My wonderful, sweet Dad is in the hospital after a car accident yesterday afternoon. He was in Florida visiting his sister after a 30 year lapse. (They had talked on the phone, but hadn't seen eachother in person.) The weather was horrible -- one of those amazing gushing downpours only possible in a tropical climate. He skidded and spun out, hitting two barriers.
No one else was around. And it was rush hour. And the airbags didn't go off...and the pen in his pocket shattered as he hit the steering wheel so hard. AND HE DOESN'T HAVE A BROKEN BONE OR A BRUISE ON HIM. He's very sore...
The Lord surely had his hand on his faithful servant.
I just wish either myself or my mom could be out there with him. It must be lonely in a hospital with no one to be with you...
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Mwafwamayyy
This reminds me of that Jodie Foster movie where the girl lives alone in the woods and speaks her own language. And spins around dancing a lot.
Camera Shy
Ilsa really didn't want her picture taken yesterday. In fact, she told me that "cameras are naughty."
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Book club wrap-up on "The Hiding Place"
Book club was today. First of all, I love my girls, but it was REALLY (can I emphasize it enough??) nice to get away for three hours of insightful and meaningful conversation. We meet bi-monthly. We've read four books now: A Severe Mercy, Whose Body?, Quo Vadis and The Hiding Place. All have been good choices (except for Whose Body, which is a fun book, but I don't think it really lends itself to discussion).
It was beneficial to read Quo Vadis (QV) and The Hiding Place (THP) in succession. Both speak to the dissolution of moral/social structure, persecution, tyranny. Both also portray selflessness in the face of the seeming need for self-preservation.
Some great discussion points:
It was beneficial to read Quo Vadis (QV) and The Hiding Place (THP) in succession. Both speak to the dissolution of moral/social structure, persecution, tyranny. Both also portray selflessness in the face of the seeming need for self-preservation.
Some great discussion points:
- Corrie's sister, Betsie was her "Aaron" -- just like Moses had doubts and fears, so did Corrie, but her beloved Betsie always put her back on track and pointed her face back to the Lord's face.
- What could have been a source of lifelong disappointment for many women, actually made easier Corrie and Betsie's task to save hundreds of lives: neither were married; they were "spinsters". But without spouses or children, their lives were freed-up to complete this mission.
- Corrie thought that the activities conducted within the "Beje" (their business and home) were so secret. But much of Haarlem knew! And kept their secret, too.
- Corrie was over 50 when interned at Ravensbruck.
- The smallest details of our lives are important to the Lord...and possibly working a good that we will only know later, or never. Corrie wanted to curse the fleas -- Betsie thanked the Lord for them. Later, those fleas kept the guards away, giving Corrie and Betsie freedom to conduct Bible studies right under the guards' noses.
Then we started talking about childrearing, adoption, storytime at the library, subtle social messages in children's books (I CAN'T STAND "The Rainbow Fish". Maybe I'll blog on that sometime.) Oh well, so much for enlightened discussion, but it was great while it lasted.
10 things I'm thankful for this week 7/6 - 7/12
In no particular order...
1. My new breadpan with true corners
2. Cinnamon swirl bread
3. Cooler temps (didn't break 100 this week)
4. My Mom and Dad's prayers
5. My husband's sense of humor
6. Ingrid's creativity
7. Ilsa cuddling
8. Breyer's natural vanilla ice cream with hot fudge, whipped cream, sprinkles and a maraschino cherry...and the spinning bike
9. Starbuck's
10. A perfect dental checkup and Ingrid's first experience at the dentist -- great!
1. My new breadpan with true corners
2. Cinnamon swirl bread
3. Cooler temps (didn't break 100 this week)
4. My Mom and Dad's prayers
5. My husband's sense of humor
6. Ingrid's creativity
7. Ilsa cuddling
8. Breyer's natural vanilla ice cream with hot fudge, whipped cream, sprinkles and a maraschino cherry...and the spinning bike
9. Starbuck's
10. A perfect dental checkup and Ingrid's first experience at the dentist -- great!
Friday, July 11, 2008
"The Hiding Place" -- Corrie Ten Boom
The Beje - the Ten Boom watch shop on the bottom floor and family home above and behind.I just finished "The Hiding Place" for my book club which meets tomorrow. It seems to me that I have read it before...high school maybe? Once again, in a very broad sense, the same type of literature I've been hanging onto the past few books: "Quo Vadis" (Nero's Rome -- "civilized" society in upheaval), "The Road" (see post below), "World Made by Hand" (see post below), and now "The Hiding Place" about the nightmare that was Nazi occupied Europe.
