- Toilets that flush. About a third of the world have these, and our experience hiking in New Hampshire definitely aroused our appreciation for some of the more basic amenities. Along with this, you can easily add indoor lighting, hot water, and air conditioning.
- This is a repeat from last year, but that trip to New Hampshire was wonderful, and we were able to enjoy the amazing hiking because of national and state parks. We saw pictures of the area we were hiking in from 100 years ago with unrestricted logging, and the appreciation for designated natural preserves flows naturally from the experience. Additionally we are thankful for those who take the time to build and maintain trails. This is usually done by volunteers and a well-maintained trail is much more enjoyable than one with debris or that is overgrown-- the amount of labor it takes to do this boggles the mind. Thanks trail maintainers!
- NPR. An eighty minute commute daily is made enjoyable by the programming of our local NPR station. I like to think I'm staying up to speed with the day's major issues as well.
- Our dishwasher. Out of commission for the past week and some change, the impact of actually hand washing our dishes have made modern conveniences all the more noticeable.
- A spouse who shares similar interests. We get to enjoy doing things together, not just because we're doing it together, but because we enjoy what we're doing.
- Evening walks. During the spring and fall, an anticipated daily event is our walk. We share about our day and what we're thinking about.
- The internet. We love having such a wide variety of information for educational purposes at our finger tips in this digital age-- sermons, lectures, audiobooks, YouTube videos, blogs, Wikipedia-- these tools make continuing to learn easier and even fun.
- Books. We also are "old souls" and love cracking open books to learn something new or even more for enjoyment. Books were the first virtual reality taking us to new and different worlds. Thank you Gutenberg.
- Dessert. Ice cream, fudgesicles, and apple crisp
- Financial blessings. We are thankful that the Lord has blessed us in this way and are striving to be good stewards to use it to bless others. Every time we have an unexpected repair bill on our car we are grateful that we have the money to fix it and not have to worry about making ends meet.
- Jobs we like. Sure our jobs have their moments but we are both thankful that we feel like we are contributing with our jobs.
- Trees. Such a beautiful addition to any landscape.
- After school activity coordinators for high school students. It struck me the other day how much effort goes into making a child into a productive member of society, and the people who, often in a volunteering or poorly compensated capacity, help students appreciate the importance of fair play, the beauty of the arts, or develop public speaking abilities, have enhanced our lives by (1) doing these things for us (2) keeping the ruffians out of trouble, and (3) occasionally, those crazy kids will actually produce something we enjoy.
- Hymn singing. A great way to start the day, and a nice reprieve from the 1980's praise and worship songs with repetitive choruses that compose such a high percentage of the traditional worship service at church.
- So many of the activities we mention here would not be possible were it not for the relatively modern conception of vacation time.
- Simulation software, which has done more to keep the price of goods down than any economist's conception of supply side economics.
- Bacon. The original man candy.
- Granola. The most efficient way for one to meet their fiber quota.
- Year round access to produce. In the not too distance past, you ate what was grown within a small radius of where you lived, meaning no fresh apples in the dead of winter.
- Zoos and museums. What a marvel that today's age has given people of all economic and social strata the ability to enjoy some of the earth's most diverse animals, art, and culture.
- More on computers. We have a new one that replaced Alex's, which is closer in model to the height of floppy drives than the present day. Microsoft excel continues to be the most powerful, customizable tool I know of, but in this past year I've had the fortune of learning a little Python coding. I am so thankful for the limitless applications these programs hold for continued productivity and enhancement.
- People in the trades. Our culture tends to belittle those whose skill is not learned at four year universities. Deprecating a skillset you don't have is a way little people make themselves feel bigger; and having put those words to paper (or HTML, as the case may be) may I not be found hypocritical.
- Family. We were both blessed with incredibly supportive families whose love and encouragement are integral to who we are.
- An aside on family. Three year old nieces that uncles can share their excitement for zoos with are a true blessing.
- Most important of all, the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in His general grace has blessed us with all the thing mentioned above, and in His specialized grace laid down His glory to come to earth, teaching us how to live, and then dying for us. Greater love does not exist. Because of Him we can confidently write, Omnia Vincit Amor.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Blessings
Nature's Wonders
It was going to be a glorious Sunday afternoon so we hurried home from church and grabbed our hiking gear out of storage in the basement and headed to the prairie. There was a chill to the air but a bright blue cloudless sky. The prairie was all muted colors- browns, oranges, tans, and reds. It was fairly quiet except for the wind rustling the tall, dry grasses. It had been quite a while since we had been hiking. In fact Arthur hadn't worn his hiking boots since our backpacking trip this summer. Stretching our legs out on the trail felt great since it has been getting too dark too early for any good walks the past few weeks. We came around a bend in the trail and a buck was standing several yards in front of us. We stopped to watch it as it bounded across the trail. It was remarkable how quickly the deer disappeared into the grasses in less than 20 yards. There weren't trees, only grass about waist high but a large mammal just vanished. Later on we saw several deer and turkeys out in a field. We are always amazed at how rejuvenating getting outside in nature is for us. We discussed where we wanted to go on our next hiking adventure-- the Grand Canyon is still on the list if we can get permits or some of the other national parks in the Southwest. We also recently found a great deal on a tent and are excited to venture into the world of camping next year. It may take great restraint for me not to set up the tent in the living room and camp out for a trial run. Here is a photo that showed up on Yahoo's website and I recognized it right away. It was taken on the top of Mount Adams in the White Mountains. Of course when we trudged across Mount Adams fog had limited visibility to 50 feet so we didn't take in the view. This sign is covered in rime ice-- ice that forms from freezing fog on the windward side of objects. Nature is pretty impressive. We can't wait to experience more of nature's wonders. Omnia Vincit Amor.
