19 September 2020 - Plague Journal Day 190

Micah 6:8
Matthew 5:37
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Well, me hearties, today be International Talk Like A Pirate Day! Them as talk like Long John Silver today be the lucky ones, so gab it up right proper or I'll keelhaul ye!

To make things even better, our feline friends are celebrating Meow Like A Pirate Day today as well; right, Jack, me mate?!

Today is also Big Whopper Liar Day. To be honest, I can't imagine telling a big whopper lie. I can, however, recall doing it.

I was probably in 8th grade when this happened. Dad and I were sent to "the store" to get something. (Yes, people used to actually go to a physical location in the real world and look for stuff, buy it with cash, and take it home. I know. It's amazing.) I don't remember what it was, but whatever it was, we couldn't find it at two or three different stores, so we ended up getting home without the desired item, and after a much longer time than it should have taken.
Dad told Mom what had happened, and she just accepted that she wouldn't have that item that day. Once Dad had left the room, I told Mom in my best conspiratorial tones that Dad had "misled" her. We had, I claimed, actually hardly tried to find her item at all. Instead, we had parked near the local Drive-In Theater and watched the movie (without sound) from there for quite a while. "Dad made me promise not to tell, but I didn't want to lie to you."

Fast forward to my Junior year at University. We were all driving along somewhere when Drive-In Theaters came up in the conversation. "By the way, Mom," I said. "You know when I told you Dad and I had watched a movie at the drive-in instead of shopping for whatever that was you wanted? Well, I totally made that up."
'Hilarity' ensued, as you might imagine. I'm not sure which story she ever ended up believing more, if either. Ah, memories of whoppers. (Oh, and I like malted milk balls too!)

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.

The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

18 September 2020 - Plague Journal Day 189

Micah 6:8
Matthew 26-27
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

The other day I heard a couple of the hosts on WJR-AM (that's 760AM in Detroit) talking about all the great folks with whom they had worked over the years and it made me think about the great programming I've heard on that station as long as I can remember.

One early memory (before 1965, based on the house in which the conversation took place) was of my wondering how Mom could tell which guy was on the radio - they all sounded the same to me then. I don't remember her reply, it was probably something as simple as, "listen long enough and you know their voices." That lack of recognition of voices is very much not the case now, so I'm thinking it was really an early instance of my gift for not being able to connect a name with a person (whether by sight or sound). I'm really good at that.

At any rate, I started trying to make a list in my head of programs and hosts I remember on WJR so I thought I'd share what I could produce here. (That's content generation for those of you who wonder how blog posts are created.)

• Karl Haas, Adventures in Good Music
• Mike Whorf, Kaleidoscope
• Gene Elsey, Music for Moderns
• JP McCarthy, the Morning Music Hall (that name didn't stick forever, now was it terribly accurate most of the time)
• Jimmy Launce, I think his show was just called the Jimmy Launce Show
  
• JP again with Focus
• Ted Strasser, Patterns in Music
• Jay Roberts, Night Flight 760
• Foster Braun, the Internet Advisor
• Gerry Whitman, Whitman's Sampler
• Bob Hines, whatever his overnight show was called (The jingle was "Spend the night with Bob Hines, on WJR." maybe that was the name of the show.)

I'm sure I'm missing a bunch more like Bud Guest, but I only remember of him, not actually listening to him. Still, that's quite a list of great radio hosts and programs for one station that wasn't syndicating their stuff across the country. 

That list is just people I remember from WJR - it doesn't even take into account all the great shows that actually were syndicated nationally out of Detroit back in the golden era of radio - things like the Lone Ranger - nor the other great stations here in the Motor City (WABX, WRIF, WQRS, the list goes on and on).
Yes, we've been very fortunate here in Detroit.

Radio is awesome.

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

17 September 2020 - Plague Journal Day 188

Micah 6:8
2 Chronicles 7:6
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Huzzah! We're having the first choir practice since March! 

OK, it's a handbell choir rather than vocal, but it's music, it's together, and it's fellowship.
I can hardly wait.

The plan is for the handbell choir to play at the worship service this Sunday, so join us at 9:30AM around the memorial garden at GPUMC! (or online)



Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

16 September 2020 - Plague Journal Day 187

Micah 6:8
Jeremiah 18:1-6
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Today is World Play Doh Day. In our family this is also known as International Shudder And Gag Day. Yes, I'll let you in on why we call it that. When Christian was very young - old enough to walk a bit, but not much more than that - we got him some Play Doh. I opened the can (I guess that's what you call those containers; maybe they're tubs?) of red Play Doh and let him reach in to get some. As the "aroma" hit him and he touched the stuff for the first time, he did a literal shudder and gag. It was a long time before he would play with the stuff. I guess I'm not sure how much he ever did with real Play Doh. I know he made stuff with the traditional salt and cornstarch Thanksgiving clay, but I really can't swear to the commercial Doh.

Today is also National Tattoo Story Day. I think it might be interesting to have Mr. Roarke share his Tattoo story, but I'm not sure I could get past the scent of rich Corinthian leather. (You may have to ask someone old to explain this reference to you.)

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

15 September 2020 - Plague Journal Day 186

Micah 6:8
Psalm 118:14-16
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

What a great, nearly normal seeming weekend we had. Camping with friends in what we had assumed would be a sparsely populated State Park campground, which turned out to be as crowded as any of us can ever remember. The consensus was that the crowds were there because:

1. It's the only thing we're allowed to do in the Southern part of the Lower Peninsula. 
2. Working from home can mean working from anywhere. 
3. Virtual school also can happen anywhere there's a phone signal.

In spite of the huge volume of people and dogs (we didn't notice any cats in the campground), things were peaceful and quiet - apart from the big rainstorm overnight Saturday, and the lusty pelting of tents and campers with acorns.

The shared dinner was, as always, tasty and oversupplied. Beef tenderloin, horseradish, tortellini, tomato salad, cucumber salad, German potato salad, French bread, green salad, on and on it went. Though we did our best to eat it all, there was still more than plenty left over for later (and there was pie, too!).
At any rate, a wonderful time was had by all, as usual, and no one was quite ready to pull out when the time came.
Ah, wilderness! (so to speak)

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

14 September 2020 - Plague Journal Day 185

Micah 6:8
Exodus 16;11-15
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Welcome to National Cream-Filled Donut Day!
While vanilla cream filled doughnuts (or donuts - what's your preference?) are good, if I were having a cream filled donut (doughnut), I'd go for the pastry cream filled ones. That's like the doughnut (donut) version of an éclair, and thus a level up from the typical cream filled donut (doughnut). You may have a different opinion, and I will gladly acknowledge your right to be wrong. Regardless, I encourage you to support your local doughnut (donut) shop by buying and eating some cream-filled donuts (doughnuts) today.
You're welcome.

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

13 September 2020 - Plague Journal Day 184

Micah 6:8
Psalm 148:1-4
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

It's Sunday, why not join us for worship at Grosse Pointe United Methodist Church? (211 Moross, Grosse Pointe Farms)
We meet on the lawn around the Memorial Garden, weather permitting, and worship starts at 9:30AM.

If you can't be there in person, join our YouTube live stream here.
This and past worship services can be found on our YouTube channel.

In addition to its being Sunday, today is also Roald Dahl Day as well as Snack A Pickle Day.
How might one celebrate these days? Eat a giant pickled peach, of course!

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.