Greetings from Tucson

San Francisco

2010-04-20T09:32:00.005-07:00

We had a wonderful trip to San Francisco in April. We'd love to go again!

It was sunny and rainy, and surprisingly, it was colder when it was sunny. I was thankful there were no earthquakes while we were there... at least none that we could feel.

We had fun with our good friends John and Dana, saw some new sights, and walked all over. We took BART instead of renting a car, but we also enjoyed Dana driving us around on Friday; otherwise, we'd never have been able to drive over the Golden Gate Bridge.

I have discovered that I am enamored by blooming flowers. Yes, I have always loved different plants, but I guess I was more fascinated than I thought. I realized this after taking numerous photos of blooms and then seeing a picture of me taking pictures of flowers. Ha!

What should be our next little diversion trip?

The famous Golden Gate Bridge

Cherry Tree Blossoms

These guys were over by the Ferry Building along the Embarcadero.

My friend Dana is with me. We've known each other for almost 25 years.

The orchids at the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park were spectacular!

Funny story about this Chinese woman: she and her counterpart toward the back are said to make 20,000 fortune cookies per day. See the rejects in the bin in front of her? They sell those too! The cookies come around on the little conveyor belt and she grabs one, puts in a fortune, then folds it over the metal pipe in front of her. They were pretty good despite the fact that there were pigeons walking around in the store when we first arrived! We had to pay 50 cents to take her picture.

Alcatraz Island. Welcome to the Rock!

Hackers!!!

2010-03-15T09:07:00.003-07:00

Last night Amy told me to check my e-mail, and behold, my AOL account had been broken into, and yucky e-mails sent out from it.

They don't appear to be malicious; however, they are bothersome. The time from the first e-mail to the last one sent out was less than 2 minutes, so this was done digitally by computer. No human could copy the addresses into that many e-mails and send them out in less than 2 minutes.

Seriously, if people that spend their time and talent hacking into other people's e-mail, identity, etc., would simply devote their time and talent to worthy pursuits, I am certain we would have world peace and a cure for cancer.

The wasted potential!

In my case, I believe they used computer algorithms to determine my password and then get into my account or my address book. All my software definitions are up to date; my computer had just been scanned for threats and was then scanned again and all is clean.

So, the question remains - if they can write the complicated algorithms that allow them to do these things, why don't they use it for more worthy pursuits? (No, that is not a rhetorical question.)

I'm sure the answer is money, laziness, and the thrill of seeing if they can do it. I just think it is a waste of time, talent, potential, and probably the lack of a concerned adult in their young life that would have taught them right from wrong.

I'm glad that these didn't appear to be malicious, and perhaps it is a good wake-up call to double my password security.

I apologize if you received one of the e-mails and I hope you'll take time to check your security settings too.

Friends and Fowl

2010-02-01T10:15:00.003-07:00

For our anniversary, we spent the day together and took a drive to SE Arizona, visiting Chiracahua National Monument and into Wilcox trying to find sandhill cranes on their annual migration. The cranes were illusive - eventually they made themselves known by flying overhead at dusk. Below are a few photographs from the day.

Looking west toward the Dragoon Mountains from Masai Point in Chiricahua Nat'l Mon.

The old homestead

Ducks really can walk on water...

The sandhill cranes

More sandhill cranes

We had a fun day together celebrating our 29 years.

Chicago, Chicago, that wonderful town...

2009-10-29T10:11:00.008-07:00

Here are some pictures from my recent trip to Chicago.

What started as business...

...ended in fun when my girls joined me for a few days.

We even sort of took the Ferris Bueller Tour when we visited several places from the movie, including the Art Institute.

If you travel to Chicago, I recommend the GoChicago Card. We purchased the 3-day card which gave us admission and fast-pass access to more than 30 attractions. We used it for:
Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Gray-line 2-day hop on/hop off trolley tour, Art Institute, Willis (Sears) Tower Skydeck (including The Ledge), John Hancock Observation Tower, Contemporary Art Museum, and the Architechture River Cruise. It also included discounts for several stores and restaurants.

Our favorite restaurants included the Corner Bakery, the original Uno, Giordano's, Cosi, and the Weber Grill (well, that was one of mine anyway). The downtown along Michigan Avenue is busy, beautifully landscaped, and very well maintained. We even rode the "El"!

Believe it or not, this is a fish (Shedd Aquarium).

The "Ledge" - 103rd Floor of the Willis (Sears) Tower

Cloud Gate aka the Chicago Bean

Beautiful fall leaves

A great trip!

It has been awhile...

2009-07-25T09:05:00.003-07:00

Yes, it has been awhile since I've posted anything. I suppose Facebook has taken up more time than I'd care to admit.

Hope you enjoy this creative performance of Handel's Messiah.

Micah 6:8

2009-03-26T09:41:00.007-07:00

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 (NIV)

We have been studying the Minor Prophets in our Wednesday night class. Several weeks ago, David taught on Amos, with the main theme being social injustice.

They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name. Amos 2:6-7 (NIV)

Last night, Mike Wearly taught our class on Micah. Following David’s class and discussion, Mike started researching slavery in the world today and other social injustices.

It is estimated that since the Roe v Wade legislation was passed in 1973, the number of abortions in the US until 2007 is 49,551,703. Yes, that number is almost 50 million babies aborted in the US alone. National Right to Life Org - http://www.nrlc.org/ABORTION/facts/abortionstats.html

Another injustice, and something I sort of knew about but didn’t really know about, is the cause of slavery, specifically child slavery around the world. Something I really didn’t know is that much of the harvesting of the cocoa bean needed for chocolate is accomplished through the efforts of child slavery and child labor.

The child pictured here is carrying his harvest and a machete. Look at him carefully.

Below are some Web sites and articles related to this issue. I urge you to read and study the topic for yourself. Mostly I urge you to consider purchasing Fair Trade, Organic, or chocolate that is labeled “slave free”. If more of us purchased these brands of chocolate bars, mixes, and drinks, more chocolate will be produced without child labor.

http://www.cocoainitiative.org/
The ILO estimates that 132 million children work in agriculture around the world – in many cases out of sheer economic necessity. Founded in 2002, the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) is dedicated to ending child and forced labour in cocoa-growing.

A unique partnership between NGOs, labour unions, cocoa processors and the major chocolate brands, ICI works to change the way cocoa is grown. Learn more about our work…because every child deserves a childhood, an education and an opportunity to escape the cycle of poverty.

http://www.hersheys.com
Hersheys has a large link on their Web site labeled “Corporate Social Responsibility”. The company describes their efforts to partner with environmentally responsible growers, but stops short of saying their chocolate is produced without child labor.

Major chocolate companies Hersheys, Mars, Kraft, Nestle, and Cadbury Sweppes, are listed as partners on The Cocoa Initiative Web site, but do not label their chocolate ‘slave free’ or Fair Trade. Some may be just that, but not necessarily.

Although some progress has been made since 2001, specifically in the harvest of cocoa, child slavery for the production and harvesting of crops, including chocolate and coffee is still happening. Below are some links to Web sites where you can read and learn about slavery in the world today (copy and paste into your browser):

http://web.archive.org/web/20061027103158
/www.foodrevolution.org/slavery_chocolate.htm

http://www.freetheslaves.net/Page.aspx?pid=183

http://www.american.edu/TED/chocolate-slave.htm

http://vision.ucsd.edu/~kbranson/stopchocolateslavery
/main.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20070104062536/
www.radicalthought.org/A55868/cocoa.nsf/allpg!OpenPage

http://www.worldcocoafoundation.org/tree-to-table/default.asp

http://www.chocolateusa.org/News-and-Initiatives/

http://www.worldcocoafoundation.org/commitments/ghana.asp
http://www.torontosun.com/life/greenplanet/2008/
11/21/7489136.html#/life/greenplanet/2008/11/22/pf-7497371.html

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EPF/
is_24_101/ai_85103768

http://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/labor/
2007/0313causecure.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocoa_Protocol

Below are the Web sites for the blog and foundation started by Pam and Randy Cope.

http://touchalifekids.blogspot.com/

http://www.touchalifekids.org/

Now that you know, you have a choice. The United States is the largest consumer of goods, including chocolate, in the world. The choice you make in purchasing chocolate (or coffee, or other goods) impacts others, specifically children, around the world. If you want to make a difference, purchase Fair Trade, Organic, or chocolate that is labeled “slave free”. Take a look at the chocolate you buy…

I should have done this earlier, but...