Monday, November 23, 2015
The Daily Grind
All of a sudden a few weeks have passed without a post. Blogging has been put on the back burner due to much of my time being tied up in my side job-- writing scholar's bowl questions. For about 7 or 8 years I have written scholar's bowl questions of meets at a few different schools but primarily for my alma mater. Every year I consider giving this up since I started in college to earn some money but now that I am gainfully employed a few extra bucks doesn't seem worth the hours of work. However I do enjoy working on it and most of it can be done while watching TV so I trudge on. I sent off the questions Saturday afternoon and was excited to have my free time back so I celebrated-- by cooking. And making a huge mess of our kitchen. So here's what we have been up to.
- Our Friday and Saturday nights were spent working on scholars bowl stuff. We edited the questions I wrote one night and then Arthur practiced moderating , "reading", questions for a local scholars bowl meet that we are helping with this week the next night. We have trivia running out of our ears.
- All weekend I have been like a squirrel stock piling food in the freezer. I made my first ever pot roast, a large pot of cheesy chicken chowder, a crockpot of black beans, a few dozen pizza pockets, and a few chicken tortellini casseroles. Our freezer is now stocked and hopefully I won't feel like I am scrambling to think of something for us to eat for dinner.
- While I was making a mess in the kitchen, Arthur took three high school guys he mentors to the Sternberg museum in Hays.
- A few weeks ago my brother invited us to go to the K-State vs. Baylor football game. It was a glorious evening for the game and overall it was a good game. The chips didn't fall the way we would have liked as with most of the football season thus far. Our seats were about 15 rows up from the Cats' sideline so I always enjoy watching the athletic trainers at work. This also gave us good vantage points for watching pregame and half time-- this is a big reason why I go to games.
- This past week we attended a K-State volleyball game since my cousin Eleanor was singing the national anthem for Veterans Day. We also got to see my aunt and uncle, several cousins, and my brother and niece. My niece finally got to give a high five to Willie the Wildcat who has been elusive at most of the other events she has been to. We enjoyed watching the volleyball game. I don't understand volleyball tactics but the movements and athleticism are impressive. The entertainment between sets was the K-State Marching band. About two hundred members filled the court at Ahearn and being surrounded by that much sound was a whole new way to experience the Fight Song and The Wabash Cannonball. Next we had a late dinner with Eleanor and Hillary at Noodles and Company. The three of us usually get together at my house for accountability group on Wednesdays but met at the volleyball game instead. Arthur is a good sport to tag along with us.
- One of the items on Arthur's bucket list is seeing the musical Wicked. It is playing in Springfield, MO in February so we bought our tickets this weekend. My brother Arnold and his wife are also joining us for a double date weekend for Valentines Day. My brother and I didn't realize we married Wicked fanatics.
- Other activities have included our evening walks which are now done mostly in the dark, watering the garden at church which will soon be put into a greenhouse for the winter, and figuring out insurance benefits for the upcoming year. Omnia Vincit Amor.
- Our Friday and Saturday nights were spent working on scholars bowl stuff. We edited the questions I wrote one night and then Arthur practiced moderating , "reading", questions for a local scholars bowl meet that we are helping with this week the next night. We have trivia running out of our ears.
- All weekend I have been like a squirrel stock piling food in the freezer. I made my first ever pot roast, a large pot of cheesy chicken chowder, a crockpot of black beans, a few dozen pizza pockets, and a few chicken tortellini casseroles. Our freezer is now stocked and hopefully I won't feel like I am scrambling to think of something for us to eat for dinner.
- While I was making a mess in the kitchen, Arthur took three high school guys he mentors to the Sternberg museum in Hays.
- A few weeks ago my brother invited us to go to the K-State vs. Baylor football game. It was a glorious evening for the game and overall it was a good game. The chips didn't fall the way we would have liked as with most of the football season thus far. Our seats were about 15 rows up from the Cats' sideline so I always enjoy watching the athletic trainers at work. This also gave us good vantage points for watching pregame and half time-- this is a big reason why I go to games.
