WHAT'S IN A NAME?

I have been amused by the some of the names of businesses that I have come across in my lifetime and more especially since living in the south. I have been especially amused by businesses that use references to Christianity in their names. It is like the filling station/restaurant that has a sign out front that says, "Praise the Lord. Eat here and get gas." Perhaps that sign is more honest than most. It's like the religious right which often is neither--right nor religious. It is so arrogant, I think, to use ones religion to get business or portray that somehow you will be a more honest or trustworthy business person because of a religious reference. I truly believe that we are known by the fruit that we produce as the scripture says.

I remember a used car dealer in southern Indiana that had a cross on its sign and the name Saved Used Cars. Maybe it just meant that the used cars had been saved from the junk yard--I don't know. Last week here in Lakeland I saw a truck pulling a trailer that said Jesus Tile and Flooring. I thought that was interesting and wondered just what kind of flooring Jesus would want you to have or would he really care. Down the street from me on Florida Avenue is a mechanic's garage called Bakkers (any relation to Jim, I wonder) and Bakker always has a Bible reference on the sign. I wonder if he is a reputable mechanic but somehow I just don't want to even try to find out.

All this reminds me of the Biblical reference to the Pharisees and not praying to be seen by others. I have always regarded religious bumper stickers in that way too. It has always seemed to me to be such a common way of professing ones faith. I really believe that it is how our lives are seen by others--how we act and treat others--rather than the signs that we display that Christ requires. Somehow "God is my co-pilot" or "Honk if you love Jesus" seems such an ordinary way of professing the greatness of an awesome God. I suppose, for that matter, even the silver cross that I have loved wearing around my neck for years does not do justice to the whole cross experience. It is how that cross experience has changed me that is the true test of my faith and belief.

MY DAY

Today I spent doing family. I took my mother and her sister to lunch along with my cousin's 3 grandsons that he and his wife are rearing. We had a good time and it was fun being with 3 active but well behaved little boys around age 9, 11 and 13. In two weeks I am going to get the boys and take them swimming while my mom and aunt visit. I'll get to be a kid again that day.

I was tired this afternoon because I had not slept much last night so when I got home I had a nice relationship with my sofa and a movie. It was restful. The thunder rolled for a long time like we might have a real storm but nothing happened so tonight I have had to put the sprinkler on.

I watched an old movie which I had never seen before, A FISH CALLED WANDA. It has a great cast and I laughed outloud all by myself. It has some great slapstick and stars one of my favorite funny men, John Cleese. It is a farcical crime story that also stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline. Occasionally I need comic relief in my life. I have been watching some things lately with Kevin Kline and that is how I got drawn to this movie. I'm glad that I saw it even though it was about 20 years late. I seem to gravitate to movies because of an actor that I have seen in something else and then want to see more of their stuff. I imagine a lot of people do that.

Speaking of Kevin Kline, when you see him playing the piano in movies he is really doing the playing. He was a student at Julliard before he decided to become an actor. Multitalented he is indeed. He was great as Cole Porter in DE LOVELY.

Well, I am out of here to try to have an earlier bedtime tonight. Peace to all of us.

LIFE IS UNCERTAIN

I think someone once said, "Life is uncertain, eat desert first," so tonight that is just what I have done. Today is Andrew Davis Moyer's first birthday so at 5:30 we had a little birthday soiree at Jill and Tony's place and I ate cake. Andy was not very happy at the party because he had been for his one year shots today and had four of them. He was a little cranky but did seem to warm to the idea of presents.

I am waiting now on a friend with whom I'm going out to dinner this evening so I had the desert first. I'm thinking a little steak would be nice. Every once in awhile I crave a little of the side of the cow. I only have it about once a week (the beef, that is.) A lot of days I have no meat which is good for me. Being a corn fed Indiana babe I like my country food like roast beef, fried chicken, corn on the cob, tomatoes and green beans--good summer fare.

My cousin, John Ahlemann, and his dear wife are coming tomorrow from Memphis for a few days. All the family will enjoy being together once again. John has been a men's hair stylist for over 40 years and gave my little John his very first haircut. I'm hoping that he gets to give Andy his first haircut.

This is a pretty slow newsday but it has been a good day. I'm feeling a lot better since my child care job has ended. Yeah!!! Life suddenly got better when I knew I didn't have to go there anymore.