2009-01-19T09:44:00.011-07:00

The inauguration tomorrow reminded me that I haven't posted pictures from my trip to Washington, DC and New Jersey in November. Although I had to go to DC for business, and though working 10 hour days isn't always fun, I actually enjoyed all of it. The US Capitol is an amazing place, and I had just enough time to visit a few monuments before and after work, and a couple of the museums at the Smithsonian before hopping a train to NJ to visit Dana and John. They are wonderful hosts and treated me like royalty! I saw so much in both places in 7 days I can't even list it all. Below are a few highlights:

The Lincoln Memorial and the WWII Memorial - photo taken from the top of the Washington Monument.

The Capitol

The Washington Monument

Princeton University Library - we also spent some time crashing a University chapel tour and visited some gargoyles on campus.

The site where General Washington crossed the Delaware River, which separates NJ and Pennsylvania (I need to reread some history...).

At the top of the Empire State Bldg., or as John so aptly put it, "the $20 elevator ride."

The wooden escalator at the flagship Macy's store - 9 floors!

Rockefeller Center

Lunch at the Original Soup Man aka the 'Soup Nazi' from Seinfeld. Can you say "No Soup for you!"? I had the lobster bisque, and yes, it was probably the best soup I've ever had!

Radio City Music Hall and the Rockettes! For my birthday, Dana surprised me with tickets to the Rockettes Holiday show. It was wonderful!

Times Square - people everywhere!

The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.

Geno's Steaks in Philly - famous for cheese steaks. We ate outside in 30 degree weather and snow flurries!

In NYC, we also rode the famous NYC Subway, ate a hot dog from a street vendor, looked at the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park, walked through Wall Street, viewed the World Trade Center site, did a lot of walking, saw Alex Baldwin and Selma Hayek filming an episode of 30 Rock, and had a great day! I am looking forward to visiting again!

And the answer is....

2009-01-12T09:13:00.004-07:00

Alrighty then. A few of you have asked for the answer to the previous post question.

All of these organizations are worthwhile groups and operate on a nonprofit status. They do meaningful work to meet a wide variety of needs.

What they have in common is that they have all sent me return address labels to try to solicit funds for their group! While I appreciate their good work, sending me return address labels will not incite me to send them money.

What types of labels have you received? Have you donated funds to a group because of the labels? What would convince you to donate funds to an organization besides return address labels?

501(c)(3)

2009-01-07T10:20:00.004-07:00

I was recently checking some favorite blogs and noticing that few have been recently updated... probably because we were busy with holiday preparations. And, of course, I am guilty of that as well.

So, I'll start off the year with this question and see if you can guess the answer:

Other than all being charitable organizations (501(c)(3) groups as recognized by the Internal Revenue Service), can you guess what the following groups all have in common?

Disabled American Veterans
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Alzheimer's Association
Breast Cancer
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
University Alumni Association
American Diabetes Association
The Humane Society
American Lung Association
St. Jude's Children's Hospital
Omaha Home for Boys
Children's Cancer Research Fund
National Foundation for Cancer Research
Habitat for Humanity
Foundation Fighting Blindness

And, I pray for you a multitude of blessings to you and yours in 2009!

Weekend Fun

2008-12-16T07:38:00.005-07:00

We had a great weekend celebrating Allison's birthday!

The cupcakes from Sprinkles were yummy! Good idea, Amy!
Happy Birthday Allison!

Get Out and Vote!!

2008-10-30T09:12:00.003-07:00

The election is just 5 days away!
Please remember to vote!

Please click on the link, or copy and paste the following into your browser to help in your candidate selection. (Be patient, it takes a minute to load.)

http://www.aarpvote08.org/?d=U2FuZHkgU3RvbGw=

Sandy

Latest Adventure

2008-09-29T10:32:00.006-07:00

We took a fun vacation to Wyoming and South Dakota in September. Here are a few pictures from our trip:

Tell me about your favorite vacation...

Saguaro National Park East

2008-09-09T10:42:00.003-07:00

Here are a few photos from our quick jaunt around SNP-East on Labor Day. The desert is lush after our summer rains, and the prickly pear are producing a rainbow of fruit.

Who am I?

2008-08-14T10:46:00.003-07:00

A friend sent me a link to this video which I subsequently also found on YouTube. Of course the song is awesome, but I also thought this representation added a perspective worth viewing... and pretty cool to see how they did it.
Hope you enjoy!
- Sandy

A View from All Sides

2008-07-31T08:11:00.011-07:00

Views from our recent trip to SW Colorado

Top - Engineer Pass

Bottom - Durango/Silverton Narrow Gauage Railroad

Inside - Mesa Verde National Park

Outside - Painted Desert

Rightside - Yikes!

Downside - !

Upside - Having a great time!

Where 'ya been?

2008-07-04T22:38:00.007-07:00

I've been to the land of alligators and mosquitoes for a two week conference our company put on in Miami, Florida. Not the most pleasant of places to visit in mid-June, but interesting anyway.

The Miami area was a place I visited often as a child as my grandparents retired to and lived in Hollywood (just south of Ft. Lauderdale). The last time I'd visited that part of Florida was in 1988... so yes, it had changed some.

It was pleasant to have a day off in the middle of a 17 day trip to see some sites I hadn't seen in 20 years.

It was fun to visit their former home -

- and to visit the cemetery where they are now interred.

It was fun to visit the beach I used to go to as a kid -

- and to drive for miles south on A1A.

It was also fun (although extremely HOT!) to stand on the tip of the land mass of Florida from Everglades National Park and look out into Florida Bay -

- and also not fun to be on the lunch menu for multitudes of mosquitoes.

But, after logging more than 200 working hours and missing my family and friends, it was still exciting to see what lurks in all that water... in fact, a 300 pound relative of the specimen below was apprehended about a mile from our hotel the day before we flew back to Tucson.

Every day I drove past an elementary school on my way to Florida International University. It's nice to see they've selected an appropriate mascot...

I'm thankful I was able to be there!

Telling the Story of Joseph

2008-05-13T06:49:00.002-07:00

Hi,
Mike Cope shared this at the Pepperdine Lectures and I subsequently found it on YouTube. Be sure to listen all the way to the end...

If the link doesn't work, here's the Web address to copy and paste: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mIKBNaoh78.

Have a blessed day!
Sandy

Beautiful!

2008-05-07T07:59:00.005-07:00

For my birthday last year, I was given the book "1,000 Places to See Before You Die". Yes, the birthday ended in '0'.

Well, last week I added a check mark next to two places I'd never been before - Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park and Yosemite National Park. There aren't many words to describe Yosemite besides "Wow."

If you're in the area, be sure to visit either of these beautiful National Parks. God surely had His hand in their creation.

What's in the next blog?

2008-03-26T13:20:00.003-07:00

For those of us who regularly read blogs -

We all have our favorite blogs bookmarked so that we can visit, read, and comment if desired. We each have our own little blog world that we travel in, occasionally making a stop at a new destination found by a comment on a favorite blog.

Have you ever gone travelling in blog world not knowing where you'll stop and visit?

Try this: Just above the blog title is a little link called "Next Blog" (at least on blogger, I'm not sure about Word Press...). Click "Next Blog" and see where you go...

I tried it multiple times from my blog and from a few others and it is a random "next". I never got the same blog twice that was supposedly "next".

I visited lots of photographs, art drawings, other countries and multiple languages. It was a pleasant diversion in my afternoon.

Let me know who you find!

Clean that screen!

2008-02-18T21:46:00.003-07:00

Need a screen cleaner for your monitor?

Check this out - http://www.raincitystory.com/flash/screenclean.swf - so cute!

Thanks Allison!

Even if...

2008-01-31T09:19:00.000-07:00

Our women's class last night centered on the topic of loving God, being faithful to God, following God "Even If...". We will all face trials in our life on Earth - if everything were perfect here, why would we have or need the hope of heaven?

