Random Saturday Pictures

Snow again yesterday and even some this morning meant that I could get a nice wintry picture. It was actually beautiful out Friday morning and this is when I really got these shots.

I hope you all are really enjoying cold wintry days indoors.

Skinny Guy

Hey! Who's that skinny young kid? See that map over his shoulder? That's the state of Illinois, with his hometown pinned. Considering the place he was in when this picture was taken, I know that that home town was the one place he really wanted to be, small and provinical that it may have been! Hard to believe that picture was taken 40 years ago. It was a long time ago in a war far away. The memories don't fade for those who were there, though. Ron went over December 21 of 1967 and came home in February of 1969. 1968, the one whole year that he spent there, by all accounts, was the year that saw the worst of the fighting. And his mother sent him off just before Christmas. I have often imagined how that must have felt for her. I can't imagine having to take your oldest son to the airport and leave him to the U.S. military in an already very unpopular war. I have always been thankful that I didn't meet him until a late summer day in 1969, well after he got back. As a side note here, Ron had hundreds of slides (an old fashioned technology whereby pictures were projected onto a wall, sheet, screen etc. Very ungainly) of his time in Viet Nam and his R and R in Australia. Only a handful of them survived the 40 years in our basement including this one. Such a shame.

Obsessions

I have been busy with most important tasks at the computer these past couple of days. I have been downloading music into my MP3 player. It holds 80 GB (YIKES!) and right now I have like, 250 MB into it. So I've been scouting nooks and crannies and even downloading from ITunes. (wow does that work slick. Be careful, there girl) All that to tell you that I have been listening to a lot of music. Well, actually I've only been listening to two songs. Over and over and over. They are so beautiful and compelling I can't get them out of my mind and I seem to have this complusion to listen to them only. I think my brain has short circuted here or something. Why I think I need 80 GB is beyond me, when I seem to be perfectly content with these two songs. "You were There" by Avalon and "Glory in the Highest" by Chris Tomlin. The first song especially, helped me work through my last meltdown (major doubts) over Haiti. "I wonder how it must have felt when David stood to face Goliath on a hill. I imagine that he shook with all his might until you took his hand and held on tight. Cause you were there...You were there in the midst of the unclear, you were always there.... you are the strength when we had none..." Words to sink deep into my heart for the coming days.

Home front

Hey it's a night at home and I can read, or blog (nothing on tv so forget that) or talk on the phone, or catch up with some studying I've been doing, I can even do some web surfing. Wow, such luxury! If it were a warm summer night I'd consider a walk, but with the slippery streets and walks at this time of night, that's out. I sometimes think this busyiness in my life takes away from the real relationships that I could and should be building. I forget about the 'people factor' and concentrate too much on the things going on. But there are people all over who need to be cared for and I don't have the time. Really not good.

More on Haiti

Ok So yesterday (Sunday) wasn't a very good day. I had lots of time to think about this upcoming trip to Haiti and all of a sudden I realized that I am nuts. While I love to camp (i.e. be in the great outdoors without a lot of modern conveniences) I don't necessarily like to do it in a foreign language. Oh yes, friends, they speak a foreign language in Haiti. And what's more they eat goat meat. Truth be told, I am still thinking that Ron would be better at this since his talents and skills (i.e. carpentry, plumbing, electric work, hard physical labor, blah blah, blah) would be much more practical than any of mine (i.e. photography, storytelling, computer blathering) This has truly put me to the test in the courage department. So to review my thoughts on that..."Be of good courage...and I will be with you..." I think the word 'fearless' came up at some point. And the thought that perhaps I should just sit back and actually see what God might use me for. But above all, now that I've talked my friend into going, I shouldn't chicken out, as it were. So. I have to be more careful about these feelings of mine. They just get in the way for the most part. But you can pray for me anyway.

Random Cool Pics

What could be more beautiful than a mom and her baby? And this one's a cuddler, too!

Then, it is winter after all.