A Hymn for Sunday

I believe that this is one of my favorite hymns.

And Can It Be?

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

The words and music of this hymn can be found here.

Why We Love Our Cats

I started to name this blog "More About my Grandkittens", but then it took a different turn, thus the reference to Color's not being a grandkitten.

No, this is not one of my grandkittens. This is Color, the kitten who at eight weeks of age worked her way into our hearts and stayed there for eighteen years, before she left us. I remember the first night that she was with us, she ran and played and then just lay down in the middle of the family room floor for a little nap before resuming her activity. My husband, who had not been particulary fond of cats (he had never had one,) fell in love with her and she with him. Every evening when she heard him in the garage taking off his work shoes, she would sit at the door, waiting for him to come in so that he would pet her before he did anything else.
Now, these are the grandkittens, Tucker and Samson. They fill my daughter's life with joy (except for the early hours of the morning when they want something to eat.) That seems to be a common occurrence among cats.

The other evening I went with her to PetSmart to get some cat food. Before she got the food, we went to the room that had cats available for adoption from the Humane Society. One particular Tuxedo kitten reached out to me. She's just a little over a year old, and did she ever play. Then there were a couple of others, who looked wistfully with their big eyes, saying, "Pick me."

When my granddaughter (no, she isn't here yet, but SOON) is about three months old, I'll be going to Virginia for about a month to take care of her. When I come back home, I plan to adopt a couple of cats. I know there will still be plenty available. I do love reading about all the cats in the blogs. Some of the cats even "speak" for themselves.

On the back page of this month's Good Housekeeping magazine, there is a page that is titled, "Why We Love Cats and Dogs." Some of the descriptions of cats are: Supersoft pink paws, their love affair with open boxes and rubber bands, rhythmic purrs and full body stretches, their haughty independence combined with their constant need to be near you, and many more...These are by Alice Oglethorpe.

I know that many of you who read this blog could add many, many more reasons why you love your cats (or dogs.)

Me-ow for now.

Isn't that just like us?

Fred was driving down the street in a sweat because he had an important meeting and couldn't find a parking place. Looking up to heaven he said, Lord take pity on me. If you find me a parking place I will go to church every Sunday for the rest of my life and give up drinking."

Miraculously, a parking place appeared. Fred looked up again and said, "Never mind, I found one!"

Courtesy of Pastor Tim.

Happy birthday, Snooty

Last week, our resident manatee, Snooty, celebrated his 58th birthday. Snooty is a west Indian manatee who resides at the Parker Aquarium in the South Florida museum in Bradenton. Nearly 4,000 people came out to help thefamous manatee celebrate the occasion.

Snooty was born in captivity at the Miami Aquarium as "Baby Snoots" on July 21, 1948. He came to Bradenton with his mother as part of a manatee exhibit during the 1949 DeSoto Celebration. When his mother was released back into the wild, Snooty was forced to remain in an aquarium because he had always been hand-fed and did not know how to survive on his own.

When the Miami Aquarium closed, Snooty came to Bradenton permanently. His first home was a small pool and then a larger tank was built in the museum. Even then he became crowded for space. Whenever we took our first graders on a field trip to the museum, seeing Snooty was the highlight of the trip. We wanted to touch him so badly, but that was forbidden because of the spread of germs.
In 1993 a 60,000 gallon pool with upper and lower viewing areas, a medication pool and deep and shallow water for feeding opened at the museum and became Snooty's most recent and most elaborate place of residence.
I wrote about "Cows on Parade" in Chicago. When I flew home to Tampa, before going to get my bags and getting my car, I went up to get a bite to eat. On display in the airport were these manatees. They are similar to what the cows were like in Chicago. AC wrote that her town had bears all over the place.
The manatee is the gentle giant of the waters in Florida. Wild manatees are docile creatures whose survival has been threatened by boats and red tide. Last year, the Florida Fish and Wild Life Commission reported 225 manatees died in Florida. Watercraft accounted for 50 of those deaths and another 80 deaths were from red tide.