Here are a few verses from our class:

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future. Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV

So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. 1 Peter 4:19 NIV

I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the Horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. Psalm 18:1-3; 17-18 NIV

"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed" says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10 NIV

There are many trials we may go through, most of which we will not be able to understand. We may ask, "What is happening here, Lord?" A quote we talked about is from Dr. James Dobson: "My strongest advice is that each of us acknowledge before the crisis occurs, if possible, that our trust in Him must be independent of our understanding. There’s nothing wrong with trying to understand, but we must not lean on our ability to comprehend! Sooner or later our intellect will pose questions we cannot possibly answer. At that point, we would be wise to remember His words, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). " James Dobson, When God Doesn’t Make Sense, pp. 236-237. ©1993, Tyndale House Publishers.

If we make the decision to be faithful, to trust in Him before the crisis happens, then we are much more likely to follow Him through the valley and the pain.

I hope you will take a few minutes to watch this short video - http://www.blessyoumovie.com/ . May God bless you today!
Sandy

Are you thirsty?

2008-01-28T20:10:00.000-07:00

I want to tell you about a wonderful class we've been attending on Sunday morning - H2O - produced by City on a Hill Productions, Louisville, KY. You can find out more about City on a Hill here , and if you'd like to download a sample of the H2O class, you can find it here .

Whether you are a new Christian or one that has been around the block a few times, these episodes will inspire you in your own walk and help you to talk to other people about Jesus. Check it out!

Wee Mee

2007-11-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I went to WeeWorld and created a miniature, caricature version of myself.
I suppose this is something to do once one reaches the age of 50!

You can create your own Wee Mee at www.weeworld.com. Have fun!

Tagged!

2007-07-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged by Bobby to reveal 8 meaningless things about myself and then tag 8 more people to do the same. I don't think 8 people even read this blog, and if so, you guys don't leave comments so I don't know who you are. I could tag Vonnie, but Bobby tagged her too and that might be going overboard just a little. Sherry Lollar once told me she was a "lurker" and read my blog but I don't know her blog address and Bobby tagged her as well.

So, here goes:
1. I have loved 5 dogs in my life - Pitter-Patts, Tuffy, Missy, Buffy, and Shorty. Apparently all the dogs that live with me have to have names that end in 'y', with the exception of Pitter-Patts, who we adopted from a neighbor when she was 5 years old and I was 5 years old, and we kept her old name. I now have two 'granddogs' - Jessie (sounds like 'y') and Andy. The trend continues....

2. I managed to grow up without a microwave, color TV, or VCR. I remember buying gas when it cost 56 cents and they always posted the superscript '9' after the price. I remember when I could mail a letter for 5 cents. The previous three are mentioned for the real meaningless item that I will turn 50 this year.

3. My favorite book growing up was "Make Way for Ducklings" by Robert McCloskey. I loved visiting Boston Common in 2002 and seeing the statues commemorating the story.

4. I can still recite "Twas the Night Before Christmas" by Clement Moore from memory - well, most times I can still do it. My dad made me memorize it in the 5th grade.

5. My Honda Accord has 116,257 miles on it, and is not quite 7 years old.

6. My dryer is 26.5 years old.

7. I tried owning my own business but it didn't want me to, so we parted company.

8. I have read every book written by John Grisham. My favorite is The Painted House.

There you have it - 8 meaningless things about me - I will now tag Christopher - please accept my apology in advance if you don't like these sort of things.

Anyone else who wants to play, please leave me a comment and I'll come read your list!

Vacation!

2007-07-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

Just a sample of pictures from our vacation and our niece's wedding -

And now, back to reality...

She did it!

2007-05-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

We spent the past weekend in Abilene attending our daughter's graduation from ACU.

She starts her job and career as a nurse in June!

We also got to eat at Joe Allen's, shop at Relics, see the Jacob's Dream sculpture on campus, and catch up with some great friends for lunch at Alleycats on Friday. Packing the Uhaul during a pouring thunderstorm will be a memory for years to come! We took several drives around town to visit favorite places we don't expect to see for awhile.

Abilene was as green as we've ever seen it! The Jacob's Dream sculpture is inspiring and beautiful...

ACU and Abilene, thanks for everything!

Way to go Amers!

Yum!

2007-04-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

Today, Tucson hits the big league.
No, not a new sports team.
No, not even a new retail store.
Today, In-N-Out Burger opens in Tucson.

Can't you just taste a double-double animal style, grilled onions?

One of the larger privately-held restaurant chains, In-n-Out jumped into the Arizona market about 8-9 years ago, and is now expanding to Tucson. Long known in the California area, In-n-Out has a vast following of burger-hungry Arizonans, eager for some fresh cut fries or a chocolate shake.
Their largest burger is affectionately known as a 4x4 - four beef patties, four slices of cheese. I once saw a man eat 4 of them in one sitting, but it wasn't a pretty site.
Time for lunch!

2007

2007-04-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

If the last few months are an indication, the rest of 2007 is going to be really something! Two weeks ago our daughter got married... 3 weeks from now our other daughter will graduate from college... our niece is getting married this summer... and I turn 50 in the fall.

I already posted a picture of the wedding, here is a picture of our family's new RN - we are very proud of her!

Here is a question - are you happy with your job or career? Or, have you found that you changed paths and pursued a different one?

Going to the chapel...

2007-04-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

April 7, 2007

The day was beautiful...
We were honored by our guests...
Our joy overflows.

Seasoned Salt

2007-02-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

We had an interesting discussion in our life group on Sunday related to Bobby's sermon in Matthew 5. We specifically talked about Matthew 5:13-16:

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men."
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

As we discussed the different properties of salt - its seasoning, as a preservative, how it enhances our food - one of our group members made the comment that salt can also be corrosive. For example, salt put on roadways corrodes the underside of cars; or, consuming too much salt can contribute to high blood pressure and other health issues.

How do you think that might apply to this scripture? Can we, as followers of Christ, be corrosive? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Fun Things to do in Phoenix

2007-02-02T14:49:00.000-07:00

You may know that we're planning a wedding for our daughter, and as a part of the invitation process, we'll include a little page of fun things to do while in the Phoenix area. Since it was all ready, I thought some of you might like a preview of things to do in the Phoenix area. Because of all the web addresses, I did not include them as links, so you'll have to cut and paste.

Fun Places to Shop -

www.fashionsquare.com
www.scottsdaledowntown.com
www.downtowntempe.com

Fun Things to do Outdoors -

Golf
www.arizonagolfer.com/courses/phoenix
www.teetimesinarizona.com/

Hiking
http://phoenix.gov/parks/hikephx.html
http://phoenix.gov/parks/hikesoth.html

Fun Museums & Exhibits -

The Phoenix Zoo www.phoenixzoo.org

Desert Botanical Garden www.dbg.org

Arizona Historical Society Museum at Papago Park
www.arizonahistoricalsociety.org/

Pueblo Grande Museum
http://phoenix.gov/parks/pueblo.html#museum

Arizona Science Center www.azscience.org
Heard Museum www.heard.org

Goldfield Ghost Town
www.goldfieldghosttown.com

If you've ever been to the Phoenix, what are some of your favorite things to do while in town?

2007-01-20T21:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted much since leaving for Christmas break on the 15th of December. Time just hasn't allowed much writing this past month.

Dave's mom passed away this week, at the too young age of 74. Although she was imprisoned by Alzheimer's, and the outlook was not going to improve, when it happened it was swift. It is not an easy thing to lose both your parents in 15 months.

Below is a picture taken in September 2005, hugging one of her granddaughters. She didn't know she was Grandma, she just knew she was loved. This was the last time my children got to see their grandmother, although her memories of her grandchildren were gone years before.

There is a season for every life. Enjoy each season. Spend time with your family, your friends. Listen to stories you might not get to hear in the next season. Love one another. God be with you until you meet again.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

Greetings in the new year, and may this year be a blessing to you.

The holidays behind us, our family now finds itself looking ahead to a new year that includes an upcoming wedding for one daughter and a college graduation for another. I'll be a mother-in-law - I pray that I will be worthy. I remember trying to transition from child to adult with my own parents - again, I pray that I will be worthy.