I SHOULD HAVE DANCED

Years ago I heard a joke about a woman who was pregnant and the punch line to the joke was--I only remember the punch line--"I should have danced all night." That is almost the title to a song once popular--the song is "I Could Have Danced All Night." I think that the song is from a movie or a musical but try as I may I have not been able to find who the composer is. It really doesn't matter because the thing that brings me to this subject is the movie DIRTY DANCING filmed in 1987 by Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.

My niece, Jill, asked me recently if I had ever seen the movie saying that it is her all time favorite movie and that she saw it first when she was in the sixth grade. I imagine that my kids saw it too and it might not have even impressed me back then. Jill asked me to see the movie with her so yesterday afternoon I went to Wal-Mart and bought a DVD copy and took it to her house to watch with her. The story is set in upstate New York in 1963 at a summer resort for families. For recreation after hours the young staff members meet in the staff quarters and dance the hours away. The great rock tunes of the 60's and the vigorous dancing give the movie some wonderful energy. Later in the evening I watched the movie again--yes, I really liked it--with a friend. Seeing the movie made me think that I would have liked to learn to dance when I was young--really dance not just move around a little. I could be doing it by myself in my kitchen now to tunes on the Bose. As an adult I became a great admirer of dance and how the human body can move when trained. I find such beauty in the movements. So "I should have danced," or more accurately "I could have danced," as the words go "...danced, danced, danced all night."

The reason I didn't learn to dance was because of the strict religious taboo that I grew up with regarding dancing. It was supposed to be nasty and cause people to sin, but then so do a lot of things in this life. I missed the opportunity to move agilely around the floor and as a benefit get some much needed exercise to wonderful, wonderful music.

I think I may have mentioned in another blog recently that I had watched again the DVD TANGO which has such beautiful and lively dancing. I also recently again watched Richard Gere in SHALL WE DANCE which is a lovely movie about a man who stops off at a dance studio every week on his way home from work and secretly learns to dance with the end result being that he gets to dance with his wife and it is beautiful.

Do you suppose at this age I could learn to dance with enough proficiency so as not to embarras myself? I probably never will being a somewhat shy type but then who knows.

FAITH AND REASON

Tonight I watched the first episode of 7 on PBS in which Bill Moyers interviews a famous writer about the subject "Faith and Reason." Tonight's writer was Salman Rushdie who spent many years in exile with a bounty on his head by the muslim world for his writing of a novel titled THE SATANIC VERSES. The novel is an erudite study of good and evil with comic overtones. I had never even thought of reading the book thinking that it was probably way to erudite for me but after hearing the author read an excerpt of the book at the ending of the show I was hooked. Rushdie is a self professed atheist but I was impressed by his discussion regarding faith and religion. He is not unkind to religous thinkers and believers and he himself believes that all art--literature, music, painting, etc.-- have evolved from religion historically. To make a long story short, I clicked on to www.Amazon.com and ordered a used copy of the novel for $1.71 plus shipping. What a bargain. When that arrives it will be my reading for a couple of weeks. I figure that it is probably more worthwhile reading than the book that has taken the country by storm, THE DA VINCI CODE, which I did not read nor see the movie. I am looking forward to the rest of Moyers' series and a friend is going to get them all on tape so that we can see them again. This looks like about the only worthwhile thing on TV for the summer.

THE FIRST TO GO

I'm finding with the process of aging that the eyes are one of the first things that begin to deteriorate. I have noticed other things too but since I have been plagued by arthritis pain since I was a young woman I have discounted that as part of aging for me. I am a little slower and don't have as much stamina as I once did but other than that I feel pretty young and think that I have a fairly young outlook on life.

I have worn reading glasses for years now and several years ago started wearing prescription glasses with bifocals. I still keep readers around for reading, close work, playing the piano, and using the computer since they give me an expanded field of vision and I can keep buying stronger ones as needed. Now I'm finding that there are so many things that I can't see even with the readers. I'm findind over the counter medicine bottles an almost impossibility and I'm wondering if they are just making the print smaller or if it is really my eyes. Now I'm finding the newspaper a challenge and the entries in the dictionary and The Video Hound almost impossible. Thank goodness for www.dictionary.com which is faster anyway. Thanks to www.yahoo.com I also have free daily crosswords on line at their game site so I don't depend on the newspaper for a daily crossword.

So now I am thinking of buying a larger TV--mine is only a 19 inch--because I can never read the movie credits and unfortunately the DVD cover information is incomplete. This necessitates looking the information up on the computer which actually isn't such a bad thing since it is pretty inclusive. Now that things are letter boxed it means that the TV picture is smaller yet. I don't like the idea of a big TV in a little tiny room so I have to give this some consideration. Actually I watch very little TV and use one mostly for watching DVD's. Decisions, decisions.

