Sweet Sunday

In today's world, this is especially poignant: "I need you, Jesus, to come to my rescue...where else can I go? There's no other name by which I am saved. Capture me with grace...I will follow you." 

 Hope you enjoyed a very sweet Sunday!

 

Saturday Sweethearts

I'm so thankful for how much my children love each other. Don't get me wrong, they have their moments of wanting to strangle each other, too. (Sometimes more often than we parents would like.) But it isn't unusual for them to find something fun to do together.

Here are my boys this morning, reading together from a pile of books I discovered on a shelf under our coffee table. They spent another half-hour reading more of them together.

Relaxing mornings. Amusing books. Brotherly love. Three perfect ingredients for a Saturday Sweethearts post.

Friday Funnies

I found a free app for my iPad -- called "Toontastic" -- that I thought might prove handy for school. It allows kids to create a cartoon -- using the different parts of a story. We've had such fun creating our own cartoons with it.

Here's the latest funny attempt that I created for the kids (don't laugh too hard at its dumbness):

Hellish Kitchens Returns

I am a huge fan of banana bread. I have always loved the taste and texture of it. I especially enjoy the Starbucks version which has chocolate chips in it.

So I was especially excited when I found this yummy (and tres facile) recipe on allrecipes.com. Not only is is super easy and tasty (pair it with your favorite afternoon tea)...but it's also dairy-free, which isn't necessarily a problem in our house but comes in handy when we have over-ripe bananas and no eggs.

Hope you enjoy it, too!!

Banana Bread

Rated: Submitted By: Irene Evans Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes Ready In: 55 Minutes Servings: 16

"This recipe's special because it uses no eggs or milk. I know that there are many people who are on milk-free diets, so this bread is perfect for them."

INGREDIENTS:

2/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup shortening 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup mashed ripe bananas

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Note: This recipe does NOT contain eggs or milk. In a large bowl, cream sugar and shortening for about 5 minutes (mixture does not get smooth). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with bananas, beating after each addition (the batter will be thick). Spoon into a greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until bread tests done with a toothpick. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2012 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 8/25/2012

Worded Wednesday

As I usually do a wordless Wednesday post, I decided to do a worded one today to go with the adorable picture our 3-year-old drew last week.

He asked how to spell the word "tortoise" because apparently that's what the little guy is...not a "turtle" like I originally thought. *wink-grin*

My favorite part -- after the yellow smile -- is the feet. He could almost be on wheels or wearing sneakers.

I love the imaginations of children. Always thinking; always creating; always, well, imagining.

Having a Ball

Mondays and Musings and Musings and Mondays

Our 11.5-year-old

Happy Monday! It's the second to last Monday in August. Nearly the end of another month.

You can tell the summer is waning. We've had a few evenings that were decidedly cooler than usual. And this morning the air felt even a little crisp.

Amazing.

It feels like Summer just started...though with the new school year looming, we know that's not true.

So our middle child had his "half-birthday" last Tuesday. 11.5 It seems so strange to think of him being only a half-a-year away from 12. Wow! One year later, and we'll have two teenagers.

Okay. Mentally filing that in the "Do Not Disturb" folder of my brain.

Edward had a quiet half-birthday. We did summery things, which means that we hung out, got bored, did some playing, ate some donuts. We gave him an inexpensive digital watch and a remote-controlled car, both of which have been enjoyed immensely already. Love when that happens!

Speaking of time, Edward started soccer practice tonight. They had to move his team up to the U13 since they didn't have enough players in the league. It should be an interesting -- and challenging -- season for them.  Ethan starts his U6 practices sometime in September. He's really really excited.

Speaking of soccer, we finally got a call for the ball bags we bought the boys. I special-ordered one in July for Edward because it was supposed to go with his uniform, which is navy-blue and white. We picked it up today. It was black. Hmm... When I went back into the store to inquire about it, they told me that was the only ones they had left in stock. When I pointed out that I "special-ordered" it in JULY, they shrugged and said that they don't even carry it in navy blue...just royal blue, red, or black. Sigh.  Both boys liked them better in black, so we kept what we "special-ordered."

