Saturday, August 28, 2010

Another Friday five......

Mindful that many others are heading off to further schooling or delivering their loved ones to the institutions that provide it, here are five questions about dorm life.

1) What was the hardest thing to leave behind when you went away to school for the first time?
Nothing! Boy was I ready! Of course I was in my home town, and all my high school friends were in the class, too. But I was "out of the house, hooray"

2) We live in the era of helicopter parents.
They didn't make a fuss. My helicoptering mother came to my room every week and picked up mylaundry to do at home. I wish she hadn't.

3) Share a favorite memory of living with schoolmates, whether in a dorm or other shared housing. I loved being able to stay out at night until 10:00 - yes, we had a curfew.

4) What absolute necessity of college life in your day would seem hilariously out-of-date now?
Really, nothing. The rooms were bare, we had a bed, a table, a chair, a lamp, some sheles and a closet (very small). Nothing else was allowed, but I could be messy if I wanted, and I wanted.

5) What innovation of today do you wish had been part of your life in college?
Bathrooms for each room. Everyhbody used the ONE bathroom at the end of the hall. And computers, too.

Bonus question for those whose college days feel like a long time ago: Share a rule or regulation that will seem funny now. Did you really follow it then? No men in the dorm EVER! Regular curfew of 10 PM, and old ladies who lined up to sniff us when we had a late night after a dance. We could have been drinking, you know! If caught we would be shipped - this means sent home in disgrace. Still, these rules were better than the ones I had at home, and you bet we followed them! O my - how long ago that was. 1949, forevermore ago..



Posted at 06:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Friday, August 27, 2010

Yeast and hot air.....

I’ve been thinking for some time about the connection between yeast and pride. Our God fusses about yeast, and our Jewish friends make a big deal about getting all of the yeast out of their house once a year for a feast. But yeast is not what God hates. He hates what the yeast does to the dough. It causes it to puff up and have lots of hot air in it – which makes it taste good to us. The real problem is not yeast but pride. It does the same thing as yeast does, but to humans. We are all puffed up about something, and consequently full of hot air. God wants us to know that we are to have no pride, because we can accomplish nothing he has not been in us doing – nothing worth while, that is.

As I look back over my life and my career, I realize how blessed I have been. To have a job, a profession, which made me so glad that some mornings I just laughed out loud to know that I got paid to do that which I so loved. And I have been successful. I know I have made better the lives of several hundred children. Still, I could have done none of this without the Lord.. I remember many times when, faced with troubled or just plain contrary children, the right words miraculously came out of my mouth. Was that me? By no means. God ran my practice and worked with those children through me. All I needed was to open my mouth and let Him have at it. Many times I was suprised to hear myself say some of the things I said. It was like magic.

With this though, all the pride I have has to leave. None of this was my doing. He guided me into this work, by a very circuitous path and he gave me joy and success. He did this. Not I.
David Pytches, in his book "Spiritual Gifts in the Local Church", comments (page 135) that “some people have recurring childhood dreams. ……. Some revelations may be for our guidance”. I had such a dream as a youngster, over and over. I was running from something evil (typical) and I had to go through a room with nothing in it, just a door in and another door on the other side to open and go through. The hard part was that each new door was just a bit smaller than the one I had just gone through. I remember having to work very hard to make myself smaller and smaller so that when I came to the last door, I would fit through it. The times I made it, the door was tiny, and when I entered, I knew I had defeated the chaser and that I was safe for all time. The room was small, a corner fireplace burning brightly, a comfy chair and a stack of books. Outside was a small walled English type garden. Maybe I think this is Heaven? Maybe. But, this dream was telling me, even as a child, that the kingdom of God is not entered by anyone who is full of hot air. John the Baptist tells us that he must decrease that Jesus might increase. We are told "strait is the gate and narrow is the way". Wow!

Decreasing, letting out the hot air of our pride, is a hard thing, but the door is very narrow through which we must pass to be with God. I am sure that God was telling me this, even as a child, and now, as a senior citizen I realize that all my accomplishments are as hot air, unless I know and credit Him, who gave them to me.

I am working on letting out more and more hot air, and I have been full of it! Such a lesson! But God started early on me and I am seeing what must be done to be fit for the kingdom of God. May we all meet there one day, free of hot air.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Friday Five, again

August 20, 2010
Friday Five: Clutter and stuff


Jan says at RevGals: Since posting about decluttering, I am still muttering about the need for it in my house. How about you?

