I love to write, but have been hijacked to the Facebook world--HELP!!!! Since I've been spending most of my time between FB and Ancestry.com, my poor blog has been neglected. I'll try to get back into this eventually...
*****PS The blog list is at the bottom of the blog*****
My friend, Melissa, from Canada at http://issysue.blogspot.com/ posted the things she was thankful for and I was inspired... Thankfulness is a great thing to be conscious of continually; it seems to influence my thinking and outlook in life--so I think I will give it a try...
I am thankful for:
--enjoying the peace and stillness of a quiet morning
--getting to see the occasional egret that lands in our yard
--having time to be a "free spirit"
--smiling as I look at beautiful, inspiring blogs
--the comfort of flip flops and sarongs
--knowing that God is with me and He loves me dearly...
--my cat "Buttons" that calls me "Ma-meow"
Yesterday was so fun being with other patriots that have such love for our constitution and our country. There were mostly people who were 40 and up; people educated about world history differently than the students of today... We were taught about the horrors of countries that were run by power-hungry dictators.
It was an honor to be there with many older veterans who had really put their lives on the line for us all... I am just a person who has enjoyed the security that they had provided for our country and it's people... Thank you to all that have fought and to all that have died in battle for our freedoms.
The people were very orderly and respectful and seemed to be the types that "play by the rules" and have vowed to "vote the bums out" come election time... No dirty politics here, just good ol' fashioned people power... It's kind of nice that all this adversity really makes people get together for things that matter in life--like freedom...
Looks like just a tame bunch of people, but let me tell you, these are no ordinary people, they are American Patriots that love their country, and I would wager to say they would do just about anything to preserve it.
Woo hoo, it worked this time!!!! Going to a tax day tea party today! Don't have much time to spend here right now, just wanted to stop by and say "hi". Lots going on---from attending Priya David's wedding on Saturday to participating in a 5K to help the Dalits of India on Sunday afternoon... Maybe after that I'll get more time to put something together for a blog... Gotta run--have a good day...
The conversation started out with the quote below... Then I made a simple statement and this Jewish man named Larry saw this as a great opportunity to spar... I saw it as a great opportunity to show God's love.
"Anybody who maintains absolute standards of good and evil is dangerous. As dangerous as a maniac with a loaded revolver. In fact, the person who maintains absolute standards of good and evil usually is the maniac with the revolver." - Tom Robbins
Do you believe stoplights are dangerous? If no stop and go lights, we would hurt each other... That's why a loving God has given us standards to keep us safe and keep us civil, ie not acting like animals... Thou shalt not kill--that's a good one, right? Thou shalt not steal--again, a good one, right? These and the rest are all basic to guidingand giving people guidelines to be able to live peacefully with each other. If we just ignore these, and decide we will live in anarchy and disrespect (slander, etc.) chaos ensues and God wanted to prevent that from happening... The longer people ignore God's loving plan for us, the longer people will suffer in our own insistence of destroying everything. Sad but true... With love, cousin Barb
If a person broke into your home in the night and threatened your family, in self defense it is okay to defend yourself and your family... That just makes sense for survival...
Also, you should know that there are lots of people that are doing things in Christ's name all through history that are not true Christians... So please don't believe everything you read or hear... Besides that, just because a person considers himself to be a follower of Christ, he is still a "sinner" (Latin--sine;without) A man who walks without God is vulnerable to act as a crude human and not with the power of God's divine Spirit. This is where we get into trouble, because man by himself thinks he is God and that is the ultimate "pride" statement... And pride kills.
So may I take the opportunity to give you a blessing--as God has told us to do to all Jews... God bless you and your family and give you wisdom as you grapple with life's tough questions... Shalom... Barb--Devin's cousin-in-law
The quote Devin posted talked about the dangers of absolutes. You quoted an absolute - Thou shalt not kill. You then later acknowledged an exception - defending yourself and your family. I was simply commenting that you seemed to agree that there is not an "absolute" even for not killing.
The commandment "Thou shalt not kill" is meant to give people a civilized standard to live by-- God's loving boundaries to help us know what is not acceptable for our self-preservation...
You know there is a difference between defending ones self and not having respect for life, in general... If an innocent person is attacked, wouldn't you rather see the innocent person survive if it came down to it?