- This past week we attended a K-State volleyball game since my cousin Eleanor was singing the national anthem for Veterans Day. We also got to see my aunt and uncle, several cousins, and my brother and niece. My niece finally got to give a high five to Willie the Wildcat who has been elusive at most of the other events she has been to. We enjoyed watching the volleyball game. I don't understand volleyball tactics but the movements and athleticism are impressive. The entertainment between sets was the K-State Marching band. About two hundred members filled the court at Ahearn and being surrounded by that much sound was a whole new way to experience the Fight Song and The Wabash Cannonball. Next we had a late dinner with Eleanor and Hillary at Noodles and Company. The three of us usually get together at my house for accountability group on Wednesdays but met at the volleyball game instead. Arthur is a good sport to tag along with us.
- One of the items on Arthur's bucket list is seeing the musical Wicked. It is playing in Springfield, MO in February so we bought our tickets this weekend. My brother Arnold and his wife are also joining us for a double date weekend for Valentines Day. My brother and I didn't realize we married Wicked fanatics.
- Other activities have included our evening walks which are now done mostly in the dark, watering the garden at church which will soon be put into a greenhouse for the winter, and figuring out insurance benefits for the upcoming year. Omnia Vincit Amor.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
A Sociological Study of Thanksgiving Dinner
Today's lunchtime conversation was an interesting mix of humor and serious sociological exposition. With Thanksgiving a mere five days away, a discussion of food and signature dishes turned so fascinating we felt the need to share some of our major thoughts with our dear readers.
The conversation began with Alex explaining the plight of the daughter-in-law making her entrance into a family with set traditions. Thanksgiving, for example, has been going on for years with the same people bringing the same things. Avarice may easily arise during those major life events that change the composition or structure of the festivities.
An unwritten but universally recognized rule is that each family unit must contribute something to the meal. Single men are exempt from said rule do to incompetence (were they competent, they'd be married by now, or so goes the thinking of the women who run the show). Single women are still a part of the household's nuclear structure and therefore are loved no matter what they bring, so long as they bring something. When a woman marries into a family, however, no such familial bonds guarantee her automatic acceptance, and should she commit such a grave error as to bring another person's signature dish, the angst of the error may last for years. This error is exacerbated should she make the dish better than the originator.
The idea of a signature dish warrants some further explanation. It seems that over time a given woman in a family or community unit will earn sole rights to bring a certain dish. Months in advance all members of this family or community can say, "We are going to Thanksgiving at Grandma Jones and Aunt Shirley will bring the apple pie and Cousin Sue will bring the green bean casserole." Most of the time this is a cause of delight though there is almost certainly that certain person who brings something that almost no one will touch but everyone will feign delight. In a particular group of friends the green bean casserole was entrusted to someone (he happened to be a single man-- please note competency as mentioned above) who made a Southern version since he grew up in Georgia. The Southern version varied from the tried and true Midwest variety since there was no cream of soup or French onions on top. We all tried it but the disappointment was palatable. This friend moved back to Georgia shortly there after where he belongs and his green beans are appreciated.
Some signature dishes will rotate. In Arthur's family we know that there will be a certain type of salad-- chopped lettuce with peas, cheese, mayo, and bacon. We have no idea who will bring it but it will be there. A worse case scenario for a woman is if a family member dies who has a beloved signature dish and she makes the mistake of volunteering to keep the tradition alive by bringing this dish. Throughout the meal everyone will eat hers and comment about how it is not quite as good as when the deceased family member made it. This will continue long after anyone objectively remembers what the original signature dish tasted like, it is a way of paying respects to the dead while disrespecting the living.
Finally comes the traditional Thanksgiving dishes that are common to almost all families. Arthur and Alex disagree slightly on the merits of turkey; whether it is eaten just because it is traditional or whether it is a fine meat we just so happen to only choose to eat once a year. Arthur has to admit, he does have an uncle that either brings or expects roast beef to Thanksgiving, and he doesn't touch the turkey. To Arthur, the more inexplicable presence is the cranberry sauce. While cranberries themselves are alright, by the time they are processed and pressed into a mold, they have ceased to hold any appeal. It's just really interesting that many Thanksgiving foods are only eaten once a year.
Anyway, we are looking forward to thanksgiving, even if Alex is nervous about a gaffe. Hopefully, we did not offend any family members, who constitute the majority of our customer demographics. Omnia Vincit Amor.
The conversation began with Alex explaining the plight of the daughter-in-law making her entrance into a family with set traditions. Thanksgiving, for example, has been going on for years with the same people bringing the same things. Avarice may easily arise during those major life events that change the composition or structure of the festivities.
An unwritten but universally recognized rule is that each family unit must contribute something to the meal. Single men are exempt from said rule do to incompetence (were they competent, they'd be married by now, or so goes the thinking of the women who run the show). Single women are still a part of the household's nuclear structure and therefore are loved no matter what they bring, so long as they bring something. When a woman marries into a family, however, no such familial bonds guarantee her automatic acceptance, and should she commit such a grave error as to bring another person's signature dish, the angst of the error may last for years. This error is exacerbated should she make the dish better than the originator.
