Our Road to Emmaus

In 2009 we visited the Holy Land on a tour with our church, Upper Arlington Lutheran Church and Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Columbus. St. Jerome called this kind of pilgrimage, the fifth gospel. And it is, indeed, as all the readings and stories you've heard for years come alive.

 
According to Fr. Sebastian White (editor of Magnificat, April 2021, p. 3-5) the one place we're not sure we saw is Emmaus, the place two disciples were heading when the risen Jesus joined them on the road. There are 6 contenders! Not to worry, the Bible is very clear even if modern explorers can't agree on the historical location. It's the road that represents "every place," -- "the road every Christian, every person takes. The risen Jesus makes himself our traveling companion as we go on our way, to rekindle the warmth of faith and hope in our hearts and to break the bread of eternal life." (Pope Benedict XVI)

How Chuck Schumer really feels

Notre Dame Graduation 2017 and 2009

A few dozen students walked out on Vice President Pence at the Notre Dame Graduation in 2017. It's their right to leave history in the making. Obama also created an historic moment in May 2009 and used a Notre Dame graduation to slam the Catholic Church by announcing embryonic stem cell research would continue on our tax dollar, undoing Bush's executive order (and no one sued him). He was too late; the research had moved so quickly during the Bush years we no longer needed that death trap. Despite its availability (was never illegal or banned) embryonic stem cell research had never produced that first cure or break through. Obama was so rude and narcissistic he thought his pretty words on abortion and holding hands could undo Catholic dogma 2000 years old on the sanctity of life. All he did was make himself look foolish in his first year as president. And thereafter, in my view.

Today is November 1 and it's 80 degrees

We'll be eating on the deck this evening. Baked chicken, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, and chocolate pie.  I was looking through some October 2009 blogs and found a photo of our almost completed sidewalk improvements that apparently our wealthy suburb got from the ARRA, Obama's stimulus to get the economy going again.  Of course, the recession was over in June 2009, and has been the slowest recovery ever, other than the Great Depression, which FDR managed to drag out for almost a decade through government interference in the economy.  Since my husband's surgery, we've been doing a lot of walking.  I don't like to do the hill shown in this photo, so I walk south to the church parking lot and circle around, and he continues to the north to the next corner.

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2009/10/thanks-america.html

New Year's Resolution for 2010

Looking through last year's resolutions, it appears I didn't post them (13) because they were so boring, but instead I blogged about them as they came to mind. I must be the only person in the world who made a resolution to buy a decent floor lamp--#5 on the list. You'll be thrilled to learn that I bought one on Dec. 30, 2009--I would have rejected it in January, but I finally concluded there are no decent floor lamps anymore. I put it in a corner of the living room where I hope no one will notice it, and when I turn it on it reflects on the ceiling and 2 walls, and improves visibility.

I also dusted off a resolution from 2006 to get back to my watercolor, #9 and join Mindy's class. I actually did a few--maybe 10 through the year, and about 70 drawings/sketches. At least I had enough to make it into an art show. I sort of did 11 and 12 which involved cleaning kitchen and bathroom cabinets. I may have been really crazy and did those twice! #13 was to read Dewey, and suggest it to the book group--did that.



And my new word a day--well, that didn't last too long, but I still keep an eye out for words or phrases new to me. Today it was "boom bag raft" (a method to move logs on lakes). The worst day was when I found vaticinated, decoction, phantageusia, ventoseness, noisome, hyposmia, anosmia, retronasal, orthonasal and habromania all in the same book review!

Another 2009 resolution was to read a chapter a day in a 10 volume set of Westminster Pulpit (compiled from sermons of G. Campbell Morgan preached about 100 years ago). I got about half finished then began reading other things and never got back to it.

I did successfully complete #6, which was to join the exercise class at UALC, Lytham Road, 9:15-10:15, M-W-F.

This year's is much simpler. Keep a gratitude journal. Not sure if it will be a blog.