I live in Manatee County. I graduated from Manatee High School. At one time I had a "Save the Manatee" license plate. I had it for about 10 years, in fact; then I changed it to "Choose Life", the plate that promotes adoption.

During the winter when the water is cold, groups of manatees can be seen at the power plants that are near the water, enjoying the warmth given off.

I took some of this information from a newspaper article in our local paper. To see some photographs of actual manatees, go to this website. 

Holy Cow!

Several years ago when we went to Chicago for Pampered Chef® conference, the city was celebrating "Cows on Parade." Perhaps you saw them or read about them. Everywhere you looked there were life-sized cows that had been creatively adorned. I believe that after the session was over, the cows were auctioned off, for charity, I assume.

One year when my consultant friend and I went to Chicago, we had tickets for a Cubsu-White Sox game at Wrigley Field. I know that to some of you, you might say, "so?" but we were elated. The reason we were able to get tickets at all was that our seats were behind a post...but we were on the third base line. Seated among about six young men (all Cubbies fans except for one,) we had the time of our lives. Such fun! The Cubs won, but it was a game where you didn't know until the end who was going to win. Sammy Sosa hit a home run; Frank Thomas hit a home run that I am sure is still traveling out in space...and just to be at Wrigley Field was an experience.
As I recall, the Donald was there to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Pretty bad.

Anyway, this year on our stay in Chicago we decided to have dinner at Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse. Another fun experience. Lots and lots of baseball memorabilia to enjoy, and yes, this cow with his signature glasses. Holy cow! If you don't know who Harry Caray is, never mind. I know AC knows, as does Tom.


Srp mentioned in a comment that her brother had stayed in one of the round buildings on the river when he was in Chicago singing opera. This must be the one. There are two of them, and if you look closely, you can see the cars parked in the bottom of the building. These are affectionately (or not) called the "corn cob buildings."

More about Chicago

On Wednesday evening before our conference started, a large group of us went on a boat tour. The weather could not have been worse. It didn't rain, but as you can tell from the photos, the clouds had rolled in by late afternoon. A couple of years ago when I was in Chicago, my friend and I took one of the architectural boat tours up the river. It is a must if you ever visit the city.
As the boat left the dock, we entered a lock and waited for the height of the water to equalize before going out into the lake. This particular ride went along the shore for quite a way. The docent told us that Montgomery Ward was responsible for keeping the shore free of high-rise buildings. There is a beautiful park along the water. As we rode past we could see Soldier Field, the Shedd Aquarium, and one of the several museums of Chicago.
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Before I wrote this post, I searched for quotes about Chicago. Most all of them spoke of the corruption of the city and how unpleasant it can be. But Dear Void, a blogger from the DC area, has an entry about Carl Sandburg and his thoughts of Chicago. Read it here.

Michael Jordan at the United Center

On Friday, July 7, we made our way to the United Center where Women of Faith was being held. Having seen this statue of Michael Jordan on an episode of ER once, I was eager to see it for real.

As we were standing there, we heard a young woman so, "Oh, did Michael Jordan play here?" Duh. I realize not everyone in the world knows or cares, but I found it really neat. Inside the arena were the retired jerseys of Michael, Scottie Pippen, Jerry Sloan, and another player that I did not know. There were also retired jerseys of some of the Chicago Blackhawks (hockey). Those I was not as familiar with since hockey has just begun to be a big sport in Florida.

Hanging from the rafters also were all the banners from all the winning seasons. It was neat to be there. I would have loved to have been there for a Bulls game back in the days of MIchael and all the other great players who played during those years.

At the top of the Sears Tower

 
I flew into Midway Airport on July 6. My friend met me there, and we proceeded into the city for our two days at Women of Faith. After we got to the hotel, we walked over to the Sears Tower and took the elevator to the top. As the elevator was ascending, our ears were popping. The view that day was visible for approximately 30 miles. A museum of sorts is at the top giving some of the highlights of Chicago's history. Many visitors were there, each taking his turn looking through the windows, taking photos, and then moving aside so that others could see as well.
 Looking out and down, the vehicles on the street looked like insects; in fact, when I looked at this photo, I thought I had pressed the shutter with nothing in view, but then when I looked again, there they were. 