The idea of a signature dish warrants some further explanation. It seems that over time a given woman in a family or community unit will earn sole rights to bring a certain dish. Months in advance all members of this family or community can say, "We are going to Thanksgiving at Grandma Jones and Aunt Shirley will bring the apple pie and Cousin Sue will bring the green bean casserole." Most of the time this is a cause of delight though there is almost certainly that certain person who brings something that almost no one will touch but everyone will feign delight. In a particular group of friends the green bean casserole was entrusted to someone (he happened to be a single man-- please note competency as mentioned above) who made a Southern version since he grew up in Georgia. The Southern version varied from the tried and true Midwest variety since there was no cream of soup or French onions on top. We all tried it but the disappointment was palatable. This friend moved back to Georgia shortly there after where he belongs and his green beans are appreciated.
Some signature dishes will rotate. In Arthur's family we know that there will be a certain type of salad-- chopped lettuce with peas, cheese, mayo, and bacon. We have no idea who will bring it but it will be there. A worse case scenario for a woman is if a family member dies who has a beloved signature dish and she makes the mistake of volunteering to keep the tradition alive by bringing this dish. Throughout the meal everyone will eat hers and comment about how it is not quite as good as when the deceased family member made it. This will continue long after anyone objectively remembers what the original signature dish tasted like, it is a way of paying respects to the dead while disrespecting the living.
Finally comes the traditional Thanksgiving dishes that are common to almost all families. Arthur and Alex disagree slightly on the merits of turkey; whether it is eaten just because it is traditional or whether it is a fine meat we just so happen to only choose to eat once a year. Arthur has to admit, he does have an uncle that either brings or expects roast beef to Thanksgiving, and he doesn't touch the turkey. To Arthur, the more inexplicable presence is the cranberry sauce. While cranberries themselves are alright, by the time they are processed and pressed into a mold, they have ceased to hold any appeal. It's just really interesting that many Thanksgiving foods are only eaten once a year.
Anyway, we are looking forward to thanksgiving, even if Alex is nervous about a gaffe. Hopefully, we did not offend any family members, who constitute the majority of our customer demographics. Omnia Vincit Amor.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Every Couch a Classroom
With the weather getting cooler and the time change bringing darkness to all the hours we have at home our outdoor adventures are getting fewer and farther between. However in this digital age I still feel like we are continuing to explore our world and learn so much even though for the most part is it happening while we are snuggled on the couch drinking hot chocolate. Here's what we have been up to and are digging in the digital world.
- Hardcore History- This is a history podcast that Arthur has listened to for a while at work when he does computer programming. We have recently started listening to it while doing the dishes in the evenings. So far we have gotten a glimpse of how King Cyrus of the Persian Empire impacted history and are diving into how the Spanish-American War started.
- CPGrey- This is a YouTube channel that focuses on explaining social science topics in a fun and understandable way. Our favorites are about Vatican City, how to become pope, the border between US and Canada, a brief history of the royal family, and voting and politics. Here's Arthur's favorite for politics:
- Smarter Every Day- This is another great YouTube channel. The focus of these videos is science and especially science that becomes even cooler with high speed video analysis. I love that most of these segments take physics or chemistry and apply them to everyday life scenarios. A few of my favorites are included below
- Currently Wandering- This is a blog that I found a few weeks ago about a family who has sold their home for an Airstream trailer and are traveling around the country with their three kids. I'm still convincing Arthur that this could be fun for a few years but no such luck yet. They spend a lot of time at state and national parks, hiking, camping, biking, and enjoying being outdoors. Plus, did I mention that they are traveling all over the country? All of my favorite things...which I will enjoy vicariously from the comfort of the couch and possibly start planning a few vacations.
-Madam Secretary- We found season one of this show on Netflix and fell in love. Arthur loves political dramas like West Wing. And I am tired of watching all eight seasons of The West Wing for the fourth time so new material is appreciated. Like The West Wing this takes place in the White House following the Secretary of State and her office. Unlike the West Wing it focuses on just the State Department so less story lines to keep track of for me. Another aspect of the show includes everyday family dynamics of the Secretary's husband, and three teenage children. After every episode Arthur waves his arms around proclaiming how awesome this show is. We are currently caught up to real time in this series so we have to wait a week between episodes instead of binge watching a few each evening.
Looking back on this post I am getting a glimpse of how nerdy we really are. Omnia Vincit Amor.
- Hardcore History- This is a history podcast that Arthur has listened to for a while at work when he does computer programming. We have recently started listening to it while doing the dishes in the evenings. So far we have gotten a glimpse of how King Cyrus of the Persian Empire impacted history and are diving into how the Spanish-American War started.
- CPGrey- This is a YouTube channel that focuses on explaining social science topics in a fun and understandable way. Our favorites are about Vatican City, how to become pope, the border between US and Canada, a brief history of the royal family, and voting and politics. Here's Arthur's favorite for politics:
- Smarter Every Day- This is another great YouTube channel. The focus of these videos is science and especially science that becomes even cooler with high speed video analysis. I love that most of these segments take physics or chemistry and apply them to everyday life scenarios. A few of my favorites are included below
- Currently Wandering- This is a blog that I found a few weeks ago about a family who has sold their home for an Airstream trailer and are traveling around the country with their three kids. I'm still convincing Arthur that this could be fun for a few years but no such luck yet. They spend a lot of time at state and national parks, hiking, camping, biking, and enjoying being outdoors. Plus, did I mention that they are traveling all over the country? All of my favorite things...which I will enjoy vicariously from the comfort of the couch and possibly start planning a few vacations.