One thing I do know now is why Little Red Riding Hood said to the wolf, "Grandmother, what big eyes you have." The stronger your glasses get the bigger your eyes look to other people.

DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL

A couple of nights ago I was having one of those "dark night of the soul" experiences where I can't sleep and all my thoughts are counter to my well being. I had spent time praying and writing in my journal and finally after dawn got a couple of hours sleep. I have heard it said, probably since childhood, that it is always darkest just before the dawn. It seemed true for me. When I checked my email that morning I had one of those things that often gets sent around on the internet. I had seen it before but seemed that morning to be an affirmation of my prayer that night. The message came from a lovely friend whom I have known all of her life and who grew up with my children. I want to include the message here.


Fifteen Things You Probably Never Knew or Thought About

1. At least 5 people in this world love you so much they would die for you.

2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.

3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.

4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.

5. Every night SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.

6. You mean the world to someone.

7. If not for you, someone may not be living.

8. You are special and unique.

9. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.

10. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.

11. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: you most likely turned your back on the world.

12. When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably won't get it, but if you believe in yourself, probably, sooner or later, you will get it.

13. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

14. Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better when they know.

15. If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are great.

A Minute: They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire lifetime to forget them.

This still brings tears to my eyes when I read it. Thank you, Lucy, for making my life easier this week and for the reminder that God does hear me and usually answers me as audibly and as lovingly as I pray. Life is a little sweeter now.

MONDAY BLUES

I have always found Monday morning to be a difficult time to get going. I always think it is because the weekend seems to have a different pace even though I am now alone and the days kind of flow together in meaning and activity. Nevertheless, here I am again wanting to postpone the week--maybe because I have a lot of child tending to do this week and even though it is a for pay job, unlike my nephews who I keep for free, these boys are brats. They are about 2 and 4 years of age and they pay no attention to what I say. I have never experienced this before so it is a challenge for me. I think that this will be a long week.

Yesterday was a good day. Church was interesting in that we have a guest priest while ours is away on a 6 week study sabbatical. The intereim is slow and obviously not as with it as he probably once was but the music was nice. This could be a long six weeks. I got one of those luxurious Sunday afternoon naps which I think I have written about before. I fed a friend and we went to a movie--one I'd seen before but was eager to see again--during which we had a wonderful rain storm. We could hear the thunder roll inside the theater. Before bed I talked to Natalie in Chicago and one of my best friends in Indiana. I went to bed feeling that all was right in my world. Thanks be...Amen.

I have had comments from friends that they are reading the blog besides the ones who comment to the blogspot so it is nice to know that I am being read. Primarily this is a way that my children and I keep up with each others lives but I'm glad for anyone who wants to check in on my hum drum activities. I hope that you get an occasional laugh.

On to the week ahead. May it be full of good things for all of us. I have to decide what to read next since I have finished my last book--so many books so little time. I'm trying to read Leon Uris's THE HAJ but I keep putting it aside since it is long and involved like THE EXODUS was. Sometimes I'm not up to keeping so many facts straight. I guess that says something about my intellect but I keep trying to stretch myself. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and spend more time at the gym stretching. As I said, on to the week ahead.

OUT TO THE MOVIES

I went out to the movies tonight and saw two new movies: Jack Black in NACHO LIBRE and Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in THE LAKE HOUSE. I enjoyed both although I was ready for NL to end before it was over. TLH is a boy meets girl in a time warp plot and is a touchingly sweet story set in Chicago on the lake front. I liked the scenery. The thing that struck me about this story line is that sometimes relationships just don't work out because we aren't both living in the same year or perhaps the same place for that matter--not on the same page so to speak. Getting that insight alone justified seeing this movie. Often one person in a relationship is ahead of the other and it doesn't work. Another time or another place and it might have been. That explained a lot to me about relationship. "Too soon old and too late smart" as it has been said.

Other than the movies this has been a quiet weekend for me. I mucked around the house all day not accomplishing anything except to take care of Maggie, the little dog I am sitting. I should have enjoyed it more because I will be baby sitting a lot this next week and will wish that I had more time at home. Well, I still have tomorrow.

