed relief! Intrepid Ma is almost home, having successfully bucked the encroaching drifts with the help of her faithful sidekick, "Green Lincoln Dragon Lady."


Well done, Ma. You---are---our---HERO.

And that's all

of Shopping Adventures With Ma.
 

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Groceries and Two Nuggets

Ma is soon off to procure materials of sustenance for la familia. The temperature is 10 and the windchill is -6. At least three inches of show have fallen since last night. I know this because Sandy R. stopped by with some of her leftover birthday cake :-) and there was a drift on the porch steps up to her knees.

Of course, this is basically Sandy's fault since she--like me--should be taller. Then the unshoveled snow only would have come up to her shin.

But don't feel bad, Sandy! Really.

I'll be taking the "Green Dragon Lady" out of its safe garage nest, to barrel through the driveway at lightning speed, whipping up the incline and making a 90 degree turn onto the gravel road.

I sure hope no car has the audacity to be coming past our drive at the same time.

There's a little break in the snowfall and then it will ramp up again later this evening, with wind to follow.

Pictures at 11, if I make it back.

Until then, two oddish new stories:

Self-destructing palm trees and

Oops! We thought he was dead.
 

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Greetings...

...from the Hoyt living room.

With minimal trouble Ma was able to release her laptop from it's portal bonds and it now sits with me on the couch, burning a hole in my left leg.

But at least my hands and feet aren't numb!

I've found the best way to save all your opened tabs is to just yank that baby off the mount, that way Firefox asks you the magic question, "Your last session ended unexpectedly. Do you wish to restart the session?"

"Of course!" I cheerfully answer, not realizing that:

a)I hadn't inserted my wireless card, and
b)I had 40 tabs to restart

It's hard to explain WHY I have that many tabs open. Perhaps I enjoy the availability of options, plus there's always the answer a terribly famous person once gave as to why he did something incredibly stupid..."Because I can."

It's not my fault it takes me a long time to research stuff. How can one possibly be expected to check on the composer, lyricist and and arranger of a musical piece without having three separate tabs? And I can't be obliged to close all of my YouTube opera links, fer cryin' out loud! (by the way, reopening 3 or more YouTube pieces at the same time gives a whole new meaning to the term, 'polytonality')

In other news, Iowa awaits another "little storm." What as recently as yesterday morning was described as a 30% chance of very light snow, now could turn into 4 or 5 inches. We'll see if anything materializes, as our neck o' the woods quite often ends up with one quarter of what's forecast.

No MATTER!

Ma and her computer have conquered the couch.
 

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The New Way

Ma's new way involves the old method of photographing papers and then posting the picture, as opposed to actual scanning. (it's just easier for me) But someday I'll get around to scanning old family photos. The potential income from blackmailing looks to be more of a sure thing than Social Security.

Anyways, here is that problem of Carolyn's:
I'm told that the '2' in Step 2 stands for the 2/7 leftover. The final answer would be that 1050 = 'x'.

Likewise, in the bottom problem 'M' = 4

Again, I'm not saying this is different than normal procedures, just different than what Saxon Math puts forth in 1/2 Algebra. Carolyn claims she got done with her math much faster doing it "her way."

Of course, I could check this out for myself, but that would mean looking over her math book, rereading material and quite possibly bringing on a migraine. None of us wants that.


And in keeping with the 'new' theme, Carolyn devised a alternate way to play 'Settlers of Catan' which involves people having their own cute, little islands, plus a few new rules. "It's alright, Mommy, because everyone agreed to it!"
It all sounds very libertarian to me...
 

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It's FREEZING!

With wind chills forecast to be between 20 and 35 degrees BELOW zero, this little girl is not going outside anytime soon. At least not until this afternoon when I have to start cleaning the church.

Welp, it's Friday, and that means weigh-in time....gained one pound. Huh. I'm chalking it up to increased muscle mass. Muscles wave loosely in the breeze, right?