-Madam Secretary- We found season one of this show on Netflix and fell in love. Arthur loves political dramas like West Wing. And I am tired of watching all eight seasons of The West Wing for the fourth time so new material is appreciated. Like The West Wing this takes place in the White House following the Secretary of State and her office. Unlike the West Wing it focuses on just the State Department so less story lines to keep track of for me. Another aspect of the show includes everyday family dynamics of the Secretary's husband, and three teenage children. After every episode Arthur waves his arms around proclaiming how awesome this show is. We are currently caught up to real time in this series so we have to wait a week between episodes instead of binge watching a few each evening.
Looking back on this post I am getting a glimpse of how nerdy we really are. Omnia Vincit Amor.
Executive Authority
For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. -Ephesians 5:23
Want to get into a really difficult discussion? At the next party you go to, read this verse and ask everyone what they think that passage means. You might find yourself invited to fewer parties. But assuming your fellow party goers are of the mind that the Bible is the ultimate authority in how we should live, the passage brings up a ton of implementation issues, not the least of which is, we men are quite often rather foolish individuals, and the good Lord knows we could probably stand to have someone around telling us that so we don't go off and do something really dumb like saw off a limb we're sitting on or whatever.
There is an involved theological discussion in there, but for the moment, let's just focus on how executive authority plays itself out in the lives of our case study, Arthur and Alex. Married almost two and a half years as of this writing, said couple could be said to have an equilibrium about which they more or less remain, with decision making and areas of responsibility relatively static.
Jokingly, it might be said that if the husband is the President of a household, the wife is all his cabinet positions. Let us look to see if a strong case can be made for this delineation in our couple's affairs.
Secretary of State: Definitely Alex. If you want to know Arthur's social schedule, or if you want to actually communicate at all with Arthur, your best bet is probably to go through Alex. Alex arranges all goodwill tours with other sovereign households and is instrumental in formulating policy positions in foreign affairs (i.e. she tries to keep Arthur from sticking his foot in his mouth).
Secretary of the Treasury: Alex is definitely in charge of the day to day transactions involved with financing, including grocery shopping and paying bills. Arthur, like any good President, plays a role in formulating the budget (and, without a Legislative Branch has had great success passing it) including such areas as public education (books) infrastructure (cars and utilities) healthcare (insurance) foreign aid (philanthropy) and military (via taxes, our sovereign household has outsourced our protection to the local police department and currently maintains no standing army. We're kind of like the Vatican in that way.)
Secretary of Defense: This one is Arthur's. In the event of invasion on our sovereign territory, it would be Arthur mounting the defense. Although, it should be noted that Alex insisted in locking the doors at night.
Attorney General: Arthur actually spends a lot time thinking about Constitutional law, sometimes to the chagrin of his dear Alex who would rather talk about something else. Should a legal challenge be mounted against our household, Arthur knows just enough law to be dangerous.
Secretary of the Interior: Alex, all the way. Left to his own devices, Arthur would live in squalor. Alex delegates cleaning responsibilities and reproaches any misplacement of resources within our territory. All beautification project are done at her behest.
Secretary of Agriculture: Alex, also all the way. She plants and maintains the household farmland (the pots that sit in a 2" x 7" area outside our front door). All food imports are carried out under her supervision (groceries).
Secretary of Commerce: Commercial activity is at something of a saturation point for our household; increased commercial activity would come at the expense of recreational or developmental time which under the current administration is held at a higher premium. Arthur is the one who plans out investment options, for that reason he'll claim this one.
Secretary of Labor: At 100% employment, the success of our Secretary of Labor has done a job that is the envy of all other world powers. Alex probably fits this one the best, just because if there is something around the house that needs doing, she is going to notice it before the willing (if inattentive) Arthur does.
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Alex by far brings the greatest medical acumen to our small nation. Her diet plans, exercise regimens, and free physical therapy (that's right; our sovereign land has socialized medicine) clearly distinguishes her as the leader in this area.
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Our sovereign household is in a unique position compared to the other wold powers of the world: we do not hold any sovereign territory. Our arrangement entails renting a small portion of land for the time being until an appropriate plot might be found for our utilization and development. Both Alex and Arthur spend time researching and considering the way forward in this area.
Secretary of Transportation: Arthur, all the way. All transit machinery is supervised by him to ensure reliable, save transport for all our citizens.
Secretary of Energy: Alex. Besides paying the energy bills (a duty held jointly with the Secretary of the Treasury) she is the one who generally sets the heater and air conditioner.
Secretary of Education: There is a lot of shared responsibility in this one. I'll give it to Alex, because she is one of the few people you will ever meet who writes scholar's bowl questions as a side hobby.
