New Blog: Reading Ellie

As I have grown older, I have found that my children lead me into new experiences, new discoveries, new things I might not have found on my own.

For example, Bonnie made me a more frequent communicator via email by her example. She used to write a regular (weekly) email that went out to hundreds of friends and family around the world. I never achieved that regularity, but I did manage what I called my non-weekly newsletter.

Jimmy convinced me I needed an iPhone (after first convincing his mother and helping her set it up). Now, it's one of the most useful devices I own. I can't imagine how I got along without it. He also led the way into the world of online music and explained to me about "the cloud." He keeps up with the latest technology and is a tremendous resource and sounding board about new devices and concepts.

The children led me into MySpace (which I never really liked) and then Facebook (which I really like). Six or seven years ago, Bonnie started blogging. Her first blog was Simple Beauty. It covers many different topics, family and current happenings and interesting things she is learning. Her other blog is a recipe blog called Pass the Beans, Please or The Beans Blog. It is a wonderful source of quite an eclectic variety of tasty dishes from around the globe. That led me to start this blog, which I consequently titled "I have a blog," (which is yesh li blog in Hebrew), implying "I have a blog, too."

Ellie has led me in many ways, especially in watching her interpersonal relationships. Although we don't have small children any more, I love watching her interacting with her boys. The way she encourages others is an inspiration and a great example.

She has also led me to discover new authors, and that is what this post is about. She has started a book review blog called Reading Ellie. One of the first books she reviewed is Sackett's Land by Louis L'Amour. Now I have been an avid reader of everything I could get my hands on since I was a young lad, but I had never read anything by this popular American author and great lover of America, Louis L'Amour. Ellie inspired me to read the first in the Sackett family series, and let me tell you, it won't be the last. I look forward to reading the remaining 18 books in the series.

Ellie wrote an excellent book review, which I have reproduced for you here. I couldn't have said it any better. Check out her blog when you get a chance at Reading Ellie.

QUOTE

Sackett’s Land by Louis L’Amour
Posted on April 7, 2012

I have started reading the Sackett books by Louis L’Amour on recommendation from my husband. Actually, the recommendation was like this, “You will get much insight into my family, especially the men in my family, if you read these books.” So, off I went on an adventure into the wild west. Well, that’s where I thought I was going. As it turns out, the Sackett books begin in England with Barnabas Sackett in “Sackett’s Land“

I knew I was going to love the books when I read this in the preface, “History is not made only by kings and parliaments, presidents, wars, and generals. It is the story of people, of their love, honor, faith, hope and suffering; of birth and death, of hunger, thirst and cold, of loneliness and sorrow.” The aim of these books is to tell the History of this great country through the story of people. Namely, the Sackett family.The book begins with Barnabas Sackett coming into some unexpected treasure. In true character, he makes a plan to invest this money into his future. He reaches beyond what he was born into and sets out to a better life for himself and generations to come. He plans to trade with the natives in the New World. His plans however are hijacked by a pirate who is hired to shanghai him into service, and then drop him into a deep bit of ocean. In true Sackett form, he gives the pirates the slip, makes friends with the natives, trades his goods (which he recovered from the pirate ship) and returns to England better off than he left it; with plans to return again and settle in the lands beyond the blue mountains.


Among the things I enjoyed about this book are the ideals that are passed from father to son. Such as this: “Each man owes a debt to his family, his country and his species to leave sons and daughters who will lead, inspire and create.” In a world that so often overlooks strong parenting, it is refreshing to hear the strength and conviction of a man, even fictional, who feels the responsibility of guiding and teaching children so strongly. Even before he has any. This statement also reminds me of my father, who so often tells us that we, his son and daughters, do “lead, inspire and create.” I am grateful to him and my mother for not only feeling, but acting on the responsibility of parenthood so strongly and lovingly.


Another theme that runs through the book is loyalty. Sackett, seemingly arbitrarily, finds strong, fast friends. Often. These friends and he prove their loyalty to each other quickly and often. They are willing to risk life and fortune for each other, and are frequently required to do just that.


