The Countdown is ON!

...days until school is out!

There's Always...

 

There's always a little truth behind every "Just kidding."

There's always a little knowledge behind every "I don't know."

There's always a little emotion behind every "I don't care."

There's always a little pain behind every "It's okay."

The Countdown is ON!

...days until school is out!!!

The Countdown is ON!


                                         ...days until school is out!!!

The Countdown is ON!

                                                 ...days until school is out!!!

The Garden of Eden

Dear Gentle Readers:

We have been enjoying our new outdoor living space.  Teddy finished the brick paver patio (ca. 260 sq. ft.); we purchased a table and chair set (see photo); and have planted a veggie garden and planted various containers throughout the area.  A Garden Bench, built by hubby for my last birthday, now has a trellis surrounding it with the thought of training wisteria to climb it.  It's simply lovely.  It reminds me of a modern day Garden of Eden. Does that make me Eve? Watch out for The Serpent!  Don't eat The Forbidden Fruit!

The Martha Stewart five-piece patio set from Home Depot

Last Friday, taking a personal day of leave, we spent the entire day outside, glorying in the beauty of the day: in the plants now growing in our veggie garden; in the multi-colored plants hanging in the trees; the herb garden; the new patio furniture, on which we have enjoyed many delicious meals; the area for the grill and smoker; the nine rose bushes that make up the Rose Garden; the Wedding Garden, now filled with Celosia (see photo below) for the spring season.

"Celosia is a small genus of edible and ornamental plants in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek word κηλος (kelos), meaning "burned," and refers to the flame-like flower heads. Species are commonly known as woolflowers, or, if the flower heads are crested by fasciation, cockscombs." ~ Wikipedia

Now you know!  My Celosia are of various colors: pink, orange, red, and yellow, but I seriously doubt we will be eating any of them.  They do, however, make a spectacular showing in the 14-foot circular Wedding Garden.  Pictures sure to come!

As we were planning our new outdoor living area, we thought we'd place the dining set on the New Patio and leave the chaise lounge chairs on the Old Patio.  (I've gotta come up with better names that this!)  Several weeks ago, after the patio table/chairs were delivered, I came home and found the furniture fully assembled and sitting on the OP.  (How about that? OP for Old Patio and NP for New Patio.  It'll have to do for now.) The table was set with two placemats, two linen napkins, and rosebud in a small vase (from my Rose Garden). It looked charming and ready for us to enjoy a meal, which was exactly what we did that evening. My husband, Teddy, is quite the cook and quite the romantic, or had you noticed?!? 

We've left the dining set on the OP and have put the two chaise lounge chairs with their side table and firepit on the NP. On a recent trip to Garden Ridge, we bought two additional side chairs and a side table, complementing the original furnishings.  Also purchased were two small pillows to enhance the beauty and comfort of the two side charis.  All of the items look and work well on the larger NP. 

I should, I know, take pictures.  Now, where's my camera?

Obsolete

Bustles...model T cars...manual typewriters...electric typewriters...any kind of typewriter...the list could go on and on.

What do these things have in common? They are all obsolete. According to the American Heritage Dictionary (the online one, not the obsolete print version), the definition of obsolete is

1) no longer in use: an obsolete word.
2) outmoded in design, style, or construction: an obsolete locomotive.

Wikipedia says obsolete means "a service or practice (a person?) that is no longer wanted even though it (she?) may still be in good working order.

Today I am feeling obsolete. Why, you might well ask? I just came from our weekly all-school Chapel. It's Spiritual Impact Week, and it's been a great experience for me, and I hope that's true for the students, too. I've enjoyed the small groups with students and the Prayer Walk yesterday, but today's worship left me feeling... obsolete.

Worship here at my school consists of "praise" songs, most of which I do not know. That's because I attend a church service that utilizes the hymn book (perhaps obsolete, too?) with the music notated (definitely obsolete in praise worship) and the lyrics printed. That's also how I grew up: singing from the hymnal.

I'm not here, per se, to discuss the pros and cons of praise music, just to say that because I do not know or enjoy this type of music, I often feel obsolete. I also feel excluded from worship. This genre of music does nothing to help me feel closer or connected to God. Frankly, I dislike having my senses assaulted while worshipping by the banging of drums and the twanging of guitars. To say that I've seldom heard praise music done well is not an exaggeration; however, ANY kind of music not done well is distracting to me, especially in worship. (Guess you now know I how I feel about praise music, eh?)

Sometimes I am concerned that one day I will not be able to find a church that could be described as "traditional"; that is, one that observes the liturgical year, uses the liturgy, and the hymn books that are in the pews. I enjoy those older hymns, and it saddens me to think that many of our youth will never know the joys of the "Old Rugged Cross", or "How Great Thou Art" (unless it's that jazzed up version, which I do not like, and that has been crammed into a triple meter!). And what about "Holy, Holy, Holy" ? Gotta be one of my all-time favorites: "God in three persons, blessed Trinity." Note with me, please, the sheer poetry in "The Church's One Foundation":

"Yet she (the church) on earth hath union
With God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won..."

Eat your heart out, Mr. Shakespeare!

But it saddens me even more to think that I might not be able to sing those hymns of faith in a church building because they (the hymns) are becoming obsolete. Sure, I can sing them myself, but there is something about the body of Christ singing together. Charles & John Wesley knew, didn't they? A good description of what constitutes quality congregational singing can be found in the forward to the United Methodist Hymnal. Dear Wesley brothers, I fear you, too, are obsolete.

In an episode of "The Twilight Zone" entitled "The Obsolete Man", a librarian (convincingly portrayed by Burgess Meredith) is found to be obsolete due to the fact that books are banned in that society and literacy is considered obsolete. His punishment? Death. Now this is a little scary, too, because not only am I a musician, but also a librarian. In an plot twist enviable of O'Henry, the ending deliciously satisfies those of us who also might be considered obsolete.

Etiquette...literature...literacy...writing...music...note-reading...hymn books...books themselves (alas! the Kindle!)...Obsolete? If so, then I, too, have become obsolete.