Rosh Hashana

"for a good year"

L'shanah tovah

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...In the seventh month, on the first of the month, there shall be a sabbath for you, a remembrance with shofar blasts, a holy convocation. -Leviticus 16:24

The shofar is a ram's horn which
is blown somewhat like a trumpet.

No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah and much of the day is spent in synagogue, where the regular daily liturgy is somewhat expanded. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year." Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year.
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To all our Jewish friends, "L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem".
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Desert dry Diamondhead crater climb
...then 7 miles away,
hiking in a tropical rain-forest

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['click-on' any of the photos to see an enlarged version]

Tuesday morning, August 12, 2008

This is Rozann as we walked across the floor of the crater - see the rim in the background. This is the low-point and starting point of the climb. The top of the rim is the goal. The semi-rugged path is very worn from tourist traffic, and the stairs up some parts of the trail are narrow and steep and plentiful. Fortunately, there were several 'rest-areas' along the route up, so we could catch our breath.

This is view from one of the WWII era 'pill-boxes' at the summit. The fortifications were meant to deter an attack by sea - of course they didn't attack by sea. Above picture is of lighthouse as seen with naked eye - below is with zoom lens.










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Tuesday afternoon, August 12, 2008

In a tropical rain forest, the size of things is almost unbelievable...look at Rozann next to these tree roots...look at the plant leafs behind that [she is rain-soaked, as was I - what should we have expected in a rain-forest?]

The target site for this hike was this water-falls. Was it worth the hike? Considering all the rain, and the 'moderate' rating of the trail, and the muddy clothes we 'pitched' once we got back to the hotel - of course it was worth it.
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when the saints came marching in

I was there in that number

twelve 20-30 something
single adult saints

. . . . .

I don't know all their exact ages, but I do know they're old enough to know better. And their 'better' is the way they hang-out with one another, take trips together, and serve others just for the sake of promoting friendship and 'love of the Lord.'

Since the last week of June [approximately] I have been engaged in an effort to clean-up / re-model / restore an old added-on to the back-of-the-house room. It has been slow going, to say the least.

This past week-end the saints arrived to give me a hand.

. . . . .
On Friday evening, the first two of three vehicles pulled-up in front of my house around 9pm. Each had 4 occupants. They drove from South Bend Indiana after each had gotten out of work at their 'day-jobs'. One additional vehicle with another 3 crew-members arrived Saturday morning around 10am. We also have a young woman presently living with us who joined right in with these never-before-met new friends.

Total = 12.

Their mission, and they had freely chosen to accept it, was to come to Muncie IN to help old uncle jim on his remodeling project. The goal was to relieve some of the pressures he was feeling from the slow progress he was making.


Two of the group, a JustinW and a SheilaP were the perps who put the group together. They just put a 'call' out to their other 20 - 30 something single friends and before they knew it there were 11 of them committed to the road trip [3 hours] and the 'Help Uncle Jim' project was launched.

There were a total of 4 men and 7 women saints. JustinW's family lives in Muncie, so he and the other men spent FR and SA night there. The 7 women stayed at our house [along with the recently moved in young lady I've mentioned - she made 8]. Bodies were everywhere - and the water heater seldom had time to recoup ... but everything worked out just fine.

Saturday was the project work-day. They did just about anything they were asked to do - and even if they had never done anything like it before, they were open to learning. They painted shutters, they hung drywall, they sanded and painted 4 doors [which included removing and reinstalling ALL hinges and knobs and locks, etc.] They removed a couple of other doors in order to move an upright freezer from an enclosed back-porch and placed it in the garage. Then they moved a spare refrigerator-freezer from the added-on to the back-of-the-house room to the space formerly occupied by the upright freezer that was now in the garage [this included removing both doors of the unit, reversing all hinges and handles, etc., to the opposite side of the cabinet - they learned a lot]. Wood furring strips were cut; a built-in toy-box was sanded and painted with 3-coats of the wife's specified color of paint. All kinds of odds- and ends were accomplished. ALL of it left less for me to do between now and completion of the job in the next couple of months.

Then it happened.

It was time for the University of Notre Dame game to be televised. Work stopped - and all of them, men and women alike, gathered in front of the TV. The women were as knowledgeable and enthusiastic during the game as any I've ever met. They claim that everything stops in South Bend when the team is playing at home - and when they are on the road, everyone is in front of a TV during the game. Such avid loyalty - wow!

When the game was over, they helped pick-up and put away all tools and paint and equipment. The men headed to Justin's house to clean up and come back in an hour or so for a huge dinner with all of us. The women began their rituals to get ready also - and as fast as they showered and cleaned up, they reported to the kitchen and dining area to help get everything prepared and set up for the banquet.

And what a feast we had. The food was great - the table conversation [we had 2 tables set up: one with 9 and one with 6] was super. We talked about quantum mechanics [I think] and guardian angels and creationism and each shared, per my question to them, about their own personal journey that eventually brought them together in South Bend Indiana ... and eventually to my house in Muncie IN. Home towns were from the suburbs of Philadelphia to the twin-cities of Minneapolis - St Paul to the heart of dixie in Alabama to Chicago to home-grown South Benders to a couple of locations I've forgotten. And each of them was responding to a 'call' from the Lord to seek out other like minded seriously Christian singles and help each other make it through the mine-fields of present day culture and society. They were nurses and computer IT geeks and homeless shelter staff and office workers and grad-students [one young lady working on a Masters in Theology] and other health care professionals including a speech pathologist and others occupations I've since forgotten.

I will N E V E R forget their faces and their pleasant dispositions and their willingness and eagerness to help.

Here's to: Justin W, Sheila P, Sarah H, Ricky T, Sarah E, Liz B, Peter G, Laura G, Meghan S, Dan R, Joy H, Allesha L - may God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit always keep them safe.

And I was there in that number, when these Saints came marching in.

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happy anniversary

to me

TODAY...
September 19, 2008...
a date which will live in infamy

Today is the one year anniversary of this b-log ... and while it has been pretty silent lately, it will return!!!! as soon as the back-room project is completed.

Thanks for your help.

it is hard to top Pearl Harbor - we didn't, but...

Monday afternoon

farewell Waikiki
- hello southern east coast

[ You can click on the pictures to see them enlarged]

Pearl Harbor consumed our morning. It had an almost numbing effect on us - it really put us into a somber mood. After leaving there, we decided we'd just take a drive around the south & southeast & eastern coast and see what we could find - at least as far north as Kanehoe. It was a beautiful drive.

It took us along the 'gold coast' area - the very fabulous and expensive waterfront homes and properties. Many of them looked like movie sets - almost unreal in their opulence. Of course they were gated and the road was narrow and we weren't they only sightseers out that day. So there was no opportunity to stop and gawk and take pictures.

We eventually came to and thence through the beachfront communities of the southern-east coast. The waves were moderate and a lot of wind-surfers were out trying their hand at managing their sails.

I forget

Here we go again

Which one's are the Republicans?

this November

vote your conscience

CATHOLIC VOTES COUNT

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[ 3:34 ]


CLICK on the above >, then be sure you cast ballot
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...and a big "THANK YOU" to Joy for sharing this with me

speaking in tongues

glossolalia

Every VOTE counts

Father John V. ???
or Father Kyle S. ???
or Father Dennis S. ???
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As a small child, many of us display characteristics and behaviors that can foretell some part of our future. What do you think? Could this have been a home video of any of our Blog Fathers? Cast your vote in 'comments'.
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[ 1:59 ]


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'Click on' the above > and then cast your vote.