Yep, i finally got tired of staring at white on my blog.  Though i liked the white
for posting photographs, and i liked the clean look (it reminds me of  the walls of
an art gallery).  But, i wanted something that does not project so much light. 
It has to be a background that is a little easier on the eyes for reading.  Plus, i
think that these colours give it a more personal feeling, like a front porch swing,
or a living room couch.

And i still like having all the extra stuff at the bottom of the page. easy to find yet
not calling-out from the side of the page like a hot dog vendor at a baseball game.

~

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I still wonder about the differences between writing something that is meant to be spoken, and writing that is meant just to be read.  In this piece of work, Lewis certainly knew his audience, as he was one of them.  He used reference to war, as he and his audience was in the midst of war, so they very much related to that in his writing, as well as the war references relate well with Christianity.  The thing is, we still have war, and so most people can still relate to those references in some way, just as in the days that the bible was written.  It would be nice to hear someone talk of these things on the radio these days.

1916

In February, Lewis first read George MacDonald’s, Phantastes, which powerfully “baptized his imagination” and impressed him with a deep sense of the holy. He made his first trip to Oxford in December to take a scholarship examination.

1917

From April 26 until September, Lewis was a student at University College, Oxford. Upon the outbreak of WWI, he enlisted in the British army and was billeted in Keble College, Oxford, for officer’s training. His roommate was Edward Courtnay Francis “Paddy” Moore (1898-1918). Jack was commissioned an officer in the 3rd Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry, on September 25 and reached the front line in the Somme Valley in France on his 19th birthday.

1918

On April 15 Lewis was wounded on Mount Berenchon during the Battle of Arras. He recuperated and was returned to duty in October, being assigned to Ludgerhall, Andover, England. He was discharged in December 1919. His former roommate and friend, Paddy Moore, was killed in battle and buried in the field just south of Peronne, France.

the above info. is from this site.

~

The chapter that i read this week goes into the four cardinal (chief, pivotal)
virtues (power, character, imprint on the soul, defining quality).

Prudence – common sense, thinking things through.
Temperance – going to the right length and no further.
Justice – fairness, honesty, give and take, truthfulness, keeping promises, etc.
Fortitude – facing danger, and sticking it under pain.

Not simply obedience to rules.

Where does this power begin within us, this imprint on the soul?
Can we recognize what the source is?

Who came up with the four cardinal virtues?
Have they anything to do with following the Spirit?
Do these things have anything to do with Christianity?
Can one do these things remain humble?
Can any person do these things on their own?
Can a person do these things for the right reasons?
~

Jason Stasyszen is our book club host for this week.

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Cutting blocks for printing is proving to be more difficult than i expected,
thus, requiring much more practice.

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Seeds…lots of little itty bitty seeds to put into the soil.

Like i was telling Maureen the other day; it seems like a few blog friends, as well as myself have been
getting tilled for the summer.  Turned and readied for some new seeds.

We are dirt.

It’s God that
chooses the seeds,
does the tilling,
the planting,
the feeding,
the watering
and…
the weeding.

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My daughters and i went to a sandwich place for lunch.
Then it was off to a local resale shop called “New to You.”
It’s not your run-of-the-mill consignment shop either.
This is a world famous place, man!  Very classy.
One of my favorite places to shop.

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The sewing machine was brought out today like a welcome to summer.
CJ is ready for some shorts…so, goodbye jeans and hello cutoffs!
If they were all cotton, i would have fringed them.

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You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me
with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand

psalm 16:11

Lately, i have been feeling on the edge of everything.
Like a round peg in the land of square holes.

I’m gonna take some days off from reading and posting.
Have me a little rest.

Love to you.
n.

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the three parts of morality

me
me
and me…

There have many times that i have believed that it was just about me.
A person’s thinking can be easily twisted around to make just about anything
seem okay, and even to seem right and good.

But, how do people know what is right and good?

Most people agree on some things as being moral rules.
They can co-operate on the ones that have to do with relating between people.
Though i am starting to question just how many even pay attention to this
unless they think people are paying attention.  But, i think they would agree on
the idea that they should be treated twith the sense of these moral rules.
Those being kindness, fair play, honesty, and harmony.

It is easy to see the results of not following these rules in our everyday life.

Yet, when a step is taken in the direction of speaking about what is going on
inside each man, or talking about the relationship between man and the power
that made him, people do not co-operate with these ideas very well.

~

this week you can see more post links at Sara Salter’s blog.

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how do you get a fish to smile?

cj and i took a drive so that we could take a walk someplace different
than down the nearest road.  we went a few miles into town where there
are sidewalks and stores (even though it was memorial day and most of
the stores were closed).  as we walked we found the pet shop to be open.
i had my little camera with me and didn’t think the fish would mind too much
if i took their picture. 

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etymology
~ farm (n.)
c.1300, “fixed payment (usually in exchange for taxes collected, etc.), fixed rent,”
from O.Fr. ferme “rent, lease,”
from firmus “firm.”
Sense of “tract of leased land” is first recorded early 14c.;
that of “cultivated land” (leased or not) is 1520s.

drawings found here
the one word carnival is hosted by peter pollock
and the word this week is “farm”


i don’t really have any farm stories of my own, but, my sister does.
she grew up as a small town girl in illinois and ended up on a farm in
wyoming.  her husband grew up on a farm there, and went back
to farming after they were married for a few years.  they had three
boys, so you might imagine that there was always a new story.
i do know that it is not an easy life, yet, it is very different than
any other type of life.  in the summer, there is plenty of work to be
done, so no such thing as summer vacation.  everyone must be
up early and right out, back in for a breakfast around nine, then
back out again.  supper is usually after dark, and then straight to bed.
summer is usually when i would visit, so i got lessons on setting
water and other such things.  i heard about sad things that can
happen with accidents and broken marriages and loss of life.
i heard funny stories of things the boys would do.  i sat at the
cafe in town (that is not open anymore) and would hear all the talk
about the weather from old men in overalls.  i saw wheat fields
golden against a big blue wyoming sky and a crop of corn that
became nothing after a five minute hailstorm.
.

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This photo is a print from a stamp that i just made.  To make the stamp i used a dense rubber block
made especially for carving.  This material is much softer than wood or the usual linoleum block.
To do the carving i used tools that are made for wood carving.

This summer i have planned to spend a week at girl’s horse camp doing art projects with the girls.
horse camp is held at my sister in law’s place in Indiana.  It gets hot and humid during the summer
months there, so it is necessary to be doing a few things in the shade with the girls so that they, and
the horses, have time to cool down a bit.

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Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don’t.

Pete Seeger
born May 3, 1919