ovadya

A New Era

2010-04-25T09:10:00.001-05:00

As it says...let a new era in Gardner-Webb basketball begin. Chris Holtmann takes over the helm as head coach for this next season. Here we go!

Digestive Concept

2010-04-20T08:04:00.002-05:00

When I see something like this, the first reaction is always..."WHY?!" The second reaction normally ties between, "How?" and a restatement of the previous, "Why?!" This has to be one of the strangest designs for a bar I have ever seen...rather, one of the strangest designs I have ever seen for a building in general. The Rectum Bar in Vienna is somewhat of a monstrosity, if you ask me. However, it is apparently a completely anatomically correct representation of the digestive system from tongue to...well, you know.

Would you buy a drink there?

Back to it.

2010-04-18T15:43:00.003-05:00

It has been far too long since I wrote something here, but let us not dwell on what has past.

Currently, I am pulling together a presentation on John Hewitt's poem "An Irishman In Coventry." As a result, I am also looking at some of his other works, biography, etc. A little bit of academic bunny-trailing, if you will. Amidst the side-stepping, I came across his Notes on the Art of Picture Buying, which I found wonderfully humorous...Enjoy!

Never buy a picture because it reminds you of a place where you once
spent an enjoyable holiday. A photograph is cheaper.

Buy pictures to feed your soul, as Hafiz nearly said.

Avoid the derivative repetitive artist. If he's not perpetually enriching
his own experience he can't possibly enrich yours.

If an artist solves your imaginative or aesthetic problems you ought
to solve his financial problems.

Reproductions are referential data for students.

Wouldn't you like to have been the first to buy a Monet or a Matisse?
Take a chance now!

What was good enough for your father is just too bad.

Buy a picture before its painter becomes famous.

Sculpture lasts.

Have something in your house made by a human being for a human
being.

Though It Be But Little...

2009-08-26T13:44:00.007-05:00

It is definitely fierce, and has been ever since the first one rolled off the line August 26, 1959. The unique styling of the Mini Cooper has become one of the most iconic images of the 20th. century.

The Mini was primarily developed by the mastermind employee of the BMC (or British Motor Company), Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis. He was later promoted to Technical Director of BMC and served in the motor industry until his retirement in 1971.

Understanding the power of pop culture, BMC made sure that Mini's found there way into the hands of the movers and shakers of the age, actors, musicians, models, etc. These cars were particularly effective for maneuvering crowded city streets, and thus became wildly popular throughout London. Figures such as members of the Beatles, Princess Margaret, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and Twiggy all joined the Mini craze, solidifying its position as the "it" car. Such was its influence that British fashion designer Mary Quant was inspired to create the "mini" skirt.

In 41 years, over 5 million Minis were sold and their success has shown little signs of slowing down. These bite-sized speed machines, with their iconic design have definitely made their mark on the automobile industry.

Happy Birthday Mini!

Mercy.

2009-08-03T11:08:00.000-05:00

"Ever let mercy outweigh all else in you. Let our compassion be a mirror where we may see in ourselves that likeness and that true image which belong to the Divine nature and Divine essence. A heart hard and unmerciful will never be pure."

—St. Isaac of Syria

Web Site Story?

2009-07-18T15:30:00.001-05:00

Ok, generally speaking the majority of things that come out of College Humor.com are not the post edifying pieces of material, let's be honest. However, I must say their recent parody of West Side Story is quite brilliant and sad all at the same time. It is entitled Web Site Story and is a 21st. century parody of the classical musical. I hope you enjoy a the silliness of it all.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

2009-07-13T10:30:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite songs. Words so true.

Morning by morning I wake up to find
The power and comfort of God's hand in mine
Season by season I watch Him, amazed
In awe of the mystery of His perfect ways
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He's always been faithful to me.

I can't remember a trial or a pain
He did not recycle to bring me gain
I can't remember one single regret
In serving God only, and trusting His hand
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He's always been faithful to me.

This is my anthem, this is my song
The theme of the stories I've heard for so long
God has been faithful, He will be again
His loving compassion, it knows no end
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He's always been faithful, He's always been faithful
He's always been faithful to me.

-Sara Groves

Red, White, & Blue

2009-07-04T09:22:00.004-05:00

For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail?

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.

-William Faulkner

The right to freedom being the gift of God, it is not in the power of man to alienate this gift and voluntarily become a slave.

-Samuel Adams

How often we fail to realize our good fortune in living in a country where happiness is more than a lack of tragedy.

-Paul Sweeney

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.

-Thomas Paine

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.

-The Declaration of Independence

e-mail in motion

2009-07-03T01:28:00.001-05:00

Thankfully e-mail doesn't really work this way. I think I would miss my Mac.

Mac Attack!

Do Re Mi

2009-07-01T12:33:00.002-05:00

A little Julie Andrews to brighten your day. This video was recorded in Antwerp at the Central Train Station on March 23, 2009. At 8:00 am, without warning, "Do Re Mi" began to play on the public address system. As bewildered passengers watched, about 200 dancers slowly begin to appear from the crowd and train stations. Enjoy!

Practical Architecture

2009-06-30T17:19:00.003-05:00

Or something like that....

London-based Levitate Architects developed this ingenious plan to deal with some space issues in the shared top floor apartment of a Victorian mansion block. They created a new loft bedroom, accessed by a "secret staircase" hidden from the main reception area. In order to accommodate the client's desire for a library, the architects developed an idea where both English oak shelves and treads are lined with books. Also, since

there is a skylight directly above the staircase, there is ample light for this unique library.

Some brilliant planning, in my opinion.

Alas, Alack

2009-06-20T10:08:00.002-05:00

I have been completely remiss in keeping up with the blogging world. Partly because I have only had internet one other time than this, but excuses, I know. What I have decided to do is as soon as I get home, I'm going to start posting my journal entries from Germany, so that I can catch up on what I have not filled in the internet world with.