Corrie (or the author as she relayed the story to) had an easy way of telling a story. She was able to describe the horror of Nazi occupation and then the inevitable sentence to the concentration camp in a way that was not grotesque, yet did not lessen the impact of that horror. She even interjected quite a bit of humor.
The message of forgiveness is THE POINT of this book. God forgives us. We must forgive our enemies. She regarded the Word of God worth her life -- literally. She risked her life to have a Bible, or at least portions of a Bible, always with her while at Ravensbruck (women's concentration/extermination camp in what became East Germany). She "managed" to hold onto her precious Bible even through the humiliations of "medical" exams (strip searches). The Lord had His hand on her, for sure! The Bible always made it through.
Corrie Ten Book was a remarkable woman. I think I will add her to my hypothetical "any-10-people-you'd-wish-to-have-for-dinner" table.
Many of the Amazon.com reviewers claim that the book starts out slow. I wholeheartedly disagree. It is contemplative, but not slow. It was necessary for her to set the scene explaining her idyllic and somewhat shielded childhood in Haarlem, Netherlands.
I bet your church library has a copy -- check it out.
Corrie (or the author as she relayed the story to) had an easy way of telling a story. She was able to describe the horror of Nazi occupation and then the inevitable sentence to the concentration camp in a way that was not grotesque, yet did not lessen the impact of that horror. She even interjected quite a bit of humor.
The message of forgiveness is THE POINT of this book. God forgives us. We must forgive our enemies. She regarded the Word of God worth her life -- literally. She risked her life to have a Bible, or at least portions of a Bible, always with her while at Ravensbruck (women's concentration/extermination camp in what became East Germany). She "managed" to hold onto her precious Bible even through the humiliations of "medical" exams (strip searches). The Lord had His hand on her, for sure! The Bible always made it through.
Corrie Ten Book was a remarkable woman. I think I will add her to my hypothetical "any-10-people-you'd-wish-to-have-for-dinner" table.
Many of the Amazon.com reviewers claim that the book starts out slow. I wholeheartedly disagree. It is contemplative, but not slow. It was necessary for her to set the scene explaining her idyllic and somewhat shielded childhood in Haarlem, Netherlands.
I bet your church library has a copy -- check it out.
Gamisch & Rody
The girls were out on the patio by the wading pool today. I asked them what they were doing because they kept coming in and getting kitchen tools. Ingrid told me they "are making gamisch." I asked what "gamisch" was. She said, "it's a chemical that is very dangerous. It can kill you. It's like Satan, but it's not." I find that very humorous for some reason...
I wonder if this is a safety-police approved use of the Rody???
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
"World Made By Hand", James Howard Kunstler
Reading another post-apocalyptic novel: "World Made By Hand". What's with that? This one is much less bleak, although somewhat more haunting in its plausibility. The author is James Howard Kunstler.
I'm about 75% done. I still am a little dark as to how it is going to end. Quite engaging. The characters are complex and interesting.
So far, the most compelling theme is that when societal constraints are removed, we revert back to traditional forms: agriculturally-based, traditional gender roles, etc... For example, the first person narrator comments that all on the town council are males who aren't "serfs" in the community. The women work hard, but are protected by the men. When a husband dies, the wife and children are taken in, even by a single man, who will protect her/family. One wealthy man is determined to remain comfortable in his wealth, so he has turned his estate into a medieval manor; he is the lord, and hiw workers are the serfs. He provides safety, food and shelter in exhange for performing work on his estate. The importance of beauty is another theme. As life is bleak, hard and unforgiving, and there is no electronic entertainment to divert ones mind, the people of this small village have put effort into their gardens and homes. The one church is very important to community life, and as such, is very well-maintained. When members of this community venture out beyond their immediate township, they realize that what they have is very special and unique: the rest of society has tanked.
Strip malls, suburbs and the mobile society are irrelevant. Large cities are violent pits of despair and desolation. Small, rural, interdependent communities are the only chance for any sort of positive life.
