Maintenance

So, the weekend was devoted to maintenance on the house.
Of course, this is an activity best done in the rain!

We pulled the dead hot water tank, which died back before Christmas, of course!
So been a cold one ever since!

Went to Home Depot, bought their best replacement.
We bought a GE last time and it only lasted 11 years!
I know back home, the house tank wasd of unknown age, I lived there 25 years and it was stiil just fine!
So that very expensive GE was a pile of .... er, "stuff"!
And we bought another brand!
You blow your one shot with me and there are no forgiveness over bad work or products.

Got the new tank completely installed around 7 pm.
And we had hot water.
Alas, no water pressure.
So, back under the house on Tuesday, I will go and see where we erred!

In the storm a week ago, the roof took a little damage.
So son has been up there tarring leaks.
(really this house just needs burned down!)

And this morning, I found that my clothes I threw in the dryer last night were still soaking!
So got to start off the day debugging the dryer and repairing it.
So I have some clothes to wear to church!
Of course I missed first service, now condemned to second service and crowd!
Maybe Gaelic Girl will go.
She is still struggling with major swelling and pain issues.
sigh ...

So keep her in your prayers!

Musical Saturday Morning

Ugh, Life!

Ugh, another day!
Another day of dialysis!
A day lost to the ravages of what it does to my body!
I lose fully 50% of my life, just to recovery from what it takes to stay alive!
The price I pay, to stay alive,
To pay off my car,
So GG will have something reliable to drive!
So just watch her die before me!
And my grand-daughter get the car ...
LOL

I think about the lady in church, whom would talk to me.
And then so abruptly die from kidney failure!
She showed no signs of the disease.
Not even a twinge of yellow to her skin.
Yet she was so far gone that when told of the emergency need for dialysis,
She died the very next day!
Not so uncommon they tell me at the kidney center.
And no one has died in many months there!
It was sort of droll being there,
Having your life extended,
While a few chairs away -
Not so much!
And weekly, it seemed.

Had uncomfortable dreams last night.
About GG not surviving these knee replacements.
One is done and she is struggling to get past the pain.
Even if I am only a second class citizen of this home,
At least she sort of likes me now.
(don't read anything into that one!)
I really do not want to be left alone .....

Okay,
Bummed myself out.
Going to go find something to do in the land of the living,
Not my thoughts ...

Maybe a nice walk in the rain ....
Always refreshing.
Just have to keep the prosthetic dry.
I wonder if the local pub is serving smoked salmon today?
Only one way to find out!

ciao!

Newsy Day

So, up way too early!
Got to get ready to drive the hour to my mother''s.
Apparently her Social Security paperwork magically got fouled up, after 16 years of being retired!
I tell ya, if Trump wants to clean a house in government, I know where to start!

Drive for an hour to get there,
Haul her to the local Xerox place,
To make a copy of her receipt showing she pays her homeowner's insurance,
Have Lunch,
Take mom back home,
Drive an hour back home for me,
And decompress.

Yeah, it will be stressful on me.

I so want to tell her that I have found her nephew, missing since 1963,  but she will turn ugly if I do!
I really want to see him!
But, I wonder how damaged he is from his first ten years of being a victim of an unbelievably violent man ...
I adopted four damaged souls.
So, I understand.
I wonder about it.
I fear meeting him, yet he is family.
And as you may have figured out:
I never was able to resolve the need for family.

It is strange this desire in us to be around people whom look like us,
Or other traits that identify people groups.
I know this was a real problem for Gaelic Girl.
She is Scottish, from the Isle of Skye.
And yes, I ripped her away from her home and hid her in Seattle.
But I never realized the trauma it caused her until I took her to Cork, Ireland with me on a business trip.

We were there for about three days, when she told me she felt like she was home for the first time in her life!

Now, she sort of stood out in Scotland,
Much taller,
Much heavier,
And she loves meat and potatoes,
In contrast to the Scottish diet of cereals and sausages,
And looks nothing like any Scot woman I have ever seen.
For all intents and purposes, she appears to be Irish!

Indeed, she is about the same height as Irish women.
An make NO mistake, she has the same build and facial features as the Irish!
Even the red hair.
(and scary temperament, too!)