Speaking of ball bags, we got Ethan an early 4th-birthday present: a Size 3 "football." He was so excited with it that he hugged it all around the store. We even got a chance to play with it last night. Emily took a bunch of photos as we played. I'll post some of those tomorrow.

Stuart took last Thursday and Friday off from work. He needed to have his computer serviced before he heads out on any other trips. It was taking about a eternity decade month hour to start up. Okay, so maybe not quite that long, but it was definitely longer than normal. (It brought back to mind the days when we had Commodore 64/Vic 20s...and you could start a program loading, go to the bathroom, get a snack, and return to the computer before it even finished loading. It always made me think of mice running on a wheel inside the computer's 5 1/4-inch diskette drive.) He called me from work this morning and said it was definitely running better...and even started up in about a minute or two.

So my Monday "chores" are calling. Hope you have a GREAT start to your week.

Sweet Sunday

We've been singing this in recent weeks, learning it since it's new to our worship group. I especially love the words in the chorus. Hope you enjoy it, too, and have a sweet Sunday.

"All I know is I'm not home yet.
This is not where I belong.
Take this world and give me Jesus.
This is not where I belong."

Saturday Sweetheart

A year ago, Emily -- newly a freshman -- joined Voices as a newspaper writer. She's done so well with it! And look how much she's grown since then.

Friday Funnies

Another of the wonderful "Simon's Cat" to enjoy. Hope you had a super fun Friday!

A Wandering Wonder

You know when you're feeling restless and wanting to do something different in life and then an opportunity comes up and makes you stop dead in your tracks -- in both excitement and fear -- because on one hand it's awesome, the "opportunity of a lifetime," and on the other it's just plain crazy, seemingly stupid, and/or completely nerve-wracking?

No?

Me neither.

Sigh...

Wordless Wednesday

A Tuesday Tidbit

We here at "Writer's Block" strive not only to entertain (hopefully...maybe? occasionally?...sigh) and opine about various subjects but to instruct, as well.  Learning at home gives us lots of credibility and "authority" to do so (hopefully...maybe? occasionally?...sigh), right?

So today we bring you an educational nugget of truth, sponsored by alert reader and friend Pete Fessler on Facebook:

Now you can say you've learned something new. *wink-grin*

Monday Musings and More

Happy Monday! Happy new week! Happy nearly-the-middle-of-August!

I've erased and rewritten my weekly calendar as we begin a new week. I always like the "clean slate" effect that has.

Tomorrow is Edward's "half-birthday." I'm not sure he's even thinking about it yet...or if he is, he's being very quiet about it. It's always a fun way to break up the year, while waiting for the next celebration.

We're edging ever-closer to school. I think the kids are beginning to feel ready for it. Everything -- and I mean everything -- around us is focused on it. I think they started bringing out "back-to-school" signs and supplies at the beginning of July. It's kind of a shame because it ruins the fun of summer break by reminding us that it will soon be over...or should be over...and it had only just started a few weeks before that. (Yet another example of the media breaking up families. Get the kids back to school so that Mom and Dad can have their space/lives back. Sigh. Okay. Okay. Getting off my soapbox... I think I need to move us to a farm way out in the country with no television and limited news. I'm reaching a point of saturation....

Ahem.

Getting back on track....

Stuart got back from Kansas, a day late due to some heavy thunderstorms the night he was due to leave. Because of that, though, he didn't have to go in to work when he got home, and we got to enjoy him for an extra half-day. Win-win, right?

Speaking of half-birthdays reminds me of whole-birthdays. Less than a month until Stuart's birthday...and a month from tomorrow will be Ethan's birthday. Wow!! While another year isn't (too) big (a) deal for us "old folks," it doesn't even seem remotely possible that our "baby" is going to be 4! Where did the time go? No. Really?!? Can it stop for a teensy bit of time? Just so I can enjoy some of the everyday moments a bit more instead of feeling rushed through them?  I'm amazed at how time speeds up as we all get older. It seemed so slow when the kids were smaller, like life would never really get going. There were still so many milestones to look forward to and reach....then suddenly those are reached and passed and everything begins to flash by.

Sigh. I sound like a broken record.

