How Logical Are You?

You Are Incredibly Logical

Move over Spock - you're the new master of logic You think rationally, clearly, and quickly. A seasoned problem solver, your mind is like a computer!

How Logical Are You?

found here.

Under 48

We walked our 3 miles in 47 minutes and 37 seconds.

Cool Moonwalking Bird

from Reddit.

Sunday Psalm

Psalm 1 (KJV)

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Banned Books Week

from the Memphis Business Journal:

In observance of the National Library Association's Banned Books Week, the University of Memphis' Ned R. McWherter Library hosts readings through Sept. 29 beginning at 11:30 a.m. in the library's rotunda. The readings will be from books that were considered controversial at some time in American history. Selections will include "The Rights of Man" by Thomas Paine, "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding and "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. A virtual panel discussion to introduce Banned Books Week will be held today from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in Room 226 of the library. All related events are free and open to the public. For more information, call Tom Mendina at 678-4310.

from ALA's Banned Books Week website:

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, this annual ALA event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. This year, 2006, marks BBW's 25th anniversary (September 23-30).

BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.

Amnesty International's Banned Books Week site, listing authors persecuted for their writings.

Text of some banned books online includes James Joyce's Ulysses, Canterbury Tales, Defoe's Moll Flanders, Aristophanes' Lysistrata, Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, Jean-Jacques Rousseau's autobiography Confessions, Jack London's Call of the Wild, Thomas Paine's The Rights of Man and his The Age of Reason, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Ambrose Bierce's Can Such Things Be?, Thoreau's Civil Disobedience, "Little Red Riding Hood", Mark Twain's books Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, George Eliot's Silas Marner, Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind, the Bible, and more.

Google's book search page on banned books

New Numa

I just found New Numa:



I got a big kick out of the original:



They make me smile.

There's a video interview at Yahoo!Video.

That video is gone, but there's one here.


The Numa Numa guy has his own web site.

Autumnal Equinox

Today is the Autumnal Equinox. Day and Night are the same length on this day, and the nights get longer from now on. Since Autumn is beginning, I'd love to see some Fall weather -crisp, brisk, sweater weather. High today will be in the 80's.

Rainy

The track was muddy and wet but not flooded. We did 3 miles in 49 minutes and 11 seconds.

Babylon 5 and Paul Williams

We've been watching Babylon 5 episodes on DVD lately, season 2 with #1 Son and season 4 with #2 Son. The season 2 episode we watched today was "Acts of Sacrifice" with Paul Williams, and I discovered that neither one knew who Paul Williams was. I showed them this site, and now they are enlightened.

What is your Spiritual Type?

The test is here.

This is me:

You are a Mystic, known for your imaginative, intuitive spirituality. You value peace, harmony, and inner silence. Mystics are nurtured by walking alone in the woods or sitting quietly with a trusted friend. You may also enjoy poetry, meditation, wordless prayer, candles, art, books, and anything else that helps you connect with God.

Mystics experience God best through rich images and symbols. You are contemplative, introspective, intuitive, and focused on an inner world as real to you as the exterior one. Hearing from God is more important to you than speaking to God. Others may attribute human characteristics to God, but you see God as ineffable, unnamable, and more vast than any known category. You are intrigued by God's mystery.

Mystics want to inspire and persuade others, and need to live lives of significance. At times you push the envelope of spirituality, helping the rest of us imagine who we might become if we followed your lead.

Sometimes you may feel a bit guilty about your need for solitude and silence. If so, you probably have bought into the American myth that says being alone and doing nothing is lazy, antisocial, and unproductive. Stop it -- now. Give yourself permission to retreat and be alone. It's essential for your well-being.

On the other hand, don't get so carried away retreating that you become a recluse. That only deprives the world of your gifts and deprives you of the lessons that come from being with others. Some Mystics may have a true vocation for solitary prayer, but the rest of you need to alternate retreat time with involvement and interaction.

Famous Mystics:

Thomas Merton | Enya | John (the Gospel writer)
Brother Lawrence (Practicing the Presence of God)
Desert mothers and fathers | Charlie Brown
Sister Wendy | Phoebe Buffay | Julian of Norwich
Luke | Anthony de Mello | The Who

The Upper Room has some information on saints here.

Cool and Sunny

We walked 3 miles in 48 minutes and 1 second this morning.

Chilly

It was in the mid-50's when we started out this morning, and I wore sweat pants. We walked 3 miles in 48 minutes and 37 seconds.

Avast there, me hearties!

It's Talk Like a Pirate Day. Aaarrrr!

If you're not quite sure how to talk like a pirate check out these helpful videos:

Rain

We got a late start, and the rain had flooded sections of the track that we had to detour around. We just walked 2 miles this morning. Our time was 37 minutes and 28 seconds.

Sunday Psalm

Psalm 19 (KJV)

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Shins

My shins have been bothering me the last couple of days during the first 1/2 mile or so of our walk, so I googled for some suggestions on what to do about it. I found lots of info, but the page I'm keeping handy is at The Walking Site. Some of their suggestions for exercises:

Walking on heels, and walking on toes: Probably the single easiest way to strengthen your shins is to walk on your heels.

Toe taps: Standing or sitting, tap the floor with the foot for 2 minutes.

Heel raises: Stand on one leg with a chair turned backwards in front of you. Holding onto the chair back, raise up on your toes keeping your knee straight. Hold for 1 second. Slowly lower to the ground. Repeat 10 times. Toe raises: Same as heel raises only stand on heels and raise toes.

Saturday

We walked a little later in the morning but not much later than usual. The 3 miles took 48 minutes and 57 seconds.

weight: 93 pounds

Good Time

We did the 3-mile walk in 47 minutes 59 seconds. I'm aiming at walking a 15 minute mile eventually, and this week has surely been good progress towards that.

Happy Birthday, Walter Koenig!

The wiki entry for him is here. That page has links to several other good sites.

under 50

The walk, that is. Our 3-mile walk took 49 minutes this morning. We were a little later getting started this morning, and there's an entirely different set of people on the track depending on what time of day it is.

What's your theological worldview?