And in Cork she was at peace with herself.
Strangers would stop her on the street and ask directions.
She looked like she belonged!
Of course, Cork is a bit of an Irish melting pot,
She probably would not blend in as well as say Galway or Donegal.
Then again ... ?

So, anyway just a thought about my cousin and wonder if he longs, as GG longs, for invisibility.

Well, best get dressed.
Gotta long drive ahead of me!
And a water heater to buy this afternoon!

Rarest of the Rare

I think I have mentioned before that I am a coin collector.
We can blame my grandfather, John Kaiser for this!
When he died in 1963, he left me his coin collection.
Of course, grandmother took what she could sell,
My mother took what she could spend,
And I was left with the "junk".
Did not matter to me, these were from Grandpa and I still cherish those pieces.

So, in my free time, throughout my life, I diligently search my change.
Rarely, I find something worth even a few bucks.
And then  I found this:

In 1943, pennies were made from zinc coated steel, NOT copper:

So it is an error to find one made from copper and they are very valuable!
This one, roughly $67,000.00 !
Of course it has to be authenticated.
But, I am thinking Greek Island cruise on a dialysis equipped ship!
(very expensive!)

So, like - WOW!
:^)

Merry Christmas

It was 1968.
The streets of European capitals were in an uproar.
Everyone hated Americans - because of US involvement in Vietnam's attempts at self determination.
(assumed by cynics like me to really be over protecting US investments in ASMERA Oil)

So, this song was well timed.
Yeah, the original group did this in 1967 in Germany but there was no play time until 1968!
Unfortunately, I was in Paris for the riots.
And though I was perplexed over the lyrics in 1968.
I remembered and worked through the meanings ....

It may seem odd to play this on Christmas, but what better time to stop and think .....

Christmas Disaster

It was Christmas 2016, when the sewer line went out.
Many thousands of dollars later, we had a new drain system under the house,
To celehrate the New Year with a ceremonial flush.

In 2017, again at Christmas, the furnace went out,
Again a bank account draining amount of money put a new furnace under the house.


Yesterday, the hot water went out!
Really?
I put this new water heater in back in 2006, and it is out again?

So, with youngest daughter in hand, I went downstairs.
Only the basement is flooded!
I have no idea how, there are chunks of flooring missing from the 2001 earthquake!
And somehow it is not draining the basement?
... sigh ...

So, guess what I get to do after dialysis today?
Yeah, death warmed over has to get a sump pump down there.
And then figure out where the water came from ....
sigh .....

In the meantime, the South King County Sailing Regatta has a warm place to practice!


Late breaking news!
Son drove to me local huge hardware store.
(i can not drive over a mile on days i dialyze, it triggers my PTSD something horrible!)
Bought a pump that looks like it could do the job, no thanks to surly, less than helpful staff..
Returned home and found no traces of the regatta depth water!
Huh?
Back to the hardware store, for a return.
Cheerful clerk gave me a 20%  off your entire purchase coupon ....

Uhm, I am a guy,
In a tool store,
Armed with decent discount coupon -
I went shopping!

Got supplies to weatherize the basement door,
Repair the roof areas that are weak,
And a chainsaw!

So, son went to work on the roof and door.
While I cut up branches from that windstorm from hell!
Yeah, the tornado hit four miles from us, the winds here were unbelievable!
Just over 4,300 homes were left without power,
Numerous  roads blocked by downed trees and power lines,
And telephone poles literally ripped from the ground whole!

Amazing to see,
Fearful to experience.
I just had to pick up and chop about 1,200 pounds of branches!
Yeah, Douglas Fir not a good choices in areas with high winds.b
But, f9or a storm, est part - no loss of life!

Musical Saturday Morning

God's Words at Christmas

Thinking on John 3:16-18

"I love you"
God is love.
Jesus is God.
Jesus demonstrated REAL love:
     Thru His incarnation.
     Thru His life
     Thru His death

"I want what's best for you"
Jesus answers our need for real love.
In our love language.
But some people have walls blocking real love,
Not allowing the belief there really is real love!
Jesus continually calls in our life:
     To live his life
     To be at risk for others
     To demonstrate His love.

"I am with you"
Via Mary, Jesus became man.
Jesus experienced all of man's temptations.
His Spirit will reside in each follower.

"You must follow me"
No one may approach God without Jesus coming between you and Him.
 And it costs you nothing, save your pride!