We introduced the kids to "Mystery Science Theater 3000" last week and watched another one on Friday night. What a hoot! It was a spy "thriller," filled with cliches and bad acting...perfect for the commentary of three stars of MST3000. We showed them a part of "Plan 9 from Outer Space" on Saturday night and all of us agreed that it was ripe for a MST3000 show. Apparently, according to IMdB, they did try to make it a show, but it was too long. "Plan 9" has some classic lines, though. One of my favorites is: "future events such as these will affect you in the future."

I'll end with a funny anecdote from Grammarly.com:

I love the power of the written word.

Sweet Sunday

"Jerusalem" is one of the most haunting hymns I've ever heard. Based on a poem by William Blake (one of my favorite poets), this song was also featured in the movie "Chariots of Fire." I was thrilled to hear it again as a part of a medley in the Opening Ceremonies for the London Summer Olympic Games.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

 

Jerusalem


And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green:
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On Englands pleasant pastures seen!

And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?

Bring me my Bow of burning gold;
Bring me my Arrows of desire:
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!

I will not cease from Mental Fight,
Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand:
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In England's green & pleasant land.

~William Blake

Saturday Sweethearts

My daughter put this photo together on her iPod. Isn't it the cutest? 

Who are your Saturday Sweethearts?

10 on 10

I saw this done years ago...and forgot all about it.

On the 10th of the month, you take a theme and post 10 photos related to it. I've done others here and here.

See if you can figure out my theme today.

Why not do one yourself? Leave the link in the comments so we can check it out. (Someday I'll figure out the "linky" thing.)

And a bonus photo:

Friend or Foe...or Somewhere in Between - Part 3

"Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold."

We used to sing that when I was a little girl in the Brownies. We would sit in a circle and cross our arms to hold hands with the girls next to us. My mom was one of the leaders, volunteering in the hopes that I would make friends and enjoy Girl Scouts as much as my sisters did. I didn't. And I didn't.

Not because I didn't try. I think it just wasn't meant to be. We moved soon afterwards.

The problem with the above song is that not all "old friends" want to remain friends. People today are temporal. We want to be friends with those who are tangible...right there in our sight.

We've moved from two different churches over the past few decades. We spent 18 years at the one and 12 at the next...and in both cases the people we thought were our close friends dropped us, forgetting us like we never existed.

It's not that they were trying to be mean. We just weren't there anymore. So, out of sight, out of mind...and heart.

It makes a person a little heartsick to think that we meant that much to them.

And it's interesting, given the amount of free social media options out there, that our friendships couldn't keep going. We have email, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Yahoo! Instant Messenger...etc.

But it takes work to stay in touch. Not everyone has that strength or the stamina. And sometimes we're so busy with our own lives that we forget. (I'm just as guilty as the next person for that.)

Where's that leave me and my little Brownie song?

Pretty much singing alone with my arms crossed and no one's hands to hold.

Maybe it's time to get off the social apps and start again...in person? Find new friends, who like me, need a little silver.

Maybe it will be a silver lining in the clouds.

But how does one go about finding new friends as an adult?  Any ideas or suggestions?

To be continued...

Wordless Wednesday

Of Time and Books and Love

I love books. I've always loved books. I think that's what drew me into writing at a very young age.

Growing up, we always had a ton of books in our house, and my mom was a great believer in going to the library for more. One year when I was a kid, we even spent a rainy day on our beach vacation at the local library.

I love the way books smell and feel and, well, everything about them.

I'm especially fond of children's books. I started collecting them when I was a kid myself. So it was a huge thrill, years ago, to work for Boyd's Mills Press, the book publishing arm of Highlights for Children. I got to see the process of publishing children's books up close and personal.

As time moved on, however, and babies appeared on the scene, my patience level waned for reading anything longer than a board book. I had a stack of books that I wanted to read...but never seemed to have the stamina to do it.

Once the older two kids became more self-sufficient, though, I began to read again...a bit. Then another little one arrived and my reading level dropped to the point of merely reading the front and back covers of books I hoped to one day have the energy to read.

And so the stack grew taller, until I finally decided that I'm a "collector" of books. As a collector, I have the option of reading or not reading the books I have on my shelves, right?

Somehow that relieves some of the guilt I've been feeling in having all these fun books and not reading them -- yet.

Works for me, especially since I still love books -- to collect and (hopefully) read. *wink-grin*

Fleeting Summer Monday Musings

Emily and Stuart on a facetime chat

Happy Monday!

