"What is the Bible?"

My best friend ever (since she was born six months after I was) asked if I would read a book with her and we could talk about it once a week. Of course. What a good idea! Last night we finished our first book: What is the Bible? by Rob Bell. 

The title could just as easily been How To Read the Bible because that is the crux of the material. First and foremost he talks about reading it in context: the religious, cultural, political context of the day in which it was written. Fortunately I had a pastor or two who spoke of scripture from its historical context before relating it to us today so the idea was not new to me. Bell has taken the ideas farther than I have been aware. 

He has a delightful sense of humor and engages the readers as if we were in the room with him having conversation. He stays serious though when dealing with such questions as “Did Jesus have to die?” and “What about the resurrection?” He also deals with what happens when you start reading this way and discovering new and deeper meanings that change your thinking and put you at odds with others in your church, Sunday School class or Bible study group. He sees the Bible as the story of the evolution of humanity’s thinking about God and your personal evolution is just as important to him. 

If you are in a Bible study group or just want to up your own understanding of the Bible, this is a good book. Light and interesting while at the same time taking you deeper into meaning then and now, Bell’s What is the Bible? will give you a basis for such study for a long time. 

Enough! It's Time!!

I have been debating how to say this - if I can even say this. The First Amendment certainly allows me to say this. I’m not sure what is holding me back.  So here goes, blunt and to the point.

Our president, vice-president and many congresspeople and state legislators are murderers. As surely as if they stood next to the young man with the gun and pulled the trigger, they are murderers of our children because they allow assault rifles to be bought easily by anyone. 

How do they live with themselves? 

How do they look their own children in the eye and say, “I allowed your class mates to die."?

Assault rifles only belong in the military. My daughter and her first husband, a Special Forces soldier, were living in Denver when the Columbine shooting occurred. This soldier got rid of his semi-automatic rifle because he realized there was no reason for semis to be sold on the civilian market, and if he hadn’t access to that weapon, neither would Dylan and Eric. 

We need to vote the murderers out of office and make sure those we vote in have taken no money, not one cent, from the NRA.  And we need to call those who do what they are: murderers. 

Robert Burns Dinner

Once again we attended the Annual Robert Burns Celebration of the Nevada Society of Scottish Clans. It is amazing how many folks are there in kilts. Our friend Phil who has been here from Scotland for about 4 years says it is the largest celebration of its kind he has seen and he has attended ones in Edinburgh and London. 

Dean and Phil, who always wears his kilt of course. 

Not only are there kilts, there are also bag pipes and 

dancing and lots of Burns' poetry.

Phil and Patty who is wearing the corsage of heather that we are all given

upon arrival at the event. 

Susan and Dean. The green/blue scarf Dean is wearing is the 

McKay tartan. One day we may get him a kilt or at least a

vest in his tartan.

All four of us having had a wonderful evening, imbibed a lot of Scotch

(which is why Dean and I spend the night at the hotel rather than drive back

up the hill), eaten haggis as well as other (more) delicious food, and topped it 

off with caramel bread pudding. It is a fun event and I am glad we discovered

it several years ago and that we have a true Scotsman in our party. 

Family Tradition continues

2018 Ashland High School Actors win Honors at Regional Acting Competition

  10 of the actors won blue ribbons as State Qualifiers (top 10% scores); they will go on to the state acting competition in Salem, OR in April.

Akira Supelana-Mix   State qualifier Solo Acting 

Because I wanted to make sure all the information was correct, I copied this from an email the Ashland High School theatre teacher and director sent. 

Last night as we were on Skype, Akira performed his two monologues for me. He chose really well, choosing two that were very different: the first, Puck, from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream; the second, Hamilton, from Lin Manuel Maranda's Hamilton. One poetic,

light and very active, the other modern rap, heavy and appropriately still.  

Having coached students to participate in such competitions and also having judged a number

of them, I thought he did very well and I was very proud, both as theatre person and as a grand- mother. 