Sights of Christmas

Christmas has been so sanitized by our cultue that it bears no resemblance to reality!
But, you can not see the true God or Jesus, with understanding the price paid by so many ...

I see Angels who knew their purpose.
Six times Angels appear in the Christmas story.

See Luke 2:8

I see shepherds with a new perspective
Imagine the shock of suddenly seeing an Angel!
Nothing in their culture could have prepared them for such an occurance!
It was just a typical night - then Angels!

Shepherds were usually children.
They had no legal say in anything.
Hence they could not even "testify" to what they saw or heard.
Yet, the Angels woke them up!

I see people filled with hope
Octavian, the Roman ruler orders a head count.
Of course, it is government, they want taxes from everyone.
Joseph and Mary head to Bethlehem.

I see each iof us reflected in the eyes of God
We each possess the Spirit of God.
We have the ability to put on the character of God.
We each have the task of reflecting God's light to a lost generation ...

Tornado!

Nothing could have prepsred us for what happened yesterday, just after 1:00 PM ...
An honest to gosh - tornado!
Luckily it hit three miles west of here.
But it did hit one of "my boys"!

I guess if you are going to have a tornado,
It is good no one gets killed.
But it was a complete surprise.
Even the guys watching radar never saw it coming!

So, it hit right behind Walmart,
Then stayed on the ground and wiped out the oppositre side as well1
It was only on the ground for less than a minute.

Amazing, simply amazing.
Washington State's third tornado.

Remember those affected in prayers of praise ...

Poor GG

Gaelic Girls recovery has gone exceptionally well.
Oh yes, tons of pain and swelling.
But, well enough she over did it Sunday night.

So, I am working on soming, when I hear a big crash!
Followed by a line of cursing you would not believe!
Yeah, well she is a gold miner's daughter.
And they can make the best sailor blush when they let loose!

So I hobble into the kitchen and she is entrapped by her walker and a pile of laundry!
This from someone whom was supposed to be in bed!

Yeah, she thought she could sneak doing soe washing of quilting fabrics!
Net result was more pain, more swelling, a pulled (if not torn) hamstring!
So off to the doctor today - because I have so much free time at this moment ....
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I am hoping she gets lectured good over this latest stunt.
As her oldest friend said, "Yeah, well she is never one to not over do everything ..."

Genetics

So, I mentioned earlier this year about the travails of doing my DNA.
I was so tired of the constant bigotry and fighting the family over my having and Indian grandfather!
Much less Umatilla Indian at that!
gggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
So, DNA would shut them up, right?

Nope.
Next hurtle was that the LDS archives say that there was a blackman, like six generations back1
And this all I hear from these racists!
It makes me want to puke!
I have so little in common with these people I am straddled with in this life ...

Then, out of the blue, I get an email.
From the wife of someone who matched my mother's side of the DNA!
The son of an adoptee, he has no family that he knows of.

So, I sat down with my now 20 year old history of the family.
It took maybe five minutes to figure out that he had to be the grandson of my most hated of uncles!
Yes, Kris can hate - but you REALLY have to earn that one!

I wrote that uncle off in 1963.
He was a wife beater, abuser of children and an alcoholic.
As an adult 55 years later guess where I stand on all of these issues!
Yeah.

But, although he did earn lifelong disgust from me, once a Christian I did pray for him regularly.
And he did come to Jesus.
Through the efforts of the Anchorage, Alaska Salvation Army!
They even dried him out.
This did not make him a better man.
He was a self indulged con-man to the day he died.

And yet, his life showed the change that only Jesus can make.
He cared for widows and orphans.
And helping other alcoholics change!

I still shake my heart at the contrast!

And this guy, is going to want to know about his grandfather.
And I do not have any easy answers for him ... or me.

Musical Saturday Morning

Having regained a part of my mind, at least through 1978, I have had a great many memories to work through.
And a part of those memories was the anti-war movement of the late 1960's.
As a young teen, and utterly naive, I found all of the issues confusing.
As well as people's reaction to Lyndon Johnson's continual stream of lies flowing from his mouth.
Me and my friends, all came to the conclusion this man was either the dumbest president ever - or the worst liar ever!
Yeah, we were merciless ...

