Goodness to the Last Drop

What a nice day it was today ... Saturday ... some might say lazy; some might say relaxing.  I would like to defend myself in saying I did actually do something more than sit around drinking coffee.  I did some yard work, washed dishes, worked on my book, picked up a few things, folded and stuffed the bulletins for worship services, prepared dinner and a dish for a potluck tomorrow and gave moral support.  It was mid day when I heard today is National Coffee Day.  I don't know why I hadn't heard this sooner.  Didn't this take place just a few months ago?  It doesn't really matter.  I was guzzling my third huge mug of the day when I got the news.  I was talking on the phone at the time.  I just nodded incredulously, smiled and took another slurp before it got cold.  I'm not really certain why we need a special day for love of coffee.  Coffee aficionados know who they are.  Many begin their lifelong love for the heavenly brew when they are mere children.  Others are led down the path out of necessity when they are deep in studies.  Some must wait until full blown adulthood when they are introduced at the workplace, a restaurant or kiosk, or simply when dining with friends.  Whatever their association is and when it began is irrelevant.  It's not as if they must attend CC (Coffee Cuddlers) meetings.  Don't most coffee drinkers ... at least the true devotees celebrate the goodness every day?  Do coffee drinkers really need an excuse to have another cup?  I think not!  Nevertheless, I drank my share and did my best to celebrate.  So, here's to coffee drinkers everywhere:  Drink up and may Mrs. Olsen smile upon you!

The Televison Season

The new season of television shows is up and running.  It's strange how the notion of season in TV Land has changed over the years.  I'm not certain how the seasons began when television was young.  I think many of the shows were presented live.  Longer ago a series seemed to run the length of the school year with time off for various specials just as students had time off for Christmas vacation.  Reruns were the select few episodes that were able to fit into the summer months when most people were busy or on vacation.  If you had a series you particularly enjoyed, you hoped to be able to see a rerun if your parents didn't have you doing something or going somewhere.  Now, a new show may premier in the Fall, Winter, Spring or Summer.  A television network may broadcast anywhere from one to six episodes before reruns are rebroadcast of at least the first episode, if not all of them.  The series may be off for several weeks as the required number of CMA shows and nauseating bachelor type "reality"shows have been shown before the networks bring back something someone might actually desire to watch.  I mean really, who makes these decisions anyway?  I do not apologize here for the failure of television networks to produce high calibre entertainment.  Even some of the History channels broadcasts have been lacking of late.  ... At any rate, at this point, we are either continuing the season or entering into a new season.  It is a bit confusing especially when previews are shown for a series that looks interesting and then you find out you don't have that channel on your plan.  Nevertheless, the Fall season has begun and I have been able to see a couple of series pick up where their cliffhanger endings left off last May.  There are a couple of new series I would at least like to give a chance.  Stay tuned for my opinions.  We now return you to your regular broadcast channels.

A Sound of Music

Music has charms to soothe the savage beast.  That's the old saying.  There's a lot of wisdom passed down in the old saws.  The actual word here is 'saw' referring to a maxim or a proverb and derived from the word 'saga'.  Interesting ... but I had intended to write about music today and that was before I heard about the passing of Andy Williams.  I loved listening to him sing and had a collection of his albums which were unfortunately lost in a fire years ago.  It was definitely one of those situations when you are more concerned about the safety of those involved instead of the objects that might be lost.  And yes, listening to Andy could really soothe one's nerves.  He had that quality about his  voice.  While baking bread today, I was, in fact, thinking about  music and it's effect on people and pets, having heard a segment on the news the other evening in which a young couple was faced with the challenge of calming a screaming infant.  Nothing worked until they played the theme song from "Star Wars".  This song alone seemed to quiet the child.  It is strange the way music can calm or irritate us.  As I kneaded the dough and prepared the loaves to put in the pans I was watching one of my cats.  She was in my line of vision as she groomed herself  and then laid down for one of her naps.  Angel is an elderly tabby and like most of the pets in our family throughout the years, a foundling.  She has grown cranky and demanding in her latter years.  We put up with her.  She is family.  We love her.  Hubby had left to make calls and the radio station he has set up on his computer was playing a mix of easy listening and soft jazz instrumentals.  It was comical to watch Angel's sudden reaction to "Cast Your Fate to the Wind".  Her ear shot up.  She was obviously listening and enjoying the music as she more or less kept time with her tail.  We've had other pets who seem to enjoy a certain type of music or a specific entertainer over another and come from wherever to to entertained.  My favorite was Olav our big Maine Coon cat or Norwegian Forest cat (we were never quite certain of his breed).  Truly my cat, Olav loved classical music.  His favorite piece was Beethoven's 6th Symphony.  The opening strains would bring him from wherever he was in the house to the source of the music whether it was radio, stereo or television.  He would knead the carpet and lay down to listen kneading the air with his huge paws.  Babies, pets, animals and most people enjoy music.  Today we lost a wonderful performer.  Rest with God, Andy.  May you find that rainbow's end, waiting round the bend of Moon River ... 

