Whimsical Wednesday

A Special Day

Multiple-guess . . . What is significant about today, WED 10/31
A. Reformation Day
B. Halloween
C. 48th anniversary of my first date with the love of my life
D. All of the above

If you chose D, YOU ARE A WINNER!

It was on October 31 that Good Ol' Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany. Lutherans & other Protestants commonly observe this date as the beginning of the Reformation.

Tomorrow is All Saints Day, & today is "All Hallows Eve." Some years we've turned off all the upstairs lights & barricaded ourselves in the basement so we would be spared having to answer the door a gazillion times. We don't do that anymore, but--call me the Halloween Grinch--it's still a pain handing out candy every 17.5 seconds from 5:00-8:00.

And finally, my first date with Lois was Oct. 31, 1970. We attended St. Paul's College High in Concordia, MO. She was a junior. I was a senior. She asked me to be her escort for the high school homecoming court. I accepted. She was declared high school princess. Coincidence? Hmmmmm.

By the way, my sister Carolyn, who was a good friend of Lois', probably still takes credit for our 48 years of dating bliss, since she egged Lois on to ask me out.

Also, by the way, at break this morning at Orphan Grain Train we learned that parents at a public school--can't remember where--let the school administration know that their kids would not be dressing up, as permitted, for Halloween, since they weren't allowed to celebrate Christmas. Get it? It was OK for the school to celebrate a pagan holiday, but celebrate Christmas? Uh, no.

From Omaha World Herald (10/31):  "This year, Americans will drop about $9 billion in celebration of Halloween & its carnival of escapism, a chance to flaunt yourself or disappear into someone else. The holiday's craziness & camp are fun precisely because they are temporary--& so are the stores that sell it to us."  Lois has spent this week teaching her 1st graders to say, "Happy Reformation!"

Last but not least

Here are some intriguing taglines posted on today's Drudge Report. [I didn't bother reading the articles.]

• Pelosi:  After We Win, We'll Tone Down Rhetoric
• Saudi arrest 17 women for taking part in Halloween party
• Cemeteries of Future:  Graves Suspended in Air?
• Rotting fish, maggot cheese on menu at Disgusting Food Museum
• Editor quits food magazine after joking about killing vegans

Free-for-All Friday

There Is No Place Like . . . China

Omaha World Herald (10/16):  "Chinese woman jailed for singing anthem badly. A 21-year-old woman accused of 'disrespecting' China's national anthem was jailed by Shanghai police over the weekend." No one kneels during the national anthem in China.

California

"OWH (10/18):  "Police:  Teen baked ashes of grandpa into cookies. A Davis, CA high school student allegedly baked her grandfather's ashes into a batch of sugar cookies & gave them to classmates." I predict that this young lady will not pass home ec.

Dept. of Shameless Joke-Stealing *

* From Reader's Digest (10/18)

"A forgetful old gasman named Dieter

Who went looking around his gas heater

Touched a leak with his light;

He blew out of sight--

And, as everyone who knows anything about poetry can tell you, he also ruined

     the meter."

Road Trip Redux

We left for our niece Katie's wedding last THU 10/18 & returned on MON 10/22. [Katie's parents are Lois' brother David & his wife, my cousin, Carmen, which makes Katie our niece & my 2nd cousin or 1st cousin-once removed . . . I can never remember.] Other than a delay out of Omaha, our flights were uneventful. As always, I was impressed by the lavish mini-mini-pretzels served by Southwest.
          Highlights of the long weekend included, of course, Scott & Katie's wedding, which was in a former oil baron's(?) mansion on SAT, just outside Nocona, TX. Other highlights:

• Getting to spend lots of quality time with our kids, grandkids, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews.
• The rehearsal dinner at a steakhouse in Montague.
• A birthday party for Faith, our great-niece, at a pizza place in downtown Nocona.
• The wedding ceremony, which was conducted by a close family friend who got his "certification" on-line. [It was a great message that he gave.]
• The dinner & reception, which included lots of dancing--by Lois with the grand-kids, not me. [I offered one slow dance with Lois but was turned down.