Barnabas Sackett reminds us of what we want to be as a nation. Of the character that we expect from our founding fathers. He reminds us of the pride we can have in our country. “If I was to establish a family, it would be here in this land. And if they were to prosper here, it would have to be in such a way as the land demanded. I had no doubt those distant sons and grandsons would respond, that we Sacketts would establish a place for ourselves here, in this land, this America” -Barnabas Sackett


I absolutely recommend this book. In fact (even without reading them all yet) I recommend the whole series to you, but if you’re not willing to base your enjoyment of a series on my reading of the first book, then stick around. I’ll be reading and reviewing the rest of the books right here.
ENDQUOTE

Mother-Daughter Look-Alike Contest

A friend from my hometown has

entered a Mother-Daughter Look-

Alike contest. Click on the link

below and give them a vote or two

or three if you have a minute.

Russian Easter Overture

In honor of Pascha (Easter) in the Orthodox tradition, I offer the Russian Easter Overture, Opus 36 (1888) by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, played on period instruments.

He is Risen!

O Death, Where is Thy Sting?

But Thanks be to God, Who Giveth Us the Victory!

Full-screen version on You Tube.

Why do you seek the living among the dead?

He is not here, for he has risen!

He is risen!

He is risen, indeed.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Dying, he conquered death.

To the dead, he has given life!"

"Go quickly, and tell his disciples he is risen from the dead!"

Check out "The Easter Song" on youtube.

And the new release " by Matthew Ward.

 
Full-screen version on You Tube.

Chag Pesach Sameach!

Chag Pesach Sameach!

Happy Passover!

Aish.com's Passover Rhapsody, a creative telling of the story to the familiar tune of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Happy Birthday, Bonnie!

Many years ago in a land far, far away, a beautiful baby girl was born to two happy parents.

These two pictures were taken in our first apartment in Rota, Cadiz, Spain.

(What the picture on the left needs is a huge tapestry of peacocks! Oh, wait a minute.)

What the Internet needs most is another cute kid/cute puppy picture. Here's Bonnie with our neighbor's pup.

After a while, she moved to Italy and had a few tea parties and ate lotsa pasta.

At Fort Meade, Maryland, she encountered some huge sunflowers. (I'm sure there's more to this story.)

In Canada, she had many adventures, swam on a world-class swim team, went to a Canadian school, and even learned some French (none of which are pictured here).

In Japan, Bonnie graduated from high school, met her (then) future husband, learned a little Japanese, grew to love sushi, and many other things, but this picture shows her leaving from Tokyo-Narita Airport.

In addition to living in Spain, Italy, Canada, and Japan, Bonnie went to India to see her sister graduate from an international school in the Himalayas.

She now lives in Australia with her husband and two children (not pictured, but one of them took this picture).

 Some say she looks like me, as seen in the picture below (you can see it in the eyes).

Bottom Line:
We love you, Bon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Where Do 40 Years Go?

Where do 40 years go? Was it not yesterday that I met the girl who would steal my heart and change my life forever for the better? Has it been so long since we tied the knot and began our world travels? Will our eldest child really celebrate her 40th birthday next year?

They go into a book of memories, the overwhelming number of which are wonderful memories. Perhaps the bad ones go into a sea of forgetfulness, but it’s hard to remember the bad. Sure, we had our challenges; we had our struggles; we had our disagreements. Yet the good so outstrips the bad as to make the less than pleasant disappear.

They go into raising four children. It’s so much fun (and slightly scary) when they get together and share the stories of their growing up from their point of view! We often marvel at how four children born to the same parents can be so different, and yet so similar when it comes to the important things. We couldn’t have been more blessed with the children who were entrusted to our care, and we are thrilled to see our grandchildren growing to be such blessings to their communities, as are their parents.