Thought for the Day

I had a post all ready to publish the other day from Picasa when my computer decided to do ugly things and wouldn't let me publish. Idon't know how to save my posts in Picasa. There isn't a button for saving it a a draft...I'll post later today, but I read this from Pastor Tim's website:

Thought for the Day

A South American scientist from Argentina, after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with "IBA" or insufficient brain activity read their e-mail with their hand on the mouse.

Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late…

The Senility Prayer

Someone sent me an e-mail with jokes about old folks. I was going to include them all here, but then I realized they were probably better just left where they were. I do like this one about these two elderly ladies though. Sometimes I find myself in their predicament.

Two elderly ladies had been friends for many decades. Over the years they had shared all kinds of activities and adventures. Lately, their activities had been limited to meeting a few times a week to play cards.
One day they were playing cards when one looked at the other and said, "Now don't get mad at me....I know we've been friends for a long time.....but I just can't think of your name! I've thought and thought, but I can't remember it. Please tell me what your name is." Her friend glared at her. For at least three minutes she just stared and glared at her. Finally she said, "How soon do you need to know?"

THE SENILITY PRAYER
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones I do,
and the eyesight to tell the difference.

A new blog

I found a new blog yesterday. Fire and Ice is a blog of an artist commissioned by the Marine Corps to paint images of the war in Iraq. He is now back in the States, and he has introduced a new artist, Sketchpad Warrior. Kris is a landscape artist, who has now been commissioned by the marines to do a similar job.

When I went to his site, I found out that he had lived and worked as an artist and missionary in Haiti. In 1965, I went to Haiti and stayed with the same people that he worked with many years later. I'm constantly amazed at how the internet brings people together.

Stop by and encourage him in the work on which he is about to embark.

"The Literary Cat" or "So you thought you'd read the paper?"

 

One of the reasons for my going to Chicago was to attend the Women of Faith conference at the United Center with my good friend, Peg. Since it was July 7,8, and then I had the Pampered Chef conference the 13-15, I stayed a few days with Peg out in Huntley.

Peg and her husband (my former pastor here in Bradenton) moved to the Chicago area to work in the office of the Baptist General Conference. It was a hard move for Peg. She had spent her adult life here in Bradenton and had made many lasting friendships. Their cat, Sandy, had died of old age here in Bradenton about a year ago.

After being in Huntley for a few months, Peg once again had the longing for a cat. She and her husband searched the shelters, and then one day, as she was leaving one of them, the lady in charge told her that there was a cat who was isolated from all the others because she tested positive for feline aids. When Peg saw her, her heart melted. Jacinda, her original name, came home to live with Don and Peg. She's about 2 years old and is one of the friendliest cats I've ever met. She was up in my lap the minute I sat down. She loves to be loved, and loved she is.

With Jacinda, there is no need for a television. She entertains with her romps and playfulness. She appears quite well, not displaying any symptoms of her illness.

And as you can see, she has found her place on the newspaper...perhaps checking out the weekly cat food specials, or reading some mouse tale. 

It's good to be home

I left Bradenton July 6 and attended the Women of Faith conference at the United Center in Chicago with my good friend Peg. If you've never been, that is quite an event...usually 16,000 women all in one place, most of them needing to go to the bathroom at the same time. I've attended every year except for the very first one. I was listening to the radio one day and heard about this women's meeting that had taken place, and I determined that if it came anywhere near where I was, I'd be there. It was, and I did.

After that I spent a few days with my friend in Huntley, and then back into the city for the Pampered Chef conference. I didn't see and do all that I had hoped. My spirit is willing, but sometimes the flesh is weak. I'll post about some of my activities when I get the pictures downloaded and all that stuff.

A note from Becki

I received a letter from a young woman the other day who is completing four years of work with the same campus ministry organization that my son worked with. She wrote something in her letter which really struck me.

