simple perspectives

Serendipity

2011-11-09T07:46:00.000-08:00

Life is such a mystery and a myriad of good, frustrating, calming, peace, distress...I only know every breath is a gift. As I see the troubled world, I am also deeply comforted in knowing that I am but a speck of dust in the vast Creation, but that I am an irreplaceable and necessary part.... I thank God that He considers even the sparrow and the lilies of the field need not fret.. why should I? Today I am preparing for my exhibit in the Luverne, MN Holiday Studio Tour. There are 16 artists displaying and offering for sale on Saturday, November 12 from 10 am to 4 pm. Visit me and view my art at the Carnegie Library Gallery, or go to simpleperspectivesphotography.com

another day

2009-07-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

Another bike ride.... tomorrow it will be fair... yes, i admit i have become a fair weather rider.. i hope to mellow in other ways.. but life' been good to me so far.. time to be thankful.. this should have been a tweet.. gnite

Reflections

2009-07-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

How many times do we take stock? For me, it took a health issue, several actually. One, my husband, who has always been the encourager, spoiling me, has been in need of my encouragement more than usual. Health, or the loss of it, if only temporary, is an eye-opening thing, when in jeopardy, when it slips, if only slightly... a fraction of you slips, too... from the confident, youthful attitude that tends to take all for granted...when it returns, there is a keener sense of gratefulness than one held in youth.

I don't know when that changed. The fact that I now appreciate it... every breath a gift....there has been a little more than a simple turning point for me.

I think the idea of 'realizing your own mortality' is an evolving concept..

Well, how's that for casual post to get back into my blogging? yikes .... that's what I get for sleeping nearly 24 hours on Sunday, just to try to get away from that menacing health issue, some very nasty corneal abrasions... enough about that, but enough to make me appreciate my myopic gift. It's time to get back out with the camera!! a sunrise awaits and some great shadows that have happier sources..... thank God shadows are always overcome by light...Thank God for mornings... where the proverbial joy is...

Drowsy

2009-04-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

Drowsiness comes over me after a busy weekend... necessities... adulthood... thinking of riding my bike... childhood peeks through the window... I smile. Quickly passing days... connotations of 'age'....a dichotomy ... benefits I yearned for in youth... opportunity... pursuing dreams...longing for youth....I find it on quiet, sunny days, the drone of a small airplane the only sound accompanying my chain and wheels whirring... joy of life's cadence....every breath a gift....tomorrow I will ride... friends... life... youth..... eternally

Naivete in Activism

2009-04-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

It seems the new chant for the day from the "progressives" (they don't like to be called liberals anymore) goes something like, "There is no such thing as terrorism." They are now playing the semantics game, as the Appeaser in Chief is doing by changing the name of the conflict. There is no longer a 'War on Terror." it has now been declared by the newspeakers that we call it the "Overseas contingency Operation." So......will we do things differently than what we did in the past? Those things that have kept our country safe for 8 years from more attacks? Do we ignore public statements like those made by clerics who have not other goal than to create theocracies around the world and initiate Sharia Law.
How can it be that people who claim to be so worldly and sophisticated are truly so ignorant of what is happening? Those academically sheltered 'progressives' who have been raised on the Marxist theories of economy are now in control, Obama being one. The reading material of those who have thoroughly warped many minds and spread lies about who made America great. Good, hard work is noble. Capitalism is not bad. The apology tour is this mantra now gone international....Maybe it's time for those naive people who will not stand up for our country; those who continue with their accusations against our country to simply "LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT."

The Audacity of Conceit

2009-04-08T18:54:00.000-07:00

He's Audacious, all right! What are they thinking, this man who we must call Mr President (gag) is leading our country into such a strange era, it is tough to imagine where we are headed.

I'm glad the 'Apology Tour' is over. I'm not surprised that he bypassed Normandy, so as not to "offend the Germans." The Appeaser in Chief" spokesperson says things will be so "easy now, because we have a more positive image"??????????? What?? Just because obama manipulated, charmed and bamboozled his way up in the most corrupt politial system in the US? (that's the 'Chicago Way.') The only offense, as far as I'm concerned, is this man's audacity in thinking that we can just 'make nice' to everyone, and they will be nice to us? Thank you Mr Appeaser in Chief, for bowing to a middle east potentate, unprecedented show of weakness to a culture who pays attention to body language probably more than any other. Then, obama's lies to soldiers, after all his years of the slandering of our military! The media kissing up is disgusting.

As stated in a UK newspaper, "like every other nation has made mistakes and has its flaws", he said in Istanbul, but if it wasn't a tolerant country "then somebody named Barack Hussein Obama wouldn't have been elected President of the United States of America".
While presenting himself as the embodiment of a modern, progressive US, Mr Obama seems less than comfortable talking about American power.
In his G20 press conference in London, he said that he believed in "American exceptionalism" but then reduced the cherished notion that Americans are a special people because of their institutions and origins to mere patriotism. "Just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/5120797/Analysis-What-has-Barack-Obamas-first-foreign-tour-really-achieved.html

This man shows his total ignorance of what strength is, what has made our nation great, or maybe even scarier, is that he knows it well, and is consciously embarking to destroy it. Could that be? Why did he bow? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WlqW6UCeaY

2009-04-08T06:57:00.000-07:00

There have been a lot of changes in our life. Our daughter is soon to be graduating from medical school and will be going to her first choice for residency, our son is enjoying his career in the military training the men who will train the Iraqis and Afghans. I am 'between opportunities,' as far as my work life, and so glad for it. I 'laid myself off!' Citibank is no longer my employer, and I'm so happy! What a relief. I am fortunate that we are at a place in our lives financially, that I can take time to find more rewarding work, instead of a J-O-B. But, as Dan Miller states in his book, "48 Days to the Work you Love," 'You cannot reach new lands if you keep one foot on the shore." My photography website is nearly finished, and I will have more on that later. My photography exhibit in place until the end of May at the Museum of Visual Materials .

The big April snow made it feel like Spring was just a wish.....

I'm have been so glad to be able to get out and ride what little I have. I got in 30 miles on the Roadie the other day, before the big April snow. A couple bike trail rides, too. Hubby is commuting again, and he put my antique Elgin out in the yard with the faux flowers in the basket, which is always a sign of Spring for me.

Spring again

2009-03-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

So, everyone must think I'm dead or something. I'm back, with the same things going on. I am a little distressed about the election, though. No, I'm a LOT distressed. I'll have to get back to you all. New friends... new events.... i'm going to check out everyone's blog... HELLO ALL! sorry i've been away so long.

Ah....Summer

2008-06-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official.. it has been Summer for a few days now, and it is nice out. I got off work early and put on about 39 miles. It was a great ride, and I'm convinced that no wind is as good as a tailwind! There was a bit of a breeze, but it felt good to get out. You might want to try this route,

I enjoyed the roads. I left east Sioux Falls, heading east on Madison, to Six Mile Rd, north to Rice, East to Brandon, left at the light, curving around to Hwy 11..left on 11 and out of Brandon to the Renner Road, but instead of turning South again on the EROS road, I kept going West, past Renner to N Kiwanis, (not a bad shoulder the whole way) I rode South on N Kiwanis and hopped on the bike trail at Maple Street Bridge, then headed for home by way of 22nd Street. I could not ride my roadie on the bike trail too long.

The east side of Sioux Falls offers some great places to ride.

Tour de Kota

2008-06-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

It was a Windy Day, Day 2 from Mitchell to Chamberlain; I was grateful to have a great group to ride with. Of course we were riding into it! (This is South Dakota where no wind is a tailwind, and headwinds are just good training!)
Here is a great video of the peloton. It was a lot of fun, although the roads were really bad, especially that trench down the middle of the road. It made me long for the bike trail. Still all in all, it was a great day and the group made the ride a lot less tiresome than if I would have been on my own. We did around 13 mph, which was not bad at all for that headwind.

Rainy Day......

2008-05-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh...Springtime..with the classic spring showers...great day to have that cup of soup, relax and read the paper with the windows open and the birds singing. I put the houseplants out on the front deck.. they love that as it cleans the leaves and gives them a great shot of fresh soft wather..
I got in nearly 30 miles yesterday on my roadie... fun. It felt good to feel good. Lots of cruddy coughing for nearly the whole winter and Spring. Late training for the summer rides, but now the weather is finally cooperating. I did have a side wind on the way home, but it was so warm and felt wonderful not to have to struggle to breathe. I am trying out a new bike seat, too, so I'm hoping that will help with the rides this summer. I have not been happy with my seat I bought with my new bike.

So, with the rain today it gives me some time to catch up on undone stuff. Happy trails!

..

2008-04-30T19:58:00.001-07:00

to capture a moment
...a click of time taming thoughts
bringing to a single focus...
filtering distractions
to my mind as through the lens
calming the
obsession....
chasing the light.....

More stuff....

2008-04-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, more photos.....i cant think of much to write....sometimes when i have no words..... a photograph speaks my heart....

Random Tangents....a few of my photos

2008-04-30T15:08:00.001-07:00

This is what i do, who i am..
an attempt to convey what i feel in all i see....
what distracts me, moves and motivates me.....

What I've been doing

2008-04-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back to wasting my time on this little electric keypad. In between applying for jobs....and waiting for the weather to change... dern wind...oh well, great training, anyway.
So, I think I owe everyone (anyone who still ventures upon my blog.) an apology. I have been out of the loop for quite awhile. School is over. Job is getting very stale, I've been interviewing at several places, for one reason or another, no match. Well, I'll keep my attitude positive.

........And I'll keep pedaling. It is shaping up to be a very good summer for rides. RAGBRAI will be a blast. My daughter and I will celebrate her becoming a doctor together on this week long paradise for bicyclists. Then I may do a few days of Tour de Kota, Also a very fun ride with a smaller crowd than the Iowa pedalfest. Both will prove to be a great time of catching up with friends and getting in that long overdue sunshine I've lacked on the praire. In the fall, I will again embark on the very fun Mickelson Trail Trek. Other than that, it will be miscellaneous rides.
In the biking world, I'm glad I now have enough time to devote to help out with the Bike To Work event It was fun to get it arranged at the Museum of Visual Materials I'm also showing a small amount of my work. Next spring, I'll be privileged to have my work displayed for a longer showing.
In my world of art,,,,, I am still the "starving artist..however...I am enjoying an expansion of my work, doing more private sales, and looking at getting my website started. I have put it off until I can devote the time to have it done right. I want to do more than just a blog, and I refuse to just sell away my rights to my work to others just to get a few more pieces sold. The business owners sell my work say people are very receptive, so I'm very encouraged. I put together my artist's portfolio, my artists resume, and some decent venues lined up. So, all this time of my being gone has not been wasted. although the long winter months seem to make me feel as if nothing has been accomplished, especially with a few health issues dragging me around... nothing serious, thank God, but I'm ready for summer to come and just bake me.

Hubby and I did some fun stuff over the winter, since I'm done with school.... dance lessons....Friday night date nights... other stuff ..... We took the 3 month Dave Ramsey course, and FPU Financial Peace University. GREAT STUFF..... We will be able to do the
"I'm debt FREEEEEEEE!!!" scream by the end of the year... including the house. Then on to wealth building and being outgrageously free to give. If you've never heard of him... he is awesome. Go to his site and give a listen to his radio show or watch his TV show. Nope we don't own a BMW....but.....try it you will like it, and if you're married.... it is a great communication enhancer!!!! This guy knows his stuff.

In other areas......For everyone out there who like to call creationists idiots....GO HERE .... I DARE you to go see this movie.. Come with me! I will even buy your ticket. Newtonian Physics only EXPLAINS God's handiwork....there is STILL a lot that is unknown. Why the fear of learning more about all the possibilities... a chance to answer the unanswered? .....the mystery of the origin of the miracle of life.... why are we humans different from animals? ....empathy, we lay down our lives for others, the chance that we are NOT the result of "lightening striking a mud puddle."
"Man created by chance (evolutionary Darwinism) is like a tornado going through a junkyard and leaving a fully functional 747 in its wake."

Some may call religion FANTASY..... Which theory is more fantastic?

Starting Friday, April 18, at a theatre near you.

Anyway.... back to the sink of dishes... Leave me a note if you happen to stop by. Take care!

Sioux Falls Bikes To Work!

2008-04-15T02:42:00.000-07:00

Sioux Falls Bikes To Work!

I'm still here!

2007-11-17T18:15:00.001-08:00

Matt is home from his second tour of Iraq, and drove home in his new Trailblazer! He is so proud of it, and it's nice to know he has a safe vehicle for traveling home. It was sure good to see him again.

Harvesting is always a warm welcome to the cooler weather and prepares the field and our spirits for the cold winter to come.

Sometimes i feel like this little squirrel and i'm running to nowhere along a narrow way!

I still have a life! I think! School is almost over, thank God.. and the next journey begins..... hmmmm... I am looking for new opportunities, but not sure where this is all going to take me. All is well, Both kids are well.. Son is home from Iraq, daughter is enjoying here third year of med school. Hubby and I are starting to nest for winter, we have the yard cleaned up, raked and pruned.... we painted this year and the house is ready for winter... all the apples are picked and i have the gazillianth apple crunch cooling on the counter right now...

i did manage to get in 26 miles on my bike today on our city bike trail. It was a little chilly....45 then cooling a bit more as the day got longer. i arrived home well before the sun started to set, but it cooled to below 40 by that time. bbrrrr...... I got a little chilled since i had to pedal into the wind on the way home. The sunsets are coming much sooner, and winter is around the corner.

Thanksgiving is coming this Thursday, and both kids and Grandma will be here. It will a small bird this year, but we'll all be together, so life is good!

Monday is lining up to be a warm day....62....so i am going to get out for a good roadbike ride. There may not be many chances to do it. My goal is to get one roadbike ride in per month throughout the year. I hope i can do that this year, too.

Well, I just wanted to check in...time to get back to the homework.

One more thing... i got an email from my soldier son... I'm very proud of the man...he has become so wise and it is nice to see the little twirp all grown up. He sent a very interesting and touching link to me today. Michael Yon is an amazing journalist. Read his news site... Great stuff.

So.... you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and God bless you!

Lazy Hazy Dog Days

2007-07-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

Ah Summer! It has been a crazy busy one.... as usual..Not always with those things that I would rather be doing.... i.e. riding my bicycle....photographing life rolling by...

instead...i've taken up painting..however...there will be no tangents in this artist's life yet...no gallery showings of new abstracts or watercolors....oh yeah...HOUSE PAINTING....all this and homework!....Quantitative Analysis for Management...uggh...calgon take me away....

I did get a chance to ride the first day of Ragbrai ...Rock Rapids, IA to Spencer, IA... Some friends offered a bed and shower to myself and two companions; my lovely daughter and a dear friend...so we drove two vehicles to Spencer, dropped off one vehicle with a bike rack, back to Rock Rapids...the house was nicer than some B & Bs I have stayed in..a beautiful, well-kept Victorian home...wow....Thanks Denise and Paul!!! So, up in the am at sunrise, to join the masses (some say 20 thousand bicyclists) no...i did not get even a glimpse of Lance...but it was a beautiful day, with a slight side wind that gave us a little push most of the way....what a ride... WOW... and my daughter, celebrating passing her Med School Board Step 1....CONGRATULATIONS COLLEEN! ..she had never been on such a large bike ride... What a great time....I saw many from my home town

On a final note... I got an email titled "An Interview With God" ... I'm not usually one to forward things along to people....anything with the telltale FW in the subject line is immediate fodder for the etrash bin.....but the source on this one i trust so.... take a look for yourselves...It is amazing.....I guarantee you'll be impressed.... turn on your volume, too. Let me know what you think!