In the meantime, here is a little story that served to only confirm my love for Great Britain. Upon leaving Frankfurt, I flew directly into London, whereupon I would take a train to Chester later on in the day. As a result, I had an afternoon to spare in Londontown. Dropping off my worldly goods at the bag check in Euston Station (for quite a hefty fee, might I add), I ventured out into the grey and fog. After purchasing my underground pass, I headed straight for what any good English major would, the book alley just off Leicester Square. Barely containing myself in the utopia of antiquity and dust, I dug through shelves, crates, and bins of gorgeous book after gorgeous book. Amidst one shelf, I came across a book with a white slip sticking out of the top. Generally speaking, any slip of paper sticking out of a book in a shop like this is a good sign, because it's making some sort of distinction concerning the work. As I went to pull the book out of the back corner, my heart skipped a beat (that might be a little dramatic, but I must say books do have a powerful effect on me)...Needless to say, it was one of the most exciting finds I have ever made in a bookshop. The book was a first edition, autographed copy of one of Dorothy L. Sayers plays, The Devil to Pay, and it was in mint condition might my add. I would have loved nothing more than to pack it up and take it home with me, but considering it was a grand total of ₤250 I thought I had better pass. However, I feel better having experienced such a piece of art, even if I could not take it with me...

Thus, solidifies my love for British book shops, I think you can understand why.

Step by Step.

2009-06-03T01:51:00.002-05:00

Pray for us.

We are climbing the cathedral tower at Ulm today.

Graffiti is the word.

2009-06-01T02:41:00.004-05:00

Well, our group escaped for the weekend and spent the past four days in Berlin. There are so many things to say about that city, but I must refrain myself for now, because we are heading into a lecture. However, one of the words for the weekend...graffiti.

I'm not sure I have ever seen so much of it in one city in my entire life. What is amazing is these artists are truly talented, what they can create with nothing but a can of spray paint is absolutely astounding. Unfortunately, they do it on some of the worst places, which may just be the point of it all. Sadly, basically every monument we saw had some form of marking on it, whether it was stupid tourists, feeling the need to scratch their names into various walls, or sub-cultured graffiti artists, almost nothing in that city has escaped unblemished. One can maybe draw all sorts of cultural commentaries from that, but I will refrain for the moment of going too far with that. However, Berlin is a city that has waded its way through some of the darkest hours in history, and although it has survived, one can definitely still see the scars.

I have not had a chance to download my 2400 pictures yet, so this is not a picture of mine, but they will be coming soon.

Travel.

2009-05-27T02:22:00.002-05:00

I am doing a little bit of reading before we head into lectures, so I thought I would just put up a few little thoughts until I can write a full post later.

The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.

Samuel Johnson

All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.

Martin Buber

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.

Seneca

Catch Up

2009-05-23T14:30:00.005-05:00

Ok, so I've been a little remiss in my blogging concerning my current trip to Germany. Ok, a lot remiss, but it seems as though whenever I sit down to it our internet decides to be ancient, and then I never get around to it again. But enough excuses, I am here now, and I am writing now.

Germany. There is a lot to say about the past 10 or so days. It has been an absolute whirlwind, to say the very least, but an enjoyable one at that. First of all, I could not have asked for a better group to travel with. Dr. Lahaie has been wonderful, and I have no idea where any of us would be if we had not had a professor that was a) German and/or b) completely fluent in the language...I do not care to think about that possibility, all I know is that I am incredibly thankful for her and her knowledge. In addition, my fellow students are equally delightful, and even though some of them aren't well-versed in the arena of travel (one of our girls had never been on a plane, before our 8 hour flight here), they have proven to be open for adventure and full of excitement and joy to be here.

How to catch you up? This just might prove to be the most scattered blog post to date, but thus far we have spent about 2 1/2 days in Wittenberg, a day in Bad Wimpfen, and a day in Worms. The other days have been filled with lectures, visits to museums, a castle, one very interesting theatre experience, and a few organ concerts. I stood on the world's largest wine barrel that has ever actually held wine, walked through Medieval streets, climbed towers from the 12th. century, and have not been in a car in 10 days (of which I am thoroughly happy, until I look at some of the prospects here, and then I wish I was able to test drive them all!). I have eaten white asparagus larger than my head, eaten a pretzel equally as large, and have walked more miles than I care to count, of that, however, I am thoroughly grateful, considering how good the food is.

Well, that should be somewhat of a good start. Tomorrow morning we are heading to Dachau and Munich, our taxi is coming at 5:30...I'm praying the alarm will go off, and that I will hear it for that matter.

And so I begin...

2009-05-11T23:18:00.003-05:00

Currently, I am sitting amongst all my worldly goods, deeming certain things necessary and unnecessary (even though I could, most assuredly, make a case for anything here to be "quite necessary"), to a 6 week adventure in Europe.

My main dilemma always ends up being with shoes and books, in no particular order. They are of equal issue to me when it comes to traveling. I like to think that I will always have a wonderful assortment of footwear when on trips, and likewise I feel as though I must have a small library with me so that I can choose exactly what I feel like reading on any particular day. I just do not find it appealing to lock myself into any particular "genre," in either my reading material or my foot covering. Maybe it's an issue of commitment, and thus something I should work through, but I like to think that it is my "creative" side that wants to be sure that the whole world is her oyster, incessantly.

I'm beginning to think it is a bit of both, but regardless this trip has stipulations...one bag and one backpack. So however claustrophobic I might feel in having to pigeon hole each and every one of my outfits and decide (beforehand) what my whim and fancy might be in terms of books, I nevertheless must make decisions. The boundaries of fascist airline baggage weight stipulations, combined with the fact that I am going to have to lug said baggage across a portion of Germany and the better part of England, dictates that I better make some very decisive, productive slashing of materials in the next few hours. Thus, I better be off, but I am now beginning the series of blogging over the next 6 weeks, centered around my travels in Germany and England. I have always had grandiose hopes of maintaining this blog in a timely fashion (and never really have), but this time around, I will.