Seriously though, I did jack up the exercise this week, so I'm gonna give it seven more days and then if I don't see results I will have a rant of colossal proportions, hitherto unseen by mortal man.

They say it's important to have goals when one is trying to lose weight.
________________

On the kid front, Carolyn was all happy this morning as she claims to have discovered a new, easier way to do ratio problems. Melinda said it was more complicated as there is nothing but division involved with Carolyn's method.

I told her I didn't care just as long as:
a) she gets the right answer,
b) she still knows how to do the Saxon method, since the book is bound to use it in more difficult problems later on, and
c) she doesn't ask me, since ratios were never my strong point.
________________

*takes break to go thaw fingers*

Really, I am almost certain that my computer corner is 15-20 degrees colder than the rest of the house. Of course, I could disengage my laptop from its homing portal (or whatever that's called) since my computer is my laptop, but that would entail asking people how to do things and I have strong convictions against putting myself in a position of looking ignorant.

No, I'd much rather have something to complain about. Besides, they say you burn more calories when you shiver.
________________

We had a small (unlabeled) storm roll through on Wed/Thurs. It didn't give us more than 2-3 inches, but it was enough to make most things white again and bring wicked winds in its wake.

I ventured outside yesterday, which means I opened the door and pointed the camera. (Ma will have to spend much time in prayer before she senses the Spirit directing her to actually go outside in this weather. I am already receiving strong vibes to the effect that when I go to clean I should take one of the cars in the garage, rather than the hole-riddled oldie sitting in the driveway)

Here is a little drift that Ethan cleared from the base of the steps.


Ethan had visions of shoveling in front of the garage, but the wind chill got to him.
I think the snow tires can plow through this.

Nearby barns, watching sunset.


Stay warm, everyone. I have to go sit on my hands, now...
 

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Dear Ma,

Recently I went up in our attic to store some boxes and was startled to see several bats flying around. I don't like the thought of it, even if my husband says they are beneficial and eat mosquitoes. I keep having flashbacks to the time I was a little kid and snuck over to the neighbor's house to watch "Dark Shadows." Can you tell me of some pet we could buy that would scare away the bats?

Signed,

Bats in the belfry.

Dear Bat Woman,

I'm so glad that you wrote as it gives me the opportunity of pointing out a glaring syntactical error ...never, NEVER end a sentence in a preposition, already!

As to the cuddly bat creatures, this might be a good time to go to the library and check-out that seminal literary work on pest control, The King, the Mice and the Cheese.

While the king thought he was solving his mice problem by acquiring cats, that only led to a cat problem which necessitating replacing them with dogs, then lions, etc., etc.

(of course what he should have done was chuck his neocounsular wise men, who kept bringing in larger animals, which were not only hard on the Mughal architecture but created more fertilizer than could be handled, so to speak)

No, what you need to do is to follow the prescription at the end of the book, which would be: set up fancy little tables with bat-food delicacies, bat drinks and yes, even waiters. Perhaps your husband would be able to help out in the latter capacity, as he sounds like an intelligent fellow with true empathy for the animal world.

Best wishes and remember...keep your head down and always wear garlic,

Ma
 

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Hols of the Day

Today is supposed to be International Hot & Spicy Food Day. Whip up a little Doro Wat from yesterday and you'll be all set.

Also, National Nothing Day. Pretty lame, if you ask me.

Here's something with a little more UMPH....
Religious Freedom Day, which takes it's date from an action by the Virginia Legislature in 1786 (see end of post), whose ordinance was used as a model for the 1st amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

In plain language, the above amendment guarantees the right for people of different persuasions to argue whether or not the concept "separation of church and state" was implied by the Founding Fathers, heh, heh.