LOST IN BLOGLAND

Today I wrote what I considered a thoughtful and sensitive piece about a timely subject which I then lost to somewhere in blogland. My first thought was that maybe I wasn't supposed to make that post. Then I decided that it was a very good post but alas, I was too spent to try to do the sensitive writing thing again. Sometimes you have it and sometimes you don't. So I will leave my readers guessing. Maybe another day. I had already journaled about the subject so maybe that was enough.

I'm reading an old Daphne du Maurier book--her most famous work is REBECCA--entitled THE SCAPEGOAT. I had tried to read this book about a year ago and just could not get into it. At the urging of a friend who had read it I started it again and got immediately hooked. It is about a man who has had the identy of a man (a look alike) foisted upon him and how he deals with the man's family, a pregnant wife and child, and his business. Only the dog seems to know the difference. The thing that makes the plot so interesting is that although neither man had much of a conscience before the identity change, the main character suddenly begins trying to redeem the character that he has assumed by becoming honest and caring toward the people in his life. I can hardly wait to get back to it tonight. I really think this is a better book than REBECCA.

This was my usual church and meeting day with a haircut sandwiched in as well. It was a good day and nice catching up with all my Thursday meeting people. I come away with my cup more full on this day. Blessings on us all.

donna's doings

PISSED OFF

A very good friend of mine remarked to me today that I seem to have been pissed off a lot lately. I said that I would have to think about that and that it is probably a good perception.

Only a very good friend will say something like that to you--it's like only a very special friend will tell you that you have spinach in your teeth or that your skirt tail is caught up in your panty hose. I saw a lady that way in a hotel lobby in Colorado Springs one time and I casually walked up behind her and explained her situation to her. She thanked me and quickly corrected the otherwise embarrasing situation. My brother once saw a man walk across a hotel lobby with his foot stuck through his undershorts. Any man who doesn't pick up after himself sort of deserves that embarrasment.

Well, while all of this is funny it doesn't address my being pissed off so much. I thought about what has been going on with me and a few things come to mind.

Gasoline is now nearly $3 per gallon and while I realize that we folks in the good old USA have had a nearly free ride for a long time, it tends to interfere with the well being of those of us who from time to time enjoy a pleasure trip in the old sedan and don't feel like we can afford the luxury now. So I guess I am "stir crazy" as they say from staying home so much. Yea, I'd like to go someplace.

Then there is the fact that my mother, whose main physical disability is that she is 88 years old, has a doctor who doesn't talk to her. She went last week for a blood pressure check and he says her blood pressure is too high and to come back in a week. All week long her blood pressure has been below normal. Today she goes back and her blood pressure is high again and he wants to increase her med. He doesn't look at her while she is there and spends his time entering things into his laptop computer. She felt totally dismissed by him. I want her to get another doctor. She doesn't know where to go. I am frustrated. She is not sick but she will be if she keeps going to him. He has already changed another med that she has been fine on for years. Yea, I'm pissed!

Then there is the fact that I don't get to see my children as much as I would like. I love them and I miss the chatter and laughter that we experience together. I'd like to be able to have shorter visits more often but the cost of travel doesn't afford that. It is frustrating.

So, there are lots of things in our lives that we don't like and most of the things that bother us are the ones that we really don't have the power to do much about. Frustrating it is but saying that I am "pissed off" sure gives a more adequate description to my feelings.

WHAT DO CHILDREN KNOW?

Sometimes they know everything. Like today, I get a comment from my son on my blog about the radio show, A Prairie Home Companion, saying that he thought that the show was still going on and that the ending of the show was only the premise for the movie. Well, thank God, the kid was right. I turned to my trusty site, www.wikipedia.com, and got the lowdown on the history of the show and the whole nine yards. If any of you care to check it out you can find out more than you will probably ever want to know. (You can find out more than you want to know about almost anything on wikipedia.com. I use it often.) I guess the reason I supposed that the show was cancelled was because the ones I have heard recently were reruns. Anyway, the show is live and well. Thank you, Johnnie, for bringing all of this to my attention.

My tea was sweeter this morning because of the rain that has been falling for hours. I wakened sometime in the early hours-- actually I didn't go to sleep until the early hours--to the sound of the rain on my metal roof. Oh, how peaceful sleep is under a metal roof. I learned that as a little girl at the home of my grandparents. Back then they were the only folks I knew who still had a metal roof on their house and it was because they lived a poorer than most life style. Now it is fashionable again although I have one because my lifestyle is poorer than most. Being poor isn't all bad when you can hear the rain on a metal roof.