Our next road trip will be to Washington, D.C. in DEC, for a memorial service for a brother-in-law who passed away last November. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Dept. of Shameless Joke-Stealing *

"Adam & Eve:  the first people not to read the Apple Terms & Conditions."

* Source:  Reader's Digest, Oct. 2018

Divine Multitasking *

"We will never be perfect neighbors to those inside or outside our homes. Still, there is a perfect Multitasker, Neighbor & Friend: 'the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Him? (Jer. 32:27). He is mindful of us, forgives us & works through us to serve our families, congregations, neighborhoods, governments & ultimately all creation.

          "Our God uses our paltry efforts, & He restores the building blocks of family stability, healthy culture, neighborly charity, honorable government & the spread of His Kingdom. As we make our feeble attempts to multitask or single-task, our Lord serves for us, with us, in us, outside us & through us without any pause or hesitation at all, as our gracious Maker, our only Savior, the Lord of Life--the Perfect Neighbor, Husband, Father, Brother, King & the answer to our every need.

          "No matter how this day may appear, it is His day. Let us rejoice as we receive & be glad as we serve!"

* Source:  "Getting It Done," by Mary Moerbe in The Lutheran Witness, Sep. 2018.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY:  WISDOM HIDDEN IN MYSTERY 

“Deep calls to deep at the roar of Your waterfalls.” Ps. 42:7

“God’s cataracts [or ‘waterfalls’] are the preachers of the Gospel. The Lord has opened them up & has poured down in abundance the rain of saving doctrine. And by the public proclamation of such a one the faithful are multiplied.”  Martin Luther Psalm by Psalm, Concordia Publishing House, 2017.

Whimsical Wednesday

Selfies + Geckos + Piano Punishment + Today's Inspiration

Whimsy

Omaha World Herald (10/8):  "Taking the perfect selfie proved fatal for more than 250 people. The next time you're standing at the edge of a scenic cliff or on top of a waterfall, take care when you have the urge to snap a quick selfie. It could very well be the last thing you do. More than 250 people worldwide have died while taking selfies in the past 6 years, according to a new study by researchers associated with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences." No comment needed.

There Is No Place Like Hawaii

OWH (10/15):  If you got incessant phone cals last week from a hospital that cares for Hawaiian monk seals, you were butt-dialed. Or, more specifically, foot-dialed. By a gecko . . . The gecko was perched on a phone, making calls to everyone in the recent call history with "HIS TINY GECKO FEET," according to Marine mammal veterinarian Claire Simeone who left her phone in the lab.

Criminal Minds

OWH (10/15):  "A former prominent neurological researcher at Yale & NY Universities avoided prison time last week for stealing research funds, but a judge said he must play piano for indigent elderly people in Connecticut to make amends . . . Neumeister must play piano for an hour at least twice weekly for the next 3 years at group facilities in Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford & Waterbury, the judge said. (She) said she saw in pre-sentencing materials that Neumeister is a trained pianist." This potentially could turn out to be punishment for the indigent elderly.

Dept. of Shameless Joke-Stealing *

* From Reader's Digest, Oct. 2018

"In honor of National Boss's Day (Oct. 16), here are actual quotes from the men & women who hold our careers in their hands:

• "Am I the only one around here with half a brain?!"
• "I know your performance review is due today, but let's wait until tomorrow. I'm not in the mood for all that negativity."
• "I think you prefer your idea just because it's better than mine."
• "We passed over a lot of good people to get the ones we hired."
• "It has come to my attention that your salary is well below the industry average. Therefore I am changing your title."
• "OK, you bunch of crybabies, what's this I hear about poor morale?"

No Light

"Without Jesus, there is no light. He alone is the Great Light who comes to those who dwell in darkness. He is the child born for us & the Son given to us. Jesus is the Light of the nations. He opens eyes & frees those who sit in darkness. He makes unbelievers into believers. Thus, to those who hear the Word & rejoice in the voice of the Savior, Isaiah says, 'Arise, shine, for your light has come, & the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.'