I cannot believe that a little less than a month from now we'll be starting school. Yikes!

Our daughter starts 10th grade, our older son starts 6th (with 7th-grade math and language arts), and the "baby" starts kindergarten. How did all this come up so fast?

Didn't the summer drag a bit longer when we were young?  I remember having times when I felt extremely bored...almost (though I'm not sure I would have readily admitted to it) eager for school to start again. That said, I did like school, so maybe?  Still, I remember summer feeling like one long relaxing hot day.....

Now?  I feel like it's pretty much the same scramble as the school year. 

Ah, well. The play is over and now we can settle down for a few weeks and get some of the necessary tidying done in the house. I'd been hoping to get the dining room and kitchen sorted out before the new school year. I'd love to have more space (and less stuff!) for our lessons...especially with another student joining us.

Speaking of Ethan...  He's loving his Summer Bridge book and keeping right up with it. He's even trying to spell words for himself. It's amazing to watch him go. He was drawing a get-well card today and spelled "ritiin" on it for "written." Not bad for a nearly-4-year-old.

Speaking of Emily... (Okay. So no one actually mentioned her, but...) She's glad the play is over (practice-wise), but I think she's missing the acting part.  We had a great idea of starting our own little skit group to take some fun entertainment to elderly-care homes in the area.  Watch this space. 

My real dream would be to do a Christmas pantomime, complete with a humorous "baddie" and audience participation. Such fun!  Oh, that and open a tea shop. But time will tell.

No one mentioned Edward... But we finally sorted out last year's curriculum to send back and opened up this year's stuff...and he's well-chuffed by all the fun stuff he has this year. So well-chuffed that he was ready to start school today. Hmm... Hang on to that feeling, Budboy. Only a few weeks to go.

Stuart's off in Kansas for the week. We "facetimed" him after he left. I love so much that we have this technology now. It's such fun to be able to keep in touch face-to-face.

How's your week starting? Hope your Monday is a great one!

Sweet Sunday

This is what's been on my dishwasher lately. Ethan put it there, spelling each word all by himself.

Awesome, huh?

Moreover, God is awesome for creating this sweet little boy.

Saturday Sweetheart

It's always so amazing how quickly our children grow. 

This is Edward, our 11-year-old sweetheart. His is one of the most imaginative, funny, quick-learning boys I've ever known. He has a heart as big as a canyon, and he desires to be a missionary pilot when he grows up. I don't know if God will call him to do that, but it warms my heart to hear him talk about it.

I know he feels a bit slighted at times by his big sister and little brother seeming to get all the attention, so I wanted to honor him with this post today because sometimes -- more often than I like -- I forget the treasures I have right in my own house. 

We get so busy looking around on other people's blogs or on Facebook...and the best-est stuff ever is sitting right next to us.

Love you, Budboy!

Friday First and Funnies

Tonight, we had the honor of watching our awesomely gifted daughter and the rest of the talented cast perform "Twelfth Night" for the first-ever "Shakespeare in the Park" offered by the Berks County Parks and Recreation Board.

As it's a comedy and the first time ever done in a park in our county, today's post counts as a Friday First and a Friday Funny.

We are so proud of Emily and all the hard work she and the others put into this production.

And fun was had by all!

Some photos:

In the Middle of the Street

"Our house...in the middle of the street... Our house..."

Remember that song?

We've been doing a lot with houses at the moment.

A few days ago, I braved the heat of our attic and dug out the "Happy Street" sets we began buying when Emily was a baby/toddler.

It was a joyous reunion of all the various sets and people. Ethan was amazed -- and delighted -- by it all.  His siblings were wistful and a bit regretful that they didn't spend more time playing with it.

We put together a few sets and dusted off a few more and set up the people and cars, and Ethan began to play with his newly established English village, Happy Street.

He played and played. He loved it!

After a day of playing with it, I asked if I could join in.

I had some of the little children and older people figures set up at one end of the "village" we'd created. He had the emergency center with the firemen and police constable.

Suddenly, the constable drove madly down the street and knocked down all of the people I set up.

Ethan laughed wickedly.

I laughed, too, and asked him what he was doing.

