mine

Well, it is now at LEAST 4 weeks later. Sad how time flies as we get older.

All in all it has been a pretty good 4 weeks. Got SO much done.

Patent for the EasiRead has been filed and accepted
Changed the Order page to more closely emulate the main web page so closer to putting the page out there into the World Wide Web
Learned the proper procedures to bring the EasiReads across the border
Got into the new project

Now for the really good stuff.

Went up to Canada last weekend again. Was great. Annette and I went to Zorro which was pretty good really. It was interesting that we have the same sense of humour, made fun of the same things and laughed at the same places.

Then we went to a bbq and music practice for the new church. Food was good and the company was even better. The music was good, but needs a little work.

It is funny to become friends with one's sister so late in life. And nice at the same time, really nice.

Oh! Over the past week or so it is interesting that the price of gas has gone down. I tend to agree with another friend that we have seen this over the past 30 years. Some sort of 'emergency shortage' which pushes the price through the stratosphere and when it all calms down the price is at a level we would never have accepted before the 'emergency'. Interesting.

Well, here it is the weekend again, and who knows what tomorrow will bring. Let's see....could be interesting

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Well I wanted to write about some things that have been happening to me lately.

Last weekend I went up to Canada to visit friends and family.

First let me also echo Scott '$50.00 for gas!!!! for the trip!!' Guess I will not be going up as often as I thought I would.

Now for the good parts. Friday evening had sushi in Richmond with some good friends. We pigged out totally....I could even see the people at the next table almost staring at all the food we ordered. Now.....did we finish it all.....YOU BETCHA. I think only one small piece of a roll remained when we packed it in at 11.

Next to see a fellow knitting friend of mine....yep and more talking, this time until almost 1. Into bed and up again at 6 to go for breakfast. Strawberry crepes! mmmmmm yummy.

The drive out to my sister's was relaxing listening to

I just got a call from a friend of mine. His girlfriend has been admitted to hospital for a fairly severe medical problem. While talking to him he said to me 'I just want to break down and cry and I cannot in front of her'.

This is an interesting point of view. When I myself was in hospital as a child I remember being 'brave'. Some of it was the encouragement of the nurses....the old.....'don't cry, be a brave little girl' and some of it frankly was because I thought that if I was brave it would be easier for my visitors. Also, some part of me thought if I was whiny and broke down that they would not want to visit again (ok I would not want to visit a whiny little kid) so I had to try to be an adult as well as entertaining.

Imagine my surprise when recently my mom told me that that was one of the hardest parts of seeing me sick, that I did not cry. Only God knows how much I cried at night and also in my head. Maybe, sometimes, we are sooooooo brave that we 'outbrave' each other.

Hmmmm, does that mean that we are really helping ourselves and each other? Or does it mean that we are damming up our emotions and stopping the free flow of human communication? Would we gain more by allowing our emotions out, at least a little? Would we maybe even heal faster to be able to cry or lament with a loved one?

Recently I read Scott's blog site regarding the pain in the world. The starving children and the persecuted in places like the Sudan.

I would like to talk about it from a different point of view. This is not intended to be negative, but rather an alternative.

I cannot help but think that while it is good to give food and money for tents etc, maybe we also need to help these people in other ways.

WHY are they starving? WHAT are they running from? HOW can we honestly provide true shelter for more than a year or so for them??

If we cannot stop the persecution, and yep, that means through active intervention in a country, then how can stability ever come to that region?

How about another view entirely, IF there is no stability why not take them totally out of the situation, to other countries so that they and their descendents can truly have a chance. Yep, I am SURE many will think me cold and unfeeling for that one!

Same for hunger. Feeding the children and population is good, admirable....but perhaps we need to TEACH them how to farm for themselves, maybe even farm for them and with them for the first couple of years. Teach them how to find water, how to dig wells.

As for cooking, how about solar stoves to make sure there is no further impact to their environment by cutting down already sparse trees or using coal which is polluting.

I understand the FIRST they need to eat...but in my entire lifetime the same countries and the same children seem to be hungry (ok, they have to be different children because I am older now).

So while we feed them, maybe we can also try to stop the oppressors and help the oppressed BELIEVE they really CAN have a future of self reliance and self dependence and.....trust in the world as a good place to live.

"Our technology has outstripped our Humanity" Albert Einstein

Makes one think doesn't it?

BUTTERFLIES

Purple pastures of butterfly wings bound together by caterpillar things
cotton homes coccoon their transformation
where do they get such powerful information?
stealthy aviations with darting speeds
healthy reanimation without the greed
these flowers that seem to fly look like powers we pass by
catching one means you saw fear
for those few fears let you know soon as you look you must let it go

David

This is from someone I recently had the opportunity to meet:

QUESTION WORTH

If being alone is a dark cloud forecast over me then I've yet to see a blue sky.
I question my worth, 'cause I see the scars we leave on this earth. They say that the cities are the people's home...... and the homeless, are they happy with this home?
The Government wasa built to imply hope, then drugs come an' leaves you hanging on their dope ropes.
There is no escape....we are each all in Charge of our fate, but we are like cancer spread way past our rate.
So while you live and laugh at people who had to rob for them.
The World's heart is in fear, 'cause all we want is "material".
Sew a tear.......

David.

For a very long time, almost all of my life I have wondered what the heck I was doing here. What the point was. Particularly as I watch people hurting each other what seems to be most of the time.

Being raised Christian and in a household that morality is very important and with the saying 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'has led to some real confusions.

Why can't we just be nicer to each other? Why can't we help each other more to get ahead?

Recently I have again had to face the fact that even the people who are trying to live up to Christ's teachings are human.

I think He wants us to be forgiving and loving towards others. Particularly those within his church. What I have seen and still see instead is a tendency to punish and to hold accountable. Was it not Christ that said 'Let him who has not sinned throw the first stone"? How can anyone presume to sit in judgement of others? If I am part of the body of Christ would he throw me out because of a moment of weakness? Or would he forgive and allow me to go forth and be better.

What about when something happens that the people of the church, who are not Christ, make a decision as to the verity of the situation? Do those people have a right to 'take steps' to do damage control? Generally the damage control hurts someone, punishes someone, probably JUST when they need the support of the body, of others. I am amazed that anyone could sit in judgement of another when they have not even started to investigate the situation. I wonder what Christ would say in such situations.

Should a group of Christians cause pain to a member because they have decided to listen to false witness? I would have hoped that such a family would stand behind all parties concerned and try to love and support them through their trial while getting to the bottom of things. Further, IF the family of Christ wants to make any judgements, maybe they need to really get ALL the facts, no matter how nitty gritty they are.

Me, I do not want anyone sitting in judgement of me and I am tired of Christians who tell me that my disability is the result of 'sins of the father' and are unwilling to honestly and openly discuss things because they are afraid of being 'led astray'. Where is their commitment and belief in their faith then? Why would I want to be part of a'family' which would cast out a member for the sake of gossip? Why would I want to be part of a 'family' which stands outside after meeting and criticizes how people are dressed, or what this person said to that......

I want to be part of a group that loves each other no matter what our failures. That listens and gives feedback but still loves each other and never abandons that love, not for the sake of appearances nor because of judgement for a frailty.