Dear Solomon

Dear Solomon: You are a hypocrite.

2011-12-04T10:49:00.001-08:00

Dear Solomon, Do you have any idea how many churchy people read a chapter of your stuff every day? They read it to themselves and their children hoping, praying, meditating, and trusting that your advice will infuse them causing their good choice meters to register more clicks than their bad choice gauges. And the sad reality is, like an archetypal hero, you were blinded by a tragic flaw. You

Dear Solomon - My Education IS My Life. How'd you know?

2010-07-31T11:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Solomon, Proverbs 4:13 Always remember what you have learned. Your education is your life – guard it well. For a long time I’ve been contemplating education. What is education? What is the BEST education? How would I describe MY EDUCATION? How can I GUARD my education? You would think that a person who has spent most of her life working in education, would have well-formulated

Dear Solomon - Maybe You Should Make an Infomercial

2010-02-08T19:34:00.000-08:00

Dear Solomon, Today, you can buy a solution for almost every problem. A quick dial of an 800 number, and a life-changing product will be delivered to your doorstep within days. I can’t help but notice how interested others are in my solving my problems, restoring my health, making my life easier, and in fixing my hair. That’s right, my hair. In fact, the only ones more interested in my

Dear Solomon - I'm Working on My Grip

2010-01-28T12:09:00.000-08:00

Dear Solomon, Before I report on my current progress I’d like you to consider how well I’ve done with some of the practical applications in Proverbs 1 and 2. I was stellar in the “do not” department. Here are some examples of ways I’ve heeded your warnings: • I didn’t waylay any harmless souls. • I did not lie in wait. • I avoided throwing in my lot with thieves. (Unless Mafia Wars counts –

Dear Solomon, Have You Ever Played the Ungame?

2010-01-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

Dear Solomon, According to you, I should seek understanding. Understanding is a fuzzy concept. How do I know I’ve achieved it? Let me tell you about things I understand and things I don’t understand. I understand why placeholders are used in a multi-digit multiplication algorithm and the need for both explicit phonetic instruction AND exposure to a rich vocabulary to develop strong decoding

Dear Solomon, You May Want to Tone it Down a Little...

2010-01-05T11:29:00.001-08:00

Dear Solomon, It’s week one and I’ve been contemplating the first chapter of Proverbs. The way you introduced your compilation of wisdom convinced me that I can use your help. My life has grown more and more complicated over the years. I have three part time jobs, a fledgling business, a family, and a menagerie of animals. I am faced with dozens of choices every day, and I can rattle off my

Dear Solomon, Have You Been to Walmart Recently?

2010-01-01T08:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Solomon, Last month, I discovered everything I needed in life is in aisles 11 and 12 at Walmart. In the laundry detergent section, jugs and boxes whisper their promises from four-color glossy labels. CHEER! What a wonderful and exhilarating thing to have for those occasions when I face 10 loads of post-camping-trip drudgery. BOUNCE? Maybe using that will add a spring to my step? BOLD.

Dear Solomon, Tomorrow a new decade begins...

2009-12-31T10:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Solomon,Tomorrow is the first day of a new decade. The 2010's could be the BEST decade of my life. The 2000's were very challenging. There were some exciting and adventurous times, but there was also a lot of painful stretching and growth that came after failure and discouragement. In the 2000's I thought a lot about BIG ideas: faith, intuition, spiritual communication, power, reality,

Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily...

2009-06-16T23:07:00.000-07:00

Recently, Paul and I learned about a moonlight / sunset paddle offered through CSU, Chico’s aquatic center. The program included kayak rental and a guided tour of the Lake Oroville Forebay. For some reason, this resonated within our hearts. We were eager to enjoy the experience and recruited two other couples to join us. The excursion did not disappoint us. The weather was perfect and the

A Tarantula Tale

2009-06-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

[Disclaimer: This story includes a dramatic re-enactment and is told strictly from MY point of view. Other eyewitnesses and participants may have differing viewpoints.}Sunday my husband and I were able to get away for the day with friends. We went to Sunset Magazine's headquarters in Menlo Park for their celebration weekend. It was beautiful and we both enjoyed exploring more about our

Mowing the Lawn

2009-04-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

I never was one for yard work or gardening. I grew up viewing outside chores as a man’s work. My Dad always kept the lawn looking neat. If he didn’t mow it himself, then one of my brothers did. I can’t picture my mother or one of my sisters using a lawn mower. Dad was highly skilled in outdoor maintenance. My memory is bursting with images of Dad weeding, trimming, and gardening. Dad’s

Pigeons' Progress

2009-02-04T10:25:00.000-08:00

I began my journey in this world – a humdrum existence filled with busy-ness of technical writing, church, huswifery, and homeschooling. It is completely acceptable to consider whether I should categorize any of these activities as “humdrum,” and indeed, they are not. Yet – my life lacked an outlet. I had no memory, even in childhood, of becoming deeply attached to a hobby or pastime that

