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Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Make a Wish
Have a wish that needs to be made? Over the next few nights, the Orionids meteor shower, second of the year, will be producing the most shooting stars October 20-22. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, we'll see about 20 meteors per hour in the Southern Hemisphere, 40 per hour. They will be most visible in the Eastern/Southeastern night time skies. 20 per hour? Hmmm. I better go get started on my wish list.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Around the Yard
Before all the leaves drop to the ground, thought I'd get a few shots around the yard of the changing foilage. And then there's that creative bit that dwells within...
Thursday, October 16, 2008
A Letter to Aunt Lorraine
Dear Aunt Lorraine,
I knew the last time I saw you, you were not much longer for this world. It's still hard to fathom that you are gone forever. I have so many good memories, those will never leave.
I've been thinking of you all day. Reminiscing and remembering little things; facial gestures, your hairstyle that never changed, the way you'd grab onto my hand and hold it for a long time, that funny wiggle walk you'd do sometimes and sticking your tongue out when you laughed. But it's the laughter. I will always hear the laughter when I think of you.
Will love you always,
B.
I knew the last time I saw you, you were not much longer for this world. It's still hard to fathom that you are gone forever. I have so many good memories, those will never leave.
I've been thinking of you all day. Reminiscing and remembering little things; facial gestures, your hairstyle that never changed, the way you'd grab onto my hand and hold it for a long time, that funny wiggle walk you'd do sometimes and sticking your tongue out when you laughed. But it's the laughter. I will always hear the laughter when I think of you.
Will love you always,
B.
Goodbye Flowers
We had a hard frost last night as can be seen on our zinnias. So, no more pretty flowers & foilage until next spring. *le sigh*
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Catholics have all the fun
As a young child, I attended the Methodist church with my family. Even though I currently choose not to be part of an organized religion, I am most familiar with the Methodist church when it comes to such things.
I can remember growing up being a bit jealous of the Catholics in my small town. They had the fanciest church. Most of the popular kids attended the Catholic church. They also had the most population of kids (duh), with the Lutherans close behind. Then there was the little white Methodist church with maybe 10 kids in total. It's just a fact, when you're a kid, you want to be around other kids.
I used to spend some time with a neighbor friend who's family was Catholic. They were a large family (duh) and when they gathered for a meal, it was an impressive crowd. This was also the first place I saw people recite a prayer, all together, and perform strange, synchronized hand movements. I remember feeling very awkward and out of place. I think it was my first culture shock. In our small, very caucasion community, religion, income, townies or farmers were pretty much the only differences among us.
Later, as I learned more about religions and the Catholic practices and rituals, I thought the Methodists were even more uninteresting. We only talked about Mary around Christmas. We didn't have rituals or synchronized prayers during our service. I take that back, the Methodists recite the Lord's prayer together and I guess their ritual was passing the donation plate; just not as fascinating as the Catholics. Then there was the Catholic stuff: the saints, the necklaces/rosaries, the cards, the statues on the dashboards, the swinging smoke thing and lighting candles. The Methodists didn't have any cool stuff.
Now, after all these years, those old "Catholics are cool" thoughts came streaming back. And it was because of the bowling ball rosary story from Herald & Review in Central Illinois...
Monday, October 2, 2006 8:43 AM CDT
1,000-pound rosary sends heavy message:
By TONY REID - H&R Staff Writer
Photo by Herald & Review/Kelly J. Huff
NOKOMIS, ILLINOIS - Hail Mary, full of grace ? and if you sinners out there try to pray this particular rosary, you are going to need a back brace.
Not that fingering the 59 beads is the point here, of course. The rosary that retired quarry worker Bernard "Chub" Clark has created in his rural three acre yard near Nokomis is made of old bowling balls and probably weighs close to 1,000 pounds, give or take.
Behind the rosary is a cautionary sign, stark black letters against a white backdrop: "You know not the hour Jesus will come - please pray." Clark hopes the message rather than the rosary will weigh heavily on the conscience of rubber-necking motorists passing by on Hillside Avenue. Clark believes mankind has strayed further and further into the gutter and our Father, who art displeased in heaven, is getting ready to bowl us over for our wickedness.
"People have got no respect for themselves or anybody else," laments Clark, 73, a faithful Catholic. "And I do think, if we don't change the ways of the world, then the good Lord one of these days is going to say 'The hell with you' and stick a match to it."
He's convinced his 65-year-old Lutheran wife, Wilma, who has a 500-plus collection of angel figurines and thinks her husband is on to something: "The signs aren't good," she says. "Things just seem to be getting worse and worse all the time."
So, what to do? Her husband took the view, supported by his wife, that if people aren't taking much notice of God, you can at least remind them that he's out there in the great alley of sin, keeping score. Clark, who has bowled a fair bit in his time and fingered a personal rosary so fervently over the years he had to replace the worn-out beads with lead shot fishing weights, decided he could combine bowling and the rosary to make a striking statement about salvation.
He got it all done four years ago, linking each ball by 1/4-inch log chain and attaching a 2-foot by 16-inch cross hewn from 4-by-4 treated lumber at the center. Word of his creation has gradually spread among the multitude, and various priests have dropped by for a visitation, too. In July, it made the front page of the Catholic Times, the official newspaper for the Catholic Diocese of Springfield, no less.
"After it came out in the Catholic Times, I don't know how many phone calls we got about it," says Wilma. "We've had a lot of people coming out here to take pictures of it."
Her husband even encountered a passer-by who confessed up front he was an atheist but, despite himself, couldn't hide his admiration for the bold handiwork wrought by a true believer. "He said he thought the rosary was really neat," recalls Clark, smiling. "So maybe it might be turning him around a little bit towards God, I don't know. It can't hurt, though, can it?"
