Monday, December 29, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Boy Bishop sermon
Here is the text of JonPaul's sermon:
You may have noticed by the change in the colors on the altar last week that the liturgical season has changed. Many of you may even be able to tell that we are in the season of Advent because the color on the altar is blue. But this raises the question, “what is Advent?” The American Heritage® Dictionary defines the word advent as being “The coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important.”
Some of you may know that I am active in the Boy Scouts. One of the things that I like to do as a Scout is to go on long backpacking trips. However, before I am able to go on these long trips I have to do certain things to prepare for that hike. One of the things that I have to do to prepare is to go on shorter, less demanding hikes to toughen my heart, lungs, leg muscles and the skin on my feet. I also have to plan out the route, make a meal plan and buy the food, notify people of where I will be and when I will return, and the list goes on of things I must do before I will be ready to go on that long hike that I've been looking forward to. The church season of Advent is a lot like this time that I spend preparing for my hike. But instead of a hike, however, we as a church are preparing for the coming of Christ.
This Advent season is the time of waiting and preparing for the birth of Jesus Christ. Therefore the season of Advent officially ends on Christmas Eve, the day before the coming of Christ. But this is not the only advent that the Christian church anticipates. We also look forward to the second coming of Christ as an advent. So, like when I prepared for my hike, there must be ways to for us to prepare for the coming of Christ.
In our Old Testament reading today, we have a prophecy given by Isaiah in chapter 40, verse 3 saying “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ' Prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'” In today's gospel, we see this prophecy fulfilled in John the Baptist, who lived in the wilderness, wore garments of camel's-hair, ate only those kosher foods he could gather in the wild – such as locusts and honey and preached the coming of Christ, preparing the way for the Lord. There's a lot to be gained by examining what John said to do - and on what he did himself - to prepare.
First, he preached a “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” If you'll look in your Bibles to Acts 2, verses 36-39 we read “36'Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.' 37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?' 38Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.'” By repenting of your sins you prepare yourself for the coming of Christ. It's like cleaning house to prepare to receive an important guest – the MOST important guest. A few moves ago I had the biggest room in the house, and so when a visiting family member would come for the holidays or something they would be put into my room. Picture a room where you can't see the carpet because of all the clothes and other items on the floor and you would be close to the state of my room. So when we got the word that we would have family coming over, I would set to work preparing my room for the visit. And I would have to keep it in clean until the visit and then I would sleep out on the couch in the living room while my room was occupied. Then after the visit was over I would move back into my room and after a while my room would be back to its original state. At least until the next visit. So periodically I would have to go back and clean my room. It's similar with repentance, it's not just a one-time thing. For example we say the general confession every week during Mass, and we can rely on the Sacrament of Reconciliation whenever we have need.
We also prepare by staying focused on the purpose of righteousness, repentance, and fasting. Last week my JROTC unit at school had an inspection. We had inspectors come from other schools and some from recruiting stations in the area and they would look over us in our uniforms, ask us questions about things we had learned in the class, and watch us drill, along with checking a few other administrative matters with the unit. For the weeks before this big inspection we spent all our time focused in some way on preparing for the inspection. We had some people making sure that the uniforms were in order, others were practicing drill, and everyone was going over the possible questions that would be asked. John the Baptist also continually preached the the coming of Christ in addition to how we should prepare. We also kept reminding ourselves and our fellow cadets that the reason we were doing this was because of what the inspectors would look for during the inspection. This constant reminder kept us in the mindset of preparation and trying to make all of the things that would be looked at in an immaculate appearance. The constant reminders that John gave and the reminders that we give ourselves do the same, they give us the jolt we need to get back to what we need to be doing for the preparation for the coming of Christ. One such reminder that we employ is when we say the line in the Nicene Creed, “and he shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead”.
You may have noticed by the change in the colors on the altar last week that the liturgical season has changed. Many of you may even be able to tell that we are in the season of Advent because the color on the altar is blue. But this raises the question, “what is Advent?” The American Heritage® Dictionary defines the word advent as being “The coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important.”
Some of you may know that I am active in the Boy Scouts. One of the things that I like to do as a Scout is to go on long backpacking trips. However, before I am able to go on these long trips I have to do certain things to prepare for that hike. One of the things that I have to do to prepare is to go on shorter, less demanding hikes to toughen my heart, lungs, leg muscles and the skin on my feet. I also have to plan out the route, make a meal plan and buy the food, notify people of where I will be and when I will return, and the list goes on of things I must do before I will be ready to go on that long hike that I've been looking forward to. The church season of Advent is a lot like this time that I spend preparing for my hike. But instead of a hike, however, we as a church are preparing for the coming of Christ.
This Advent season is the time of waiting and preparing for the birth of Jesus Christ. Therefore the season of Advent officially ends on Christmas Eve, the day before the coming of Christ. But this is not the only advent that the Christian church anticipates. We also look forward to the second coming of Christ as an advent. So, like when I prepared for my hike, there must be ways to for us to prepare for the coming of Christ.
In our Old Testament reading today, we have a prophecy given by Isaiah in chapter 40, verse 3 saying “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ' Prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'” In today's gospel, we see this prophecy fulfilled in John the Baptist, who lived in the wilderness, wore garments of camel's-hair, ate only those kosher foods he could gather in the wild – such as locusts and honey and preached the coming of Christ, preparing the way for the Lord. There's a lot to be gained by examining what John said to do - and on what he did himself - to prepare.
First, he preached a “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” If you'll look in your Bibles to Acts 2, verses 36-39 we read “36'Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.' 37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?' 38Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.'” By repenting of your sins you prepare yourself for the coming of Christ. It's like cleaning house to prepare to receive an important guest – the MOST important guest. A few moves ago I had the biggest room in the house, and so when a visiting family member would come for the holidays or something they would be put into my room. Picture a room where you can't see the carpet because of all the clothes and other items on the floor and you would be close to the state of my room. So when we got the word that we would have family coming over, I would set to work preparing my room for the visit. And I would have to keep it in clean until the visit and then I would sleep out on the couch in the living room while my room was occupied. Then after the visit was over I would move back into my room and after a while my room would be back to its original state. At least until the next visit. So periodically I would have to go back and clean my room. It's similar with repentance, it's not just a one-time thing. For example we say the general confession every week during Mass, and we can rely on the Sacrament of Reconciliation whenever we have need.
We also prepare by staying focused on the purpose of righteousness, repentance, and fasting. Last week my JROTC unit at school had an inspection. We had inspectors come from other schools and some from recruiting stations in the area and they would look over us in our uniforms, ask us questions about things we had learned in the class, and watch us drill, along with checking a few other administrative matters with the unit. For the weeks before this big inspection we spent all our time focused in some way on preparing for the inspection. We had some people making sure that the uniforms were in order, others were practicing drill, and everyone was going over the possible questions that would be asked. John the Baptist also continually preached the the coming of Christ in addition to how we should prepare. We also kept reminding ourselves and our fellow cadets that the reason we were doing this was because of what the inspectors would look for during the inspection. This constant reminder kept us in the mindset of preparation and trying to make all of the things that would be looked at in an immaculate appearance. The constant reminders that John gave and the reminders that we give ourselves do the same, they give us the jolt we need to get back to what we need to be doing for the preparation for the coming of Christ. One such reminder that we employ is when we say the line in the Nicene Creed, “and he shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead”.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Nicholas Bishop at Christ the King (by Jonathan)
At Christ the King Church in Sharpsburg, Georgia on Sunday, December 7th, Bishop David Epps began the service as usual with the processional hymn and acclamation. For most of those present, the first time they knew today’s service was going to be something special was when the choir launched into the processional hymn again, and a second procession entered the nave of the church. At the rear of the procession was a tall, young man in the full regalia of a bishop – a young man they knew very well, but were more accustomed to seeing in the cassock and cotta of an acolyte.
