03 October 2020 - Plague Journal Day 204

Micah 6:8
1 Corinthians 14:6-12
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?

I had a really nice musical experience these past couple days. This has been the IBMA World of Bluegrass week, and I actually "attended" more of it this year than just the awards shows as in years past.

The awards show was well done, and it was fun but also distressing to realize that each of the nominees had recorded an acceptance speech to be played should they win. That couldn't be easy - thanking everyone for something you hoped for, but didn't actually win. Anyway, I was pretty happy with most of the winning choices, and the musical performances were quite good. As I said, beyond tbut awards show I managed to check some of the other sessions as well (including the industry awards show the day before - congrats to Jack Tottle!).

The day after the awards show I joined a mandolin workshop with Alan Bibey (IBMA 2020 mandolin player of the year), and I was really pleased with how that went. I really thought it was going to be something I'd have on in the background and then when it was over I'd realize that I hadn't paid any attention. Nope. He was engaging, played a lot of licks to demonstrate what he was teaching - or mostly how he was answering questions from the audience - and it all worked.
Then I joined a vocal workshop with Johnny & Jeanette Williams. Again, this was actually way better than I would have expected. They explained the various forms of (trio) harmony in bluegrass and demonstrated each with a live song. It's pretty fun to hear folks say this is the structure of this harmony and then go ahead and sing it so you can hear what they mean. Who knew you could do all this online and have it seem like you were really getting some attention? I certainly didn't, but I'm glad I gave it a try anyway.

Good on you, IBMA!

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.

02 October 2020 - Plague Journal Day 203 - Vegage du Jour

Micah 6:8
Romans 14:1-3
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?

Yesterday was World Vegetarian Day. I don't know how I could have missed that. If I were ever to become a vegetarian, it wouldn't be because I loved animals too much to eat them; it would be because I hated plants so much that I wanted to consume them all.

Still, we had a friend over for dinner, and what I made actually fit in quite nicely with that celebration. 

We had my take on ratatouille - mostly fresh produce from our garden (zucchini, eggplant, yellow squash, tomatoes) with some carrots, onions, and mushrooms. In a deep cast iron skillet I slightly caramelized the carrots and onions, then added the sliced zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplant, sautéing until there was just a touch of color on all the vegetables. Then, in went the cherry tomatoes, a touch of salt, and some Herbes de Provence. A couple ounces of sweet vermouth and a bit of crushed tomatoes, just to juice it up a bit was all that was needed before dropping it in a 375F oven for 25 minutes. (Of course, that's not all that I did - I actually added some browned ground beef to the pot as I stirred it all up before putting it in the oven.) At that point I pulled it out, stirred it up again (just because), and covered it with a light layer of shredded Parmesan cheese, then under the broiler to melt and brown the cheese.

It was delicious. Highly recommended.

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.

01 October 2020 - Plague Journal Day 202

Micah 6:8
Daniel 2:20-22
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 October, one of the top twelve months of the year. This month we get something that only happens once in a blue moon - two full moons in the month! Yes, we're starting the month with a full moon, and we'll close it out with another.
At any rate, here in the Northern Hemisphere we're entering a time of stunning blue skies, gorgeous leaves, and cooler temperatures. It's time to lay in some firewood, folks.

It's also a very musical day -
It's National Black Dog Day - sing along here - and it's International Raccoon Appreciation Day - another sing-along here.

Not only that, the IBMA awards show is streaming this evening! Do some searching, I think you'll find a link to stream it free - Enjoy!

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.

30 September 2020 - Plague Journal Day 201

Micah 6:8
Genesis 1:9-10
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?

Wow! Today is International Thunderbirds Day! No, not the cars, and not the Native American ones either - it's the "Thunderbirds-Are-Go" Thunderbirds. Who knew they had their own day?
Here's a video blast from the past for you.

Of course, they weren't the only programs filmed in supermarionation. I actually remember two others more clearly and fondly. Those would be Fireball XL5 (I wish I were a spaceman!) and Supercar (after all, it could travel on land, in the air, in space, or under the sea - it could journey anywhere!)

Amazingly, today is also the 60th anniversary of the premiere of the Flintstones. Without that show we probably wouldn't have Family Guy.

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.

29 September 2020 - Plague Journal Day 200

Micah 6:8
Romans 1:18-25
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?

I just saw a bit of a BBC interview with Sir David Attenborough where he claims that we - humans - have overrun the planet, and that that's a bad thing.
Somehow he holds to the ideas of evolution - survival of the fittest, competition among life forms, and all that - and yet finds its results - our winning over other life forms - to be a bad thing.
One wonders how he can say this is bad when it's simply the outcome of the process he regards as what drives the universe.
Perhaps he doesn't quite believe what he thinks and claims he does. Perhaps he somehow thinks that there's an objective measure of "good" outside the raw workings of evolution and natural processes, whether he can articulate that or not. Then again, perhaps he's simply a chump.

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.

28 September 2020 - Plague Journal Day 199

Micah 6:8
Romans 14:12-14
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?

A quick mostly-non-political question for your consideration:
It seems that we're all desperately worried that the huge volume of absentee votes will overwhelm the mostly volunteer cadre of folks who have to count them. I think that's a realistic worry, and it seems to me that it would go a long way toward preventing any problems if those of us who don't actually have to vote absentee would simply vote in person. If you can go to Kroger, you can go to the polls. You know they're going to be enforcing masks and distancing as well as they can, so if you can, please vote in person.
The vote you cast may be your own.

OK, back to our regularly scheduled blog:

Today is Read A Child A Book You Like Day. That sounds like a hoot, really. I mean, almost all of us have at least one book they remember fondly from childhood. Why not find a copy of that book, find a child, and give this day a go? It's interesting, because I was just thinking of what to read next, and thought I might pull out The Wind in the Willows. I haven't read it in ages, but it's one of those books that works regardless of the reader's age. What's your book you'd like to read to a child?

Oh, and today is also National Drink Beer Day, so on top of that,you could drink a beer while reading to a child. That sounds like a prescription for things to go very right in an interesting way, no? Try doing voices for each character - and see if the child catches you when you use the wrong voice for one of them.

This should be fun!

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.

27 September 2020 - Plague Journal Day 198

Micah 6:8
Psalm 105:1-5
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.

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.