They go into a 25-year naval career that found us living in five countries spanning three continents: Spain, Italy, Canada, and Japan, as well as the U.S., and visiting over 30 countries on five continents. Each was unique and wonderful in its own way. Favorites? We have so many favorites. Spain, Japan, Italy. All are our favorites in their own way. By sheer force of years lived there, Spain (10) and Japan (5) have the advantage over Italy (3) and Canada (2). Among other things learned overseas, we observed that the peoples of the earth have more things in common than differences. The differences are often fascinating and easily embraced or at least respected, if not adopted. We learned firsthand that differences in appearance, practice or beliefs offer no excuse for rejection of the other. Especially in Japan, where we formed close relationships with the people while singing in a local choir, we learned about true openness and hospitality to foreigners, as they embraced us, the outsiders, with open arms and hearts. They shared their culture, their manners, their likes and loves with us freely and openly and were eager to learn all about ours.

Forty years go into meeting so many beautiful people in the Navy and around the world that space prevents us from listing them all. Friends, mentors, commanding officers, bosses, leaders, seniors, juniors, officers, enlisted, chaplains, pastors, coworkers, spouses of coworkers, choir directors, YWAMers, missionaries, locals, government officials, counterparts in foreign Self-Defense Forces (navies). All of them blessed us in one way or another (and if you are reading this, you are one of them)!

They go into being and becoming better ambassadors of this great country of ours and growing to appreciate it and love it all the more. They go into having the great honor and privilege of supporting and defending her for a short time, being ready to put life on the line although never actually facing real danger like the true heroes who have fought to protect our freedoms.

They go into studying and learning how to practice our Christianity in such a way that we bless and repair the world— that we become ambassadors of the kingdom of a loving God to a needy and hurting world. They involve learning about and from the world’s religions and understanding how we may interact in a profitable manner with one another.

Of course, they go into getting to know and understand one another better and to become one. Loving the things we both love and the ways we are similar while rejoicing in our differences, Kathy and I have been able to forge a life together that has brought us great joy and well–being.

In closing, I never would have dreamt, all those years ago, that I would be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary on something called Facebook, posting pictures and links to something called youtube, by which my 365 Facebook friends (one for each day of the year?) around the world might go and listen to the words of a song that encapsulate my/our feelings about this 40-year love affair and adventure we have experienced together, but such is life in the modern world. (Nor would I have thought to be able to send a message at the speed of light to a hundred people on something called the Internet and/or to post on a place in the great, invisible, electronic “cloud” called a Weblog or blog (is that anything like a ship’s log or is it closer to the Star Trek captain’s log?).

Anyway, Kath posted this Turtles song: The lyrics are forward–looking, both then and now:

Happy Together

I can’t see me loving nobody

But you for all my life

When you’re with me, baby

The skies will be blue for all my life.

Me and you and you and me

No matter how they tossed the dice, it had to be

The only one for me is you and you for me

So happy together.

I posted this song by the Beach Boys, which nicely sums up my perspective 40 years later:

God Only Knows

But long as there are stars above you

You never need to doubt it

I’ll make you so sure about it

God only knows what I’d be without you.

We have certainly enjoyed “fair winds and following seas” in our lives together, for which we are mightily grateful.

National Grammar Day

Who knew?

Today is National Grammar Day.

From their site:

"Language is something to celebrate, and March 4 is the perfect day to do it. It's not only a date, it's an imperative: March forth on March 4 to speak well, write well, and help others do the same!"

Check it out. There is a cornucopia of great stuff on their site.

A playful lesson from the site:
"Spell-checkers won't catch
You're mistaken homophones
Scattered hear and their"
-- Gord Roberts

I Never Saw Another Butterfly

Last night we saw an emotional, heartbreaking story of the holocaust in a place called Terezin. It goes without saying that it was emotional and heartbreaking. All stories of the holocaust are horrific, incomprehensible, and gut-wrenching. Yet they are also testaments to the incredible strength and endurance of the human being created in the image of G-d, the faithfulness and perseverance of G-d's people in the face of the most dastardly, devilish, wicked acts perpetrated by human beings acting on a feral level, a barely believable level of depravity. The play was performed by Colorado ACTS. Their byword: "Bringing quality children's drama education to the local community."