Bishop Epps surrendered his crosier and seat to Boy Bishop Jon Landon (17 yrs old) for the duration of the Sunday services. Jon presided at the Sunday Service – except for the Absolution and celebrating Communion – and he preached a brief sermon he had written himself. The members of the congregation agreed that it was a very creditable first sermon and energetically congratulated Boy Bishop Jon after the service.
Fr. Jonathan Landon, an active-duty US Army Chaplain and Archdeacon-designate for the Archdiocese of the Armed Forces served as Bishop’s Chaplain for the Boy Bishop, and Fr. Dan Hale served as his crucifer.
Selecting Nicholas Bishops or Boy Bishops was once a popular tradition throughout Europe, from the tip of Italy to the Hebrides in Scotland and from Ireland to Hungary. The ceremony is a lesson in humility and recognition of the wisdom of youthful innocence.
It is a way of symbolically representing the teaching of Christ, “[U]nless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3-4, NKJV) The custom fits perfectly with the Advent themes of turning the tables and oversetting expectations. In the words of Mary,
[The Lord] has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty. (Luke 1:51-53)
The appointment of Boy Bishops honors the feast of St. Nicholas of Myra, patron of children, who is traditionally remembered as having a special, personal concern for the safety and well-being of children. From St. Nicholas Day, December 6th, until Holy Innocents, December 28th, topsy-turvey was the order of the day. The Boy Bishop took the bishop’s throne and wore his regalia, presiding at all services in the cathedral. The altar servers sat in the places of dignity usually occupied by the clergy and the reverend canons of the cathedral filled the roles of altar servers. The Boy Bishop was empowered to declare extra holidays, and to decree the distribution of sweets to the children of the diocese, paid for from the diocesan treasury.
Though Queen Elizabeth I ended the custom in England, it survived on the Continent until 1799. In modern times, churches have begun to revive the custom, especially in English cathedrals and parishes. As far as we know, Christ the King Church is the first CEC parish to observe this ancient tradition.
PHOTO 1 - The Boy Bishop leads the parish in blessing the children.
+JonPaul,+Bp+David.jpg)
PHOTO 9 - L-R Fr. Jonathan Landon, Chaplain (Major) US Army; Boy Bishop Jon Landon; The Most Rev. David Epps, Auxiliary Bishop of the SE Province, serving the Mid-South Diocese
Jon Landon is a Junior at East Coweta High School in Sharpsburg, Georgia, where he is active in the Marine Corps Junior ROTC. He is also active in Venture Scouts, and in CIA (Christians in Action), the youth group at Christ the King Church.
Bishop Epps surrendered his crosier and seat to Boy Bishop Jon Landon (17 yrs old) for the duration of the Sunday services. Jon presided at the Sunday Service – except for the Absolution and celebrating Communion – and he preached a brief sermon he had written himself. The members of the congregation agreed that it was a very creditable first sermon and energetically congratulated Boy Bishop Jon after the service.
Fr. Jonathan Landon, an active-duty US Army Chaplain and Archdeacon-designate for the Archdiocese of the Armed Forces served as Bishop’s Chaplain for the Boy Bishop, and Fr. Dan Hale served as his crucifer.
Selecting Nicholas Bishops or Boy Bishops was once a popular tradition throughout Europe, from the tip of Italy to the Hebrides in Scotland and from Ireland to Hungary. The ceremony is a lesson in humility and recognition of the wisdom of youthful innocence.
It is a way of symbolically representing the teaching of Christ, “[U]nless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3-4, NKJV) The custom fits perfectly with the Advent themes of turning the tables and oversetting expectations. In the words of Mary,
[The Lord] has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty. (Luke 1:51-53)
The appointment of Boy Bishops honors the feast of St. Nicholas of Myra, patron of children, who is traditionally remembered as having a special, personal concern for the safety and well-being of children. From St. Nicholas Day, December 6th, until Holy Innocents, December 28th, topsy-turvey was the order of the day. The Boy Bishop took the bishop’s throne and wore his regalia, presiding at all services in the cathedral. The altar servers sat in the places of dignity usually occupied by the clergy and the reverend canons of the cathedral filled the roles of altar servers. The Boy Bishop was empowered to declare extra holidays, and to decree the distribution of sweets to the children of the diocese, paid for from the diocesan treasury.
Though Queen Elizabeth I ended the custom in England, it survived on the Continent until 1799. In modern times, churches have begun to revive the custom, especially in English cathedrals and parishes. As far as we know, Christ the King Church is the first CEC parish to observe this ancient tradition.
PHOTO 1 - The Boy Bishop leads the parish in blessing the children.
+JonPaul,+Bp+David.jpg)
PHOTO 9 - L-R Fr. Jonathan Landon, Chaplain (Major) US Army; Boy Bishop Jon Landon; The Most Rev. David Epps, Auxiliary Bishop of the SE Province, serving the Mid-South Diocese
Jon Landon is a Junior at East Coweta High School in Sharpsburg, Georgia, where he is active in the Marine Corps Junior ROTC. He is also active in Venture Scouts, and in CIA (Christians in Action), the youth group at Christ the King Church.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving is a time
for reviewing what we treasure,
the people we hold dear,
who give us so much pleasure.
Without you as my friends & family,
life would be a bore:
having you in my life
is what I'm thankful for!
Monday, November 24, 2008
New Embroidery Machine
Jonathan and I have bought a new (to us) embroidery machine. This one is a combination sewing/embroidery machine. It is a small one that someone on one of the embroidery groups was selling to raise money for a new furnance. We plan to use it to take with us to shows to be able to do embroidered names "on site". (The big machines are too large and heavy to be really portable.)
It has been mailed and is expected to arrive on Wednesday. Here is a stock photo of it.
It has been mailed and is expected to arrive on Wednesday. Here is a stock photo of it.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Sermon
Jonathan was invited to speak at a nearby United Methodist Church in honor of Veteran's Day. Here is link to an abridged version of his sermon. I was able to hear it in person (twice as there was 2 services). I thought it was a good one (of course, I may be just a bit prejudiced.)
http://www.cechome.com/?p=607#more-607
http://www.cechome.com/?p=607#more-607
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Denise is not well-UPDATED 11/19/08
Denise is feeling yucky. She thought she might have gotten strep throat, as her throat hurt and she might have been exposed at work.
But after a trip to the ER last night with a fever of 103- the culture said no strep. Doctor figures it's a nasty virus and gave her Tylenol 3 (with codeine) for her throat. I expect she will sleep most of today. Fortunately Jonathan is in a vanpool so he can get a short nap on the way to work this morning as he was up until 2:30 AM with Denise at the hospital.
