Actually, he never left. As mentioned earlier this month, my husband found ole’ Jack by the side of the road and I agreed to temporarily shelter him until we found him a proper home.

The thing is that our home is now his home. (And, he is all the better for it. His coat has greatly improved under my husband’s meticulous care and he’s put on some weight.) And alas, I’ve given in. I swore I’d never have another dog, but, here I am, feeding and walking him and, quite happy doing so.

Jack has systematically marked our home and its four corners. Repeatedly.  It is safe to say that all neighboring dogs have been duly warned.

So, this weekend, after deciding to embrace the newest member of our clan – one who by the way, does not have a single athletic impulse whatsoever and whose run resembles more of a bunny hop – all of my husband’s careful tending was for naught when Jack managed to bite the revved up engine on our go cart. He burned his tongue and in true Jack fashion, appeared completely oblivious of the injury.  Jack’s final athletic feat of the day was an inelegant summersault on his way out of our wagon (Jack was being towed due to fatigue from his exertions.) He tumbled head first, landed on his back and scraped his face.

Herewith are images of our Jack prior to his weekend wreck. With each passing day I am further convinced that B and Jack, unquestionably, share DNA.

December 1, 2009

In no way do i support sidehack riding but this setup is pretty rad, I mean come on just look at it….and im sure there are a bag load of puns for side hackness. Bike check here.

Chloe will be getting baptized this Sunday along with many others!  We will be going to Berkeley for this special service.

When: 12pm @ Guardpost

Really?!?  This is only #4?  Well, probably double that before 2010 rolls around.

Advent 1

Luke 21:25-36 (Including some from the early verses of the chapter)

See, your Saviour Comes!

1. To Rock-Solid Stones that Fell

2. With Rock-Solid Words that Stand

Leonardo da Vinci was a scientist and artist who lived during the second half of the 15^th century.  Perhaps you’ve heard of him.  A few years ago, he was the subject of a fictional book.  His painting Mona Lisa is perhaps the most famous painting in the world.  Another of his paintings, called The Last Supper, shows Jesus and his twelve disciples on Maundy Thursday.

There are many legends surrounding this painting, The Last Supper. One such legend – I don’t know if it’s true or not – says that originally, da Vinci painted a very beautiful and elaborate tablecloth hanging over the edges of the table.  When he first showed this masterpiece to a small audience, the crowd ooo’ed and ahh’ed over tablecloth, while completely forgetting about – completely missing – Jesus and his twelve disciples.  What a beautiful tablecloth!  What elaborate brushwork!  Look at this stitching!

Da Vinci got so upset at this reaction that he grabbed his painting, stormed out, and repainted the whole tablecloth into a plain, white covering.  “Now,” he figured, “no one will miss the point of this painting.”

Today marks the beginning of the Advent season – that time of the church year when we look forward to Christ’s first coming at Christmas.  In today’s lesson, Jesus is teaching at the Temple during the week before his crucifixion.  Mere days earlier, on the day we now know as Palm Sunday, Jesus had ridden into town to shouts of “Hosanna!” and “Blessed is the King!”

For our theme, we echo some of the words from Palm Sunday: See, your Saviour Comes!  The first time he came, he came to rock-solid stones that fell.

To Rock-Solid Stones that Fell

As we heard, Jesus is teaching at the Temple.  But this wasn’t the first Temple built in Jerusalem.  The first Temple at this location was known as Solomon’s Temple.  The inside walls of this Temple were completely covered with gold; precious stones and cedar decorated the whole Temple complex.  The Israelites used nothing but the best for their Temple to the Lord.

But then, in the year 586 BC, the Babylonians looted and destroyed Solomon’s Temple.  All the precious metals and valuable Temple artifacts were carried off to Babylon, and the whole Temple Mount was leveled and burned.

The Second Temple was finished seventy years later, in the year 516 BC.  Some people who, as children, had seen Solomon’s Temple wept when work began on this Second Temple.  This Temple wasn’t nearly so beautiful or glorious.  After all, the interior of Solomon’s Temple had been overlaid completely with gold.  Beautiful stones and cedar had adorned its exterior.  They wept because they remembered how beautiful the first Temple had been; they wept, because this Temple would not be nearly as glorious as the first Temple.

In order to encourage his people to build this Second Temple, God sent the prophet Haggai to them.  Haggai said: ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”

The glory of this second Temple would be greater than the glory of Solomon’s Temple.  Sure, the first Temple was more beautiful – but the Messiah never came to the first Temple.  God promises that the Messiah would come to this Second Temple; and so, this Temple would be more glorious than the first.

And this day, Haggai’s prophecy is fulfilled again.  Jesus is teaching at the Temple.  The crowds flock to him, getting up early in the morning in order to get the best seats at his feet.  During some time apart from the crowds, Jesus and his disciples walk around the Temple grounds, and the disciples marvel at the beauty of this Temple.  They see the huge stones, the expert masonry, the beautiful woodwork, the silver and the gold used for different ornaments or utensils – and they can’t help but talk about how beautiful, how glorious this Temple is.