I think what we are talking about here is legalism (like the Pharisees believed in) and God's love, which Jesus came to teach us... It's like the difference between the head and the heart... Even though Christians live by the Law, we are also allowed to make very careful exceptions if guided by the Holy Spirit's love or self-preservation. Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath, for example. The Law was first given to give us standards and practical guidelines, but also to show that as "sinners" (human beings WITHOUT God's guidance) it is impossible to live perfectly in a "fallen world" by the Law--to keep every one of them by the letter. That's why God sent us a Savior to die for our sins "once and for ALL" the scripture says. By doing that He bridges he gap between us "unholy" ordinary humans and the Holy God Almighty... Christians are still sinners, but grow in their faith as they learn to trust God and practice what we've learned in everyday situations. The sign of a Christian is a humble, repentant heart.
There is so much to learn and understand that I can't go into here right now, but as for your concern about absolutes--I myself am acutely aware that we live in a "fallen world" and that things go on that I don't think is right, but they still happen because of the fallen world we live in... All that I am in control of is my life, my behavior and my relationship with God. Everyone is accountable for their own lives and how they interpret right and wrong... I cannot judge or control another person's behavior, but I would speak up against injustice and oppression as that is also a form of abuse of innocent people.
Well, gotta go for now. So nice to exchange ideas with intelligent people on FB; thank you for engaging me. I'd much rather do this than talk about the weather or collect farm animals... Shalom, "cousin" Barb
Interesting. So, do you think that without the word of God, people would not have figured out that we should not kill, steal, etc.? In fact, one could argue (and many have) that the things you have stated are actually written by man, designed to compel/scare people into behaving via the threat of what will happen to them after they die.
To me, one of the greatest sins is the variety of things that have been done to hurt people, all in the name of god. The Spanish Inquisition, the killing of native americans/manifest destiny/white man's burden, the persecution of gay people. The list goes on.
Also, didn't John Smith claim that God told him to take many women as his wives and that blood vengeance was acceptable and part of God's wish? Again, my point being that there are many claims of what God said and many of the world's bloodiest conflicts have been over whose God is the right God. I agree that everyone struggles to live life according to reasonable standards. I just think that when you throw God into the mix, it doesn't always necessarily help....
That said, I totally agree that this is a more interesting conversation than talking about how many farm animals one has collected!
I have to agree—these are overwhelming situations that I have to admit that I don’t understand either. There is something that I do understand and that is that my trying to comprehend the complexities of the universe is like an ant understanding how to build a spaceship. Our brains just don’t have the capacity, but God does—He created the universe… And to think that we can figure it all out is pretty silly, if you really think about it…
God asks us to trust him, to have faith that He has our good in mind. This is what the concept of faith is about, and He is the only One that is worthy of our trust. He is the only One that can set the absolute truths because He IS the Truth. There is only One God and He is absolutely Holy, Pure, Perfect, Infinite, Complete, Whole; there aren’t enough words to describe His greatness. We are not any of the above; this is why it has been established—He is God, and we are not…
God has given us standards to live up to, but knowing we are not able to be perfect, etc., just asked us to have a “humble, repentant” heart… This means simply knowing and respecting what His standards are for us, and being conscious and sorry when we fall short of them for the purpose of growing and maturing in our spiritual growth.
But, in reality, our human nature is not to have humble, repentant hearts and that is why He sent Jesus. He showed us how to live an obedient, humble life. If we “believe” in Jesus, i.e. are on the same page with what He is trying to teach us, then we are constantly in the process of growing and maturing spiritually. However, it can’t be done the right way without Him—that’s why it is so important.
Please understand, too, that there have been and are still so-called types of “Christian” religions that either didn’t have access to the Bible or don’t want the people to actually read it and discourage the people from studying and understanding it. So just because a group calls themselves “Christian” doesn’t mean they are representing Christ as He intended us to…
In conclusion, I truly believe that the Bible is the only divinely-inspired handbook that helps us understand how to live here on earth, but also to prevent us from being eternally separated from God and His awesome love. I think that is the definition of hell and it would be a very sad place to be. Shalom, Cousin Barb
Well, I guess I have solved the problem--yippeeeeeeee!!!!!! I missed my blog; it was causing distress to know there was something terribly wrong keeping me from interacting with my blog buddies and faithful family visitors that drop by now and then. When I first started my first blog just over a year ago, my fabulously artistic and savvy niece told me to always have a picture to go with the post. It's become such a necessity to have one that it felt just wrong to blog without one... I really enjoy and appreciate the photographs when I visit yours too...;)
Good thing I did since I am in solitary confinement for getting some kind of stomach flu... I was bound to get it since everyone else, almost, in the house did! "This too shall pass...", I can hear my dear Daddy say... It's okay, too, since we are having hurricane force winds and showers, and it's just one of those "ride out the storm" kind of days.
