Know and Tell Friday

Posted on March 14, 2008 by Barbara Harper

(My Friday Show and Tell post is just below this one and my Ultimate Blog Party post is here.)

To Know Him hosts Know and Tell Friday, and we’d love to have you join us. The questions this week are:

Question 1
What can you draw well?

No, not at all. My drawings look rather pre-schoolish.

Question 2
Name a TV show (at any period in your life) that you watched that you were probably a little too old to watch.

Besides the shows my kids watched? 🙂 I really can’t think of anything, though I am sure I probably did. We still love the Disney and Pixar animated films but I think those are geared to the whole family rather than just to kids. I’m not much for TV cartoons any more but I still love the one with Tom and Jerry’s antics to classical music — I think Tom is trying to conduct or play an instrument, I can’t remember, but Jerry comes along and havoc ensues. Maybe Tom plays the piano — I seem to remember Jerry hiding in one and running along the keys.

Question 3
What color is the dominant color of your wardrobe?

It depends on the season. In the winter there are a lot of blues, blacks and grays as backgrounds with florals mixed in. In the spring and summer I would say it’s predominately pink. And I wear my denim jumper year round.

Question 4
Favorite donut?

Krispy Kreme’s glazed when they’re hot and ready. 😛 One local grocery store also sells “Tiger Tails” in their bakery — chocolate and regular glazed, twisted. Luscious!

Question 5
Wear painful shoes just because they are cute?

No!!! I am about as unfashionista as you can get and have foot and balance issues anyway. They have to be comfortable.

Bonus Questions
Question 6
Is there anything that you believe you do not believe God about?

I had to read that one over several times to make sure I understood it. There is a level in which I believe everything God says in His Word, but of course that is tested all the time. Probably the area where I struggle with it most is when something awful happens, particularly to little children. As much as I have read and studied and concluded about suffering and God’s purposes for it, I still struggle with His sovereignty and love and care when it happens. But we walk by faith, not by site or by feelings, and I have to go over and over those verses that assure that He has a purpose in everything and that all things will work together for good to those who love Him.

Question 7
In general, do you think it is ok to be frustrated with people?

Well — I think it is inevitable. We are all sinners, and our rough edges are going to jab into each other some times. I think it is what we do with it that’s key. Being frustrated with someone isn’t an excuse to blow up at them, act unkindly toward them, or carry a grudge against them. “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye” (Colossians 3: 12-13). We need to remember that we likely frustrate other people often, too, and we need to treat them the way we would want to be treated if the tables were turned. I think we need to examine our reaction, too. Was it just “one of those things,” or was it, as it is all too often, a selfish reaction because someone impinged on something I wanted — my time or space or the way I wanted something done.

I had a roommate in college who would continually use my little hot pot that I used for heating water for instant coffee for her herbal tea — which she made with loose leaves and left as is when she was done, so that when I went to use it I had to clean all that gunk out. That was frustrating! And I don’t think it was wrong to feel frustrated. But the right way to handle it would have been to confront her (kindly) and ask her to clean it out when she was done instead of seething under the surface, which is what I tended to do instead because I hated confrontation. A few uncomfortable moments of confrontation would have saved all that frustration. On the other hand, if I get frustrated because someone is sitting in “my” favorite spot on the couch, and they know that’s where I like to sit when we’re in the family room, well, then, I just need to get over myself. 🙂 I do sometimes ask if I can sit there, though.

Show and Tell Friday:Laundry room

Posted on March 14, 2008 by Barbara Harper

Our laundry room thoroughly needs to be redone. I was reminded of just how much when I tried to take pictures of the few things I have on the walls in there! I ended up taking a couple off the wall and photographing them on top of the washer. Someday we want to fix it up — it’s just low on the list of many things to do right now.

But I do have a few things in there to brighten it up a little.

I especially like the little clothespin holder there on the line.

This picture is maybe only 4×5″. We got it as a souvenir when we visited the Wren’s Nest, home of Joel Chandler Harris (author of the Uncle Remus stories), when we lived in the Atlanta area.