Just as those who first saw da Vinci’s painting missed the point – so also, the disciples missed the point.

This Temple had stood for over 500 years.  God’s prophecy through Haggai had been a promise the people trusted for over 500 years.  And now, after 500 years of waiting, the Messiah has come to this Temple.  Jesus, God’s promised Messiah, is teaching every day at the Temple.  People are getting up early and staying all day to listen to him teach.  And these twelve disciples walk around marveling at the stones? They’re missing the point!  If they wanted to see a beautiful Temple, they should have lived in Solomon’s time.  But the Messiah is right there, walking and talking with them!

Jesus brings them back to reality.  He says, “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.” It’s as though Jesus is saying, “You marvel at the beauty of this Temple – you’re missing the point.  You’re caught up in the beauty of what you see, and you’re missing the beautiful truth that God wants you to see.”  The disciples were so caught up in the beauty of the stones and the building that they forgot what the prophet Haggai had said about this Temple.

God’s glory isn’t found in what man sees as glorious, but God’s glory is found in his Son. God’s glory wasn’t found in the beautiful stones of a Temple, but in the Saviour who came and taught at that Temple.

Haggai also prophesied that the LORD would grant peace at this Temple.  But again, this wasn’t an earthly sort of peace – the peace Haggai prophesied was peace with God.

God did grant peace at this Temple.  Mere days after speaking these words, Jesus was led outside of the city and nailed to a cross.  Our perfect Saviour – God’s perfect Messiah – was killed in the most horrible, shameful way.  But it was on that cross that Haggai’s words were fulfilled.  Haggai had said, “In this Temple, the LORD will grant peace.”  When Jesus gave up his life on Good Friday, something miraculous happened at this Temple – a miracle that never happened at Solomon’s Temple.  When Jesus died, the curtain which had always separated humans from God was torn in two – top to bottom.  No person tore that curtain, but God himself tore that curtain.

On that Good Friday, God granted peace – just as he had promised through the prophet Haggai.  On that Good Friday, God granted peace on earth to all people – just as the angels sang on Christmas night, when Jesus was born.  On that Good Friday, God was no longer separated from sinful people; through the blood of our perfect substitute, God brought us to himself!

The disciples missed the true glory of this Temple!  The glory of this Temple wasn’t found in the stones, but in the Saviour.  Not even forty years after Jesus spoke these words, the Roman army attacked Jerusalem – the Temple was torn down to its foundations, the stones and rubble were burned.

We’ve seen the Saviour come – he came to those rock-solid stones of the Temple.  But as beautiful and marvelous as those stones were, the Temple still fell.

If that’s the extent of what Jesus came to do, our lives would have no foundation at all.  Yet look again – your Saviour comes, with rock-solid words that stand.

With Rock-Solid Words that Stand

The disciples thought that this Temple was far too beautiful to be destroyed; they figured that, if Jesus talks about the destruction of the Temple, he must be talking about the end of the world.  And so, they ask: when will this happen?  What will be the sign that this will take place?

Rather than giving them an exact time, Jesus tells the disciples about a series of earth-shaking events.  There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars.  On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. This is the same sort of terminology God had used in the Old Testament when he spoke of overthrowing earthly kingdoms like Babylon and Egypt.  Jesus says that God will bring about the destruction of this Temple when he overthrows the nation of Israel.

But the confused questions of the disciples demand a larger answer from Jesus.  The disciples were confused about the end of the world.  They asked when the Temple would be destroyed – and they asked when the end of the world would come.  Jesus answers both questions, as he continues: Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.  At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

By this time, the disciples were a bit worried or confused by all the destruction Jesus tells about.  They see the Temple – huge stones, beautiful structures, buildings that seem as permanent as the sun – and Jesus knows they’re troubled by his words.  And so, Jesus reassures them: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Just as the glory of the Temple wasn’t found in its stonework, so also the glory of this world isn’t found in all its created magnificence. Niagara Falls is glorious – but the true glory belongs to our God, who created it.

And when this world starts to fall apart, when the mountains crumble and the oceans roar, people everywhere will be terrified.

That’s why Jesus’ words here are so reassuring.  Jesus’ words will never pass away.  Heaven and earth – the sun, moon, stars, nations, and natural wonders – will pass away.  Jesus’ words will last, providing safety and security and comfort for all believers.  Jesus’ words will last, providing the opportunity to share Christ’s words with others.

These words of Jesus are the Gospel – the power of God for our salvation!  Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, will make sure that these words never pass away – you can count on that.