I always feel guilty when I speak of having less than others. I am fully aware that the least that I have is more than most people in the world have. When I was a little girl I was well aware of the expression, pretty is as pretty does, and I think the same holds true for ones means. It is how we use it that counts. If I am selfish with my little then I am no better than the person who has a lot and is determined not to share of his bounty. The 12 step program says that you have to give it (the program) away to keep it. That can be said about most things in life.

I hope that the rain continues to fall softly on throughout the day. It is so wonderful after so many dry months. Thank you, God.

donna's doings

SUNDAY MUSING

Sunday is pretty much my favorite day of the week. Today is the first day of the summer schedule at church which means we have one service which begins at 9:30 a.m. and I am home by 11 a.m. I am extremely hungry this morning since I haven't yet eaten. I was really tempted to go out and have breakfast but since I did not make plans to do so with anyone and I don't relish going out alone this morning I am going to make do at home. The menu is a huge spinach and cheese omelet, good bread and iced tea.

After lunch I will probably put a DVD in the player and take a nap--I seem to sleep very well during a movie then have to play it again if it is something I haven't seen. Since I have seen most of the movies that I own, if not all, it doesn't make much difference if I drift into the arms of Morpheus. "How sweet it is," as Jackie Gleason used to say. When I was a kid I never understood why my Mom and Dad always took a Sunday afternoon nap. Now I know. It is sweeter, I must say, when that nap is with someone.

It is hot, humid and very dry in Florida these days. We desperately need rain. I think a lot about going north to where the grass seems greener. Maybe near the end of July I can go. I need to see family and friends and get refreshed.

donna's doings

RUDE AWAKENING

Did you ever go to a movie thinking that it is one that would appeal to your demographic and everyone there is really old? Well, that happened to me today. Since my baby sitting job for today and tomorrow fell through and I was at loose ends with nothing else to do I took myself to the first showing of A Prairie Home Companion this afternoon. The movie was delightful and entertaining and Dusty and Lefty were especially funny. I was stunned at Lily Tomlin's performance and how much she reminded me of my children's now deceased Auntie Clara from their father's side of the family. It brought tears to my eyes knowing that the era of such a delightful show has ended. I will see it again and again, no doubt, even if I'm not as old as everyone else there (tongue in cheek) and I will continue to listen to the rebroadcasts on NPR so long as the funding permits the show to be aired. God bless Garrison Keillor for all the joy that he has brought to so many of us for these 30 plus years.

donna's doings

donna's doings

SLEEPLESS IN LAKELAND

I finally slept a few hours this morning after 6 a.m. I have a sleepless night about once a week but this week there have been 2 already and the week isn't over yet. Sleeping this morning means that I missed my usual Thursday morning activities at church and another group that I attend. That really messes up my week.

The day wasn't a total loss because my friend Marty dropped by around 4:30 p.m. and I made dinner for us. I have been hungry for black beans and yellow rice with sliced tomatoes. Since I was fixing it for company I also made hamburger steaks. It was a splendid repast. We had peach mango sherbet for desert which was the perfect ending to our delicious meal. Shortly after dinner our friend Denise and two of her daughters showed up for a visit. They were on their way to walk Lake Hollingsworth but got rained out so we got to catch up with each other for an hour. It made my day.

One useful thing that I did today was to petition my senators and representatives to stop the government from withdrawing financial support from the PBS and NPR stations. As a fan of both I am appauled that they could lose government funding. I invited several of my friends to participate with me in trying to keep this from happening. I don't have much faith in the present administration in Washington to do anything that is good for the common man but we can still hope and do what we can.

Speaking of PBS and NPR, tomorrow the movie, A Prairie Home Companion, opens in theaters. I hope to be one of the first to see it since I have been a fan of Garrison Keillor for about 30 years. His satire on old time radio on Saturday nights on NPR has always been a delight to me and my family so I look forward to the movie. I think it has earned 4 stars. I have been to two of his shows and they have been absolutely delightful.

I hope to settle in shortly with my current reading and expect that sleep will come soon--at least that is my wish. God bless us all with sleep that refreshes.

A Beginners Ramblings

I am totally new at this but have been impressed with my children's blogspots. I have thought that it might be a fun way to keep my friends updated on my ramblings and musings. I haven't submitted a profile as yet and wonder just what I will find to say about myself that might be interesting or amusing. Anyway, nothing ventured--nothing gained, as someone once said. I wish I could find original words that could be as useful as that little catch phrase. So.....I guess I am an official blogger now. I hope I don't disappoint my children and friends or embarrass myself. Please feel free to comment or respond at anytime.