While I was thinking about these pictures, I remembered a cross stitch piece my sister had done that for some reason needed to be reframed. I had forgotten all about it. But I dug it out and hope to take care of that in the next few days!

I don’t usually feel that way about laundry, so that’s a good reminder, besides being just cute in itself.

Kelli at There’s No Place Like Home hosts “Show and Tell Friday” asking “Do you have a something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, an antique find. Your show and tell can be old or new. Use your imagination and dig through those old boxes in your closet if you have to! Feel free to share pictures and if there’s a story behind your special something, that’s even better! If you would like to join in, all you have to do is post your “Show and Tell” on your blog, copy the post link, come over here and add it to Mr. Linky. Guidelines are here

Division and multiplication

Posted on March 13, 2008 by Barbara Harper

I came across a link from Amy’s Humble Musings this morning to this post titled “Multiplication” that has been ministering to my heart ever since I read it. If Amy has linked to it, you probably have already seen it, but just in case, I wanted to share it.

Here is one paragraph from the post. This and the last one especially spoke to me.

I can only divide myself, my time and my effort. And in the dividing, in my own strength, it shrinks away to nothingness. The fruit shrivels before it is ripe. The harvest never comes. I am cold, frustrated, and bitter. But when I give it all to Him, it is multiplied. In His hands my efforts yield an abundance that defies logic.

Why do we so often forget this?

Book Review: Northanger Abbey

Posted on March 13, 2008 by Barbara Harper

Northanger Abbey is Jane Austen’s first book completed for publication, but the last to be published, with Persuasion, her last book, after her death. It had been sold to a publisher but never published. Eventually Jane bought it back for the same sum for which she sold it, but it was shelved for years.

Northanger Abbey, especially the first part, is a parody of gothic novels popular at the time, with their requisite ingredients of horror, castles, secrets, and villains.

“No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy would have supposed her born to be a heroine” is the opening line of the book, and the first several paragraphs expand on the reasons for such a supposition: she is not particularly beautiful nor remarkably intelligent or diligent, and her family, while well enough off, is not rich. All about her is rather ordinary. Her major asset is her trusting, innocent, good-natured heart.

Her adventure begins when she goes to Bath with neighbors and friends of the family, the Allens. Yet it doesn’t seem very adventurous at first: Mrs. Allen is obsessed with fashion and can’t seem to discuss much else, and they know no one in all the crowded places they go. Finally they run into the Thorpes, old friends of the Allens, and one the the Thorpe daughters, Isabella, is a friend of Catherine’s brother, James. And then Catherine and Mrs. Allen unexpectedly meet an affable and pleasant Mr. Henry Tilney at a ball, who engages Catherine for the evening.

Isabella’s brother, John, is a rather boorish young man who pursues Catherine, but Catherine is not interested. Isabella, after becoming engaged to Catherine’s brother, becomes interested in Henry’s brother when he flirts with her. Henry’s father, General Tilney, mistakenly believes Catherine to be richer than she is, and therefore invites her to Northanger Abbey, the family’s home, for a visit. Catherine is delighted, both because of her growing interest in Henry and friendship with his sister, Eleanor, but also because she longs to have the experience of visiting such a structure as is often found in the gothic novels she loves.

One of the many things she learns, though, is that life is not like those novels, and once her views are shaped by reality, she begins to grow and mature.

I don’t want to go further into the plot for the sake of those who might not have read the book. I found it very enjoyable. It contains Austen’s trademark observations of the social mores of her time, though not quite as ironically or satirically as her later books. Plus she includes a spirited defense of novel reading as well as a caution against the wrong kinds. Catherine has to learn not to let her imagination, influenced by highly unlikely tales, get away from her. Catherine also learns one of the most painful lessons of maturity, that, while it is generally good to have a trusting heart, there are people not worthy of that trust. (Update: I just finished listening to this via audiobook 4/22/13, and I can’t believe I thought this book less ironic or satirical. It fairly sparkles with both irony and satire, but in a fun rather than a put-down sarcastic way.)

The particular copy I bought is a Barnes and Noble publication, complete with footnotes and endnotes, which were often helpful but sometimes unnecessary and distracting. The introductory notes I felt were better read after the novel than before, especially if one has not read the book yet, as too much is given away.

