What Do You Want?

A few years ago, I was visiting with an older couple. They had two grown children; a son, a daughter and grandchildren. In the course of the conversation the man, a Mr. Edwards, told me, “I’ve finally conquered my ‘want-er.” I was not sure what he meant by “want-er.”

He explained that he had grown up during the great depression. He said he had worked hard hall his life. He had schemed and struggled - for money and the things money could buy. He had managed to buy a comfortable house, nice furnishings and a new car and truck.

Mr. Edwards and his wife lived on several acres of land. He said that no matter how much he had accumulated there was always something else he needed or wanted. But now, he told me, even though he did not have all the things he had previously thought important and had wanted, he no longer wanted anything else. He had conquered his want-er.

I thought of Mr. Edwards as I studied the life of Jacob. Jacob was also a want-er. He seems to have wanted everything and to be first in everything. We are introduced to Jacob in Genesis 25:26, the day he was born as the second born of twins. The Bible tells us Jacob came forth out of Rebecca’s womb grabbing hold of his twin brother Esau’s heal.

In those days the laws of primogeniture brought a great deal of advantage to the first born son. So we get a picture of the infant Jacob grabbing hold of his twin brother Esau ’s heel as if he was trying to pull Esau back in, so he could get out first.

Being a mother and a grandmother, I am a soft touch when it comes to babies. I can honestly say, “I have never seen a baby I did not like.” If I am in a Mall or out anywhere and see a baby, I instinctively turn and smile. Babies are wonderful little creatures

But even as a new born baby, Jacob does not appear likeable. He does not appear innocent. This picture of Jacob as a grabber, always wanting and grabbing to be first and to be best in everything is not a pretty picture.

So Jacob is pictured in the Bible as grasper from birth and we do not even get out of chapter 25 where we first meet him until we find him taking advantage of the weak and hungry and impulsive Esau by buying his brother’s birthright for a bowl of lentil soup.(Gen. 25:29-34).

You’ve heard the story of Esau coming in from the field, tired and hungry. Esau asked for some of the soup Jacob had prepared. Jacob told him he would sell it in return for the birthright. Esau reasoned he was about to die of hunger so the birthright would not help him anyway, so for “immediate gratification” he exchanged his birthright for a bowl of soup.

While none of us are without sin, the more we hear about Jacob, the more we see he may have given a new meaning to the term “original sin.”

But the plot thickens and the story becomes more sordid. In those days, not only the birthright but a Father’s blessing was of supernatural value. The wily Jacob - well kids today would call him a “jerk’. It was not enough that Jacob had gotten the birthright from his brother Esau. He wanted the “blessing” too.

He wanted it all! So with the help of Rebecca, his mother, he deceived his elderly and blind father, Isaac, and stole his brother’s blessing.

When Esau discovered the deception, he threatened to kill Jacob. So in fear for his life, Rebekah packs Jacob off to his Uncle Laban’s. Jacob almost met his match for trickery in Rebekah’s brother Laban.

Jacob fell in love with Laban's daughter, the beautiful Rachael. Uncle Laban made him work seven years for Rachael which Jacob gladly did because of his great love. But Laban tricked Jacob; when in the marriage customs of that time and place, he substituted his older daughter Leah. So we find Jacob working another 7 years for Rachael.

Most of us have heard about the Old Testament patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! We probably remember more about grandfather Abraham … how h Abraham went from his home in Ur of the Chaldees in answer to the call of God … How Abraham got into Covenant with God in Chapter 15 of Genesis How God promised that he and Sarah’s descendents would be as numerous as the stars seen on a clear night and how Abraham's descendents would be a blessing to the whole world.

When we get down to chapter 32 in the Genesis of our Bible, Abraham and Isaac are off the scene and the covenant is in the hands of grandson Jacob. And Jacob - like other second and third generation Christians today - was not concerned about a relationship with God. Jacob had his own agenda!