Vote No on Issue 4 (Library) of $25 million

This information comes from the letters in the UA News, April 22

If a school levy fails, people lose jobs, children's education is strained and communities suffer. But the library levy is not one of those. It is an overpriced, ballooned request upon citizens in a challenging economic climate.

This is the third time the library tax has increased since 2001, and should it pass, UA taxpayers will be paying nearly five times what they paid to the library just 8 years ago.

Of the 3 plans presented to the library board, the most expesive was chosen, and added to.

Operating costs are not included in this request. Therefore, we can expect more down the road.

No library employees will lose their jobs if this levy fails.

Over half the UA library patrons live outside the city of UA and do not pay UA property tax.

One letter writer counted 18 chairs in the atrium, 4 in the video area, 3 being used. Saw children using study cubicles for coloring books. [Actually, I applaud the parent for bringing something to keep the children busy, rather than letting them run loose disturbing others.]

A $25 million dollar levy is over the top for unnecessary expansion. Most seats are vacant. There are a dozen DVD copies of the movie Elf. [And 15 copies of anti-Bush books, and every movie Michael Moore ever made.] Proponents arguments are not for literary or educational need, but for more free entertainment.

People are losing their jobs. Why gold plate the library? Does it really need a cafe, a gathering place, fireplaces--after an outcry these perks were removed, but do they think the taxpayers have forgotten? A $25 million levy goes far beyond "improvements" and is empire building.

If issue 4 passes, UA tax payments to the Library will rise from $996,000 in 2001 to almost $4.7 million annually.

Of the proposed 35,000 sq. ft. Tremont (main) expansion more than 1/3, 14,000 sq. ft. is for the library's staff/mechanical storage space, and the entire lower level will be off limits for patrons.

Two of the library's trustees voted against the levy, citing the bad economy.

Critical repairs are needed: the library has $3 million+ on hand for that.

Other details at changeinua.org.

The recent Miller Park (south of Lane Ave.) branch totaled about $1 million--administrators said no public funds would be used, but records show otherwise.

Residents opposed the "cafe" originally proposed; now it's called a vending area.

Advice from a resident: rein in tax increases, budget for necessary maintenance, prioritize services, heed board members Magill and Perera; be accountable to voters.

Great 2009 Resolutions for Obama Administration

The Heritage Foundation is looking forward to some adjustments/changes, as we all are. I agree with most. Especially keep the Bush tax cuts in order to not further sink the economy. Right now his selection of helpers looks like either a Clinton third term, or a quasi-Bush third term, but Obama didn't get to the White House by revealing his hand too soon. So I'm not feeling as good as the leftists are bad. Here's what Heritage Foundation, via its blog, The Foundry, suggests:

TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT [got a poor start here]
END OF TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program) and deny any requests to use the second $350 billion of taxpayer funds.
IRAN WITHOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS
NO NEW TAXES: Obama will make all of President Bush’s tax cuts permanent
CHEAP ENERGY: The U.S. will authorize oil production in ANWR and other promising areas in the lower 48 states
STATE DRIVEN EDUCATION [I'd like to send the new Secretary back home to Chicago, and close down that behemoth]
NO SOCIALIZED HEALTH CARE
FREEDOM TO WORSHIP: Obama will protect the ability of faith-based social service providers to honor their religious ideals; including debates about marriage
NON-ACTIVIST JUDGES
MISSILE DEFENSE
SUPPORT THE TROOPS

Read the full explanation of each issue here.

Happy New Year!

Originally, I had 13 New Year's Resolutions finished for Thursday Thirteen, which upon rereading them, sounded about as interesting as "I promise to clip my toe nails," and "I will brush the cat twice a year." So I deleted the entire post (after printing it and putting it in my desk drawer). But I will share #5, as it was just about the most interesting, plus I told the group at Bill and Joyce's party last night, so they'll probably all ask us about it.