Today is back to work day - after two weeks away I hope to be able to go through all of my email (hundreds, but mostly junk/spam), clear all the voicemail, and open/distribute all the office mail. If those 3 things can be accomplished, I will consider today a success!

May God bless you richly in the coming year!

What is in the bottom of your frig?

2006-12-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

One of the items on my list of things to accomplish today is to clean out the refrigerator. You know, throw out old food, wash the shelves, reorganize the regular inhabitants so that they're easy to find and use.

Every thing was going along smoothly until I hit the vegetable bin; then, I found something that I think used to be a cucumber. Yuck!

I washed up the bin and threw out the old food. I even found some leftovers in the freezer that we'll have for dinner tonight - hooray for not having to come up with a menu for dinner at 6:00 pm when I arrive home from work, and I'm tired from the day. I also found some still-good lettuce and other salad makings, which I chopped up and will use for my lunch today, and for dinner tonight.

While emptying the frig, I got to thinking about how I sometimes feel like what I found in the bottom of the vege bin... growing older, maybe a little moldy around the edges, in need of cleansing and renewal. While washing the bin, I thought of being washed by Jesus and being made clean again. And, while chopping up the vegetables for the salad, I thought of how God uses each of us to accomplish something for him; something that may not be easily accomplished individually, but when blended together, brings forth a completely new accomplishment.

I pray that you will be open to God's plan for you today.

2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Things to think about...

2006-11-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

Sunday evening, as a part of our monthly congregational family night, our youth minister showed the film "Invisible Children" for anyone who wanted to see it. If you don't know anything about "Invisible Children," I invite you to go to their website - http://www.invisiblechildren.com . This is the story of 3 young men who traveled to northern Uganda and discovered children as young as 8 years old who were being abducted from their villages and homes, brainwashed, and forced to fight and kill. It is a sobering story.

I contrast that with my occasional complaining about things that aren't the way I want them to be. There is no excuse. Lord, please forgive me for my ungratefulness.

Thursday is Thanksgiving. For you, I hope that you will find a blessing in the day; and, if you think about it for a few minutes, abundant blessings!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Giving Thanks

2006-11-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to be born on Thanksgiving, and my name was almost Diane. Upon my entrance to this world, I weighed slightly more than 5 pounds.

Today I begin the countdown of 365 days until I've lived for a half century. I don't know whether to rejoice or say "ouch".

But in reality I am astounded and thankful.

Astounded because I'm 49. How did that happen? I remember thinking that was so old! I don't feel much differently inside than I did when I was 25, although I'm grateful to have learned a few things along the way.

Thankful for so many things: life, husband, children, family, friends, joys, sorrows, challenges, blessings, the big things, and mostly the small things.

What will the next 365 days will bring?

This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

God's Creation

2006-11-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like an Arizona sunset -

- or desert mountains

to awaken you to His creation.

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20 (NIV)

Random musings...

2006-10-31T06:35:00.000-07:00

I confess to being at a small loss for words - hence not much blogging recently. Just a few thoughts on my mind....

Are you tired of the political TV ads, computer generated phone calls, and the mega-conglomeration of signs posted at street corners? What an honor to be able to vote and live in the U.S.A! But, shameless campaigning for propositions that have hidden agendas and meanings, along with the smear campaigns by the competing candidates leave me anxious for the entire process to be over. We voted early, by mail, after spending several hours one evening pouring over the ballot and assorted campaign literature. 20 propositions are up for vote in So. Arizona, along with heated races between the candidates for Congress and the state legislature. Voting is sort of like investing - past performance (good or bad) is not a guarantee for future results (good or bad).

Are you looking forward to the new season of 24 in January? You can watch the trailer at http://www.24trailer.com/ . Scary! What will happen to Jack Bauer?! Some of the conservative radio talk shows have new lingo - people calling in saying they're a "Jack Bauer Conservative." Interesting thought, although I confess I'm not sure exactly what that means - perhaps having the ability to assess a situation quickly, act decisively without remorse, while all the while putting yourself in harm's way? Thoughts?

A Christian brother of ours is currently serving in Iraq and his newsletters home bring the far-away war to a sobering reality. Whether you agree with the war or not, the fact remains that we have many brave men and women serving overseas with honor. Here I sit at my computer, quietly drinking a cup of coffee. Our friend asks that we pray for peace.

There was another obituary in the paper the other day of yet another person who died of melanoma, at the young age of 46. Last month there was someone who was only 31. Keep wearing your sunscreen! I guess you don't have to deal with too many needless deaths to understand why my dermatologist is aggressive in removing suspicious growths.

We are enjoying our study in Biblical Archaeology - learning about places where Jesus, Abraham, Herod (the Great and Agrippa and Antipas), Pontius Pilate, and Paul lived and walked are enlightening. It is interesting to note that many places have been recently (in archaeological terms) excavated. The only known physical evidence of Pilate's existence was found in Caesarea (Maritima) in the 1950's, a reused stone plaque in the theater that was remodeled in the 3rd century C.E. (Common Era, replaced the old A.D.). The inscription reads "...the Tiberium, which Pontius Pilate, the Prefect of Judea, gave and dedicated." The stone plaque measures 32 by 27 inches. Pilate held the office of Prefect of Judea from 26 to 36 C.E. and lived in Caesarea. To build the harbor at Caesarea, the Herodian builders utilized hydraulic concrete, invented by the Romans. It was comprised of mortar, volcanic sand, pumice and lime, and because it was 3 times denser than water, it had the capability of hardening beneath the ocean surface - quite an accomplishment 2000 years ago. The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem stands over the temple that was destroyed in 70 C.E. How do you suppose they moved 200 ton blocks to build the temple, of which now remains part of the Wailing Wall? Moving 200 tons is a challenge in this day even with huge earth moving equipment.

Just a few thoughts on my mind. What's on your mind?

Habitual Tendencies

2006-10-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

Do you have any habits?

Thinking of that question, did you immediately think of a good habit or a bad habit? I thought of a bad habit.

What makes a good habit? What makes a bad habit? And, how do they start?

A definition of habit (among others) according to Webster - a settled tendency or usual manner of behavior; a : a behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition or physiologic exposure that shows itself in regularity or increased facility of performance b : an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary.

Now I can think of some bad habits that are almost completely involuntary, but it is harder for me to think of some good habits in that light. Perhaps our good habits don’t create guilt or negative feelings, so we can just consider them part of our daily routine?

Related words, according to Webster’s Online Thesaurus: addiction; disposition; bent, inclination, proclivity, tendency, turn; convention, form, mode, style; usage; manners, mores; groove, rote, routine, rut; affectation, airs, pose; attribute, characteristic, mark, trait; oddity, peculiarity, quirk, singularity, tic; strangeness, weirdness.

What do you think of the related words routine and rut; characteristic and trait; and, how do they fit into your habits?

Skidboot the dog

2006-10-11T08:15:00.000-07:00

A friend from work sent this link. If you have a few minutes, I recommend watching this video about Skidboot the dog. It is a special story.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5249518974978628334&q=skidboot&hl=en

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

2006-10-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

There is something to be said for laughing.

Friday evening a friend and I surprised another friend to celebrate a birthday that ends in ZERO, and whisked her off to dinner and a campy audience-involved mystery theatre. Four actors, improvised script, great imaginative lines and music, and just plain fun. (The actor in drag turned out to be an alumni of my high school that I remembered. Although he did not remember me, it was perfectly fine because he was almost scary!)

The 3 of us have been friends for more than 20 years - through kids growing, houses moving, jobs changing, and more. As always, we had a wonderful time together. And we laughed.

Maybe you've heard the phrase "laughter is the best medicine." On a whim, I did a search on 'laughter' and found more than 15,000 websites dedicated to laughter. Did you know there is laughter yoga? To find out how laughter works physiologically, visit http://www.howstuffworks.com/laughter.htm. Whatever the effect, we just had fun. I came away from the weekend feeling lighter, and less bogged down.

I hope my friends had as much fun as I did. Happy Birthday!

I wish we'd ______ more while you were still here...