Then Jesus said to his disciples:  Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness, and the anxieties of life. In other words – don’t get caught up in this life.  It’s easy to see Christmas approaching, to get caught up in the tinsel and the lights and all the shopping that needs to happen, and all the meals that need to be cooked – but Jesus tells us not to get caught up in this life.  Don’t let the beauty of the Christmas season distract you from your Saviour.  The disciples were caught up in the beauty of the Temple, and they almost missed the glory of their Saviour.

In the last part of that warning, Jesus tells us to be careful, or your heart will be weighed down with…the anxieties of life. And boy, there are a lot of things to be anxious about.  The recession has hit home.  Cutbacks and layoffs seem to haunt the halls of every factory or hang like a cloud over dinnertime conversation.  The latest, greatest strain of the flu seems to come at just the wrong time – and the big question is, should I even get the vaccine?  The news is replete with headlines that detail the cruelty and sadness of this world, whether it’s international war crimes or local accidents.

Hearing these things, reading these things – the sun and moon might not be in uproar, but there are more than enough events to worry about right now.  In this world of insecurity, Jesus’ words still stand: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

We read Jesus’ words in verse 36: Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man. Watch and pray.  Be strong in the Word.  Before our Saviour comes again, the earth will be shaken – and the only way to stand firm is to stand upon God’s Word.  The only way to not be shaken along with everything else is to steep yourself in God’s strength – to turn to the Word, to pray for strength and deliverance and seek guidance from this Word.  He gives us the ability to stand tall when he returns!

It’s only here, in God’s Word, that we find Christ’s rock-solid words.  These rock-solid words of Jesus will not fall or crumble, like the stones of that Temple.  These rock-solid words provide something to hang on to as we look forward to Christmas, and as we look forward to Christ’s return.

As we prepare our hearts for Christmas, we remember today that the disciples got caught up in the glory of the Temple – and they missed the glory of their Saviour.  Living and working in today’s society, it’s easy to fall into society’s traps – traps that come wrapped in innocent wrapping paper, traps that amount to admiring the things we see around us, traps that the devil uses to try and pry us away from God.

But take heart!  Christ has given us rock-solid words to hang onto as we wait for Christmas!  Watch and pray; look forward to the Christmas celebration, and consider again the miracle of infinite God taking on human flesh.  See, your Saviour comes – he came to rock-solid stones that fell.  He comes with rock-solid words that stand.  Your Saviour came – as a crying baby, helpless and needing to be carried, needing a nap and a new diaper.  But your Saviour will come in glory, glory that no one can miss!

I don’t know how many drawings and rough drafts da Vinci went through before finishing his masterpiece painting, The Last Supper. I’m not sure how the tablecloth story exactly played out, but I am sure that da Vinci had the right idea.  He didn’t want people to get distracted by the beautiful tablecloth – he didn’t want people to miss their Saviour.

The disciples almost missed their Saviour, as they got caught up looking at the beautiful Temple.  As we begin this Advent season, looking forward to Christmas, let’s not miss Jesus.  Let’s see through all the magnificent, glittering surroundings to the thing, the one thing, that makes this season worthwhile!  The one thing that gives our lives meaning and value – and a rock-solid foundation: Jesus, our Saviour.    Amen.

Back to Sunday morning this week where we have been looking at the Christmas story. Yesterday’s passage was the presentation at the temple and it’s important to know that the there is a time gap between verses 21 and 23. The circumcision and naming took place eight days and the Lord’s birth whereas the offering for the purification took place after forty days.

For me the passage is about a number of contrasts, Heaven and earth, the past and the future, joy and pain and falling and rising.

Heaven and earth. Some of the events surrounding the birth of the Lord Jesus are very much out of the ordinary whereas some are quite mundane. This was of course a miraculous birth, a virgin birth, a heavenly name and angels singing but the parents do everything according to the Law of Moses, a sacrifice of two turtle doves for their purification (the Lord Jesus and his mother) an offering that indicates that this was a poor family. This is a contrast seen throughout the Lord’s earthly ministry, he had unique authority over sickness, sin and death yet was at times hungry, thirsty and even wept.

We are dealing here with a crucial area, the Lord’s nature or who he was and is. It is a subject that is central to many of the ancient creeds and separates sound doctrine from heresy. Even more importantly it shows us that the Lord Jesus able to bring salvation because he is both human and divine.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,

Begotten of his Father before all worlds,

God of God, Light of Light,

Very God of very God, Begotten, not made,

Being of one substance with the Father,

By whom all things were made;

Who for us men, and for our salvation came down from heaven,

And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary,

And was made man,

And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.

He suffered and was buried,

And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures,

And ascended into heaven,

And sitteth on the right hand of the Father.