At a training we did with CCO staff in May we were taught the difference between "roles" and "identity." This was a valuable lesson for me to hear as I prepare for this transition. I need to remember that though my role for the past four years has been OLT manager, it is not my identity. My identity lies in Christ and in who God created me to be--and that will remain constant no matter what my role my be.

I wish that someone had taught me that many years ago. When I retired from teaching. I was no longer Mrs. Whitcomb, first grade teacher. When I went to a doctor's office and had to fill out a form and state my occupation, it struck me that I didn't have an occupation any longer...well I did, but not the 7:30 - 4:00 kind of occupation.

When my husband died, and again I had to fill out a form and mark "widowed", that was almost more than I could bear. When you live and work with someone for almost 30 years, your identity is entwined. After his death, I flitted here and there, sort of like a butterfly from flower to flower, trying to figure out who I was and where I fit in.

So I thank you, Becki, for writing that paragraph in your letter, helping me to distinguish between "role" and "identity." May you soon find your new role that God is leading you into.

Happy fourth of July

This website is a wonderful tribute to our founding fathers and those who fought to make us free.

Have a good day with family and friends as we celebrate our freedom.

Abraham's Drug Store

I should be cleaning my house. I should be getting ready to leave on Thursday for ten days. I should...I should...I should...but here I am.

Some of you may wonder why I chose the name, "Lacoochee Kid", for my blog. Lacoochee is the town in Florida where I was born. I was only there until I was four, but as I've gotten older, and studied the history of the town and its people, I've come to love it. I said in an earlier blog, that I had thought Lacoochee was a bad place. I can remember hearing my parents say, "When the war is over, we're leaving Lacoochee." They must have seen that the saw mill business would not go on forever. Indeed the saw mill did close in 1955, and many of the residents did move away. My parents just chose to move away 10 years before that.

 
The photo above is a little blurry. It is a photo of a photo. As the photo is blurry, so is my memory about a lot of things in Lacoochee, but I'll never forget Abraham's Drug Store. Elias Abraham immigrated to the States, found a place to live, and then went back to Syria to get his bride. Lacoochee, which was pretty much a company town, did have a string of stores on its main street, one of which was the drug store. In my memory, it was big, but as I look at the picture, I realize how small it was.

As with any good drug store, you could get almost anything you needed here. What do I remember? Ice cream. And I'm sure there were only chocolate and vanilla...maybe strawberry, but with chocolate, who needs anything more.

Elias, or Abe, as he was called, has been gone for a while, and Abraham's Drug Store is no more. His son, Louis, who became quite a force in Pasco County and Dade City died three or four years ago. His daughter still lives in Dade City, and she is the one who has filled in a lot of gaps that I didn't remember about Lacoochee. 

Felis Crashus

 
SRP, over at Melange, posted about Mr. Rhett today. He apparently helped her install her dvd burner. I decided that it was time to post another page from the Kitty Cat Sightings book. There is a cat for every occasion.

By the way, I haven't seen my little gray and white kitty for a few days. The people across the street moved out, and apparently they took her with them. I hope they take good care of her. 

Arky, Arky

Many years ago, when my children were small, Psalty and the Praise Kids albums were very popular. They were always playing in our car...one of those songs starts, "The Lord said to Noah, 'There's going to be a floody, floody...get those animals out of the muddy, muddy, children of the Lord.'" I would make light of all this, but with the situation the way it is with the rain in parts of Virginia and other areas, it's not a laughing matter.

Last weekend my daughter and I traveled to Waynesboro, Virginia to attend a baby shower for my son and daughter-in-law. (Did I tell you I was going to be a grandmother?) We left on Thursday after Sarah had worked for a half-day, and at the motel there was a USA Today for the taking. When I opened up the paper to the entertainment section, there was a full-page article about the new movie "Evan Almighty." A sequel to "Bruce Almighty", this movie is being filmed in Waynesboro and the surrounding area.

When we drove through town, I noticed new street lights and a freshening of the city. When I mentioned it to David, he said, "Mom, they're filming "Evan Almighty"here." Duh. I asked him why he didn't get a part. He said he thought about it, but it only pays $8.00 an hour, so he declined.