Do I know enough to maintain a home without electrity, refrigeration, running water, a grocery store? Would I be able to educate, train and entertain my children? Would we thrive or just get by?
There are aspects of the book that are bothersome:
Some social conventions seem to have disintegrated. Marriage is still an institution, however, for reproductive purposes (due to radiation, illness, communicable diseases, etc.) women and men often seek other than their spouse for "service". "Religion" (vocal Christians specifically) are all portrayed as either hypocrites or absolute nut jobs, but to be fair, so are pagans and atheists...it's the sort of nominally "pious" people who are the "normal" ones. (Is this accurate? Maybe....) The clergy in this book all swear, get drunk and are morally loose or "look the other way".
Life is bleak, and food is basic, but in this town, not hard to come by, but still basic. The people welcome any sort of intoxication. I think it is a form of entertainment and escape for the townspeople. Pot grows wild; people cultivate poppies; doctors use these to create their only forms of anaesthesia -- interesting. Distilled spirits, wine, ales and other beverages are commonplace and valued. However, they don't just intoxicate themselves into oblivion every night...just sometimes.
It is kill or be-killed. There is a sense of justice, but no formal framework to maintain or pursue justice or the upholding of the law.
Okay, the next book I read is going to be happy, happy, joy, joy...
I'm about 75% done. I still am a little dark as to how it is going to end. Quite engaging. The characters are complex and interesting.
So far, the most compelling theme is that when societal constraints are removed, we revert back to traditional forms: agriculturally-based, traditional gender roles, etc... For example, the first person narrator comments that all on the town council are males who aren't "serfs" in the community. The women work hard, but are protected by the men. When a husband dies, the wife and children are taken in, even by a single man, who will protect her/family. One wealthy man is determined to remain comfortable in his wealth, so he has turned his estate into a medieval manor; he is the lord, and hiw workers are the serfs. He provides safety, food and shelter in exhange for performing work on his estate. The importance of beauty is another theme. As life is bleak, hard and unforgiving, and there is no electronic entertainment to divert ones mind, the people of this small village have put effort into their gardens and homes. The one church is very important to community life, and as such, is very well-maintained. When members of this community venture out beyond their immediate township, they realize that what they have is very special and unique: the rest of society has tanked.
Strip malls, suburbs and the mobile society are irrelevant. Large cities are violent pits of despair and desolation. Small, rural, interdependent communities are the only chance for any sort of positive life.
Do I know enough to maintain a home without electrity, refrigeration, running water, a grocery store? Would I be able to educate, train and entertain my children? Would we thrive or just get by?
There are aspects of the book that are bothersome:
Some social conventions seem to have disintegrated. Marriage is still an institution, however, for reproductive purposes (due to radiation, illness, communicable diseases, etc.) women and men often seek other than their spouse for "service". "Religion" (vocal Christians specifically) are all portrayed as either hypocrites or absolute nut jobs, but to be fair, so are pagans and atheists...it's the sort of nominally "pious" people who are the "normal" ones. (Is this accurate? Maybe....) The clergy in this book all swear, get drunk and are morally loose or "look the other way".
Life is bleak, and food is basic, but in this town, not hard to come by, but still basic. The people welcome any sort of intoxication. I think it is a form of entertainment and escape for the townspeople. Pot grows wild; people cultivate poppies; doctors use these to create their only forms of anaesthesia -- interesting. Distilled spirits, wine, ales and other beverages are commonplace and valued. However, they don't just intoxicate themselves into oblivion every night...just sometimes.
It is kill or be-killed. There is a sense of justice, but no formal framework to maintain or pursue justice or the upholding of the law.
Okay, the next book I read is going to be happy, happy, joy, joy...
Bougainvillea in a Pot/First Hot Peppers!
My new interest (now that the backyard is "done") is my var. Scarlett O'Hara Bougainvillea on the front porch in our huge 6.5 cubic foot pot. I'm going to train it as a shrubby bush rather than as a climber. If it doesn't work out, I'll try another variety. Some varieties work better as shrubs than others. We'll see. We also 
plucked our first hot peppers from the backyard stock tank garden today: one jalepeno, two hungarian wax and one anaheim chile. I'll leave those up to Chad to sample. Ilsa asked to eat one of the "cucumbers". I had to decline her request, and she was mad.
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