Many of us in this country founded on Christian principles are reaping the benefits of our Christian heritage, have long since forsaken or basically ignore the God who made it all possible. Many of us, if we are honest, look back at the Christian dedication of our parents or grandparents and realize we fall far short.

Fortunately there are notable exceptions. In fact, I know a few children of non-Christian parents who have rebelled in the opposite direction. One minister who became a committed Christian minister tells of quietly and secretly listening to TV preachers while his non-Christian and non-churched parents slept in on Sunday morning.

Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, is reaping the benefits of the covenant. But, as we have already talked about, he wanted to live life his way. In fact Jacob was a rascal of the first order! When we pick up today’s scripture lesson in Genesis 32 some twenty years have passed after Jacob’s flight away from the angry threats of Esau

Jacob is coming home from years of absence. He went out with nothing but the clothes on his back but he has prospered and reappears as a person of success. In Jacob’s preparation for the reunion with Esau, we see the same old calculating Jacob. He divides his camp and sent presents on ahead to hopefully soften up his improvident brother who had so easily been talked out of his birthright.

But while Jacob is on his way back home, we see something of the other side of Jacob. Jacob finally decides it is time to pray. It is a prayer of desperation. Jacob finally confesses to God that he is not worthy of the birthright and not worthy of the blessing … and this is not news to anyone who knows Jacob.

But before we get so self-righteous …we need to remember that it is also true with each one of us. We may not be the trickster Jacob was, but like Jacob most of us often go through life singing, “I’ve done it my way.” Jacob’s “my way” attitude clashed with God’s plan for Jacob’s life. So he finally realized that God, not Jacob, was the center of the universe.

Like a gospel song I heard a Gaither group sing recently:
“The mountain’s too high
and the valley’s too deep.
It was down on my knees,
I learned how to stand.
Lord, I can’t even walk,
without You holding my hand.”

Jacob’s moment of righteousness came when he started home to face the music - and he has run out of slick tunes. It is time to face the brother he has wronged. “Wronged” is too mild a word here for the reprehensible, we would say, “criminal” act of deceiving a dying father and stealing from a weaker brother. It makes the prodigal son look like a saint.

So the next picture we see is not one of God running out to embrace Jacob as the Father ran to embrace the prodigal son in Luke 15. Instead we see an “all night struggle” in the darkness of the brook Jabbok.

This passage about Jacob wrestling with the stranger is one of the most mysterious stories in the Bible. The Scripture does not tell us who the mysterious stranger is.but after it is all over, Jacob testifies that he has seen God face to face.

The God Jacob wrestled with at the brook Jabbok shows a different side of God …not the promise filled aspect of the God he met at Bethel, when he saw the ladder reaching down from heaven all the way to earth…and heard God’s promise to him because of his grandfather Abraham.

It reminded me of a statement by C.S. Lewis, “God whispers to us in our pleasures and shouts to us in our sorrows.” Somehow we are able to hear God better when sorrow and grief slows us down. God whispered his promises to Jacob at Bethel where he saw the ladder reaching down from heaven to earth.

When we get down to the struggles that finally brought about repentance and change in Jacob … changed him as a person … receiving a new name and a new nation, God shouted to Jacob.

It seems God struggled to bring forth Israel … and so did Jacob.
It was a two way struggle. We are not told much about the wrestling, only that it lasted all night.

At the breaking of the light of day, we read, “The sun rose upon Jacob as he passed Pennuel” Jacob could finally say, “Sometimes I thought I was struggling with a man or a messenger of God but I was struggling with God and I have seen God face to face and yet my life is preserved.” (Verse 30)

But before he could be embraced by his brother Esau or by his God, he had to struggle and come out maimed. (This gives us a little insight into suffering.) Jacob prevailed. His life was preserved but he came forth limping and carried the rest of his life the mark of his struggle with God. Jacob had dealt with the terrifying face of the God who is hidden in sovereignty. One not to be appeased but the God who stoops to our weakness. (Philippians 2:5-8.) The God who so loved the world…Who so loved all of us, he gave his only begotten Son to save us.

