Sambo

Sam Conner never ceases to amaze me. This man who experienced D-Day first hand can share some of the most amazing things with me. Even now, when he is "showing his age," he says some very profound things. Tonight at church, he stopped me as I was coming out of choir practice. He had D-Day on his mind. "I saw a bunch of those guys on the golf course," he said. "They all had flags. I said, "Why do you have those flags? Everyone has American flags! Don't you know that Hitler had a whole case of 'em? Those flags cover things up. They cover up what is in here! (as he pulls aside his sweater vest and places his hand over his heart.)"

As I related this to another friend from church, he said, "Sam is in another world nowadays."
I think Sam knows exactly where he is and what he is saying. And I also think he is right.

As I write this, I think about the song "This little light of mine," especially the verse, "Hide it under a bushel? NO!" Sam doesn't want us to hide what is in our hearts under the flag.

I saw a commercial today for some "lite" drink. The music in the background was a chorus singing "This little light of mine." Of course they meant, "This little "lite" of mine," but I couldn't help but be a little offended by it. Does that make me seem old and dotty? Because I get offended by commercials who use music I sing in church to sell their product? Or is it just another example of taking something out of context and using it for gain? Whatever, I didn't like it. I would rather apply the song to Sam and his opinion of the flag wearers.

No one can do it for me

I know this is a repeat, but it just rings true for me today.

I am unwritten, can't read my mind,
I'm undefined
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it

Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with eyes wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines
We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way

NATASHA BEDINGFIELD

Memorial Day 2007

flowers, flowers, flowers, boxes of memories I had...not forgotten, just put aside for a while,

Today's song

Dreamboat Annie
Heading out this morning into the sun
Riding on the diamond waves, little darlin' one
Warm wind caress her
Her lover it seems

Oh, annie
Dreamboat annie my little ship of dreams

Going down the city sidewalk alone in the crowd
No one knows the lonely one whose head's in the clouds
Sad faces painted over with those magazine smiles
Heading out to somewhere won't be back for a while

Heart

"They're not like this"

hymn singing in Sunday School, Bobby's prayers, Annika's squeals, sharing a knowing look with Jen, "fundi," pink daisies in pewter pitchers on my dining room table, friendships that last - no matter what

We can do this again

flowers on my porches, clean swings and rockers, funnel cakes, good crab cakes

Hazy mountains

clean floors, open windows, mill mountain picnics, sam's, "I know you!" and Michael's wild and crazy life.

assertiveness training

identifying the angel in combat boots, hearing that it is ok, smiling inside and out with relief

Just the mom of the stars

home after work, little boy hugs, Alec's infectious laugh

Thanks to Sheila...

Today's song...

All that pressure got you down
Has your head spinning all around
Feel the rhythm, check the ride
Come on along and have a real good time
Like the days of stopping at the Savoy
Now we freak, oh what a joy
Just come on down, two fifty four
Find a spot out on the floor

Aaahh Freak out!
Le Freak, C'est Chic
Freak out!
Aaahh Freak out!
Le Freak, C'est Chic
Freak out!
Aaahh Freak out!
Le Freak, C'est Chic
Freak out!
Aaahh Freak out!
Le Freak, C'est Chic
Freak out!

Le Freak by Chic

It's a pretty day

finishing a task in the midst of total chaos, trying on "my size" and finding it too big, birds and sunshine outside my window

I'm gonna try again

sunshine through the trees, huge porch swings, ethan flowers, dozing on my back porch

most peculiar

Don't know why, but this song appeals to me today.

Ground Control to Major Tom
Ground Control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
Ground Control to Major Tom
Commencing countdown, engines on
Check ignition and may God’s love be with you

Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Lift-off

This is Ground Control to Major Tom
You’ve really made the grade
And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear
Now it’s time to leave the capsule if you dare

“This is Major Tom to Ground Control
I’m stepping through the door
And I’m floating in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today

For hereAm I sitting in a tin can
Far above the world
Planet Earth is blue
And there’s nothing I can do

Though I’m past one hundred thousand miles
I’m feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell my wife I love her very much (she knows!)