I liked this song back then.
But, it was hard to find a station which would play it!
Yeah, NATO bases might play one hour of rock a day, but not a single anti-war tune .....

So, I found this interesting mashup"
Song plus footage from Metropolis.
My favorite film since I was 13!
Yeah, nothing normal about me.....

Seattle’s First Christmas

 Just a little perspective this holiday season .....

Nineteen year old David Denny walked from the Williamette Valley of Oregon to select a place for settlement in the remote Puget Sound region of what was to become Washington State.  He selected a spot known to the local Indians as Smaquamox (todays Alki Point), a point of land on the salt water shoreline with a gentle beach.

David, an experienced outdoorsman already, had promised to be building cabins for a party coming by ship. The party landed on November 13, 1851. But there was no village of completed cabins!  David had somehow managed to cut his foot badly with the axe and his body was consumed by fever. A single four wall cabin had been begun but had no roof - and there were 24 people in need of shelter!

By Christmas Day, the first cabin had been completed, a larger cabin built and two Indian style homes as well!

The Denny family (Arthur, Mary Anne, and their three children; David and Louisa Boren) moved into the larger cabin, the Boren family (Carson, Mary, and their daughter) took the smaller cabin, the Low family (John, Lydia, and their four children) took one of the Indian style homes, while the Bell family (John, Sarah Anne, and their four children) occupied the other.  There were also two additional bachelors, Charles and Terry Lee, whom were rotated around the homes.  This was the arrangement that first Christmas, outside of a few curious Indians, who frequented this area.

Since Arthur Denny’s house was the largest, it was selected as the place for the community celebration. Louisa took the children into the forest to collect cedar boughs for decoration.  They gathered armfuls of Oregon Grape (a shrub with a leaf like Holly) for making wreaths.  The wreath over the door was tied together with the red ribbon from Louisa’s hair, into a festive bow.

Other women cooked two geese David had caught, potatoes and salmon were provided by the local Duwamish Indians, pies were baked from dried apples brought from Illinois. A small amount of tea was shared and the kids all drank clam juice.

In addition, there was a major push to repair the soles of shoes and mend clothing.  By Christmas morning 1851, it was a far different band of settlers whom gathered together.  Before they had started out on their journey, Louisa, had hidden small toys and trinkets for this very day, for the children. 

From the Duwamish settlement (about six miles away in Tukwila), came two of the bachelors, whom canoed over to join the event!  By all oral and written accounts, it was a truly joyous day of celebration.

Assurance

1 John 5:6-13

The Witness
Water - Baptism
Blood - The cross

The Roman Centurion witnessed both the blood and water flowing out of Jesus' corpse.

Baptism was thew beginning of Jesus ministry.
Jesus death on a cross, was the end.

Witness of the Spirit
The Spirit, water and blood agree.
The Spirit is always with God and Jesus.

Spirit same as the Holy Ghost.

Witness of the Father
" ... this is my beloved son ..."
Our future is secure.

Witness of Our Conversion
We have life through Him,
In Him,
Because of Him.

Life is greater than just our physical existence.

Our goal is Heaven.
Not this life, on this Earth.
Not our wants and desires.
Not who or what you are.

Change where your eyes are on.
Change your goals.
Live your life for tomorrow, in Heaven.
Not for today ....

God's Love

1 John 4:7-21

The Love of God
He loves us,
Not because we love Him,
Because He is love.

God is love.
Those born of God are God's children.
God loves His children.
His children love Him in return.
We are to love like God.

Anyone can love what is lovely.
Everyone will find value in what they love.
You create value where there was none.

Take His Love in!

Live His Love
We love because He first loved us!
God initiates love.
We imitate God and His love.

In the early Church (aka The Way), Love is what set Christians apart from Roman Culture.
Christians rebuilding the Provence of Asia, following devastating floods, stunned the Roman world.

Wonder why the 21st century Christian Church is dying?

Because we are not loving one another,
Much less the world, we are to witness to, around us.

How to Love:
Listen
Speak
Give
Pray
Answer
Share
Enjoy
Trust
Forgive
Promise

Give Up Fear!
Fear kills love.
Love conquers fear, if you will let it!

But, they you will have to drop your stigmas to do so .....

