AMAZON

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Saturday Mishmash



Very Old Photographs

This morning, while messing around in some old stuff, I came across these very old (since each is more than 50 years old, perhaps I should write antique) photographs of me. Therefore, with no humility since I am pictured in all of them, I share with you these scenes from my childhood.



Nana, my mother's mother

My Dad

With my sister, Debbie
Christmas

With Uncle Frankie Joe

Jenny, the pony my Uncle Frankie Joe gave me

With the chickens in my Uncle Frankie Joe's back yard

Exhausted

On days after adventures such as the one Alex and I had yesterday, I find myself exhausted. The furball and I sleep long yesterday evening. Today I have taken two unusually long naps. As for Alex, he’s again outside catting around.

Just Grape Nuts

For the past two days all I have really wanted to eat has been Post Grape Nuts Cereal.

I wonder want is in a bowl Grape Nuts that my body is craving? The 47.2 g of carbs, the 5 g of fiber, or the 90% of the body’s daily requirement of iron?


Hospitality

A couple of blogs I read this week reminded me of this ancient story. I’ve shared it before, I don’t think telling it again will hurt.

Once upon a time an old man, a stranger, walked out of the desert and into the camp of Abraham, who greeted him as a host is to great all visitors. He opened his camp to this stranger, gave him refreshment, and ordered that a feast be prepared of the best that he had to offer.

When Abraham and the stranger sat down to eat, Abraham took a moment to than YHWH for the meal and to bless the stranger who dined with him. Before they could begin to eat, the stranger said he had to thank his god also. He then pulled a small wooden statue out of his robe. However, before he could begin to pray, Abraham jumped to his feet.

“Is this how you repay my hospitality?” he exclaimed. “I have sworn to my God to avoid all idols and you bring one into my tent and even pray to this piece of wood! Get out! Leave my sight and my camp!

So the stranger left Abraham’s tent and began walking back into the wilderness of the desert.

And God spoke to Abraham, “Abraham! Abraham! What are you doing? I have protected that old man all of his days; have given him all that he needs for life. And he has given thanks to that little piece of wood for all of the blessings that I have bestowed upon him. If I can love him and tolerate his misguided thanks for seventy years, can you not put up with him for one night? Go! Call him back to your camp and treat him to the hospitality that is his do.”

And Abraham did as God commanded.


Rumors

This week I encountered the following video on Luis’ The Blog from Another Direction. He asked that it be spread around and I cheerfully do so:




25 comments:

  1. Nick, Thank you for the reminder that we are human and that God,is the one that calls the shots.

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  2. ` Peace! That's what we all need! BTW, I have more peace now that Vada is back!

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  3. Wow! Awesome pics! Love the one with the chickens. LOL

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  4. Wow, lovely pictures! I love old photographs! I did a piece back in the days about my grandparents and stuff, and I enclosed old b/w of them... there's something magical about the old photos, something a digital modern camera can't capture. It's like they've been painted by fate on the canvas of life... :)

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  5. love the old photos especailly the one with your sis. You were a cutie and oh the stories you could tell.
    Glad the furball has had his annual visit to the TUNE OF YIKES $$$$$$$$$$$$.
    I never ever crave cereal. Maybe you just enjoy the crunch crunch crunch and crunch.
    Peace be with you.

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  6. This is another fascinating bunch of mishmash, Nick. Thank you for getting my mind awake on a lazy Sunday morning.

    P.S. ~ You were a very cute kid!

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  7. Oh what a cutie you were Nick!

    I think our bodies tell us when we need something with cravings.

    Have a great Sunday x

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  8. oh man! you actually GOT a PONY?

    ;)
    xx
    pinks

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  9. I love looking at old photos. Thanks for sharing.

    CJ xx

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  10. MIKE: You are most welcome.


    S E E QUINE: Spooney! I am so glad that prodigal Vada has returned. Both Alex and I have been worried about that little kitten.


    THE LONE BEADER: I have been told, but done not remember it, that I had tears in my eyes when that photo was taken, supposedly because I did not want the chickens in the picture with me. I cannot believe that I was so egotistical!