And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead:

Whose kingdom shall have no end. (Nicene Creed)

The past and the future. There are several hymns early in Luke’s gospel, like the rest, Simeon’s hymn has Old Testament references (Isaiah 42:6, 49:6). Simeon speaks of a light to the gentiles; a phrase from Isaiah and uses it to picture the future ministry of the Messiah. For Christians today it’s difficult to imagine how ground breaking this was in the first century. The very idea that the gentiles were part of God’s plan even surprised the early church (Acts 11:18). Simeon takes Isaiah’s prophecy, 700 years earlier and applies it directly to Christ.

Joy and pain. For Joseph and Mary, the first Christmas was a time of great joy, there had been a number of angelic visitations and a truly miraculous birth. Luke tells us that Mary treasured these things in her heart (Luke 2:19 & 51). Anyone who has been a parent will understand the concept of holding on to memories that are precious. Simeon’s words “a sword will pierce your own soul too” stand out as he warns of anguish to come. The shadow of the cross is clear even in the very earliest days of our Lord’s life; this is Luke’s first reference to the death that Christ would endure. We read in John 19:25 “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother”. We can only wonder how Mary felt with this sobering prophecy.

And as she watched him through the years

Her joy was mingled with her tears

And she’d feel it all again The glory, and the shame

And when the miracles began

She wondered, who is this man

And where will this all end

 

‘Til against a darkening sky

The son she loved was lifted high

And with his dying breath

She heard him say ‘Father forgive’

And to the criminal beside

“Today-with me in Paradise”

So bitter yet so sweet

(From Thorns in the Straw by Graham Kendrick)

Falling and rising. Simeon did not say, “My eyes have seen the Messiah”, he said “My eyes have seen your salvation” (Luke 2:30). So we see that salvation = Jesus, he is the source of salvation and this message is right through the New Testament. It is also true that Jesus divides opinion. Even shortly after his birth while some came to worship others wanted him dead, and this continued all through his life and even today he inspires hatred on the one hand and worship from those who love him. The human race is divided by how we respond to Jesus Christ. When we think that God gave his son for the world, how else can we respond but to bow before him and worship him as Lord of all.

“Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:22-24)

“Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,’” and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”’ (1 Peter 2:7-8)

In preparation for the Advent season, John talked yesterday about preparing ourselves for the coming of Christ. Are we ready for Jesus to come back? What things would you have to get in order prior to his arrival?” Scripture warns us time and again that His coming will be sudden, and living in the “here and now” is the best way we can prepare. Looking at Galatians 5:16-23, John talked about 9 qualities (fruits of the Spirit) that Jesus expects from us when He returns. Here they are:

1. Love. 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 shows us that we must have a twofold love: a love for God and a love for others. We must first be in love with God, and when we do that, we have no trouble keeping His commands. It’s easy to love God because He is perfect. But, sometimes it’s hard to love others, especially when those people are takers in the relationship and not givers, when they do not seem to add value to your life. This requires a deep, deep work of God in our hearts to love the unlovable.
2. Joy. Jesus wants us to be in a continuous state of joyfulness. This is not a human-based or external emotion. It is a divine manifestation of the Holy Spirit in us. This kind of life comes from focusing on God, and not the problems that are in front of us at the time.
3. Peace. Although it is similar to joy, peace has the same meaning in Hebrew as the words “wholeness” or “soundness”. It implies being at peace with both God and man. This means being at peace with God’s plan for your life, and being at peace with your fellow man.
4. Longsuffering/Patience. This is the first quality of God listed in Exodus 34 when Moses asked to see God’s face. God’s patience is seen in restraining punishment and wrath that is due us. God’s longsuffering is intended to lead us to repentance before the final judgment. In that case, how can we hold back any patience from others? Colossians 3:12 tells us that patience is like a garment. We can’t give up on the promises of God, even when things don’t look promising.
5. Kindness. This is an essential ingredient for love. To be kind is to treat people the way God has treated you. This could be the biggest need in today’s fast-paced, high-tech society: showing someone kindness through being truly present and fully there for someone.
6. Goodness. The person whose personality reflects this virtue is a person that combines two things: Moral Excellence and Generosity. People who are morally excellent command respect because of who they are. Our often vulgar and obscene society needs to see people of moral excellence. Generosity is the opposite of greed and envy. A generous person gives when the need arises.
7. Faith. Faith means “fidelity” or “loyalty”. In the Bible, this is a necessary qualification for stewardship, teaching, or being a deacon. This is a person who is worthy of God’s trust, and Jesus is the most noble example of fidelity and trustworthiness to God the Father be doing exactly what God wanted all the time. Faith also means being one on whom others can rely. Can God trust you? Will you be true to Him with your use of money, time, sex, your mouth?
8. Gentleness/Meekness. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek.” A good example of meekness is a strong stallion that has been broken and ready for the master’s use. He still has the strength and power, but he chooses to use it for the master’s plan and not his own. This is not a picture of a weak, little, timid, scared creature. This is someone who submits to God’s will, someone who is humble, and someone who reflects patience toward others even when insult or injury arise from doing God’s will.
9. Self-Control. Temperance is an important topic in light of coming judgment. It implies the strict discipline of an athlete. It is the opposite of self-indulgence. Self-control is the mastery of the self and the fashioning of one’s life in the way which God desires. In order to make room for God in our lives, we are going to have to learn to say “no” to some things and “yes” to what God is inviting us into.