Today In History:

1547--Ivan the Terrible was crowned Czar of Russia.
1581--English parliament passes laws against Catholicism (it would appear they had no Religious Freedom Day)
1896--The first five-player college basketball game was played at Iowa City, IA. (let's hear it for Iowa!)
1920--18th Amendment, prohibition, becomes the law of the land - one year after ratification; it is repealed in 1933
1938--Benny Goodman refuses to play Carnegie Hall when black members of his band were barred from performing
1939--Comic strip "Superman" debuts
1962--Shooting begins on "Dr No" (I'm assuming they meant 'filming.' Would it have killed them to be more precise in their language?)

The following is labeled as Religious History and (as mentioned above) has a direct bearing on today's designation as
Religious Freedom Day.

1786-- The Virginia Legislature adopted the Ordinance of Religious Freedom, which guaranteed that no man would be forced to attend or support any church. This mandate later became the model for the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The above link is absolutely worth reading, both for its historical interest as well as the amazing achievement of squishing some 726 words (yes, I counted them by hand) into one sentence.

So then, time to celebrate.

Go find someone and start arguing.
 

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My Son, the Reptile

You would think bony-legged boys--who tend to run off their fat quicker than girls--wouldn't want to wear shorts in the winter, but Nolan frequently does.

It matters not that his bedroom is the coldest one in the house or that we've had temperatures in the single digits twice this week.

It especially matters not that I've suggested MOST people wear long pants in the winter.
_______________

Ma: "I need somebody to get the mail..."

Nolan: "I will, Mommy."

Ma: "In shorts? What do you think would happen if I let you go out like that and somebody drove by? They would probably say, 'What kind of a mother would let her kid go out in shorts !?'"

Nolan: "....so, can I go?"

Ma: "Not in shorts. No."

Trevor: "You could put on long pants..." (ah, that's my snarky 'I'm-your-little-brother-and-I'll-make-you-look-bad' Bunny ;-)

Nolan: "....*sigh*....Oh boy..."
________________

Carolyn got the mail.
 

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Here's somthing else...

...to warm the cockles of your heart:

John McCain's daughter has a blog.

Glimpses of the campaign trail, make-up tips...what's not to love?

Even a write-up in the Arizona Republic.

For now, Meghan McCain is enjoying being a role model.

"I have little girls coming up to me at town hall wanting to check out my shoes and talk about global warming," she said. "It really warms my heart."

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For a Cold Day

Ma is feeling all domesticky this morning. What better way to pass on these warm cuddly vibes than by posting a recipe :-)

The following came from my nephew's wedding meal, this past June. Most of us weren't there, but thankfully Ardith and Sharon were, and through talking about it on her blog, and certain persons out Ioway reading about it, vast groanings and creakings of email machinery have occurred, producing at last....

Doro Wat (Ethiopian Chicken Stew)

chicken--either one whole chicken, skinned and cut into parts, or 2-3 lbs. boneless/skinless breasts and/or thighs (for the wedding we used boneless)
1 lime
6 cups (yes, 6) chopped onions
2 c. butter or margarine
1 cup berbere (an Ethiopian spice mixture) or:
1/2 c. curry powder
1/4 c. paprika
2 T. red pepper (more for spicier doro wat, less for milder)
2 T. cumin
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp.ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. grape juice (recipe actually calls for wine, we usually use juice)
2 c. tomato puree
1-2 c. water (as needed to reach desired consistency)

Quarter the lime, and soak the chicken in a bowl with lime quarters for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours). Sweat the onions over low heat in a heavy pan or skillet without butter or margarine until softened. Add butter or margarine, stirring until melted, then add all dry spices and stir together. Add tomato puree and grape juice, and blend well. Add chicken to mixture and cook over medium heat for 30-40 minutes. Add water as needed to reach desired consistency. (Think marinara sauce consistency.)