Knowing Good from Bad

In summary:
Good equals love and kindness
Bad equals hate and evil

Not exactly rocket science there, but in the real world - possibly no way to know soon enough!

1 John 4:1-6

John knew there were wolves in the church - looking to lead the Church astray
Think of the heretic, Marceon, whom almost destroyed the original following of Jesus!
He pick and chose what he wanted to believe as a follower of Jesus.
Luckily, he was found out and expelled from the early Church.
Unfortunately, about two-thirds of the existing church went with him!


Are You Following A False Prophet
Don't believe everything you hear.
Test the spirits!

Falsehood echoes throughout the history of the Church and today's electronic media!
Half-truths are always worse than falsehood.

Unity in the essentials of the faith.
Freedom in all else.

D not just accept and believe!
Test, Pray, Wait!

The True Jesus
Which Jesus do you believe in?
We continually create Jesus in our own image!
Our worldview.
Supporting and bound by our culture, wants and desires ...

Jesus was God
Came in the flesh
Was cruxifed
Was resurrected
And is still God.....

Are You Trusting The Greater Spirit?
Is your God an overcomer?
A champion?
A companion?
Living?

Does your faith yield the fruits of the Spirit?

The Holy Spirit always points to Jesus.

Are You Listening To The Right Teachers?
Who is your authority?

1.  Scripture
2.  Orthodox
3.  Jesus centered
4.  Biblical
5.  Results in Unity, not division

Musical Saturday Morning

I was attending the Ramstein Canadian Junior High School.
It was just some outlaying buildings surrounded by layers of barbed wire.
It was also about a half mile from the NATO Junior High.
And if you had to go to the main school, you had all of 5 minutes between classes to make it1
Naturally, it was all but impossible.

So we would milk it.
Walking slowly, we would talk about American culture and English music .. okay, occasionally girls.
We were about as clueless about them, as we were about this big hit for 1968!
Were certain Disney was going to release a rock version of Addadin's Lamp!

Yah, the innocence of youth ...
But not so innocent as to not know these guys were totally faking the song and utterly stoned:

Munger

So it was Tuesday night and my nerves were shot.
I just knew that with my Plattner luck, which reinforces Murphy's Law would kill GG!
After my internals were utterly depleted, I sat down to calm down.
I had just bought a book about the artist, Gilbert Munger.

Yeah, most people have never heaerd of him.
But, he was a less successful version of Albert Bierstadt - "The" Painter of the American West.
And he knew he was better.
Many in the West believed this true as well.
But, Bierstadt had the promoters and advertisers.

Munger even was the official painter for all of Emmons expeditions.
Yeah, you never heard of Emmons either.
But you have John Powell.
Same problem Munger had.
Luckily, Emmons, due to cunning became fabulously wealthy - and - he never forgot Munger.

So, 1860 - 1880, Munger did well in America.
But, the Pre-Raphelite movement was rising in Europe.
So, he moved to England to learn more.
But all Europeans wanted was pictures of the West!
Twenty years of this and he returned America.

He had been highly successful in Europe.
He had most European countries highest awards.
He thought he would be hearlded.
He was utterly ignored.

The final 15 years of his life is the story of failure.
Oh, his talent was still there.
But styles had changed as had the rules of the art game.
And, he could not adapt quick enough.

Why should he?
He was great.
He had the awards to prove it.
But, he had no following.

Luckily, he had three strong friends.
All had become wealthy with the development in western infrastructures.
Munger had invested poorly before leaving for Europe.

By the end, he was penniless.
Emmons knew his friend was dying of what we know as cancer.
And paid off $10,000 in debt in 1904 dollars!, for Munger to take the pressure off him.

With literally, the last stroke of his brush, to complete his greatest work, Niagara Falls, he died.
Unfortunately, it was in a style, no longer desired by anyone.
And, it was huge!

There are some very important lessons in his story applicable to artists today.
And wishing I could have been an artist, I think on this.

The easy answer is that art is actually dead.
It no longer exists due to art Nazi's taking over the domain.
New artists are diverted from art to social and political statements.
Yet, those cursed with the artist call, must produce, for reasons we do not even understand.
And there is few if any rewards.

Frustrations yes.
Torn between prostituting yourself desires, ideas and work for MONEY, only.
And the call to create something enduring.
Something which can draw the eye and then the mind.