 
The newspaper said that an ark of biblical proportions was being built in Crozet, a community about 12 miles from Waynesboro. Off we went on Saturday afternoon to see it. There it is right in the middle of a subdivision that is being developed. As you can see in the second photo, there is a brand new house right beside it. David said that the film company is paying the people's mortgages while they're there.

There was a steady stream of cars driving by. When we stopped, the guard said, "Hurry up and take your picture."
 
So we did.

I was reminded of a trip I made to Philadelphia to visit some missionary friends from Haiti a few years ago. David was interning at Carpenter Technology in Reading PA, and we met him for lunch in Lancaster. After David left, Shirley and I went to the Millenium Theater and saw the production of Noah. The first half of the play is the building of the ark. At the end of the first half, Noah and his family and the animals walk up the center aisle and enter the ark.

As the second half starts, you're inside the ark with Noah, his family, and all the animals. The rain and thunder starts, and the people who had mocked him, are pounding on the ark, hoping to gain entrance.

After the rains stop, and the waters recede, Noah and his family come out of the ark. As they are coming out, the sides of the ark fall away, and the cross is left standing. I had goosebumps throughout the production. Realizing that the ark in the Old Testament was a foreshadowing of Christ, who is our ark of safety.

If you ever have the opportunity to see a production there, it is not to be missed. 

Steel and Velvet

A week or so ago, I copied a story from an e-mail, and I'm doing so again today. This has such a moving message. It comes from this newsletter.

An unusual tribute was paid to Abraham Lincoln by Carl Sandburg.
The poet wrote, "Not often in the story of mankind does a man
arrive on earth who is both steel and velvet, who is as hard as
rock and soft as drifting fog, who holds in his heart and mind
the paradox of terrible storm and peace unspeakable and perfect."

Lincoln demonstrated then and now how a person can possess both a
will of iron and a heart of tenderness. Nothing deterred the
president during the American Civil War from his "noble" cause,
and few persons have ever endured more criticism and detractors
than Lincoln. Yet he was no more a man of steel than one of
velvet.

When General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army, Lincoln sent an
unexpected message to the enemy commander. "Tell your men they
may keep their horses; they'll need them for plowing," said the
president. Then this: "Tell your men they may keep their rifles;
they'll need them for hunting." When Lee read those words he
wept.

For each of us there is a time for toughness and a time for
tenderness. A time for resolve and a time for compassion. An iron
will is not the same as an iron spirit. Another courageous
American, Martin Luther King, Jr. some hundred years later
encouraged us to exhibit tough minds and soft hearts...not the
other way around.

Be mentally tough; your resolve and determination will overcome
great obstacles along life's path. But let your heart be soft;
your compassion and love will make the journey worth it.

This and that

For those of you who have been following Ben's progress, this is the latest e-mail from his wife:I just found out that Ben's latest HCG level is 74. Remember, that's down from 1.5 million at the beginning! So, that's encouraging.


Other news: Since Ben won't be able to drive for a good while after having his brain surgery, and now the seizure, he's decided to give away his truck. So, he's donating it to CIU for them to use at the Physical Plant. We've attached a picture--it's the only truck Ben has ever owned, so we're a little sentimental.

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My daughter and I drove to Virginia to attend a baby shower for my son and his wife. It was a co-ed shower, so that was fun. Some of Sabrina's friends from work were there; David's boss at his construction job; friends from David's former ministry; friends from their Wednesday night Bible study. The shower took place in David and Sabrina's new home. I'll post more with a couple of pictures later.

We drove, so It was quite a trip...very uneventful going up, but lots of rain on the way home. One thing that we noticed, however, was that along I-95 and I-64, there were no billboards. Are they outlawed in Virginia? SRP, maybe you can tell me the answer to that.

I have an eye appointment this afternoon with the retina specialist to see how the lasering of my bleeds has progressed. My vision has not been impaired so far, for which I am so grateful.

More later...