Notes:
Traditionally, hard-boiled eggs are scored and added to doro wat just before serving. Stir them in to coat with stew mixture.
Even when using boneless chicken, I usually cut meat into smaller pieces.
Real Ethiopian doro wat is so spicy it's almost off the charts. What we served at the wedding was less than mild in comparison, but should be about what this recipe yields. Having said that, you might want to go really easy on the red pepper initially, and then add heat after you've got the stew mixed together, so you end up with the right amount of spice/heat.
Injera is the spongy flat bread that doro wat is eaten with in Ethiopia. Some reasonable substititutions would be tortillas, crepes, rice or couscous--tortillas or crepes, like injera, would be used both as "plate" and eating utensil; rice or couscous could be the base under the doro wat.

The added notes are from my sister-in-law Cindy, mother of the groom.

Now wouldn't it be funny if today were actually National Chicken Day?

'Tisn't. However it is National Hat Day, so be advised to have your head covered while making the Doro Wat.
 

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Ma's Literary Corner

At the beginning of the 06/07 school year I started reading through "The Lord of the Rings" to the children before bed. It was, perhaps, the fourth time and even though most have read the series for themselves, they still enjoy hearing it read aloud, despite Ma's appalling inability to differentiate between all the dwarfish voices in The Hobbit.

We finished all four books by the middle of summer, I think, helped in no small part by the February ice storm which outed the lights and most of civilization's entertainments.

For the 07/08 school year we took on "Narnia", another repeated but much loved series.

My first time through these works of C.S. Lewis I undoubtedly enjoyed the plot most of all, but children who have been brought up with some Bible instruction would hardly fail to miss the allegorical aspects, particularly of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Others in the series I liked less, but have found with each successive reading to glean some new appreciation, whether it be a literary device or just "being hit in a new way."

And so it is with The Silver Chair. Never one of my favorites (though all are obviously enjoyable), it has has been a renewing experience this time. Events have taken place in the last 10 years that have helped me identify with being underground.

At any rate, we arrived at a most critical juncture in the storyline last night, demanding that we read not one but two chapters.

To set the scene: the tense drama of the moment is enveloped in a deceitful lull of action, as the Witch endeavors to weave her spell of sweet-sounding words and make the four protagonists disbelieve that which they have always thought to be true...

The Witch shook her head.

"I see,"

she said,

"that we should do no better with your LION, as you call it, than we did with your SUN. You have seen lamps, and so you imagined a bigger and better lamp and called it the SUN. You've seen cats, and now you want a bigger and better cat, and it's to be called a LION. Well, 'tis a pretty make-believe, though, to say truth, it would suit you all better if you were younger. And look how you can put nothing into your make-believe without copying it from the real world, this world of mine, which is the only world. But even you children are too old for such play. As for you, my lord Prince, that art a man full grown, fie upon you! Are you not ashamed of such toys? Come, all of you. Put away these childish tricks. I have work for you all in the real world. There is no Narnia, no Overworld, no sky, no sun, no Aslan. And now, to bed all. And let us begin a wiser life tomorrow. But, first, to bed; to sleep; deep sleep, soft pillows, sleep without foolish dreams."

The Prince and the two children were standing with their heads hung down, their cheeks flushed, their eyes half closed; the strength all gone from them; the enchantment almost complete. But Puddleglum, desperately gathering all his strength, walked over to the fire. Then he did a very brave thing. He knew it wouldn't hurt him quite as much as it would hurt a human; for his feet (which were bare) were webbed and hard and cold-blooded like a duck's. But he knew it would hurt him badly enough; and so it did. With his bare foot he stamped on the fire, grinding a large part of it into ashes on the flat hearth. And three things happened at once.

First, the sweet, heavy smell grew very much less. For though the whole fire had not been put out, a good bit of it had, and what remained smelled very largely of burnt Marsh-wiggle, which is not at all an enchanting smell. This instantly made everyone's brain far clearer. The prince and the children held up their heads again and opened their eyes.

Secondly, the Witch, in a loud, terrible voice, utterly different from all the sweet tones she had been using up till now, called out,

"What are you doing? Dare to touch my fire again, mud-filth, and I'll turn the blood to fire inside your veins."