Word Spy

2009-05-04T16:59:00.002-05:00

Finding new words or phrases, wordspy.com:

mindcasting pp. Posting a series of messages that reflect one's current thoughts, ideas, passions, observations, readings, and other intellectual interests.

zombie bank n. A bank that cannot lend money because its liabilities are greater that its assets, but remains in business because of government support.

kettle v. To maneuver protesters into a small area using a cordon of police personnel and vehicles.

Interesting, eh?

We Shall Build On

2009-04-15T06:01:00.002-05:00

We shall build on. On through the cynic’s scorning, On through the coward’s warning, We shall build on. Firm on the rock of ages, City of saints and sages, Laugh when the tempest rages, We shall build on. Christ, though our hands be bleeding, Fears, though our flesh be pleading, Still let us see Thee leading, For we shall build on.

-studdart kennedy

Thought.

2009-03-25T09:01:00.000-05:00

O Christ my God, shine forth on me and on all who dwell in the darkness of sin; show me the glorious day of Thy Passion, that with all men I may cry: Arise, and have mercy!

Graduation...or?

2009-03-09T09:16:00.000-05:00

The Voice of My Heart

2009-02-09T09:42:00.006-06:00

Although I am not known for my lack of words, there are moments where I find myself just simply without them. This may be as a result of my indifference to the subject in question, or really that I just don't feel the need to communicate. Lately, I have been wanting to get back to blogging; however, I inevitably question my reasoning behind it. Yet, last night I was reading Sir Philip Sidney for my Renaissance, non-Shakespeare, literature course and came across a line I found to be profound. This one sentence comes from Sidney's sonnet sequence Astrophel & Stella, and states:

Fool, said my Muse to me, looke in thy heart, and write.

Simple enough, but I believe Sidney touched on something profound for those of who are infatuated with words. I say infatuated, because that is precisely what I mean. There are some people that are just consumed, haunted, and fixated by words, I am one of them. They fascinate me. Their formation, their meanings, their structure, no matter what language, I love words. And so, inevitably, if one looks in a heart or soul, like mine, you are bound to find nothing but those strange things we refer to as "words"

Thus, I have to write. Not for anyone in particular, not to be published someday, not for anything other than it is the expression of my soul. And even though that expression may not be polished, intellectual, or sophisticated, I really don't mind...the purpose of the words I may write is simply for them to be...

As Confucius said, "Words are the voice of my heart."

Books

2009-02-08T18:47:00.001-06:00

A book is a fragile creature, it suffers the wear of time, it fears rodents, the elements and clumsy hands. So the librarian protects the books not only against mankind but also against nature and devotes his life to this war with the forces of oblivions.

-Umberto Eco

Words

2009-02-05T08:16:00.002-06:00

"When words are scarce, they are seldom spent in vain."

-William Shakespeare

My words have been scarce as of late. I have every hope of continuing the precedent of this blog, but one can never know what tomorrow brings...

The Party's Over...

2008-11-05T04:18:00.004-06:00

Well, the electoral process has spoken, and once again we have a president. I just hope that this country realizes that we need a lot more than the talk of change if we are going to move forward through the issues that confront us today.

Boise State!

2008-10-01T22:32:00.003-05:00

Boise State 38 - Louisiana Tech 3

4-0!!! Go Broncos!!!

A Prayer

2008-10-01T07:21:00.001-05:00

Lord, make me an instrument of Your Peace!

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console.

To be understood as to understand.

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.

It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

-St. Francis of Assisi

Thought For the Day

2008-09-25T07:29:00.001-05:00

If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; blame yourself that you are not poet enough to call forth its riches.

For the creator, there is no poverty.

-Rainer Maria Rilke

Behold the Naked Chickens...

2008-09-24T10:23:00.004-05:00

Well, sort of. They are naked, in that they are featherless. However, while one might think that this is some bizarre accident, some cruel twist of nature, this is not the case. In fact, these chickens were bred to be this way...Yes, indeed.

They were created by scientists at the Rehovot Agronomy Institute near Tel Aviv, Israel. The idea behind the creation of this particular...well, bird...is that it is a more convenient and energy efficient way of providing chickens to warmer climates. Without their feathers, they will be able to function in warmer countries and thus will make it easier to provide certain nations with more meat supply. Whereas before, there was the need to provide cooled facilities to breed chickens, which is too expensive. One plus is that the birds were not actually genetically modified, they come from a natural breed, whose characteristics have been known for at least 50 years.

Well, as you can imagine there are critics who say everything from, it will make them more susceptible to parasites or sunburn, to it will hinder the male chickens ability to mate because they cannot flap their wings. Joyce D'Silva, from Compassion in World Farming (yes, you read it correctly), says that the chickens are "disgusting" and "it's a prime example of sick science and the suggestion that it would be an improvement for developing countries is obscene."

My thought...hmm, yes well, if we would only have half as much concern for other things, we might not be in the trouble we are in...BUT, there are always the critics, no matter what idea you present, someone will always have their own opinion. That is part of the beauty of human nature, and yet in so many ways, its downfall.

So, to all the featherless chickens in the world, though some may call you disgusting, we hope you find your purpose, like every small boy and girl.

Current Tune

2008-09-22T15:40:00.003-05:00

One song getting a lot of play on itunes these days. It's a beautiful song.

Come close listen to the story

About a love more faithful than the morning

The Father gave his only Son just to save us

The earth was shaking in the dark

All creation felt the Fathers broken heart

Tears were filling heavens eyes

The day that true love died, the day that true love died

When blood and water hit the ground

Walls we couldn't move came crashing down

We were free and made alive

The day that true love died, The day that true love died

Search your hearts you know you can't deny it

Lose your life just so you can find it

The Father gave his only son just to save us

Jesus is alive

He rose again

-Phil Wickham

In Memoriam

2008-09-21T07:25:00.003-05:00

Michal Ann Goll

14 February 1956 - 15 September 2008

Always loved, never forgotten. A woman who loved unconditionally, her Savior

and everyone

she met.

