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A Reminder of what we've been given

4/2/2020

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During these days of concern over a contagious and dangerous virus I've been thinking of these words from Paul Brand. Several others have published this excerpt but I'm sharing it here so that it might reach more folks. – Gary

Some years ago an epidemic of measles struck Vellore and one of my daughters had a severe attack.  We knew she would recover, but our other infant daughter, Estelle, was dangerously vulnerable because of her age.  When the pediatrician explained our need for convalescent serum, word went around Vellore that the Brands needed the “blood of an overcomer.”  We did not actually use those words, but we called for someone who had contracted measles and had overcome it.  Serum from such a person would protect our little girl.

It was no use finding somebody who had conquered chicken pox or had recovered from a broken leg.  Such people, albeit healthy, could not give the specific help we needed to overcome measles.  We needed someone who had experienced measles and had defeated that disease.  We located such a person, withdrew some of his blood, let the cells settle out, and injected the convalescent serum.  Equipped with “borrowed” antibodies, our daughter fought off the disease successfully.  The serum gave her body enough time to manufacture her own antibodies.  She overcome measles not by her own resistance or vitality, but as a result of a battle that had taken place previously within someone else.
There is a sense in which a person’s blood becomes more valuable and potent as that person prevails in numerous battles with outside invaders.  After antibodies have locked away the secret of defeating each disease, a second infection of the same type will normally do no harm.  A protected person has “wise blood,” to use a term Flannery O’Connor originated.  Could this process cast light on the description of Christ being “made perfect through suffering” (Hebrews 2:10)?  … “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (2:18).
Today when we partake of Communion wine, it is as though our Lord is saying to us This is my blood, which has been strengthened and prepared for you.  This is my life which was lived for you and can now be shared with you.  I was tired, frustrated, tempted, abandoned; tomorrow you may feel tired, frustrated, tempted, or abandoned.  When you do, you may use my strength and share my spirit.  I have overcome the world for you.
 
– Paul Brand, In His Image
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Facebook. Not exactly a rant.

12/18/2018

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Like everything else, Facebook is a mixed blessing,

One the one hand I like the funny things people post. Like that picture of a small dog with her nose through the arm of a beige sweater but all wrapped up so it looked more like a seal. I love that one. I learn some things from some of the posts. I laugh at some things from others. 

But for some, I just have to marvel at the ignorance or bigotry or whatever it is that I happen to disagree with.

I'm considering posting one of those things where you're a genius if you can find the "A" but then make sure there aren't any there. Any similar suggestions? Maybe I should ask the Russians.
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Password Questions

10/17/2018

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The folks from Firefox browser listed the 50,000 most common passwords (wanna see?). The most common is password and second is 12345678. But...
Why is baseball more frequent than football? And ...
Why are jennifer and michelle in the top twenty while bluebell is way back at 1781?

Questions. So many questions. 

I mean how can steelers be more popular than cowboy1?

​We live in a crazy world.

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Your Life Story

4/13/2018

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What would you choose as the story that describes your life?

I'm leaning toward Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak as the story of my life. Sendak's book shows a youngster who terrorizes the house and is sent to his room without supper. It ends with him waking to find: "his supper waiting for him – and it was still hot." That's my story. I've been treated better than I deserve.

I suppose there are a few rags to riches stories and maybe a Cinderella or Aladdin story out there somewhere. But for me, it's just a quiet tale of a warm meal at the end of the day. And I'm grateful.
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Twenty Eighteen

1/4/2018

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We're almost a generation deep into this century. The wireless wrist radios of Dick Tracy comic strips are replacing the LCD watches that tried to displace old-timey Swiss watches with jeweled movements. Silent movies have given way to multi-color 3D experiences. Video clips of flying family cars (remember the Jetsons?) show up as teasers online while electric autos actually transport folks around town. It's only a matter of time before those self-driving vehicles change our driving habits even more. Amazon's working toward drone deliveries and you can now have the local grocery store walk the aisles for you – saving time and avoiding impulse buys. Or several companies will save you from deciding what to buy and just ship the ingredients and recipes right to your door so you can microwave or instapot your own supper.

But we still have radio and horses and deer camps and even books. People now buy shoes just for "walking." What an interesting time to live.

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They keep changing the rules

11/20/2017

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They really do keep changing the rules. Take planets for example. We used to have 9 back in my school days. Now it seems we only have 8. And the need for things, like commas, has also changed. I'm not even talking about new things. This is just old stuff that isn't the same anymore.

Today I went to check spelling for "canceled." I thought it should be "cancelled." Turns out that (according to the internet which is obviously completely factual and correct), "canceled" (one "L") is the preferred American spelling while "cancelled" (2 "L"s) is the British way. And the one "L" achieved it's win in the US as recently as the 1980s. Admittedly, I grew up on the King James version and absorbed British spellings so this may not be such a change for folks who grew up listening to Noah Webster.