Have a great day! Thanks for tuning in!

America.....Love it or LEAVE IT

2007-07-12T20:36:00.001-07:00

I mean that..... All these people who hate our country stay... there is abundant opportunity and freedom to MOVE OUT of America to live ELSEWHERE There are NO walls keeping them in, as there have been in other countries. They are the first to protest against the people who are dying to keep the very freedom they squander. These people come and go freely to places like Italy, Spain, Germany and France, (none of which would now be free, except for our brave troops and courageous leaders who won their freedom decades ago.) Then they take for granted that they will return here just as blithely as they leave. They have never visited friends or family in another country such as China or Russia, witnessing the anquish and longing in their eyes because they cannot freely exit that country. No, that did not end with our defeat of Naziism... but so many take our freedoms for granted, protesting phantom oppressions.

Most of these people have no idea what it is like to live oppressed and persecuted. There is a place for protest, a place for anger, but it is not against our government. Why do we tolerate it? Because we are free.

I don't know how many of you might remember the Maplethorpe "piss christ" filth passed off as 'art,' paid for by taxpayer money many years ago. Well there is another horribly offensive piece of non-art: Hanging in a tax payer-funded public building; a large international airport. Take a look and follow the links to contact the airport that is displaying this 'art' with taxpayer (your) money. No matter what you think about the USA, this is factually offensive, just like many artifacts that have been ripped out of public facilities because they have "christian symbols" or they are just offensive. Well these are offensive, and they are in a public place.

Well, It is..........
more information here:
http://www.larslarson.com/HotTopics/223201.aspx

Here is much of the airport contact information:

General Contact:
503.460.4234Toll Free: 1.877.739.4636

Media Relations Contact:
Contact: Steve Johnson 503.460.4591
Corporate Contact: Martha Richmond 503.944.7061

Contacts
Phone
Port of Portland 121 NW Everett StreetPortland, OR 97209-4049Mailing AddressP.O. Box 3529Portland, OR 97208-3529
Web site Address:http://www.portofportland.com/E-mail Address:mailto:ContactUs@PortofPortland.com?subject=Port
503.944.7000Toll Free: 1.800.547.8411Fax: 503.944.7080
Bill Wyatt, Executive Director
503.944.7013
Human ResourcesJob Hot LineGail Woodworth, Director
503.944.7400503.944.7412
Public AffairsTom Imeson, Director
503.944.7011
503.944.7061
Community OutreachChristine White, Manager
503.944.7051

503.944.7000
503.944.7000
Corporate MarketingSusan Bladholm, Manager Teri Loporchio, Corporate Web Manager
503.944.7000503.944.7750
503.944.7500
Environmental AffairsCheryl Koshuta, Chief Environmental Officer
503.944.7661
Operations and Financial ServicesIncludes accounting, contracting and procurement, engineering, finance, information technology, internal audit, small business development and marketing. Steve Schreiber, Director and CFO
503.944.7604
LegalCarla Kelley, General Counsel

AviationMary Maxwell, Director

503.944.7034

503.944.7207

ill al gore's faux truth be told....

2007-07-07T21:52:00.000-07:00

preach it al!!!?... OMG!!!! Ok... i know some of you who do read this blog. think al is the new messiah of mother earth....sorry......if i'm a crazy bi---...so be it... i get really tired of you miguided 'do-goodies' too... you're frankly.... FACTOPHOBIC!!!...(yeah that's my word!...go ahead and use it..) anyway.. your silly little concerts (overpowered by the dreaded coal-fired ohms you love to hate).....they do WHAT???? for WHOM??? well they do put money in your FAUX savior's pocket mr mentally ILL gore... sorry dudes... your leader is not fearless and should be feared...I remember him accusing the president with his crazed rants about "he played on our fears!! arrggghh!!!) oh my!!! talk about playing on your fears!!! paying himself for his misleading... creating... then paying his OWN company for his own 'carbon footprints' what a joke... he does sense one thing....there seems to be far too many empty spaces (hearts) desperate to be filled with a purpose... this guy is not going to do that....he is not going to save the world..with or without you ...and oh.. being a good steward... YOU BET!.. the US actually is... we LEAD the world in that.....you're needed tho... in china, india and some of those nasty third-world countries .. they NEED to hear your message.. if you're going to PREACH go.... be the missionary.... quit preachin to the choir....quit pretending to make yourselves feel better... hmm.. don't want to leave the comfort of good ol' USA? i can't blame you... do you think you could actually save them from their garbage and wasteful pollution?... we have a handle on it HERE. here in the best little country in the world....we HAD a handle on it long before false preachin' brotha' gore....and his false prophecies..

while I'm at it... re: other issues....such as the middle eastern countries...WHERE are the feminists??? They could sure be of good use....here's an idea for a truly WORTHY, GREAT cause... helping fellow women in the world... like the MILLIONS of TRULY oppressed muslim women all around the world ... HELLO!!!! Oh...... and the REAL threat to us... not Illgore's blown-out-of-proportion fear-mongering you all fall for...nope... sorry... the REAL threat..that big ol' GORILLA in the ROOM...all you PCr's tiptoe around it...i know....... yeah... terrorism.... the factophobic dems need to just get out of the way.. instead of continuing to give the enemy... yeah... enemies fodder... emboldening them...somebody actually said it very well. hear it ... read it HERE.... there's MY rant.... g'nite....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EeU5E0HfoE

God Bless the USA

2007-07-06T16:09:00.000-07:00

photo by peddlinshutterbug

I just went on to a great website of a fellow blogger whom I deeply respect and always has words of wisdom and forsight. She had a great video of Lee Greenwood's song "Proud to be an American."
July 4th should inspire in every one of us a patriotism that exceeds any minor feelings we might have about our great country. Yes, even though we are flawed... we are still the greatest country in the world and I am proud to be an American. Say what you will about America... but we are the only country who has sacrificed millions of our own to save millions of others, who would be living under mighty and evil tyrannies, those tyrannies of communism, despotism, and murderous dictatorships. We still fight those same philosophies and spiritual... yes SPIRITUAL battles against true evil in the world.
Look around you...turn on your audio...check out these videos at YouTube here, and then take another look around... a big look around. God bless you and yours.

morning in South Dakota

2007-07-01T02:53:00.000-07:00

gubrettuhsnilddep yb sotohp

I love robins. They are wonderfully simple, plain-looking, and so cheerfully common that I cannot resist their song, their antics, or their courage.

There is one singing outside my window now. It is 4:45 am on a Sunday morning and I have been up for about an hour...i cannot sleep. I have had a strange few weeks and I'm in a quiet mood...catching up on some online reading and another attempt at blogging what strikes me as significant...for the moment.

There are many things that fit that category....for the moment.

.....back to the robins....the reason i love them....you ask: courage? yes.. i'll never forget...quite a few years ago, my daughter, then about 14 or so, was walking home with a friend, while i was out on the front deck watching a baby robin hopping around in the street...our cul-de-sac. Even though there is very little traffic in the circle, I was fearful for the little bird, so i instructed the girls to go out into the circle, behind the baby robin to chase it back into the yard where it would be safe...bad idea....the moment they moved toward the chirping little thing, waving their arms, the mother robin came swooping out of nowhere, practically landing on the girls heads, taking aim at them several times. As the girls retreated towards me, squealing as young girls will, as the mama -bird repeatedly dove at their heads, then coming after all three of us! By this time, we were laughing so hard, shocked and afraid of the little creature... and i was having flashbacks of the Alfred Hitchcock movie, "The Birds" while i ushered them into the house. Only then did the mama-bird retreat back into the tree, chirping at her youngster who dawdled a few more minutes in the street, finally hopping back into the yard, gathered with mama-bird safely under the juniper bush in our yard..... just as quickly as i had swept my babies into my house.

The girls and i nearly busted our guts laughing and I gained a strong respect for the mundane little robin from that moment on.......I have always loved their simple, cheerful song, and they seem to be so friendly, often making their nests right under our eve, just above the busiest doorway in the house! They seem to know there is safety near humans...i no longer believe they are stupid animals... especially if you watch them fending off the pesky squirrels!

Anyway, they are all outside my window, along with our neighborhood cardinal, the mourning dove, and what sounds like a chickadee, all adding to the early morning chorus...It is wonderful wake-up call, and perfect for the mood i'm in.

I woke up around 3:20 am and could not fall asleep. So I crept out of the room..hubby still slleping...made a cup of tea... sleepytime, and popped a few ibuprofen... which is probably why I could not sleep... pain from a fall on the bottom steps to the basement a week ago...severely bruised Iliac Crest...robbing me of some serious bicycling during one of the most windless and mild temp weeks that i can remember in our windy state!!!

nevertheless....i'm recuperating...thankful I did not land on the center of my back...spine is ok...there are so many things to write about... i'll just leave it at this... i'll put my violin away....for today...

I hope you all have a great, and blessed day! don't forget to stop and smell the roses...or whatever else blossoms in your part of the world...life is good...it is a gift.God is good.... and remember... when you get old....really old...be READY for it... don't throw away your gift...the youth and health that you have been blessed with...relish it...revel in it... don't wait for someday....take life and run with it.... we only get this chance once....so when you are really, really old, then you will be ready for it....gleefully exhausted....only then will you welcome the rest of old age...after a vigorous life....just the way you welcome a good nap or a flop on the sofa after a hard day of fulfilling work!

Aritificial Intelligence

2007-06-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

I am not one to be a doomsayer, and I don't see the glass half empty, as many do. I wonder how many of us realize what is really out there on our human horizon... technologically speaking. Things that affect everything, for every human, implications on our spirtual outlook, our attitude toward everything.
I have found a few new sites, while doing some research on a paper for school, and encourage you to take a look at some of the issues on the horizon. I previously had no idea. This BLOG is one that i found, while reading information on a site, The Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, SIAI. Singularity is a term you may hear if you are paying attention to the dialogue concerning AI (Artificial Intelligence.) I am a human, with mere human intelligence, attempting to comprehend the conversation, not the basic technology, nanotechnology, genetic engineering, robotics, nuclear physics, etc., let alone the philosophical impact. That is probably my main concern. Where does this fit in with my faith? What was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? What did that represent? Where are we going as a human race? I am merely sitting on the sidelines, listening to the dialogue, but this is a subject that should concern us all, whether our causes are climate change, poverty, medical breakthroughs, social issues, terrorism, cultural, spiritual, etc. Take a look and let me know what you think.

A Democrat's Prayer

2007-06-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

photo by peddlinshutterbug

Today is D-Day. Let us remember with some honesty of how our country has deteriorated, in the way we view the importance of our once great Christian faith and unity. HERE is the prayer that, if spoken by a president today, would be responded to by outrage, anger and hate.
It is a shame to think, that now our enemies may have a stronger faith unity than our own, twisted and evil as it is. Listen HERE.
Here is the text of this great prayer that united our nation. People were willing to sacrifice then. Now, people don't even acknowledge we have an enemy....... Pass it on if you happen across this....