When we wrestle with God, we do not come away unchanged. God does not change. Jacob still does not know God’s name but he knows who he is and he is a new creation. He is Israel. Jacob came out of the struggle limping but with a new name...a new focus. He is now Israel He is now God’s person.

And this is what the good news of God is all about … that people can change. We find Jacob, who had been a grasper all his life, coming out into the sunlight after his all night struggle with God … and saying for the first time, “I have seen God face to face... I have enough.” Perhaps this is why the whole sordid "warts and all" story is told. If Jacob can change, anybody can change. That is the Gospel story… through Jesus Christ, anyone can change … even me … even you.

Mr. Edwards told me he had been changed. Mr. Edwards had finally “conquered his want-er”, he told me. He had given up his desire for more and more “things”. But it had not been without struggle and pain.

Mr. Edwards had also been wounded in the struggle but he finally came out into the sunlight. Strangely, it came about in the midst of agony over the terminal illness of his only son who developed Leukemia. Mr. Edwards, in the midst of his grief over the death of his son, had seen God. He said, “I found God in the grief and it is enough.”

The theology of weakness in power and power in weakness turns this text toward the cross of Christ. In struggling with God to the place of surrendering our illusions of our own strength and self sufficiency, we know the power of God’s forgiveness and amazing grace.

As Mr. Edwards said, As Jacob finally said, as a little girl said in misquoting the 23rd Psalm, “The Lord is my shepherd, that’s all I want. Amen

Poor Teen agers in the Mall

Teen Poverty in America

We just spent several hours observing teenagers hanging out at our local mall. We came to the conclusion that many teenagers in America today are living in poverty.

Most young men We observed didn't even own a belt; there was not one among the whole group.

But that wasn't the sad part. Many were wearing their daddy's jeans. Some jeans were so big and baggy they hung low on their hips, exposing their underwear. I know some must have been ashamed their daddy was short, because his jeans hardly went below their knees. They weren't even their daddies' good jeans, for most had holes ripped in the knees and a dirty look to them.

It grieves us, in a modern, affluent society like America, that there are those who can't afford a decent pair of jeans. I was thinking about asking my church to start a jeans drive for "poor kids at the mall." Then on Christmas Eve, we could go Christmas caroling and distribute jeans to these poor teenagers
!
But here is the saddest part...it was the girls that were hanging out there that disturbed us most. Never, in all of our lives, have we seen such poverty-stricken girls. These girls had the opposite problem of the guys. They all had to wear their little sister's clothes. Their jeans were about 5 sizes too small! I don't know how they could get them on, let alone button them up. Their jeans barely went over their hipbones.

Most also had on their little sister's top. It hardly covered their midsection. And their poor breast were half hanging out. Oh, they were trying to hold their heads up with pride, but it was a sad sight to see these almost grown women wearing children's clothes.

However, it was their underwear that bothered us most. They, like the boys, because of the improper fitting of their clothes, had their underwear exposed. We had never seen anything like it. It looked like their underwear was only held together by a single piece of string.

We know it saddens your heart to receive this report on condition of our American teenagers. While we go to bed every night with a closets full of clothes nearby, there are millions of "mall girls" who barely have enough mat! erial to keep it together. We think their "poorness" is why these 2 groups gather at the mall; boys with their short daddies' ripped jeans, and girls wearing their younger sisters' clothes. The mall is one place where they can find acceptance. So, next time you are at the mall, doing your shopping , and you pass by some of these poor teenagers, would you say a prayer for them?
And one more thing .
Will you pray the guys' pants won't fall down,
and the girls' strings won't break?
We thank you all,

Two Concerned Grandparents





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The Gospel of Judas

The Gospel of Judas , according to the hype, including a one-hour National Geographic TV spectacular and the help of the New York Y Times headline, "In Ancient Document, Judas minus the Betrayal." has re-surfaced.