2006-10-04T08:31:00.000-07:00

I've just finished reading the new book by Mitch Albom, "for one more day." In case you've never read one of Mitch Albom's books, he also wrote "Tuesdays with Morrie" and "The Five People You Meet in Heaven."

They're an easy read, yet somewhat thought provoking.

With his newest book, the author is asking the question - if, for one more day, you could go back and spend a day with a person in your life who has died, who was special to you, would you do it? Could you do it? The main character in this novel is a man who has an opportunity to spend one more day with his mother.

Who doesn't desire the chance to make a wrong, right? To utter once more the words "I love you" or "I miss you" or "I'm sorry?"

What an interesting concept.

My mother died of lung cancer a month to the day I was married, when I was 23 years old. I have now lived more years without her than I lived with her - a sobering thought. I have regrets. Having your parent die when you are just out of college and haven't yet really lived leaves a whole litany of "what ifs".

I believe the whole point of the book is really to live your life in such a way as to not have regrets, but I'd still love the opportunity for one more day.

This and That

2006-09-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

The Big Kahuna in our home turned 51 today... I made his favorite dessert and cooked a delicious meal. We went out Saturday night to celebrate.

I've been contemplating on the passage in Ecclesiastes on a time for everything - chapter 3, verses 1-8:

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Now reread the same passage thinking of situations in your life where you have scattered or gathered, loved or hated, been silent or spoken. Or think of a time when someone knew when it was time to give you an embrace or time to refrain. I've been contemplating on this for awhile.

We are still missing our Shorty although the burden is easing. He was in so much pain that it is somewhat of a relief knowing he doesn't have to endure that any longer. His cremated remains are sitting on our mantle for a time. We aren't currently searching for another pet. I want to honor his memory for awhile, and I think I'll know when we're ready again... but I still look at the classifieds and pet photos regularly.

There is a good article for ministers by Gordan MacDonald on knowing when it is the right time to leave a church and seek a new position. Having seen some good separations, and some not-so-good separations, I thought this was well presented. Although written for ministers and their churches, it has application for the secular job world as well. You can find the article at this address: http://www.ctlibrary.com/le/2002/summer/4.36.html.

Have a blessed day!

A Time for Everything

2006-09-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

Shorty
May 16, 1994 - September 12, 2006

aka Short-stuff, Bubba, Buddy, Baby, Pumpkin-Pie

A wonderful dog and a part of our family.
Faithfully waited by the door every day for us to return home.
Loved going on walks until he couldn’t walk anymore.

Favorites

Hide and Seek Hold him still, count to 10, let Amy run and hide, and Shorty would come find her, and was tenacious in his pursuit.

Playing Ball (learned at the age of 8—proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks!)

His ‘babies’ that he never ‘killed’ but sometimes wounded, by ripping out the squeakers.

Kong (hunting cookies, what could be more fun?! Thanks, Allison!)

Sleeping on his back with his feet in the air; or, sleeping with his feet on the wall.

Attacking the ironing board… serious fun with loss of all rational control

Barking whenever the phone rang… certainly proving Pavlov's theory. As a herding dog, Shorty would chase and ‘herd’ any family member when they ran. When the girls were young, they would run to answer the phone when it rang. Soon, the phone ringing became cause for barking, which prompted feeding to quiet him, which prompted more barking, and so on...

Eating - carrots, cucumbers, Cheerios, dog cookies, plums, apples, toast, rice, chicken, anything we ate, and his dog food

Shorty came to live with us in 1995 when Amy, at the age of 9, decided she wanted a pure-bred dog. She asked, "If I save all my money from Christmas, my birthdays, my allowance, whenever I have money, could I buy a Welsh Corgi?" Thinking that there was no way she would save the amount of money required for this breed, we said "Yes, if you save all your money, you can use it to buy a dog."

Amy started looking through the classified section of the newspaper, and found an ad for someone who wanted to sell a Corgi for $100. We went to look at the dog, whose name was Winston. He was 9 months old. The couple who now owned him had acquired him from an elderly couple who had owned this young dog (they'd named Skeeter) from the time he was a puppy. It seems that Skeeter ate a rather good sized rock in their back yard and had to have it surgically removed from his stomach. Believing that he'd probably try the same trick again if he continued living in their home, the elderly couple gave Skeeter to this couple who already owned another Corgi. Well, Winston (formerly Skeeter) and their own Corgi had a wonderful time chasing each other around the back yard all day long, barking and generally having a simply wonderful time! Unfortunately, the husband worked nights and needed to sleep during the day and couldn't stand all the noise... hence, they'd decided to keep their Corgi and find a new home for Winston.

For Amy, it was love at first sight. We went back to pick up Winston, and introduced him at the park to our other dog Buffy. We gave Winston a new name - Shorty. Now at the age of 21, Amy hardly remembers a time when Shorty wasn't with us.

Many people will say that a dog is just a pet. For us, Shorty was part of our family and we will forever miss him.

Urban Legends

2006-09-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

It happened again today.

I received an e-mail from someone who forwarded something they assumed was correct, which also happened to be something they really wanted to believe.

Wikipedia defines Urban Legends as the following:

Urban legends are a kind of folklore consisting of stories often thought to be factual by those circulating them (see rumor). The term is often used with a meaning similar to the expression "apocryphal story." Urban legends are not necessarily untrue, but they are often false, distorted, exaggerated, or sensationalized. Despite the name, urban legends do not necessarily take place in an urban setting. The name is designed to differentiate them from traditional folklore in preindustrial times.

A friend pointed me to this web site some time ago - http://www.snopes.com/ .
If you're ever questioning whether a story or 'urban legend' you've heard is true, go to this web site and search for your story. They have an extensive list, with sources cited.

We've all done it at some point - passed on some juicy piece of news. But before you hit that 'send' or 'forward' key, please check out whether what you are about to send is really true. Let's not spread rumor or gossip no matter who it is about, or how interesting it may seem.

Love-Love

2006-09-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

I've been watching a bit of the U.S. Open Grand Slam Tennis championships, and contemplating on the competition.

Did you see the match between Andre Agassi (USA) and Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus)? A 5-set, hours long, tennis slug-fest between two men, one younger, the other older, both ailing, who pushed through their pain each and every point. Each wanted to win - neither gave up. Volleys were long, points were argued and challenged, each side's gallery rooted for their player to win.

When the match was completed and Agassi had won (6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 7-5), the players met at the net to shake hands. Baghdatis spent more than the obligatory time congratulating Agassi, and spoke the most gracious words into the microphone at center court.

Do you think Baghdatis was disappointed in the loss to Agassi? Most assuredly, as was Agassi two days later in his loss to Benjamin Becker. Did you hear any words of condemnation toward the opponent after the match?

Of course we can all remember tennis matches of the past between John MacEnroe or Jimmy Connors and their opponents, and the arguments over umpire's calls. But, usually when the match was over, no mention of the disagreement was made, no furthering of argument was heard. The competition was simply, over. Sportsmanlike conduct is and was required.

Rules of conduct for church disagreement exist as well, but unfortunately, sometimes don't seem to be settled with the graciousness these tennis players exhibited. It hurts my heart to see brothers and sisters in Christ argue their points; then, when one 'side' has lost, continue to berate the other. We know from Acts 15 that Paul and Barnabas had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company (verse 39), each working to spread the Gospel although they had disagreed.

Scripture tells us that Paul later spoke highly of Barnabas and Mark, although their reconciliation is not specifically mentioned (Colossians 4:10; 1 Corinthians 9:6).

So, do you think it is a good idea for Christian siblings to agree to disagree and part company for awhile? Have you ever had a disagreement with a friend and allowed time to heal the wound, then you came back together as friends as if nothing had happened? When one side can agree to disagree but the other side holds firm to their point - then what happens?

Too often, and I'm speaking of myself as well, we dwell in the past. We dwell on points lost, or even gloat over points won.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

I would like to be remembered by my gracious words, as I remembered the gracious words of Marcos Baghdatis. May my conduct today be worthy.

What's bugging you?