Well, I guess I should check to see if this solved my ability to leave comments problem too--just love to put in my two cents, er, or is that 2 dollars these days? ;s
Uh oh.... still can't leave comments on a few of my favorites.... Is your editor updated? Or did you put a block on your comments...hmmmmmmm...
I have to do something about this blog!!!! It seems to be having problems for some reason. I can't change the words on the right side, I can't figure out how to find that little pencil that I clicked on to edit, and I'm having trouble loading pictures. So frustrating, since I have attempted to and wanted to get something new on here, but it seems like every time I do I can't do it for some reason. Has something changed in the last few months? Or did I change something like the format and it works differently... These are the mysteries I am facing right now. I'll try to figure it out soon, but for now I am traveling to N. Cal to visit my Mom, sister and the whole crew, including my grand niece and nephew who I call "the grandbabies". So I'll just leave you with this for now.
The pencil works now, but the wrench and photo insert are still stuck! Oh, and another weird thing is that some blogs I go to it won't let me comment, but others it will... Melissa at Black, White, and Lace--that was a lovely song! I want to Google them to hear more of their music! Kinda reminds me of Allison Krause--she is a favorite of mine...
Now that fall is here and it's raining--yippeeee--I am feeling a bit more like doing some blogging. I got caught up with Facebook for awhile after coming home from Scotland so I could share the photographs and memories with the people we met there.
I had another goal to help my mom find our ancestors that would get us over the pond to Scotland. I subscribed to Ancestor.com and have been researching a few different branches of my and my husband's family tree. It's so fascinating; something I never thought I would be that interested in, but after I experienced the thrill of the hunt, I was hooked.
My interest really peaked when I discovered a relative named Isobel Muir who was born in Scotland around the same area as John Muir, the naturalist. Our family has spent many vacations around and about the Yosemite Valley and in the high country camping, hiking, and backpacking, so a connection with John Muir would be such a thrill!
Another branch of our family tree, the Sundays, is rumored to be distant cousins to the famous evangelist, Billy Sunday. That's another one I want to figure out...
We also had a full-blooded Iroquois indian gggggrandmother, if I'm not mistaken on the number if greats... I still need to research that.
The main one I have been trying to crack is my gggrandfather, Alexander McGregor, who was born 1820 in the US and died 1902 in Hespillar, Ontario. There are a few Alexander McGregors born in 1820 in the US, so it's important to find the right one. We have been looking at one for years that turned out to be the wrong one! Some nice lady sent me a copy of handwritten pages from their family Bible that showed the births, deaths, marriages--dates and places. Our Alexander didn't match up with theirs! That was so nice to confirm so we didn't continue to look for evidence of that link!
Our other quest is to find my husband's long-lost brother that was given up for adoption a couple years before he was born. We have nothing but the mother's name and an approximate year of birth! My new favorite show is "Find My Family". I know it's hokey and the novelty will probably wear off after awhile, but I just think it's a neat concept for a show. A lot of babies were given away for adoption, so they should be on the air for awhile.
The jogging part of this blog is the balance I intend to have so I don't turn into Jabba the Hut. It's very sneaky that weight gain thing, especially since I am nearing 53 in a month, I have experienced the weight creep that happens when I'm not paying attention and enjoying life haphazardly. So now that we have a running store nearby with running groups and clubs, I'M ALL IN! I jogged/walked 6 miles this weekend! Woo hooo! It's nice to have a group of people to encourage me and to be accountable to. I didn't realize how many people there were that were so dedicated to running; am I the only one? This group I have been invited to join starts at 6:42 in the morning on Sundays and 6 am on weekdays! I guess that's great for the summer heat, but the winter I would think it'd be different. Nope... It does feel good though and even after 2 3-mile runs I can see a hint of my waistline coming back! I guess I need to start going to bed earlier... That's okay, my hubby needs to leave by 6:45 in the morning to get to work now, so we are up at 6 am anyway.
Funny thing about this group I have been invited to join is that most are over 50 and the nice man and his wife that invited me are in their 70's! I got to jog with the man Sunday morning, and he was in better shape than I am... He was sympathetic knowing I was just getting into it and ran at a slower pace than he normally does! I really want to keep it up. Since we are getting into a more rainy season, I asked what they do when it rains. His answer was: get a 33 gallon trash bag and cut a hole in the top and run. Huh? Like that's gonna happen... Hasn't he heard of rain gear?