Here's mine:

You scored as Roman Catholic. You are Roman Catholic. Church tradition and ecclesial authority are hugely important, and the most important part of worship for you is mass. As the Mother of God, Mary is important in your theology, and as the communion of saints includes the living and the dead, you can also ask the saints to intercede for you. Roman Catholic 100% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 89% Modern Liberal 64% Emergent/Postmodern 57% Neo orthodox 57% Classical Liberal 29% Charismatic/Pentecostal 0% Reformed Evangelical 0% Fundamentalist 0% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

What is your worldview?

Here's what this quiz says I am:

You scored as Cultural Creative. Cultural Creatives are probably the newest group to enter this realm. You are a modern thinker who tends to shy away from organized religion but still feels as if there is something greater than ourselves. You are very spiritual, even if you are not religious. Life has a meaning outside of the rational. Cultural Creative 75% Postmodernist 69% Idealist 63% Existentialist 56% Romanticist 19% Modernist 19% Materialist 0% Fundamentalist 0% What is Your World View? created with QuizFarm.com

Getting Easier

The 3-mile walk seems to be getting easier now, and this morning it took 49 minutes and 59 seconds. I think the longer stretching before and after is helping keep me from feeling as stiff.

There is some information about stretching before and after walking here and here.

Drizzly

Our 3-mile walk took 52 minutes and 52 seconds today.

9/11

Our 3-mile walk took 53 minutes and 3 seconds this morning.

Archbshop Rowan Williams' thoughts:
audio here or read what he had to say here. I saw this at a Methodist minister's blog.

The New York Times has coverage of the families most affected by the events of that day, and GetReligion calls the reflections "amazingly faith free".

"7 Days in September" at GoogleVideo.

I've seen a lot of tribute videos and commemoration sites online marking this 5th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. There is a digital archive here. The Library of Congress site is here. CNN's video archive is here and their coverage for today is here. A 9/11 timeline is here.

This is one of the tribute videos I found:



And another one that's shorter:



Links to video of Osama Bin Laden's response to the tragedy:

part 1

part 2

Sunday Psalm

Psalm 124 (KJV)

1 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;
2 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:
3 Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:
4 Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:
5 Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.
6 Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.
7 Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Saturday

Our 3-mile walk took 50 minutes and 2 seconds this morning. We walked later than usual this morning, and there were a lot of people at the track.

Star Trek - Happy 40th Anniversary!

Star Trek in pictures from the BBC.

Space.com's report.

TV.com's report.

Report from CNN.

Robins

I don't think I've ever seen as many robins as I saw at the park yesterday and today during our walks. There were huge flocks, with robins everyhere. I've always liked robins. They were the first birds I drew pictures of as a child.

We walked 3 miles in 52 minutes and 10 seconds.

Stiff

And my shins hurt some. And so do my calves a bit. I'm stretching before and after the walk. We walked the 3 miles at the park in 51 minutes and 6 seconds.

Chilly

It was in the 60's when we set out this morning. We walked the 3 miles in 53 minutes and 43 seconds.

We watched The Holy Thief during lunch and The Pilgrim of Hate before bed.

Fall is coming

It's darker every morning we walk, with the sun setting later each day, and it's been cooler, too. This morning we walked 3 miles in 49 minutes and 49 seconds.

Breakfast: raisin bran and hot tea. Lunch: turkey sandwich, chips, water. Supper: rice and roasted veffies with cheese and walnuts, water and dessert.

We watched The Raven in the Foregate during lunch. We watched The Rose Rent before bed.

Death of Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter

Steve Irwin has died after being stung in the heart by a stingray. Tragic. There are news stories by the score, including stories at CNN.com, BBC News, news.com.au, LiveScience.com,

Tribute video:



More tribute videos are here.

Labor Day

We moved up to 3 miles to day and did it in a little over 55 minutes.

Breakfast: swiss mocha and raisin bran. Lunch & Supper were barbque at Mother's.

Before bed we walked a little over 2 miles in an easy-going 38 minutes and 30 seconds.

We watched A Morbid Taste for Bones, which is one of my favorites of the Cadfaels.

More Cadfael

Tonight we watched "The Virgin in the Ice". #2 Son explained how this presentation differed from the book since he's read the book fairly recently while my reading was so long ago I no longer clearly remember the books.

Worried Man Blues

Worried Man Blues

I takes a worried man to sing a worried song....

Sunday Psalm

Psalm 45 (KJV)

1 My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2 Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.
4 And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
5 Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.
6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
8 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
9 Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
10 Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house;
11 So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.
12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.
13 The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.
14 She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.
15 With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's palace.
16 Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.
17 I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.

Saturday

We walked our 2 1/2 miles in 42 minutes and 19 seconds.

Breakfast: raisin bran and hot tea. Lunch: turkey sub sandwich and chips. Supper: hotdog and chips. Dessert for lunch and supper: Sugar Smacks.

We watched more Cadfael videos.

Lazy Day

I overslept and so didn't walk at all.

We watched 3 of the Cadfael videos during our pizza supper.

Happy BlogDay!

I saw the post here at That'sFit telling all about today being the 2nd annual BlogDay. There's a site here that tells its history and has instructions for participating. It's a bit late in the day for me to jump on the bandwagon this year, but I've set myself a reminder for next August 31.

Brother Cadfael

I got a coupon in an email that offered 30% off any one item at Borders, so I went right out and bought The Complete Cadfael Collection. There is a guide to all 13 episodes here. I remember when these came out I had already read many of the books by Ellis Peters, and I enjoyed the series. Now the sons have read the books and will certainly also enjoy these DVDs. #2 Son and I watched The Leper of St. Giles during lunch this afternoon.

Photo from this wikipedia page.

And here is an interesting fan video:

S_L_O_W walk

We walked the 2 1/2 miles very slowly this morning.

Breakfast: Raisin Bran and hot tea. Lunch: roll, walnuts, raisins and water with the usual Sugar Smacks for dessert, but I'm beginning to run low on the Sugar Smacks. Supper: Baked catfish filets, spinach, corn on the cob, tomato and water, with, of course, Sugar Smacks for dessert.

Glenn Ford has died.

Google news links are here. CNN's obituary is here. His page at imdb.com is here. ClassicMovies.org has a tribute site here. TheGoldenYears.org has lots of links here.