Setting It Straight

2008-09-04T07:41:00.002-05:00

Well, she certainly dispelled some doubts, did she not?

It's kind of sad that the best the other side could do was take a potshot at her speech writer...really guys? Come on! I know you can do better than that!

This election is shaping up to by quite an interesting journey....

Thought

2008-08-25T00:33:00.000-05:00

Subtle is the Lord, but malicious He is not.

-Albert Einstein-

7 for 7

2008-08-15T23:28:00.001-05:00

HE DID IT!

7 Olympic gold medals!

Of course he did it in pure style, winning by the smallest margin possible! Absolutely stunning!

Never Say It's Over...

2008-08-11T10:07:00.001-05:00

The greatest relay of all time! Jason Lezak is my new hero! :)

What Must Happen...

2008-08-05T08:42:00.002-05:00

We have to condemn publicly the very idea that some people have the right to repress others. In keeping silent about evil, in burying it so deep within us that no sign of it appears on the surface, we are implanting it, and it will rise up a thousand fold in the future. When we neither punish nor reproach evildoers, we are not simply protecting their trivial old age, we are thereby ripping the foundations of justice from beneath new generations. It is for this reason, and not because of the 'weakness of indoctrinational work,' that they are growing up 'indifferent.' Young people are acquiring the conviction that foul deeds are never punished on earth, that they always bring prosperity. It is going to be uncomfortable, horrible, to live in such a country.

-The Gulag Archipelago-

Alexander Solzenhitsyn

A Man of Many Words

2008-08-03T22:29:00.005-05:00

Alexander Solzhenitsyn

11 December 1918 - 3 August 2008

-Own only what you can always carry with you: know languages, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag.

-Literature becomes the living memory of a nation.

-It is time in the West to defend not so much human rights as human obligations.

-It is the artist who realizes that there is a supreme force above him and works gladly away as a small apprentice under God's heaven.

Bless the Lord!

2008-08-02T22:36:00.003-05:00

Bless the Lord, Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth! In Him are all things, visible and invisible, in Him are all things brought to pass. In Him is all power and majesty, in Him is all mercy and grace. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, His Kingdom shall have no end. In Him we find our hope, in Him we find our joy. In Him we find our beginning, in Him we find our purpose. Bless the Lord, O my soul, bless His holy name, now and ever and unto ages of ages, amen!

Of Priests & Poets

2008-08-02T16:43:00.001-05:00

I do not question that we need priests to remind us that we shall one day die, but I insist that we also need another type of priest, the poet, to remind us that we are not yet dead.

-G.K. Chesterton

Just to be is a blessing. Just to live is holy.

2008-07-30T15:08:00.002-05:00

The title of this post is a quote by Rabbi Abraham Heschel. As I have mentioned before in previous blogs, my habit continues of reading multiple books at a time. I find though often that I am drawn to works in stages of life when I seem to need the wisdom or insight they contain. So often, I have a picked up a book that I have previously read, yet I discover something on every page, like it is a brand new work. Thus, Heschel's book God In Search of Man is currently being revisited. The profound simplicity of his words and his ability to communicate astound me every time I read him. Below is something I read today:

It is customary to blame secular science and anti-religious philosophy for the eclipse of religion in modern society. It would be more honest to blame religion for its own defeats. Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, insipid. When faith is completely replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit; when the crisis of today is ignored because of the splendor of the past; when faith becomes an heirloom rather than a living fountain; when religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with the voice of compassion – its message becomes meaningless.

True Words

2008-07-13T08:40:00.001-05:00

It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.

-Eugene Ionesco

For a flower, a beautiful flower...

2008-05-19T13:49:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year again. It's May in England. For five days out of this month every year, in Chelsea, London the Royal Horticultural Society hosts the most prestigious garden event, probably in history. The event has been held at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea since 1913, but it was first held in Kensington in 1862.

There are around 600 exhibitors, including 22 show gardens, 22 small gardens, 100 floral exhibitors, and about 300 garden product exhibitors. Exhibitors come from all over the world, from Sri Lanka to Holland, from Germany to Jamaica. There are a myriad of awards to be won, the most coveted being the Gold medal. The awards were announced this morning and the exhibit is open through Saturday. According to the website, 157,000 visitors will come through the show. Monday is Preview Day, in which the Royal Family has a private tour. Tuesday and Wednesday are reserved for the RHS members, while Thursday through Saturday is open to the public.

RHS staff, exhibitors, and contractors begin planning 18 months in advance, so plans for the 2009 show are already in the works. It takes 800 people 3 1/2 weeks to build the show. Construction includes 5km of piping, 185 toilets, enough canvases to cover 6 football pitches, and the showground covers 11 acres. The Great Pavilion covers 12,000 sq m and 17,000 sq m is relaid following the show. Around 250 new plants have been introduced at the show over the past four years. According to the caterers, 49000 glasses of Pimm's, 5000 bottles of champagne, 54000 cups of tea and coffee, and 28000 sandwiches will be consumed during show week.

The predominant color in the gardens this year is, well...green. :) Check out the BBC website to see all the pictures and videos surrounding this wonderful week.

Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more!

2008-04-24T12:46:00.003-05:00

I just witnessed something quite extraordinary. Really, I had to rub my weary eyes and stare in wonder before it occurred to me what was actually taking place.

As I slowly approached my dorm today, the sun beautifully beating down, the birds a-twittering, the various tanned (and not-so-tanned) bodies sprawling themselves out across the quad, I realized that something was a little different about the building I currently call home. *I say "home" in the outside-entrance motel, "I'll only be here for a short time" kind of tone.* Nevertheless, I see in front of me the good 'ole campus police Segway parked outside with a chatty group of girls. Intrigued? I certainly was. However, I must admit I was not quite prepared for what I was about to see.