"This is the prayer originally entitled "Let Our Hearts Be Stout" written by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as Allied troops were invading German-occupied Europe during World War II. The prayer was read to the nation on radio on the evening of D-Day, June 6, 1944, while American, British and Canadian troops were fighting to establish beach heads on the coast of Normandy in France. The previous night, June 5, the President had also been on the radio to announce that Allied troops had entered Rome. The spectacular news that Rome had been liberated was quickly surpassed by news of the gigantic D-Day invasion which began at 6:30 a.m. on June 6. By midnight about 57,000 American and 75,000 British and Canadian soldiers had gotten ashore. Allied losses on D-Day included 2,500 killed and 8,500 wounded.
~~~~~~~~~~~

My Fellow Americans:
Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.
And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:
Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.
Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.
They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest -- until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.
For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.
Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.
And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them -- help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.
Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.
Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.
And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.
And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keeness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment -- let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.
With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace -- a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.
Thy will be done, Almighty God.
Amen.
Franklin D. Roosevelt - June 6, 1944

AMNESTY The defense and excuse of Law Breakers

2007-05-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

Definition of Amnesty: Amnesty for illegal immigrants is defined as the government’s pardon for violating policies related to immigration. The federal government forgives these individuals for using false documentation (examples include social security numbers, identification cards and driver’s license among other documents) to more easily get employment in the U.S. and to be able to remain in the country. Amnesties allow illegal immigrants or undocumented aliens to gain permanent residency in the United States.
I don't know about you, but in my vocabulary that is called IDENTITY THEFT! FRAUD!

Today in our US Senate, AMNESTY has just been granted to over TWELVE MILLION LAW BREAKERS!
Comprehensive Illegal Immigration reform? Well, that is what has happened today! Is this fair and equal treatment under the law??
Would You or I get this same leniency if WE DID NOT PAY OUR TAXES, OR IF WE COMMITTED ID THEFT?
Are we a nation of laws? NOT ANY LONGER! We have been betrayed by our president and our legislators.
This LAW will not stop illegal immigration... It will only encourage it! Where will our country be in 40 years when OUR CHILDREN are adults?!
There is going to be a “temporary worker” program, but they are bringing in MORE…
We understand, these are not bad people coming over the border, but they have broken the law.
What if we did not pay our taxes?? Would you be FINED? And WOULD you be given EIGHT YEARS to pay that? When is the last time you heard of someone given EIGHT YEARS to pay a TAX FINE?
And Alberto Gonzalez is being called to resign? FOR WHAT? HE BROKE NO LAW! HE CAME HERE LEGALLY.
WHAT CAN WE DO? This passed the Senate.. The House has yet to vote. CALL OR EMAIL YOUR HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE.
GO HERE! Just type in your zip code

There is more information HERE!

For some history on the subject: GO HERE!

pure bicycling

2007-05-16T21:56:00.000-07:00

Photos by peddlinshutterbug

for the love of it....the joy of it..... I'm reminded of a recent local article about commuting to work, (something I cannot wait until I can do every day, after school is finished) In the article, one of my neighbors, who just began riding her bike to work, said she feels like a kid again with her backpack and riding off into the crisp morning.... yeah.... that is what bicycling is about. We should all self-propel ourselves somewhere... the world would be a better place.... endorphins instead of psychotropics...pedal power instead of gas... freedom instead of enemy controlled energy.

wow.... i'm rambling... it is just that there have been so many things lately... just putting me in a funk! ..to the point where i did not even want to ride tonight... i showed up for the ride i lead once a week... it was chilly and windy, so nobody showed up..i was cold...in many ways....but, i rode... by myself...an opportunity for God to step in and shake me a little...get my attention... after I got going i was so glad to be out, especially by myself..

Anyway... I got in some serious thought provoking pedaling... averaging 15.5 mph...not bad for this gal..especially with the hills on this route... and the wind... I felt wonderful...so good that i decided to join a group of other riders on another ride. more issues... but i have finally dealt with them... some inwardly healing things happened...i have set aside... forgiveness...endorphins help too..it was a relaxing ride... also reflective... appropriate for my state of mind...afterwards i enjoyed a nice long visit and glass of tea at the local diner with a fellow biker and friend that i have not had a chance to really talk to... heart to heart... in a long time...it was an unexpected invitation, helping me to further clarify some important issues i was dealing with, enabling me to set them aside and just enjoy the ride... for the ride.
Thank God for fresh starts.... gathering lilacs.... reassessing.. when i ride my bike it is a great time for reflection and re-evaluation....prayer... to be at peace about many things... simple minds simple pleasures.....live in the now....

dangers of bicycling

2007-05-12T22:21:00.000-07:00

I remember teasing my husband about the stick he carried on his bicycle rack for his commute to work....inquiring one day last summer, "What is that stick for?" pointing to the branch about the size of a short walking stick crammed along the side of his pannier, within easy reach. His calm response, "That is for the geese along the bike trail." I exploded into laughter... "Those geese are mean" He said in defense. I just did not understand!

Ok, I ride my bike a LOT on the bike trail, and never have been 'attacked' by one of them...hissed at...i even came close to crashing on slippery goose dung!
But, alas......yesterday, I read the truth (rare for our paper) about the killer goose. Now, with renewed humor, I laughed again, but this time because I now know what my husband was talking about... that goose with a grudge.... i'm now a believer.... sorry hon....I'll never doubt you again.....

jonesin' for a jones

2007-05-09T13:26:00.000-07:00

I want a new bike. key word being "want!" not just any bicycle, but a Jones Bike. These are sweet bikes. I found out about these when working some research for an e-business class. hmmmm....nice... I have never ridden one nor seen one, but just looking over the site, Jeff Jone's history and philosophy.... i want one. Just check out these 'H bars' he demostrates. hhmmm...Ok... enough of that .... back to my homework...

Secret Weapon

2007-05-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

Today is the National Day of Prayer. There is still time to do so. Prayer is the secret weapon of every Christian. There is something we can do. It does not matter what your concern is. Get alone with God and pray... There will be plenty of others joining us....
God bless all of you...
keep praying... God hears...

inspirational

2007-04-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

God works in strange ways. Last summer I stopped at a yard sale. I do this often, but if I don't think there will be anything good, I leave quickly. I have gotten pretty adept at gauging how good the "stuff" will be. Well, this yard sale screamed at me to leave. It was days, if not weeks old stuff, laid out carelessly, picked over, rained on muddy, and simply should have had a dumpster backed up to the yard and pitched. Everything... but something urged me to look a little further.... then, on a table sat a little blue book. i love old books .. this was not just any old book. I reached over the garbage on the table and picked up the small, worn, blue book. It was 4 1/2" X 5 1/2 ". As I picked it up, my heart beat faster. It's title on the front, once gilded in gold, "STRENGTH FOR SERVICE TO GOD AND COUNTRY, Daily Devotional Messages for Those in the Services."

I opened it and read.... "This is your book. It is for you alone. Its purpose is to strengthen and sustain you in those troubled hours when you feel a Need that cannot be well put in words..." I bought it without hesitation. The man running the rummage was not old enough to have owned it. I pondered at the person who counted on it...made the small marks in the margins...cherished it...it was written for WWII.

This book has been a priceless connection between myself and my son, far away at war.... I type out the reading each day to send it to him by email...here is today's...(tomorrow in Iraq) I just finished typing it....it is a mother's connection to her son... a mutual daily prayer...a comfort to both of us. The following reading says much.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"May 1, Read II Cor. 4:5-18
LIVING VICTORIOUSLY
If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. Prov. 24:10

Life hands many a hard situation to men. Some have more difficult problems than others, but we all usually get our share sooner or later. Men differ not so much in the number of hard things they meet as in what they do when these come.
Some men crumple up and faint - the storm comes, the house goes down. Others meet trouble stoically; they become hardened; even bitter; they strike back at life and try to get even. They don't often get even, but they grow brittle and crack to pieces.
Some men, when trouble comes, use it as an occasion for finding new resources, so they can meet the situation and live victoriously in spite of it, like Paul, who said, "I take pleasure in infirmities"; "When I am weak, then am I strong." How could this be? It could work that way if a man's load forced him by exploring to discover some new resource which would give him the use of that power he did not use before. This isn't strange; it is natural. In history, men's burdens became heavy; so they explored and found steam and electricity, which hauls their loads and lights their way. Needs meant new power if men took them rightly.
Today we are getting new dangers, new burdens, new testing. We can quit; we can grow bitter; or like Paul we can seek God, the source of strength; and find that character comes by testing, and even a cross can be a road to victory. The soldier can find a thousand excuses for doing the first two, but many a man will find the glory of doing the third. This is the message of religion, and plenty have discovered that it works.

PRAYER

O God, help us to find that "night brings out the stars" and darkness in life is phosphorescent with Thy presence. Amen."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Each day has a reading... comfort from God's word... try it... crack open "that" book... you may be pleasantly surprised... God does that....

2007-04-30T20:27:00.000-07:00

A new winery/bicycle trip! Yay....summer really IS here.... hubby and I are vistiting family in Minnesota and have an afternoon and night away to ride the Cannon Valley Trail. After that....the Cannon River Winery tour and dinner!

summertime ...

2007-04-29T17:51:00.000-07:00

Summer is here! At least in my book, it is. two fun bike rides already accomplished with a lot of great people. And it is technically training season.... That is what makes or breaks a bike ride ...the highlight of an excellent event.... to see the other bicyclists i have not seen throughout the winter, in today's case..some for years. I was pleasantly surprised to see a few people I'd not seen in that long. Sweet!
I went on a great ride last week...Spring Kick off ride for the Sioux Empire Bike Club....and quite a few rides on my own. I put in over one hundred miles last week, and I'm well on my way to much more over that this week... 25 yesterday, and another 30 today on the Anniversary Ride and Poker Run. And.... I actually have the night off Wednesday for the Moonlight Ride ...It is looking to be a very good riding summer.
Happy trails!

cross training and reading the man's mind

2007-04-28T15:32:00.000-07:00

Ok.... i thought we women were the ones who are supposed to be so good at dishing out a little guilt and silent treatment....so, i get off work a little early (a little thing called VTO~voluntary time off~which means "go home, work is slow!~) yayyyy.. i'm thinking BIKE RIDE all the way home! i pull into the driveway and hubby has been doing YARDWORK! oh...and to make me feel REALLY guilty..he is gently repairing my little birdhouses that i like to decorate the porch and landscaping with.
How can i NOT help out here? Not only that....he has done the laundry.. washed bedding and hung it on the clotheline to dry (nothing like fresh sheets hung on the line) ok..i know what you are thinking... this man is NOT whipped...I am the spoiled one. I could not go to school full time and work full time without him.
so..the dilemma... do I ride? it is beautiful out! It is 2:00..i could get in 40-50 miles easy.. i try the pout...quiet....mopey thing... he does NOT volunteer to go riding with me....I don't have the heart to ride and leave him to do the work.. so I don't ride...i resign to trimming an overgrown evergreen...clean out the roses, spray them, picked up the trimmed lilac branches (all this requiring long sleeves.... in this warm air!) uggg..,

so... what could i do... i walked up hehind him while he was washing windows and asked him..."do you know what you are doing?" he looked at me like, "yeah right, what is with this woman." and said, "UH..washing windows?!... i just looked at him, smiled and said, "no...that is foreplay" his grin made the afternoon full of crosstraining (yardwork) well worth it. Sometimes situations work out better than they may seem at first glance!!

Convenient Half truths

2007-04-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

I attempted to link this and it will not open correctly, so in order to save it properly and for my own reference I will post the article in its entire form..so for those of you not interested.. skip it.. for those of you with an opinion, i welcome your additional comments.

Al Gore's global warming movie, "An Inconvenient Truth," aims to call attention to the dangers society faces from climate change, and suggests urgent actions that need to be taken immediately. It is based on a slide show on climate Gore has presented to audiences worldwide over 1000 times in the past 15 years, but it is not purely a documentary. Gore's movie is an advocacy piece that is part documentary, part biography, and part campaign ad. I'll discuss all three of these aspects below. In brief, Al Gore has the right idea--climate change is an urgent issue that requires immediate action, and his thoughtful movie is a welcome addition to the usual array of mindless Hollywood summer fare. However, the movie has flaws. The presentation of the science is good, but not great--I rate it a B, which is the rating I give the movie as a whole. The excessive details on Al Gore's life make the movie too long, and his insistence on using the movie as something of a campaign ad detracts from its message. However, this is a very important movie, as was recognized in the 2007 Oscars, where it won best documentary. It's a movie everyone should see.
An Inconvenient Truth as a biography of Al GoreThe creators of the movie presumably thought that simply presenting Gore's slide show would be too dull, so they decided to give the movie some human interest by interweaving a biography of Al Gore's life. Al Gore has led an interesting life, but "interesting" and "Al Gore" are not words one can often put together. Al Gore is boring, and the 20 minutes or so of biography presented in An Inconvenient Truth is too much for a movie that is 1 hour and 36 minutes long. For example, I didn't really need to see the road where Al Gore totaled his car when he was 14 years old, or a replay of his loss in the 2000 election. On the other hand, some details of his past were interesting and relevant, such as the fact that he took college courses in the late 1960s from Harvard's Dr. Roger Revelle. Revelle and Dr. Charles Keeling were the pioneers in measurements of atmospheric CO2, and thus Gore got a very early exposure to the now infamous "Keeling Curve" (Figure 1), showing the build-up of atmospheric CO2. This early exposure to the significant impact humans were having on the atmosphere deeply affected Gore, and in the movie he details efforts he made to call attention to the issue long before most people had heard of it, back in the 1970s and 80s. Gore's slide show appropriately displays many graphs of the Keeling Curve, as it is probably the most important and most famous finding in climate change science.
Figure 1. The Keeling Curve is a record of CO2 measurements taken at he top of Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii since 1958.
The science of An Inconvenient TruthThe science presented is mostly good, and at times compelling, but there are a few errors and one major distortion of the truth. Gore does an excellent job focusing on the most important issues, and usually presents them with a minimum of hype and distortion. The only exception to this comes in his treatment of global warming and extreme weather events such as hurricanes.
Basic global warming scienceGore begins the science part of his talk with a very easy to understand presentation on the basics of how the greenhouse effect works. His speech is clear, the graphics top notch, and he spices it up with a hilarious two-minute cartoon depicting roughneck global warming gases preventing poor Mr. Sunbeam from escaping Earth's atmosphere. Gore addresses the argument of skeptics who claim that the Earth is too big for humans to affect by showing Space Shuttle photos of how thin the atmosphere really is compared to the vast bulk of our planet. "The problem we now face is that this thin layer of atmosphere is being thickened by huge quantities of carbon dioxide," he asserts, which is not correct. The build-up of CO2 has virtually no effect on the density or thickness of Earth's atmosphere. The correct thing to say would have been, "The problem we now face is that this thin layer of atmosphere is being made more opaque to the transmission of infrared radiation (heat) by huge quantities of carbon dioxide."