Thirdly, the pain itself made Puddleglum's head for a moment perfectly clear and he knew exactly what he really thought. There is nothing like a good shock of pain for dissolving certain kinds of magic.

"One word, Ma'am,"

he said, coming back from the fire; limping, because of the pain.

"One word. All you've been saying is quite right, I shouldn't wonder. I'm a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won't deny any of what you said. But there's one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we HAVE only dreamed, or made up, all those things--trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours IS the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play-world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready, we're leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that's a small loss if the world's as dull a place as you say."

C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair, (New York: Harper Collins, 2000), pp. 179-182

 
And I would join Scrubb and Jill in exclaiming,

"Oh, hurrah! Good old Puddleglum!"

 

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Ahhhh, Sunday

What could be better than church followed by sitting at one's computer, listening to Pavarotti sing "La Donna é mobile?"

Taking pictures of little kids in their after-church activity :-)

We Dispensationalists have to have fun once in a while, 'cause you never know when the world will end.

Here is my Bunny Boy trying to stick the ears on his Edible Snowman.


Graham cracker base, white frosting. Then stack lg. marshmallows, with frosting glue between each, pretzels for arms, glue on mini M&M's for eyes, mini marshmallows for ears and mini peanut butter cup for top hat. Licorice strands for mouth and scarf,

and,

Voilà!...the finished product. Ooooo...Frosty's chapeau is lookin' pret--ty yummy.


Mild-mannered Nolan is happy to be the subject of any picture.


And best of all, everyone stayed perfectly clean....right, David?


"Mommy? What is that weird lady doing?"
(don't worry, James...Mrs. Hoyt is perfectly harmless)

Awww Laci...you are too cute!


Got enough pretzels, Liana?


Ah Laura...you and Ma are kindred spirits :-)

 

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Searching the Bat Cave

Ma has just completed a semi-thorough shakedown of the joint for those winged-mice thingies.

Nothing.

I should have looked the very day after I first saw them.

Armed with a sweatshirt, broom, paper towels and flashlight, I headed up to the attic.

Every good pest exterminator has to ask themselves the question: "WWaBD?" (What Would a Bat Do?") Well, for one thing, it would be absolutely NUTS to stay up there where it is SO COLD! I looked around anyway, being careful not to trip over the holes where the new support beams had been erected, or fall through the ceiling of the master bath.

No bats, but I did find a juice cup that had been taken up by either Jason or Kendra when they were working over the summer. Naturally, I could have brought it down myself, but as a matter of principle, I really think one of them should.

As long as I had all my bat-whacking equipment, I ventured down to the new basement, which still has a dirt/clay floor. And while there was one mosquito flying around, it did not seem enough to support the lifestyle of your average middle class bat, though I did check every cranny.

On to the old basement under the original house. This is your classic old basement complete with cobwebs and exposed floor joists. These joists just happen to be the very same color as bats, so I had to run the flashlight up and down EVERY SINGLE ONE, except for the corner where there is insulation piled up. Also, if there were excessive cobwebs hanging down I did not feel led to be compulsive in my checking procedures. Again, WWaBD?

In the end I found no bats but the endeavor was not a total loss. I did discover a drip from the original bathroom onto the cement floor. This would not have happened had I not been searching for bats and a certain person been taking a shower at that precise moment.

I love it when life makes sense.
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On a more successful note, Ma has lost 2.5 pounds! Since Monday.

I decided to have the weekly weigh-ins on Friday. Much better than Monday, the day after sitting for 4 or 5 hours and not exercising. (Sunday's my day off)

So far so good on my diet lifestyle change. Next update in one week.
____________________________

Here's some funny news...a guy tricked the French Media into thinking he was President of Facebook! You just gotta love it.

I've been invited to join Facebook but so far haven't. But now that I know it can be such an empowering place, I might have to change my mind...

Also in the news this morning....I was gratified to learn of my innocence regarding graft charges.

I have to admit it all seems like a dream.
 