I'm thinking flooding (which happened last week), maybe even an unwanted male aka stalker (has also taken place), my mind was bubbling with possibilities. However, when I finally arrived, the girls simply smiled and pointed upwards. As I looked up at the middle of our semi-circular dorm, I couldn't believe my eyes. There, standing on the quasi-balcony, meant more for decoration than anything else, especially that now this building (according to Mr. Police man on the Segway) is about 80 years old, stood a boy. So, had it not been for the gargantuan sign draped over the railing, the immediate question that surfaced in my mind was, what is a boy doing on the balcony/not balcony, which could at any moment collapse, of a girl's dormitory in the middle of the day? Well, the sign served it's purpose and explained it all it read, "__(person's name), will you go out with me?"

*pause for quizzical looks and subsequent awwww's*

I stood there in wonder for a moment, as I see this boy start warming up on a guitar (as if the sweltering heat was not warming him up enough). The girls turn to me and say, he's going to play a song for her, but she's taking too long getting ready. At which point, another girl (apparently the source inside) yells from a window that she was coming but still straightening her hair...My ladies, another reason why one should not spend too much time getting ready. You never know what could be awaiting you outside, so put that straightener down for crying out loud!

I stayed for a few minutes chatting, realizing this girl had no intention of finishing her hair soon, I went up to my room. Thankfully my room's window is on the inside, the same side of the balcony, so I opened my windows and kept on with my business. A few minutes later I hear this chorus of "AWWWW's" a "WHAT?!" and the first few keys of Lifehouse...it had begun. So I poked the better part of my upper body out of the window, gawking with the best of them.

When I withdrew from my obvious position of gaping, I realized that, apart from the group of girls gathered outside, there were others hanging out of their windows as well. Then I asked myself, what just happened? Why, in the midst of a very busy day, does all of a sudden one boy draw so much attention? I have one word for you. Chivalry.

As much as the modern woman may decry the old ways and traditions of romanticism, girls are suckers for chivalry. Every little girl dreams of her knight in shining armor, slaying the dragon, and rescuing her from her tower of despair. And even though today the boy was on the balcony instead of the girl, it reached back and touched something that we all long to experience.

Oddly enough, I had just moments ago finished a conversation with a girl who was calling a boy by some choice words because he had been leading various girls to believe things that were not true (blah, blah, blah). Yet, days before this I have been in the throws of making "I Hate Boys" mixes on my iTunes and sending out various Shakespearean insults. So, though it may be momentarily, my hope is restored. I am the last person who will say that I believe that there is a prince charming out there for everyone galloping around on his great white steed. It is not that I don't believe that true, fairy tale love exists, I do, I have seen it, but I'm not predisposed to think that as a girl that is my entitlement. But as Ionesco would say, "Let's not go into that, miss, that would take us much too far..."

So, congratulations little balcony boy, you successfully, momentarily restored the hope of pessimistic girls, that good men who want to pursue a woman in creative ways, still exist! Chivalry is not dead! It yet exists in the heart, though they may be few, they prevail!

An Experiment In the Absurd

2008-04-21T10:59:00.011-05:00

As my first semester back at University comes to a close, I'm beginning to believe more and more that the title of this blog embodies the past 3 months. As I have been told on many occasions, I retain a distinct inability to "break back in" to anything. If I am going to do something (especially something that I have done before), I will jump back in headfirst, often with a few casualties, generally sleep and sanity, but in the end it works out.

I have always functioned that way and I have been relatively successful in doing so, although there are those moments of extreme high stress, complete with excessive hyper-ventilation, ringing in the ears, seeing spots...but it always ends at some point. I have never been exceptionally graceful, and this is just yet one more proof, that I generally always come crashing to the finish line in everything, barely intact, bloodied and bruised, with some areas of spotty memory, yet there I am, with a wink and a smile...successful in my task, though it took nothing short of an act of G-d to get me there.

I used to sometimes like to think that I approach things in such a manner, because I knew that I work well under pressure and I liked to prove it. However, on the contrary, the great irony of life is that though we like to think that we do things out of the sheer brilliance of our own understanding...I realize now, something quite the opposite. Although my method is not necessarily the most effective, and resulted in a severe diminishment of my mother's health and sanity throughout my high school years, it shows me one thing. I can do nothing in my own power, and most everything that I have accomplished has the evidence of G-d's mercy and grace all over it, because there is no way that I should have been able to accomplish it in any way, shape, or form.

And so...all that to say, I have yet another testament to G-d's overwhelming mercy. This past week has been quite the experiment in gauging how well I really have recovered from the fiasco that has been the past 2 years, and thus far I have emerged, more successful than I ever thought possible. One wonderful thing that I am involved with here on campus is the theatre department. I have loved being active in something creative again, and it has been a perfect environment for me to do so. I have always gravitated to backstage when it comes to theatre, and stage managing is something I just love to do. So, we had a performance back in March, an original play by our director, Scot Lahaie, Gloria Dei. Then, we began preparations to do 2-short one-act plays by Romanian-French playwright, Eugene Ionesco, the master of absurdity. "The Bald Soprano" and "The Lesson" are comedic works of brilliance, I'm still not sure how a mind could create such absurdity in such an intelligible (almost) way. Needless to say, due to unforeseen circumstances, the night before "The Bald Soprano" opened (last monday) we realized that one of our cast members was unable to perform...one of our male cast members. Thus, in fashion of a stage manager needing to make sure everything runs smoothly, I was nominated, to play a man, in an absurdist play, in 24 hours (which fyi, I've never acted, minor detail). Can you see the inevitable act of G-d looming on the horizon? Well, G-d was truly merciful, our director was merciful, my fellow actors were merciful and wonderful and it turned out brilliantly.

NOW, if that was not enough (some might say that I push my luck or test the edges, pulling on the reservoirs of grace as often as I do, I simply reply that I like to keep G-D on His toes, and I have to believe that He enjoys rescuing me from my pit)...We had another set of unforeseen circumstances, leading to me being in the play that takes place this week (i.e. tomorrow). However, I do get to be a woman in this one, of which I am extremely excited (not to mention thankful, as my face still has not quite recovered it's first layer of skin from the perpetual application and removal of facial hair adhesive). We are still in the polishing stage, so I'm sure I'm going to be swiping my mercy card like a teenage girl with her daddy's credit card, but thus is the love of my Heavenly Father for me.

