Spring!

Spring came to our world at 1:32pm today. We had another spectacularly warm (66*) and sunny day!  We went for a walk at Tawawa park with Benny - not too far or fast since Jim's ankle is still mending from the achilles tear. We expect  to get the MRI results this week so they know how to continue treatment. 

On the way home from the park we drove thru 'Chilly Jilly's' (local ice cream place) for the first cone of the season!

I decided it was time for a bon fire tonight.  I've had a pile of twigs and small branches set up for a fire and tarped all winter... looks like a rodent found it to be a nice little hut!  Waited until dusk to start the fire, but it was still a little breezy, so i didn't get all of the brush burned - but it felt good to get rid of at least one pile!

I also got some more leaves shredded (from last Fall) and placed in the flower beds, transferred a few Lady's Slipper flower plants and generally got the gardens straightened.  My hands are not happy tonight.  Ibuprofen is calling to me and then: to bed, to bed, to bed she said! 

Signs of Spring

We've had some rather warm days in the past week for this early in March, although  you wouldn't know it today.  It was 45 degrees, cloudy and damp. At least it didn't rain all day like yesterday.

Last week i was walking with Benny in our subdivision at dusk and noticed the first bat of the season!  I love to watch them as they swoop and soar looking for yummy bugs to devour; i'm sure the bug buffet was a little slim this evening, but that bat was determined to get whatever might be out there! The cul-de-sac near our corner is a prime location for viewing them since it's lined with taller trees.  In the summer i like to ride my bike back and forth as the bats fly overhead... it's exciting when they get close!

The warmer weather also brings out the prowling cats in the neighborhood. Our next door neighbor has a yellow striped cat named Screech. He's from Italy (really!) and is quite bold.  He was sitting in our side yard one evening so i walked in his direction with our dog on the leash thinking we would chase him back to his yard, but he stood his ground and showed no sign of retreat until i waved my foot in his direction.  Don't get me wrong, i love all cats, but with Taz turning 15 this year i want to keep him away from the younger cats who might like to pick a fight with him.   He currently has a very ugly infection in his right eye due to a cat scrap back in November.  He will likely lose the eye. I'll be taking him back to the vet this week.

Another sign of Spring are the flower bulbs pushing up lovely green stems all around our yard. We have prolific daffodils, as well as tulips and hyacinth. The crocus are already blooming when the sun shines!

The past week was a beautiful preview of warmer days ahead; we only have one week to go until the 'official' start of Spring. This is, however, Ohio, and we will undoubtedly have some nasty precipitation before the glorious sun warms our sod once again.

Wicked was Wonderful!!!

One week ago today - March 2nd - we went to the Schuster Center in Dayton for the 8pm show of "Wicked"  !!!   The lead of "Elphaba" was played by  actress Marcie Dodd who also played this role in the Broadway company of Wicked...awesome!  This is her second national tour.  

In case you don't know, the show is sort of the back story to the Wizard of Oz... plus some!  The sub-title is 'The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz.'   This is the official blurb:   "Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. Wicked tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch."   

AND:
"The show is a buoyantly creative version of what happens to Elphaba, the supposedly 'wicked' witch and Glinda, the reputedly good witch during the college years. Their buddy story is only one of several storylines and subplots in a carefully constructed, surprise-filled musical adventure."
ALSO:
"Broadway's Wicked musical is based on Gregory Maguire's novel, Wicked - The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which turned every Oz myth inside out. Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, who adapted Maguire's book, often speak of the genius idea that Gregory had to look at the classic villain of Western culture: the Wicked Witch of The West, and considered writing her life story in a sympathetic way. Both the novel and musical assume that instead of her being Wicked, she is actually labeled "Wicked" by the culture around her while she is actually trying to accomplish something good."

OK - enough of blog-blurbing!  *LOL*!

I adored the show (jim liked it too) from the music to the costumes and dancing and the fast-paced witty dialogue! It was very funny sometimes poignant and I would see it again any day!