Are you ready for Christ’s return?

Playing well for part of the game and coming up short in the end seems to be the trend following the Guelph Hurricanes these days.

Thursday night they faced a very good Waterloo Siskins ( 19-5-0 38 pts.) team at home and found themselves down 3-0 after the first period. Then they clawed their way back to outscore the Siskins 2-1 in the 2nd and 3rd period, eventually losing the game 4-2.

Saturday night they travelled to Cambridge (14-7-2 30 pts.) to take on the Winter Hawks in a game where they faced 52 shots, including 31 in the 2nd period. Cambridge scored 5 goals in that period and would go on to win the game 6-4.

Then the Canes visited Elmira (11-11-3 25 pts.) Sunday night and they finally avoided the one period let down and came away with a single point in a 3-2 shootout loss.

That point will be critical as teams jockey for playoff position. Currently Guelph sits 8th in the MidWestern Division and would face the top seeded Brantford Golden Eagles in the first round of the playoffs.

*Other GOJHL Notes:

The Stratford Cullitons snapped their 11 game losing streak Sunday afternoon with a 6-5 win over the Listowel Cyclones.

GOJHL’s leading scorer is Josh McQuade (Brantford Golden Eagles) is averaging 3 points per game (81 pts. in 27 games) and is on a pace to score 153 pts. this season.

Next home game for the Canes is Thursday December 3 when they face Josh McQuade and the 1st place Brantford Golden Eagles. Game time at the Sleeman Center is 7:45 p.m.

A FB/So Called friend said she was getting some LGD and was going to hang on ‘The Porch’. I’m thinking “Man! I ain’t had any LGD in long MF’ing, sounds like a plan! I can almost taste that Chikin’!”

I get my coupons and Store Locator off LGD’s website. Now in spite of the fact it’s cold and wet outside and that I was pretty dang comfortable being a Bum. Here I go to brave the Elements to satisfy my “Hankerin’”

I go down to LGD to get some Chikin’, you see. It’s Sunday Evening around 6:40something and I’m in there around 6:40something and present my 2 coupons to the lady behind the counter, 16 pieces and 30 wing deals. She looked at them and all seem to be in order. She asked what kind of Chikin’ I wanted and what 4 sides. I told her I wanted Xtra Krispy Chikin’ Mashed Taters, Mac-N-Cheese, Cole Slaw and some Green Beans. She looked in the warmers and said they didn’t have 16 pieces of Xtra Krispy to fill my order.

Nothing against her she was very nice, but I had a fleeting thought about such and dismissed it right off the Bat! I’m thinking there is no MF’ing way they will be out of anything at this time! Wrong! Whose Game Plan is this I’m. What kind of Sunday Night Football, cold and wet outside, people stayin’ in type of prep is this? This is a heck of a way to run a Business!

The Lady asks and someone says it’ll be 17 minutes and asks me if I wanted to wait, I say yes. Then someone else says it’ll be 25 minutes. I go “I thought it was going to be 17 minutes”. Someone behind me in line says “Yep! That’s what they said!” Someone behind the counter says something about why it’s going to take longer, but I didn’t hear a word they said. I had stopped listening at this point since it seemed pointless.

I said no thanks and asked if there was another LGD around, but no one seemed to know. The Lady asked what I wanted to do and I said “Forget about it”. The lady asked if I wanted my coupons back and I said no. She said I might be able to use them at another LGD and me thinking “You couldn’t tell me where another one was. So what would the coupons be good for?” I didn’t want to have to look it up on my PDA.

As I was walking outside, a guy who was an employee, who had been out there when I went in, said “Hey Dog what happen?” Didn’t they have what you wanted?” I said no and got in my Truck. I found a Neighborhood Market and got some Wings and took them Home.

I’m probably better off I suppose. More often than not my Fast Food experiences aren’t much fun anymore…

I can still smell that Chikin’ though!

The AP is reporting that there has been an explosion at a school Sunday in Virginia.Police say eight workers have been injured in the explosion at a middle school in southeastern Virginia.

Newport News Police spokesman Lou Thurston says the workers suffered varying injuries in Sunday morning’s blast at Crittenden Middle School.

They were employees of T.R. Driscoll Inc. of Lumberton, N.C., a contracting company that had been doing repair work at the school for about five weeks.

The cause of the blast is being investigated. Thurston says workers were using propane to heat the tar but no cause has been determined.

Five workers were taken to nearby trauma centers, and three to emergency rooms.