In the back of the book are a few questions, one of which is “Is there any sign that any of the characters in Northanger Abbey feels sexual desire? Can Austen’s realism be considered complete without this aspect of human relationships.” Good grief, what questions! One of the things I most resent about modern adaptations of classics is the inclusion of sexual scenes, or the spelling out of what had been written with restraint and decorum. The continued popularity of Austen’s books should indicate that an audience can be entertained without going into great sexual detail. Restraint and subtlety are no enemies of realism.

Update: I listened to this story again for the Austen in August challenge in August 2014.

Two views of housework

Posted on March 11, 2008 by Barbara Harper

I. It’s such a waste of time to cook.
I’m just a walking cookery book.
I make and bake the morning through,
The favorite pies and pudding, too.
Then in half an hour or less,
My toil has gone to nothingness.
It’s a waste of time to dust the stairs,
To clean the brass and polish chairs,
To sweep and pick up bits of fluff,
For nothing ever is clean enough.
Five minutes after I have done,
Someone is sure to romp and run,
Kick out the stair rods, flick the mats,
Slam the doors and scare the cats.
Some sticky hand is sure to press
The brasses from their sprightliness.
I tidy up and do the dusting,
But all the while my wings are rusting.
Then washing day it seems to me
Is just a waste of energy.
What use to stand before a tub
And soak and rinse and blue and rub?
Next week the selfsame garment’s stain
Will come into my hands again.
It’s such a waste of time to mend.
One has no sooner reached the end
Of last week’s pile then, need you ask it,
This week’s filled up the mending basket.
The stockings, which were hale and hearty,
Return from each picnicking party,
Weak and worn and wanly show
Great gaping holes in heel and toe,
While buttons have a cantankerous way
Of disappearing every day.
Sponging off the spots and ironing creases,
Between it all I’m worn to pieces.
Woman, from cradle to grave,
Is nothing but a galley slave.

II. I’ve done an angel’s work today.
Yes, such an honor came my way.
Real angel’s work. Lest you doubt it,
I’m going to tell you all about it.
Well, first I cooked. It was so nice
To plan the pies, stewed fruit and rice.
God sent His angel once to make cakes
For a poor wayfarer’s sake.
Just today He honored me
And sent the task my way, you see.
Then while I tidied up the place,
Gave every knob a radiant face,
Back of my mind this thought would lurk-
That I was still at angel’s work.
Putting away coats and dresses
And moving small, unsightly messes,
For oh, ’tis such a lovesome thing,
Just straightening out and freshening.
And after that, I washed a few
Small woolly garments, old, not new,
Things I had rubbed and rinsed before,
Quite forty times or even more.
As I hung them on the line,
I thought what Godlike work was mine-
To cleanse, ah me, to wash out stains
Till not a single speck remains.
So later in the day, ’twas sweet
To sit and rest my tired feet,
Mending the clothes and plan out, too,
How to make old things into new.
For surely it is an angel’s way
To put things right from day to day,
To find thin places and repair
The glad rags and the sturdy wear.
Since wear and tear must surely be
On this side of eternity,
I’m feeling very proud to say
I’ve done an angel’s work today.

~ Author unknown

I’m afraid my attitude is too often the former…but I am working on it!

(Clip art courtesy of Microsoft)

Monday odds and ends

Posted on March 10, 2008 by Barbara Harper

Most of my odds and ends posts seem to come on Mondays, I think!