 *this shot is from the dorm scene - very cute!*

(photo from WHIO.com's Backstage Dayton blog!)

We were 'strictly prohibited' from using any  photographic devices during the show, so  i took a couple pics of the curtain which had the map of Oz on it  and the theater's interesting ceiling. We were seated in the Loge area - a balcony between the upper and lower balconies... not too bad... glad i took the monocular though!

*this is not a very good picture of the awesome dragon above the stage... it lit up, moved and belched smoke at the beginning of the show!*  
for a better shot of this go to:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/isewcute/4392912330/

**the theater's ceiling detail was very interesting... a stair-step design that ends with 'stars' floating above**
    it's as if looking through a porthole into the milky way....

GLO - Bible

This cartoon reminds me of a new interactive Bible program that our pastor was 'sharing' with us about a month ago... it's called GLO and is very tech-friendly.  Published by Zondervan (in Michigan!) this technical miracle "brings God's word to life through HD video, photographs, maps, 360-degree virtual tours, and a unique zoomable interface for fast easy visual navigation on PC computers."   Hmmm ... no MAC version?  i have it on good authority that a new version is forthcoming for the mac-users among us...

I just don't know ... a virtual Bible... i think i want the 'hard copy' in my hand to highlight and underline and make notes in the margins!  When i first saw this being featured on the big screen at church, i thought it seemed way too slick and a little scary.... the way the logo was spinning, enticing, just seemed wrong somehow.  I've since reconsidered and think this may have a calling for getting those tied to anything video to know more about God's Word. After all,this does have the benefit of having LOTs of info condensed into a very small package... i think it could be a very useful tool, but, for me, it will never replace the written page or the comfort of holding God's Word in bound form.

This Lenten Season

Any of my Facebook friends reading this may have noticed (if you missed my note) that i've been absent from the FB scene for over a week now. That's because i decided to 'give it up' for Lent this year. On Feb. 16 i posted a note on FB about Lent and why i felt the need for a 'time out' from our beloved FB.  

You see, for me, FB had become a real time robber. I had become obsessed with checking in to see all my friends' latest statuses.... what if i missed something important?!?  Like whose driveway was snowed in, or how productive my friend had been at housework that day...  hmmm... not really life altering information. So, urged by the Spirit, i reasoned that my time could be better spent putting my own spiritual and earthly 'houses' in order. 

To that end, i've been spending more time reading and pondering God's word. Last week as i prepared some food to take to the local 'soup kitchen' on Friday, i listened to a podcast of a favorite pastor from Leah's former church in Athens. The message was delivered on Sunday the 21st, which was the first Sunday in Lent. He gave a brief explanation of Lent and the various disciplines observed.  

A quick summary of what he said follows: 
 
The 40 day season of Lent has been traditionally observed in three ways by the Christian church
1. prayer & reflection on scripture
2. giving of alms - especially to the poor among us
3. fasting or some other form of personal sacrifice or denial


Sundays are 'feast days' and so are not included in the 40 days of Lent.

Question:  Does God still speak?
Answer:  well, yes.


BUT - many of us are too distracted by worldly things; We are not tuned in to hear His voice; we are simply not listening.   
In order to hear God, we need to know what his voice sounds like; we also need to be able to discern the content of what is being said... does this 'sound' like something God would say...


Focus is key - getting rid of things that distract... like (for me) facebook.
Listening for God's voice & recognizing it is next
Finally, the two way communication of prayer involves not just my 'list' of requests but a time of silence to hear what God may want to tell ME!  
It's easy to spell it out.... not so easy to 'be still' for me!


Pastor Paul had a good idea to keep me focused and listening for God's voice.... Whatever i have used for Lent as my 'denial' (ie: no FB) - whenever that denial thing comes to mind that's the cue or trigger to turn my attention to God - to be wholly available to Him!  i like it!
The whole idea of giving something up for Lent is to create more space in my sloppy world for God-stuff... to be able to know Him more.   I think this message was just what i needed to hear.