Thurston says the explosion sparked a fire and caused a large wall to collapse in the school’s shop area. Monday classes were canceled.

Under my windshield

wiper: a parking ticket?!

Phew. A yellow leaf.

tonight you will go walking

you will stop outside the tall and long church
glowing with yellow light
and you will turn your ear
to listen
it will take a minute
but you will recognize the song
o come o come emmanuel
and ransom captive israel
you will sing along
mumbling the words you can’t remember
thinking of advent wreaths and purple candles
you will remember
how much you liked this song
maybe because it was about a kind of liberation
maybe because it comes from a somber place
but offers hope
at the end of each verse
you will feel pride about knowing this song
about having carried it with you all these years
a sense of history
a sense of ritual
a sense of coming from somewhere
even though you refused to be confirmed
at age 14 and used to show up at mass
every second a protest
lips still when everyone else prayed
lips still when everyone else sang
a refusal to line up for communion

tonight you will go walking

and introduce yourself to the man outside the corner store
when you say your name his face will soften
as if you have just blessed him
his name will be mark
and his son will yell from across the street
about squashing a smelly bug

tonight you will go walking

thankful for what feels like spring in november
your hands bare and not cold
your head under two thin sweater hoods

tonight you will go walking

it will be a sunday
that feels like a friday or saturday
and the dark street under a starless sky
will unwrap itself before you
like someone peeling back their chest skin
cracking open their rib cage
and calling their heart out
like one calls a scared kitten

Sorry for the delay on this post. I’m such a popular guy that it is hard to hang out with the neighbours/friends and write a new blog post at the same time. Yesterday I had plenty of time, but I felt like studying instead. n_n I also attended a small concert last night as well, but I’ll brief you in about that sometime later.

Today, the focus is on the wicked awesome crazy short parade that was the Hokkaido Hippon-Ham Fighters. If you recall for awhile ago, I mentioned I watched the final game that included the Fighters and their opponent, the Giants. But the Fighters lost, so why would they have a parade? No idea. I suppose 2nd place is meaningful enough to host something as big (cough*small*cough) as this. I’m thinking the parade was more of a fan appreciation event. Either way, I wanted to be there. I had no expectations and was curious to see if it would be a full, blown out parade or a small, tiny shindig.

The parade started at 11:15am from where I stood with the introduction of the mighty police (fuzz) cruiser.

The Fuzz were followed by a van and a marching band.

The stars of the show then appeared. Yes, the powerful Ham Fighters made their grand appearance stealing the awes and cheers from the crowd. I cheered for the Giants! (just kidding)

And that pretty much concluded the parade. It ended at 11:23am, thus a total 8 minutes elapsed since the start. I guess this parade would classify as a shindig, but for the amount of people that attended, it was insane. I just wished it lasted longer. By the time I got into “parade mood”, it was all over. It was time to leave, fight crowds and try not to die.

Though, one of the coolest things about the parade was falling confetti from nearby rooftops. Definitely has to be one of those super cool things to be apart of.

And then everyone figured it would also be fun to pick up the fallen confetti for their own personal use.

While escaping with my life on the line, I was forced to stop by The Fuzz. They parted the crowd with their mind bending powers to make room for “the famous ones.” I have no idea who these people are, but Okada san made mention that they weren’t just your average people. So while they walked right in front of me, thinking to themselves that they were so cool, I pulled out my camera and took more pictures.

Well, there you have it. All those mystery dudes for your viewing pleasure.

All and all, I’m glad I went to the parade. It was fun, but on the short side of things. The confetti really made my day.

I give the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters parade for whatever reason 6 Vibrant Coloured Confetti Pieces out of 6.

Studied the book for a little bit today in preparation for this week’s physical and mental rape.

My father and I were at a store today and we ran into a next-door neighbor from the days of when I used to live in a 3br townhouse.  He’s a commodities broker for sugar.

I sent my watch in for a band adjustment, and I’ll get it back on Wednesday.  There’s a couple of things I want to get from JCrew…lets hope they have a sale soon or some sort of discount that applies to all merchandise.  Can’t blow too much money now but what can I say, I’m a big consumer.

quote:

“i don’t know how to ask this…”

me: “don’t ask. not yet”

“okayy, why?”

me: “whyyy nott?”

“haha, true. but really, is there a reason?”

me: “i just want to see what happens.”

“do you think i;m gonna mess up?”

me: “no! and besides, its too early. “

Tonight some more of our turkey went into a turkey casserole, which turned out much better than my enchiladas did last night.  It was nothing special, but at least it was more than edible! I cut up/shredded some of our leftover turkey, mixed it with some peas and corn (I should have used leftover Thanksgiving peas but lost my mind and used frozen instead) and threw in a bit of stuffing and then gravy and topped it with most of the leftover mashed potatoes and then baked it to heat it up and brown the potatoes a bit.  It made enough for supper and there with be some leftover tomorrow for lunch too, which is always a bonus.