"Now it's 'Sad Street,'" he told me with a giggle as he helped me reset the people..

Hmm...methinks somebody is watching too many of his brother's iPod games? *wink-grin*

Wordless Wednesday

Freedom of What?

The thing about freedom of speech is that it has to go both ways. You cannot tell one side to agree...or shut-up. Sort of goes contrary to the whole meaning of freedom, right?

So I don't agree with the lifestyle choice of the lesbian and homosexual community. (Earth-shattering, I know.)  I don't appreciate them trying to redefine marriage, and I most especially despise their perception of my opinion as being "hateful" to them.

I disagree, but that does NOT mean I hate them.

We've gotten away from the concept of separating beliefs from the actual person.  I use the Bible as the basis for my values and beliefs. I may say that in public or in private to friends or acquaintances. But I never shove it down their throats. That's part of the freedom. To choose to believe or not to believe.

When people (especially those of public-figure stature) actually tweet about their desire for people who eat at certain restaurants (owned by people who support my view of traditional marriage) to get cancer and die....

WOW!

Really?!?

And what's even sadder is that that's okay for them. If someone from the other side says that? It's considered a threat and horrific (which it is from either side).

Hmm...

Civilization can only exist where its citizens respect and honor each other -- on both sides of any subject.

It's agreeing to disagree...and loving each other despite the differences.  Since when did we become such an intolerant people?

It's a freedom to say something and a freedom to listen. In the case of stuff I don't agree with, I just choose not to listen. But the difference is I never tweet about it...or wish ill on someone who believes the opposite of me.

Sigh.

As another blogger noted: Choosing to boycott a fastfood restaurant chain because you don't agree with the owner's opinions and beliefs...such a first world problem.

How indulged are we?

Plenty of companies openly support the lesbian and homosexual communities.  You don't hear the rest of us calling on the fires of Hell to destroy them, right?

Know that even if you support those causes -- or any others I might not agree with -- I still love you. And because of that, I can agree to disagree with you.  That's TRUE freedom of speech.

Mondays and Musings: Perfect Together

Happy Monday! The final Monday in July! Jeepers.

FINAL Monday in July?

That means we have only ONE month left of summer vacation. Considering how fast the first month and a half went, that isn't long.

Still, we'll enjoy it and the hazy/lazy days of the rest of summer...if we can.

I'm attempting to do some reading this summer. I finished The Janson Command last week and started The Cry of the Halidon by Robert Ludlum. So far so good.  I have a stack of other books to read, and I'm hoping this greases the wheel for me.

So, Emily continues practicing for the "Twelfth Night" play. It will be performed this coming Friday and Sunday -- pending no rain. I think she's getting excited. We sure are...though we've been missing her, too.

The boys are enjoying our recent walks to the park. We've been trying to get outside more...to run off the endless energy Ethan seems to have and build up Edward's endurance -- getting some steps for Mommy and Daddy in the process. We've been trying to hit 10,000 steps every day. I haven't done too well with it yet. I can usually get between 6,000 and 8,000, but the extra 2,000-4,000 have eluded me. I'm not giving up, though. There's a "dancing guy" that appears on my pedometer when I hit 10,000 steps, and I want to see him.

Speaking of school starting, we're getting pumped up for it. Edward's curriculum should arrive tomorrow and Wednesday. It's always so much fun to see what schoolwork he'll have for the year. (A bit like opening a birthday or Christmas prezzie.)

And speaking of Christmas...

ONLY 148 shopping days left....147 if you don't shop on Christmas Day.  And so endeth the Christmas Shopping public service announcement. Still plenty of time. Pleennnnnnnty of time.

I'm here for you.

Sweet Sunday

We had a guest worship group -- Heartsong from Cedarville College -- lead us in our church service today, and one of the songs they chose was the one below.

I love the words...especially knowing that my God is stronger than anything I will ever face. And in an election year, those are a comforting promise!

"It is written:

Christ is risen.

Jesus, You

Are Lord of all!"

Praise God for who He is, and have a super sweet Sunday!

   

Saturday Sweetheart

Here is Jane, our not-so-modest sweet kitty. I love that she lays around like this. So relaxed.

Friday Funnies

We got to see the trailer for another funny kids' movie coming out later this year. It's looks funny and poignant...and cute.