The photo above is from http://www.celebstation.org/actors/glenn_ford.php

"Stupid in America"

seen first at Kay Brooks' blog, but forgotten until I was reminded of it today at Why Homeschool.

Mammogram

We walked our 2 1/2 miles at the track in the park this morning in 41 minutes and 44 seconds.

Breakfast was 2 blueberry muffins and coffee at Mother's after my mammogram. My appointment was at 9:10, I got there at 8:50 and was out by 9:12. Very efficient. Not at all like the time the other clinic kept me waiting for _ hours_ after the test was completed. Mammograms are recommended everyyear or two from the age of 40 to the age of 49 and annually after that. There's a tutorial here. BreastCancer.org has information here. The American Cancer Society has information here.

Lunch: pita bread, raisins, Sun Chips and water. And, of course Sugar Smacks. Supper was white beans and cornbread and coffee.

We walked 2.1 miles in 38 minutes before bed.

Fisherman's Nightmare

Cloudy, overcast, muggy...

It rained after our walk. We did the 2 1/2 miles in 40 minutes and 44 seconds, which is our best time yet. I'm not sure how long we'll keep this up before we move to a 3-mile walk.

We walked 1 1/2 miles before bed. It took us 26 minutes and 31 seconds.

Breakfast: toast with Benecol, water and hot tea. Lunch: pita bread, walnuts, raisins and water. Supper: Salmon patty, corn, green beans, sweet potato and water. Bedtime snack: Sugar Smacks

We watched The Chronicles of Riddick tonight. I had seen the director's cut of this movie, but this was the PG-13 version edited for re-rating. There were some significant differences. #2 Son had never seen this and really enjoyed it. The movie site is here.

Weights again

We walked 2 1/2 miles in just over 41 minutes this morning, and then I did the Kathy Smith Lift Weights to Lose Weight DVD. I'm using 2- and 3-pd. weights. I used the step as a bench for one exercise and a chair for the others.

Breakfast: toast with Benecol and water and hot tea. Lunch: pita bread, cheese, blueberries, water and Sugar Smacks. Supper: cheese toast, walnuts and water.

I saw The Daughter today. She seems to like dorm life. We miss her but are happy she's having this experience. #1 Son likes his classes. #2 Son started 10th grade today.

Reading: Kiln People by David Brin.

Poodle Aerobics

Sunday Psalm

Psalm 84 (KJV)

1 How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!
2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.
4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
7 They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
9 Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.
10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

Saturday continues to slow down

Weight: 95

I thought yesterday was slow as far as exercise went, but I haven't done anything yet today. I was so tired last night I didn't even take my night-time walk. I woke up tired this morning.

later: We did take a nice slow 1 1/2 mile walk tonight, not even checking the time.

Breakfast: raisin bread toast with Benecol and hot tea. Lunch: Mexican food out. Supper: toast and fruit, water and hot tea.

I'm looking at this site on cardio workouts today.

Busy Friday!

Lots to do today, but we started off with our 2 1/2 mile walk in 42 minutes 5 seconds.

Breakfast: 2 pieces raisin bread toast with Benecol. Lunch: pita bread with oil, blueberries, Sugar Smacks. Supper: cheese pizza, bread stick with oil. Bedtime snack: Sugar Smacks.

I'm looking at the about.com walking site today.

We watched Laura tonight. I love this film so am always happy when someone suggests it. Filmsite.org has a nice page on this movie here.

Tired

I think next week I'll change my weight routine from MWF to MTh. I'm not sore -just tired.

We walked the 2 1/2 miles in 45 minutes 27 seconds this morning and plan on continuing the 2 1/2 mile distance for at least another week before moving up to 3 miles.

Before bed we walked 1 1/2 miles in about 28 minutes.

Breakfast: 2 slices raisin bread toast with Benecol and water. Lunch: pita bread with dipping oil, orange slices, spinach/tomato salad, Sugar Smacks and water. Supper: cheese omelet, home-made biscuits, spinach/tomato salad, water.

I'm checking out this site today.

2nd day of weights

We walked 2 1/2 miles in 44 minutes 44 seconds. After we got back I did the upper and lower body segments of Kathy Smith's Lift Weights to Lose Weight DVD -the same one I did Monday. I had more trouble with it today, with muscle fatigue I didn't feel Monday. She suggests alternating 6 weeks of this program with 6 weeks of the track that uses heavier weights. I'm using 2- and 3-pound weights and no weights on my legs. I skipped the abs routine. I have so much trouble with ab exercises.

After supper we did a 1-mile walk. Before bed I did Leslie Sansone's 3-mile walk.

I'm more tired than usual today and have some soreness.

Breakfast: 2 pieces of raisin bread toast with Benecol and hot tea. Lunch: roll with dipping oil, cheddar cheese, blueberries, water. Supper: wild rice with zucchini, green beans, tomato/spinach salad, orange wedges, water. Sugar Smacks for dessert for lunch and for a bedtime snack.

The Step

We walked 2 1/2 miles at the park in a little over 56 minutes this morning. My step came yesterday, so after my walk I did the beginner part of Kathy Smith's Step Workout DVD without the arm movements. There are some free instructional step videos here.

Breakfast: 2 pieces of raisin bread toast with Benecol and Constant Comment tea. Lunch: Sourdough roll with dipping oil, blueberries, Sugar Smacks and water. Supper: Spaghetti, french bread, Sugar Smacks and water.

The Firm

Yeah, well, I tried The Firm Super Cardio Mix DVD, and it required entirely too much modification to be a useful addition to my program. Whew! I may never be in good enough shape to do this one.

I followed it with Kathy Smith's Lift Weights to Lose Weight DVD. This was the 2nd time I've used it. I did not complete the abs routine but was able to do the upper and lower body routines using 2- and 3-lb. weights. I've found a bench here that I can use, so I follow the program as she does it. This will be a regular part of my MWF weight work.

We had a nice 22-minute 1-mile walk before bed.

I skipped breakfast. Lunch: tuna, sweet pickle, pita bread with dipping oil and banana. Supper: Spinach Canneloni and coffee. I had water and Sugar Smacks with both meals.

I stopped in at the DVD store tonight looking for exercise videos and found one on bellydancing. Hmmm... Wonder how silly I'd look doing bellydancing.

