blogs | A Voice From the Foothills

Oh, excuse me. Don’t mind me. I’m just dribbling. A little idea here, a little factoid there. Nothing much to alert the press about. Surely no need to take to the bomb shelter. Just the sleepy weekend fare.

The Contrarian is cooking today. “Stay out of the kitchen, woman–I’m in charge!” Okay, as I creep away, hiding behind a computer. Forewarned is forearmed. Naw. Actually he produces a great meal sometimes, and an edible one at all times. It’s safe to continue.

We got a couple of inches of snow last night. I did not explode in expletives however. I took it in “stride” as my new found peace dictates. I’m embracing the beauty, smiling at the bright blue sky, and recalling the three fat robins perched outside the bedroom window on the lilac bushes. “Agnes, I said we should wait a week. Now we have to get all wet in this mess!”

We are up to our eyeballs in March Madness. It’s the year of the upset. They predicted there wouldn’t be any or darn few. They were wrong. So were those folks who created the brackets this year. So wrong. Being right, means four one’s end up in the final four. Not this year. Prince charming is gonna have his choice of Cinderellas this year.

The Roman Catholic church continues to grapple for a hold on sanity as it spirals into hell for it’s treatment of pedophile priests. The cover up seems to still be uncovering and it’s dirtying more and more of the higher ups. It’s sad, pathetic, horrific. The harm that they have done is so far reaching as to be nearly incalculable. All Christendom is tainted. I cannot not imagine how this was reconciled as somehow being Christ-like by offending clergy and superiors.

The health care reform bill seems poised to pass amidst all the hoopla. Everyone is counting heads, trying to maintain the suspense. There is no end to the lies and silly walks the opposition seems ready to pull. Now it’s some vast mean offense against God to vote on Sunday. I think Jesus actually spoke to that–the sabbath being created for man and not man for the sabbath? Something like that. But Monday should be interesting. If it passes (as I suspect it will), we shall wait and see if the earth still spins on Monday, or if it is burnt to a cinder by Satan’s minions. Cast your bets.

Sandra Bullock, after making all kinds of speeches about her wonderful husband, Jesse James (the name should have alerted the girl no?), has left him for his years long infidelity. Some people care, and I wonder why. I mean as a human, I am sad she is sad, but beyond that? Doesn’t cross my radar. Yet, we, the great egalitarian society (so we protest against clear evidence to the contrary) continue to place people on pedestals and expect them not to be like “us.” Go figure that one out.

I’ve bogged down in my knitting, which always happens. Remember, I am not addicted to any craft–no passion. So, after a few weeks, I get tired of purling and knitting and yarn overing and all that. I’m poised to return to crochet, some lacy edgings that I can sew together for a spring shawl? I’ll get a quarter or so done, before that wanes too. It’s me, and I’ve come to accept it. Somehow, they all get done, over time.

I’m about to finish a book on Christian women in the fourth century. It’s not as good as I expected. Next on the agenda is a tome on the Reformation. It’s a subject I’m woefully not well versed in. I’m interested in reading some Camus and some Philo as well. I’m itching for a trip to the bookstore next week, if the weather allows it.

I’ve spent some hours this morning reading blogs. It’s so refreshing to do. I learn a lot, am uplifted. I laugh, I nod in agreement, and once or twice, I yelped in horror. Thanks Randal, I really really needed that pic seared into my skull! I try always to spend some time with cheeseburger and hotdog pics. They always make me happy. Jan always has words of wisdom. Madpriest takes us to task on things we should be taken to task for. Dave reminds us of things that fully sensory folks take for granted. Blisterina takes awesome photos that just make the spirit soar. I could go on, but you probably read them all too, and more than me.

So, have yourselves a pleasant Saturday. Remember to take some time to have fun, relax and stop to smell a rose or two along the way.

I’m layin’ back and enjoying the day, as best as I can, given it’s barely breaking 70 today. Not skipping church, if you were thinking that. I went yesterday, a first time for me. I was obligated to set up for our library book sale, so it obviously made no sense not to go to Saturday evening services. It was different. Not my cup o’ tea as they say. But as our priest said, “now you’ve been to one!”

So, I’m foot loose and fancy free as they say, or don’t as you prefer your metaphor. I’m not sure what foot loose means, nor fancy free for that matter. Another of those things we take for granted and have no clue where they came from. Probably had something to do with the plague or something. You know that “ring around the rosy” got it’s start there don’t cha? Yep.

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Moving right along, I just wanted to announce that I’m a bona fide professional book reviewer. I’m sure you can tell the difference, when I passed through that portal into the rarefied confines of New York publishing heaven. Yes indeed, and the view is quite fine looking down upon the rest of you wannabes.

The proof of my new found status is that I received in the mail, U N S O L I C I T E D, my first book from a publisher. Now I was curious, and somewhat confused to be sure at first. I dutifully looked through my LibraryThing (located to the left down the sidebar), assuming it was one that I had checked off as wanting to review. No such find. I noted that it came from the Hachette Book Group, which distributes for Little Brown & Co. I noted that the review I just did for “The Evolution of God” came from LB&C. So my interest was piqued.

I finally wrote an email to the distributor, and received a reply rather quickly. Indeed, they had thought I might enjoy the book sent, and would be most pleased should I review it. A cheesy smile encompasses my face, as I am back in the throes of “professional” something or other, albeit, no word of $$$ seemed to cross a lip either way. I’m not sure if money is required to seal the deal, but I’m choosing to revel in my new found glory. I assume of course that you are all suitably impressed and will announce this fact around your neighborhood, family, and professional associations as well.

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Moving on to the short takes as it were. I was alerted via email by Shannon of a blog I should look at, a post in particular and found myself at “Caught a glimpse of Jesus down by the railroad tracks…” This in reference to my mini rant of two days about “What is the Message?” Said blogger is in discernment for the diaconate in TEC, and runs a homeless shelter. Interesting and compelling reading, so take a look.

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I ran across this piece and found it highly amusing and well, heck far be it from me to stop beating a dead horse. I say turn it into horseburger! Sarah, well known, for being the most incurious politician in America, unless the curiosity has to do with herself, is almost unintelligible as you well know. Her inability to capture a single thought and expound on it in any rational way are legend. This post from John Lundberg at HuffPo, shows just how easy it is to find the poet in Sarah’s words, if not any sense. Since poetry need not contain sense, well it all makes perfect sense doesn’t it? Enjoy. Few laughs are as cheap as this one.

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A couple of atheists took me to task for my post last week about atheists and that I found them intellectually wanting. Seems at least one person agrees with me, lumping their “certainty” of no God as about as obnoxious as the “certainty” of fundamentalists. Now I hadn’t thought of that. Just a short piece by worth a gander. As I continued compiling this post, more was generated in comments to the above and so another post ensued. It makes for good reading if you are so inclined in the atheist-vs-agnostic-vs-believer saga.

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And just cuz it’s been forever since I posted a recipe, I thought I’d do one that makes my mouth water, nachos! Good homemade nachos are priceless in the Tex-Mex inventory, and this one just says, yowie, that’s a spicy nacho! As with all nachos you can add or subtract ingredients here and there as your taste dictates. Let’s hear it for Spicy Chicken Nachos!