Enjoy, and have a fun Friday!

Friend or Foe...or Somewhere in Between - Part 2

So I started on this subject a few weeks ago in this post.

Friendship has always lent itself to some pretty deep pondering...about oneself and about others...at least in my life. Sometimes it's hard to figure out why some people have so many and others seem to have none.

We have mixed feelings about the telephone in our house.

Sometimes we are excited by its ring...and sometimes we are angered...and sometimes it doesn't ring at all.

We love for the phone to ring when its someone we love -- or, for me, when it's a source I've been trying to get in touch with for an article.

We're mad when it's telephone solicitation...or a campaign call...or a wrong number with someone asking for the same people...again.

It's a bit perplexing at times when it's silent, and we realize that the phone doesn't ring for us very often.

My mom has been encouraging us to get to know people and make new friends. She gets very worried about the kids seeming to not have any friends. She doesn't see the effort I've put into helping them find some and how that effort falls flat. If it happens enough times, people finally give up.  I mean, why is the onus always on us to make friends? Why aren't other kids seeking out our kids for playdates?

Phone numbers are exchanged, but no one calls -- on either side.

Sometimes we're told it would be different if our kids went to school.

Hmm... I agree that they would be exposed to more kids, thereby the possibility for friendship goes up, but that doesn't guarantee friends. It seems that people need to be "desirable" to draw friends. I'm guessing we're not.

The kids go to activities -- at church and in our community. We ask the parents/kids to meet up. We get lots of smiles and lots of "sounds great"s. But still the phone never rings...the emails never come, even in response to our calls/emails.

But it's a different world these days -- a world filled with activities of all sorts and electronics of even more sorts. People are busy, busy, busy.  Kids don't play outside anymore.

At least not where we live.

We know. We've "trolled" the neighborhood, looking for someone to meet and get to know and play with. And when kids do play outside, they're not interested in meeting new kids to add to their group of peers. 

No one encourages it either.

We get polite smiles from the adults and wide-eyed stares from the kids. And one look at my kids as we continue to walk, and I know and feel their disappointment.

My point is this:  Friendship is a two-way street. Both sides need to be seeking and working at it for it to work. When just because one side tries and nothing comes of it doesn't mean that there's something wrong with them or they aren't trying hard enough. It becomes easy to think that.

Ah, well.  Enough pondering -- and complaining. We'll keep on trying...or perhaps it's time to move?

At least we'd get a new phone number.

To be continued...

Wordless Wednesday

Have One's Cake...

There's a famous expression that goes something like this: You can't "have one's cake and eat it, too." 

According to Wikipedia: To have one's cake and eat it too is a popular English idiomatic proverb or figure of speech, sometimes stated as eat one's cake and have it too or simply have one's cake and eat it. This is most often used negatively, to connote the idea of consuming a thing whilst managing to preserve it. This may also indicate having or wanting more than one can handle or deserve, or trying to have two incompatible things. The proverb's meaning is similar to the phrases, "you can't have it both ways" and "you can't have the best of both worlds." Conversely, in the positive sense, it would refer to "having it both ways" or "having the best of both worlds."

I did the unthinkable today. I don't know why I did it. Afterwards I wished in many ways that I hadn't done it.

But I did. 

So there you have it.

What was my heinous crime, you might wonder?

I went onto Dan Cathy's Facebook page and posted some kudos to him.

(I'll pause whilst you gasp and choke and decide whether or not you can associate with me anymore.)

I know. I know. I should have stayed away. After all, it's only the ones who oppose his views that are allowed to comment on his recent statements.

Or is it?

It's an interesting world we live in at the moment. 

Interesting in that only one side of any given issue is "allowed" to be spoken. Everyone else must be silenced or else threatened, bullied, and basically made to feel vile for having an opinion opposite of the politically correct/acceptable one.

Um...whatever happened to Freedom of Speech?

Seems to me that it goes both ways. I have to listen to your thoughts and respect you for having and/or sharing them...and you are obligated to do the same.  That's a polite society...that's called respecting one another.

Respecting you doesn't mean I agree with you. But it does mean that I don't hate you...or wish you were dead...or think you're a bigot, ignorant a**hole for your viewpoints.