Sunday Psalm

Psalm 111 (KJV)

1 Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.
2 The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.
3 His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.
4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.
5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.
6 He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.
7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.
8 They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

I have not tried a treadmill yet, but....

H.T. to http://www.starling-fitness.com/

Increased distance

weight: 95

We walked 2 1/2 miles at the park today in 52 ' 23". My heart rate ranged from 112 to 137 during our time on the track, so I'm not able to keep it at a steady level. When I got home I did Kathy Smith's New Yoga Intermediate DVD. I liked this video. I was afraid that "intermediate" would be too advanced for me, but 2 of the 4 people on the DVD offer clear modifications for beginners and those who are less flexible. It is a 55-minute routine broken into 2 segments with a short relaxation in between, so you have a good place to stop if you don't want to complete the entire video. It's been a long time since I did any yoga and I'm not sure I'm maintaining correct form, but Kathy Smith emphasizes going as far into the pose as you comfortably can while keeping proper form. It's the form that's important.

I skipped breakfast somehow, but lunch was a sourdough roll with dipping oil, blueberries, walnuts, water, Sugar Smacks for dessert and coffee.

The 2-Week Mark

Weight: 95

It's been 2 weeks since I started my new exercise plan. This morning we were back to walking in the park, but our 2 miles took over 44 minutes. We were slow. Tonight I did the 15-minute tai chi segment of Kathy Smith's Cardio Knockout DVD. It was divided into 2 sections, each led by a different person. This was a very light exercise day.

Breakfast: 2 blueberry muffins and tea at Mother's. Lunch: sourdough roll with dipping oil, walnuts, a banana, water and Sugar Smacks for dessert. Supper: waffle with blueberries & walnuts, water and coffee.

More Kathy Smith

Reating Heart Rate: 57

Weight: 95

This morning I did Kathy Smith's Kickboxing program. I picked it up because I had read reviews saying it was a good aerobics program for beginners. It challenged me, and there were times that she said to go "up to tempo" when I did half-time instead. I made it to the end of the workout with modifications, and it'll be good to see my progress as I get stronger. It was fun. I'll probably use this one once a week or so.

Tonight I did the Leslie Sansone 3-mile walk again. My dh says I should use the heart rate monitor to check myself during the exercises, so I'll start that tomorrow.

Breakfast: swiss mocha (I got a late staart today). Lunch: pita bread with dipping oil, blueberries, squash & zucchini, water and Sugar Smacks. Supper: Scrambled eggs, toast with orange marmalade, mushrooms, orange wedges, water, coffee and Moose Tracks ice cream for dessert.

Aerobic step

Resting Heart Rate: 57

Weight: 96

I've been researching "the step" with an eye on buying one. The only ones I can find in local stores are the shorter kind that are about 24" long. I've seen Reebok steps, Sports Authority steps, The Step Body Fusion Kit and The Step Home Trainer. I haven't seen the longer 40" step in any stores where I've looked, but it is available online.

I did the Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds Walk Strong DVD this morning. She calls it the equivalent of a 2-mile walk but says it's better because she incorporates arm movements with weights at intervals. I didn't like this one as much because I felt like the interval weight work interrupted my morning "walk". I think I'd rather do the aerobic exercise as a unit and do strength training separately. If I could only find a beginner-level strength training dvd that didn't require major equipment purchases. I don't know anything about the concept of interval training, though, so there are probably benefits to it that I just don't know about.

In the mid-afternoon I did Leslie Sansone's 1-mile walk. It was an easy 15-minutes, and I just did it in my regular clothes. It made for a nice break.

Tonight I did the Kathy Smith Moving Through Menopause program again, but this time I skipped the strength training segment and only did the aerobics and yoga sections. I really do think I'd rather have aerobics without weights that I could do every day and then some separate strength training DVDs that I could use on MWF.

I forgot all about breakfast, but lunch was pita bread with dipping oil, blueberries, water and Sugar Smacks for dessert. Supper was at the church where I ate spaghetti, french bread, salad, coffee, angel food cake and vanilla ice cream.

Putting the new tools to use

Resting heart rate: 54

Weight: 95

DH is going out of town for a few days and had to leave early this morning, so we didn't walk. I plan on substituting a video for the walk a bit later.

update: I did the Leslie Sansone 1-mile express walk, skipping the cooldown and moving straight into the 2-mile express walk. They are on the same DVD and it worked ok, but I think the 3-mile express walk DVD would work better. I'll pick it up soon and try it.

update again: I did the 3-mile walk this afternoon and liked it. I enjoy Sansone's DVDs so far. Tonight I previewed Kathy Smith's Weight Loss Workout and did some of it. The camera work seemed determined to focus everywhere but on the feet during the leg segments, and I had a bit of trouble seeing what she was doing. I'll know more when I do the full video. She follows the exercise routine with an explanation of her suggested diet plan -1200 calories a day taken from the 4 food groups (starches/fruits&veggies being most important and meats&beans/dairy being eaten with less frequency). Very basic.

Breakfast: raisin bran with extra raisins and hot tea. Lunch: Cozymel's chicken flauta and chicken enchilada with beans and rice and coke. Supper: tuna, pita bread with dipping oil, blueberries, water, Sugar Smacks and coffee.

Overdoing it yesterday hurt...

I walked the 2 miles this morning, but it took 44 minutes and I wasn't able to continue the activity with an exercise video when I got home. I'll keep my options open and may use a video later in the day.

I did use a video in the mid-afternoon: Leslie Sansone's Brisk 2-Mile Walk. This is the 2nd of her DVDs I've done, having done the 1-mile walk a few days ago. This is very doable. It's easy to follow while still getting my heart rate up. Besides the walk-in-place move she includes side-to-side movement, knee raises, leg kicks, spreading the legs out a bit and back kicks to vary the walk and add interest. She uses the stretchie with this one, too, to add a bit of arm motion and resistance. I just moved my arms without the stretchie, but I bought a set of 3 this afternoon and will incorporate that next time. I think adding more of her videos to my rotation would be a good idea.

We waited about an hour after supper and took a 30-minute stroll -about 1 1/2 miles. My heart rate was 119 half-way through and 120 when we finished.