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Demise

 
CRASH

"DON'T MOVE!"

(I just love it how everyone runs to the scene of broken glass...particularly when barefoot)

"Let me sweep it up...there could be shards all over the place..."

And thus two cereal bowls bit the dust.

Yes, there was crying, from the Bunny Boy on behalf of his one-of-a-kind clear bowl, reserved only for him.

Yes, there were instructions on how NOT to stuff the cupboard after emptying the dishwasher, setting up an assault on the next unsuspecting person.

Yes, Ma swept it up in her stocking feet...I figured they would offer some protection.

Yes, I may have gotten a teensy-weensy bit in my foot. With any luck it'll travel up my leg, through the trunk and up to my ear where it'll dislodge more wax.

OOOoooo, that reminds me....I've had a bit of success in that arena.

No, I am not obsessed. Not at all.
 

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The Ear Thing

 
As I wait for Nolan to finish the onerous task of completing his 35 EASY multiplication problems ("It takes so long...!" "That's because you're not work-ing.") I would like to announce that I have just put the ol' eardrops in again this morning and, again, no results. Other than a vague ache on the left side.

Thought you would want to know.
 

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Sneezing....

...it's just so fulfilling.

And I find that with each passing year they get louder.

Gone are the petite little girlie sneezes of yesteryear. The kind that remind you of sweet young lassies, dressed in pinafores and skipping through wildflowers.

Nowadays the sneezes are more akin to large Amazons charging through the rain forest, wearing combat boots and a necklace made from Bambi's teeth.

But aside from the forced similes, I'm really starting to frighten the kids. And this is a family where we discourage people from jumping out and saying, "Boo!" No one wants a cardiac arrest on their conscience, after all.

Unfortunately, Ma's sneezes are getting SO LOUD and unexpected that we are in danger of causing emotional scarring in the children.

I'm trying ever so hard not to get sick.

Zicam...zinc lozenges, and anything else that starts with 'z.'

Sneezing feels really good, though. Sorta like politically correct yelling.

Does anyone know why sneezes get louder with age?
 

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Ma's Newsy Nuggets

 
Just so's you know, the word of the year--according to The American Dialectic Society--is 'subprime.'

You'll want to add it to all spell-check dictionaries.
______________

And America isn't alone. Australians have until January 31st to vote on such selections as:

Griefers...are players who deliberately sabotage online computer games instead of abiding by the rules.

or

Chindia is used as a noun to refer to China and India as a collective unit, in terms of economic power and strategic importance.

But my very favorite is:

Man flu...a minor cold contracted by a man who then proceeds to exaggerate the symptoms...

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Speaking of words, you may have heard of the ad placed in the paper by a Fort Dodge, Iowa mother:

"OLDS 1999 Intrigue. Totally uncool parents who obviously don't love teenage son, selling his car. Only driven for three weeks before snoopy mom who needs to get a life found booze under front seat. $3,700/offer. Call meanest mom on the planet."

Heh, heh.
 

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Driver's Training

For

Kendra

and

Derek

Jerry Scott & Jim Borgman know the score.
 

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When the Pollsters Lose, the People Win

 
SOOooo funny! And this is not a comment concerning who won or lost in New Hampshire last night, but just a bit of glee that those who feel they bear the heavy burden of telling the public what the public is thinking, have blown it again.

Will they 'get it?' Probably not. They are more accustomed to messing with other peoples' minds than their own.
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Onward to today! Haven't done the holiday thing for quite awhile. Too busy celebrating, I expect.

Today is:

Play God Day: Dear me! The political pundits must have had their dates mixed up. They celebrated early...

Balloon Ascension Day: the first balloon flight in America was launched from Philadelphia in 1993. History of balloon flight, here.

1799--First Income Tax....*sigh*

Won't go into "January is the month of..." at the moment.

Instead, proof that Ma is willing to try new recipes and yes, even send a chocolate bar to it's demise...


Better that one should perish, than all should have gas.
 

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