Hollinsworth P? - 08 January 2022 - Plague Journal Day 667

Micah 6:8
Proverbs 4:26
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Today I'm helping Christian move a bunch of furniture from one home to another. This is probably not the job for which I'm best suited, but it's the one to be done, so there we are. It will be fun regardless.

Today is also Argyle Day, so I'll be wearing some of my argyle socks as we move. I would wear an argyle sweater as well, but that seems a bit much for this job.

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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.

Sweet, Georgia Brown! - 07 January 2022 - Plague Journal Day 666

Micah 6:8
Judges 3:15
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Here a Friday Fun Fact I came across today.
Male cats are more likely to be left-pawed, while female cats are more likely to be right-pawed.
(I have only partially confirmed this, as it's also in the infographic below, but it does sound a bit unlikely.)

It does make me think of my fencing career at university. Phys Ed classes were for zero credits, but I - bravely - took two of them: Rifle & Pistol, and Fencing.

Fencing was really fun and quite physically demanding and rewarding. I had a friend in the class who was left-handed, which turns out to be a huge advantage. After all, he fought essentially only right-handers; and we all did the same - except when fighting him with everything going the wrong way.
I talked with him about taking the course again, but with each of us working with our off hand, thus anticipating both Inigo Montoya and the Man in Black by quite a few years.
It also led to my once annual golf tournament where a different left-handed friend and I trade clubs and play a round going the wrong way. It's quite embarrassing to begin with, but gets quite a bit better by the end. We'll have to restart that tradition soon.

On an historical note, on
07 January1927 the Harlem Globetrotters played their first game. That reminds me of a vacation happening. We were stopped for lunch at the restaurant of a Holiday Inn on the way to Fort Wayne to visit family. The sign outside said something on the order of "Welcome Harlem Globetrotters." Well, there were a few Black men at another table in the restaurant. Mom grabbed all the gumption she had accumulated to that point in her life and asked one of them if he were Meadowlark Lemon.
"No, ma'am," was the reply, and she walked away.
I've always wondered if they really were Globetrotters and she just guessed the wrong one. They might well have wanted some privacy at lunch, after all. I know he wasn't Curly Neal, as he had hair. (Unless he was wearing a wig - he might have been in disguise, or even in cognito!)

Ah, good times with Mom in restaurants. At least we weren't kicked out that time.

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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.

Aha! - 06 January 2022 - Plague Journal Day 665

Micah 6:8
Matthew 2:1-12
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

I know you're all wondering how things are going chez nous on the dog/cat axis, so here's a quick update of the situation.
Shockingly, it's Roma (the shyest cat we've ever had with the possible exception of Minnie in her first year spent hiding in the bathroom) who seems to be the first to warm up to Billie. They're not friends yet, but Roma is willing to walk through a room where Billie is without hiding behind furniture the whole way. She even just sits near the fire or on the couch seemingly unperturbed until Billie approaches too near and too quickly. As to Jack, we'll wait and see. Maybe he's just not ready for another dog to replace his old pal, Kooder. Change is tough when we get older - or so I hear.

On the liturgical calendar front, today is Epiphany, so Heidi and I will be braving the sub-zero temperatures to place a luminaria star / cross on the church front porch and walk. It seems appropriate on the day we commemorate the magi's having followed a star to find the One born the king of the Jews. Frankly, I'd take a slightly warmer evening over any of the gifts they brought back then. This is brutal, and it's tough to light candles with gloves on.

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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.

We Don't Need No Stinking Debts - 05 January 2022 - Plague Journal Day 664

Micah 6:8
2 Kings 4:7
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

I've considered posting about Student Loan "forgiveness" for quite some time, but hadn't gotten around to it. My basic idea was that those agitating for it are really saying, "I borrowed more than I want to repay, so folks who didn't borrow the money (and didn't get the education), should pay it back for me."
I hadn't really considered those in government who advocate for it (and who also still carry student debt) are saying the same thing, but also saying "I can't figure out how to pay this back, so clearly you chumps out there who can't get elected to Congress can't either."

That is a truly frightening thought, and much better expressed in this piece by the pseudonymous George MF Washington found here. (I don't think there's any subscription required to read this, but let me know if it doesn't work for you.)

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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.

Anthony! - 04 January 2022 - Plague Journal Day 663

Micah 6:8
Leviticus 23:1-2
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

In spite of its being Tuesday, today is National Spaghetti Day! Let's consider it Wednesday Eve rather than Tuesday and maybe we'll all feel more comfortable eating our spaghetti - right, Anthony?

Really, why do we have to wait for Wednesday for a plate of slurpy goodness? I say any day can be Prince Spaghetti Day. Who would vote against that, one wonders.

On a non-pasta, yet also historical note, Austrian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate, all around cool cat, Erwin Schrödinger died on this date in 1961 ... or did he? I'm not going to be the one to open the box and find out!

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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.

Mass Hysteria - 03 January 2022 - Plague Journal Day 662

Micah 6:8
Deuteronomy 22:9-11
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Dogs and cats living together? Mass hysteria... or not.

We may have reached the point where our animal friends begin to tolerate one another, possibly even to like one another!
I'm not saying they're going to curl up together for a nap today, but we've made immense progress on the canine-feline axis here. We had two cats in the living room at the same time as the dog and no blood was shed. (N.B. - no blood has been shed at any time, but they've not been hanging out even remotely together until now.)
In fact, I had Roma sitting on the couch with her head on my lap so I could pet her, and Billie sitting (nicely) at my feet so I could pet her at the same time. When Heidi pulled out her phone to snap a photo, they both thought better of there being any evidence, so they moved away - but we know what happened, and now so do you!

Hope springs eternal, as they say.


Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our insane 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.

Worship - 02 January 2022 - Plague Journal Day 661

Micah 6:8
Isaiah 60:1-6
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

For our 9:30 AM worship service we will have a keyboard solo at offertory time and our standard three hymns for congregational singing. We'll also be serving communion this morning, and the United Methodist Church has an open table - all who can respond to Christ's call are welcome to take communion with us.

Remember, we'll be streaming for all those who can't join us in person, and intend to continue that practice indefinitely. Still, know that we miss seeing you in person - please come join in corporate prayer, praise, and worship as soon as you feel ready.

As usual, today's stream should just appear as the latest entry on our YouTube channel, here.
You'll find all our previous worship videos right there at that same place, and today's stream will stay there as a recording as well. 

Keep Calm and Don't 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