Re-surpfaced is right. As Bible scholars and serious Biblical students know this "new gospel" is not a "long lost text" but a part of the Gnoisticism that was rejected as fiction as early as 180 A.D.

Gnosticism was an attempt to add to the sinplicity of Christianity another worldview ... an essentially Eastern worldview of mysteries that only "those with secret knowledge "could unravel.

In today's world, many people who have rejected historical truth seem to have once again become "taken in " with fictional Gnosticism works like The Da Vinci Code and The Gospel of Judas.

Near The Cross

301. Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross Text: Fanny J. Crosby, 1820-1915 Music: William H. Doane, 1832-1915 Tune: NEAR THE CROSS, Meter: 76.76 with Refrain -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Jesus, keep me near the cross;

there a precious fountain,

free to all, a healing stream,

flows from Calvary's mountain.

Refrain: In the cross,

in the cross,

be my glory ever,

till my raptured soul shall find

rest beyond the river.

2. Near the cross,

a trembling soul,

love and mercy found me;

there the bright and morning star

sheds its beams around me.

(Refrain)

3. Near the cross!

O Lamb of God,

bring its scenes before me;

help me walk from day to day

with its shadow o'er me.

(Refrain)

4. Near the cross

I'll watch and wait,

hoping, trusting ever,

till I reach the golden strand

just beyond the river.

(Refrain)

Plastic Bags

Ways To Recycle Plastic Bags.

Knee Pads
Need to kneel in your garden to pull weeds, or on the street to change a tire, but don't want to preserve the memory eternally on your pant legs? Grab a couple of plastic bags and tie one around each knee, covering the entire area that will be exposed to dirt and grime.
Hand Protectors
Fact: There are some things you'd just as soon not touch with your bare hands. Use bags as gloves to handle what's messy (say, chicken carcasses) or just plain gross (like the little "presents" the dog leaves in the front yard), then turn them inside out to trap the offending matter inside for easy disposal.
Paint Preservers
You're painting the kitchen when an emergency (kid's sick at school; Brad Pitt is Ellen's special guest) calls you off the job. To keep brushes and rollers from drying out, place them in bags and tie them or wrap them with rubber bands to keep air out. The tools will stay moist and protected for a day or so.
Makeshift Rain Hats
A 30 percent chance of rain…hmm. Do you tote around an umbrella (maybe for nothing) or head out sans protection (and risk getting drenched)? Third option: Tuck a plastic bag into your pocket or purse. Then, if you're caught in a downpour, you can use it as a makeshift rain hat to protect your do.
Easy Kitchen Clean-Ups
For no-fuss cleanup, instead of peeling fruits and vegetables over a cutting board or into the sink, do it over a plastic bag. When you're done, flip the peelings into the garbage and rinse the bag to reuse another day, or simply toss the whole shebang into the trash.
Plastic Bags as Wrapping Paper
No time to make an emergency pre-party run for wrapping paper? Riffle through your bags to find the prettiest and most colorful — or just ones without writing. Triple-bag the gift, then tie all three sets of handles into a knot. Cut the tops of the loops and fan the pieces out to make a plume.
Wet Umbrella Holders
To avoid dripping water all over your (or anyone else's) house on a rainy day, pop your wet umbrella into a bag as you cross the threshold. You can even tie the handles snugly and throw it back into your purse — unless, of course, your bumbershoot is of Mary Poppins proportions but your carpetbag isn't.
Shoe Protectors
It will never be a fashion trend, but tying bags over your shoes can keep you from tracking mud into the house when you come in, or protect slippers from dirt, snow, or rain when you run out to fetch the paper from the front lawn. (Be careful when walking on smooth surfaces, as the plastic won't give you any traction.)
Cookbook Protectors
To keep the cookbook clean while attempting that "easy to follow" seven-layer-cake recipe, wrap a bag around everything but the page you're using. Although it won't keep you from (inevitably) spattering the list of ingredients with vanilla extract, the rest of the book, at least, will remain pristine.
Planter Fillers
Crumple bags to fill the bottom of a large pot that's too deep for your plant (but be sure not to cover the drainage hole, if it has one). You can cut down on the amount of potting soil needed, and since plastic packs less heft than dirt, you'll be able to move a big planter around with a bit less grunting.