Busy day today, so this is just a drive-through posting. Our ladies’ meeting is tonight and we’re assembling care packages for our college students. That takes a little more preparatory work than some meetings, so that’s what I am busy with today. I’m stopping for a lunch break at the moment.
I have a few posts percolating on the back burner that I hope to get to. Sometimes when that happens and I try to actually write them, I wonder what I was thinking — it just doesn’t come together. We’ll see!
I don’t like Daylight Savings Time. I haven’t heard of anyone who does. I was so concerned about remembering to set my clock ahead Sat. night that I did that but forgot to set my alarm. I woke up at what would have been my regular time, but was now an hour late. Somehow the Lord helped me get my shower and then breakfast on at not too much later than usual. The rest of the family got to church on time but I didn’t get there til after the preaching started. Then it was hard to go to bed last night because it just didn’t feel as late as it was, so I was dragging this morning and finally took a little nap.
This is the “odd” part of my odds and ends: I was skimming through the weekly 5 Minutes Around the Blogosphere posting at 5 Minutes For Mom when I thought I saw a line that said “5 ‘green’ combustible diaper starter kits.” A closer look revealed it was “5 ‘green’ compostable diaper starter kits.” Somehow green in the same sentence with the word diapers conjures up unpleasant memories…
If you haven’t seen this, Amy’s Humble Musings has an excellent post with Thoughts on contraception and the quiverfull movement. I appreciate her balanced, reasonable, and gracious line of thinking on this issue.
One of my favorite craft bloggers is published!
I finally watched Miss Potter. Loved it! I couldn’t get any of the rest of the family interested in it at the time, so I watched it over several mornings in my room while getting dressed/fixing hair/making beds, etc. I do think they’d like it if they gave it a chance. When I first saw the commercials I didn’t really like the idea of animating her characters — that just made it seem too Disneyish. But it’s not done much and is mainly used to show her imagination and playfulness and what she is thinking in some places. I even watched most of the special features.
When I went to rent it, I came across another DVD that looked interesting enough to try: a Hallmark Hall of Fame production of In Love and War. (evidently there are other films by that title, but I don’t think this is related to them.) I normally am wary of picking up a film I am unfamiliar with off the rental place’s shelves, but I think the Hallmark ones are usually pretty safe. This is about an English soldier in WWII, captured in Italy, released, then pursued by the Germans as they invade Italy, then injured, so his buddies have to leave him behind, and he is helped by many Italian people along the way, including the girl he falls in love with. I didn’t realize it was a true story until the end where it says they recently celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary. I looked in the production notes and saw it was based on the book Love and War in the Apennines by Eric Newby, the main character in the film. I want to read that book now. My oldest son, not a fan of love stories, pronounced this “not as bad as I thought it would be.” 🙂 I enjoyed it!

Have a great day!

Sing praise to God Who reigns above

Posted on March 9, 2008 by Barbara Harper

Sing praise to God Who reigns above, the God of all creation,
The God of power, the God of love, the God of our salvation.
With healing balm my soul is filled and every faithless murmur stilled:
To God all praise and glory.

What God’s almighty power hath made His gracious mercy keepeth,
By morning glow or evening shade His watchful eye ne’er sleepeth;
Within the kingdom of His might, Lo! all is just and all is right:
To God all praise and glory.

The Lord is never far away, but through all grief distressing,
An ever present help and stay, our peace and joy and blessing.
As with a mother’s tender hand, God gently leads the chosen band:
To God all praise and glory.

Thus, all my toilsome way along, I sing aloud Thy praises,
That earth may hear the grateful song my voice unwearied raises.
Be joyful in the Lord, my heart, both soul and body bear your part:
To God all praise and glory.

Let all who name Christ’s holy Name give God all praise and glory;
Let all who own His power proclaim aloud the wondrous story!
Cast each false idol from its throne, for Christ is Lord, and Christ alone:
To God all praise and glory.

~ Johann J. Schütz

(It’s also often sung “All praise to God…”)

Alarming indeed

Posted on March 8, 2008 by Barbara Harper

Through a series of links from other places, I discovered some alarming truths about Obama.

This is from an op-ed piece by Rick Santorum titled “The Elephant in the Room: Obama: A harsh ideologue hidden by a feel-good image.”

Granted, the first-term Illinois senator’s lofty rhetoric of bipartisanship, unity, hope and change makes everyone feel good. But it’s becoming increasingly clear that his grand campaign rhetoric does not match his partisan, ideological record. The nonpartisan National Journal, for example, recently rated Obama the Senate’s most liberal member. That’s besting some tough competition from orthodox liberals such as Ted Kennedy and Barbara Boxer.