Well, that's my new goal. I gotta do something! Desperate times mean desperate measures! Go, go, go, get in there and fight--grrrrrrrrrrrrr.......
Until next time, Barb
PS The picture above was taken after my 3-mile jog/walk... A nice man sends everyone e-mails of the people that were at the event from the group I running club. I am the newest "member" and the slowest--waaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!
Sometimes it gets lonely in here looking to see if anyone has left a comment, and it still says "0"... Thank you, all who have taken a few minutes to say something; it really makes my day, even the simplest remark... I am encouraged to know that there have been 620 visits since I started after Thanksgiving last year... Thanks for stopping by--;)
I feel like I've been to the moon and back, or something. Scotland was fun and a great adventure for me. Traveling to Idaho for Bill's cousin's wedding was an event not to be missed as far as family events go... Then Facebook started to become a diversion to my normal life that continued some of the friendships made while we were in Scotland. The fun part was sharing--sharing pictures we took with each other, sharing information about our family trees, and even sharing post-trip posts and pictures of what we are like in our normal environments...
All this is good and lots of fun since there are so many different personalities interacting with each other. I think I have reached the point, though, where I need to get back to normal and re-evaluate what I'm doing in life... And what activities are worth pursuing in this short time I have been given here one earth.
At first I was interested in sharing my thoughts and things going on in my life in paper journals, but then learned about the fascinating blog world. I thought, how cool--a place where I could put my thoughts, experiences, and possibly share them with friends and relatives, as well as, some people who just happened to stop by... It opened a whole world of great places to go to to meet beautiful, creative blog ladies that shared connections with lots of other beautiful & creative blog ladies. I've even made a couple friends here, and that makes me very happy! Ever since I started blogging last November; this has been the best place to be, right here...
The numbers of different kinds of people and the need to know how to do all the various privacy settings and the potential for 3rd-party kooks to invade your world is much greater on Facebook. I think, after experiencing all the various viewpoints, antics, and personalities in the FB world, I have reached a "been there, done that" kind of feeling. The novelty has passed.. I am more comfortable here on my blog. This is where I can share what's on my heart. And that's important to me...
So I'm saying No to Facebook from now on. I will miss my friends there, but I want to get back to basics since I really am a very low-tech person and I don't want to lose contact with the the sweetness of the outdoors and nature, real relationships, and the FB-free life...
A week before we were to meet in Edinburgh, my sister, brother-in-law and I took a trip to N. England to visit the Lake District and the area Beatrix Potter lived since we have always loved the tale of Peter Rabbit. Mr. McGregor is mentioned quite a bit in that story, so I like to think we have a special connection...
After driving a ways on narrow, winding roads we arrived in a quaint little village filled with outrageously beautiful flowers and greenery...
The details in the architecture had an old world feeling...
The roofs decorated with pretty details...
And lots of lovely windows to admire...
The number of swans there was unbelievable; they were all over the place!
And you could get up close to them too...
Look at those feet--they were humongous!
This one was taking a nap...
And the hydrangeas really thrived here; they were everywhere!
The hanging baskets overflowed with gorgeous flowers...
I've never seen such healthy flower baskets!
We just had a couple of days to explore; it was a quick visit to a place that seemed like a fairy tale or a place from a dream...
Saturday, August 1st, 2009 was a historic day in Edinburgh, Scotland. Around 125 different clans marched up the Royal Mile from the bottom to the Edinburgh Castle. This is the front row of Clan Gregor group...
It was fun being in a parade...
There were pipe bands...
People as far as the eye can see coming up the road...
And people stood on the sides and cheered us on...
Our clan chief, Sir Malcolm and his lovely wife, Lady McGregor took part as well...
People were waving flags and cheering out their windows...
Mom, Dorothy McGregorSeager (81) and Tom joined us near the end...
And a few cried tears of joy...
Here are a couple videos, compliments of my wonderful brother-in-law, Rob...
Yes, I was there too; so thankful Rob thought to get my mom, sister, and me walking together in this unforgettable event...
That was definitely a high point in my life, and it was a privilege to be able to take part in it. Something like this leaves one with a feeling of pride for their culture and heritage...
Lest you think I have abandoned the blogosphere, I am here, but not very much since I am still stirred up by my wild megavacation! And next weekend company coming to town which requries the "sea cottage" to be guest ready. Oh my, this place looks like a tornado hit it... Well, enjoy these scenes from my dear Aunt Diane's garden in N. Idaho for now until I can get back. Ciao!