The Sandpiper

She was six years old when I first met her on the beach near where I live.
I drive to this beach, a distance of three or four miles, whenever the world begins to close in on me. She was building a sandcastle or something and looked up, her eyes as blue as the sea.
"Hello," she said. I answered with a nod, not really in the mood to bother with a small child. "I'm building," she said.

"I see that. What is it?" I asked, not really caring. "Oh, I don't know, I just likethe feel of sand."
That sounds good, I thought, and slipped off my shoes. A sandpiper glided by. "That's a joy," the child said.

"It's a what?" "It's a joy. My mama says sandpipers come to bring us joy." The bird went gliding down the beach. Good-bye joy, I muttered to myself, hello pain, and turned to walk on. I was depressed, my life seemed completely out of balance.
"What's your name?" She wouldn't give up. "Robert," I answered. "I'm Robert Peterson." "Mine's Wendy... I'm six." "Hi, Wendy." She giggled. "You're ! funny," she said.
In spite of my gloom, I laughed too and walked on. Her musical giggle followed me.

"Come again, Mr. P," she called. "We'll have another happy day."

After a few days of a group of unruly Boy Scouts, PTA meetings, and an ailing mother. The sun was shining one morning as I took my hands out of the dishwater. I need a sandpiper, I said to myself, gathering up my coat.

The ever-changing balm of the seashore awaited me. The breeze was chilly
but I strode along, trying to
recapture the serenity I needed.

"Hello, Mr. P," she said. "Do you want to play?" "What did you have in mind?" I asked, with a twinge of annoyance.

"I don't know, you say."
"How about charades?" I asked sarcastically.

The tinkling laughter burst forth again. "I don't know what that is."
"Then let's just walk."

Looking at her, I noticed the delicate fairness of her face. "Where do you live?" I asked. "Over there." She pointed toward a row of summer cottages.

Strange, I thought, in winter.

"Where do you go to school?" "I don't go to school. Mommy says we're on
vacation." She chattered little girl talk as we strolled up the beach, but my mind
was on other things. When I left for home, Wendy said it had been a happy day. Feeling surprisingly better, I smiled at her and agreed.

Three weeks later, I rushed to my beach in a state of near panic. I was in
no mood to even greet Wendy. I thought I saw ! her mother on the porch and felt like demanding she keep her child at home. "Look, if you don't mind," I said crossly when Wendy caught up with me, "I'd rather be alone today." She seemed unusually pale and out of breath.

"Why?" she asked. I turned to her and shouted, "Because my mother died!" and thought, My God, why was I was saying this to a little child?
"Oh," she said quietly, "then this is a bad day."
"Yes," I said, "and yesterday and the day before and--oh, go away!"

"Did it hurt?" she inquired. Did what hurt?" I was exasperated with her, with myself. "When she died?" "Of course it hurt!" I snapped, misunderstanding, wrapped up in myself. I strode off.
A month or so after that, when I next went to the beach, she wasn't there.
Feeling guilty, ashamed and admitting to myself I missed her, I went up to the cottage after my walk and knocked at the door. A drawn looking young woman with honey-colored hair opened the door.

"Hello," I said, "I'm Robert Peterson. I missed your little girl today and wondered where she was."

Oh yes, Mr. Peterson, please come in. Wendy spoke of you so much. I'm afraid I allowed her to bother you. If she was a nuisance, please, accept my apologies."

"Not at all -- she's a delightful child." I said, suddenly realizing that I meant what I had just said. "Wendy died last week, Mr. Peterson. She had leukemia. Maybe she didn't tell you."

Struck dumb, I groped for a chair. I had to catch my breath.
"She loved this beach so when she asked to come, we couldn't say no. She seemed so much better here and had a lot of what she called happy days.

But the last few weeks, she declined rapidly..." Her voice faltered, "She left something for you ... if only I can find it. Could you wait a moment while I look?"
I nodded stupidly, my mind racing for something to say to this lovely young woman. She handed me a smeared envelope with "MR. P" printed in bold childish letters. Inside was a drawing in bright crayon hues -- a yellow beach, a blue sea, and a brown bird. Underneath was carefully printed: A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY.

Tears welled up in my eyes and a heart that had almost forgotten to love
opened wide. I took Wendy's mother in my arms. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," I muttered over and over, and we wept together. The precious little picture is framed now and hangs in my study. Six words -- one for each year of her life -- that speak to me of harmony, courage, and undemanding love.

A gift from a child with sea blue eyes and hair the color of sand -- who taught me the gift of love.

Idiosyncrasies Of The English Language and the Philosophy of Ambiguity.

If mankind evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?
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Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
·

Is there another word for synonym?
·

Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.
·

How is it possible to have a civil war?
·

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.
·

At the bookstore, I asked the saleswoman, "Where's the “self- help” section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
·

What if there were no hypothetical questions?
·

If a deaf child signs a swear word, does his mother wash his hands with soap?
·

If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?
·

Where do forest rangers go to "get away from it all?"
·

What do you do when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?
·

If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish his wages?
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Would a fly without wings be called a walk?
·

Why do they lock filling-station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone will clean them?
·

If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked?
·

Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?
·

If the police arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent?
·

Why do they put Braille on the drive-through bank machines?
·

How do they get deer to cross the road only at those yellow road signs?
·

What was the best thing before sliced bread?
·

One nice thing about egotists: they don't talk about other people.
·

Does the little mermaid wear an algebra?
·

Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?
·

If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest drown too?
·

If you ate both pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry?
·

If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?
·

Whose cruel idea was it for the word 'lisp' to have 's' in it?
·

Why are hemorrhoids called "hemorrhoids" instead of "assteroids"?
·

Why is it called tourist season if we can't shoot at them?
·

Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?
·

If you spin an oriental person in a circle three times, do they become disoriented?
·

Why do shops which open 24/7 have locks on their doors?
·

Why do you have to click the Start button a computer in order to turn it Off?
·

Can an atheist get insurance against acts of God?

Grandma's Tricks

A sealed envelope - Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed. (hmmmmmm...) Now wy didn't someone tell us this when our kids were teeangers?
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Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.
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For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put Dawn dishwashing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't refreeze. (wish I had known this for the last 40 years!)
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To remove old wax from a glass candleholder, put it in the freezer for a few hours. Then take the candleholder out and turn it upside down.
The wax will fall out.
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Crayon marks on walls? This worked wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped in baking soda. Comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is!).
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Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE!) rubbing alcohol on paper towel.
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Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S Pads, I immediately take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would be much more economical. Now a box of S.O.S pads last me indefinitely! In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get sharpened this way!
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Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time!
Now, where to put the body? LOL
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Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.
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Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on.
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Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and linen.
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Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.
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To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!
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To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove top.
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Spray your TUPPERWARE with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.
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Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.
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When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.
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Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half, and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
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To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief.
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Ants, ants, ants everywhere .... Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So, get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.
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Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
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When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, and then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.
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Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer. ================================================
Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous China.
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Clean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.
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Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes.

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Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).
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Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes, and then run the hot water.
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Thursday Thirteen

THURSDAY THIRTEEN THANKS!
1. Thank you dear family and friends for all the birthday wishes.