John McCain’s campaign and conservative pundits have listed the numerous times in Obama’s short Senate career where he sided with the extremes in his party against broadly supported compromises on issues such as immigration, ethics reform, terrorist surveillance and war funding. Fighting on the fringe with a handful of liberals is one thing, but consider his position on an issue that passed both houses of Congress unanimously in 2002.

That bill was the Born Alive Infants Protection Act. During the partial-birth abortion debate, Congress heard testimony about babies that had survived attempted late-term abortions. Nurses testified that these preterm living, breathing babies were being thrown into medical waste bins to die or being “terminated” outside the womb. With the baby now completely separated from the mother, it was impossible to argue that the health or life of the mother was in jeopardy by giving her baby appropriate medical treatment.

The act simply prohibited the killing of a baby born alive. To address the concerns of pro-choice lawmakers, the bill included language that said nothing “shall be construed to affirm, deny, expand or contract any legal status or legal right” of the baby. In other words, the bill wasn’t intruding on Roe v. Wade.

Who would oppose a bill that said you couldn’t kill a baby who was born? Not Kennedy, Boxer or Hillary Rodham Clinton. Not even the hard-core National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL). Obama, however, is another story. The year after the Born Alive Infants Protection Act became federal law in 2002, identical language was considered in a committee of the Illinois Senate. It was defeated with the committee’s chairman, Obama, leading the opposition.

Let’s be clear about what Obama did, once in 2003 and twice before that. He effectively voted for infanticide. He voted to allow doctors to deny medically appropriate treatment or, worse yet, actively kill a completely delivered living baby. Infanticide – I wonder if he’ll add this to the list of changes in his next victory speech and if the crowd will roar: “Yes, we can.”

How could someone possibly justify such a vote? In March 2001, Obama was the sole speaker in opposition to the bill on the floor of the Illinois Senate. He said: “We’re saying they are persons entitled to the kinds of protections provided to a child, a 9-month child delivered to term. I mean, it would essentially bar abortions, because the equal-protection clause does not allow somebody to kill a child.” So according to Obama, “they,” babies who survive abortions or any other preterm newborns, should be permitted to be killed because giving legal protection to preterm newborns would have the effect of banning all abortions.

Justifying the killing of newborn babies is deeply troubling, but just as striking is his rigid adherence to doctrinaire liberalism. Apparently, the “audacity of hope” is limited only to those babies born at full term and beyond. Worse, given his support for late-term partial-birth abortions that supporters argued were necessary to end the life of genetically imperfect children, it may be more accurate to say the audacity of hope applies only to those babies born healthy at full term.

According to this source, these are Obama’s own words in arguing against the bill:

Number one, whenever we define a previable fetus as a person that is protected by the equal protection clause or the other elements in the Constitution, what we’re really saying is, in fact, that they are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a — a child, a nine-month-old — child that was delivered to term. That determination then, essentially, if it was accepted by a court, would forbid abortions to take place. I mean, it — it would essentially bar abortions, because the equal protection clause does not allow somebody to kill a child, and if this is a child. Then this would be an antiabortion statute. For that purpose, I think it would probably be found unconstitutional.

The second reason that it would probably be found unconstitutional is that this essentially says that a doctor is required to provide treatment to a previable child, or fetus, however way you want to describe it. Viability is the line that has been drawn by the Supreme Court to determine whether or not an abortion can or cannot take place. And if we’re placing a burden on the doctor that says you have to keep alive even a previable child as long as possible and give them as much medical attention as — as is necessary to try to keep that child alive, then we’re probably crossing the line in terms of unconstitutionality.

It is sad — beyond sad — that he is more concerned with how this bill would have affected the ruling on abortions than the effect and ramifications of it on human life. His reasoning is right that this ruling would recognize an aborted baby as a child, a person with rights: his conclusions are wrong that such a recognition means that such a child should be left to die.

I hope and pray this man is not elected as our next president.

Know and Tell Friday

Posted on March 7, 2008 by Barbara Harper

(My Friday Show and Tell post is just below this one and my Ultimate Blog Party post is here.)