2006-08-25T09:11:00.000-07:00

I took a walk yesterday after work - thought I'd get some exercise. I thought to myself part way into the walk (picture me walking down the street with a speech bubble over my head), "Wow, this is great. Here I am walking and those nasty little gnats aren't bothering me at all. It must be too cool outside." (It was only about 78 degrees at 6:00 PM.) No sooner than the thought processed through my brain, when swarms of gnats descended. They made this little "eeeekkkkk" sound while trying to fly in my ears, then tried to fly up my nose, landed on any exposed skin, and were just generally annoying. So, half of my walk was fun, the other half was more beneficial aerobically, as I tried to escape the little buggers.

I just went outside with Short-stuff and met up with a lovely female tarantula. I thought for a moment she was dead, so I blew on her - oops, not dead, just napping. She has now wandered off to parts unknown.

Last week after a rain shower we had a lovely, colorful snake on the patio. "Oh," I say to hubby, "there is a snake on the patio." "What kind?", he asks. "I think just a king snake," I reply. Hubby gets up off couch and grabs camera to photograph said snake, then attempts to remove snake from patio with first a dust pan, then a broom. The snake tries to climb up offensive broom - not good! So, I offer some wifely advice: "Why don't you just pick it up at the back of the head and remove it to the wash?" (Of course, you would never catch me doing this!) We watch this snake for a while, who eventually slithers away, then come inside to look him up in our Audubon Society book. Scarily enough he was an Arizona Coral Snake! Scientific comments about this snake include, "Do not handle! Venom is highly dangerous." Hubby did have a good story to tell around the water cooler the next day.

What do you think about the planet Pluto, which was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff in 1930, being demoted to a dwarf planet? I grew up learning and memorizing the 9 planets of our solar system; how many other so called 'facts' that I've been told were a sure-thing, will be changed to accommodate 'new scientific understanding'? God knows all about the planet we call Pluto - I wonder what God named this planet?

Psalm 147:1, 4-5 (NIV)
Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

One thing that won't change?
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8, NIV)

Anything bugging you today?

A Numbers Game

2006-08-16T20:24:00.000-07:00

Do you Sudoku?

Those who do, practice regularly, and are likely addicted to the game. Those who do not, seem to think that those of us who do are, well, warped.

Sudoku is a logic-based placement puzzle. The aim of the puzzle is to enter a numerical digit from 1 through 9 in each cell of a 9x9 grid made up of 3x3 subgrids, starting with various digits given in some cells; each row, column, and region must contain only one instance of each numeral 1 - 9. I find it fun - others find it annoying.

How many times a day do numbers influence our life? A number may represent: time on the alarm clock; the hours slept last night; the caloric content of breakfast, lunch or dinner; the miles driven to work, school, or church, or the grocery store; the ounces, pounds, kilograms or grams of items purchased at the grocery store; the translation of the food just purchased to the weight on the scale; the dollar amount paid for the food; the amount of ready cash in your pocket, checkbook, or coin holder in your car; the mpg my car gets from the number of gallons of gas it will hold; the price of gas; the bill for college tuition due at the end of the month; the rent/mortgage due at the end of the month; the minimum balance due on credit card bill(s); the amount written on the check given to the Lord each week; the number of times we are to forgive someone who has sinned against us; the number of times we ask for forgiveness; how often we pray; the number of books of the Bible; the attendance figures for the assembly last Sunday; the number of people who came to earth as the Messiah and died for our sins; the number on the house that defines our address; the number of bedrooms in our homes. . . well, you get the idea.

Numbers, both large and small, are embedded in our lives. Another way to use numbers that I've not listed above? It is really quite simple, yet also quite complex. This thing, used for millennia, has the power to quiet, create peace, emit emotion, generate hype, cause social unrest, promote debate, create culture and counter-culture, and the love and expression of it becomes part of our profile or personality. Do you know what it is?

This simple, yet complex thing is music. Music is basically sound we hear. But music is primarily how those 8 notes (the octave) are manipulated to create the sounds we hear. There are different pitches, timbres, melodies, and rhythms with different tonal qualities. We play it in our cars and in our homes. We have CDs, radios, computers and iPods to capture it; we use music in our celebrations and in our good-byes to loved ones.

I find it phenomenal that the same basic structure that Brahms used to create his lullaby is the same structure used by heavy metal "musicians", yet we have drastically different results in what we hear. Listen to the 'oldies' and you may be reminded of songs you danced or sang to in your youth - the same songs that caused your parents to cringe when heard. Yet for all the years we've had the ability to create different sounds with music, we continue to find new ways to put the notes together to keep creating new music.

Music is a way we worship our Lord. Nothing compares to a room full of people singing praises to God - beautiful! Read the words of the psalmist below:

Psalm 150 (NLT)
Praise the LORD! Praise God in his heavenly dwelling; praise him in his mighty heaven! Praise him for his mighty works;praise his unequaled greatness! Praise him with a blast of the trumpet; praise him with the lyre and harp! Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. Let everything that lives sing praises to the LORD!
Praise the LORD!

Let's praise God today. Whether in the car, office, or even the shower - let our singing be beautiful music to His ears.

Queuing

2006-08-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

Having traveled on business several times during the past month, I've noticed more than ever the territorial aspects of waiting in line at the airport.

First, you park your car in the "car park" (as my Australian colleague names it), and wait to be picked up by the shuttle. Once the shuttle arrives, you negotiate your luggage and company belongings onboard, then look about for a seat.

Secondly, you arrive at the airline counter. Did you "check-in online"? If not, then you must wait in the long, zig-zagged line of persons waiting to check baggage and obtain their boarding pass. If you did check-in online, then you can go to a shorter, different kiosk line that allows you to complete the check-in process and get your luggage tagged. (By the way, I've learned a new trick for checking in online at SW Airlines: while traveling, I often don't have access to a printer, so I've learned to find a computer and check-in for my flight (up to 24 hours in advance); then, when I arrive at the airport, I can complete the check-in process at the shorter kiosk line and simply ask the touch screen on the computer to reprint my boarding pass. Hooray for the "A" boarding card!)

Next it is time to queue for the security checkpoint. No wait, you first must queue to have your ID and boarding pass checked to make sure they match - then you line up for the security checkpoint. Once at the security checkpoint, you unload video projectors, laptop computers, shoes, jackets, sweaters, purses, etc. into the provided bins. Stepping through security, you once again have your pass checked before you must redress and repack.

Now comes the fun part! Flying Southwest is an adventure in itself when it comes to the boarding process. Currently, SWA boards passengers on their planes according to the appropriate letter on their boarding passes: A, B, or C. The earlier you check-in for your flight, the more likely you are to receive an 'A' boarding pass. The letters correspond to the most likely place you'll sit on the plane: 'A' is mostly equivalent to the front of the plane or seats together (if you're traveling with a group), or at least finding bin space for your carry-on luggage above the seat in which you're sitting; 'B' corresponds to an aisle seat, or a seat toward the middle of the plane, and likely, bin space for your carry-on luggage, but most likely not near your current seat; and, 'C' corresponds to a seat toward the back of the plane, a dreaded middle-seat, or having to gate-check your bag because all the overhead bin space is gone.

It is fun to watch people try to find the most advantageous place to stand, sit, or wait to be closest to the front of the plane. Two flights ago we sat down to wait the requisite hour before our boarding time, sitting in the line of 'A' passes, and were joined by another business traveler. People came and stood around our seats, assuming we were later boarders. When it came time to board, our new fellow traveler said "let's go!", and stood up, elbowed her way in line and boarded the plane.

On my last flight, the queuing process at the gate was, to describe it simply, messed up. There were two gates directly next to one another and the A,B,and C designators radiated from the specific jetway doors at 45 degree angles. The seats however, intersected the purported lines so that it was not obvious where the lines began amongst the sitting area. We thought we were sitting in the appropriate line for our 'B' boarding passes, but unfortunately, we were mistaken. After trying to find the correct line, we finally boarded the plane at the end of the 'A' line, eclipsing our fellow passengers (not on purpose, really!), finding seats in front of the wing, and even finding good bin space!