2. One of the nice things about getting so old is people start trying to find nice things to say about you. And with so many bloggers, as well as professional writers in the family, I had a well celebrated birthday!

3. Like everyone else still breathing, I had a birthday this year. My birthday slipped up on me, coming so close behind last year's birthday. I wanted to discount it. In fact I stopped counting several years ago.

4. My "Blogging" children do not let me forget. They counted for me. This most recent birthday, coming on a Sunday, was celebrated the whole week-end.

5. My daughter Carol The Median Sib got up early Sunday morning to click off 83 "random" things about me. She had to scrape the bottom on the barrel to find so many positive thing to say.

6. Joan on Daddy's Roses, always knows what to say and how to say it, wrote a flattering post about me with pictures, one picture in a bathing suit (snapped by my husband a few years ago) and one more recent picture in a pulpit robe.

7. Other bloggers in the family, including my son Terrell of Alone on a Limb fame, and his beautiful wife and daughter were here to help celebrate. .

8.He is an outstanding son even if I do not always agree with his political stances. I still feel free to point out the errors of his political understanding and he does not hesitate to point out mine.

9.Beth of Blue Star Chronicles fame wrote” Happy Birthday Mother” and was here with her beautiful daughter. Large gathering. Thanks everyone!

10. Actually I am delighted to be alive and enjoying life and loved all the fanfare, gifts, books and flowers. The yellow tulip bouquet brought by MIke Bock from Ohio is a gift that keeps on giving as is the pot of pink Kalanchoe's from grandson Gil and his Naomi and sons Lewis and Mark.

11. And the food! Carol The Median Sib, prepared, on Saturday nght, the most fabulous dinner with her special chiken recipe with corn sticks, two great salads and a sour cream birthday cake with only 73 candles on it. She cooks with such ease and natural talent and invites everyone to share.

12. One of my sons-in-law (I have five) prepared the Sunday dinner of his tender beef roast, his special recipe for gravy, mashed potatoe etc. They (he and his wife, my daughter, Deborah) make their living writing. So, I tell them, they do not bother with mundane things like "blogging." But they always take time to help the family celebrate all the many reasons we find to celebrate.

13. My first daughter Jan and her husband Gil were here. Jan fits into the "professional writer" and "non-blogger" catagory, although that is only a part of her professsional profile. Jan was the most "beautiful and perfect" baby I had ever seen. She was born when i was still in my teens and her daddy was not quite 21. The tears of joy and amazement in her Daddy's eyes is a picture engraved on my heart. We were later to see six other
"most beautiful and perfect" babies and a similiar response from their Dad. When Jan and Gil would come to visit, her Dad would always introduce her as our "oldest daughter." Because "oldest' sounds negative and there is nothing negative about Jan , I decided to refer to her as " first daugfhte" on the rare acassions when i mention my children.

Political comments.

President George W. Bush's speech was good and so was the speech by Senator Tim Kaine.

I did not see anything wrong with Senator Clinton's response to having the camera on her. Clinton responded like a politician but so did Senator Elizabeth Dole. Last year Dole was considered the woman Republican to run. Dole kept staying close to the president. She must feel left out with all the talk now of Condaleesa Rice as the woman to run against the potential Democratic candidacy of Clinton. Can you imagine the stress of being in this situation.

Televison camera's everywhere are making all of the politicians acting a little strange. Thoughtful people who observe Helen Thomas and Michael Moore, see up close and personal how they exibit their hatred for the President Bush and anything they label "conservative." As for Sheenan, a Democratic Senator this morning said, "everyone is invited" and it was proper for her to be invited but all who attend have to practive "decoram" and when Cindy did not, it was proper to take her away from the event. So the Democrats are distancing themselves from her.

I suppose we all enjoy poking fun ocassional at the politicans with whom we disagree.

But I think it is not a wise stance for Republicans nor Democrats.