I bought a few other things today besides the stretchie. I bought a simple analog bathroom scale, a wrist watch-style heart rate monitor, a pair of 1-pound ankle weights and a couple of 3-pound hex weights. I also bought a basic Pilates DVD to give to my sister and niece for Christmas.

I had raisin bran with 1/4 cup extra raisins, hot tea and water for breakfast. Lunch was 1/2 turkey sandwich on regular sandwich bread with lettuce, tomato and sliced mushroom; some fritos and salsa; water; and Sugar Smacks. Supper was 3 bean tacos (soft shell) with lettuce, tomato and mushroom and water. I had Sugar Smacks and coffee for a bedtime snack. I'm having a cup of hot tea now.

Taking the day off

I skipped breakfast except for coffee but had baked potato with sour cream; salad with lettuce, tomato and sliced mushroom; steamed squash and zucchini; and spice cake and mint chocolate chip ice cream for lunch. Supper was 1/2 of a turkey sub sandwich with lettuce and tomato; fritos and salsa; and more cake and ice cream.

We didn't exercise today, taking it as a rest day, but we did decide to take a short stroll before supper. We got carried away, though, and walked for an hour at a slow easy pace.

I want one of those heart rate monitors that looks like a wrist watch.

I want a bathroom scale.

Sunday Psalm

Psalm 130 (KJV)

1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.
2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.
8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Saying "No" to Aeroboxing

We did the 2 mile walk in 35 minutes 22 seconds this morning. My heart rate was 140. When we got home I previewed Kathy Smith's Aerobox Workout. Way too much for me at my (lack of ) fitness level. The intensity just looks like more than I can handle.

Breakfast was raisin bran, water and coffee. For lunch I had water, 1/2 of a turkey sub with swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickle. I ate Sugar Smacks for dessert.

My report came yesterday from my physical exam, and my LDL cholesterol level is 106. That's higher than I'd like to see it, so I'll be cutting out butter and sour cream and cutting down on cheese. This exercise program ought to help some, too, so motivation to continue shouldn't be a problem.

Singin' in the Rain

Well, not singing, but walking. It wasn't raining when we left the house, but by the time we had walked to the track (which takes about 5 minutes) and had almost finished the first 1/2 mile it was steadily drizzling. The rain kept picking up, but we kept walking and finished the 2 miles in 35 1/2 minutes. My heart rate was 150 when I checked it, but I didn't feel winded at all. When I got back to the house I changed into dry clothes and tried out Kathy Smith's Lift Weights to Lose Weight DVD. That was a mistake. I haven't had any trouble doing an aerobics video after the 2-mile walk, but I've never done any weight work before. I couldn't always finish the number of repetitions. I think I'll use this program at another time of day next time. There were a number of frustrations for me in using this. She emphasizes maintaining good form, but I really can't tell if I'm doing that or not. My dh has agreed to spot me to check that out. Another frustration is that at the beginning she says you'll need a chair _or_ a bench but then at one point gives instructions to lie on the bench. I had to sit that one out completely, as lying on my chair didn't seem like a great idea. There are 3 segments: a 20-minute upper body workout, a 20-minute lower body workout and a short abs segment. The upper body work-out uses 2 sets of weights. She suggests 3- and 5-pounds, but I used 2-pound weights as that is all I have. I think I'll get 3-pound weights to use for the heavy sets; I just think 5 pounds is too heavy for me. The lower body section uses lots of leg lifts, squats and lunges. My last frustration came in the abs workout. All her fellow exercisers were well-trained, flat-tummied and strong in this area. I'm totally inexperienced, poochy-tummied and very weak in this area. She offered no accomodations for those who can't already accomplish the sit-up tasks. I can barely raise my shoulders off the ground while on my back, much less raise even further for counts 2 and 3, but I don't know how to adjust the activity so that I'll reap any benefit from it. I'll be skipping the abs segment for a (long) time and looking for a video with doable abs exercises.

For breakfast I had raisin bran and hot tea. For lunch I had 1/2 of a turkey sub sandwich (with lettuce, tomato and swiss cheese), a sweet pickle, a banana, water and Sugar Smacks for dessert.

My opthalmology appointment went well. My uncorrected vision is 20/25, I don't need new glasses and my eyes are healthy with no signs of glaucoma. He talked about the eventual need for bifocals when I start wearing glasses more often, but now I only wear them to drive. I use reading glasses sometimes.

image from wikimedia

More exercising

Today I walked 2 miles in 40 minutes, and my heart rate during the walk has gone down since I started doing this. It was 119 right after today's walk. Then I used a new video: Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds 1-mile walk. It was an easy routine to follow, just like it says: "walk." She varies walking in place by adding easy steps of side steps, kicks, knee lefts, widening the stance and back kicks. She uses a "stretchie" for some resistance training, but, as I don't have one, I did the arm movements without it. This may be the perfect non-threatening beginner exercise video for those who just want to increase their activity level. It's uncomplicated, starts off slow, builds up gradually, eases off for a cool-down and finishes with stretches. Not much in the way of stretches, though. She cues you when you've reached the half-mile point and talks a bit about the music setting the pace. There is a group of people exercising with her, and she encourages you by mentioning the ages of the oldest (72) and youngest (28) and praising the 55-year-old grandmother there who had lost a lot of weight with the program. There is a lot of "you can do this" and "doesn't this feel good" pep talk throughout the mile.

For breakfast I had 2 pieces of wheat toast with butter, cranberry juice and hot tea. For lunch I had 1/2 of a turkey sub with lettuce, tomato and swiss cheese with water, a dill pickle spear, blueberries and Sugar Smacks for dessert. For supper I had a salmon patty, canned asparagus, cranberry sauce, 1/2 of a baked sweet potato and water with more sugar smacks for dessert to go with my coffee.

We walked a mile before bed tonight after watching a Babylon 5 episode on dvd. It took us a little over 20 minutes. More information on Babylon 5 is here and here. I'm a fan from the original airing of the first episode.

Getting Healthy

My dh says that keeping a record of my progress and program might be motivating for me, so I thought I'd do that here.

My goal is to improve my overall fitness. That ought to be easy to attain since it's such a broad goal.

