family visit

It was great to have Connie come and visit on her way back from San Diego. We watched the Obama speech during the Democratic convention at Nancy's home, and swam in the lake.

I made Karl's vest from a green top, and those purple pants so he could be a joker twin during homecoming week.

For our Rally Sunday we had a hayrack ride at Riverside Campgrounds, where the sunday school offerings will go.





We had a nice trip to Nebraska this last weekend of Sept.- Jon's nephew, Chris (Jon's sis: Jan & Jim's son who lives in Rhode Island) told everyone he and his wife (Jen) planned to be camping at Mahoney state park (between Omaha and Lincoln) and he'd welcome seeing anyone that could also make it there.

It happened that Karl & Martin's Friday game took us 90 miles west, so we decided to keep going west and south and get together with them for Saturday. Andrea and Liz came along. I enjoyed getting to know Jen's family as we paddle boated, and painted ceramics, and ran up and down a grassy way to a beautiful view of the platte river. miniature golf, and throwing a football around. enjoying the changing fall colors. Martin and Karl got a tour of Offit AFB and went to an air and space museum with Jim. They lost the game by a couple touchdowns. this was Martin's first time to kick for varsity. He kicks on Monday nights in the JV games and has been just standing on the sidelines watching on Fridays. Jon's sister, Alice, was there, too.

This park had cabins, that were pricey, but an option for camping, too that was only $18 per night for a tent.

I'll be memorizing lines for a funny play again... "Christmas Belles" 1st 2 weekends in Dec.

We've decided to do some water proofing to our basement, so that will take some moving of stuff to put in 2 sump pumps - one in andrea's closet, and one in jon and mine. In Oct. After I'm done working 2 days a week at the farm, I hope. We're lucky the cold air missed us in sept. I'll miss working with Jan and Tim and their crew.

Construction has started on our Library expansion. Our new temporary location is working out OK. check it out a www.clarion.lib.ia.us ... scroll down for the latest picture and also see some on the blog within that site.

I love you all, and like reading your posts.
Love,
Becky

Fall is here !

I love this time of year--clear sunny days, cool nights, leaves turning.
A walk in the woods helps me feel good, away from the chatter that is so often with us. The other afternoon Connie, Linda and I went to the Morton Arboretum -- founded by the Morton Salt guy. It's a huge "park" with ponds, groves of trees, plantings. As we approached it, the skies opened and poured down rain. We thought we were going to miss the experience. But soon the sun shown and we had a good walk around the place. On the way home we ate at Portillos on 95th street.
Today I attended the Hunger Team of our Presbytery. Gladys was once chair of the Team, back in 1980. But the job isn't yet done; we still have hunger in the world. In fact, with the price of food it may be worse today. So our churches collect money, and our Team has the fun of distributing it to food pantries in Chicago. And Linda and I plan to walk for hunger in the CROP WALK on October 19th.
On October. 5th our church will observe World Communion, and passages from the Bible will be read in different languages. Guess who w ill read in Tagalog? Me! But no one except Linda will know what I'm saying.
This evening our book club attended a talk by Elie Wiesel, the holocaust survivor and author. It was right here at our nearby University of Saint Xavier. He spoke informally of the lessons he has learned. He spoke of his faith that has carried him thru. I read somewhere that in the death camp he couldn't believe that God would let those things happen.
Let's keep the blog going. It's great. Chicago, Ensign

What I'm Doing

How are you guys out there? Hope Martin is getting along fine at his American high school in Clarion. We are real well. Dad is getting over his cold and cough, and is better each day.

On Sat., Sept. 6th, Dad, Connie and I went to "Building the Beloved Community - Anti-racism workshhop". About 60 men & women attended. We participated in excercises that got us acquainted and opened our eyes to the discrimination that is directed to certain people.
We got a new cat who is a calico. She may be one or two years old, the vet could not tell, but said she is full grown. We named her Elsie. Connie found her on the east side of Chicago, and the people there told her they had been feeding her because she seemed to be a stray.
I am doing campaigning for Obama. I got a list from his internet posting of 24 people in my neighborhood who they have found might want to do work for him. I am supposed to visit them, get their emails and cell phone numbers and pass the info on to my higher ups. I have 2 weeks to do this. I need to go a little faster, because my deadline is close. Now Dad will do his post. Bye!!