To Know Him hosts Know and Tell Friday and asks this week:

Question 1
I have been blogging for a year this month, so my question is what made you start your blog?

I don’t remember how I started reading blogs — I think from links to peoples’ blogs on a couple of forums I was on. Reading one person’s blog leads to reading their links and blogroll. I enjoyed the ones I read and began thinking about doing my own. I wanted it first of all to be a blessing and an encouragement to other ladies but I also wanted it to be fun.

Question 2
Do you speak another language? If so, why or how did you learn it?

No. I had two years of Spanish in high school but only remember a few words.

Question 3
Morning person, or night owl (or somewhere in between)?

Naturally, if there are no time constraints, I tend to be a night owl. But with a family and school, etc., I have to get up pretty early. I still tend to stay up too late.

Question 4
Do you exercise on a regular basis?

No. I should.

Bonus Questions
Question 5
If money were not an object what is one thing you would like to do for another person?

I know a couple of students in Christian colleges struggling financially whom I would love to help with their school bills.

Question 6
What is one of your favorite attributes of our Lord God?

It would be hard to single out one. I love that He is perfectly righteous and can always be depended on to do the right thing. I love that He is truth and love. But if I had to choose, I am grateful for His longsuffering and lovingkindess.

Question 7
Have you ever thought about adoption or foster care?

No, not really. I don’t think I have it in me. I have my hands full with my own three.

Show and Tell Friday: Spring Windowsill

Posted on March 7, 2008 by Barbara Harper

When I took down my “everyday” decorations last fall to decorate for autumn, I finally took apart an old arrangement on my windowsill that had dried flowers and a bird and nest and had just gotten dusty and unkempt. After putting autumn and Christmas decorations away and getting back to everyday, I pondered what to put in that empty spot. I hadn’t seen or come up with anything until the spring issue of Kelli’s beautiful Seasonal Delights magazine came out and I saw the Hidden Nest Centerpiece. A smaller version of that would be just perfect!

So I assembled the materials this week, with a 5″ pot instead of the 8″. I originally wanted to paint the flower pot a cream color and the eggs blue, but the windowsill this would be on is white, so I thought a bit of color would be better with a blue flower pot. These kinds of decisions can stall a project for me for days, but I decided since all of these materials were reusable I could disassemble it and change it if I wanted, so I went ahead with painting the flower pot blue and using cream and brown eggs I found at Michael’s.

I had a bit of a problem, though, with the garland: mine was so bushy that it lost its “arch” shape almost completely (probably because the pot was smaller, so the arch was smaller — I am sure it would have done fine with the bigger pot size Kelli’s centerpiece had called for), and then I had trouble getting the wire to stick to the flower pot with hot glue. I remembered some variegated green picks I had and got a few of them and stuck them directly in the moss, then tucked the nest under the leaves. This is finally what I came up with:

I love it. When I am working at the sink I can see the little nest and eggs peeking out through the leaves. We often have little birds build nests in our hanging plants outside that I can see from my kitchen window, so this reminds me of that and fits right in with the scene.

I do still want to try Kelli’s idea with the garland shaped as an arch some time!

On the other side of my windowsill is this:

It’s just a couple of spring floral picks I got years ago at a Home Interiors party, stuffed into a small creamer pitcher, but it has been a long-time favorite window sill brightener. It’s getting old, too, but I keep dusting it off.

This is the whole windowsill, cheery even on a gloomy day outside:

I also wanted to share a couple of things I was delighted to find while out shopping this week.

It’s very hard to find kitchen towels and such with pink — apparently that’s not “in” as a decorator color just now. But I was delighted to find these at Kohl’s — I was shopping in the men’s department for my husband’s birthday and investigated the housewares and decorating section while I was there. I was glad I did!

They’re almost too pretty to use — almost. But I will use them!

I was also thrilled to find these chair pads on clearance. I had been needing new ones and wanted to find the kind with the non-skid surface on the bottom rather than ties (which always seem to pull out after much use at my house). I had seen some blue ones at another store that I thought were too expensive. But these were not only less, they had little pink and cream flecks in them that matched mt kitchen/dining area: