leading the blind

Today I assisted a blind person getting up on our platform to speak and then back down again. I realized that even though I can see and I have two college degrees I'm not a very good guide. I'm not even as good as a seeing eye dog, although I realize that such a dog has more training.

Going up on the platform wasn't so bad, but part of my responsibility was to place his braille sermon notes on the music stand. We got up there and I set the notes down, only to realize I had put them down sideways. I was glad I had taken note of what the bumps on the top of the page looked like so I could get them right side up, but I wasn't totally sure I had them right.

We use a music stand for the speaker and I noticed that when he touched the stand it was twisting slightly to the right. Apparently he didn't realize that because I noticed that he was lining up at a right angle to the music stand which meant he was shifting too. He kept shifting more and more. I began to worry about that so I started to laugh out loud at his wry humor. I was hoping he would remember that I started out at about 1:00 to him and maybe he would correct his stance. He did correct it a little but he definitely didn't continue in his rotation.

The worst part was when he came down off the platform, he stopped in the middle of the main aisle. I thought he was going to stand there facing the crowd with me during the invitation and then go to his seat. I was wrong. He turned around so he would be ready to sit down when the invitation song was over, but there was no seat behind him. So I told him that his chair was several steps to his left.

I doubt that anyone else was aware of all these little details and he did an absolutely amazing job of preaching. However, I will never apply for the position of guiding the blind. I think I'd get someone hurt. His sermon talked about the problem of the blind leading the blind. I'd say the sighted leading the blind isn't so great either.

a week at memaw and papaw's

When the grandkids come for a visit we have a full schedule. Aside from the usual naps, cartoons, feedings and stroller rides there are plenty of other exciting things to do. The visit would not be complete without a trip to the Children's Museum, the park, McDonalds, games at Chuck E. Cheese and the new attraction....fishing.

I find that watching my grandchildren play is very relaxing. The water table and sand table at the Children's Museum is very popular and I can watch them in their complete absorption indefinitely. They pour sand from one bucket or sieve or cup to another for a half hour or longer and I can tirelessly watch them do it. For one thing they are so cute, for another thing I have cleared my schedule so I have nothing else to do but devote my time to them.

The fishing was fun. The Princess is too young to fish but Little Z would get excited and forget to reel the fish in. He also at times got very distracted with the ducks who apparently thought there was food in this activity for them. They did eventually get the leftover bait. Once he had the fish landed he was a little startled with all the flopping about. He was always quite happy to see the fish released. Later the thing he talked about the most was that the fish swallowed the hook. I guess that is pretty dramatic.

Now that the grandkids are gone...what to do? Nap, enjoy the quiet, and go back to Chuck E. Cheese to play skee ball. I'm sure I can improve my score.

nonsensical lyrics

From time to time I've wondered how hard it would be to write songs. After all, I'm a person who spends a lot of time crafting words for communication purposes. If I spent 40 hours a week working on lyrics could I come up with a few decent songs?

When I look at song lyrics stripped of the music I have to say they're not all that impressive. Maybe it's just that the music and artists I listen to are not that deep.

I think writing lyrics would be a lot harder than a person might think but there is a part that I think would be most difficult. I don't think I could come up with the nonsensical parts.

I can rhyme, and I can compose creative ideas, and if I was writing scripture based songs, I could copy down words out of my favorite version of the Bible. Here's the problem. I don't think I could come up with stuff like this:

Mrs. Robinson by Simon and Garfunkel
Koo-koo-ka-choo, Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know
wo wo wo
God bless you, please Mrs. Robinson,
Heaven holds a place for those who pray,
hey hey hey hey hey hey

I don't think I would have any trouble coming up with the theological portion of that song but the rest of it would never occur to me.

Here is another example:
Obla di Obli da by The Beatles

Obla di obla da life goes on bra

lalalala life goes on

The philosophy on the Beatles song is easy, simple, and basic, but the nonsensical part of it would never enter my head.

Or, how about this one?
Can't Get You Outa My Head by Kylie Minogue
I just can't get you out of my head
la la la la la la la la
la la la la la la la la
la la la la la la la la
la la la la la la la la

It isn't that I couldn't come up with la la la or lu lu lu or do do do. But how many do's la's or lu's?
Maybe I'll just hang out more with my granddaughter. She's only 1 year old and says a lot of nonsensical things. I'll just write down everything she says.

the electoral college

Isn't it odd. When Bush beat Gore there was such an outcry about what a rotten deal Gore got. People said, "The electoral college isn't fair. The electoral college should be changed. The electoral college shouldn't be what matters, it should all be based on the popular vote. Al Gore should be president."

Isn't it funny how you never hear anything about getting rid of the electoral college now? After all we have a Democrat controlled Congress. Even if Congress wasn't controlled by the Democrats, if the electoral college was so bad wouldn't you think that there would be a lot of clamoring to get the election process changed?

Did anyone notice that Gore's award winning global warming movie will distributed in England with a warning label because it contains political bias? Ya think?

I'm really not against Gore. He's probably a pretty decent guy. It's just that I don't like all the sore losers who complained about him losing.

most beautiful town we've visited

Niagara-On-The-Lake is an amazing little jewel of a village that a lot of people have never heard of or visited. It is located in Canada, a short drive from Niagara Falls. It is on Lake Ontario and has some nice restaurants and shops. I've included a few pictures. There may be some other little towns that are more beautiful, but if there are, I haven't visited them.

The way I figure it, if you're going to be somewhere, you might as well be someplace beautiful.

The same goes for your own yard, patio, windowsill or front door. If you can make it beautiful, especially if you can do so without huge expense, why not go for it.

Granted some of this Niagara-on-the -Lake type of beauty may not be your style and I understand that. Some like a sleek modern look with lots of glass, metal, concrete. Fine, go for it but for your own mental health do it well.

It is much better to come home to something that looks cool that an ugly grape juice stain on the rug, water stains on the ceiling and holes in the drywall. Beauty can be downright inspiring or calming or energizing.

Okay, that's enough of the travelogue, HGTV style post. Have I mentioned my grandkids lately? Little Z and the Princess will be coming for a visit this Sunday and we're going to have them for a week. I decided I'd better do my blogging now because the little geniuses are going to keep MKH and me busy next week.