GlaciersGore shows an impressive series of "then and now" images documenting the widespread retreat of many glaciers over the past century. Most dramatically, he shows Kenya's Mt. Kilimanjaro, whose 11,000 year-old glaciers are almost gone. While not all the world's glaciers have retreated in the past century, Gore's presentation is an effective and reasonable way to show how global warming has affected the majority of the world's glaciers. Greenhouse skeptics, including Michael Crichton in his State of Fear book, are fond of bashing those who use Mt. Kilimanjaro as a poster child for demonstrating global warming. They cite scientific research showing that the glacial retreat on Mt. Kilimanjaro is due to drying of the atmosphere, not global warming. However, as discussed at great length in a realclimate.org post, the research which supposedly supports the skeptics' claims has been widely misquoted and misinterpreted, and much of Kilimanjaro's melting can indeed be ascribed to warming of the atmosphere since 1960. Gore does an excellent job discussing the Greenland and Antarctic ice caps. Again, Gore's graphics are superb, and he does a nice job narrating. He shows animations of what a 20-foot rise in sea level would do to Manhattan, Florida, India, and China. A 20-foot sea level rise is what we expect if all of Greenland or all of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet were to melt. Such a 20-foot rise is not expected by 2100, and it would have been appropriate for Gore to acknowledge that the consensus of climate scientists--as published in the most recent report by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)--is that sea level is likely to rise between 4 and 35 inches, with a central value of 19 inches, by 2100. He should have also mentioned that temperatures in Greenland in the 1930s were about as warm as today's temperatures, so the current melting of Greenland's glaciers does have historical precedent. Nevertheless, the risk of a catastrophic melting and break-up of the Greenland or West Antarctic ice sheets is very real, when we consider that sea level before the most recent ice age was 15 feet higher than it is now. Gore is right to draw attention to what might happen if sea level rose 20 feet.
Drought and heat wavesAn excellent discussion of the most serious climate change issue our generation is likely to face, the threat of increased drought and reduced water supplies, is presented. Gore makes reference to the extreme heat wave that affected Europe during the summer of 2004, and I was glad to see that he didn't blame the heat wave on global warming--he merely said that more events of this nature will be likely in the future.
Hurricanes and severe weatherThe biggest failure in the movie's presentation of science comes in the discussion hurricanes and severe weather events. The devastation wrought by Katrina is used to very dramatic effect to warn of the dangers climate change presents. We are told that Katrina grew "stronger and stronger and stronger" as it passed over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico that were heated up by global warming. We are told that global warming is increasing the intensity of hurricanes, but not provided information on the great amount of uncertainty and vigorous scientific debate on this issue. Graphs showing recent record insurance losses from natural disasters are presented, but no mention is made of how increasing population and insistence on building in vulnerable areas are the predominant factors causing recent high insurance claims from disasters such as Katrina. Gore points to some unprecedented events in 2004 as evidence of increasing severe weather events worldwide--the record 10 typhoons in Japan, the most tornadoes ever in the U.S., and the appearance of Brazil's first hurricane ever. However, examples of this kind are meaningless. No single weather event, or unconnected series of severe weather events such as Gore presents, are indicative of climate change. In particular, the IPCC has not found any evidence that climate change has increased tornado frequency, or is likely to. Gore doesn't mention the unusually quiet tornado season of 2005, when for the first time ever, no tornadoes were reported in Oklahoma in the month of May.
Other scienceGore presents many other important aspects of climate change, including the threat of abrupt climate change leading to a shut-off of the Gulf Stream current, the increase in damaging insect infestations and tropical diseases, loss of coral reefs, loss of ice in the polar ice cap, and melting of permafrost in the Arctic. All of these issues were presented with sound science.
An Inconvenient Truth as a campaign adGore has repeatedly said that he currently has no plans to run for president again, and that this movie was created as part of his life-long passion to protect the environment. Gore undoubtedly does care very deeply about the planet, but this movie very much looks like a campaign ad. We are shown many scenes of Gore being applauded, Gore traveling the globe to present his slide show, and Gore working to uncover evidence of Republican shenanigans to alter or suppress climate change science. Gore is portrayed as a humble and tireless crusader for good. If the movie is not intended to promote his political ambitions, then it is certainly intended to benefit the Democratic Party. All this gets in the way of the movie's central message.
ConclusionAt the end of the movie, we are presented with the same image that Gore started the movie with, that of a beautiful river in the wilderness. Throughout the movie, Gore emphasizes how beautiful and special our planet is, and he does an effective job conveying this. He also makes a powerful case that something can and should be done to protect the planet, and it is worth hearing his message, even if the science is flawed and the messenger does get in the way of the message. Overall, the movie rates 2.5 stars--definitely worth seeing, but you might want to wait until the DVD comes out.
At the end of the movie, Gore presents some tips on how everyone can contribute, and points people to his web site, http://www.climatecrisis.net/. However, I would recommend that people who want to get educated about climate change get their information from web sites not associated with a politician; perhaps the least politicized source of information is the latest scientific summary of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC), a group of over 2000 scientists from 100 countries working under a mandate from the United Nations in the largest peer-reviewed scientific collaboration in history. It will only take you about 20 minutes to read through their conclusions, and it is something every citizen on the globe should educate themselves on.
Should "An Inconvenient Truth" be shown in schools?According to a recent blog posted at realclimate.org, "An Inconvenient Truth" has a become a required part of the science curriculum in some countries. One of the producers of the film, Laurie David, recently offered 50,000 free copies of the $19.99 DVD to National Science Teachers' Association (NSTA) for use in U.S. classrooms. The NSTA turned down the offer on the grounds that the NSTA has a 2001 policy against "product endorsement", and a fear that distributing the film would place "unnecessary risk upon the [NSTA] capital campaign, especially certain targeted supporters." Realclimate.org points out that one of these targeted supporters is oil giant ExxonMobile, and questions whether concern about losing funding from ExxonMobile influenced the decision not to take the free movies. I don't have a problem with the NSTA rejecting the free movies on the grounds that Al Gore's presentation is politicized. However, as pointed out in the realclimate.org post, NSTA does not offer much content on climate change in their list of recommended materials. One of the recommended books, "Global Warming: Understanding the Debate" has no business being on their recommended reading list. This book is written by Kenneth Green, a fellow of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). This fossil-fuel funded think tank recently offered $10,000 to any scientist willing to criticize the recent landmark 2007 Summary of Policy Makers climate change report issued by the United Nations sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). AEI offered to award the money to scientists who would "thoughtfully explore the limitations of climate model outputs", as explained in an article in the UK Guardian. Given the lack of quality climate change education material available to teachers, NSTA needs to seriously rethink their recommended offerings on this important subject.
Dr. Jeff Masters, Chief Meterologist for the Weather Underground

the science of it all

2007-04-26T17:10:00.000-07:00

The science is not in on climate change. I am not a scientist, my knowledge is comparably esoteric. But, I am very aware of the fierce debate going on in the scientific community. There has been no conclusion. This debate is not final. Here is a very good article which states the case for the scientists who are not part of the "consensus," which, by the way is an oxymoron in true science.
In an article published April 22, 2007, Glenn Shaw states it very articulately. I suggest many read this. In the article, he said, " Things have changed. Global warming is now being noted, and I in the meantime have become a little skeptical about some of the claims being put forth. I’m skeptical despite the fact that “everybody knows that the science is in.” The science isn’t even close to being in."
He goes on..."A significantly large fraction of the science being done on global climate change is perhaps not wrong, but not enough, a little na�ve, repetitive and incorporating only a fraction of the complexity required to base policy on. Though we scientists don’t advertise it much, science is often muddled when it is working on difficult new problems and most especially when the problems start to become political. And the issue of global warming has become massively political. Special interests abound. Try getting funding while being a skeptic " does he he infer something that many of the proponents of changing our lifestyle would hate to ponder? ...that it is about the MONEY?! ouch... No, the bad, evil, corporations are not the only ones who are driven by money. R&D is expensive.

In conclusion, he states what I have believed very succinctly...."We are perturbing Earth’s cloud cover with human-induced condensation nuclei and over exploiting. Concern about the environment is needed and is a clarion call now adopted by increasing numbers of the world’s great spiritual leaders. The interest in “global warming” might yet prove to be a good cause if its end result is promoting conservation and better stewardship of this gorgeous planet."

making sushi and just having fun

2007-04-26T04:49:00.000-07:00

I went out for sushi last night with some friends. Great to catch up and talk biking, remodeling, men..it's all good.....any excuse to eat Japanese.... daughter came home a few weeks ago and taught me how to make sushi...what great fun....gave an idea for a post ..that and the cute little ones we now have in our neighborhood...it seems it was not that long ago that ours were little..playing midnight ghost....zooming around the cul-de-sac on their big wheels...now as time has gone by...we have gone for years without little ones, now we have four! I was thinking about how much fun i was missing sitting at work....so i made a list of of top ten things to do to have fun...then I bought some fun buckets of sidewalk chalk for Mayday gifts..(actually, i have alternative motives)...those young moms (probably brought up on too much tv themselves...) almost never bring their little ones outside to play! they are at the perfect ages for starting Springtime fun.....television is such a thief of relationships....i'll save that rant for another post.. so anyway....there's the ramble....here's the list ....

#1 fly a kite

#2 blow bubbles

#3 buy a box of bright sidewalk chalk

#4 chalk your walk

#5 take a walk with a child

#6 swing

#7 play jacks

#8 ride a bike

#9 make sushi

#10 play ping-pong ( we had one at one time, which we donated to a needier church youth group when our kids were teens..we have longed for a new one ever since.) That is the next empty nester couple's therapy accessory..great for settling scores!

butterfly house

2007-04-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

feeding frenzy
waterside rest
playmates

photos by peddlinshutterbug
a good friend called and invited me on a walk today... something one never takes time to do... we are all so busy...we decided to walk a bit around the outdoor campus and butterfly house. Well, since this was the first time to visit the butterfly house for me, and i brought my camera..... you all know the rest... next time we will walk more! I think this place will be a more regularly visited place! It is a very peaceful and warm place to be.. I could not resist photographing a few of the little critters

some fun stuff

2007-04-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

back to my passion of why i blog...really... an outlet... a place to channel a little whimsy.. so here goes....

multi-tasking

2007-04-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

is it just that multi-tasking, or a little bit of adhd?. trying to do homework, but just behind the curtain of my professor's downloaded PowerPoint, a set of questions....the appropriate word.doc aligned awaiting my brief, slightly attentive spurts of faux-wisdom .....
then comes the distractions...an email for sushi tomorrow...a comment to the blog...which leads me to peruse another blog.... then a reminder to search something on another class discussion board.... make a note before i lose that thought..virtual sticky notes are great! sheesh.... tangents.... back to the homework.....wait... some chamomile tea will be good... it's going to be a long night of homework.

are you focused on the right things?

2007-04-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

I got this from a kindred blogger's site... something for those of you who are 'painting the chairs of the titanic."

I know It's Hard to Believe But- by Edward L. Daley
Some interesting observations by Edward L. Daley of The Daley-Times Post. Most are very valid.
I Know It's Hard to Believe But...
There are some people in the United States of America who think that George W. Bush orchestrated the atrocities of 09/11/01......
and that Democrats are more responsible with our tax dollars than Republicans......
and that Rosie O'Donnell is a patriot......
and that suspected terrorists captured during armed conflict in a foreign country deserve the same habeas corpus rights as domestic criminal suspects......
and that tax increases actually promote economic growth.....
.and that spanking a child equates to abuse, but having sex with one doesn't......
and that the "mainstream" media is politically unbiased......
and that our country is an imperialist nation......
and that public education is generally superior to private education......
and that Israel is an aggressor nation, but Saddam Hussein's regime was completely innocent......
and that Islamic terrorists are really freedom fighters......
and that the United Nations is genuinely concerned with world peace......
and that racial intolerance is more common in this country today than it has ever been before......
and that Al Gore's movie 'An Inconvenient Truth' is an accurate, scientific depiction of global climatological trends......
and that worshiping God is a more objectionable practice than sodomy......
and that Marxism is a viable socio-political - and even economic - ideology......
and that Bill Clinton was impeached for having an affair......
and that the federal government is the benefactor of our individual rights......
and that calling a wealthy, left-wing, Hollywood actor a 'Limousine Liberal' is hateful, but calling a conservative black person an 'Uncle Tom' isn't......
and that cutting down trees is more egregious than piercing the heart or brain of an unborn baby with a sharp metal object.Considering the wholly preposterous nature of these opinions, one has to wonder how many of the folks who've adopted them watch ABC's 'The View' on a regular basis.

Global Warming, Climate Change, Ice Age

2007-04-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

Here is the source of the above chart

In the mid-seventies, the same alarmists were saying we were surely slipping into an ice age, then it became the global warming crowd, now it is simply 'climate change." Well....yeah... we live on a dynamic planet....I know, i know... consensus says......oops... consensus in science? ah..semantics, schmanitcs

Now, the political diatribe of the self righteous hijackers of good stewardship are making a profit on it, while they fly around in their jets, living in their mansions. They continue to preach to us, but their hypocritical lifestyles are shameful.

Gore, in his film about the cause of global warming, asks viewers: "Are you ready to change the way you live?"

Here is what al's new religion wants of you:

As a believer:
that human-caused global warming is a moral, ethical, and spiritual issue affecting our survival;
that home energy use is a key component of overall energy use;
that reducing my fossil fuel-based home energy usage will lead to lower greenhouse gas emissions; and
that leaders on moral issues should lead by example;
I pledge to consume no more energy for use in my residence than the average American household by March 21, 2008.

But the record shows Gore refused.

There's more! Common sense needs to prevail.

serendipity

2007-04-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

the lighter side

2007-04-20T15:55:00.000-07:00

it has been a very busy week. and a windy one.. I have put on nearly a hundred miles in seven days. ... training is going slow and i can feel those extra winter pounds...i have only myself to blame... I had fun shopping for a new tent today... My old Kelty was just shot... I bought it ten years ago for my ride across the US. This guy has some great photos of it.

I had many similar ones and we took some of our photos at the same places..his look so similar to some of mine

Those photos of mine are still on negatives... another story on stuff i would like to have

the lighter side? a tent..... i have been researching all winter... in preparation for tour de kota

I decided on the Meridian 2 from Mountain Hardwear...

phobias

2007-04-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

Iraqnophobia - the loathing and fear of victory
Factophobia - very similar to the aforementioned fear....

so.... you hate oil... NOBODY likes the fact that enemies who control that oil are those who have hated us for centuries, yes before the awful, bad USA came into existence.... Our country is not to blame....unless you want to give credit to environmentalists who have over legislated us into NON-use (more fear mongering) of nuclear power, which, by the way, the ungrateful french use for 75 percent of their power...... of course they now have to go without all that sweet, cheap oil from Iraq via the UN oil for Food scandal love fest with Saddam Hussein and the UN.
yeah yeah... I know all about the choices and the compromises we have had to make in our country's history... for what????? to halt Hitler and sacrifice our millions to save the now hateful and ungrateful Europeans....they will call on us before too long, since they are now being overrun with Wahabists in their governement and those who would cut your throat as quickly as they would Bush's. We have made choices to attempt to halt communism's murderous toll. We all compromise...every day even in things we can control...and those of others' behavior we condone...
Please don't ASSume you come even near a patriot...when you badmouth and support those who undermine the soliers' mission... i hope you may never have to fight that battle in our own streets. a battle with those who would control the majority of the world's oil. ..of course we ALL adore our heat, our plastic, our rubber bike tires, the materials in much of our oh so character filled excursion equipment, trucks that haul our food for our children, our vehicles which we and our families drive or ride in an upon...
so what ....is it a POLITICAL fight? NO.... there are plenty of those in BOTH PARTIES to chastise while they chastise us little people ...al gore arrives in his private jet, making money to lecture us ... streisand and hollyweirdos in their mansions, edwards and his $400 dollar haircuts... I'm sure all of you contributors to his presidency campaign like paying for that?
we know it is PARTLY about oil... about strategic PLACEMENT in the part of the world that holds your freedom in its wells.... oil which is the lifeblood of all economies.... whether you like it or not.