Ashland High School sent 25 students to the event, with 13 of them winning 18 awards. Very

impressive. I am so pleased with the theatre program at AHS and grateful that Akira is a part of it and doing well. 

There Are Advantages . . .

It is nice to be known. I sometimes complain that Tahoe City is so small. I would like to be able to go to some place simple like Target or Home Depot without having to drive an hour. On the other hand, in a small town, you get to be known. 

The woman at the dog food store remembered my sciatica and carried the big bag to the car for me even though my leg is fine now. At the Post Office, I commented on the sign that said I needed an appointment to renew my passport. “How do I do that?” I asked. “Oh, I’ll do it now for you.” And then when I realized I had left my PO key in the car, he said he would get my mail for me. Went to the pharmacy and although I didn’t need anything from the pharmacist, he waved at me as I walked by. Even in the grocery store, the check out clerk and I recognized each other and chatted as I went through. Like I said, it’s nice to be known. 

Celebrating 75

When Dean asked what I wanted to do for my birthday celebration, I said, I wanted our grandson, Kyle, to join us for dinner. We ended up having Kyle make us reservations at the really nice restaurant where he works as a server. We had a delightful time tucked away in a far corner, the perfect table for Dean to hear what was being said and joining in the conversation. 

I often order a cranberry/pineapple juice mixture in a nice glass "so it looks like I am having a cocktail". For the first time, it was brought me in a martini glass. Delightful. I had never drunk from a martini glass, so it was a new experience. They are made for sipping. Lovely.

Grandson Kyle. This restaurant gives their servers credit for a meal and Kyle donated his to the celebration. A very nice birthday present! Thank you, Kyle!

Dean and Kyle had the surf and turf.

I was going to eat "light" so after lobster bisque, I added grilled chicken to a Wedge - and as you can see it was Huge. Brought home a lot of it for tomorrow's lunch.

Here I am with my two guys doing exactly what I wanted for my birthday. 

They brought me a candle on one of the two desserts we ordered.

I made a wish and blew out the candle sending blessings for everyone into the atmosphere.

It's been a good birthday to celebrate three-quarters of a century. I'm feeling good and very happy and doing well as I move with energy into the next quarter.

Blessings to wherever you are in your journey around the sun!

A Divided Self

As many of you know I was supposed to travel to Texas last week to my step-brother’s funeral. In spite of the sadness of the occasion, I was looking forward to seeing that side of my family that I had not seen since our mother’s funeral 13 years ago. I had an early flight and weather in Tahoe was to be snowy (which it wasn’t) so I spent Monday night at an airport hotel in Reno. I spent the night being sick and by 4 am, I cancelled my flight and stayed in bed until Dean came for me at noon. 

While I slept and lay there, I was very aware I was supposed to be on a plane. By the time I was home, I was very aware of my friend and her house and what our conversation that afternoon and evening would have been. 

Wednesday, again a day in bed, I kept thinking about my friend and my family and what it was like to be gathering, visiting, sharing. 

Thursday was the service itself and although I got out of bed and bathed and dressed, I just sat around rather sad and depressed and was with the family, thinking about them and loving them and wondering about the service. My step-sister and her daughters were planning lunch for the family and, knowing these women, I know it was amazing. She may have just pulled together food at the house (there is always lots of food brought to the house at a Southern funeral) or maybe she had it catered. Whatever she decided, be assured it was casually elegant and perfectly planned and of course delicious. 

Friday morning about 3 o’clock, I woke with the realization that I was well. As I was supposed to be spending the afternoon and evening with more good friends, I thought about them a lot and all the things we would have talked about and shared together.

As I woke on Saturday morning, I knew I was on the plane. About noon my emotional self popped back into my physical self and I was home. 

It was an interesting experience. Usually I am very present in the moment wherever I am and whatever I am doing. Last week I was definitely a divided person, physically existing in my normal environment and still very present in a distant place. It’s good to be one again.