The Bridal Fair

2009-01-26T13:47:00.000-08:00

When I was eight I hated weddings. As a fifth child with a large extended family I was destined to attend countless nuptial celebrations for a throng of cousins and family friends. A wedding meant I had to wear a dress and sit still. B – O – R – I – N – G! I didn’t care one iota about the dresses, the music, or the candles. Nothing impressed me except the Jordan almonds. I would cry and beg

Customer Service Anxiety

2009-01-19T20:39:00.000-08:00

As I grow older I’ve noticed that my crabby index is climbing. Grouchiness is beginning to manifest regularly especially in big box stores, fast food restaurants, and whenever I have to make a phone call to a customer service center. I’ve embraced an old fashioned idea that I should receive adequate customer service in return for investing dollars into these enterprises. When I have a question

My Grandfather’s Bible

2008-12-04T10:56:00.000-08:00

I remember the last time I visited my Mamaw and Papaw at their home in Florida. Was I 10 or 11? In a little room just off the garage, I learned about the puckering power of alum, escorted Joe Pierre to the palm tree, ate mangos and Pop tarts, visited, and combed Papaw’s hair. Sometime during that visit, Papaw asked me to read to him from the Bible. I wish I could remember the passage I read.

The Spirit Bird Hand Release

2008-11-02T12:48:00.000-08:00

One of the things that attracted me to beginning a white dove release business was the opportunity it would give me to interact with people during BIG moments of their lives. I hoped to have the opportunity to share the love of Jesus with people when they most recognize their needs and are open to spiritual experiences? That sounded exciting!Recently, when I read about an almost 4 year old boy

10 Reasons I Hate Halloween

2008-10-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

10. My cats have to stay inside.We have two big black tom cats. They are indoor/outdoor cats, and 11 months out of the year they are free to go in and out as they please. They are living lawn ornaments that lounge on the fence, in windows, on the benches, and on the patio furniture. They hang out in the yard except for the times when my pigeons are out exercising. The exception to this

A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins...

2008-09-11T15:35:00.000-07:00

The birds are flying. They've been released from 1 mile out in all four directions and two mile flights began today. They beat me home every time. I put together a short video of their first one-mile drop. We went over to the Afato's house and the kids (Afatos and Rollins) helped us launch the flock. If you have a slow connection, then let the video load by beginning it and then immediately

The Backyard Makeover Continues

2008-09-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

The weather was beautiful this weekend and we were finally able to entertain in the backyard. I released the birds from a basket in the front yard and they flew for a long time before landing. Having so many people in the backyard may have spooked them a bit and kept them from landing, so they got a lot of exercise.Here are some pictures of the patio, plants, and pond.

Flying in Formation: or the "Flight or Work" Response

2008-08-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

Finally! I'm getting the hang of this. I am releasing both sides of the loft every a.m. Even though I am officially down 5 of my older birds, some of the younger ones have taken up residence in the older bird side and a couple of older ones are in the younger bird side. I spent a lot of time catching them and switching them back, but I couldn’t get through to their tiny little pigeon brains,

Business Is Taking Off (Now if it would only land)

2008-08-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

I’m not quite getting the hang of this, but I’m pretty sure I’m brave. Rule #1 – Make sure your birds are hungry. Oh, my birds were hungry all right. Stamping-their-feet-and-crowding-around-me-in-the-loft-when-I-was-getting-ready-to-feed hungry. Rule #2 – Release close to dusk. I may have been a bit too early last time, so this time I wait until about 7:30. Rule #3 – Try to avoid spooking

Why am I Missing 6 Birds? Or Everything I Wanted to Know about Homing Pigeons but Forgot to Ask

2008-08-10T20:48:00.000-07:00

The title pretty much sums it up. Today was the first release for “loft flying” and I’m down six birds. I do have a lot to be thankful for. I was originally down 8 birds, but two came home. Also, one of my birds is definitely in the ‘hood. I’ve seen it on several nearby roofs. I think I've seen another also. There’s still hope it will come home tonight. Chances are good that half of the

The Backyard Makeover

2008-07-19T15:19:00.000-07:00

Just some pics of the patio we installed and the patio furniture we assembled during our Summer of We Love Hardware Stores.Before the Loft (B.L.) the backyard sported a batting cage.and a patch of dirt.We installed the patio out of pavers, assembled the end of the season clearance table & chairs set, and are working on planting both ends.

My Fine Feathered Friends

2008-07-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

One of the birds heading for the aviary while one perches on the top bunk in the background.Birds in the aviaryI have 18 solid white homing pigeons. They are beauties. Someday they’ll be working birds. For now, they’re settling.We took a 3+ hour drive to pick up the birds stopping along the way at a wonderful, tourist trap named CASA de FRUTA. Gilroy is just outside of San Jose near Hollister

The Shack

2008-07-02T09:57:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading The Shack by William P. Young. The author is going to be in our area next month and I wanted to read it before hearing him speak. I began reading yesterday, and once I started, I couldn't put it down. I laughed a lot, and shook my head with wonder at some of the glimpses of God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and eternity that this book brought my way. Sometimes I cried