======
UPDATE-
Denise is feeling much better. She slept a good portion of yesterday, which seemed to really help. She went to work today. So we will see how she's feeling after a 6 hour shift. She does have tomorrow off, works Friday, and has the weekend off.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Denise @ seminar
Denise attended a seminar on Purity hosted by our church. (She is in the middle of the second row-behind the girl in the pink shirt. She is wearing a cap.)
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Costumes for All Saint's Eve Party
I give you Morgan LeFey, Karate Kid, Bob the Builder and Caesar.
The church hosts a party/carnival for the kids each All Saint's Eve (Halloween). This year we dressed up in costumes to help run some of the booths. (Denise is not in the photo as she had to get up early in the morning for work and did not want to be out late.)
The church hosts a party/carnival for the kids each All Saint's Eve (Halloween). This year we dressed up in costumes to help run some of the booths. (Denise is not in the photo as she had to get up early in the morning for work and did not want to be out late.)
Friday, October 24, 2008
Pumpkin carving
We carved pumpkins on Tuesday. Here are photos: (click on the picture to see a larger view.)
Naomi cleaning out inside of pumpkin
Jon Paul carving
Denise & Jonathan
Becky sorting seeds from pulp for drying
Pumpkins aglow
Naomi cleaning out inside of pumpkin
Jon Paul carving
Denise & Jonathan
Becky sorting seeds from pulp for drying
Pumpkins aglow
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Venture Hike
These were taken by our friend Katie. Thank you Katie! (There are many more, but I haven't looked at the CD yet.)
the crew before the hike
the view from the trail
"Like father, like son"
The crew after the hike
the crew before the hike
the view from the trail
"Like father, like son"
The crew after the hike
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Pageant
Naomi had a friend participate in a pageant for the school. Danielle did not win, but Naomi wanted her to have a tiara anyway. Here's a photo of the two of them after the show. (Naomi just had to wear her new leather jacket!)
Friday, October 10, 2008
Backpacking trip
Jonathan and Jon Paul left this morning for a backpacking trip with the Venture Crew. They will be walking along part of the Applachian Trail in northern Georgia.
There are about 20 adults and crew members going on the trip. They will return on Sunday.
So the girls and I went out to dinner tonight. Kinda like a "girls' night out".
There are about 20 adults and crew members going on the trip. They will return on Sunday.
So the girls and I went out to dinner tonight. Kinda like a "girls' night out".
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The End of a Good Van
On his way home from school this afternoon, Jon Paul was rear-ended. He and Naomi are okay- although shaken up. The other driver and her little girl (who was firmly strapped into a carseat) are also okay.
Alas, the van is not. I guess Jonathan and I will soon be car shopping. In the meantime, I get to be a very busy taxi driver- getting Denise to and from work, JonPaul and Naomi picked up from school 3 days a week after drill practice and all of the household errands done. And I will have a number of embroidery deliveries to do in the next few weeks. Thank goodness I don't have to get Jonathan to his car ride meeting place at 6:15 am!!
1.
2.
3.
4.
1. the back end of the van with the parts that flew off
2. The passenger seat. Notice how the inner side is twisted into the seating area.
3. This is the passenger side spring, with a leaf shoved up against a bent tailpipe.
4. this is a rear/side shot. The back side window fell out from the force of the blow.
Alas, the van is not. I guess Jonathan and I will soon be car shopping. In the meantime, I get to be a very busy taxi driver- getting Denise to and from work, JonPaul and Naomi picked up from school 3 days a week after drill practice and all of the household errands done. And I will have a number of embroidery deliveries to do in the next few weeks. Thank goodness I don't have to get Jonathan to his car ride meeting place at 6:15 am!!
1.
2.
3.
4.
1. the back end of the van with the parts that flew off
2. The passenger seat. Notice how the inner side is twisted into the seating area.
3. This is the passenger side spring, with a leaf shoved up against a bent tailpipe.
4. this is a rear/side shot. The back side window fell out from the force of the blow.
Friday, September 26, 2008
New Driver in the Household
Jonathan took Jon Paul to the DMV today to take the knowledge test to get his Georgia permit. (His Oregon one would not transfer.) There was an opening for a driving test right after he finished, so he is now a licensed driver!
And already taking the van on his own! He and Naomi are on the JROTC crew that is providing clean-up at the county fair tonight. So the two of them went off on their own, without a parent driver.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Latest projects
I made some towels for a friend of Naomi. Jasmine will be celbrating her birthday on Saturday. She and her mom have recently moved and now Jasmine as her own bathroom. So we decided she needed some custom towels. Jasmine loves penguins and Asian designs. The Chinese characters are our prayer for Jasmine: love, beauty, strentgh, and courage.
The second project was one I had been thinking of for quite awhile. It is a baby onsie with a set of wings and stinger. This will be used as a sample to show students at a local university to hopefully get some orders. The school's mascot is a yellowjacket. This design avoids the offical mascot and licensing fees.
The second project was one I had been thinking of for quite awhile. It is a baby onsie with a set of wings and stinger. This will be used as a sample to show students at a local university to hopefully get some orders. The school's mascot is a yellowjacket. This design avoids the offical mascot and licensing fees.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Tales from the Sandbox-Part 3
Sent Tuesday, Sept 16th-
Well, the training exercise is finally done. Today, there’s not much for me to do, because the Headquarters Company is going to do a complete inventory and update everyone’s hand receipts before we tear everything down. Fortunately, chaplaincy is not an equipment-intensive field of work. In some fields you find fairly junior Soldiers signing for literally millions of dollars worth of property.
I actually thought we were going to start tearing down today, so I slept a good bit of the day thinking I’d be working all night. However, the inventory is not a quick process, and I wasn’t needed to help tear down yet.Perhaps I’ll go to the movies after I download my mail and send this message – and maybe see whether Becky is on-line for chatting. Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) run a theater here that seats a maximum of 160 and is free.It keeps the Soldiers from getting too restless in their time off, I guess – like the traditional bread and circuses of Rome.
Actually, there’s a fair amount of entertainment here. I’m sitting right now at a picnic table in front of the MWR stage, where a young Soldier is trying very hard to get SOMEONE on the stage to sing. I gather it’s supposed to be Karaoke night. He’s not getting any takers, though. I’d consider volunteering but somehow I doubt they’d have much music in MY style to sing along with. Besides, I’ve been suffering from allergies all day and I don’t want to strain my throat.
This morning I woke up early, to go and take a shift of guard duty in the command post. The Commanding General wanted to close out the exercise with a command “fun run” (an oxymoron if I ever heard one) and those of us who – for medical reasons – DON’T run were asked to stay in the command post to ensure nobody made off with any classified information or expensive equipment. I generally am exempt from guard duty – since chaplains don’t carry weapons – but in this case, the point was just to have someone there.
Actually, EVERYBODY got up early, pretty much, since the formation for the run was at 4:45 AM. The objective, of course, was to complete the run before the weather began to heat up.
Anyway, when I got up, my throat was a bit sore (not too bad) and had some sniffles but it didn’t click with me until the chaplain section equipment was packed away and I went back to my tent with my “battle buddy” Chaplain Bill Sheffield. He lay down to take a nap – thinking as I did that we’d be working all night – and commented that, having taken two Benadryl, he should sleep pretty well. That’s when it finally clicked with me what was going on with me. So I went to the medics and begged some generic Claritin and throat lozenges, which should knock the allergies out in time for me to get to sleep.