Are you ready for some footballllll?!  Fist quarter and the Ravens have already scored!  Not getting too excited over here, it is going to be a long game.

About an hour after lunch I headed out for a nice run on this lovely 60 degree day!  Unfortunately I had tallied up reason number 16 billion as to why I hate children along my way.  Two children shot their bee-bee gun at a target in their backyard as I ran by the rear of their home.  Unfortunately, their backyard is about 10 feet and then there is the main side walk for the neighborhood!  They can’t claim they didn’t see me it was only 2:30pm and I was in white!  What did they say when I screamed at them for aiming a gun in the direction of a person??? “I’m sorry”? No! They said, “You were in the way”.  I was in the way??????  How about I come down there and tell your parents I am pressing charges for firing a weapon in the direction of a human!  Ugh it made me so angry.  Why do people buy their kids bee-bee guns anyway?  What good do they do!!!

OK sorry had to get that off my chest.

When I got home I finished cleaning, showered and got to work on this little guy.

  We have had 3 pumpkins outside on our deck for the fall and it was time for them to have their second use!

Pumpkin Chili

I followed the general direction on the back on the chili spices bag but also added a few more things.

• 1/2 turkey meat – browned and fat drained
• 1/2 onion steamed with meat
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can white kidney beans (for some reason we have 3)
• 1/2 cup green lentils – added to chili and cooked while it simmered
• 1 cup chicken broth – to cook lentils
• 1 cup pumpkin puree

After a few hours of simmering and cooking my little friend in the oven it was time to serve!

Chili on top of 1/4 piece of roasted pumpkin and topped with plain Oikos, cheese and pumpkin spice chickpeas.

I had sides of homemade guacamole and some Food Should Taste Good multigrain chips.

One happy dinner could only be complete with my new peppermint ice cream with peppermint stick crunches in it!

No fake pink peppermint here…but it is slow churn with chemicals…can’t win them all.

Time to get back to the game!

CAW!

Hey you.

I will always take care of you.

I decided after church today that I would go for a walk through the Sacred Grove.  With Elizabethe in California, it seemed like a suitable thing to do.

Prior to taking my walk, I enjoyed a delightful morning at church.  The kids in Primary were wound-up and wrestless.   Although it must have been tough for their teachers, for singing time they really belted out the songs.

We had a long choir practice followed by a quartet practice at Mark’s house.  It is less than one week away for our first performance.  (For those in Palmyra, it is on December 5th at 7pm at the L.D.S. Church on Temple Road which is south on Stafford Road and runs between Stafford and Rt. 21.)

After finishing dinner and baking a dessert for tomorrow’s Family Home Evening, I drove to the Welcom Center and prepared to head out on my walk.  I had no sooner entered the grove when a familiar face came towards me.  It was Paul O’Donnell.  (Paul, it was nice seeing you today.)  We talked for a while and he continued his way and I began my walk.  I pointed out a hornet nest high in the trees not far from where we talked.

Hornet Nest

I’m glad I took my walk when I did.  First, it was a treat running in to my good friend Paul.  Second, it was quiet and peaceful and gave me a well deserved break.

Alone in the Grove

I never really feel alone in the grove.  No, I don’t feel paranoid either.  But, being in the Sacred Grove when nobody else is around is a special treat.  I always feel my Heavenly Father’s love in the grove and I feel his spirit near.  It is one of those places where you can sit, ponder, read, pray and listen.  In this world today, there are few places you can do that.

Dusk and Moonrise - Sacred Grove

I sat there until I knew I best head back to the parking lot so the site missionaries aren’t sending out a search party for me.  The moon was out and the scattered clouds behind the trees made this duo-toned scene that I did the best to capture with my camera. 

Moonlit Creek - Smith Farm, Palmyra

I hope I never take for granted that I live this close to the Sacred Grove, or the Palmyra Temple, for that matter.  It is nice to be a 5 minute drive from both of them.  It was also neat to come out of the grove on a trail that faced the temple.  The temple was lit up and it was like coming through the woods towards a glowing campfire. 

Milkweed Pods

The plants took on a different hue with the dusk’s light.  The milkweed and dried reeds along the creek almost had a glow about them.  I probably could have stayed a bit longer, but the light was fading quickly and so I grabbed one last shot before heading back to the car.