Everybody is a Packers Fan

We'd been married a little more than a month when we headed west to the state of Washington to serve my husband's year of vicarage.  He had grown up there and the assignment was a blessing in that I was allowed the opportunity to get acquainted with his family and he was able to spend time with his dad during his final year of life.  But, I digress here ... My brother-in-law, who was in his early teens at the time, greeted us when we arrived by very excitedly announcing "Mom got tickets to the Seahawks!" ... Did I mention we were newlyweds?  You try to please your in-laws, but sometimes the words innocently slip out.  "What in the world is a Seahawk?" I queried.  I honestly had no idea.  We had good seats.  What do I mean 'good'?  They were great seats, in fact.  It was a good game, though I don't recall if they won or lost or who they played for that matter, but I think it was San Fransisco.  ... Have I mentioned I am from Wisconsin?  Do you know anything about the Packers, Wisconsin, and cheeseheads?  Everybody is a Packers fan in Wisconsin even if you have no understanding of the game of football.  This is serious devotion to the game and loyalty to the team here.  I can remember the overwhelming sense of sadness when Bart Starr retired.  I was just a girl.  A card was available in the school office for all the students to sign if they wanted to wish him well.  The list of names stretched out the door and all the way down the corridor.  Yes, I got choked up when he was shown at the Super Bowl game.  I also had a classmate who was related to Ray Nitschke.  That was a real 'WOW factor' for our class!  And then there was Vince Lombardi.  What can I say?  What a coach!  Packers fever has just continued to grow throughout the years.  Now, our daughters cheer the Pack on with the best of them.  It was a thrill to tour Lambeau Field a few years ago and we proudly fly the Packers flag for their games.  Televised coverage is great if the game isn't blacked out becasue we do not live in Wisconsin and our residential state team may be playing at the same time.  The internet helps, providing coverage and instant commentary by friends and relatives all glued to the game.  Sad as it may seem, I have to admit I am one of the fans who doesn't really understand the game; nevertheless, even I could have made a better call than the refs duringlast night's game between the Packers and the Seahawks!  Oh yeah, for whatever it's worth, Hubby is a Packers fan!

It's Time to Celebrate Fall

I absolutely love this time of the year.  My affinity is difficult to explain.  The weather starts to chill and one would think there might be an overwhelming sense of ending as the harvest is brought in forever changing the lives of the plants from whence our sustenance comes.  I see a richness heightened by thoughts and colors of warmth and family.  Imagine the year in colors.  Spring with its lively step is filled with pastels and new life; summer is imbued with hearty, full shades depicting the solidity of established life; and winter is dark, crisp and cold leaving an icy starkness.  It is Autumn with its rich deep hues of reds, browns, greens and golds that speaks to a full sense of accomplishment.  Even the trees are adorned with glorious shades as they proclaim their praise of a year well served before strewing their leaves in great  accolades to be crunched under foot by nature's revellers.  The very word 'Autumn' seems elegant augmenting the notion of fall and seems to draw the mind towards a sense of hearth and home, firelight, and smells of spice.  Families and friends congregate to enjoy games, bonfires, food, and stories as festivities move between the outside and inside of sheltered estates.  Good grief ... this is a bit flowery even for you, Kathy!  Who cares about all that?  Let's just watch some football!  Nevertheless, some do care.  It's time to celebrate Fall!

It's Hobbit Day!

Today is Hobbit Day declared so by fans of J.R.R. Tolkien and, in part, in anticipation of Peter Jackson's upcoming film trilogy based on Tolkien's book The Hobbit.  Why was today, the first day of autumn, chosen?  Anyone who has read Tolkien's books can tell you September 22nd is the joint birthday celebration of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins.  It is also the day (their birthdays) on which adventures begin and come to their conclusion.  Picnics, pubs, readings, film marathons, the internet, and birthday parties will bring devotees together around the globe to share their enthusiasm for the films and the books.  Pathetic, silly, and nonsense some might denounce these celebrations undertaken by a weird bunch of nerdy losers.  Really?  Is camaraderie over a story any worse, or different for that matter, than people getting together to watch groups of all ages running around and tussling over a ball or throwing a ball into a hoop or hitting a ball with a stick or driving a car or engaging in pugilistics?  We think nothing of watching sports and purchasing all manner of sports related memorabilia and clothing.  Why should we criticize those who care more about books or the arts or academics.  The world is made up of all different types of people.  What an uninteresting planet this would be if we were all exactly alike.  Now, how about another piece of cake, Mr. Baggins?

Life Creates a Hiatus

Well, it's been a while and all I can say is 'Sorry about that!'  Don't know why but the title 'Death Takes a Holiday' springs to mind, though no one has died, at least not in the sense of my long break.  It is more rather a sense of 'Life creates a hiatus'.  This seems much more fitting, though I haven't even had any sort of vacatin, yet ... except it would seem from my blog.  My schedule just grew to be a little bit hectic.  So the question is where have I been and what have I been up to?  Yes, I know that is two questions and not one.  Remember I can get a little wordy and if it seemed appropriate here, I would insert a winking emoticon.  The answer to the first question is quite simple:  I've been right here.  Ok, so if I'm honest I have been within a 50 mile radius of my computer.  The answer to the second is more exciting depending upon your point of view and your thoughts concerning Church and State.  The first portion of the summer was spent preparing for and instructing sessions of old-fashioned Vacation Bible School at each of the parishes we serve.  The totality of June through August ... except for the part about VBS ... was spent in meetings, arranging and running around to set up the celebration of our town's Quasquicentennial - a big fancy word meaning 125 years.  I was priveleged to work on the planning committe with a great group of people and honored to serve as the chair.  Was it a wonderful celebration?  Yes!  Am I glad it is over?  Yes!  Since the celebration the end of August, there has been some paperwork to complete and acknowledgments to get out as the committe gradualy winds down and recovers.  Through it all, I don't want you to think I have been totally slacking off with my book.  I have completed an edit, numbered the chapters, pared my synopsis, written a back cover blurb and worked on my query letter.  Nevertheless, I have not forgotten about you and have even spared my blog a moment or two of guilt from time to time as various topics flooded my mind like waves washing the shore only to recede leaving pebbles and bits and pieces of who knows what in their wake.  Now it is time to get back on track, sift through the pebbles and put pen to paper ... or fingers to keyboard ... once more.  Or, in other words, as Samwise Gamgee would say "Well, I'm back."