I didn’t take any pictures this exercise – in fact I completely forgot to even bring a camera – but if you want to see pictures of where we are, you can go to www.arcent.army. mil. On the home page is a photo of the command post tentage (at least it was there earlier today) and if you follow the link that says “more photos” you will find some pages that will include some photos of the exercise. After the run this morning, we had a formation in front of the command post tents for a group photo of the whole command post staff, and then some photos of various sub-groups.
By then it was getting hot, and people kept trying to drift back into the air-conditioned tents but they got chased out again for a cake-cutting ceremony. The staff were not amused to discover that the only beverage provided with the cake was coffee - *hot* coffee, that is. When the temperature is already in the 80s or 90s at 9:00 AM, nobody really wants coffee. Most of the group was hoping for sweet tea, I think.
After the photo op’, and packing up the little bit of equipment that belonged to the chaplain section, I went back to my tent, and pretty much spent the rest of the morning reading. MWR also has books to read. Since most of the Soldiers here at Camp Beuhring are transients – either on their way to Iraq, or on their way back from Iraq, one doesn’t check the books out and have to return them. Many of us will take a book and not be on Camp Beuhring long enough to finish it, so we can just take them with us. Most of the books are donated by “Operation Paperback” – a group of volunteers who purchase used books cheaply, and ship them over here for deployed
servicemembers.
This is generosity which I much appreciate – being a confirmed bookworm since toddler-hood – but I must say that sometimes I have to really search to find a book that suits my tastes. The majority seem to be romances or murder mysteries. My own tastes in fiction run more to fantasy and science fiction, though I do like the occasional Agatha Christie book.
After I went to lunch, I took a nap (still thinking I’d be working all night). I got up to go to supper then to the command post, where I found out that pretty much nobody was ready to tear down, so after I drifted around and chatted with the skeleton crew, I decided to go get my laptop and send out the next “Tales from the Sandbox” message, and download my messages.
I can save a little money by using my own laptop in the Internet Café. I can write my messages off-line, then log in and send them while downloading all my accumulated messages, and then log off and review my messages off-line. I don’t save a whole lot that way, though. Last time I logged on, I had 1058 messages to download, of which 994 were spam. It look an hour and a half to download them, and I had already answered all the ones that required answers before the spam finished downloading. Unfortunately, I still have to review all the spam – even though it goes into my junk email folder – because every now and then a message from a friend or a customer sets off the spam filter and gets shunted into the junk folder.
Anyway, that’s pretty much the news from Kuwait, and the MWR guy finally recruited a couple of singers... So I think I’ll go to the Internet Café, and send this.
I’ll be home in a few days – before Sunday if all goes as planned.
Fr. Jonathan +
Well, the training exercise is finally done. Today, there’s not much for me to do, because the Headquarters Company is going to do a complete inventory and update everyone’s hand receipts before we tear everything down. Fortunately, chaplaincy is not an equipment-intensive field of work. In some fields you find fairly junior Soldiers signing for literally millions of dollars worth of property.
I actually thought we were going to start tearing down today, so I slept a good bit of the day thinking I’d be working all night. However, the inventory is not a quick process, and I wasn’t needed to help tear down yet.Perhaps I’ll go to the movies after I download my mail and send this message – and maybe see whether Becky is on-line for chatting. Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) run a theater here that seats a maximum of 160 and is free.It keeps the Soldiers from getting too restless in their time off, I guess – like the traditional bread and circuses of Rome.
Actually, there’s a fair amount of entertainment here. I’m sitting right now at a picnic table in front of the MWR stage, where a young Soldier is trying very hard to get SOMEONE on the stage to sing. I gather it’s supposed to be Karaoke night. He’s not getting any takers, though. I’d consider volunteering but somehow I doubt they’d have much music in MY style to sing along with. Besides, I’ve been suffering from allergies all day and I don’t want to strain my throat.
This morning I woke up early, to go and take a shift of guard duty in the command post. The Commanding General wanted to close out the exercise with a command “fun run” (an oxymoron if I ever heard one) and those of us who – for medical reasons – DON’T run were asked to stay in the command post to ensure nobody made off with any classified information or expensive equipment. I generally am exempt from guard duty – since chaplains don’t carry weapons – but in this case, the point was just to have someone there.
Actually, EVERYBODY got up early, pretty much, since the formation for the run was at 4:45 AM. The objective, of course, was to complete the run before the weather began to heat up.
Anyway, when I got up, my throat was a bit sore (not too bad) and had some sniffles but it didn’t click with me until the chaplain section equipment was packed away and I went back to my tent with my “battle buddy” Chaplain Bill Sheffield. He lay down to take a nap – thinking as I did that we’d be working all night – and commented that, having taken two Benadryl, he should sleep pretty well. That’s when it finally clicked with me what was going on with me. So I went to the medics and begged some generic Claritin and throat lozenges, which should knock the allergies out in time for me to get to sleep.
I didn’t take any pictures this exercise – in fact I completely forgot to even bring a camera – but if you want to see pictures of where we are, you can go to www.arcent.army. mil. On the home page is a photo of the command post tentage (at least it was there earlier today) and if you follow the link that says “more photos” you will find some pages that will include some photos of the exercise. After the run this morning, we had a formation in front of the command post tents for a group photo of the whole command post staff, and then some photos of various sub-groups.
By then it was getting hot, and people kept trying to drift back into the air-conditioned tents but they got chased out again for a cake-cutting ceremony. The staff were not amused to discover that the only beverage provided with the cake was coffee - *hot* coffee, that is. When the temperature is already in the 80s or 90s at 9:00 AM, nobody really wants coffee. Most of the group was hoping for sweet tea, I think.
After the photo op’, and packing up the little bit of equipment that belonged to the chaplain section, I went back to my tent, and pretty much spent the rest of the morning reading. MWR also has books to read. Since most of the Soldiers here at Camp Beuhring are transients – either on their way to Iraq, or on their way back from Iraq, one doesn’t check the books out and have to return them. Many of us will take a book and not be on Camp Beuhring long enough to finish it, so we can just take them with us. Most of the books are donated by “Operation Paperback” – a group of volunteers who purchase used books cheaply, and ship them over here for deployed
servicemembers.
This is generosity which I much appreciate – being a confirmed bookworm since toddler-hood – but I must say that sometimes I have to really search to find a book that suits my tastes. The majority seem to be romances or murder mysteries. My own tastes in fiction run more to fantasy and science fiction, though I do like the occasional Agatha Christie book.
After I went to lunch, I took a nap (still thinking I’d be working all night). I got up to go to supper then to the command post, where I found out that pretty much nobody was ready to tear down, so after I drifted around and chatted with the skeleton crew, I decided to go get my laptop and send out the next “Tales from the Sandbox” message, and download my messages.
I can save a little money by using my own laptop in the Internet Café. I can write my messages off-line, then log in and send them while downloading all my accumulated messages, and then log off and review my messages off-line. I don’t save a whole lot that way, though. Last time I logged on, I had 1058 messages to download, of which 994 were spam. It look an hour and a half to download them, and I had already answered all the ones that required answers before the spam finished downloading. Unfortunately, I still have to review all the spam – even though it goes into my junk email folder – because every now and then a message from a friend or a customer sets off the spam filter and gets shunted into the junk folder.
Anyway, that’s pretty much the news from Kuwait, and the MWR guy finally recruited a couple of singers... So I think I’ll go to the Internet Café, and send this.