So, TURN OFF YOUR LIGHTS, Stop your lives, go ahead ..... you should be happy that the terrorists are doing what they are doing... they simply seek to expedite your agenda to get us all back to the middle of the sixth century...I am just not ready to wear a burka and bow to their god ... even if if Nancy Pelosi is. When is the last time you even read a story about some of the things that soldiers really do, or spoke with one?
TOKYO ROSE and BENEDICT ARNOLD have been reincarnated into two of our own US Senators... Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi..
Now here is something about someone who REALLY knows the truth:
November 13, 2005
Vernon Chong Says...
There seem to be various 'authors' of this email, as can be seen here and here.
This War is For Real
By Major General Vernon Chong, USAF, ret.
October 1, 2005
To get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it. Our country is now facing the most serious threat to its existence, as we know it, that we have faced in your lifetime and mine (which includes WWII).
The deadly seriousness is greatly compounded by the fact that there are very few of us who think we can possibly lose this war, and even fewer who realize what losing really means.
First, let's examine a few basics:
1. When did the threat to us start?
Many will say September 11, 2001. The answer, as far as the United States is concerned, is 1979 - 22 years prior to September 2001-
with the following attacks on us:
Iran Embassy Hostages, 1979; Beirut, Lebanon, Embassy, 1983; Beirut, Lebanon, Marine Barracks, 1983; Lockerbie, Scotland, Pan-Am flight to New York, 1988; First New York World Trade Center attack, 1993; Oklahoma City - Murrah Federal Building, 1995; Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Khobar Towers Military complex, 1996; Nairobi, Kenya, U.S. Embassy, 1998; Dares Salaam, Tanzania, U.S. Embassy, 1998; Aden, Yemen, USS Cole, 2000; New York, World Trade Center, 2001; Pentagon, 2001; Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Plane Crash, 2001 (Note that during the period from 1981 to 2001 there were 7,581 terrorist attacks worldwide).
2. Why were we attacked?
Envy of our position, our success, and our freedoms.
1.. The attacks happened during the administrations of Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush
2.. We cannot fault either the Republicans or Democrats, as there were no provocations by any of the Presidents or their immediate predecessors,Presidents Ford or Carter.
3.. Who were the attackers?
In each case, the attacks on the U.S. were carried out by Muslims.
4.. What is the Muslim population of the World? 25 percent.
5.. Isn't the Muslim Religion peaceful?
Hopefully, but that is really not material. There is no doubt that the predominently Christian population of Germany was peaceful, but under the dictatorial leadership of Hitler (who was also Christian), that made no difference. You either went along with the administration, or you were eliminated. There were 5 to 6 million Christians killed by the Nazis for political reasons (including 7,000 Polish priests).

Thus, almost the same number of Christians were killed by the Nazis, as the six million holocaust Jews who were killed by them, and we seldom heard of anything other than the Jewish atrocities.
Although Hitler kept the world focused on the Jews, he had no hesitancy about killing anyone who got in his way of exterminating the Jews, or of taking over the world - German, Christian, or any others.
Same with the Muslim terrorists. They focus the attention of the world on the U.S., but kill all in the way - their own people, or the Spanish, French, or anyone else. The point here, is that just like the peaceful Germans were of no protection to anyone from the Nazis, no matter how many peaceful Muslims there may be, they are no protection for us from the terrorist Muslim leaders, and what they are fanatically bent on doing -by their own pronouncements - killing all of us "infidels." I don't blame the peaceful Muslims. What would you do - if the choice was shut up, or die?
6.. So who are we at war with?
There is no way we can honestly respond that it is anyone other than the Muslim terrorists. Trying to be politically correct, and avoid verbalizing this conclusion can well be fatal. There is no way to win, if you don't clearly recognize, and articulate who you are fighting.
So with that background, now to the two major questions:
1.. Can we lose this war?
2.. What does losing really mean?
If we are to win, we must clearly answer these two pivotal questions.
We can definitely lose this war, and as anomalous as it may sound, the major reason we can lose is that so many of us simply do not fathom the answer to the second question - "What does losing mean?"
It would appear that a great many of us think that losing the war means hanging our heads, bringing the troops home, and going on about our business, like post-Vietnam. This is as far from the truth as one can get. What losing really means is:
We would no longer be the premier country in the world. The attacks will not subside, but rather will steadily increase. Remember, they want us dead, not just quiet. If they had just wanted us quiet, they would not have produced an increasing series of attacks against us, over the past 18 years. The plan was clearly, for terrorists to attack us, until we were neutered, and submissive to them. We would, of course, have no future support from other nations, for fear of reprisals, and for the reason that they would see that we are impotent, and cannot help them.

They will pick off the other non-Muslim nations, one at a time. It will be increasingly easier for them. They already hold Spain hostage. It doesn't matter whether it was right or wrong for Spain to withdraw its troops from Iraq. Spain did it because the Muslim terrorists bombed their train, and told them to withdraw the troops. Anything else they want Spain to do, will be done. Spain is finished.
The next will probably be France. Our one hope on France is that they might see the light and realize that if we don't win, they are finished too, in that they can't resist the Muslim terrorists without us.
However, it may already be too late for France. France is already 20 percent Muslim, and fading fast!
If we lose the war, our production, income, exports, and way of life will all vanish, as we know it. After losing, who would trade or deal with us, if they were threatened by the Muslims?
If we can't stop the Muslims, how could anyone else?
FOR MORE >>> GO HERE

Hypocrisy

2007-04-20T05:56:00.000-07:00

So, let me get this straight....Imus was fired for what? Offending people. Insensitive remarks. Hurting feelings.. Hmmm...NBC obviously has offended the parents and others, proven by NBC's recent spanking; the powers that be at that behemoth of skewed public influence have retracted. Imagine that!!! NOW WHAT?
Where are the firings?! Where is the crazed degree of condemnation in the headlines and top stories? Those self-proclaimed arbiters of 'public opinion' are quick to unleash venom upon those entities that they deem to be unworthy, ala the media frenzy over the AG non-issue (although he should get the same treatment as Hillary, in her repeated phrase, "I don't recall" in regard to the missing FBI files suddenly appearing on her desk, and other REAL law breaking by the Clintons.) Then there is the treatment of the overblown drunken insults from conservative movie makers; harmless comments at an aged legislator's birthday party; All the while, the media simply ignores the story when it concerns one of their own. The hypocrisy is glaring and nauseating.
On other issues... Reid and Pilosi are continuing their obscene rants about how we are "losing" in this war on Islamic fundamentalist, Rosie O'Donnel compares Christians to Islamic mass murderers, and the left is constantly bringing whomever they decide is wrong, or immoral into their own spotlight which they have full control. That is the utmost example of absolute power absolutely corrupting.
Take for example the ABUSIVE RANTINGS OF ALEC BALDWIN'S HATE-FILLED CALL TO HIS DAUGHTER. Will we be hearing THIS on our hourly network propaganda?
The twisted media maggots think it is their right to dictate to us what we should think, and whom we should judge.
People are getting tired of it, but, when the media does back down, they are not held to the same standard that they hold others to. Of course, they hold the ability to air what they will air. They're not being held accountable for withholding evidence in the incidence of the VT shooter. I believe their plan was to keep the recordings and video, doling it out piecemeal, so they could control the news and hold the market share of viewers. How out-of-touch they are. They shamefully pour salt into the fresh wounds of those who loved the slain....
Playing those recordings an videos over and over was a hideous abuse of others' for profit, self promotion and sick arrogant, pride. And, even now, they ignore their own culpability in the fallout, simply moving on to make a story out of making excuses for the shooter. The experts will now patronize us with psychological babble, "he was picked on, pushed around, oh poor BABY!"
Many people have been teased, It is one of the faults of human existence. People are cruel. Get over it. Most do. That does not give a person the right to go berserk like he did. The defense and rationalization of depression and blah... blah....
The pity party goes on for the CRIMINAL! while the real victims are abused by the media hanging around, ignoring their feelings of grief and the need for privacy. Where is the sympathy for the victims and their families? By playing that trash the shooter sent to NBC, he WANTED to have infamy. sick.... and they fulfilled it...

applause

2007-04-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

Did anyone listen to the applause when the president of Virginia Tech came out to speak? The applause lasted a far longer than would be deserved if those people really thought the president needed to be fired. The press continues to try to make this a political statement of their own..the blame game...they play it oh so well.. how shameful. In my classes, at work, in my social circles, this is the discussion, fueled by the press' ASSumption... their finger pointing.. but the REAL question... since the press NBC was mailed the tapes and video by the shooter... what did they know? What could THEY have done? even if they did not get it in time... they should not be playing it out of respect for the families...
The focus should be on the good.... this is really about families that have been so damaged by such evil.... they are already making excuses for the killer... the media is now concentrating on depression and mental disorders....when they are not ranting about gun control...as if criminals who kill are going to be stopped by gun laws..the PC world we live in denies any existence of evil....one only has to listen to the voice of that monster....mailed to NBC by the killer..before he continued his evil.. now it's being played on the air..with absolutely no consideration given to the families that would hear it.. that is disgusting....And all people can talk about is the POLITICS! that voice gave me an eery chill ... That is the closest to the voice of satan himself... all i could do was pray and cry for those students and their families...as a parent of a college student...those are the hardest stories when it pertains to a child of your own child's age...my children are my world...those students killed were the world to their parents
....where are the stories of the brave heroes in the rampage? nowhere ...instead all they will be broadcasting the taunting evil voice of the killer ad nauseum... makes me realize why I don't watch tv..they are obsessed with the process.. the acts of that evil person.... instead of the REAL story
the long applause... the speech...the HOKIE cheer..the candle light vigil spontaneously breaking into 'Amazing Grace'.... those are the real stories..... what a shame the media has their own agenda...All they can do is hang around and shove microphones and cameras in grieving peoples' faces and occupy the town with their cameras, media trucks, satellite dishes, cables, and crews..a bunch of desensitized maggots...the "first with the worst."
Where has our nation gone wrong? In abandoning our Christian heritage... we reap what we sow...if we will only humble ourselves to His will instead of going our own way... if we would stop being wise in our own eyes.... God does allow consequences..is this a consequence of a nation that has abandoned its God? I am as guilty as the next.... i am part of the aggregate ... but I will unashamedly ask other readers to seek GRACE....that is the only thing that keeps me in the center of God's will....not by my works.... by HIS grace...

"God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence." 1 Corinthians 1:27-30

the blame game..fame game

2007-04-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

The media is at it again....blaming the school...blaming the gun industry...questioning why what was done when it was done and why whatever was not done and who is the next scapegoat to be slaughtered in their twisted blame game... blaming everyone but the evil SOB who did it!
What a bunch of losers we have in the media ..... when families are grieving..they blame it on the police, the University, guns, gunshops, the military, probably blame Bush....as if the criminals are going to obey gun laws ....stop with the second guessing....you weasel armchair quarterbacks are first to ask, "what was done wrong?" the cops, the campus police?... .... just shut up..... The responsiblity lies with the LOSER who pulled the trigger. the media is now busy recruiting the next shooter... with their emboldening the wack jobs ... enticing them in the fame game... while the media fiddles away with stories about "recruiting at the school being affected?!." What a crock .. everyone rants about controlling guns... controlling others... it's the media that needs to be controlled and their hateful, propagandizing, talking heads need to be muzzled. there is proof after proof that gun bans only make the criminal more powerful while tying the hands of LAW ABIDING CITIZENS... If the criminals ever suspected one of their potential victims, another citizen on the train they're about to rob, like myself, is possibly carrying a weapon..... they would not stick around... these people are COWARDS ...who will not mess around with you if you are packing... the kind of guy that rampaged on defenseless students COUNTED on the fact that NOBODY would be able stop him, not the students, not the security.

lies..

2007-04-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

Why do people lie? Then are cowardly enough to shift the guilt to another....to call another judgmental for calling them on their lies? our world is indeed a very strange place.. those who feel nothing when a lie so easily rolls from their tongue..in simple conversation... to make themselves feel more important....to avoid scrutiny.. to you..doing this in my life....( i do have a life...) and i am not stupid.... nor as naive as you might arrogantly think in your small mind .. you deceive yourself... stop it. don't lie about my influence in your narrow sphere ... your own importance is not as you think... you are not changing the world... especially with your lies...you only harm yourselves... ...
.let me qualify this... for those of you who are and have been honest with me... you know who you are..you have not done anything to discredit me..you can disregard this.rant.....you are already true friends.... when it concerns the things you say about me... when i am not there....... or repeat what I say..it's ok...
you know my faults.... in communication.... I am far too often brutally honest... what you see is what you get... that is me... iamwhoiam.... i am not perfect.... but if you have a problem with ... you know we can talk honestly... i believe we should speak the truth in love.. negotiate .... but repenting means to turn around.... change the behavior... like the woman caught in adultery ..... true.. Jesus did not condemn her..... Jesus also spoke the truth in love and told that woman.... to her face ... to go and sin no more.. hmmmm.... i'll join the scholars in wondering of the whereabouts of the scumbag of a man caught with her.. and all of his supposed RELIGIOUS friends who cover his loser butt...what sort of faith have you that you don't keep your friends accountable? ... for their own good? oops.... don't want to offend anyone eh? Well, it is ok to try to make the rest of the world feel guilty for so many politically correct things but if you are all the family men you claim to be.... put your faith where the world is.
I may have my faults... God knows... i live in this body (flawed as it is) but if i am criticized, chastised, bad-mouthed, judged for my faith.. good... I glory in knowing that i am being judged for what??? for being a Christian? for daring to try help friends, or those i thought were friends... those who use my friendship to further their own deceptions... i would rather be condemned for speaking truth than for speaking lies . here are the unintended consequences... the destruction of the relationships with those who really care...for what? think long and hard... and leave me out of it from now on.

Roots...

2007-04-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

Bomal Belgium Map

Something many of my friends do not know.... I am half Belgian and half Norwegian....thus the ruddy complexion and the ..... not so little physique.....anyway... some of the interesting things I found out.....in my tentative planning for a trip to this land of my ancestry....I found the following...

Interesting facts about Belgium...
Spa is a city in Belgium where all other spas get their name from. Luxury spas are located throughout Belgium where you will surely get the royal Spa treatment.
The saxophone was invented in Belgium by Adolph Sax in 1846. There are numerous jazz festivals throughout the year celebrating our love for jazz music.
There are more castles per square mile in Belgium than anywhere else in the world. Some of our castles are moated and others have labyrinth garden mazes to get lost in.
Brussels is headquarters to the European Union (EU) & NATO. With this much international activity, it's no wonder English is widely spoken.
The little blue cartoon creatures known as Smurfs are absosmurfly Belgian, created by Peyo. Throughout Brussels there are murals attesting our love for Comic Strip Art.
Actor Audrey Hepburn, probably most famous for her role in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's, was born Edda van Heemstra Hepburn- Ruston in Brussels.
The famous statue of Mannekin Pis is found in Brussels. Heads of state and famous artists have donated over 800 outfits for him on display at the Brussels Museum.
Belgian endive was accidentally discovered by a Belgian farmer in 1830. All endives sold in the US are imported from Belgium.
Belgian Rene Magritte was a surrealist painter. He developed a style which used misleading realism to create provocative fantasies around commonplace situations.
Belgium produces 172,000 tons of chocolate per year in over 2,130 chocolate shops. Our chocolate has pure cocoa flavor because we don't use vegetable shortening.
There are over 400 different types of beer in Belgium running the gamut from white to raspberry beer. Most beers have their own glass in which only that beer may be served.
Action film hero Jean Claude Van Damme, a.k.a. the Muscles from Brussels, hails from Belgium.

hmmmm... no wonder......J'aime le chocolat!!!!!

Spring Ride

2007-03-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

photos by peddlinshutterbug
Spring is really here! We went to bed with windows open last night...rejuvinating!The robins have been greeting us every morning for weeks now...the squirrels are out full force...entertaining us with their antics on the squirrel spinner/corn feeder....I had today off with my son in town on leave. I took the opportunity to wash bedding and hang it all out on the line. Blankets and all!
I got a great ride in today...it felt good...especially since I didn't get out on my roadie during February...I did get to ride a short one in January (so much for my annual goal to do at least one roadie ride every month of the year)
Today I got in a little over 30 miles....not bad for this early... but what an adventure! I got an unexpected suprise...self induced...I love adventuring out and this one was fun.
After heading out on my usual route towards a small town northeast of my city for some nice rollers... onto a commonly ridden east-west route..so far all into the wind....biking is all about the wind (for my non-biking readers.) I decided to be adventurous...turning south on a beautiful, smooth blacktop (wow...what a sweet ride...with a tailwind)...until I realized it becomes Interstate! Thankfully we are allowed to ride bicycles on the interstate here in SD...been there...done that...on a ride across the US in 98! So...I DID it again...only for a mile or so... then, when I got to an overpass...I did a little hike-n-bike...hoisted the Roadie and walked up the median to the guardrail...onto 60th...back east with the tail wind...downtown to the Falls where I ran into some friends who were riding the city bike trail on their mountain bikes...after a nice visit I headed home....still with the tailwind
I hope the weather stays nice.. I'm commuting to work these next two weeks....I'm between quarters at school.

Another day...

2007-03-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

photos by peddlinshutterbug

Well, a few of you have been asking of my whereabouts. Here, there a little of nowhere. Not much going on, but enough. Most days are the same...a blur of working ten hours...school for another three hours.. the gym if i have the energy.. home to work on other various projects and business. Typical weekend fare... this weekend has a twist...daylight savings....Spring forward... so... up early...to church...then shopping...home again home again.. jiggity jig....simple pleasures...I was very surprised to find very fresh bay leaf at the local grocery store..FRESH...I folded the bright green leaf..it actually snapped and I savored the aroma!! ahhhh. Hubby and I love cooking together, especially new recipes; so while he worked on his yummy scratch pancakes for breakfast....(while sauteing fresh apple slices in a small amount of butter with a little brown sugar and cinnamon to throw on the pancakes)...I started working on the french onion soup we will have for dinner tonight (it needs to simmer at least five hours.).... while a fresh loaf of french bread and a yummy chunk of gruyere I found last week awaits the occasion. Hubby loves french onion soup and this is a new recipe. He also is a meat and potatoes kind o guy. So, tonight it is sirloin on the grill with a big spinach salad. The french bread will be used in the soup and alongside the steak and salad. I have a 'greener planet shiraz-merlot-cabernet for the meal. Then it will be a long walk. Thank God the weather is nice again. Even thought it was a relatively mild winter, the summer sun and light is long overdue.

The sheets are washed and hanging out on the line... Yay... spring is (almost) here...bike ride yesterday, although it felt like wading sometimes...Spring thaw is in full force. The dull, soothing sound of flowing water was music to my cold ears...the joy of being outside....what a release! Winter held far too little riding...and the rides i did take resulted in frozen body parts as well as bicycle parts!

I'm looking forward to getting back out on the bike full force again. But...enough playing...back to homework.

happy morning

2007-02-14T20:46:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd seen some weird and funny commercials.. i am not sure why a marketing team would make this commercial. Take a look. Not sure who they're marketing to.

shades of mood

2007-02-07T17:41:00.000-08:00

photos by peddlinshutterbug "etihw dna kcalB"

mean people

2007-02-06T17:45:00.000-08:00

'
Mean people suck

snickers and snorts
and humor-veiled insults.
vague references
moved, just 'so' on a page...
on a face...
in a mind...
but, who is it really?
where is the loathed one?
when mean people
are in their own awful silence...

peddlinshutterbug random thoughts 2007

cabin fever haiku.....

2007-02-05T17:18:00.000-08:00

photos by peddlinshutterbug 'winterscapes'

a slideshow
of the days gone by
winter points to spring

some winter photos

2007-02-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

photos by peddlinshutterbug. 'winter sampler'

Jesus Freaks

2007-02-01T04:02:00.000-08:00

Gravity

The ways of this world are grabbing a hold
Won't let me go, won't let me fly by
It’s taking it's toll down on my soul
‘Cause I know what I need in my life
Don't let me lose my sight of You
Don't let me lose my sight

Chorus:
I don't want to fall away from You
Gravity is pulling me on down
I don't want to fall away from You
Gravity is pulling me to the ground

This world keeps making me cry
But I'm going to try, going to try to fly, GOTTA FLY HIGH
Don't want to give into the sin, want to stay IN YOU ‘til the end
Don't want to lose my sight of You
Don't want to lose my sight

Chorus:
I want to fly
Into the sky
Turn my back on this WHOLE world AND
Leave it all behind
This place is not my home
It's got nothing for me
Only leaves me with emptiness
And tears in my eyes
Chorus...

Shawn says of his music, “The theme that comes across the most in this project is my need of God,” Shawn says. “The older I get the more I’m realizing how imperfect I am and how much I fall short. My songs just continually come back to this deep need of something more, which is God. I can’t get away from the fact that we need more than ourselves.”

Anyone who is fond of an eclectic music venue.... go listen to him.. he has an amazing gift and is using it to give glory to God... I'm a fan..

now if you like Shawn McDonald or those lyrics... Just consider his testimony. ....just makes you wonder if you've never thought God is real, or if He is just a figment... stories like this happen every day.... i know... mine is amazing too.... guess that's why i'm a Jesus Freak and not ashamed of it.

On that same note.. here are some great videos that speak of others' experiences.. take a looksee..

this is why we wear helmets????

2007-01-31T15:42:00.000-08:00

a NON biking friend sent this to me... he never tells me (blatantly) that i'm crazy for the kind of bicycling i do or the miles i ride. let it be known this friend is a motorcylist... not a bad thing in itself... we have more in common with our motorcycling friends than not.. (but I love to tell them to "get a real bike") hehe...that unspoken gentle rivalry.... anyway... I got a chuckle out of this and knew you all would like it, too....do you feel yourself leaning a bit?

this is why we ride.....

2007-01-30T18:30:00.000-08:00

another ride for 2007

2007-01-28T19:06:00.000-08:00

I found another destination for the summer fare. The Vermillion Lane Hogs put on the Marguarita Ride and it's always a lot of fun. Hope to see you there! Last year's information is on the site, but watch for the 2007 ride: slated for September 8 (always the second Saturday in September.)

more winter....

2007-01-27T23:02:00.000-08:00

January brings...
harsh silence rings
interrupted by wind chimes,
the creak of a house freezing at its edges.
clock ticking...late, late,
wind in the trees, a distant howl....cold, unforgiving.
rejuvinates the earth, blanket of snow.
we all rest...
sun, brightens the day, warm
yet so chilled the air, the snow's sharp edges cut shadows.
so it is with our spirits oft.

l poem and photos by peddlinshutterbug 2007

project

2007-01-26T15:28:00.000-08:00

I always loved show and tell in school. So, when we get the choice to do a paper on anything we want in our class now, even as an adult, I always choose something fun and interesting. hmmm....So, the history and progress of the bicycle seemed the logical choice. ~duh~
This is a Consumer Behavior and Marketing Strategy class, so I get to surf lots of fun bicycle sites and do my "research." yeah....

So, obviously, the first thing I found was the world's oldest bike . Imagine doing a few rollers on that one!

Then, talk about perfect timing, I got this today in an email from a friend. It definitely could give a whole new meaing to the term "Social Ride." You may have to open the link to get a larger view and notice the pedals.

winter in South Dakota

2007-01-26T11:10:00.000-08:00

freeze yer arse

2007-01-22T21:42:00.000-08:00

Ah... a winter bike ride. I got an email from a friend and we are going to do the "Freeze Your Fanny Bike Ride" in Okoboji, Iowa. If you feel like going, let me know, or just show up. Sounds like fun to me.
Other things going on. I joined bike journal as gunnargirl. Looks like an interesting site. And so many new bikers and news about bicycling, including ideas for Sioux Falls. Seems we might be getting somewhere with plans in Sioux Falls for trails and lanes. We have a great group of people and hopefully the city will grow as a bike friendly community as it is sure to grow in population. We can keep dreaming and working on it.
Also found some interesting sites of places to go and things to do. This would be fun. Probably won't happen in my world, this year, but it's fun reading.
Otherwise, I've found a new hobby, timewaster, collectible, whatever you want to call it. Old bicycle photography and nostalgia on bicycling. Again, more stuff, more time wasted online. Oh, time to study.... see ya

Bagpipes, Haggis and Fiddles

2007-01-20T22:01:00.000-08:00

Went to a bagpipe and Celtic concert at the Orpheum in Sioux Falls, put on by the FOTM. I love bagpipe and Celtic music! The "Ninth Annual Burns Night" was a tribute to some Scottish guy named Robert Burns. The bands were the "Dakota District Pipes & Drums," and "Piper's Crow," out of Minnesota. Both were very good. Although, I am not sure if six bagpipers are meant to be in a theatre as small as the Orpheum. It did not bother me, but a bicycling friend of ours sat next to me and had his finger in his ear on some of the bagpipe pieces. It was a nice surprise to run into this couple unexpectedly, and catch up on an upcoming bike ride. The fiddler for Piper's Crow was excellent, and they played some very interesting instruments, Northumbrian small pipes, whistle, recorder,and bouzouki .
Oh, and the "best" part...... we got to taste Haggis... Apparently, it is made out of the lungs, livers and other sordid parts of sheep (yes, i meant to spell it that way!) .....
Better yet...(or not). here is the recipe for the beloved Haggis of Scotland. In addition to the other naughty (read "delectable") bits, the lungs are traditionally included in Scotland, but are omitted here as it's illegal to sell lungs in the U.S. (Any clues as to why, anybody?). Some folks also think that liver shouldn't be used ...
1 sheep's lung (illegal in the U.S.; may be omitted if not available)
1 sheep's stomach
1 sheep heart
1 sheep liver
1/2 lb fresh suet (kidney leaf fat is preferred)
3/4 cup oatmeal (the ground type, NOT the Quaker Oats type!)
3 onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup stock Wash lungs and stomach well, rub with salt and rinse. Remove membranes and excess fat. Soak in cold salted water for several hours. Turn stomach inside out for stuffing.
Cover heart and liver with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Chop heart and coarsely grate liver. Toast oatmeal in a skillet on top of the stove, stirring frequently, until golden. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Loosely pack mixture into stomach, about two-thirds full. Remember, oatmeal expands in cooking.
Press any air out of stomach and truss securely. Put into boiling water to cover. Simmer for 3 hours, uncovered, adding more water as needed to maintain water level. Prick stomach several times with a sharp needle when it begins to swell; this keeps the bag from bursting. Place on a hot platter, removing trussing strings. Serve with a spoon. Ceremoniously served with "neeps, tatties and nips" -- mashed turnips, mashed potatoes, nips of whiskey.

uggh! ok, I tried it... that was it...ew... Hubby would not eat any. smart man.. The bicycling friend we were with ate two bowls of it! His wife and I were laughing at him. well. ..it tasted like it reads it would taste. blechh! and anyone who has seen me in my spandex knows i usually like food....not this stuff...
Well, the funny part was they had this little ceremony at the beginning of the concert. They walked down the center isle, carrying this round haggis to the stage while a bagpiper played, while everyone had to stand up, then this guy read this Scottish poem Address to the Haggis, which we could not understand much of, but from the expressions of the reader, his tones of voice, animations and a few choice English words mixed in with some sweeping body language, and a dramatic, on stage slashing of the haggis). They ended the poem with a final dramatic reference to their battles with the Norwegians (or whoever the marauders du jour would have been) It read like this:
"....The trembling earth resounds his tread, Clap in his Walie nieve a blade, He'll make it whistle: An' legs an' heads will sned. Like taps o thissle." I think the gist of it was if you eat this foul tasting stuff it will make you fierce and brave and give you enough strength to go out and take on your enemies..... My thought after walking into the Orpheum and smelling it, then tasting it...I think the Scots enemies smelled it, smelled the Scots after eating it.... and ran away!
So, anyway, we came home and hubby had to crack open the ice cream..... good old American food! yeah.

What is Spring? (in South Dakota?)

2007-01-18T20:12:00.000-08:00

Ready for Spring?

I have two great rides on the calendar. A full schedule of tour de kota will be great. And I'm anxious for the Club Rides. I still hope to make my goal of getting at least one decent road ride in each, even the winter months. So far, I have kept my goal; I did make every month, except for January. OK, so....I'm being schitzophrenic, I

photo courtesy of Gunnar bicycles

know......ilovesnowihatesnowilovesnowihatesnow... but isn't that all about living in South Dakota? It is just so sad to see the 'roadie' collecting dust in the garage. So, to remedy this, on the birthday list (psst.... March 19) i'm asking for a decent trainer; I once had the use of a roller type trainer and once i moved it out of the doorway, (for balance) it was a blast. Next winter this travesty of the road bike atrophy will not happen.

snow angels and chamomile tea

2007-01-14T19:20:00.000-08:00

photos by peddlinshutterbug

snowflakes are great! but brrrrr.....I went on that walk, but it sure felt good to get back inside for a cup of tea. I love snow!

SNOW!!!

2007-01-14T16:44:00.000-08:00

YAY! I feel like a little kid at the first snow of the year. OK, I'm a flake!

photo by peddlinshutterbug

like fairies...
dancing, floating
sparkle....
finally
refreshing

Great night for a walk!

Winter Warm ramblings...blues..

2007-01-06T18:23:00.000-08:00

Blues can make you feel so good...even though they are blues... charlie musselwhite..clapton ...Corrine Bailey Rae"girl put your records on...tell me your favorite song..go ahead... let your hair down.."

I'm torn...worn...ready for Spring....ready for snow..... wanting mounds of snow...heaped upon fenceposts.. winter wonderland.. canvas for snow angels... snow tracks...bike tracks...friends in the east ... "Buffalo so warm....out for a bike ride"...DC. cherry blossoms blooming....

I have more outside bicycling miles than i thought i would this time of year..Fall and Winter... a wonderful roadie ride along one of my favorite hot Summer rides...sans the hot sweat...cold sweat, but worth it....mid 30's winter warm....refreshing..

plans for Summer coming along... possible new job prospects..others.....friends lost... old ones revisited....new ones discovered... lots to be thankful for... i miss the sun though.. i miss the hot summer...

my daughter was home for the winter break..kids are great..board games on a Friday night....but.. empty chair at the table.. son is fine..spirits high...morale high...despite the hate from our own... God is good though...

winter slow..winter warm... i think i'll ride tomorrow..back to the school routine this week...not looking forward to it ..light at the end of the tunnel...life goes on..

many things to decide...discussions to have..friends to visit...decisions to make...things to discover..paths to take..

creating summer jaunts.... trips with best friend... get away... i'm glad he is...after all these years...best friend...spoiling me. ... rare these days...i'm thankful...marriage is never easy..but always worth it...so....temptations.. heart....decisions..others affected.... love...many seek ..hoping to find... just tap your ruby red slippers... it's still "best on a cold dark night...to have a little fire burning wild and so bright."

decisions to make...back to school...more work...and work...hello hamster wheel...music calming... thank God for talent... many musicians... others' blessing us with their sweet voices and gift of song.. too many to mention..always someone new...

children's laughter... now grown.... their laughter unchanged...carries back,.. chipmunk voices...now equals... joy... friends... no longer children.. much to be thankful for...

SO BE IT

2007-01-04T17:08:00.001-08:00

The LAW IS THE LAW

So if the US government determines that it is against the law for the words "under God" to be on our money, then, so be it.

And, if that same government decides that the "Ten Commandments" are not to be used in or on a government installation, then, so be it.

I say, "so be it," because I would like to be a law abiding US citizen.

I say, "so be it," because I would like to think that smarter people than I are in positions to make good decisions. I would like to think that those people have the American public's best interests at heart.

BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE I'D LIKE?

Since we can't pray to God, can't Trust in God, and cannot post His Commandments in Government buildings, I don't believe the Government and its employees should participate in the Easter and Christmas celebrations, which honor the God that our government is eliminating from many facets of American life.

I'd like my mail delivered on Christmas, Good Friday, Thanksgiving AND Easter.

After all, it's just another day.

I'd like the US Supreme Court to be in session on Christmas, Good Friday, Thanksgiving AND Easter, as well as Sundays.

After all, it's just another day.

I'd like the Senate and the House of Representatives to not have to worry about getting home for the "Christmas Break."

After all it's just another day.

I'm thinking that a lot of my taxpayer dollars could be saved, if all government offices & services would work on Christmas, Good Friday AND Easter.

It shouldn't cost any overtime, since those would be just like any other day of the week to a government that is trying to be "politically correct."

In fact....I think that our government should work on Sundays (initially set aside for worshiping God...) because, after all, our government says that it should be just another day....What do you all think????

DID YOU KNOW?

2007-01-04T17:08:00.000-08:00

DID YOU KNOW? As you walk up the steps to the building which houses the U.S. Supreme Court you can see near the top of the building a row of the world's law givers and each one is facing one in the middle who is facing forward with a full frontal view .. it is Moses and he is holding the Ten Commandments!

DID YOU KNOW? As you enter the Supreme Court courtroom, the two huge oak doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of each door.