Ground Control to Major Tom
Your circuit’s dead, there’s something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear....

“ am I floating round my tin can
Far above the Moon
Planet Earth is blue
And there’s nothing I can do.?

David Bowie

Tannon - that's me!

Annika's smiles and laughter, Alec's giggles and ever-ready hugs, Eric's 5-year old knowledge and warnings when he is thinking about doing something he shouldn't. These things make my house a home. But then....so does the silence when they are gone. Such is the life of a great-aunt I suppose.

Thanks be to God for children.

Be it ever so humble

I thought that I would be a mom who would be glad to see her kids able to do things and go places - to see the experience things I had not and probably never would. And, for the most part I think I am.

I have to say, though, that I don't think anything has given me as much relief as seeing Leah get off that plane in Roanoke did. I am glad she had the opportunity to study abroad. I am glad she enjoyed doing it. I am even more glad she is back here in the states - home.

Close the door

"There is nowhere to go, and nowhere to hide. "

B wrote the above on her blog in response to the Virginia Tech tragedy (I refuse to use the terminology used by the media - it is just too hard). As I read it, I remembered when I was looking for somewhere to go, to hide, to find a place of complete silence from the world around me, a place where there was no struggle, no hurt.

Some would say a person could find that place inside themselves through meditation and prayer. Some would say that place could be found in a church. Perhaps out in the midst of God's creation - in nature or on the paths of a labyrinth. I found it in none of these places. I found it behind that closed door that the writer of Matthew speaks of. I literally went into my bedroom, shut the door, went into my closet and shut that door.

On my knees in that dark place, I found that all the clothes, shoes, luggage and other "stuff" provided a sound barrier between myself and the "world." I still had to come out and face it all, but for that brief moment, in that most unusual place, I found a place where I could hear what I needed to hear and shut out the rest.

Today, I think I will go back home, go into my closet and pray that everyone else will find theirs.


"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matthew 6:6

Promises

"Don't be afraid, my love is stronger,
My love is stronger than your fear.
Don't be afraid, my love is stronger,
And I have promised, promised to be always near."

A friend reminded me of our singing of this song during a chapel service at Bethany. I remember singing it and tears coming to my eyes - not tears of fear or sadness in my life, but tears of knowledge and belief in the awesome love and presence of God in my life.

Little did I know that I would be singing the same words, again with tears, but this time the tears were those of fear and sadness. Fear and sadness for myself, but also for Leah, B, Rob, Sarah, Brittany, Jo, Jerry...

Maxine TurnerVienna, Va.Senior, Chemical Engineering
Henry LeeRoanokeFreshman, Computer Engineering
Matt La PorteDumont, N.J.Freshman, University Studies
Jamie BishopInstructor, Foreign Languages and Literatures (German)
G.V. LoganathanProfessor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Juan OrtizGraduate Student, Civil Engineering
Jarrett LaneNarrowsSenior, Civil Engineering
Ryan Clark Columbia County, Ga.Senior, Biology, English, Psychology
Leslie ShermanSophomore, History and International Studies
Caitlin HammarenSophomore, International Studies and French
Liviu LibrescuProfessor, Engineering Science & Mechanics
Kevin GranataProfessor, Engineering Science & Mechanics
Reema SamahaCentrevilleFreshman
Emily HilscherWoodvilleFreshman, Animal and Poultry Sciences, Equine Science
Ross Alameddine, Saugus, Mass.

Cho Seung-Hui

Heart and Soul...

"His purpose isn’t to shield us from the suffering now but to use it to keep our hearts from attachment to this life that is passing away. " Ruth Hochstetler - Goshen College Devotions

TRIM

Here is a pic of my TRIM group - minus one. We were unaware that Tim was downstairs on the phone when we took this. Sorry Tim. :(

Some Quito Pix

I learned how to put pix in my blog, so here are a few from Quito, Ecuador.

Dana Beth and Leah from the walkway

around the Virgin de la Panecilla

Basilica del Voto Nacional

Virgin de la Panecilla

The "main religious symbol in Quito" according to the guide book

Built in the late 1970's.

Building on top of building

Quito from our hotel room.