I’ll be home in a few days – before Sunday if all goes as planned.
Fr. Jonathan +
Saturday, September 13, 2008
photo from the sandbox
Jonathan sent the following to me-
The photo below is the weather on a good, clear day - which is not the case today. Today, the sand is blowing pretty heavily. At times you can't see half a block. (Click on the photo to see a larger view.)
Earlier, we had a sandstorm that collapsed two of the tents. No one was in them, fortunately. Inside the tent where I was working, dirt blew in so badly that the body armor and helmets of the Surgeon's section were covered with dirt so you could not see their rank on the helmets. One of the officers in the Surgeon's section took a photo of that, but didn't have a download cable so I will try to get it from him after the exercise.
The Command Post looks like it's out in the middle of nowhere - but it's only about an 8-to-10-minute walk from the tentage at Camp Beuhring where we're living. All the terrain pretty much looks like that, though. Some of it is hard-packed sand-and-clay mix that's nearly as hard as sandstone. Some of it is covered with loose sand that blows in the wind. All of it is hot and practically none of it has vegetation - at least not on the Camp.
The photo below is the weather on a good, clear day - which is not the case today. Today, the sand is blowing pretty heavily. At times you can't see half a block. (Click on the photo to see a larger view.)
Earlier, we had a sandstorm that collapsed two of the tents. No one was in them, fortunately. Inside the tent where I was working, dirt blew in so badly that the body armor and helmets of the Surgeon's section were covered with dirt so you could not see their rank on the helmets. One of the officers in the Surgeon's section took a photo of that, but didn't have a download cable so I will try to get it from him after the exercise.
The Command Post looks like it's out in the middle of nowhere - but it's only about an 8-to-10-minute walk from the tentage at Camp Beuhring where we're living. All the terrain pretty much looks like that, though. Some of it is hard-packed sand-and-clay mix that's nearly as hard as sandstone. Some of it is covered with loose sand that blows in the wind. All of it is hot and practically none of it has vegetation - at least not on the Camp.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Tales from the Sandbox- Part 2
Hello All!
I realized that (because I’ve not been using my own laptop) I haven’t been sending updates to everyone I would normally include. Sorry, but there are just so many email addresses I can memorize! For those of you who are coming in late… I’m back in the sandbox again… Kuwait this time. However, it is only for a training exercise. I’ll be here just over a month.
One of the nice things is that – because the month I’m here actually includes days from two calendar months (Aug and Sep) both of those months will be free of income-tax withholding! Yay!
Not so nice is the weather. It’s the hottest part of summer, and it has been uncharacteristically humid for a good bit of the time I’ve been here. Usually Kuwait has the occasional humid days, but the prevailing wind during late summer is from the Northwest – meaning it’s blisteringly hot and dry. Lately, for some reason, the wind has been coming in off the Gulf, meaning it’s blisteringly hot and humid.
When our equipment arrived here (a few days after I arrived as part of the advanced party) we started working “reverse cycle” (nights) putting up the tents, installing the equipment, etc. It was hot and dirty work, but there was plenty of light – artificial light, from things that look like trailer-mounted street lamps with generators at the bottom. It was very wise, however, to do this work at night. Trying to do it during the day would have resulted in a multitude of heat injuries, and would have had us all moving at a snail’s pace.
We’re all set up and doing pre-exercise training, and putting our equipment through its paces. We’re using several new computer systems so this is not only training for us, but also a validation of the capabilities of the computer systems. The classified Internet network in the command post took some days to launch and has been fairly reliable. That’s good, because that’s how we do most of our work-related communications. The unclassified Internet network took quite a bit longer, to set up, and has been very UN-reliable which has been more of an annoyance than an obstacle. There are some unclassified resources I want to be able to use, and have difficulty getting to.
We’re at the stage where we’re – as we say in the Army – “leaning forward in the foxhole”. We’re doing planning in advance, gathering data and writing plans, that we will use during the exercise itself once it starts. It’s the same kind of thing we’d be doing before a real, military operation. As soon as we know it’s coming, or even that it MIGHT be coming, we start gathering information and making plans, and in some cases, moving equipment, so that when we get the order to go, we can go as fast as possible.
The really interesting thing about it is that we’re using lots of real-world, current information as the background scenario so a lot of the plans, documents and products we make can be stashed away in our “just in case we ever have to do this for real” file – saving us work. That really gives a sense of urgency and importance to what we’re doing.
It also raises the level of attention to security. We get reminded constantly about security procedures. The reminders are a little excessive, I think, because working with real-world operational plans and intelligence is not new to any of us. At this kind of high-level headquarters, you do this all the time, anyway. The main difference is doing it in the field - … well, it’s not exactly a “field”… doing it in a tent city in the sandbox is what’s new to us.
The running joke is “it’s an instant beach. Just add water.”
The other day, I went from the camp where I am, to Camp Arifjan. On the way, we passed by a stretch of highway which had obviously been part of the ominously-named “Highway of Death” – where the US forces destroyed columns of Iraqi forces during Desert Storm. For about a half-mile, on both sides of the highway, were scores of burned and blown-up, military vehicles. It was sobering.
And, in one sense, it was a window into an interesting cultural contrast. If this were in the US, I really think there would be a massive clean-up effort going on. The whole area would be fenced off, for safety’s sake because some of the weapons used against the Iraqis employed projectiles made from depleted, low-radiation uranium. It’s a lot heavier than lead and penetrates armor much more effectively, but it also leaves a radioactive residue that can make people quite sick. For that reason alone, we’d be cleaning up the site as fast as we could. Also, we would not want the sight of blown-up vehicles to stay there in the public eye.
The Kuwaitis appear to have decided that … since it’s not in or terribly near a significant-sized city… the radiation hazard is no big deal, and it is neither fenced nor do I see any evidence of cleanup in progress. The unsightly mess littering the desert also doesn’t seem to rate a significant effort.
By contrast, just to the south of that area, we passed a tiny Kuwaiti military camp – just a few blocks square. I have no idea what kind of unit was there. There was a vehicle that was recognizable as an ambulance (white circle with a red crescent on it painted on the side), but only one, so I think it was there to serve the unit, rather than indicating that the unit was a medical unit. What was really startling was the area around the building which was obviously the camp headquarters. For about 30 feet in every direction from the building, there was some of the best-manicured, brightest-green grass I have ever seen, and small trees and shrubs. In contrast with the surrounding desert, it was a shock to see.
That trip, the whole unit ministry team was going down to Camp Arifjan to participate in the re-enlistment of one of our chaplain assistants, who was committing herself for another six years of service in the Army. Her husband – a reservist who had been mobilized for this exercise – was also able to attend the reenlistment.
A few days earlier, when the “powers that be” in our unit gave the whole command post a half-day off (excepting essential people necessary to provide security and keep the generators and air conditioners running so our computers don’t melt down). Three of us from the ministry team went to Ali Al-Salim airfield to draw some new, fire-retardant uniforms which have become the standard for all Soldiers deploying to the Iraqi and Afghan theaters.
I like ‘em. The fire retardant uniforms are a little lighter, softer and cooler (just slightly) than the uniforms we’ve already received. They shrink, though. Fortunately, the people at the issue point KNOW this, and so they made us try on pre-shrunk uniforms to determine the correct size before issuing our non-pre-shrunk, new uniforms. We also got a new patrol cap, boonie cap (the one with the wide brim that goes all the way around it) and some other stuff.