Just what's going on!

Dear Ones and Twos,

That Sarah Palin sure is pretty! I still want to support Obama for president, but I think I would rather see Sarah's performance than Barrack's! I'm not saying Barrack isn't pretty! It'll be interesting to see how this election plays out.

Last night, I dreamed I was working again at the Open Door Community. The community was on an outing, and as we walked down the street, I tried to get some feedback from Ed Loring on how I was doing. He told me he didn't want me to try to get him to talk to me about that kind of thing. He said he keeps records on what I do, and compares them to standards he has set which I don't need to know about. He said I just need to go to Jesus every day and search my soul to see if I'm living in line with his teachings, and that ought to be all the feedback I need!

I'm scheduled for only 21 hours this week, which I'm doing over the course of three days. Mike has hired a couple of new workers and I don't know if he's planning to let me go soon, or if he thinks he might keep me on as a part-timer. I got a new housemate named Elizabeth, who's staying in the back room, perhaps temporarily. My other two room mates are still a little more than three weeks behind on their rent, and I give them ultimatums which I retract, as long as I see progress towards getting current with their rent. My friend Linda is offering me $12.50 an hour to do maintenance projects on her house, but I haven't gotten geared up to do very much for her. It's good to have friends that I can also work for, but our companionship gets in the way of productivity sometimes. Also, the work itself is often a series of temporary fixes and little tasks; not projects into which I can sink my teeth. This week, the fall quarter is over, and I'll have a couple of weeks to scout around for another job.

I joined a co-op with Halima. I'm doubtful that it's really a good deal. Even so, maybe good things will come through being a part of it. Nice people. Nice neighborhood feel. I also dug up the garden and planted for the fall within the last week, and the young plants are already coming up! We had a bad bug problem with the broccoli and the brussel sprouts, but I left those plants standing in case they still might produce something. The pepper plants are still producing, so I left them up as well.

School feels like a big waste of time and energy, unfortunately. Nevertheless, I'm planning to go ahead and take more classes starting the first of October.

I continue to participate in at least one open mike every week, two sing-alongs per month, and a jam session once a month. Last night at the Open Mike I recited Father William, Maggie and Milly and Molly and May, by ee cummings, and The Kermiss (The Dance) by William Carlos Williams. My performance was good, but the scene seemed depressing to me. It seemed to lack something to bring it and us together. I'm sounding whiny and I don't want to be this way. I am grateful that Atlanta has these kinds of opportunities to offer and that I have the energy to participate however I can.

The last poem I shared from Hafiz went over well, so I think I will share another one; today's reading:

Don't Die Again

I am a man
Who knows the ten thousand positions of
Divine love.

I can tell by the light in your eyes
That you are still most familiar
With the few earthly ones,

But would not a good father
Instruct all his heirs
Toward that path that will someday
Deeply satisfy?

This world is a treacherous place
And will surely slay and drown the lazy.

The only life raft here is love
And the Name.

Say it brother,
O, say the divine Name, dear sister,
Silently as you walk.

Don't die again
With that holy ruby mine inside
Still unclaimed

When you could be swinging
A golden pick with
Each
Step.

Love,
Stephen.

the joys of music

I have just returned from a free Christian music festival called Lifelight; the weather was beautiful, the bands were entertaining, and I had lovely company for the entire weekend. All in all, I would say it was a good three days! I made the 2.5 hour with two of my classmates, and we had excellent bonding for all the time on the road. Also, Liz and her roommate took themselves, so we got to meet up with them at the festival. I'm not sure I can write a coherent entry with good transitions and interesting tidbits, so I am going to go ahead and make a bullet list of the top 6 things from the weekend. (not in any specific order...i can't pick a BEST..)
- getting lunch from Bagel Boys and dinner at Hu Hut
- practicing dance moves with Molly (liz's roommate)
- sneaking in the "employee entrance gate" to see the pool when we went to pick up my friend from work...and then mistaking a different lifeguard for my friend!
- sitting on the blanket talking with Sarah about the ethical issues medical schools ask about in applications/interviews and also talking about whether pediatric oncology is a profession Sarah can handle.
- rocking out to familiar songs
- laughing
just to name a few.