Secretary of Veteran's Affairs: Alex in her profession actually provides healthcare to many veterans of foreign wars, albeit none from our sovereign household. In this position, she has communicated frequently with the Office of Veteran's Affairs.
Secretary of Homeland Security: Arthur also fits the bill here. The delineation between Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Homeland Security is more theoretical than anything; but should we commission the building of a battleship or the like, the domains of the two offices would split. The Secretary of Interior in such an event would be required to obtain a harbor for the household fleet.
So there you have it. As hard as it may be to believe, all these diverse departments get along quite harmoniously, united under the banner Omnia Vincit Amor.
Want to get into a really difficult discussion? At the next party you go to, read this verse and ask everyone what they think that passage means. You might find yourself invited to fewer parties. But assuming your fellow party goers are of the mind that the Bible is the ultimate authority in how we should live, the passage brings up a ton of implementation issues, not the least of which is, we men are quite often rather foolish individuals, and the good Lord knows we could probably stand to have someone around telling us that so we don't go off and do something really dumb like saw off a limb we're sitting on or whatever.
There is an involved theological discussion in there, but for the moment, let's just focus on how executive authority plays itself out in the lives of our case study, Arthur and Alex. Married almost two and a half years as of this writing, said couple could be said to have an equilibrium about which they more or less remain, with decision making and areas of responsibility relatively static.
Jokingly, it might be said that if the husband is the President of a household, the wife is all his cabinet positions. Let us look to see if a strong case can be made for this delineation in our couple's affairs.
Secretary of State: Definitely Alex. If you want to know Arthur's social schedule, or if you want to actually communicate at all with Arthur, your best bet is probably to go through Alex. Alex arranges all goodwill tours with other sovereign households and is instrumental in formulating policy positions in foreign affairs (i.e. she tries to keep Arthur from sticking his foot in his mouth).
Secretary of the Treasury: Alex is definitely in charge of the day to day transactions involved with financing, including grocery shopping and paying bills. Arthur, like any good President, plays a role in formulating the budget (and, without a Legislative Branch has had great success passing it) including such areas as public education (books) infrastructure (cars and utilities) healthcare (insurance) foreign aid (philanthropy) and military (via taxes, our sovereign household has outsourced our protection to the local police department and currently maintains no standing army. We're kind of like the Vatican in that way.)
Secretary of Defense: This one is Arthur's. In the event of invasion on our sovereign territory, it would be Arthur mounting the defense. Although, it should be noted that Alex insisted in locking the doors at night.
Attorney General: Arthur actually spends a lot time thinking about Constitutional law, sometimes to the chagrin of his dear Alex who would rather talk about something else. Should a legal challenge be mounted against our household, Arthur knows just enough law to be dangerous.
Secretary of the Interior: Alex, all the way. Left to his own devices, Arthur would live in squalor. Alex delegates cleaning responsibilities and reproaches any misplacement of resources within our territory. All beautification project are done at her behest.
Secretary of Agriculture: Alex, also all the way. She plants and maintains the household farmland (the pots that sit in a 2" x 7" area outside our front door). All food imports are carried out under her supervision (groceries).
Secretary of Commerce: Commercial activity is at something of a saturation point for our household; increased commercial activity would come at the expense of recreational or developmental time which under the current administration is held at a higher premium. Arthur is the one who plans out investment options, for that reason he'll claim this one.
Secretary of Labor: At 100% employment, the success of our Secretary of Labor has done a job that is the envy of all other world powers. Alex probably fits this one the best, just because if there is something around the house that needs doing, she is going to notice it before the willing (if inattentive) Arthur does.
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Alex by far brings the greatest medical acumen to our small nation. Her diet plans, exercise regimens, and free physical therapy (that's right; our sovereign land has socialized medicine) clearly distinguishes her as the leader in this area.
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Our sovereign household is in a unique position compared to the other wold powers of the world: we do not hold any sovereign territory. Our arrangement entails renting a small portion of land for the time being until an appropriate plot might be found for our utilization and development. Both Alex and Arthur spend time researching and considering the way forward in this area.
Secretary of Transportation: Arthur, all the way. All transit machinery is supervised by him to ensure reliable, save transport for all our citizens.
Secretary of Energy: Alex. Besides paying the energy bills (a duty held jointly with the Secretary of the Treasury) she is the one who generally sets the heater and air conditioner.
Secretary of Education: There is a lot of shared responsibility in this one. I'll give it to Alex, because she is one of the few people you will ever meet who writes scholar's bowl questions as a side hobby.
Secretary of Veteran's Affairs: Alex in her profession actually provides healthcare to many veterans of foreign wars, albeit none from our sovereign household. In this position, she has communicated frequently with the Office of Veteran's Affairs.
Secretary of Homeland Security: Arthur also fits the bill here. The delineation between Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Homeland Security is more theoretical than anything; but should we commission the building of a battleship or the like, the domains of the two offices would split. The Secretary of Interior in such an event would be required to obtain a harbor for the household fleet.
So there you have it. As hard as it may be to believe, all these diverse departments get along quite harmoniously, united under the banner Omnia Vincit Amor.