1. What things do you like to hang on to?

Everything, really. Because I might need it one day. I confess to being a child of the depression, and we really reused everything. I have eaten so many leftovers that it's still hard to throw them out. Sometimes DH looks at me mournfully when I give him three times leftovers. I wish my mother didn't still live in my head

2. What is hard to let go of?

Clothes that I haven't worn in years. Sentimental things here, too. I still have daddy's letter sweater from UF, and the medals he won in the hemispheric olympics in 1925. Need to get those framed, for sure, so they will be right when I pass them on - someday soon. Furniture, quilts, aggggh! What don't I keep? Everything, tho I have passed on whatever I can. Maybe I can organize all this ???? ( I keep saying this- it somehow makes me feel better)


3. What is (WOULD BE) easy to give away? Nothing, of course. Those small clothes? I will probably, hopefully, lose some of this weight. Maybe. Anyway, they are too good to give away. I make progress, tho. There is a recliner, a TV and a sack of clothes in the garage waiting for Christians in Action to come. There is always hope.

4. Is there any kind of stumbling block connected with cleaning out? Already said I will doubtlessly need it. This is even more ridiculous at my age. When will I need it? Probably never. Have a whole box of office supplies, jusst because I love them. No office, tho. So where in this is the need?- nowhere. Besides, my mother always told me never to throw a good thing away.
So there.


5. What do you like to collect, hoard, or admire? Books, mostly, and clothing, and yarn of course. I will win the 'whoever dies with the most yarn wins' contest. The good news is that I have stopped buying yarn and books - mostly. But the ladies at Fiber Arts keep giving me yarn.
So what can I do?

Bonus: Tell us about recycling or whatever you can think of that goes along with this muttering about cluttering.

No one here recycles, that I know of.. We used to recycle newspapers, but the resident out here who did this upped and died so no one picks it up any more. We don't drink soft drinks, and use few cans, but there are things we could recycle I guess????? But where? This is a relatively small town. We try to live as greenly as possible. (Is that a word?)

But all of you already knew this about me. The good news is that my friend, June, is in my life and she will sell anything I can part with on ebay for me. She already sold several useless collections and will doubtless get more. Yay, June!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Friday five...

1. What is the weather like where you live? right now, 102 degrees, and 107 for most of the summer. Aggh!

2. Share one thing you love about this time of year. I have a good excuse not to go out of the house.

3. Share one thing you do NOT love about this time of year. My poor flower bed is almost cooked.

4. How will you spend the remaining days leading up to Autumn? Knitting, weaving, spinning, reading and other good things.

5. Share a good summer memory. Being at St. Teresa beach ( in the armpit of Florida) for awhile. I grew up there and it is part and parcel of my being.

onus: What food says SUMMER to you? Home grown tomatoes. Sadly the deer like them too and I can't protect them properly, so off to the farmer's market.

As always, let us know in comments if you play. Post a direct link to your blog entry in your comment using the following formulation in the comment box: what you want the link to say goes here For a complete how-to ,click here.

Posted by SingingOwl at 4:11 AM 58 comments Links to this post

Monday, August 9, 2010

Cheers

Today DH and I lifted a a glass to celebrate the time sequence of 05;06;07;08/09/10, since this particular sequence won't come again until some time in the next century. It seemed fitting, and funny. We enjoyed it, including the countdown, which was loud. Fun is important.....

Blessings to all.......


oops! not the next century - the next millenium!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

What can happen when someone rear-ends your car

Yesterday, unfortunately, a lady who drovelike a speed demon crunched into the rear end of my car as I was making a turn. Long story, but the funny part is here. Today we had to go to the police station and pick up a report, which cost $6.00, if you please. It was $5 but the girl wanted to know if I wanted a cawcauw. I said, "a what?" and she said "you know, a cawcauw." And I thougnt, it might be worth a dollar to find our what a cawcauw is, so I said "sure, lets have a copy." It turned out to be a cop call. . I wanted to take her sweet little face in my hands and say "watch my lips and say COP CALL." But I didn't. I was a teacher too long for this not to amuse and infuriate me. I know language is in constant change, but I can't say I like it all.