5. Buy a floor lamp for the living room.

Back story: About 25 years ago, my sweet, non-critical mother said on one of her visits, "Don't you think it's a little dim in here?" For 48 years I've lived in poorly lit spaces as some sort of concession to living with an architect, and we have different tastes in decor. The result of this is, if we don't both fall in love with something, we don't buy it. Look through any decorating or architectural magazine and you might see table lamps, but rarely floor lamps. If you want to know why, try googling the term "floor lamps" and then click on "images." Ugly your name is floor lamp. I want one or two like the 1930s style my parents had--a center bulb in an open globe with three naked side light blubs, all gently enfolded in a nice silky shade--preferably with cellophane to protect from dust.

Floor lamps spread and diffuse light--they don't throw and bounce it. Designers love track lights, floods, and buried can lights, all of which I hate, hate, hate. We also are cheap--keep what comes with the house, which is why we had funny glass baubles ca. 1940 over the 1960's modern dining room table on Abington, and why we have its first cousin from Woolworth in our hall here at the condo. Jim Tuthill, the carpet cleaner, commented on the hall fixture when he was here on Tuesday. He had something similar in his house rescued from an old theater in downtown Columbus when he worked there as a janitor. The previous owner took her fixture with her, and I think this one was in the basement.

Anyway, I'm getting too old to sit in the dark and squint to read. The older you get, the better light you need, even if it shows your wrinkles. Which may be why my Mom waited until her 60s to say anything. With my new glasses and better lighting, I may be able to keep resolution #2 which is to read one chapter a day in my 10 volume Westminster Pulpit, a collection of the sermons from 1906-1916 of G. Cambell Morgan. I got a set for Christmas.

Book Club selections for 2008-2009

Last night our book club (now in its 26th year) met to discuss "Inside the Kingdom; my life in Saudi Arabia" by Carmen bin Ladin (Warner Books, 2004). Several of our members have been missionaries or have traveled extensively, so we had an interesting fashion show and delicious treats to reflect the theme.

We voted to start our meetings at 7 p.m. to get us home a little earlier (a quarter of a century ago most members were still putting children to bed), and at least for January and February, 2009, the meeting will be in a church lounge just to see if we like that, and if it will help in finding locations in the dark and snow! Changing the day of the month and from evening to afternoon didn't fly. All meetings are the first Monday, except September and January, when they are second Monday.

We also selected our titles for 2008-2009. A very strong field of 15 titles was voted on and the winners are:

September: Faith Club--3 women talk about their faith, what they learn about themselves and each other, non-fiction

October: The shack by William P. Young. This is an allegory, and we were warned that this book is so good, "You will read this, even if you don't read it now."

November: The Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi. A Sudanese woman, formerly an emigre to the Netherlands, now living in the U.S. "A good follow-up on lives of Muslim women to the bin Ladin book," said a member.

December: Once upon a town by Bob Green. A story about the little town of North Platte, Nebraska, that fed 6 million GIs during WWII. Easy to read for a busy month.

January: Educating Alice by Alice Steinbach. Reporter for Baltimore Sun talks about what she learns on assignments. Travel and diary.

February: Blood of the Prodigal by P. Gaus. Our mystery genre reader recommends a mystery about the old order Amish by an Ohio author. She said it isn't the strongest in the series, but it's the first and that's a good place to start.

March: Shaping of a life by Phyllis Tickle. Devotional material especially for women--growth and transformation. Some heard her at the Faith writers conference.

April: Two old women by Velma Wallis. Story of two Alaskan Athabascan women left behind so the rest of the tribe could survive. But they don't die. . .

May: Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. This will be our "classic" for the year--or a 2-fer, because some times we read a children's book. Two members actually recommended this. May is the meeting where we will select the next year's titles, and we'll meet at my place with Marcy being co-hostess. I'll add the other locations when I update.

We also had some terrific titles recommended that didn't make the cut, but I'll add them so you know your colleagues have found them enjoyable.

Three cups of tea, non-fiction; King Leopold's ghost, history; Gilead, contemplative; 90 minutes to heaven, autobiography; To kill a mockingbird, classic; Autobiography of Henry VIII, really fat novel.