So far I've been walking every day (but not Sunday) and have done an aerobics video every day. The first 4 days I did Richard Simmons videos in this order: Sweatin' to the Oldies 1, 2 and 3, and Sweat and Shout. The Richard Simmons videos seemed to get a bit more strenuous through the series, but I may just have been wearing out. The first one is the only one to use floor exercises. The 2nd one is the only one to use weights and a chair. I'll be rotating these with other videos. I've heard that most people who start with videos quit when they tire of the few they have. I'm taking steps to avoid that temptation. I've been doing some research, I've made a list, and now I'm picking up DVD's to rotate.

Today I walked 2 miles at the park in 40 minutes and did the Kathy Smith Moving Through Menopause video. I really like this video. There are 3 sections: the first is an aerobics workout, the second is an easy weight routine, and the last is a yoga session. It's easy enough for me to be able to make it through the entire routine, while providing options for ramping up when I'm more experienced and easing off when I tire. She's cheerful and motivating without being "perky" or silly. I felt comfortable doing the activities and wouldn't have been embarrassed for someone to walk in on me -not always true of the Richard Simmons programs. She provides intros with helpful health information which can be skipped to move straight from one exercise segment to the other. The DVD includes information on menopause, symptom relief, general diet and supplement information for menopausal and peri-menopausal women and encouragement to visit Kathy Smith's web presence at ivillage.com. That site at www.ivillage.com/kathysmith is no longer active.

I'm also going to track my diet here. I'm not overweight and not in a weight-loss program, but part of healthy living is a healthy diet. If I write it out I'm sure I'll be better able to see ways to improve it. I had 2 pieces of wheat toast with butter and a cup of Constant Comment tea for breakfast. For lunch I had pita bread with dipping oil, cheddar cheese, blueberries and a coke. Supper was the church fellowship meal. Tonight was chicken from Sam's, which I never eat, so I had the mashed potatoes, green peas, apples cooked with cinnamon, and ice cream. Not a healthy meal. If I've figured right my total calorie intake for today was 1413.25. That seems about right, and it's a typical food day for me (except for the supper). I've seen so many estimates for how many calories I should eat to maintain my current weight -from 1126 to 1734) that I won't be counting the calories as a general rule.

(photo from Flickr)

Psalm 89

Psalm 89 (RSV)

1 I will sing of thy steadfast love, O LORD, for ever; with my mouth I will proclaim thy faithfulness to all generations.
2 For thy steadfast love was established for ever, thy faithfulness is firm as the heavens.
3 Thou hast said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant:
4 `I will establish your descendants for ever, and build your throne for all generations.'"
5 Let the heavens praise thy wonders, O LORD, thy faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!
6 For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD,
7 a God feared in the council of the holy ones, great and terrible above all that are round about him?
8 O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as thou art, O LORD, with thy faithfulness round about thee?
9 Thou dost rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, thou stillest them.
10 Thou didst crush Rahab like a carcass, thou didst scatter thy enemies with thy mighty arm.
11 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine; the world and all that is in it, thou hast founded them.
12 The north and the south, thou hast created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise thy name.
13 Thou hast a mighty arm; strong is thy hand, high thy right hand.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of thy throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before thee.
15 Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance,
16 who exult in thy name all the day, and extol thy righteousness.
17 For thou art the glory of their strength; by thy favor our horn is exalted.
18 For our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel.
19 Of old thou didst speak in a vision to thy faithful one, and say: "I have set the crown upon one who is mighty, I have exalted one chosen from the people.
20 I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him;
21 so that my hand shall ever abide with him, my arm also shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not outwit him, the wicked shall not humble him.
23 I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
25 I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers.
26 He shall cry to me, `Thou art my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.'
27 And I will make him the first-born, the highest of the kings of the earth.
28 My steadfast love I will keep for him for ever, and my covenant will stand firm for him.
29 I will establish his line for ever and his throne as the days of the heavens.
30 If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my ordinances,
31 if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments,
32 then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with scourges;
33 but I will not remove from him my steadfast love, or be false to my faithfulness.
34 I will not violate my covenant, or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
35 Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David.
36 His line shall endure for ever, his throne as long as the sun before me.
37 Like the moon it shall be established for ever; it shall stand firm while the skies endure."
38 But now thou hast cast off and rejected, thou art full of wrath against thy anointed.
39 Thou hast renounced the covenant with thy servant; thou hast defiled his crown in the dust.
40 Thou hast breached all his walls; thou hast laid his strongholds in ruins.
41 All that pass by despoil him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors.
42 Thou hast exalted the right hand of his foes; thou hast made all his enemies rejoice.
43 Yea, thou hast turned back the edge of his sword, and thou hast not made him stand in battle.
44 Thou hast removed the scepter from his hand, and cast his throne to the ground.
45 Thou hast cut short the days of his youth; thou hast covered him with shame.
46 How long, O LORD? Wilt thou hide thyself for ever? How long will thy wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember, O Lord, what the measure of life is, for what vanity thou hast created all the sons of men!
48 What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?
49 Lord, where is thy steadfast love of old, which by thy faithfulness thou didst swear to David?
50 Remember, O Lord, how thy servant is scorned; how I bear in my bosom the insults of the peoples,
51 with which thy enemies taunt, O LORD, with which they mock the footsteps of thy anointed.
52 Blessed be the LORD for ever! Amen and Amen.

Patriotism, Twain-style

"As Regards Patriotism"

written by Mark Twain around 1900

It is agreed, in this country, that if a man can arrange his religion so that it perfectly satisfies his conscience, it is not incumbent upon him to care whether the arrangement is satisfactory to any one else or not.

In Austria and some other countries this is not the case. There the State arranges a man's religion for him, he has no voice in it himself.

Patriotism is merely a religion -- love of country, worship of country, devotion to the country's flag and honor and welfare.

In absolute monarchies it is furnished from the Throne, cut and dried, to the subject; in England and America it is furnished, cut and dried, to the citizen by the politician and the newspaper.

The newspaper-and-politician-manufactured Patriot often gags in private over his dose; but he takes it, and keeps it on his stomach the best he can. Blessed are the meek.

Sometimes, in the beginning of an insane and shabby political upheaval, he is strongly moved to revolt, but he doesn't do it -- he knows better. He knows that his maker would find it out -- the maker of his Patriotism, the windy and incoherent six-dollar sub-editor of his village newspaper -- and would bray out in print and call him a Traitor. And how dreadful that would be. It makes him tuck his tail between his legs and shiver. We all know -- the reader knows it quite well -- that two or three years ago nine-tenths of the human tails in England and America performed just that act. Which is to say, nine-tenths of the Patriots in England and America turned Traitor to keep from being called Traitor. Isn't it true? You know it to be true. Isn't it curious?

Yet it was not a thing to be very seriously ashamed of. A man can seldom -- very, very seldom -- fight a winning fight against his training; the odds are too heavy. For many a year -- perhaps always -- the training of the two nations had been dead against independence in political thought, persistently inhospitable toward Patriotism manufactured on a man's own premises, Patriotism reasoned out in the man's own head and fire-assayed and tested and proved in his own conscience. The resulting Patriotism was a shop-worn product procured at second hand. The Patriot did not know just how or when or where he got his opinions, neither did he care, so long as he was with what seemed the majority -- which was the main thing, the safe thing, the comfortable thing. Does the reader believe he knows three men who have actual reasons for their pattern of Patriotism -- and can furnish them? Let him not examine, unless he wants to be disappointed. He will be likely to find that his men got their Patriotism at the public trough, and had no hand in their preparation themselves.

Training does wonderful things. It moved the people of this country to oppose the Mexican war; then moved them to fall in with what they supposed was the opinion of the majority -- majority-Patriotism is the customary Patriotism -- and go down there and fight. Before the Civil War it made the North indifferent to slavery and friendly to the slave interest; in that interest it made Massachusetts hostile to the American flag, and she would not allow it to be hoisted on her State House -- in her eyes it was the flag of a faction. Then by and by, training swung Massachusetts the other way, and she went raging South to fight under that very flag and against that foretime protected-interest of hers.

Training made us nobly anxious to free Cuba; training made us give her a noble promise; training has enabled us to take it back. Long training made us revolt at the idea of wantonly taking any weak nation's country and liberties away from it, a short training has made us glad to do it, and proud of having done it. Training made us loathe Weyler's cruel concentration camps,* training has persuaded us to prefer them to any other device for winning the love of our "wards."

There is nothing that training cannot do. Nothing is above its reach or below it. It can turn bad morals to good, good morals to bad; it can destroy principles, it can re-create them; it can debase angels to men and lift men to angelship. And it can do any one of these miracles in a year -- even in six months.

Then men can be trained to manufacture their own Patriotism. They can be trained to labor it out in their own heads and hearts, and in the privacy and independence of their own premises. It can train them to stop taking it by command, as the Austrian takes his religion.

Visual by www.PDImages.com

Martyrdom of the Bab

Martyrdom of the Bab. The Bab was a Persian merchant who claimed to be a manisfestation of God and was the forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh. The word "bab" means "gate" in Arabic.

He was executed on this day in 1850 at the age of 31 after a 6-year ministry.

Information on the photo used above is available here.

Selections from the Bab's writings are available online here, here, here and here.

Psalm for Sunday

Psalm 48 (NRSV)

1 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain,
2 beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.
3 Within its citadels God has shown himself a sure defense.
4 Then the kings assembled, they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic, they took to flight;
6 trembling took hold of them there, pains as of a woman in labor,
7 as when an east wind shatters the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God, which God establishes forever. Selah
9 We ponder your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.
10 Your name, O God, like your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with victory.
11 Let Mount Zion be glad, let the towns of Judah rejoice because of your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, go all around it, count its towers,
13 consider well its ramparts; go through its citadels, that you may tell the next generation
14 that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will be our guide forever.

Sunday Psalm

Psalm 9 (NRSV)

1 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

2 I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

3 When my enemies turned back, they stumbled and perished before you.

4 For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne giving righteous judgement.

5 You have rebuked the nations, you have destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.

6 The enemies have vanished in everlasting ruins; their cities you have rooted out; the very memory of them has perished.

7 But the Lord sits enthroned for ever, he has established his throne for judgement.

8 He judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with equity.

9 The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

11 Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion. Declare his deeds among the peoples.

12 For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

13 Be gracious to me, O Lord. See what I suffer from those who hate me; you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,

14 so that I may recount all your praises, and, in the gates of daughter Zion, rejoice in your deliverance.

15 The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.

16 The Lord has made himself known, he has executed judgement; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.

17 The wicked shall depart to Sheol, all the nations that forget God.

18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish for ever.

19 Rise up, O Lord! Do not let mortals prevail; let the nations be judged before you.

20 Put them in fear, O Lord; let the nations know that they are only human.

World Refugee Day

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

is an impartial, non-political humanitarian organisation mandated by the United Nations to lead and co-ordinate international action for the world-wide protection of refugees and the resolution of refugee problems.

There is a 6-page pdf full-color leaflet that can be printed and shared that gives an overview of the need and the purpose of the day. There is a poster here. Many other resources are available, including curriculum materials for teachers, lesson plans and teaching tools that suggest helping people become more empathetic and open-minded in addition to promoting other particular values.

The United Methodist Church encourages us to reach out to refugees. The United Mathodist Committee on Relief has a strong emphasis on helping refugees:

Through UMCOR's Refugees/Immigration programs, congregations that reach out to refugees and immigrants in a spirit of welcome and sharing find their own lives enriched and their understanding of the world broadened. They gain a deeper insight into the biblical command, "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it" (Hebrews 13:2).

Since 1940, UMCOR's mission - providing relief in disaster areas, aiding refugees and confronting the challenge of world hunger and poverty - has helped to heal the hurts of humanity in nearly 100 countries.

More resources and information on the issue and how we as individuals can help can be found at the sites linked above.

World Sauntering Day

Today is World Sauntering Day. Have a nice stroll, just for fun, and enjoy the time.

Dinner and a Movie

Another in a series of easy meatless meals, but I was so exhausted by the time I got home that I ended up not even eating. The others had baked potatoes with the fixin's of their choice while we watched House of Flying Daggers. #2 Son liked this movie even better that Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. The Daughter thought it was entirely too sad to be enjoyable. It was a tragic tale.