I can remember growing up being a bit jealous of the Catholics in my small town. They had the fanciest church. Most of the popular kids attended the Catholic church. They also had the most population of kids (duh), with the Lutherans close behind. Then there was the little white Methodist church with maybe 10 kids in total. It's just a fact, when you're a kid, you want to be around other kids.
I used to spend some time with a neighbor friend who's family was Catholic. They were a large family (duh) and when they gathered for a meal, it was an impressive crowd. This was also the first place I saw people recite a prayer, all together, and perform strange, synchronized hand movements. I remember feeling very awkward and out of place. I think it was my first culture shock. In our small, very caucasion community, religion, income, townies or farmers were pretty much the only differences among us.
Later, as I learned more about religions and the Catholic practices and rituals, I thought the Methodists were even more uninteresting. We only talked about Mary around Christmas. We didn't have rituals or synchronized prayers during our service. I take that back, the Methodists recite the Lord's prayer together and I guess their ritual was passing the donation plate; just not as fascinating as the Catholics. Then there was the Catholic stuff: the saints, the necklaces/rosaries, the cards, the statues on the dashboards, the swinging smoke thing and lighting candles. The Methodists didn't have any cool stuff.
Now, after all these years, those old "Catholics are cool" thoughts came streaming back. And it was because of the bowling ball rosary story from Herald & Review in Central Illinois...
Monday, October 2, 2006 8:43 AM CDT
1,000-pound rosary sends heavy message:
By TONY REID - H&R Staff Writer
Photo by Herald & Review/Kelly J. Huff
NOKOMIS, ILLINOIS - Hail Mary, full of grace ? and if you sinners out there try to pray this particular rosary, you are going to need a back brace.
Not that fingering the 59 beads is the point here, of course. The rosary that retired quarry worker Bernard "Chub" Clark has created in his rural three acre yard near Nokomis is made of old bowling balls and probably weighs close to 1,000 pounds, give or take.
Behind the rosary is a cautionary sign, stark black letters against a white backdrop: "You know not the hour Jesus will come - please pray." Clark hopes the message rather than the rosary will weigh heavily on the conscience of rubber-necking motorists passing by on Hillside Avenue. Clark believes mankind has strayed further and further into the gutter and our Father, who art displeased in heaven, is getting ready to bowl us over for our wickedness.
"People have got no respect for themselves or anybody else," laments Clark, 73, a faithful Catholic. "And I do think, if we don't change the ways of the world, then the good Lord one of these days is going to say 'The hell with you' and stick a match to it."
He's convinced his 65-year-old Lutheran wife, Wilma, who has a 500-plus collection of angel figurines and thinks her husband is on to something: "The signs aren't good," she says. "Things just seem to be getting worse and worse all the time."
So, what to do? Her husband took the view, supported by his wife, that if people aren't taking much notice of God, you can at least remind them that he's out there in the great alley of sin, keeping score. Clark, who has bowled a fair bit in his time and fingered a personal rosary so fervently over the years he had to replace the worn-out beads with lead shot fishing weights, decided he could combine bowling and the rosary to make a striking statement about salvation.
He got it all done four years ago, linking each ball by 1/4-inch log chain and attaching a 2-foot by 16-inch cross hewn from 4-by-4 treated lumber at the center. Word of his creation has gradually spread among the multitude, and various priests have dropped by for a visitation, too. In July, it made the front page of the Catholic Times, the official newspaper for the Catholic Diocese of Springfield, no less.
"After it came out in the Catholic Times, I don't know how many phone calls we got about it," says Wilma. "We've had a lot of people coming out here to take pictures of it."
Her husband even encountered a passer-by who confessed up front he was an atheist but, despite himself, couldn't hide his admiration for the bold handiwork wrought by a true believer. "He said he thought the rosary was really neat," recalls Clark, smiling. "So maybe it might be turning him around a little bit towards God, I don't know. It can't hurt, though, can it?"
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Fall Colors Drive
The hubby and I took the convertible out last Saturday (October 12th) and drove around in the hills in Buffalo County, Wisconsin. The colors were not quite peak but we were able to cruise around with the top down so it was close enough. We had a fun day. Enjoy the slideshow...
Monday, October 13, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
You Just Never Know #1
You just never know what you're going to find when you Google Christopher Walken...
Friday, October 10, 2008
Strange Tastes
I wonder why it is I like the foods that most people wrinkle their noses at? Is it some sort of genetic thing? I know my love for stinky fish comes from my family. We all love a good smoked whitefish and pickled herring. Oyster stew is also a family holiday tradition. It's the good Norwegian in us don'tchya know.
When shopping for groceries, I can't seem to pass up the smoked oysters or the kipper snacks. I was strangely excited while at Trader Joe's the other day I found smoked oysters and smoked herring at a better price than my local store! See? Even now when I'm writing about it I want to use an exclamation point! That's weird isn't it? And when I discovered they were of much better quality than my local stores' options, I was beyond myself ecstatic! I wanted to call someone with my great news but knew no one that would appreciate it.
I also love cooked spinach, brussel sprouts, liver and onions (with mustard) and blue cheese. I've never tried it but I'm guessing I would love that stinkiest of cheeses, Limburger. And then there's my spicy factor...I love spicy foods too. Anything with Szechuan in front of it is my choice at Asian restaurants. Chili, the spicier the better. Although I have to calm down my chili since the hubby doesn't have the same love of spicy foods. I have brought tears to his eyes a few times with my chili.
What strange food tastes do you have?
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