Yeah, I feel for Munger.
He could not understand.
What artist ever does?


Nice hobby.
But don't quit your day job as they say .....

Whew!

So Gaelic Girl had her knee replacement surgery.
I was a very nervous pup, she has never had major surgery and her mother died from the gases used on her!
So nervous, I was up Tuesday night face down in the throne room.
Sigh .....
I really hate throwing up!

So, she is laying here, mind blown on morphine.
A machine running a circular pattern, like a bicycle would do, with the new knee.
Such a cool device!
How I wish such existed back in 1971!
(when I blew out my kinees ... )

I was so frightened that she might not survive!
Happy she has.
No, nothing will make her truly like me.
But, I would have her in my life - than gone from it!

So, praising God for small victories ...

Kimmie!

I was slowly making my way through the crowd gathered between first and second service.
About 400 leave the first service, to be immediately followed by roughly 500 attempting to enter the sanctuary!
So quite a swirl of people.
I just wiggle my way along.
No one talks to me, ever.

But one lady blocked my way.
She wanted to talk.
Too weird!
She is the mother of four of my students from long ago.
So, the most fearful creature know to any youth worker - A PARENT!
Turns out nothing was on her mind, she just wanted to talk.
As I said before, too weird!

But as I redirected my attention to once again getting into the church, I was blocked again!
I looked up into the most beautiful set of eyes.
Refocusing, I just could not place the face.
Then, she said, "Kris!".
And instantly I knew it was Missionary Girl.
Long gone from these pages, she had last been mentioned here, at her marriage.
Thing have gone well across the years for her.
And now she is pregnant!

So hard watching the fleeting manner of time.
Only yesterday she was a high schooler asking me about doing missions work.
And later harder questions about marriage and life.
Nothing like life coaching via the internet!
And someone you really do not know.

But it was so good to see her again.
Unless triggered, my vacuous mind remembers nothing on its own.
So, it was a delight to regain some pleasant memories, as well as, delight in her happiness!

It is good if you want to remember her in prayer.
February is her due date.

And I write this sitting in the surgical waiting room, as GG has her right knee replaced.
So MUCH prayer needed there, as well!

Prayer Request

Tomorrow, Gaelic Girl, undergoes a knee replacement!

She has suffered with a disintergrating knee for three years now.
Of course, she will not listen to me, so did nothing.
Now she can barely stand ...
So, 6 am Wednesday, I will be taking her in.

I do pray she does well and recovers easily.

In the meantime, I am trying to make the house clean enough for someone with a deep wound!
And she is of course fighting me over this.
She just refuses to understand!

Please keep her in prayer during the many weeks of recover she faces.
Thank you.

I Hate Bigots

I guess that makes me a bigot too?

Since all of my time will be tied up in December by either caring for GG or in dialysis - so I took mother shopping!
(I will explain about GG tomorrow.)

Mother of course was in rare form!
She decided to finally read my Spencer Family history, 20 years after I gave it to her.
And, then, only because her brother told her that I said their grandfather was black.
Given that both of them are outright ugly bigots - she exploded all over me!

Back home, I dug out my copy of the book and tried to see her viewpoint.
Of course, the only reference to anyone being non-white was in a section discussing the problem of relying on the Mormon data records.
They have an error where they took the name of mother's great-grandfater, born in Kentucky and confused him with a man born in Alabama!
Same name, same dates, same children!
But, one is non-white.
And I only know this because I ran down a picture of him!

Fine by me.
I have no bigoted bones in my body.
But, good Lord, my mother!

So, I read the section to her and pointed out that in English, she is transliterating, not reading the text.
KABOOM!
How dare I correct her?!!!!!!?

So, she is going off to the local Morman library to see whom can correct this error.
What-ever .....

It just sickens me that people in this culture are so separatist leaning.

Of course she was born into a Latter Day Saint missionary family.
So they should have lots of documents already.
I told it her it is only an entry error.
But OH NO!
He is not black!
And that is the point .......

Did I ever mention that she is quite insane?

Musical Saturday Morning

A flash back, to the first video I posted, oh so long ago!
LOL

And as with last time, no worries my friends!
The song contains a trigger that would equate to a call for help by me.
Who would have thought it would end up in a song?
Get mis-understood.
Though we did have a great weekend!
LOL