"Over 15,000 Jewish children passed through Terezin, and only about a hundred were still alive when Terezin was liberated at the end of the war. One of the survivors, Raja, having lived through it all, teaching the children when there was nothing to teach with, helping to give them hope when there was little enough reason for hope, creating a little world of laughter, of flowers and butterflies behind the barbed wire, tells the true story of the children. It’s her play and it’s theirs. There were no butterflies at Terezin, of course, but for the children, butterflies became a symbol of defiance, making it possible for them to live on and play happily while waiting to be transported. It is an emotional and powerful production commemorating these precious lives lost."

The book of children's drawings and poems is available at Amazon.com.

Ralston Road Cafe

Before attending the Colorado ACTS production of "I Never Saw Another Butterfly," we stopped at a favorite eatery, which happens to be just across the street from the theater. They serve breakfast all day, and they are well known for their excellent breakfasts, but there is a satisfactory menu of dinner favorites as well.

Visit their site here for details of location, phone number and menu.

Planet Watching

There have been three very bright lights in the night sky the past few nights. It turns out this month is going to be one of the best ever for planet watching.

For details, check out this excellent site.

Happy Intercalation Day 2012

Today is the day we intercalate, i.e. interpolate or insert, a day in the 365-day solar calendar. This is necessary because the revolution of the earth around the sun takes slightly longer than 365 days, and every few years, we have to "reset" the calendar.

The extra, intercalary day is commonly called a leap day and consequently, the year a leap year. It occurs every fourth year, if and only if the year is evenly divisible by four but not by 100 (unless it is also evenly divisible by 400)!

Other calendars insert leap days, weeks, or months. The Hebrew calendar, for example, is a luni-solar calendar and inserts an intercalary (or embolismic) month 7 out of every 19 years (based on the Metonic Cycle). A leap year in Hebrew is called Shanah Me'uberet (pronounced shah-NAH meh-oo-BEH-reht), literally "a pregnant year." This is necessary to realign the lunar year and the solar year so that the biblical holidays remain in their proper seasons.

Nero Wolfe and Words

I was telling someone about how much I have enjoyed Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe detective novels over the years. The stories are outstanding, but I have also learned many words and strengthened my existing vocabulary, my diction, and my understanding of grammar through these novels.

Wolfe is a colorful, crotchety character, an orchid-growing genius gourmet, who never leaves his house on business. A little eccentric you say? Indubitably. Here are a few vignettes from just the first few pages of Stout’s 1962 suspense thriller, Gambit, the 37th in the 47-title Nero Wolfe corpus.

Archie Goodwin, Wolfe’s sidekick, assistant, and "man Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday" is explaining the situation to their newest prospective client, Miss Blount. “There’s a fireplace in the front room, but it’s never lit because he hates open fires. He says they stultify mental processes. But it’s lit now because he’s using it. He’s seated in front of it, on a chair too small for him, tearing sheets out of a book and burning them. The book is the new edition, the third edition of Webster’s New International Dictionary, Unabridged, published by the G.C. Merriam Company of Springfield, Massachusetts. He considers it subversive because it threatens the integrity of the English language. In the past week he has given me a thousand examples of its crimes.”

“Once he burned up a cookbook because it said to remove the hide from a ham end before putting it in the pot with lima beans. Which he loves more, food or words, is a tossup. “

Wolfe: “Do you use ‘infer’ and ‘imply’ interchangeably, Miss Blount?” She did fine. She said simply, “No.”

“This book says you may. Pfui. I prefer not to interrupt this auto-da-fe. You wish to consult me?”

“She had hit exactly the right note, calling him a wizard and implying (not inferring) that he was the one and only—after mentioning what she had in her bag ($22,000).”

“Will this burn?” “Sure, it’s buckram…You knew you were going to burn it when you bought it. Otherwise, you would have ordered leather.”

Children of a Lesser God

Tonight we watched "Children of a Lesser God." It won an Academy Award in 1986, but we had never seen it. It was excellent, and I highly recommend it. It is touching and romantic, a "feel-good" evening's entertainment.

The synopsis online: "Children of a Lesser God" is a love story about a speech teacher who falls for a beautiful yet distant deaf girl in a small New England school for the deaf, and the obstacles that they face due to their differences.

Marlee Matlin won an Academy Award for "Best Actress in a Leading Role" for the movie in 1986.

Wikipedia
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