Short-order Food

What with being up before daylight and going straight through until my flat tire at 8:00 tonight, fixing supper was out of the question. We picked up MickyD burgers at the drive-through after the itty-bitty spare was installed by AAA, who came after a little over an hour.

What a day!

Meatless Supper

We had fried okra, a couple of kinds of beans, salad with tomatoes, and cheese bread with The Daughter's home-made fudge for dessert. The Daughter made the cheese bread, too. She's a great cook.

.999... = 1

Don't believe me? Check it out here. Or here.

The Ironic Catholic Haiku Contest

Winners have been announced. My favorite, though not the winner, is this one:

I always wondered
Why is God a mystery?
Guess I'll never know.

--Anne Watson

Tacos

Tonight we had tacos. We aren't eating beef right now, so we had a choice of refried beans or cheese with the usual fixin's. I found the recipe for the cheese tacos at this cooking site. We altered it some, but it was still tasty. And it is very easy.

Remember the Bud Ice Penguin?

Dooby Dooby Doo....

Spaghetti

Tonight we had spinach spaghetti with a veggie sauce. I use the Prego "Chunky Garden" instead of making my own since my clan seems to like it just as well ---better, really. I used to add some meat to it, but I'm avoiding beef due to what I see as the agriculture and beef industries' unwillingness to test adequately for Mad Cow Disease and we'd rather have our sausage on pizza. The spinach noodles have sometimes been hard to find, but lately they've been on the shelf at Kroger. The Daughter had seconds, but this dish is not a great favorite with #1 and #2 Sons.

Sunflower Pest

My poor sunflowers have fallen victim to head-clipping weevils. The photo below is from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln site.



The weevils girdle the stem, causing the stem to fall over near the top where the flower has just reached blooming stage. I've had sunflowers before but have never seen anything like this. I think I'll plant zinnias next year.

Trinity Sunday

Nicene Creed

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty
Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible:

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the 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 will have no end:

And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord, and Giver of Life,
Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son
Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified,
Who spake by the Prophets.
And I believe in One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins.
And I look for the Resurrection of the Dead:
And the Life of the world to come. Amen.

Sunflowers

I love sunflowers. I didn't plant any this year because I thought the patio might be too small for them, but the birds were a bit messy at the feeder and sunlowers growing under the birdfeeder was the happy result. The photo posted above is from pdphoto, but I do have one tiny little sunflower that bloomed yesterday. There are lots of buds that look like they will be opening soon. I'm already planning where I'll plant sunflower seeds next year.

National Hunger Awareness Day

Today is National Hunger Awareness Day. There are local events to raise awareness of the problem. There will be an interfaith service here sponsored by the Memphis Food Bank and held at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church.

What can you do? You can advocate, raise awareness, donate, sponsor an event or volunteer. Suggestions can be found here.

World Environment Day

Today is World Environment Day. The United Nations General Assembly established the annual observance in 1972 to stimulate awareness of the environment and enhance political attention and public action. The theme for this year is Deserts and Desertification and the slogan is Don't Desert Drylands! You can find links to news on the subject at Topix.net. Send somebody a card to celebrate and spread news of the event.

Miss Marple

I always liked the Miss Marple TV shows we'd watch on PBS and A&E starring Joan Hickson, who died in 1998 at age 92. Tonight we watched a new Miss Marple -at least this series was new to us, but we don't watch much TV. I'm not sure what to make of Geraldine McEwan in the role. She has some characteristics in common with my old friend from previous years, but it just doesn't seem like Miss Marple. Yet. I'm sure she'll grow on me.

The shows are based on Agatha Christie's works. Miss Marple was introduced in The Murder at the Vicarage, published in 1930.

Pentecost film

Pentecost Film from Mark Berry, the "pioneer leader of : safe space".

Pentecost Psalm

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b (NRSV)

104:24 O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

104:25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great.

104:26 There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.

104:27 These all look to you to give them their food in due season;

104:28 when you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.

104:29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.

104:30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.

104:31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works--

104:32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke.

104:33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

104:34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD.

104:35b Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD!

We love our patio!

Today we bought 4 Plantation Patterns brand Napa action chairs and 2 little end tables that are a close enough match to suit us. We bought 2 Butterfly Bushes (Black Knight) and 3 Lantana. The bright yellow Lantana will go in a hanging basket. We also got 2 pots. These pots are bigger and prettier than what we have now, and we'll move the rubber tree into one and the mother-in-law tongue into the other. I'd love a fountain, but I don't know if that'll come this year.

National Trails Day

The first Saturday in June is National Trails Day. I can't find any activities around here that are planned specifically to celebrate the day, but there are hiking trails in the area. There are more than 20 miles of hiking trails at Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park. Some information about the trails is here. There is information about other area hiking trails here.

Dalai Lama Honors Tintin

Tintin is the first comic book character to be honored in this way. The Dalai Lama gave "Tintin in Tibet" the Light of Truth Award for helping raise awareness of Tibet. Google's links to news stories on this is here.

I first saw the story at Religion News Blog.

Day Lily

I'm having trouble getting a good photo of my day lilies, but I found a public domain picture at pdphoto and am posting it with this entry. The kind of lily I have is the common orange field lily that is often seen by the side of the road. Although each bloom only lasts one day, there are many blooms on each plant. They are easy to care for, preferring full sun. Some care instructions are here. They bring back fond memories for me, because my parents had several beds of day lilies in our yard as I was growing up. The ones I have now came from one of those beds.

It looks like the sunflowers may bloom soon.

Raleigh Community Council Meeting

The Raleigh Community Council had its regularly scheduled meeting tonight at Raleigh United Methodist Church. The special guest was Shelby County Mayor A.C. Wharton. Attendance was great, and the public officials present stayed around after the meeting to discuss the issues with people. There will be a community barbeque soon. We are planning on going and are looking forward to it.

Travel Narratives

World Hum has just completed a list of their top 30 travel narratives of all time. I enjoy travel narratives and lists, so this is a great combination for me. Their #1 book is Arabian Sands by Wilfred Thesiger. This book, published in the 195o's, details his time among the Bedouin. There is some information on Thesiger and this book at RoadJunky. You can read the Guardian obituary here. He was 93 years old when he died in 2003. Some of his photographs are online at the Pitt Rivers Museum website. Longitude Books is a great source for travel narratives and related books.