DID YOU KNOW? As you sit inside the courtroom, you can see the wall, right above where the Supreme Court judges sit a display of the Ten Commandments!

DID YOU KNOW? There are Bible verses etched in stone all over the Federal Buildings and Monuments in Washington, D.C.

DID YOU KNOW? James Madison, the fourth president, known as "The Father of Our Constitution" made the following statement: "We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."

DID YOU KNOW? Patrick Henry, that patriot and Founding Father of our country said: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ".

DID YOU KNOW? Every session of Congress begins with a prayer by a paid preacher, whose salary has been paid by the taxpayer since 1777.

DID YOU KNOW? Fifty-two of the 55 founders of the Constitution were members of the established orthodox churches in the colonies.

DID YOU KNOW? Thomas Jefferson worried that the Courts would overstep their authority and instead of interpreting the law would begin making law . an oligarchy . the rule of few over many.

DID YOU KNOW? The very first Supreme Court Justice, John Jay, said: "Americans should select and prefer Christians as their rulers."

HOW THEN, have we gotten to the point that everything we have done for 220 years in this country is now suddenly wrong and unconstitutional?

simple...yet complex

2007-01-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

Artist: Aaron Shust
Album: Anything Worth Saying
Year: 2005
Title: My Savior My God

I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at his right hand
Stands one who is my savior

I take him at his word and deed
Christ died to save me this I read
And in my heart I find a need
For him to be my savior

That he would leave his place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my savior

My savior loves, my savior lives
My savior's always there for me
My God he was, my God he is
My God he's always gonna be

Yes, living, dying; let me bring
My strength, my solace from this spring
That he who lives to be my king
Once died to be my savior

That he would leave his place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my savior

My savior loves, my savior lives
My savior's always there for me
My God he was, My God he is
My God he's always gonna be

resolutions..today, tomorrow, and...........

2006-12-30T21:24:00.000-08:00

res·o·lu·tionPronunciation: "re-z&-'lü-sh&nFunction: nounEtymology: Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French resolution, from Latin resolution-, resolutio, from resolvere1 : the act or process of reducing to simpler form: as a : the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones b : the act of answering : c : the act of determining d : the passing of a voice part from a dissonant to a consonant tone or the progression of a chord from dissonance to consonance e : the separating of a chemical compound or mixture into its constituents f (1) : the division of a prosodic element into its component parts (2) : the substitution in Greek or Latin prosody of two short syllables for a long syllable g : the analysis of a vector into two or more vectors of which it is the sum h : the process or capability of making distinguishable the individual parts of an object, closely adjacent optical images, or sources of light2 : the subsidence of a pathological state (as inflammation)3 a : something that is resolved b : firmness of resolve4 : a formal expression of opinion, will, or intent voted by an official body or assembled group5 : the point in a literary work at which the chief dramatic complication is worked out
I have never been big on new years resolutions. I use this time to reassess...ponder accomplishments...screw-ups ...i like to set smaller goals throughout the year... I have a short attention span, and i'm easily distracted....(dangerous combination)....i'm a 'list' kind of girl...day by day goals lead to the large accomplishments...i keep those ....i am dependable...loyal..even if i am a bit spacy, but the things that mean the most to me...give me long term joy..even in the struggles....marriage, children.. long time friends...all take lots of work.. but so rewarding...i may be idealistic...but not afraid to change directions..relationships are important and i may hold people up to high standards...but no higher than those i hold for myself..so i can change directions....i know who to hold near and whom to keep at a distance .....sometimes others dismiss me....that is fine...they have their own spaces to protect...judgments they make.... such is life...a puzzle..not at all easy.. i'm also very resiliant...
so with resolutions... continuing challenges .....to grow...understand others... the world....and thus myself.. above all .... God...if i were to make a resolution...it would be to have that understanding...i know others who are farther along than i... but i do not to compromise either....others speak of morals...oops..tangent...
my daughter bought me a book for Christmas.."My Utmost for His Highest," by Oswald Chambers. I recommend it...
One of my hurdles in life has always been that battle with myself...selfishness....ignorance of others' feelings and thoughts....to reject callousness...this is life's calling to all of us...and i often fail. Thankfully, God gives us a lifetime to try....." do not let the right hand know what the left hand is doing." do good to others...
I want to listen..not just hear what they say....that has always been one of my character weaknesses. i interrupt.. thinking about what i want to say next...i have much to learn here.
my current job...until I get my degree...it is a lesson in listening...sometimes i can see God's strange sense of humor... the roundabout way i ended up in this job...customer service....some might think ~ menial...like a garbage collector...janitor...cashier...flippin burgers...We'd all like to say, "oh, I'm director of....manager of... chief operating blah, blah, blah...and i have friends who hold those positions...i also have friends who stay home and change poopy diapers..i think the latter is much more noble, and difficult.
after being in banking 15 years...i once held a 'prestigious' job...but the bank was acquired by the bank i now work for... long story...job discontinuation...i accepted a very good position...was bored...no customer contact at all...so i left...came back to the 'bottom of the ladder'....now i am making the proverbial lemonade...hard knocks... that degree.. i am a 'lemonade maker'..i have undergone many changes... and become more appreciative of others' challenges...but i am also tougher, because i know their struggles..and it is frustrating to see others make bad choices, give in or give up. i also know people have to make those choices...learn...
I have also been enjoying a new new way to look at others. Blogs...they are a relatively new experience for me. As of the Fall of 2006, i began to blog..the great thing is.....that little "NEXT BLOG" button....and like Alice in Wonderland opening door after door...i'm launched into an endless, enchanting, enlightening glimpse into others' minds, thoughts, their deepest beings....there are many that i do not read at all... but sometimes i find the most remarkable, intelligent, and thought provoking blogs... prose...revelation...disclosures....rants....confessions....self-incrimination...you name it...and the photography!... i marvel at the talent and genius of others.
So, no revolutionary resolutions. I will continue to be me...flaws and all....i cannot change some things...those i will not even mention... and i'm working on those that i can...and others? well, they are just the way they are... and i resolve to enjoy that more. happy new year

ramblings of plans...bike rides....misc

2006-12-27T18:46:00.000-08:00

bbbbbbphoto by peddlinshutterbug

After the trauma of the rust (the basement not only looks like a used furniture barn, but now a bike shop.) It is much warmer inside for cleaning bicycles, though.... hmmm just wait till all the Christmas decorations have to go back down to the basement...oops..tangent...
I have always enjoyed riding the Cannondale, even with my other bike options....it brings a totally unique kind of riding challenge...I got such a great deal on it, the doctor who sold it only rode it 150 miles. It was in mint condition and I've had many fun frolics with it. Newton Hills...snow and ice...endos on south bike trails....(we won't go into detail....It is time to get it into Chad's shop to lube the front shock. I am also debating on taking it on the Mickelson Trail Ride in September....or, i could take the Biachi Volpe (it has the pannier capability. I cannot wait now for summer, the only thing that will be better is when/if it snows. If it does, i hope it DUMPS! I want to get out and get some snow photographs.
I want to get more photos of summer, too. The people who sell my photography are asking for a little more 'springy' and summery' art. Does that say a lot about me.... that i photograph such 'dark' times of the year? hmmmm... i love Fall, i can't help it. probably has some freudian link to childhood or something...
at any rate... i plan to do more solo riding in 07...no particular reason........I'm sure there will be many to whom it will make no difference.....they don't have to deal with me then .. i actually like it when i go on large organized rides by myself... much like i did in 1998 across the US (i'll post photos on that someday..or not).....it is so much fun ~ not being accountable to anyone but myself, not feeling obligated to stop when someone else wants to stop...feeling like i'm slowing them down... all those dynamics of dealing with people seem to heighten when riding.....I love the idea that if i want to begin the morning with a couple friends, i don't have to end the day with them or i can start out alone.. or as early as i want...if i feel like hammering and my energy level is high... i just go for it.....or if my butt is dragging... anyhoo... I'm still not sure my Wednesday night ride will take place in the spring.... many reasons there...

perspective

2006-12-24T15:50:00.000-08:00

photo by peddlinshutterbug

--"The materia prima is exquisitely, brilliantly beautiful to the person who can understand it for what it is. In the midst of its rotting pile, it shines at the "true philosopher" with secret light. The idea that everything begins in squalor and refuse is an old one. Yeats said ..."in the foul rag-and-bone shop of the heart." ...Visual art is the same, and that is one of its strengths. Artists cannot begin antiseptic abstraction, like philosophers with their notepads, or theoretical physicists at their blackboards. They have to begin in media res...so it is the artist's task to discern somehow what is worth saving, and what can be transformed, and finally to crawl out of the morass."--~What Painting Is' James Elkins

I'm IN!!!

2006-12-23T20:09:00.001-08:00

Mickelson Trail, here I come. Talking to some friends who ride it every year.... this will be 10th anniversary ride and they are limiting it, anticipating a large crowd. I have always wanted to ride it, but Hubby and I do it in three days on our own, as we have done several times..... that is fun... but I enjoy rides for the socializing, too. So, I decided before it is too late.... this year, I'm going to just do it. I don't think he will be going, but I have put in for the time off and paid the entry fee. (hubby thinks it is too expensive.....thank God for commission checks!) And I don't have classes, since it is on the weekend. Next...... Tour de Kota... Hey....I'll be set for the summer, yet..... was I wishing for snow?... before we know it ... Spring will be here...
In with both feet......I can't wait.

Shake.. rattle and roll....

2006-12-23T20:09:00.000-08:00

photo by peddlinshutterbug

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope everyone (anyone) reading this has an absolutely BLESSED time, with lots of relaxing time with family and loved ones.
I am so excited that I have my daughter home. It seems that medical school is pretty stressful and we have one more thing in common to laugh about, school is out for awhile! I also now have the Cannondale (snowbike) home with me again for another winter. Now I'm REALLY anxious for the snow! Daughter brought it home from college, so I'm going to clean it tonight, "mom, i'm so sorry, the chain is rusty!" grrrr.... love ya kiddo!!! "that's ok, i am just glad to have it home, i can take care of that, i'll just clean it up.'
So, as she runs back and forth from her bedroom, producing a newly wrapped gift to stuff under the tree..... i smile..... hubby is taking his Dagwood nap... giving me a chance to hop online, check my final grades and type a few thoughts.. pop in a few Christmas CDs.... Manheim Steamroller is always my favorite at Christmastime...blend a few others in the mix.... where did that come from? ..."Grandma got run over by a reindeer." oh...i forget that collection was in there....Since it only comes out once a year. .. where DID i put that Chipmunk music???

The shake and rattle?.......The only music I'm listening to this weekend is my Christmas music. It feels good to relax and enjoy wrapping presents....getting the house ready for guests. With our daughter home and keeping close contact with son in the war... again my heart is torn. How can I be so joyful at a time when my only son, of whom I am so proud that words cannot explain, is away at war? As some would nonchalantly say, "It is a God thing." It goes far beyond that... He is a good and gracious God when we actually seek His peace. He does not promise to take our troubles away, we are not marionettes, we are free souls. He does, however, give us strength to bear all.... And, that allows us to partake of that which we cannot explain, if we dare to accept the free gift....simple faith...salvation...being granted peace that surpasses all understanding, as those who go through difficult times, and keep near to God, know. It is the 'single set of footprints in the sand.'
This is a season to celebrate miracles and mysteries and I hope all those who read this are experiencing even small miracles. Most of the best miracles are 'small.' We overlook so much in life. Simple and yet so complex...this is why i love life so much. His joy, true, deep and reliable.
The joy i speak of is a joy that goes deeper than a good time with friends, or having everyone near, even though i cherish those things. But, I cannot allow myself to succumb to the sadness that attempts to overtake, when all things are not exactly as they should be. What good is that? It goes beyond phrases like "Peace on earth." I want nothing more than for my son to be here with us, for there to be true peace, Mankind is not capable of bringing it about on our own.
As I listen to 'Silent Night' playing... a violin movement.... beautiful....an almost mournful melody..... I miss my son even more.
Yet..... at the the heart of the music... seemingly so melancholy..... is The message... an eternal message that we have the opportunity to ponder once a year, even if we do not give it another thought the rest of the year....the message that keeps my heart always at ease. This life can be crushing, yet exhilarating, harsh, yet mysterious, frustrating and wickedly cruel, yet there is a greater reality than what we know now in the temporal. It is that which I own... that peace.. that gift... that grace... and I am thankful... it is my sanity....
Now, enjoying the laughter and joy watching my family shaking and rattling the gifts. It is a tradition that prompts us all to stuff the tree with even more gifts each year. Saving all year, with that certain gift in mind. We try to keep it private, we don't do a gift exchange, not a lot of cookies and treats or visiting. We have always kept our family close at Christmas... just the four of us...building our own traditions...enjoying the simplicity. ..the Spirit of Christmas...
The roll....??? i'm still hoping to get out for a ride tomorrow. Just a little getaway. I miss the snow..... Maybe we will get a white Christmas!... I brought the Cannondale in.... ew... that chain... ok... time for the blue tarp.......hmmmmm ... time to open that bottle of 'greener planet' shiraz-merlot-cab.....let it snow......

tagged....

2006-12-19T19:52:00.000-08:00

photo by peddlinshutterbug

I have been tagged by MC (minus car)... so, now i have to come up with five things nobody knows about me..surprising things... hmmmmm

ONE.....I have an insatiable habit of rummaging and collecting 'old things.' My antique bicycles are two of the old things i get the most use out of. Couple that with my obsession to photograph every little speck of creation.... The photo above is the example of how i can use old things as props. I do get very strange looks from people though, who see me drive up and take the old things off the bike rack and start shooting.

TWO....i was arrested for possession of marijuana when i was 17, in Colorado, in a different life, a different time. It was a very interesting experience and gave me plenty of ammunition in raising two children. They never got over on me.

THREE ..I smoked cigarettes from the time i was 14 until i had my children. Being pregnant is the best reason to quit, among all the other things, cost, stink, yellow teeth..

FOUR...I have been personally telephoned by a Secret Service member for President Bush. When the president came to Sioux Falls, I was asked to be a part of the large group that stands onstage with him during his speech. So, when I arrived at the Arena to check in, going through security, I brought with me one of my signed photograph greeting cards of the US flag, with my business card and a US flag lapel pin. Of course, i was not allowed to give it to him personally, so I surrendered it to one of his bodyguards. After inspecting the card, me, the pin, my writing, and me again, the guard simply put it in his coat and unceremoniously waved me through. I thought, "Oh, there it goes; probably to be thrown into a trashheap of worthless things that presidents get all the time."
A week later, however, I got a phone call from one of his personal attendants, asking for me by name, stating that the president had told him to call me, complimenting me on my artwork, and to thank me for the gifts. I was very impressed.

FIVE....I guess I'd better put just one "most embarrassing moment" thing....this happened to me at work; a customer service phone job, where i answered every call with the same, standard greeting, "Thank you for calling.... my name is...., and who am I speaking with?"
We all know how our minds can play tricks on our speech; especially when we are very tired. Well, early one morning, in between calls, I was speaking to a co-worker about how sleepy I was getting between calls, nearly nodding off, groggy and struggling to concentrate. Immediately after making that comment, a call came through my headset, and before I could catch my faux pas, I calmly answered, "Thank you for calling...... my name is.....and who am I sleeping with?
After hearing the woman on the other end nearly scream with laughter, I was so shocked at at what I'd just said..... let's just say that is the the first and only time I ever hung up on a caller!!

I'm dreaming....

2006-12-15T23:42:00.000-08:00

photos by peddlinshutterbug

OK, I'M READY .....

BRING IT ON

Christmas is coming soon..

Santa Baby...

....of a WHITE....CHRISTMAS

blessings

2006-12-14T20:31:00.000-08:00

lots to be thankful for...two tests behind me...projects going nicely....BA will come Fall quarter '07....God willing and the creek don't dry...late bloomer...life is good.. good friends..beautiful weather...i am so excited...horseback riding tomorrow with a couple of friends...one passion i've never gotten to do enough of since i was younger...though i've loved it all my life....the weather should hold out... cool and sunny i hope...50's forcasted...just enough to keep the horses energetic, but not too cold to be in the saddle...hope to get lots of photos..

