Thank you...

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
Till all success be nobleness,
And every gain divine.
-Katherine Lee Bates

Today I remember and salute the men and women who fought for our freedom and who are fighting still for freedom around the world. I remember the patriots who won our country's independence 220 years ago, those who bled at Gettysburg, those who shivered in the trenches of France in 1916-17, those who freed Europe in 1945, the veterans of Iwo Jima, of Korea, of Vietnam, of the Gulf War, and of the Iraq War. Freedom isn't free. And I'm proud to be an American. Thank you.

Oops!

Don't you hate it when you guess the wrong person on the phone? I called a student's home this afternoon to talk to the mom. Someone picked up and said hello, but I only heard the "lo" and it wasn't clear. I should have identified myself first, but instead said, "Hi, Sabrina?" A deep male voice answers, "Uh, this is John. Do I sound like Sabrina?" Yikes! How embarassing! Moral of the story - till you're sure, keep 'em talking.
Today I not only accidentally called Max Zach, but a few minutes later I called Zach Max! Aaagh! Must be the "a" sound confusing my ear.
I got called into the office today for not doing something I was supposed to do in grading and accountability. Man, I hate making mistakes, especially at the end of the year. So I feel about two inches tall today.
And I can't wait for school to be over.

A Plethora of Weddings!

Is it the water? Is it the air? Is it Cupid on the loose? I'm just amazed at how many weddings there are this year, at least compared to that last couple of years. My parents and I have sometimes discussed how little people seem to be getting married lately. Maybe it goes in cycles, because there's sure not a problem this year, at least among my friends. Two friends married in January, one friend got married last Saturday, and I've got four more friends getting married this summer. Plus a couple weddings I'm playing at professionally (i.e. I don't know them). Oh, and I'm playing or singing at most of these friends' weddings.

I'm not complaining! What better way to promote real marriage than to have Godly people getting married and setting the example? May more and more young people get the "bug"! :-) I remember some preacher at a wedding (was it my dad?) who noted that if God hates the division of a marriage relationship, how much more must He love bringing together a man and woman destined for each other!

The Narrows at Twilight

I snapped this picture of the Narrows Bridge last night. Sorry about the raindrops and lines on the back window, but at least you can see the great sunset!

Black & White Tracks

How Green is My Valley

On Wednesday I took my camera with me on my bike ride and captured some of the beauty on my way. I love how a camera helps me see things differently, noticing beauty that I tend to take for granted.

Today was absolutely beautiful!! It got up to about 90 degrees -- marvelous. I went for a bike ride this morning and it was already quite warm. I wished I had a camera or the pen of Wordsworth to take in all the beauty around me -- the shining mountain, the emerald trees, the fragrant breeze, the singing birds, the little farms, and the very feel of wonderful sunshine!

This afternoon Cheeky and I played a bit on the lawn. It felt so good to sit on cool grass. Probably the first time since last summer I've done that. I took my camera out and got a little carried away "experimenting" with flowers and my self. The buttercup ones didn't turn out too well. I'll have to keep working on that.

Purr Bliss

Is this the life or what? Cheeky soaks in a little sun on a beautiful day.

Arm and a Leg

That's what we're paying for gas these days! It wasn't comforting to learn that the price of gas in our area is higher than most of the rest of the country. Today I paid $3.05 per gallon at Costco, which is cheaper than most gas stations. I'm going through about $50 a week in gas (I drive a mini van). Just curious what others around the country are suffering, I mean, paying.

Of Teas and Birds and Such

Yesterday was my school's annual Mother's Tea. The kids all came to school decked out in frilly little dresses and sharp little suits. They were so cute and so aware of their fine appearance! The boys looked kind of stiff and uncomfortable and their hair looked a little more slick and combed than usual. (A few boys showed up in regular uniform though.) The girls kept fiddling with their dresses or their curls or their sweaters or their hair. They happily admired each other and the teachers. The tables were equally decked out in finery, and sweet tea and dainty food was quickly polished off by mothers and children. I played the harp for background music (that's actually how I got this job three years ago!) and then a music group of four women presented a little program. The music wasn't my cup of tea, as it was very contemporary Christian. They were actually two sets of sisters, and one of the songs they did was from Sister Act. Didn't seem to fit the atmosphere, but no one was consulting me, so there you have it! But everyone went home sugared and happy, and I think the mothers felt properly pampered, which is the important part.