1.  Drumming Down

2.  Splashing Round

3.  Switching On

Kept awake from 2am by thundering rain pelleting down on the velux window.  In the end I went down to the Big Bed. Still couldn’t sleep. Went downstairs. Made a cup of tea. Read paper. Hung washing out. Made another cup of tea. Went back to Double Bed. Still couldn’t sleep.  Son 2 aged 2y 2m wailed “Mummeee!” and I went and got him. “Where are you taking him?” asked a sleepy Son 1 aged 5y 2m. “Next door,” I said. “You can come if you want.” It was past 5am, and I figured I was so tired that I’d fall asleep deeply, they’d fall asleep deeply and then we’d all get a lie in.  I lay in the middle. Son 2 was lightly asleep. Son 1 eyebrowed me madly.   And still I couldn’t sleep. I must have in the end, because Son 2’s chatter woke me. “Get me out!” I couldn’t lift my head from the pillow. “Son 1, go and unzip Son 2’s sleeping bag.” “I can’t. I can’t do the zip.” “You can do zips. Go and let him out.” Son 1 tried. He couldn’t. “Oh just leave him then.” “Waaaaaaaa!”  I unzipped it. Son 2 reached for the light switch. “No! If you want the light on, go somewhere else.” They both slid away. I heard them unwrapping plastic on the landing. The Sweet Shop.

The Man did the Sweet Shop, and I stayed in bed. He brought me coffee at 0845. The Sweet Shop – full of jelly tots, dolly mixtures and wine gums – had been removed and put away.  Son 1 stomped up and down with the box. “We want our Sweet Shop back.”  We did a deal. I took out the sweets, and replaced them with Cheerios,  pine nuts, cubes of cheese, cubes of apple and hula hoops.  I put raisins and Coco Pop balls in the little jars. This was the new sweet shop.  It all went. Except the pine nuts.  On the phone to Granny, Son 1 laughed. “We’ve got a new sweet shop only we haven’t sold any sweets. We just eated them up.”  The rain hammered down. I put on my New York Marathon 2002 gilet and went running. Wet and splashy. I am now running 5 mins, walking 2.5 mins, four times.  One of my walking sections took me to the Rock Pool Beach, so down I went. The waves were loud, the rain was falling, there were piles of sodden, sopping seaweed everywhere. Just a few dog walkers and me. 

When I came back The Man had made a stew for tea and the children were still watching telly. We took them out for a walk and some air, came back, had lunch, watched more telly. Then we went into The Town for the Christmas Lights switch on.  Lanterns, children, street hawkers, Santa, and rain. Lots of rain. Son 1 went shyly up to Santa, who gave him a sweet. “Can I have one for Son 2 please? He’s my little brother.” He was given another. Son 2 was asleep. Son 1 ate it. At the end of the evening, when Son 2 was awake, we saw Santa again and again, he dished out chocolates. ”I daw Nan Ta,” Son 2 said over and over. “What do you want Santa to bring you, Son 2?” I asked. ”An An”  “Animals?” “Yes.” ”What sort of animals?” “Tye Tye. I like Tye Tye.”  Pity. Santa’s already  bought him a farm.

And now you’re hiding in my soup
And the book reveals your face
And there’s a splashing in my eyelids
As the concentration continually breaks

This is my third day of waking up whenever I feel like it, and I have another one tomorrow. Still, considering the fact that I never went to bed on Thursday, I’m not sure if I count that. What a spaced-out day/night/morning? Let me explain.

For ages, I’ve been meaning to have a Harry Potter-marathon, but I’ve never actually gotten to it. Well, now I have! Thursday evening, around 9, I put the first movie into the DVD-player, and I held my eyes open and on the screen until 1 pm the next day. I have never, in my life, felt more exhausted and zombie. I realised the next day that I had received phonecalls I couldn’t remember answering, and messages I definetely couldn’t recall reading.

But I didn’t go to bed! I got out of the sofa, stopped by school to pick up my laptop, then went to mom’s to get some clothes and after that home again to dad’s and slept for an hour. Then Sabina woke me (luckily) and I went to see Pathletic at HamRock. After that I went home (even more zombie) and straight to bed.

After 11 hours of sleep I finally woke up, and waiting for me was three hectic hours of work… But then I went home, got ready, the girls came to me and we went out to paarty. It was fun, y’know, dancing and stuff… My whole body is quite stiff, actually. But that’s just lovely – it means I had a kick-ass night, doesn’t it? It was quite kick-ass, I’ll admit that.

Soo. Now I’m doing nothing of importance, and I’m digging it. I was attacked by an extreme urge to go somewhere, far away. Not to flee from anything here, but simply to explore something new. See new places. Meet new people. Taste new food. Swim in all seven oceans of the world, or something like that. Isn’t that a cool life mission? Maybe I’ll make it mine.

The furthest I’ll get before Christmas might be Copenhagen, but hey, Copenhagen isn’t terribly bad, right? I’m not sure yet, though. But I hope I will – I think it would be cool. It would be with dad, though. But what’s wrong with a little father-daughter-bonding? Plus it would be during the environment conference. Hm, Obama?

PS – I know I’ve used lyrics from this song before. Don’t worry, I am aware.

[Song: Fire And The Thud | Artist: Arctic Monkeys]