Thus, concludes my musings on my journey through the absurd, only to find myself back where I began, with grace.

The couples :)

My lovely, Traci aka Mrs. Smith

The men, 'er something....

Got Livermush?

2008-03-27T09:02:00.002-05:00

Well, Marion, North Carolina apparently has an abundance. Enough of an abundance to have a whole festival around said horrifying subject. Yes, believe it...It is the annual Livermush Festival, which takes place this year on June 7. The official even description reads:

Livermush Festival is an annual festival that has the feel of a county fair. Activities include a kids korner with rides and face painting, bands, homemade jellies and jams, a variety of food vendors,crafts, frozen livermush toss and dont forget all the livermush you can eat... Come Join the fun

Really? I have heard of some strange gatherings around some strange objects, foods, animals, whatever, in my lifetime, but this is one of the strangest. And yes, well, as much fun as a frozen livermush toss sounds, I will have left the state by that particular date, so I won't be able to partake of the fun...the tears are flowing.

New?

2008-03-10T10:49:00.003-05:00

Since we need official recognition of these sorts of things...Nothing for the fact that modern man is now so tolerant he can barely see the wood for the trees, and if he could, would understand the underlying principles of these "new vices" which, by far, are not new...As the article states, "Modern times bring with them modern sins" or is it rather, modern times breeds tolerance, which then allows things that have always existed manifest themselves in shiny new ways? As the saying says, my friends, there is nothing new under the sun...

How to...

2008-01-18T09:49:00.000-06:00

There is a little book...surprise, surprise, eh?...This book came out about two years ago, and I have been slowly working my way through it. It is entitled, Never Hit a Jellyfish With a Spade. Odd title, yes, and honestly with a title like that the author could have gone anywhere with the book, and more than likely it would not have seemed absurd. However, this gentleman did decided to invest in a subtitle that gave a little clarification to his prior statement. The subtitle reads, How to Survive Life's Smaller Challenges. Well, thank you, clarification is always a wonderful thing...this is totally apart from the fact that I never considered encountering a jellyfish, and just so happening to have a spade on hand, as one of life's smaller challenges, but never-mind that.

The book really is quite clever, and witty to boot. I just wonder where the inspiration came from really. Anyway, back to what it is. Essentially, it is a "How-to" book..evidenced by the fact that every chapter begins with "How to..." and then proceeds to tell us what exactly the author is going to instruct us how to do. There are a myriad things, everything from how to buy a pair shoes to how to win at sports day, from how to sneeze to how to be suave, from how to be a revolutionary to how to run a charity shop, and the list continues. It really is a wonderful little book, and though I don't know that I will use the vast majority of the advice that is in it, it is good for a little laugh, and I'll probably at various times, will post a little section here.

On that note, in true British style (did I mention this is a British book?), here is the how-to on making a good cup of tea:

A good cup of tea is one you can offer your plumber with no risk that he will then link up your bathroom taps with your electricity supply. This rules out any kind of fruit or herbal tea. The only possible exception to this is if your plumber shows up and says, 'Any chance of an herbal infusion, love?' There has been no evidence of this happening so far in recorded history.

Other weirdo teas don't count either. Early Grey tastes like someone has dropped a cigarette in dishwater and people who drink it tend to wear loose clothing and get tired easily. Similarly, steer clear of teas that sound like a developing world folk band, such as lapsang souchong. Real tea comes in bags, and that doesn't mean like raffia sacks in a delicatessen. If you can't buy your tea in boxes of 240 bags, then you're being sold a pup. Real tea is what the army refers to as NATO Standard. This is a dark brown colour with full-fat milk and two heaped sugars. Anything less and NATO would be seriously weakened.

Here's how to make it. While waiting for the kettle to boil, put one bag in the bottom of your mug. Some people boast that they can make ten cups of tea from one bag and you'll find them hanging out the used ones to dry. It's people like this who are mostly responsible for Britain's economic decline.

Pour on the water and then add milk. Then get your teaspoon out and give the bag a good bashing. THis is where the artistry of tea making resides. The trick is to swill the bag around until your tea is slightly weaker than desired. You then give the bag a little squeeze with your thumb to bring it up to strength. Just a squeeze until your thumb burns.

Give the tea a preliminary stir to check for strength. Only add more milk as a last resort as it's impossible to add a drop from a 4-pint plastic carton. Unless you've got the reactions of Zorro, a drop from one of these beasts tend to be about half a pint.

Finally, add sugar. Two sugars is the norm for working people. Tea without sugar is an admission that what you do in life doesn't require that much effort. If someone else is making tea for you, then it's best to ask for three sugars because people who don't take sugar can't stir tea properly (generally because they haven't got enough energy).

Thank you, Guy Browning, for your little addition to the humor in all our lives.

Latest and Greatest

2008-01-15T13:10:00.000-06:00

Right now I am sitting in the Mac computer lab at my school. I think it is relatively appropriate for my first blog from school to be concerning Mac. I mean, I AM a full-blooded, whole-hearted convert...a proud owner of a 15-inch MacBook Pro. Alas, I am not on my own computer, but working on any Mac is sufficient.

But let's get to the real point of my post...Today, January 15, 2008, Mac (not surprisingly) has introduced yet another ground-breaking model of a computer...MacBook Air. Now, you ask youself, is there really anything else that these people could come up with? Oh, that is just the beginning...from wireless downloads of applications from other computers (even PCs) to renting movies on iTunes...They have certainly thought of everything, and it's a computer built for the wireless world in which we are living today.

Check out the tutorial, by clicking on the title of this blog.

Prepare to be awed and amazed.