Today is a beautiful, sunny day, though not very warm. I think my dad and I are going to go for a bike ride a little later. This morning I was sitting in bed journaling. My parents had just left for a little outing, when I heard this strange noise at the back door. I figured it must have been left open and the wind was blowing it. So I got up to investigate, when what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a little swallow inside beating its wings helplessly against a window! It had obviously flown heedlessly through the open door and then gotten stuck, not being able to figure out how to get around the door and back out. Of course he wasn't going to let me get near him, so I finally took out the screen of another window he'd been trying and urged him to fly through it. At that moment I heard a little meow and the sound of Cheeky coming out of my room. Oh, dear, this isn't good! I could imagine how delighted he'd be at this bit of fast food just hovering over his dish waiting to be gobbled! So I quickly ushered him back to my room, closed the door, and went back to the kitchen to find that the bird had gotten out! Yay! Once again, I've rescued an animal in distress -- my good deed for the day.

Scaring Men Silly (or Scaring Silly Men)

Today at the office building where I teach harp on Thursdays, I was ascending the stairs to the bathroom. All was quiet and no one was about. Usually how it is. I came to one of the landings just at the same moment a man rushed out of a room right there. I think I really startled him because he jumped a few inches, gasped, and said, "Oh, you scared me!" Kind of startled me, too, but I was more amused at his reaction. I proceeded up to the small ladies room. As I was brushing my teeth (a frequent activity lately), I heard the door open and out of the corner of my eye I saw a man walk in! He looked mighty startled to see me there. I said, "Uh, wrong one!" This was the 5th floor and the men's room is on the 3rd floor. He looked confused for a moment, looked at the sign that said Women, then went out muttering something about someone have changed the bathrooms. Uh, nope, this has been the ladies room for the past ten years I've been here anyway! Ha ha, I found it highly amusing that both events happened within about 5 minutes. Such excitement in my day, I tell ya.

Can you think of captions?

Words

This is a twofold post about words. First of all, what is happening to the blogging world?? Are we in a slump or what? Okay, some people are veritable fountains of inspiration, but I think there's generally a lethargy pervading blog world. I was looking over some of my old posts last summer and fall and even lamented how much more interesting MY posts were back then! And so many interesting comments, too! But now...it's time for revival, friends! Not that I always check everyone's blogs, nor do I claim to have achieved perfection in this art, but I am sending out a call to each of you to return and blog afresh! Serious, funny, short, long, pictures, clever, dull -- the options are nearly limitless!

My other subject is of a more serious nature. Last week we had a 35th anniversary celebration for my parents. There were over 30 people here. At one point in the program, I had everyone go around the room and share how they knew my parents and what they meant to them. It took awhile, but what a special time! My parents heard how they had positively impacted so many lives. Some people choked up as they shared how much they meant to them. Maybe it was a little uncomfortable for my parents hearing all this praise, but it was also a tremendous encouragement.

We talked about it later and agreed that we shouldn't wait for people's funerals to tell them how much we love for them and how much they impacted our lives. We should take every opportunity to build each other up, to express gratefulness, to say a kind word, to give a gift, to share a hug, to write a note, to say how much we care. Why wait until someone dies and it's too late? In our crazy busy world today, it's still people that matter for eternity. Anyway, just something I've been thinking about lately.

Jerusalem Sunset

After three sad hours at the Holocaust Museum (Yad Vashem), this was the view that greeted us when we walked out. It was like waking up from a nightmare. To me it was a beautiful reminder that though horror and sorrow in this world exist, God still reigns sovereign, and one day, there will be no more tears.

Mysterious Male Fashions

Have any of you ladies noticed the abundance of skirts in stores lately? It's a lovely sight to behold for us skirt wearers. Not that I see a lot of women wearing skirts, but hey, at least they're gaining momentum. AND I got two on sale today, for which I'm quite happy.

Anyway, I'm sure you're wondering about my title. Today at the mall I saw a guy walking toward me wearing a black skirt. Okay, it was probably technically a kilt because it was short and pleated. He wasn't a transvestite, because the rest of him looked normal, i.e. black t-shirt, sandals, etc. He was kind of beefy, too, and probably not someone to tangle with, despite his odd attire. What's scary is that I saw another guy at a restaurant about a month ago who was wearing a khaki kilt with as much ease as any guy wears pants. That guy, too, was wearing a gray t-shirt, birkenstocks, and a manly belt. Is this kilt wearing becoming a new trend??

Now, I'm Scotch-Irish, so of course I'm not opposed to kilts, and when I go to the Highland Games, it's perfectly natural to see a bunch of Rob Roys around sporting their Celtic attire. Or I might expect it some in Scotland. But around town in America? What's up with that? What's up with women running around wearing tight, ill-fitting jeans, while men nonchalantly sport cool and comfy skirts? What is the world coming to?! :-o

Once Upon a Time...

This looks like something in a fairy tale. A knight on his white charger should come galloping up that road while his fair maiden waves from the ramparts.

The little glimpse into the horizon beyond makes me want to explore around the bend, as if something exciting awaits. I could wax melancholy and philosophical over the analogies this invokes in my mind, but I'll spare you.

Gazing

Easter Under the Umbrella