But that's exactly what people who disagree with Dan Cathy's personal statement on his beliefs think. I posted the following and within seconds got the comments below it:

"Thank you, Dan, for being a public figure who stands up and is HONEST about his beliefs. It is so refreshing and such a blessing to have someone for our kids to looks up to. We will always support your business. And we thank God for you!!"

Comment 1: Learn to be a good Christian and not hate.

Comment 2: What an interesting parent you must be to want your kids to look up to the president of fast food who advertises his "Christian" morals of hate!

Wow!

What did I say that made them think I hate anyone?

And, for that matter, what did Dan Cathy say?

Here's a snippet from an article I read:

Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy said this week that his privately owned company is "guilty as charged" in support of what he called the biblical definition of the family unit.

The Atlanta-based chain opened its first location in a Georgia mall in 1967 and grown to more than 1,615 restaurants in 39 states and Washington, D.C., with annual sales over $4.1 billion, according to its website.

"We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that," Cathy told the Baptist Press, the news agency of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Later in the article:

Chick-fil-A released its own statement, saying it has a history of applying biblically-based principles to its business, such as keeping its stores closed on Sundays.

"The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect — regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender," according to the statement.

"Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena," it said.

Seems to me that people want their opinions heard, but they don't want to listen or read or see or know that the other side is disagreeing -- respectfully -- with them. And that's sad to me. I hear and read and see and know that the other side disagrees with me...but I never call them names or belittle their ideas or hang about on sites they like and wait to post mean comments. 

Whoa.  It's called Freedom of Speech? Something that we're all -- on both sides of the aisle -- guaranteed.

That I could post something personal and seemingly benign that within seconds had comments against it just makes me wonder if these people have too much time on their hands.

Or maybe I just live in a bubble most of the time...  Maybe this is really how the world behaves...

I think I'll go back inside that bubble for awhile...and maybe I'll take a piece of cake with me.

Many Musings on Monday

Happy Monday!  The second to last Monday in July.

Woohoo! Wowee! Sheesh!

Time is speeding along!

So we had a crazy-busy week last week. (Sometimes that's every week -- especially during the school year -- but this was a busy "late-night" week...followed by a busy weekend.

We signed the boys up for Vacation Bible School at our church. I really like the concept of VBS. It's a fun time for kids to get together and learn more about Jesus and the Bible. Doing it late at night (6 to 8:30) for five nights...not liking that so much. But both boys really enjoyed it, though for Ethan (and me) it was REALLY LOUD. The loudness stimulated him so that by the time we got home at 9 p.m., he was a really wired boy. We figured out ways of calming him on the way home -- soft music, Bear & Blankie, quiet stories, warm milk -- for the subsequent days.

Ethan felt very clingy, especially the first night, so I stayed with him for the whole week.  It was interesting to tag along with the PreK group as a end-of-the-line-wrangler-of-stray-kids. Hopefully, I was helpful?  I got to know the two leaders a little bit, and Ethan got to meet some of the kids he might be in Sunday School with.

Edward had a blast! He already goes to "Flight 56," which is his Sunday School, so most of the kids there were buddies already. We're glad to see him come out of himself. He was always so shy when he was younger. He still struggles sometimes with eye contact and feeling shy, but he's come a looooong way.

Emily continues to practice for her play, including every day last week. One of the lead actresses had to be replaced at the last minute due to getting really ill. That disheveled everything a little, but the cast seems to have righted itself and is back on track. They perform a week from this Friday and Sunday. I know that she's enjoying it, but I think Emi's ready for it to be finished.

Ethan had his "date" with my sister last Tuesday. She took him to Chuck E. Cheese for the morning. Again, he felt a little shy to stay by himself, but I tried to stay in the shadows and just take photos. He was hilarious!

We finished VBS on Thursday evening and followed it with a weekend celebrating the veterans of World War II. We manned the kids' games area. Since it was filled with re-enactors and there was a Big Band dance/concert later in the evening, we decided to get in on the fun. I'll end my musings for the day with some photos from last week.

Celebrating Emily's acceptance to the National Honor Society

Chuck E. Cheese with Aunt Sandy

Racing at VBS

World War II Days at Historic Joanna Furnace