Just dropped in to say, Hi! now that my laptop and I have been reunited and internet service is available. It's a damp, overcast day here in
Woodinville, WA, but I hear it will be a beautiful day, later. That's okay. I learned from living here in the Northwest 17 years (81-98) that more often than not there will be clouds and/or rain, so if you have a sunny day, it's a major blessing that you enjoy for all it's worth...
PS Picture taken at the Highland Games in Edinburgh with my sweet mama (81) while enjoying tea and scones...
Just in case anyone's wondering... The scoop is that it's summer now and I spend a lot of time out doors and travelling so I am sitting in front of the computer a lot less. I'm leaving in 13 days for an exciting trip to Scotland and England for the historical all-clan Scottish Gathering!
Then when we land in San Francisco, I will start another 2-week trip up to the Pacific Northwest to attend a wedding and family reunion on my husband's side of the family...
So, I won't be home for a month!!!!! Ahhhhhrgh, that's a long time to be away, but I say, you gotta go for the gusto, and hope for the best!!! Getting to go to Scotland with my mom, the honorable Dorothy McGregor Seager and attend a once-in-a-lifetime wedding for a cherished relative and a family reunion are things that I don't want to miss, if at all possible, you know, Lord willing... Family experiences are way more important to me than anything material in this world and I am very, very thankful to have the chance to participate and be a part of them--even if it takes a lot of effort and can be stressful, I wouldn't miss it for the world!
Just wanted to post this for all of you out there that love our country and are thankful for the bountiful and blessed lives that God has given us. I know, myself, day after day I have felt helpless and feel a sadness seeing all the "changes" being made to our country without our having anything to say about it... My uncle sent this to me via e-mail this morning and I want to share it with you too... Make sure your volume is up so you can hear all that Thomas Paine has to say!
A friend over at Gingerbread Crumbs & Companyasked her blog girls if anyone was game to do a 6 Things About Me list and since I haven't done one in awhile--I'm all in!
1. I love everything that has to do with having tea or tea parties--the beautiful tea cups, tables set with delightful scones and tea sandwiches, tea pots and flowers. My Grandma left us a some pretty tea cups and I have collected some too, so it's a blast to use them! (For pretty teacup viewing, go to my other blogspotCottage Beautiful!)
2. I'm a novice quilter, a mediocre knitter/crocheter, a wannabe painter--you get the picture; I love all the arts and don't spend time on just one, so I haven't perfected any of them.
3. I'm crazy about jewelry--mostly the kind that has a folk artsy or cultural feel... I like to pile them on; the chunkier or more layered the better... Colorful, cultural beads and vintage buttons are my passion; I use recycled jewelry to make necklaces, bracelets, and earrings too.
4. I love words and the wonderful things you can do with them, but I don't read books unless I can grow and learn from them or if they are special. My mom was reading "Gift from the Sea" in the delivery room before I was born; that's one of my favorites, besides the Holy Bible...
5. I'm an adventureous person--I love to meander around a quaint area and stop to explore at the drop of a hat. Love serendipity and spontaneity...
6. I love people, especially when they're creative, adventurous, and spontaneous!
The people were very orderly and respectful and seemed to be the types that "play by the rules" and have vowed to "vote the bums out" come election time... No dirty politics here, just good ol' fashioned people power... It's kind of nice that all this adversity really makes people get together for things that matter in life--like freedom...
Well, I guess I have solved the problem--yippeeeeeeee!!!!!! I missed my blog; it was causing distress to know there was something terribly wrong keeping me from interacting with my blog buddies and faithful family visitors that drop by now and then. When I first started my first blog just over a year ago, my fabulously artistic and savvy niece told me to always have a picture to go with the post. It's become such a necessity to have one that it felt just wrong to blog without one... I really enjoy and appreciate the photographs when I visit yours too...;)
After driving a ways on narrow, winding roads we arrived in a quaint little village filled with outrageously beautiful flowers and greenery...
The details in the architecture had an old world feeling...
And you could get up close to them too...
It was fun being in a parade...
Lest you think I have abandoned the blogosphere, I am here, but not very much since I am still stirred up by my wild megavacation! And next weekend company coming to town which requries the "sea cottage" to be guest ready. Oh my, this place looks like a tornado hit it... Well, enjoy these scenes from my dear Aunt Diane's garden in N. Idaho for now until I can get back. Ciao!
Just dropped in to say, Hi! now that my laptop and I have been reunited and internet service is available. It's a damp, overcast day here in