Friday, November 6, 2015
Smokin' out the Chicken Coup
Usually at lunch during work we watch SportsCenter but for some reason earlier this week the TV in the break room was on The Food Network and The Pioneer Woman was on. She was making pumpkin cinnamon rolls and they looked delicious. My boss suggested that I start a food blog and get my own TV show too. It was also mentioned that I write under the pen name of Prairie Girl.. He was surprised to find out that I blog and sometimes about food which almost makes me a food blogger and also have pseudonym. However my blogs tend to be more a parody of food blogs.
Tonight's dinner seemed to be a good example. A gal in our building at work has chickens and will occasionally have eggs available. It must be a good week for the hens to lay because she was selling farm fresh eggs for quite the deal and I couldn't pass it up. I decided to make Arthur scrambled eggs tonight with farm fresh eggs and milk from a local dairy along with fruit smoothies. How much more natural and wholesome can you get may I ask? As I was making the eggs something started to stink to high heaven as I heated up the burner and I realized it was the plastic residue from the Tupperware container I melted a hole in accidentally a few nights earlier. Nothing beats a fresh, wholesome dinner with toxic chemical fumes from melting petrochemicals filling the room. Welcome to our kitchen. Omnia Vincit Amor.
Tonight's dinner seemed to be a good example. A gal in our building at work has chickens and will occasionally have eggs available. It must be a good week for the hens to lay because she was selling farm fresh eggs for quite the deal and I couldn't pass it up. I decided to make Arthur scrambled eggs tonight with farm fresh eggs and milk from a local dairy along with fruit smoothies. How much more natural and wholesome can you get may I ask? As I was making the eggs something started to stink to high heaven as I heated up the burner and I realized it was the plastic residue from the Tupperware container I melted a hole in accidentally a few nights earlier. Nothing beats a fresh, wholesome dinner with toxic chemical fumes from melting petrochemicals filling the room. Welcome to our kitchen. Omnia Vincit Amor.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
What do elephants and trees have in common-- Part 2
Some family trees have beautiful leaves, and some have just a bunch of nuts.
Remember, it is the nuts that make the tree worth shaking.
~Author Unknown
My family does have its share of nuts but that makes it interesting when we get together. And this weekend was no different. It may be a little nutty that we hung out at the Arbor tree farm. We also had our nutty family members wandering off to pursue their nutty interests- my older brother with his camera near by at all times, my younger brother examining the woodwork in many of the buildings, and my husband and myself getting very excited to see so many varieties of trees and learn their names.
After leaving the zoo Saturday afternoon we drove down to Nebraska City to meet up the the patriarch and matriarch of the clan. We all checked into the hotel and then went out to eat at a pizza buffet. Arthur was on cloud nine. Afterwards we drove out to the lodge and tree farm. Some of us made the walk that evening from the farm through a half mile trail back to the lodge. What a gorgeous fall evening with a large harvest moon. We walked by a group sitting around a few fires making smores and there was a wedding party going on at one of the barns. Once we got to the lodge we kicked back in the great room lobby and enjoyed listening to a young lady play the piano while we chatted. All around the lobby there were tree decorations and quotes and it had a wonderful "lodge" feel.
Sunday morning we were some of the first people at the tree farm. Yet again we were blessed by great fall weather. Our first stop was the mansion that was the home of J. Sterling Morton. J.Sterling Morton is the founder of Arbor Day, and journalist, influential in Nebraska politics, and Secretary of Agriculture under Cleveland.. Story has it that he and his wife moved to Nebraska City from Michigan. His wife said that moving to Nebraska was okay but wanted to plant all the trees they could to remind her of Michigan. The land is covered with 270 species of trees. Many of these trees are between 100-150 years old. Arthur and I both enjoy trees but there is something even more spectacular when beholding a towering pine that is over 100' tall and a century old. We felt small in a forest of such trees. I was excited by seeing so many varieties that I had only heard about--Norway fire, American chestnut, Lindenwood, and Tulip tree. Many of the trees were changing color as well.
Next was the highlight of the weekend-- eating brunch buffet at the Lied Lodge dinning room. My mom was giddy about having us all eat here and she was completely right about the food being extraordinary. We had potatoes with chives and goat cheese, a waffle bar, custom made omelets, and prime rib. We also ate the best smoked salmon we have ever tasted- hands down. Arthur even contemplated skipping dessert to have another portion of salmon it was that delicious--he decided to have both. The dessert table itself was delightful. I chose a slice of apple pie and a strawberry parfait. We don't have fancy Sunday brunches every day but it is sure fun to be spoiled with an eating experiencing like this once in a while.