The hats are made of the same fabric as the uniform shirts and trousers, so we also had to try on pre-shrunk hats – a first in my experience. J And the pre-shrunk hat that fit me best was the largest size hat I’ve ever had to wear – an 8. Usually I wear a 7 ½ or 7 5/8. The largest cap I’ve had to get was a 7 ¾ so that was a BIG change. I sent all the uniforms and the hats to the laundry, but I HOPE the hats will shrink a little more, because that patrol cap has not yet gotten down to the size of the one I tried on. It’s a little sloppy on me.
The guys who issued them say that if the hats don’t shrink as much as expected when you wash them as you’re supposed to – that is, in warm water – then wash them in hot, until you get the size you want. Sounds risky to me, but I guess they know what they’re talking about. If I make a mistake, and make the water too hot or soak the hat for too long, though, I won’t be able to wear it at all, and the Army definitely will say it’s my own fault so I have to buy myself a new one.
One nice think about this is that I don’t have to turn them in – unlike the uniforms I was issued for my deployment in 2005, so when my older uniforms start to wear out, I can use these rather than having to go right out and buy more.
Anyway, I’m nattering on about minutia, because nothing much is going on here that’s earthshaking, but I know that my friends and family like to hear from me and know that I’m OK while I’m away. Just remember, it’s only a training exercise, and it’s Kuwait, not Iraq. Nobody is shooting or blowing up American Soldiers around here… Which is fine with me. If I make it to retirement without getting a Purple Heart, my family and I will be quite content.
God bless and keep you all.
Fr. Jonathan Landon +
Saturday, August 30, 2008
slideshow of embroidery projects
I have set up a slideshow of some of the embroidery projects I have made in the last 3 1/2 years. Here is the link to view it:
http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa105/r_d_landon/SWG%20Projects/?action=view¤t=f4948b4d.pbw
When Jonathan gets back from Kuwait, hopefully he will have some time to set them up on the website in a nicer format. But for now, I thought you might enjoy seeing them.
http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa105/r_d_landon/SWG%20Projects/?action=view¤t=f4948b4d.pbw
When Jonathan gets back from Kuwait, hopefully he will have some time to set them up on the website in a nicer format. But for now, I thought you might enjoy seeing them.
Friday, August 29, 2008
News from the Sandbox
Jonathan reports in an email shortly after he arrived in Kuwait 2 weeks ago:
"The weather is brutal. Ever heard anyone say "Yes, but it's a dry heat"?So what?! At 120 degrees, it doesn't MATTER whether it's a dry heat. Ever stick your head in a dry oven? Well, there you have it.
Tomorrow I will be in a convoy (about four hours) in an up-armored Hummer to get to the base where the training will happen. The scenery is totally uninspiring. It's all flat sand. And trash. No hills, trees, rivers, ponds, etc."
===============
And then in an email he sent on Wednesday, after he had arrived at the training site:
"As we say in the Army "NSTR" (Nothing Significant to Report) - except that I'm alive and well, and resting in God's grace... which IS pretty significant. :-) The command post is almost ready and soon we'll go to 24-hour operations for this training exercise.
Still waiting for all the communications connections to be finished, and we're starting section training that will contribute to success in the whole endeavor.
"
===============
When I was able to chat with him today (Friday), he says they are now on 12 hours shifts and the training is going smoothly, but it's long and boring.
He's also gotten a new haircut, as you can see from the snapshot from the web camera.
"The weather is brutal. Ever heard anyone say "Yes, but it's a dry heat"?So what?! At 120 degrees, it doesn't MATTER whether it's a dry heat. Ever stick your head in a dry oven? Well, there you have it.
Tomorrow I will be in a convoy (about four hours) in an up-armored Hummer to get to the base where the training will happen. The scenery is totally uninspiring. It's all flat sand. And trash. No hills, trees, rivers, ponds, etc."
===============
And then in an email he sent on Wednesday, after he had arrived at the training site:
"As we say in the Army "NSTR" (Nothing Significant to Report) - except that I'm alive and well, and resting in God's grace... which IS pretty significant. :-) The command post is almost ready and soon we'll go to 24-hour operations for this training exercise.
Still waiting for all the communications connections to be finished, and we're starting section training that will contribute to success in the whole endeavor.
"===============
When I was able to chat with him today (Friday), he says they are now on 12 hours shifts and the training is going smoothly, but it's long and boring.
He's also gotten a new haircut, as you can see from the snapshot from the web camera.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Noah's Ark
Check out this website. It shows a life size replica of the ark, built by a Dutch man. It's pretty impressive. If you want to see a slide show of the inside with life-size models of animals, click the button on the upper right hand corner of the home page.
Gymnastics like you've never seen before
My sister sent me this link. If you appreciate humor and gymnastics, go watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO_BnsrWMnI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO_BnsrWMnI
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Stoles for new deacons
Jonathan and I made these stoles for the newest deacons in our church_Scott & Joe. (Thank you to Joanne for taking the photos and sending them to me.) .The style of these stoles is in the Byzantine or Eastern style of deacon's stoles. In Greek it is called an orarion.
The designs used are a descending dove with rays of light behind it (on the shoulder) and three pointed flames. The designs and the color red are used to symbolize Pentecost and the work of the Holy Spirit. These designs were created by Jonathan.
The differences in the sizes and placements of the flames is due to the individual preferences of the deacons wearing the stole.
If you want to read more about vestments- you can go here: http://www.byzantines.net/moreinfo/vestments.htm
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Pantry Cabinet
While my mother-in-law was here for a visit in July, she helped me to build this cabinet. We used some old shutters I had for the doors. It took us about 4 days to complete- partly because it took awhile in the heat & humidity for the stain and glue to set up correctly. I don't think I could have completed this by myself. It took a lot more engineering than the magazine article I found that gave me the idea!The inserts in the doors are filled with some wallpaper I had picked up somewhere (and was just sitting in the garage with all the other stuff that's waiting to be sorted.)
There is a board that goes under the edge of the doors,where the gap is, but I still need to make some holes in the back of it so that the shelf supports will fit.
I had been storing the extra food in the garage, but the mice had discovered it. This week, I finished moving up the last of the cans and got the pantry and the kitchen cupboards rearranged so things fit and can be (hopefully) easily found. I hope this will make it easier for me to figure out what I need to buy and stop getting duplicates and forgetting about other things! And it will save us from having to run up and down the stairs to get the ingredients for a meal (except when we need something from the freezers.)Friday, August 15, 2008
Serving at Mass
These photos were just sent to me from our priest. They are being used in a press release advertising our church here in Georgia. Thought you'd like to see them too.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Jonathan administering oath of office
I did not take this photo, but as I still have to review and edit the video- I thought I'd post it here.
"At Friday evening's Mass (of the International convocation), Archbishop Doug Woodall introduced Fr. Rian Adams as the newest Charismatic Episcopal Church priest to be selected for active duty in the United States Army. Army Chaplain Major (Fr) Jonathan Landon, another CEC priest serving on active duty, swore Fr. Adams in as a First Lieutenant in the Army Chaplain Corps in front of over a thousand worshipers at the concluding convocation service.