          "The eternal Word of God brought forth light on the First Day, He brings us into His light now, & He will bring forth light on the Last Day. In the end, God the Father, God the Son & God the Spirit will create a new heaven & a new earth. Those who trust in Christ will not be put to shame. They will be clothed with the garments of salvation & robes of righteousness. Jesus came to die & in His body put to death all of our sin & idolatry. In Christ, the Last Day is a day of light & life, for He 'is light, & in Him is no darkness at all.'"

SOURCE:  The Lutheran Witness, Sept. 2018

Mental Health Monday

Temp Challenge . . . SAD . . . Road Trips

         Sunday, 10/14/18. When we got up yesterday there was snow on the ground, it was snowing, & the temperature was 30. I was too depressed to even do a Leckband Temp Challenge. But this seems like a nice segue to

Leckband Temp Challenge

After consulting both wunderground.com & weather.com, here are today's rankings & results.

• #6, Balmiest Leckbands, Eagan, MN, 32, feels like 32
• #5, Ventura, IA, 33, feels like 24
• #3,  TIE, Lincoln & Beatrice, NE, 31, feels like 26
• #2, Garrison, IA, 30, feels like 23
• #1, CHAMPION, Norfolk, NE, 28, feels like 19

This seems like a nice segue to

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Signs & symptoms

• Feeling depressed most of the day, every day
• Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
• Having low energy
• Having problems w/sleeping
• Experiencing changes in your appetite or weight
• Feeling sluggish or agitated
• Having difficulty concentrating
• Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty
• Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide

Fall & Winter SAD

• Oversleeping
• Appetite changes, especially a craving for food high in carbohydrates
• Weight gain
• Tiredness or low energy.

Source:  mayoclinic.org

MY COMMENTS:  SAD can often accompany clinical depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders. It often happens in fall or winter. If you review the list above & feel like many of the symptoms are familiar to you, you should seek a mental health provider. There are ways to cope, & he/she can help.

Road Trips

I really look forward to road trips. This week we're heading to Dallas on THU 10/18. On FRI 10/19 we'll pick up some family members from the airport & head to Nocona, TX, for our niece Katie's wedding. Her father & mother are Lois' little brother David & my cousin Carmen, so Katie is both a niece & a 2nd cousin. We'll be back in Nebraska on MON 10/22.

Sunday Meditation

YIELD TO THE LORD

“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when He delights in His way.” Ps. 37:23

“But this is opposed by the fact that a God-pleasing way of life receives no support but only hindrance & rejection from the wicked. This is a vexation for human nature. Therefore one must find consolation in God’s approval & support of our way of life, regardless of the hindrance & rejection of the wicked.” Martin Luther Psalm by Psalm, Concordia Publishing House, 2017.

Free-For-All Friday

Dogs + Alligators + Pumpkins + Squirrels + More

Man's Best Friend

It's been awhile since I've written about Sammy, our labrador-beagle-?? "puppy." I am continually amazed by his reaction to mealtime. When I let him out of his kennel in the morning, he sprints up the basement stairs to get to his breakfast. At suppertime he reacts to the phrase, "Are You Ready for Supper?", by barking & jumping around on his hind legs. I am left with these possible theories.

• He reacts with incredible joy at the news that he will be eating.
• He's afraid that if he doesn't rush to his dog food, he might miss mealtime.
• Maybe he's afraid that the squirrels--he does hate them--might get to his food before he does.
• Is he living a pathetic life, where the only two things that bring him unbridled joy are breakfast & supper?

There Is No Place Like . . . Illinois

Omaha World Herald (10/10):  "Somebody dumped an alligator in Lake Michigan. Authorities don't know who dumped a 4' long reptile into Lake Michigan, but they now know what kind it is. After initially believing that the animal spotted MON swimming near Waukegan, IL, by a startled kayaker was a caiman, officials now say it is actually an alligator." Brett Kavanaugh was responsible? You be the judge. *
* Judge . . . Get it?