alas...(i like that word) alas alas ..back to reality... i got a call from hubby at work....."i have good news and bad news... which do you want first?".....those openers always get me...like when i come home excited about seeing an old friend....i say.."guess who i saw today?"... his pat answer is always..."elvis?" it is now a standard if i ever say those words... guess.....fill in the blank.." ok, so he says.."good news, you get something new and expensive.... wow.. i'm thinking ..wow is he talking Christmas ideas?? no..... bad news...it's the wash machine...it is toast..." now, there are many things i would love to spend money on... the list does NOT include...new washers, dryers, hot water heaters, transmissions, tires for the car... you get the picture..I leave that stuff to him...just how He can get excited about wanting a new air compressor for Christmas...ok.. saved up the $400.00 .but..uggh... how boring...men and their tools....... just don't buy THIS girl anything that resembles an APPLIANCE.. he knows that..

so.. anyway.. the last thing i want to be doing today is out pricing wash machines.. so i look at the best LOCAL shops .. (i firmly believe in supporting the local economy if i can)... i'm thinking... just buy the first one you see then go home and ride the bike...... but no...practicality sets in.. even less inspiring than buying a washer is actually having to SHOP AROUND for one....sigh... that money could buy a LOT of bike stuff.. or a new lens for the SLR...

getting lots of neat newsy/Christmas letters/cards now..i'm starting to formulate the "Christmas letter." I love them... in spite of the bad ones and the jokes surrrounding the sending of them.. in our busy lives.. i'm thankful for every jot and tittle i get from friends... in their busy lives..with some it is the only connection.. and i really think on some days... if not for grocery store-chance-run-ins-when-i-look-my-worse social gatherings...i would have no social life... simple minds ... simple pleasures...

photo by peddlinshutterbug

quickie post

2006-12-13T19:49:00.000-08:00

photos by peddlinshutterbug

Wow! the days can stay this nice! And bonus!! I got an unexpected afternoon off! we have something called VTO (voluntary time off) which means.."it's slow, you can go home.." they don't have to tell this girl twice!
I got home and tore away on my bike so fast, it made MY head spin... what cold?.... i'm alive again...it was one of the best bike loops i've had in a long time. I saw a couple fellow bikers and stopped to visit a while, then home before it got too cool, and had to shower for school tonight. stats uggh...
In case you are wondering, the skyline shots are from earlier this month, but I just found them in my managerie of photos i am always taking. and this weekend it was too nice not to hang the laundry out.... clotheslines are the greatest....and economic, and no bottle will ever give that amount of freshness! healthwise, i apologize for the crude rant uggh i hates being sick, but it makes me so much more appreciative of the good days. I have turned the corner, the crud is on the rebound and I might get VTO tomorrow, too. woo hoo
Today was my mom's birthday and it was really nice to talk to her. I miss her and am making plans for visits. Well, finish studying then to bed. finals this week and next.

poetry, chicken soup and the Truman Doctrine

2006-12-12T11:50:00.000-08:00

With a fairly uneventful weekend doing laundry..etc...
admitting certain things to myself, mainly that I have come down with a very nasty cold...poor hubby... that is all i can say.. he spent the weekend muzzleloader hunting.. he did enjoy the time with old friends...I think it is all about the getting away with old friends thing, not unlike fishing....."how was the hunting dear?"...."the hunting was great." ...."did you bag one?"....."the hunting was great." .... and as far as the homecoming...like i said...no fun-nasty cold..
So.... here i am using another sick day..with this ..'get-away-from-me-you-leper-you-lose-a-lung-nearly-pee-yer-panties-cough-till-yer-gonna-puke' cold.. I am not fit for any public presence... so..today.. i'll enjoy some of my other simple pleasures...cook ...read..sleep.. it's a pot of made-from-scratch chicken soup (no gadgets for me, chopping leeks is very therapeutic).. reading various things of interest in the news....i am still considering a very gentle, warmly bundled bike ride..fresh air is always good ...the whole attitude-makes-a-difference-in-healing philosophy.... on second thought... i just stuck my overblown, red nose out for the first time today, to check the weather..hmmmm....ice on the deck is not a good sign when contemplating a bicycle ride..
shucks...but..when i turned around from the disappointing glimpse outside, i noticed these (top picture) either hubby suddenly waxes poetic ...arranging magnetic poetry ...ala zandbroz...stuck to the fridge.....or..it could have been our darling daughter....visiting again while we were not home....stepping in to snatch a few crumbs..or leave them on the counter.. most likely shopping our basement pantry like any other normal, broke college kid... well.. life is still good.... i'm thankful for all the good things simple minds simple pleasures... like freedom...not free... time to email my wonderful brave son.... i get my news of this part of the war from him.. he knows the truth..about that part of the war against those who want nothing other than to darken our freedom (watch out you Playboy readers and homosexuals, you thought jerry fallwell was bad..here comes the TRUE theocracy you really should fear)..i'm not a part of the pea-sized attention span-rather-watch-survivor-mentality.. who listen to the lies of the we'll make sure-we-lose-it's-all-about-oil-unless-it's-the-french-un-oil-for-food-scandal-we-hate-you-because-you-won't-sing-kumbaya... pc...but...the world is less ready for that rant than nasty kofi...uh cough

.. on second thought.. i'm sick of the ward churchills abusing freedom to rant to his captive audiences all about america's lack of tolerance when the real intolerance is coming from his ilk, with their support for the holocaust-didn't-happen-it's-all-israel's-fault. crowd and their nuke-seeking-oppress-and-butcher-our-fellow-countrymen-tyrants... ok..there is more where that came from... i'm sick of the factophobic left, and their lapdog press in this country who make christians the only ones that can be fashionably condemned, ridiculed and hated with the kind of orchestrated bigotry this nation has not seen in a long time.....will the real fascists PLEASE stand up??

up..

2006-12-10T01:02:00.000-08:00

i'm ..... disappointed..it's complex... i'm dismayed ....others' choices... behavior...for the temporal...i won't judge...i'm simply....saddened...unintended consequences ... I will simply..... withdraw from the situation.. that saddens me most.. yes....i am selfish .. i don't like losing friends... but i cannot be a part of it all......

'There can be no friendship without confidence, and no confidence without integrity.'
Samuel Johnson

ink blots

2006-12-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

wellllllll....ok, they're not INK blots, but I wonder if Rorschach was a bicyclist and he came up with those stupid tests after cleaning his chain??

hunting widow..

2006-12-08T20:14:00.000-08:00

so... what is a girl to do when the man goes off to drag home some food? (we won't digress to discussions of the true cost of venison...guns of several types, gun powder or bullets, depending on the hunting tool of choice, hotel room, gas, beer, food, hunting license, clothing, warm mickey mouse boots.. you get the picture.

At any rate, it's west river muzzleloader season and friends call...so i'm going to venture out, as well...however... long overdue.. AND... i needed to....also long overdue...clean bikes!

It is going to be such a beautiful day tomorrow, so I am biking to work as i often try to do on those days with no school after 19 hours of work...but, i've always loved having the house to myself..perhaps that stems from being from a family of seven or living with friends, dogs and various sundry of houseguests through the years before marriage... then kids...always competing for space, attention, etc. i totally relish those rare times to do my own thing...make a mess that nobody will have to walk around...and, i'm glad he gets to get away to spend time with friends he does not get to see often enough. so here is a little of the craziness i've succumbed to....
although not as fun as cooking... i poured a glass of wine... tackled the cleaning supplies and dug in. simple minds .... simple pleasures...

and then....

2006-12-07T22:00:00.000-08:00

And I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder: One of the four beasts saying: "Come and see." And I saw. And behold, a white horse. There's a man goin' 'round takin' names. An' he decides who to free and who to blame. Everybody won't be treated all the same. There'll be a golden ladder reaching down. When the man comes around.

The hairs on your arm will stand up. At the terror in each sip and in each sup. For you partake of that last offered cup, Or disappear into the potter's ground. When the man comes around.

Hear the trumpets, hear the pipers. One hundred million angels singin'. Multitudes are marching to the big kettle drum. Voices callin', voices cryin'. Some are born an' some are dyin'. It's Alpha's and Omega's Kingdom come.

And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree. The virgins are all trimming their wicks. The whirlwind is in the thorn tree. It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Till Armageddon, no Shalam, no Shalom. Then the father hen will call his chickens home. The wise men will bow down before the throne. And at his feet they'll cast their golden crown. When the man comes around.

Whoever is unjust, let him be unjust still. Whoever is righteous, let him be righteous still. Whoever is filthy, let him be filthy still. Listen to the words long written down, When the man comes around.

Hear the trumpets, hear the pipers. One hundred million angels singin'. Multitudes are marchin' to the big kettle drum. Voices callin', voices cryin'. Some are born an' some are dyin'. It's Alpha's and Omega's Kingdom come. And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree. The virgins are all trimming their wicks. The whirlwind is in the thorn tree. It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

In measured hundredweight and penny pound. When the man comes around.

And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts, And I looked and behold: a pale horse. And his name, that sat on him, was Death. And Hell followed with him.

-Johnny Cash

photo by peddlinshutterbug

Merry Christmas

2006-12-07T21:24:00.000-08:00

photo and poem by peddlinshutterbug
Merry Christmas....

remember...

Jesus is the Reason for the Season.

it's not the lights,
though He is the Light
it's not the presents,
though He is the Present
there is a peace,
though not an earthly peace.
it's not the spirit,
though from Him comes the Spirit...
so, light a candle,
celebrate the Light.
accept the present
the gift...
allow the Spirit to freely give
and it is grace,
it is calm
He is the reason...
we celebrate.

flaky science.....

2006-12-06T21:03:00.000-08:00

although i admire the photographers' scientific prowess (being the techno-challenged gal that i am,) i admire even more the greater intelligence of the One who causes the snow to fall, or some such mechanism He controls.....the scientists still have not figured it out...... simple minds...simple pleasures....read it at www.SnowCrystals.com

direction

2006-12-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

photo by peddlinshutterbug

You got to be careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there. Yogi Berra

life

2006-12-02T12:28:00.000-08:00

photo by peddlinshutterbug

Treat a man as he is, he will remain so. Treat a man the way he can be and ought to be, and he will become as he can be and should be."
Goethe

mad dash

2006-12-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

once dancing leaves...
outside my pane..
Fall's troupe
now scurrying,
winter's scorching chill scatters...
seeking shelter
transformed ... brittle
on their own
final rest
soon blanketed in eternal white.

photo and poem by peddlinshutterbug

cabin fever

2006-11-29T15:42:00.000-08:00

photo by peddlinshutterbug

..to everything a season...no sun...winter blues...does everyone get them...my solution?...crank the tunes..up the bass...forget?...no... pray...cry...pray some more... dance...the sun comes out... the Son comes out .... life is often burdensome, yet filled with awesome joy...free will...our being....capable of such depth of joy....then like the prairie winds whips at the soul......despair....is escape the answer?...sometimes.. but is it really escape....today I did both.... i dealt with it head on..yet it was a day of escape... a day off...homework..housework...crank the tunes...dig in....soak up sun....in the midst of winter winds... such is life...a dichotomy...a very wise person many centuries ago said, "there is nothing new under the sun." i am not alone in my pondering of this...cabin fever

still......

2006-11-26T18:43:00.000-08:00

photo by peddlinshutterbug

"The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself." Henry Miller

evening stop

2006-11-26T18:26:00.000-08:00

photo by peddlinshutterbug

''The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious - the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science.''
Albert Einstein ~ Living Philosophies, 1931

Winter dates

2006-11-26T14:20:00.000-08:00

After going to my first Christmas concert of the year, I am (almost) in the Christmas cheer. Is it decision...some mystical switch? ... what is it that turns us from practical adults into children again, for another season?
I am not sure why we have to have a specific day that says winter is here. I know.....moon tides...solstice....the angle of the sun...lack of light, winter may arrive sooner than dictated by calendars..I'm non-comformist in many ways...yet old-fashioned in others...today, it feels like winter...for so many reasons..nothing tangible..as a calendar or thermometer denotes...I now long for snow, like a child anxious for those first flakes, the snow angel....the fort..
a 'Christmas mood' may escape me, altogether.. .. my only son in a war zone...too sensitive to speak of here...on this forum....a parent's love...God's love...agape...love
love...such a wonderful thing ....multifaceted... we are the diamonds... some facets we need to talk about.. although painful.... other times we keep it to ourselves...
like winter...to some a sad, dark time....others magical...again, i am a child....her nose to the window pane....warm inside... crisp air drawing outdoors.....winter is like fickle love...elusive..solemn....deep....harsh..yet comforting.....familiar....soothing...
passing quickly...while long... predictable...while invigorating...wind chills... frost...aromas of home..children with fresh winter air in their hair.
may we never lose the yearning....
it won't be long... i'll need a respite..but for now...let it snow..
photo by peddlinshutterbug

angel

2006-11-19T23:04:00.000-08:00

photo by peddlinshutterbug

Spend all your time waiting
For that second chance
For a break that would make it okay
There’s always one reason
To feel not good enough
And it’s hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction
Oh beautiful release
Memory seeps from my veins
Let me be empty
And weightless and maybe
I’ll find some peace tonight

In the arms of an angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You’re in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort there

So tired of the straight line
And everywhere you turn
There’s vultures and thieves at your back
And the storm keeps on twisting
You keep on building the lie
That you make up for all that you lack
It don’t make no difference
Escaping one last time
It’s easier to believe in this sweet madness oh
This glorious sadness that brings me to my knees

In the arms of an angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You’re in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort there
You’re in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here

"Angel" Sarah McLachlan

simple minds...simple pleasures...

2006-11-19T19:09:00.000-08:00

photo by peddlinshutterbug
For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

To live, love, breathe.... I'm grateful. The mosaic of people placed around us...such a glorious mystery...More than superficiality, though; if we just imagine life without making our own choices...nor caring what those choices portend. As simple as deciding to go for a bike ride when a friend reads your mind and calls to invite for the ride before the thought of that bike ride has escaped you.... still fresh.... Serendipity.. how wonderful. Or so complex.... these choices.... instead of doing homework I took the ride.... I'm glad.. now I'm supposed to be studying and I'm distracted... avoiding the textbook...
enjoyed the ride immensely....afterward glad to get some simple things done....with energy derived from that unplanned bike ride...covering rose bushes...earth...leaves...Fall...dogs barking...simple pleasures...yet still an accomplishment... simple mind... so.. I wonder sometimes....is this classwork even worth it? ....ah complexity...choices...There are drawbacks to choices made....being a 'late bloomer' I seem to be one step behind in life sometimes...seems to be my fate.second guessing..... having too much fun in youth and finding myself back in school..... a little girl .. yet not.... ah... live it.... I'll want my Master's Degree then. The problem is .... i still don't know what i want to be when i grow up. But, hey... the way I was cruising down those dirt single tracks today....my pigtails were flying once again!...that was worth it. So what if i get a B instead of the A.....
As my much smarter daughter once encouraged me.."I heard a story about a ninety year-old lady who was in college pursuing her Master's Degree. People asked why; she would never use it at her age. The lady simply smiled and responded, "Because I can."
I may not be as old as that lady, but I want to be as sharp.....and knowing my kind daughter, she was not hinting that I was decrepit... she made me think...and appreciate every breath. Maybe that is why i will probably still be riding...as long as I can...even if it is just a pink trike at 5 miles an hour around the retirement complex, looking for a way out the gates... Better yet, since Heaven has a place prepared for me, as I am promised in His word... there will be an amazing bicycle there for me, too..
Point being ... keep living, keep learning, keep loving... keep enjoying this gift, this mystery we call life.. as we .... not like marionettes.. but freely in a Creation wrought of that beyond our comprehension. Otherwise.. what have we? i don't contemplate the alternative... i love that which I know....things that are...much too complex to be mere chance... far beyond me.. but, I am grateful.... fresh air...natural joy...as my simple mind sees it... the glass full .... not so simple pleasures.
ah crap... i have to study.. real life kicks in.... adieu...

mean, mode, median....standard deviation? PEDAL!

2006-11-14T19:42:00.000-08:00

i don't want to study! why did i not like school when i was little? i want to go ride my bike. it's raining and it's bedtime... but i'd still rather go ride my bike..... it's dark... so what.... i have a blinkie....

photo by peddlinshutterbug...b

winter coming....

2006-11-12T22:23:00.000-08:00

photo by shutterbug

Morning Rambling....

2006-11-11T03:42:00.000-08:00

photo by shutterbug

Well, it's morning again, Winter is coming. Days slow down. Looking forward to the cold. Really! I decided that last night. Snow yesterday made me turn into the cold season. It takes that decision..... Acceptance. The most difficult part.... getting up when the air is chilled... off to work.....nothing profound... sometimes life is like that. It is still all good....