For fun you might want to check out the original rules for a game like baseball. Some changes are recent. Others were made long ago. How many swings before a batter strikes "out"? Or what constitutes a "strike"? And where in the world are you supposed to put a question mark when that last word is in quotation marks?

Christmas shopping is another place where the pace of change is obvious. I walked through Best Buy recently. Some of those aisles are filled with items that I don't remember existing 5 years ago. Maybe they did. Maybe it is my memory that's "changed." You tell the story the way you want to tell the story. I'll tell it accurately.
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Date night

11/15/2017

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Everybody needs some time OFF.

Last night we tried some local bargains. A date night for less than $20. Well, I didn't count gasoline or my can of Dr. Pepper. The weather was pleasant so we picnicked at Will Hair park. We'd heard good things about Abilene's newest movie theater but the traffic at Ambler/351 and the I20 underpass had kept us away. The movie was just released -- "Murder on the Orient Express." The entry fee for standard movies on Tuesday nights is a surprisingly affordable $5 per person. With tax it was a little less than $11 for the two of us. We split a Taco Tuesday meal ($4.75) at Rosa's and stopped at United for dessert (2 candy bars at 89 cents each).  

How about it? Any local bargain date nights you can suggest?

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Gonna Miss Ya

9/28/2017

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Hello Star Trek Discovery.
I was planning to watch you. Doesn't look that will happen since you'll only been available if I pay for the privilege. Too many options available. You just aren't worth it. Don't get your feelings hurt. We don't watch Game of Thrones either. Never have. But that's not exactly the same thing.
For some reason this reminds me of the Disney's Wonderful World of Color. It was a rare treat to see that one. It came on right smack dab at the same time that church started on Sunday nights. You had to be sick to get to see Disney. But we only saw it in black and white anyway so it wasn't all that "colorful."
Some of us can live without ya. I just hope you aren't setting a precedent here. I'm trying to "cut the cord."
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That sure doesn't look the like the Aunt May I know.

5/1/2017

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I've been a "Marvelite" for years. "Marvelite" as in I enjoy the comic books in the Marvel Universe. Years as in I have comic books I bought when the published price was 12 cents. I have copies of "Not Brand Ecch." featuring the Amazing Forbush man. More specifically I've been a Spider-Man fan. I relate to the nerd who couldn't seem to do anything right -- even with superpowers. I've enjoyed other Marvel characters but it was Spidey who won me over.
​I've watched most of the Marvel movies but the "Captain America - Civil War" movie was NOT one I wanted to see. I don't like conflict and how can a thing be any more conflicted than something about war within a team? But a Marvel fan can't avoid a franchise movie forever. It might have been sooner if I'd known Spidey was involved. That's what prompts this post.
I've known Peter Parker's Aunt May for years. She has a sweet smile but she's frail, old and wrinkled. At least she has been for most of my life. What have they done with Aunt May? I mean I loved the old homemade uniform in this movie. But that isn't Aunt May.
​It reminds me of the country bumpkin who took his family to town for the first time. They were awed by the size and noise and crowds. In the department store he saw two elderly ladies enter the elevator and watched as the doors closed. When the doors re-opened two attractive young women walked out. At which point dad sent his young sons off with instructions to bring their mother to this marvelous place.
​She may be attractive but she is not Aunt May.
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Mixed bag.

12/9/2016

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Despite my desire to emphasize the good stuff, everybody knows that not everything is good. Life is a mixed bag -- walnuts are tasty but there's that hardy shell to get through. And while this is especially true of black walnuts I don't know of any of those around Abilene. But we do have pecans. And pecans are good with softer shells. [note:  Around here the pronunciation is "puh-Kahn." None of the PEE-can business.]
Maybe I should start over. On the home page I never meant that there would never be any sadness here. Lately, I'm feeling sad so that's what you get. It is because the holidays are so family focused that we become even more aware of our losses in this season. We notice the ones who are missing and there's been an awful big hole in my heart for 5 years now.
By holidays I mean to include Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is usually more family oriented than Christmas. Or at least more extended family focused. That's one of the observations from back when I was doing an annual Preparing for the Holidays session. So it is sad that Thanksgiving doesn't get much respect nowadays. Still lots of travel. Lots of family. Lots of turkey. But this year it seemed that Black Friday got way more attention than Thanksgiving. It was more of a school's starting -- then Halloween -- then "bam" it is time for holiday shopping. That may not be a "BAD" thing. But it is a little sad.

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Pi plate for numerically inclined.
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    I am also "the favorite uncle Gary"  
    because 
    I always told the nieces and nephews that I was. Worked great until one of them realized I was their only uncle Gary.

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