Fr. Adams is a recent Master of Divinity graduate of Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, MS. He and his wife Amber are from Altha, FL..
Fr. Adams was ordained to the Diaconate and Priesthood recently by Bishop David Epps on behalf of Archbishop Woodall at Christ the King CEC in Sharpsburg, GA.
Fr. Adams will report for active duty in mid September at the Army Chaplain’s School at Ft. Jackson, SC."
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Off to Orlando
We will be leaving very early in the morning for Orlando (not that I wish to be in humid Florida at this time of year). The chaplains will be meeting with our bishop Sunday evening thru Wednesday afternoon. Then from Wednesday evening thru Friday evening it will be the international convention of our church denomination.
If you want more information, you can go here: http://cechome.com/
Saturday will be a vacation day for us. We reserved the day at the park months ago when we thought Jonathan would be leading a retreat then. He doesn't have the retreat now because of his job change, so we will do something together as a family. (just what we will do is yet to be decided.)
We are staying at a state park because the "zoo" will travel with us (except for the fish.)
I have a lot of photos to edit, so when I get back I hope to be able to post some of the last few months activities.
If you want more information, you can go here: http://cechome.com/
Saturday will be a vacation day for us. We reserved the day at the park months ago when we thought Jonathan would be leading a retreat then. He doesn't have the retreat now because of his job change, so we will do something together as a family. (just what we will do is yet to be decided.)
We are staying at a state park because the "zoo" will travel with us (except for the fish.)
I have a lot of photos to edit, so when I get back I hope to be able to post some of the last few months activities.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Zip Code Trivia
This came from a newsletter I receive, thought I'd share it with all of you.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
There's no easier joke in the world than one criticizing the U.S.Postal Service for being slow. How slow? It took them 19 years to decide to implement the service's most successful process improvementin its history: the Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) code. Postal inspector Robert Moon submitted the original proposal for a numerical ZIP in 1944, but the U.S. Postal Service didn't get around to implementingnon-mandatory ZIP codes until July 1, 1963. And you thought second-class parcel service moves a little slow.
So what were these zones that Moon wanted to improve? Beginning in1943, the U.S. Postal Service assigned one- or two-digit numericalz ones to major cities so that post offices serving these areas could more quickly determine to which part of, say, New York City a letter was headed. Moon wanted to preface these enumerated zone numbers with a three-digit code for the sectional center facility that bulk processed the mail for each area. To this day, ZIP codes still follow this general pattern. The first three digits indicate a processing facility, and the last two digits indicate a delivery zone -- usually a local post office that serves the delivery area. In 1983, 20 years after implementing the then-optional ZIP codes, the U.S. Postal Service adopted the still-optional +4 ZIP codes for additional precision. The +4 codes might represent a delivery area as discrete as a city block or a single apartment building.
The above rules apply mostly to Standard ZIP codes, but there are three other types: P.O. Box-only ZIP codes, Military ZIP codes, and Unique ZIP codes. The Unique ZIPs are for specific buildings or locations that receive such a high volume of (or such highly-sensitive) mail as to require special handling. For example, the White House is assigned ZIP code 20500, despite being physically located in ZIP code 20006. The main processing center for the Educational Testing Service -- through which passes every SAT packet ever graded -- has the Unique ZIP code 08541. A number of corporate HQs, government offices, and major universities have Unique ZIPs, but only once in its long and cautious history has the U.S. Postal Service ever granted a Unique ZIP code to a fictional character.
WHO IS THE ONLY FICTIONAL CHARACTER TO RECEIVE HIS OWN U.S. POSTALSERVICE UNIQUE ZIP CODE? To find out, check out the Geek Trivia Answer on Tech Republic. com:
http://blogs. techrepublic. com.com/geekend/ ?p=1395&page= 2&tag=nl. e010
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
There's no easier joke in the world than one criticizing the U.S.Postal Service for being slow. How slow? It took them 19 years to decide to implement the service's most successful process improvementin its history: the Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) code. Postal inspector Robert Moon submitted the original proposal for a numerical ZIP in 1944, but the U.S. Postal Service didn't get around to implementingnon-mandatory ZIP codes until July 1, 1963. And you thought second-class parcel service moves a little slow.
So what were these zones that Moon wanted to improve? Beginning in1943, the U.S. Postal Service assigned one- or two-digit numericalz ones to major cities so that post offices serving these areas could more quickly determine to which part of, say, New York City a letter was headed. Moon wanted to preface these enumerated zone numbers with a three-digit code for the sectional center facility that bulk processed the mail for each area. To this day, ZIP codes still follow this general pattern. The first three digits indicate a processing facility, and the last two digits indicate a delivery zone -- usually a local post office that serves the delivery area. In 1983, 20 years after implementing the then-optional ZIP codes, the U.S. Postal Service adopted the still-optional +4 ZIP codes for additional precision. The +4 codes might represent a delivery area as discrete as a city block or a single apartment building.
The above rules apply mostly to Standard ZIP codes, but there are three other types: P.O. Box-only ZIP codes, Military ZIP codes, and Unique ZIP codes. The Unique ZIPs are for specific buildings or locations that receive such a high volume of (or such highly-sensitive) mail as to require special handling. For example, the White House is assigned ZIP code 20500, despite being physically located in ZIP code 20006. The main processing center for the Educational Testing Service -- through which passes every SAT packet ever graded -- has the Unique ZIP code 08541. A number of corporate HQs, government offices, and major universities have Unique ZIPs, but only once in its long and cautious history has the U.S. Postal Service ever granted a Unique ZIP code to a fictional character.
WHO IS THE ONLY FICTIONAL CHARACTER TO RECEIVE HIS OWN U.S. POSTALSERVICE UNIQUE ZIP CODE? To find out, check out the Geek Trivia Answer on Tech Republic. com:
http://blogs. techrepublic. com.com/geekend/ ?p=1395&page= 2&tag=nl. e010
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Have a Sunshiney Day!
Click on the link for a fun little song:
http://www.2000greetings.com/gecko.swf
A friend sent this to me and it brought a smile to my face. Thought maybe someone else might need a smile today.
http://www.2000greetings.com/gecko.swf
A friend sent this to me and it brought a smile to my face. Thought maybe someone else might need a smile today.
Monday, July 7, 2008
My Sister's Wedding
My little sister Shena was married to Shawn on July 4th in Salt Lake City, Utah. Here are just a few photos I've had time to edit.
Shena ready in her dress & veil.
Shena and Dad walking down the aisle.
Shena ready in her dress & veil. 
Shena and Dad walking down the aisle.
Shawn showing off the garter.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Getting Ready
I've been doing some embroidery projects this past week. First was the duffel bag for Jon Paul's friend's 16th birthday. Then there are 8 outback style hats for the kids at the party (it will be at DisneyWorld).
Jonathan has spent a good part of the weekend setting up and testing designs for 2 more custom orders we've received. I will be ordering the shirts in the next few days.
And I've been working on a couple of things for my sister's wedding on Friday.
Jonathan has spent a good part of the weekend setting up and testing designs for 2 more custom orders we've received. I will be ordering the shirts in the next few days.
And I've been working on a couple of things for my sister's wedding on Friday.
Monday, June 23, 2008
No Manatees
On Saturday afternoon when we had the time to head down to see the manatees, there was a thunderstorm. We figured that being on the water in that kind of weather was a bad idea. So we did not get to see any manatees. :(
But the retreat went really well, especially as this particular program was the first time for Jonathan to present it. We had about 45 people in the class, with many of them taking an active part.