Revisited

2008-01-07T06:47:00.000-06:00

I am supposed to be packing my car right now, but you know...Today, I leave for school. Not that this is a new thing for me, in fact, this is something that I have done before, it's just being revisited...in a new way. Matter of fact, I did this exact thing about 18 months ago, packed up a car and headed to North Carolina. But as I told my friend the other day...I feel like I'm doing the exact same thing I did a year and a half ago, but with a little more water on the bridge. What that actually means, I think I will find out. What I do know is that I am going into this new, but old chapter, with a heap of perspective, a dash of wisdom (maybe?), a touch of age (let's be honest), and a whole lot more readiness...

Get It Out!

2008-01-03T14:50:00.000-06:00

"The greatest ideas in the world don't mean anything if they don't get outside the thinker's head."

I have posted this statement before...It was a very long time ago, but I did. It is my inspiration for this year...I AM going to blog, I AM going to write more, and I could continue but it would really just be hot air, until I actually do it...

Words Revisited

2007-12-04T12:50:00.000-06:00

Well, once again, I have been remiss in the blogging world! I don't know how many times I have started again, only to stop once more. Needless to say the past year has been harried, to say the least, but an accelerated growing process. That's one way of putting it. As a result, I have decided that as I step into a new place in the next month...new, but familiar...that the blogging must commence again.

On that note, I shall leave you with a poem:

Happy the Man

Happy the man, and happy he alone,
He who can call today his own:
He, secure within, can say,
Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today.
Be fair or foul or rain or shine
The joys I have possessed, in spite of fate, are mine.
Not Heaven itself upon the past has power,
But what has been, has been, and I have had my hour.

-John Dryden-
1631-1700

The Beauty of the Word

2007-02-24T23:35:00.000-06:00

I have always known, it has been there, right in front of me, I knew what it was, what it was about, I knew that it was rich, I knew that it was the greatest work ever written...yet, I have been struck...I have been drawn. As of late, the Lord has been working on my heart to reach deeper and further into His word, and I have been struck by its beauty. Oh, the beauty of the truth! What an amazing gift that we can read a book and know, undoubtingly that every word it says is good and true and beautiful!

"Who has believed what they heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord has been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and lilke a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He has oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul t the death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors."

-Isaiah 53

Finding A Balance

2007-01-29T21:53:00.000-06:00

Here is a passage from The Screwtape Letters, by one of the greatest apologists of his time, C.S. Lewis. This excerpt is a poignant exhortation to Christians to not be complacent in their faith and to be wary of religion that becomes diluted over time.

"Screwtape offers ways to cleverly exploit the Patient's dry spell:

'But there is an even better way of exploiting the trough; I mean through the patient's own thoughts about it. As always the first step is to keep knowledge out of his mind. Do not let him suspect the law of undulation. Let him assume that the first ardours of his conversion might have been expected to last and ought to have lasted, forever, and that his present dryness is an equally permanenct condition. Having once got this misconception well fixed in his head, you may then proceed in various ways. It all depends on whether your man is of the desponding type who can be tempted to despair, or of the wishful-thinking type who can be assured that all is well. The former type is getting rare among humans. If your patient should happen to belong to it, everything is easy. You have only got to keep him out of the way of experienced Christians (an easy task nowadays), to direct his attention to the appropriate passages in scripture, and then to set him to work on the desperate design of recovering his old feelings by sheer will-power, and the game is ours. If he is of the more hopeful type, your job is to make him acquiesce in the present low temperature of his spirit and gradually become content with it, persuading himself that it is not so low after all. In a week or two you will be making him doubt whether the first days of his Christianity were not, perhaps, a little excessive. Talk to him about 'moderation in all things.' If you can once get him to the point of thinking that 'religion is all very well up to a point', you can feel quite happy about his soul. A moderated religion is as good for us as no religion at all - and more amusing.'"

My Goodness! My Guinness...is Red!

2007-01-25T11:39:00.000-06:00

Guinness...The Godfather of all Stouts...The Nectar of the Irish Gods...
The "Black Stuff"...

...is undergoing a bit of a makeover this month. According to Diageo, the world's largest alcoholic drinks group and the owner's of Guinness, Guinness launches a trial of this intriguing new draught this month in 142 pubs owned by Mitchell & Butlers. The new Guinness Red uses a lighter barley for the ruby red colouring; yet, will maintain the creamy head of its traditional, darker predecessor and, much to a drinker's delight, its original price. In addition, it will maintain its 4.1 percent alcohol level and will be brewed at the traditional St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin. The trial period will probably last 3-9 months and is one of many trials that Guinness has released.

So, dear, Guinness drinkers alike worldwide...drink on! Just don't be alarmed at the tinge of your draught...it's a purposeful snafu!

Guinness Factoids:
-Guinness is served in 150 countries worldwide.
-10 million glasses of Guinness are consumed every day.
-Though heavily associated with Ireland, the parent company owning Guinness has been headquartered in London since 1932.

The Greatest Blessing

2007-01-24T02:03:00.000-06:00

"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I consider one of the greatest blessings in life to be friendship. I have been blessed to come into contact with so many wonderful people over the course of my life, and beyond that I have been blessed to call many of them my close and dear friends. There are many different kinds of friends...From ones that you see regularly, to ones that you may go months without speaking with, and yet when you do, it is as if you had just spoken the day before. From dear, close friends who are merely separated by distance, to acquaintances that grow and blossom into beautiful friendships.

As we walk through this life friends are one of the greatest gifts the Lord can give us. People to laugh and cry with, hope with, mourn with, have faith with...people for us to have, so we can encourage each other in our walk.

As Emerson states with friends we, "can afford to be stupid with them," which I consider one of the greatest blessings of all. Because, to be stupid with a person does not just mean that you are "senseless" it means that you can be yourself, there are no boundaries, you're allowed to throw caution to the wind and truly be you (which does, as you can see in a couple of the pictures does mean a bit of senseless fun). One of my favorite quotes on friendship is by C.S. Lewis, "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What?! You Too?! I thought I was the only one.'"