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  11. HEART OF DARKNESS: I agree. There is something about black and white and even sepia tone photos that make them more endearing than color pics.


    DANA: Thank you.


    LADY DI TN: My little sister was cute, but she was also a pain in my ass. She still is, damn it! When she was a baby, I named her “Little Missy Wet Bottom” and she has held a grudge against me ever since she learned to speak!

    The furball is also, at the moment, a pain! He must have a pill and a ml. of liquid medicine each day. Today I have gotten the pill down his reluctant throat, so now he is avoiding any move I make to capture the little brat for the other medicine.


    CHINA GIRL: I am happy I was able to awaken your mind this morning. Now, if I could just find a way to awaken my mind this afternoon….

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  12. ALALAMALU: I agree that our bodies tell us what we need. I also found that I consumed very few calories yesterday with my three meals of Grape nuts!


    PINK: Yep, I had a pony. I actually had two ponies. The one in the photo is Jenny, the first. She had spent her working life walking around a circle at an amusement park in Louisville carrying little kids on her back. She was quite tolerant and mellow with me. Some day I must tell the story of the one time I flew off her back.

    The second, who came after Jenny entered the Great Pasture in the Sky, was an all white pony name Apache. He was not gentle. When my uncle realized that, he arranged for Apache to have a new home.


    CRYSTAL JIGSAW: You are most welcome.

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  13. Enjoyed your old family photos! Especially got a kick out of your grandmother's hat! Funny choice for a no-nonsense looking kind of woman. :)

    I ALWAYS wanted a pony when I was little!!!! I am totally green with envy.

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  14. WILLOW: I, too, find my grandmother’s hat weird—I, uh, mean “interesting. Of course, Nana was born in Germany in the 19th Century and came to the U.S. just after the beginning of the Twentieth Century. I have no idea what her ideas on fashion were!

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  15. I love the precious photographic memories you have. My father has none of his family, because he was raised by an aunt, when his mom died. My mother's were mostly lost in a house fire. I have never seen a picture of my paternal grandmother.
    I cherish that Allen's grandmother chose me to help her work on the family tree and I cherish the beautiful photographs that my mother-in-law has, though they are to be mine some day.
    I do not even have pictures of me as a baby here, my mother is very protective because of her OCD and has not let me borrow any.

    Great Obama video. Thank you for sharing it.

    I just cannot do the Grape Nuts thing, more a granola or Cheerios gal myself.

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  16. Great stuff, Rev! I thank you for the Obama movie.

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  17. I love love LOVE pld photos... I still find myself changing a lot into black & white or sepia toned.

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  18. You are a blond! So all those blond jokes are about you!

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  19. I find it both refreshing and nostalgic when you post the old photos, Rev Saint. These portray little Nicky in ways that I never saw. They also bring to my mind memories from my childhood in Louisville.

    I pray that you are over your tiredness and that you are able to keep up with Alex.

    I admit that I like Grape Nuts but not as much as you are eating.

    The hospitality story has some excellent theological teaching in it. I know how tempted you must be to explain what the theology is, but appreciate that you allow your readers to come away from the story with their own understandings. That is partly what has made you such a talented and wise teacher and preacher.

    The Obama video is excellent. I am sure that you have sadly heard that Senator Obama has resigned from Trinity United Church of Christ. We of the UCC have experienced a great loss. I pray that he will join another UCC congregation.

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  20. i just found your blog and realy like it

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  21. i love old faded photographs. how nostalgic. the one with the chickens is great ... i quite fancy keeping chickens one day. i see them in animal sanctuaries strutting around pecking at things, they are well cute.

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  22. Thanks for sharing those pictures. It's great to see thngs like that. I have cravings for shredded wheat with the frosting on one side. I can understand the Grape nuts thing. It also reminds me of the old TV ads with Euell Gibbions which I caught on youtube a while back.

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  23. Thanks for sharing the pics, Nick...

    Love that cereal as well:)

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  24. I love old photos, nick. Frosties are my preferred any-time-of-day snack!

    Glad you and Alex survived the trip to the vet. Alex and his toys reminded me of George when i throw a stick. Sometimes he can't be bothered to look for it so he just picks up one that is to paw and brings that back instead!

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