Jonathan has only about 2 more weeks before he moves to his new job. He has lots of details to try and get wrapped up before handing over the job to the next chaplain.
But the retreat went really well, especially as this particular program was the first time for Jonathan to present it. We had about 45 people in the class, with many of them taking an active part.
Jonathan has only about 2 more weeks before he moves to his new job. He has lots of details to try and get wrapped up before handing over the job to the next chaplain.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Dishwasher Soap recipe
I came across this recipe to make dishwasher soap. It looks easy enough. I'll have to get the Borax before I can see how well it works. (We buy baking soda by the Costco size bag to use in the cat box.)
Maybe saving money in the kitchen will help ease the budget for gas and electricity for the air conditioner (our electric bill doubled from last month. OUCH!)
Dishwasher Soap recipe
1 part borax 1 part baking soda
Mix thoroughly, and store in an airtight container.
To use: Add 2 tablespoons per load. Increase proportion of soda for hard water.
Use vinegar in the rinse cycle. (In place of the commercial brand like "Jet Dry".)
Maybe saving money in the kitchen will help ease the budget for gas and electricity for the air conditioner (our electric bill doubled from last month. OUCH!)
Dishwasher Soap recipe
1 part borax 1 part baking soda
Mix thoroughly, and store in an airtight container.
To use: Add 2 tablespoons per load. Increase proportion of soda for hard water.
Use vinegar in the rinse cycle. (In place of the commercial brand like "Jet Dry".)
Monday, June 16, 2008
How does the garden grow?
I had planned on posting some new photos of our garden, but Jonathan and I were out of town this weekend running a marriage retreat. And while we were gone, Denise took photos and posted them. So if you are interested in seeing how the patio garden is coming along- you need to go the her blog. (There is a link under my profile info.)
Jonathan and I will be gone this coming weekend also to do another marriage retreat (his last one for this job). This one will be on the Gulf coast of Florida, in an area well known for manatees. I will try and remember to take the camera and hopefully will be able to get some pictures of them.
Jonathan and I will be gone this coming weekend also to do another marriage retreat (his last one for this job). This one will be on the Gulf coast of Florida, in an area well known for manatees. I will try and remember to take the camera and hopefully will be able to get some pictures of them.
The Lord is my real boss
Saw this in an email, thought is was worth passing on...
The Lord is my real boss, and I shall not want.
He gives me peace, when chaos is all around me.
He gently reminds me to pray and do all things without murmuring and complaining.
He reminds me that he is my source and not my job.
He restores my sanity everyday and guides my decisions that I might honor him in all that I do.
Even though I face absurd amounts of e-mails, system crashes, unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers, discriminating supervisors and an aging body that doesn't cooperate every morning,
I still will not stop....for He is with me!
His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through.
He raises me up , even when they fail to promote me.
He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go.
His faithfulness and love is better than any bonus check.
His retirement plan beats every 401k there is.
When it's all said and done, I'll be working for Him a whole lot longer and for that, I BLESS HIS NAME!!!!!!
The Lord is my real boss, and I shall not want.
He gives me peace, when chaos is all around me.
He gently reminds me to pray and do all things without murmuring and complaining.
He reminds me that he is my source and not my job.
He restores my sanity everyday and guides my decisions that I might honor him in all that I do.
Even though I face absurd amounts of e-mails, system crashes, unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers, discriminating supervisors and an aging body that doesn't cooperate every morning,
I still will not stop....for He is with me!
His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through.
He raises me up , even when they fail to promote me.
He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go.
His faithfulness and love is better than any bonus check.
His retirement plan beats every 401k there is.
When it's all said and done, I'll be working for Him a whole lot longer and for that, I BLESS HIS NAME!!!!!!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Notification of new posts
I've discovered a way for you to sign up to get notification of when I make a new post to my blog. The sign up box is the right, just under our picture. You just go to the link, enter your email address and then wait for the confirmation email. Click on the link in the confirmation email and then you will get an email when I post. This will be a lot easier for me, and also will make sure if you really wanted to be notified, (I hate the idea of sending email to someone when they don't want it or don't have time for it.)
Let me know if you have any problems.
Let me know if you have any problems.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Report Cards
Jon Paul and Naomi's report cards arrived on Friday. Here's the news:
Jon Paul- straight A's
Naomi- 6 A's and 1 B+ (she missed the A by 1 point!)
Included with Naomi's report card was the report from the CRCT (criterion-referenced compentency tests). These are state-mandated achievement tests for students in grades 1-8. The level for meeting the standards is 800. The level to exceed standards is 850. Here's how Naomi did:
Science- 846 (max 857)
Social Studies- 846 (max 857)
Mathematics- 842 (max 853) most of the questions she missed are in areas she's only had limited instruction
English/Language Arts- 862 (max 874)
Reading- 870 (max 885) she only missed 2 questions on the whole section!
Jon Paul- straight A's
Naomi- 6 A's and 1 B+ (she missed the A by 1 point!)
Included with Naomi's report card was the report from the CRCT (criterion-referenced compentency tests). These are state-mandated achievement tests for students in grades 1-8. The level for meeting the standards is 800. The level to exceed standards is 850. Here's how Naomi did:
Science- 846 (max 857)
Social Studies- 846 (max 857)
Mathematics- 842 (max 853) most of the questions she missed are in areas she's only had limited instruction
English/Language Arts- 862 (max 874)
Reading- 870 (max 885) she only missed 2 questions on the whole section!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Redneck Gourmet
Last night Denise and I were the only ones home for dinner. She had gone to town to study and didn't want to walk home. So after I picked up her, we decided to try out the new restuarant in town- the Redneck Gourmet. I had the chicken salad on a crossiant and she had a Rusty Rooster (chicken & veggies rolled up in a spinach tortilla). The food was fair. I would have liked a little more mayo in the salad and Denise's broccoli salad was just raw broccoli and dried cranberries with some kind of light dressing. (Definitely not up to our good friend's way of making broccoli salad!) But the place was very clean and the prices were okay. We may give a try again sometime- probably when everyone else is home to try it too.
If you are interested in learning more about the place- here's their website: http://www.redneckgourmet.com/
If you are interested in learning more about the place- here's their website: http://www.redneckgourmet.com/
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Memorial Day parade
I forgot to take my camera with me when we went to the Memorial Day celebration in Senioa. But our neighbor was there and she had her camera and was gracious to send me copies of the photos she took. It was a great day. I think for next year I will buy one of the pop-up canopies and make some embroidered items to sell. There were a lot of people there and only one vendor was selling embroidered items (and only 2 items- key chains and travel mugs that had an insert for fabric.)We went to the fireworks show at the ball field parks after dark. It was a great day- except for JonPaul and Naomi missing it. But I know they were having fun where they are.Enjoy the parade:
neighbor kids on float- which belongs to our landlords' company
Catch the Reading Bug- entry by town's library
Denise (and probably JonPaul too) liked this car
Air Force Color Guard
neighbor kids on float- which belongs to our landlords' company
Catch the Reading Bug- entry by town's library
Denise (and probably JonPaul too) liked this car
Sons of the Confederacy firing their muskets
they later fired them (and a cannon!) in tribute to our fallen heros
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