It was on to Tree Adventure-- the tree museum and activity area. We watched a short film about the important roles trees play in the movies and then headed outside to the kids play area for awhile. Arthur and I ventured on to one of the hiking trails and enjoyed a lovely walk in the peaceful woods. We met back up with the rest of the fam at the Morton mansion again since they were doing some living history events there. We were taking some family pictures in an area where the ground was covered with leaves. Arthur and I started tossing them at one another for one of the pictures and our niece decided to partake. She would throw a handful of leaves at Arthur and he would wail and shout and try to run away from her. She would chase him about as he would yell and run backwards trying to escape. Another little boy thought this looked like fun so he joined in trying to pepper Arthur with leaves. Before long two other little girls jumped in too. Arthur was running to and fro with a gaggle of giggling kids chasing him and throwing leaves at him having the time of their lives. Once again it doesn't take too much to bring out the little kid in Arthur and it seems to attract kids because he makes it look like so much fun.
Before saying our goodbyes and making the drive home we picked up a bag of apples at the farm store from the apple orchard. We also shared some apple cider that really hit the spot. It was fun to spend some quality time with my family and everyone really enjoyed the day. It was fun to celebrate fall and the beauty of this time of year as well as the beauty of God's creation in different animals at the zoo and the variety of trees. Of course all over the Arbor Day farm the motto Plant Trees can be found. This week we pull into the driveway to find out all the trees in our front yard had been cut down which seemed slightly ironic. Omnia Vincit Amor.
~Author Unknown
My family does have its share of nuts but that makes it interesting when we get together. And this weekend was no different. It may be a little nutty that we hung out at the Arbor tree farm. We also had our nutty family members wandering off to pursue their nutty interests- my older brother with his camera near by at all times, my younger brother examining the woodwork in many of the buildings, and my husband and myself getting very excited to see so many varieties of trees and learn their names.
After leaving the zoo Saturday afternoon we drove down to Nebraska City to meet up the the patriarch and matriarch of the clan. We all checked into the hotel and then went out to eat at a pizza buffet. Arthur was on cloud nine. Afterwards we drove out to the lodge and tree farm. Some of us made the walk that evening from the farm through a half mile trail back to the lodge. What a gorgeous fall evening with a large harvest moon. We walked by a group sitting around a few fires making smores and there was a wedding party going on at one of the barns. Once we got to the lodge we kicked back in the great room lobby and enjoyed listening to a young lady play the piano while we chatted. All around the lobby there were tree decorations and quotes and it had a wonderful "lodge" feel.
Sunday morning we were some of the first people at the tree farm. Yet again we were blessed by great fall weather. Our first stop was the mansion that was the home of J. Sterling Morton. J.Sterling Morton is the founder of Arbor Day, and journalist, influential in Nebraska politics, and Secretary of Agriculture under Cleveland.. Story has it that he and his wife moved to Nebraska City from Michigan. His wife said that moving to Nebraska was okay but wanted to plant all the trees they could to remind her of Michigan. The land is covered with 270 species of trees. Many of these trees are between 100-150 years old. Arthur and I both enjoy trees but there is something even more spectacular when beholding a towering pine that is over 100' tall and a century old. We felt small in a forest of such trees. I was excited by seeing so many varieties that I had only heard about--Norway fire, American chestnut, Lindenwood, and Tulip tree. Many of the trees were changing color as well.
Next was the highlight of the weekend-- eating brunch buffet at the Lied Lodge dinning room. My mom was giddy about having us all eat here and she was completely right about the food being extraordinary. We had potatoes with chives and goat cheese, a waffle bar, custom made omelets, and prime rib. We also ate the best smoked salmon we have ever tasted- hands down. Arthur even contemplated skipping dessert to have another portion of salmon it was that delicious--he decided to have both. The dessert table itself was delightful. I chose a slice of apple pie and a strawberry parfait. We don't have fancy Sunday brunches every day but it is sure fun to be spoiled with an eating experiencing like this once in a while.
It was on to Tree Adventure-- the tree museum and activity area. We watched a short film about the important roles trees play in the movies and then headed outside to the kids play area for awhile. Arthur and I ventured on to one of the hiking trails and enjoyed a lovely walk in the peaceful woods. We met back up with the rest of the fam at the Morton mansion again since they were doing some living history events there. We were taking some family pictures in an area where the ground was covered with leaves. Arthur and I started tossing them at one another for one of the pictures and our niece decided to partake. She would throw a handful of leaves at Arthur and he would wail and shout and try to run away from her. She would chase him about as he would yell and run backwards trying to escape. Another little boy thought this looked like fun so he joined in trying to pepper Arthur with leaves. Before long two other little girls jumped in too. Arthur was running to and fro with a gaggle of giggling kids chasing him and throwing leaves at him having the time of their lives. Once again it doesn't take too much to bring out the little kid in Arthur and it seems to attract kids because he makes it look like so much fun.
Before saying our goodbyes and making the drive home we picked up a bag of apples at the farm store from the apple orchard. We also shared some apple cider that really hit the spot. It was fun to spend some quality time with my family and everyone really enjoyed the day. It was fun to celebrate fall and the beauty of this time of year as well as the beauty of God's creation in different animals at the zoo and the variety of trees. Of course all over the Arbor Day farm the motto Plant Trees can be found. This week we pull into the driveway to find out all the trees in our front yard had been cut down which seemed slightly ironic. Omnia Vincit Amor.
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