I am blessed, blessed to have so many friends. Friends to learn from, walk with, and love.

Unfortunately...I didn't have pictures of everyone...but I love you all!

2007-01-15T02:41:00.000-06:00

Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon their knees.

William Cowper
1731-1800

Blue & Orange Country

2007-01-03T02:47:00.001-06:00

BOISE BRONCOS WIN 2007 FIESTA BOWL!!!!!

So, I haven't posted in...three months, and so I thought it would be appropriate to come back to the blogging world at the New Year, with something truly exciting. The David and Goliath experience of the BCS series...one of the greatest wins in the history of college football...the Boise State Broncos beating the Oklahoma State Sooners, in Arizona, in one of THE most exciting games ever witnessed in college football.

Boise is definitely famous for one thiing in this country and that is it's Smurf Turf, but often times, people tend to forget that they're prety good at the football part too. The Broncos came in as the definitive underdogs, commentators all over the networks felt assured of the stability and toughness of the Sooners. Yet, from the get go, the underdog fought, and he fought hard.

If you missed the game, or turned the game off for some reason, go find the recap on the television or internet somewhere. However, you wouldn't have been the first to fall asleep, even Florida coach admits to dozin off: "I hate to say this, I fell asleep and my wife kept hitting me. She said it was the greatest football game she ever saw." Amen and amen.

And so, the Broncos finished off their year 13-0...the perfect season...with the perfect game...

And there, second in from the left, is the athletic director, my Uncle Gene.

Daily Reminders

2006-09-06T01:33:00.000-05:00

So a lot of life has been happening, but I want to share something that I came across again today that I think is a wonderful reminder...It is headed as the Marks of a True Christian, in Romans 12:9-21.

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. Repay no one for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Campfires, Cabins, and Woods

2006-08-15T07:21:00.000-05:00

This morning I am headed off to camp. Every year (since my 7th. grade year) my school has held a camp the first week of school as a time of fellowship, fun, and generally getting all hot and bothered. But the basic premise is that you are all getting all hot and bothered, soaked by the occasional summer rainshower, etc. etc. etc. together. It gives the kids a chance to get to know each other and their teachers in a way that would not be possible simply sitting in a classroom. So, I am going as a counselor for the 7th. grade girls and am looking forward to it.

And so, I leave you with another poem from my little book.

The Song of the Children
by G.K. Chesterton

The World is ours till sunset,
Holly and fire and snow;
And the name of our dead bother
Who loved us long ago.

The grown folk mighty and cunning,
They write his name in gold
But we can tell a little
Of the million tales he told.

He taught them laws and watchwords,
To preach and struggle and pray;
But he taught us deep in the hayfield
The games that angels play.

Had he stayed here for ever.
Their world would be wise as ours -
And the king be cutting the capers
And the priest be picking flowers.

But the dark day came: they gathered:
On their faces we could see
They had taken and slain our brother,
And hanged him on a tree.

Though I've Been Gone...

2006-08-12T21:46:00.000-05:00

So, I've been gone for a very long time again. Once I returned from England things got a little bit crazy. Actually, life just happened. So, there.

One book in particular that I bought in Cambridge has been the subject of my attention lately. It is entitled, All Day Long: An anthology of poetry for children. The book was compiled by Pamela Whitlock, and is a wonderful compilation. The poetry is by such authors as Chesterton, Belloc, Frost, Kipling, Tennyson, Wordsworth, Carroll, Yeats, and many, many more. In the introduction to the book, Whitlock states:

It is the moments of excitement that everyday things turn into poetry. Ordinary people like you and me can recognize these moments; here there gone; but try as we do to catch them, they always slip away. It is only the poets, who, in their craftily chosen words and rhythms, can make traps and spring them round some of the best and most elusive things. But we can, by just reading or listening, let out again for ourselves from their lines of excitements that we feared had vanished for ever.

The poems and verses in this book have been chosen because in each there lies - or so it seemed to me - some exciting thing. You may not, when you first come to each entry, always recognize it. Words must mean slightly different things to each one of us, and different emotions fit into different lives. But an anthology is an easy hopscotch ground and you can quickly skip on to something that does excite you. One another day you may come back to the same book and find yourself jumping through it on quite different stones.
Poetry cannot be kept neatly inside a book or even to certain hours of the day. Prey for poets lies about everywhere in all our mowst ordinary days. Any moment an amazement may easily turn up. So this book is arranged in the shape of a whole day...

All Day Long is only the beginning of an anthology. More than anything it could be called a collection of gaps. To fill these you must move swiftly on to more comprehensive, more wisely compiled volumes, and to each poet's own works. To make you want to explore further, to hint at what is to be found, is what this book, may do. You will not like all of it. When you leave it behind, take with you just those poems that have pleased and excited you. It is with these that you will be able to start the only anthology that would have delight breaking out for you on every single page; the one that you make yourself. It could be much bigger and better than this. It could be a most marvelous book. This, then, is only a beginning.

Thus, this book, though I am not interested by everything that this book contains (which I think should not be the case anyway, what we don't like is always a good balance to what we do), this book has enthralled me. So for a little while you will be reading some of the findings from this book. So for tonight, this poem is from The Sleep, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Of all the thoughts of God that are
Borne inward unto souls afar,
Along the Psalmist's music deep,
Now tell me if that any is,
For gift or grace, surpassing this -
'He giveth His beloved sleep'?

What would we give to our beloved?
The hero's heart, to be unmoved,
The poet's star-tuned harp, to sweep,
The patriot's voice, to teach and rouse,
The monarch's crown, to light the brows? -
'He giveth His beloved, sleep.'

Last Day...

2006-07-25T02:55:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm off to spend my last day with family in town and at my grandparent's house. I have lots to tell from last week's travel and from this past weekend, but, alas, there is no time right now, so I will have to get to that later.

The song of the weekend for me has been...

Rule Britannia!

When Britain first at Heav'n's command

Arose from out the azure main;

This was the charter of the land,

And guardian angels sang this strain;