Now for the rest of the story - The funniest part of this story was the elderly gentleman sitting directly across from us as we waited to be called to board the flight. He had an 'A' boarding card, and calmly waited as people began scurrying around to board. He stepped forward to claim his 'A' spot at the end of the 'A' group, and then stopped. You see, his 'A' boarding pass was for the next flight out of this same gate! He was elated at being the very first in line with his 'A' card.

None of this account describes the sideways glances of people trying to scan my boarding pass to see if they were ahead or behind my boarding. My colleague and I even tried different security lines to see who would beat the other through - competitive, do you think? And a great majority of the plane felt satisfaction that the very last person to board the plane was stuck with the seat next to the young mother with the crying child - a middle seat, of course!

And yet, even though that event took place a few short days ago, future traveling has already changed. Bin space will certainly be much more available. Perhaps as fellow travelers we will be more patient with one another, while once again and at the same time, more suspicious while we wait to board our flight.

It is somewhat ironic how our church experiences can sometimes be the same way. Aren't we quilty at times of queuing up for Heaven?

Trying to be first, or the best, or be standing next to the most popular? Praise God that I don't have to be the earliest to check-in for my trip to Heaven, or worry about bin space. Praise God that He doesn't compare me to my fellow Heaven bound traveler. Praise God that He has provided a way for us, in the form of prayer, to 'check-in online' with Him any time we wish. And, isn't it great that while I've already received my boarding pass, should I lose it, trample it, or misplace it, I can have it "re-printed" with His gracious hand?

Our God is an awesome God!

Blue Skies and Rainbows...

2006-07-29T12:29:00.000-07:00

It has now been raining for 8 hours straight... since 3:45 AM. Rare in Arizona, especially in the last 5 years. We've had two days of temperature highs only in the 80s - even rarer for July. I know it won't rain forever - and if I could actually get through the flowing washes and closed roads, I'd go somewhere. For now, I'll just enjoy the rain and the interrupted chaos.

It takes a long time to grow an old friend...

2006-07-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

A title in today's 'lifestyle' section of our newspaper:

"Keeping Friends" - Americans' inner circles are shrinking, despite technological innovations that make it easier than ever to stay connected

You can read the entire article at this address: http://www.azstarnet.com/accent/139382

The article goes on to state various reasons why there appears to be a 50% decline in the number of persons we consider "close friends", currently counted at 2 (one is a spouse), down from 3, in 1985. The suggestion? Susan Newman, a social psychologist at Rutgers University, attributes the decline in the number of close friends to be related to time and space. "We have less time to devote to our friends." she states. She also adds that "we need to be more intentional about hanging on to the friends we want, and less nervous about letting go of the ones we don't care about as much." (Does that sound harsh to you?)
Matthew Brashears, a researcher at the University of Arizona states that "It's possible, that the Internet and cell phones have led Americans to make a sort of trade. Instead of having three close friends you have coffee with on a regular basis, you might have two close friends and three more you e-mail regularly and talk to weekly on the phone."
So, what does this mean for the average American? Another interesting question - what does it mean for the average church family?
This article does not touch on those Americans who regularly attend church - something that should be bringing us closer together, and would probably change their research statistics. Yet, it is my observation that churches are having a more difficult time finding volunteers to handle servant roles - driving another member to the doctor; taking food for illness or bereavement; babysitting in the church nursery; teaching a Bible class; regularly picking up another member and driving them to church; sacrificing time to organize a women's retreat. Many of these servant roles are being handled by retired church members, members who have the time during the day to complete these needs. Not to down-play their service, but their serving does not relieve the rest of us from the responsibility.
Are we becoming too busy to serve God in our churches? Are we becoming too consumed with 'busy-ness' to maintain old friends and make new friends? Internet, computer, e-mail, instant messaging, blogging (yes, even that!), cell phones, pagers - all take us away from face-to-face contact with another living being. Don't misunderstand me, as I use all of the above mentioned tech tools regularly, as they help me stay in touch with family, especially my daughters, who don't live near me.
But, I wonder? In the time I've spent writing this blog, could I have called a friend and met for coffee? Or, sent a card to encourage a friend? Or ?

Whatever happened....

2006-07-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a particular appointment to keep, been on the way to work, or even on the way to church, and you are running late? You're rushing around, and the phone rings! You know you shouldn't stop to answer the phone, but you do anyway, and find yourself stressed because you're even later than you were before? Then, as you're driving to your intended location you come upon a car accident that has just happened. An accident that requires paramedics and emergency personnel. An accident that you know you may have been involved in had you not stopped to simply answer the phone.
And then you think - would that have been me? You thank God that it wasn't you, and pray for the people to which it did happen.
Have you ever been diagnosed with something or had a life changing event happen that caused you to try to think back to what may have precipitated the onset of the occurrence?

This week, someone gave me this quote: "Whatever happened, something happened before."

Meaning, I suppose, the we may never know the specific details of what forces combined together to place two cars in an intersection such that they crash together; that we may never know the specific carcinogen that invaded our body, only that we now have to fight it; that we may never know what minute particle combined with another to create havoc.
You may have heard of the movie "The Butterfly Effect." I haven't seen the movie (rated R), but I understand the concept. Butterflies flapping their wings off the coast of Africa, can create enough of a wind mass to effect weather in the Atlantic Ocean.
From the simple act of flying, butterflies have the capability to effect (and even affect) thousands of lives across an entire ocean. In science, the butterfly effect is part of chaos theory, or scientifically - The butterfly effect is a phrase that encapsulates the more technical notion of sensitive dependence on initial conditions in chaos theory. Small variations of the initial condition of a dynamical system may produce large variations in the long term behavior of the system.
Thinking on these things, what calms my heart is knowing that God is in control. It would be impossible to have peace were it not so.
Whatever happened, something happened before...
God is and was and will be.

Work?

2006-07-15T17:09:00.000-07:00

Ventura, CA

Arch Rock, Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, CA

Well, maybe it didn't seem like work this day.... Check out the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary at http://channelislands.noaa.gov.

Do you think they have any whales in the ocean?

You never know what you'll find #2...

2006-07-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

Strolling past the front door last night... looking for love in all the wrong places... our guest Tarry the Tarantula.
One of God's creations.
Can you see his 8 eyes? The two in front are easily visible, but there are also 3 on each side of his head. This may be a female as males are nearly black at maturity.
Could you have created this wonderful creature? Only God in His infinite wisdom.

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776...

2006-07-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

The first sentence of the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
I accessed the web and read the Declaration of Independence today - you can find it at http://www.ushistory.org, along with the Constitution and other historical facts related to the founding of the United States of America. Although the largest signature does indeed belong to John Hancock, other notable historical figures include John Adams (2nd President of the United States), Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Harrison, and Thomas Jefferson (3rd President of the United States).
The men who signed the Declaration were united in purpose even though their ages ranged from 26 to 70 (Ben Franklin).
Four years ago this October, I had the pleasure of traveling to Boston and seeing many historical places associated with the Revolutionary War - our separation from Great Britain. Standing in the Old North Church, and imagining Paul Revere's "one if by land, two if by sea;" walking on Bunker Hill and seeing the place of the first war battle; standing in Concord on the bridge where the first shot was fired; eating in Faneuil Hall (aka Quincy Market); walking the Freedom Trail.
Being able to see those places that signaled the birthplace of our country gives me only a glimpse of what it would be like to travel to Jerusalem or Bethlehem and see where Jesus lived. As the founders of our country were considered radical men, so was Jesus in His time. Imagine our response if a visitor stood up in our assembly and spoke words of purported prophecy and claimed to be the new Messiah! How bold and radical a move by Jesus.
I am grateful to the writers of our constitution for establishing freedom of religion, so that I don't have to hide my worship nor my attendance at church services. May God bless those that persevere to worship Him though they fear the consequences if they are caught.
Happy Fourth of July!