California

Norfolk Daily News (10/10):  "2,170-pound pumpkin wins owner $15,000. 'One special seed' & months of care by an Oregon commercial pilot produced a massive pumpkin that tipped the scales at a global weigh-in MON in Northern CA. It was the 4th time his gargantuan plants were awarded top honors."  Apparently in the case of pumpkins, size matters.

Florida

OWH (10/11):  "Flight delayed after flyer brings along squirrel. Police had to remove a woman who brought an 'emotional support squirrel' on a Frontier Airlines flight headed from Orlando, FL, to Cleveland . . . The airline said rodents, including squirrels, are not allowed."  PETESS * is understandably incensed.
* People for the Ethical Treatment of Emotional Support Squirrels

Dept. of Shameless Joke-Stealing *

• "I like having conversations with kids. Grown-ups never ask me what my 3rd-favorite reptile is."
• "My 2-year-old has a superpower:  Everything he touches gets sticky."
• "We could live inside the school bus & my son would still find a way to make us late for it every ay."

* From Reader's Digest (Oct. 2018)

Political Potpourri

"We Americans are in the midst of a serious division regarding our own character:  Was America, & the West, founded on fundamentally good & eternal principles, principles we've sometimes failed to live up to, of course, but principles worth fighting for? Or is America, & the West, the font of evil, the source of suffering, & is all our prosperity merely the fruit of the poisonous tree?
          "Our ideals divide us, too.On the one hand are 'red state' Americans *, steeped in traditional Judeo-Christian principles & mores--Americans who believe that our rights are God-given & that liberty must be balanced by traditional moral virtue. On the other hand are 'blue state' Americans, steeped in egalitarian principles & mores--Americans who believe that rights spring from government, that inequality is a more pressing concern than individual liberty & that systems of traditional virtues merely mask hierarchical power structures."  Source: "What do we have in common?", column by Ben Shapiro in NDN (10/11).
* I am happy to report that Nebraska is a red state.

Part III of III w/Added Bonus

Multi-tasking, Part 3

          "We will never be perfect neighbors to those inside or outside our homes. Still, there is a perfect Multitasker, Neighbor & Friend: 'the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Him?' (Jer. 32:27). He is mindful of us (Ps. 8:4), forgives us & works through us to serve our families, congregations neighborhoods, governments, & ultimately al creation.
          "Our God uses our paltry efforts, & He restores the building blocks of family stability, healthy culture, neighborly charity, honorable governments & the spread of His Kingdom. As we make our feeble attempts to multitask or single-task, our Lord serves for us, with us, in us, outside us & through us without any pause or hesitation at all, as our gracious Maker, our only Savior, the Lord of Life--the Perfect Neighbor, Husband, Father, Brother, King & the answer to our every need.
          "No matter how this day may appear, it is His day. Let us rejoice as we receive & be glad as we serve!" Source:  "Getting It Done," by Mary J. Moerbe in Lutheran Witness, Sept. 2018.

FROM THE MIDST OF HEAVEN 

“They are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance . . . I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.” Ps. 37:19, 25

“Thus they are to learn by experience that they should not be concerned for their belly, & that life does not lie in the things we possess or in bread but in the Word by which we become rich toward God, as the Gospel says.”  Martin Luther Psalm by Psalm, Concordia Publishing House, 2017.

Leckband Temp Challenge

Rankings based on weatherunderground.com @ 8:06a (CDT). 

• #5, TIE, Balmiest Leckbands, Lincoln, NE, Beatrice, NE, 35, feels like 33
• #4, Eagan, MN, 35/36 (inexplicable!)
• #3, Garrison, IA, 37/30
• #2, Ventura, IA, 35/31
• #1, TODAY'S CHAMPION, Norfolk, NE, 35/29