Dry and cracked, a little like the heat

2006-06-22T08:07:00.000-07:00

We've reached the point of the summer in Tucson where the earth is parched, the trees look a little withered, and it is a labor to keep any plant alive, even with the cooling refreshment of water.
Yesterday a monsoon rain rolled in - quietly, slowly building in the distance, until it impatiently erupted with a ferocity to relieve itself of its dust, wind, and water. It was welcome - at least the rain was welcome - but the accompanying dust that obscured the roadways caused the death of two people who didn't pull off the freeway far enough out of the line of truck traffic that incessantly moves across I-10.
I've been doing some reading this summer and would like to suggest The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, and The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd. Amy originally introduced me to Barbara Kingsolver, with her book The Bean Trees. The Poisonwood Bible and The Mermaid Chair are dramatically different but interesting all the same.
The books have been a welcome interlude - a way to occupy my mind from thinking too much about a little dog with degenerative neurological issues, and a respite from feeling dry and cracked, a little like the heat.

2006-06-08T19:33:00.000-07:00

We got the news today that our former next door neighbor of 15 years, died immediately of a heart attack on Tuesday while biking. He was only 45 years old, and leaves a wife and 3 kids (ages 19, 15, & 13). Pat was a terrific neighbor, good friend, and a wonderful husband and father.
That leads to the question - why? Why does God allow death in people who are happy in life, secure in their obedience, and good examples of humankind? Surely You must really need his help for you to take him from here.
So, Pat, I'm sorry that I never told you how much we appreciated your being there for Amy when she came home from school in 1997 to find out I was in the hospital; and thanks for being such a kind neighbor to help fix the fuse on our air conditioner more than once, so we wouldn't roast; and thanks for driving me down to Lindsay/Broadway when Allison had her car accident and no one else was home. But, most of all, thanks for being the person you were to your family. Your love for your wife and kids was obvious - and they loved you too.
God be with you 'til we meet again.

2006-06-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

Aloha!
This photo was taken in Ka'anapali, looking toward Black Rock (foreground) and Molokai (background).
We loved our visit to the Hawaiian Valley Isle of Maui and enjoyed all it has to offer.
We hope to go back in a year or so and snorkel again with the sea turtles, needle fish, puffer fish, buttlerfly fish, banner fish, reef trigger fish, and of course, humuhumunukunukuapua'a.

Mothers and Daughters

2006-05-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

One of the gifts I received for Mother's Day was a darling plaque that reads,

"Mirror mirror on the wall, I have become my mother after all."

I suppose in some ways that is true, but in other ways, I am not my mother. My mother died at the young age of 50, and I missed a lot of time seeing and understanding what her life was really like.
For example:
What would it be like to raise teenagers (not that I was ever a problem teen)?
What were her hopes and dreams?
What was her favorite pet?
What was her favorite vacation?
What were her favorite memories of me as a child?
Who took her to the prom? What did she wear?
How did she manage work and home and me and dad and extended family and friends and stay on top of it all?
When marriage stresses came up, how did she deal with it?
How did she develop an adult relationship with her mother?
The hard part about wondering about the answers to these questions, is also knowing that I'll never really know the answers. My mother dying young eliminated any chance of an adult relationship between mother and daughter. What young adult of 23 and newly married, really understands death? I was too wrapped up in graduating from college, starting a new job, and getting married to even consider the fact that she was going to die. Oh, I knew it was a possibility because lung cancer is serious business, but I refused to even consider the possibility.
The above picture was taken on my parent's honeymoon to the Grand Canyon in 1953. I am thankful to have recently found a group of pictures with the captions written on the back, that have given me some insight to my mom as a young woman. I miss you Mom.
My prayer is that my daughters and I will have the opportunity to know and love each other as adults, to build on our mother/daughter relationship. I love you both very much!

You just never know what you'll find....

2006-05-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

...on your front doorstep in Tucson!
This beautiful Gila Monster found his (or her) way to our front door this evening. We presume he's out looking for a mate.
This guy appears to be an adult, due to the size and banding. Although the bite is not usually fatal to humans, Gila Monsters do have venom. They bite down, then inject more venom into their victim as they start to chew.
If he's still visiting in the morning, we may have to find him (or her) a new home. He definitely needs a manicure!

5 Minute Brain Scan

2006-05-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things rattling around in my brain today:
I can't wait to go to Maui with my best friend.
God is so awesome!
Shorty is 12!
I never thought I'd take my dog to a vet chiropractor for an alignment and accupunture.
I love women who aren't afraid to talk, share, and be real with one another.
It's hot in Tucson today - but it's a dry heat.
Vanity is meaningless.
The one with the most toys still dies - does that mean they win or lose?
Solomon was the wisest, richest man that ever lived and he still drifted away from God. How can we learn from him?
Why can't an appliance work longer than 5 years without being repaired? I take that back, my Maytag washer is 15 years old and has only been repaired once.
Bob Barker is a hoot.
I love my job.
I don't want to go to work today.
I'm thankful.
I'm blessed.
I'm stressed.
I'm happy.
This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

heterogeneous v. kin

2006-05-05T06:47:00.000-07:00

het·ero·ge·neous
het·ero·ge·neous -he-te-ro-'jE-nE-us, Function: adjective Etymology: Medieval Latin heterogeneus, from Greek heterogenEs, from heter- + genos kind -- consisting of dissimilar or diverse ingredients or constituents : mixed. More at Kin.

kin
kin, Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English cynn; Latin genus birth, race, kind, Greek genos, Latin gignere to beget: a group of persons of common ancestry: clan.

Thought for the day: Within a body of supposedly like-minded people, why do some people feel like kin, and some people feel like they are not part of the clan?

Perhaps is because we are

eclec·tic
e-'klek-tik, Function: adjectiveEtymology: Greek eklektikos, from eklegein to select, from ex- out + legein to gather. 1 : selecting what appears to be best in various doctrines, methods, or styles 2 : composed of elements drawn from various sources; also : heterogeneous.

Return to first definition.

Canine Alarm Clock, Part 2

2006-05-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

The barking alarm started this morning at 5:30 AM. Wanting to allow my spouse to grab some more shut-eye, I crawled out of bed and let the alarm out the door for a quick morning visit, then returned to the recliner, hoping to let hubby sleep. Canine roused again at 6:00 AM. Repeat performance of prior visit. Again, the recliner. Amazing the noise at that time of the morning! A symphony (or was it a cacophony?) of sounds from all kinds of birds (not to mention canine). As I lay there in the recliner I could hear the screech-screech-screech-screech-screech of the Gila Woodpecker, who also joined the percussion section on the vent pipe of the roof, while claiming his territory; the chug-chug-chug-chug-chug-chug of the Cactus Wren; the gentle melodic song of the Rosy House Finch; the schoo-schoo-schoo of the young married Cardinal pair calling back and forth to one another from the trees; the occasional argument of several sparrows fighting over something unnecessary to be fighting over so early in the morning; the perpetual calling of the Gambel Quail, followed by his clucking to save his covey from an unseen imagined danger; and then the song of the White-Winged Dove. I fell back asleep to dream of a menagerie of animals in the back yard - kit fox, raccoons, red fox, javelina, bobcat, and even all the birds. Poor hubby, he never got back to sleep. : - (

Can it really be the end of April?

2006-04-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday! For anyone living in Arizona, April is a glorious time of year. The Saguaro Cactus (pronounced suh-war-O) are in bloom, with their bright white blossoms. All too soon the blossoms will turn to fruit and drop red, sticky juice when pricked by our avian friends, also signaling the beginning of a long, hot summer. The Prickley Pear and Hedgehog Cacti are sprouting delicously deep hued magenta blossoms. The Gambel Quail are starting to nest, and before long, I will see 12-18 little fuzz ball chicks following their mom and dad across the back yard. The first two weeks will be harrowing for the new chicks and their doting parents, so that only a small percentage of the new chicks will grow to adolescence and on to adulthood. It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the beginning of a new year, and yet at the close of our Lord's day tomorrow, the year will be 1/3 over. Why does it seem that time accelerates as we age? I'm sure Newton or Einstein might have had a comment, or perhaps it is the replay of "Back to the Future" on cable tonight that has me thinking of time - time passed, time present, and time to come. Which leads me to think bMark Schultz's beautiful song - "Time That is Left". How will you decide what to do with the time that is left? Given the abundant blessing I received this week, time is something to celebrate!

Tuesday Thoughts

2006-04-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

I suppose I was prompted to begin because I wanted to comment on a friend's blog. Well, here we are. I've never been one to journal, much less in an open forum inviting comment. I'll just ask, do you Sudoku?