Robert Louis Stevenson ...

Robert Louis Stevenson ~ click HERE for a nice wikepedia summary

Robert Louis Stevenson ~ click HERE for a "scathing open letter"
which so reveals this man's values & literary skill ...

Robert Louis Stevenson ~ click HERE for more information on the Molokai Leper Colony

And now for the awesome quotes ~ be inspired!

• Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.
• Keep your fears to yourself but share your courage with others.
• A friend is a gift you give yourself.
• No man is useless who has a friend, and if we are loved we are indispensable.
• Everybody, soon or late, sits down to a banquet of consequences.
• For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.
• You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving.
• To know what you prefer, instead of humbly saying "Amen" to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to keep your soul alive.
• To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive.
• The world is full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings.

and there are many more in the comments if you'd like to click through ...

GI Joe Action Figures ...

Everyone has different sensibilities and senses of humor,

so I post this with preemptive apologies for anyone offended ...


(I probably don't need to add that Dave is not offended at all ;)
And thank you to Jules for sharing ~
we have been laughing quite out loud!

Hydrogen Peroxide ...

Before this evening, I never knew that hydrogen peroxide could be used
to help a doggie vomit ~ 5ml for a 28 pound cocker spaniel seems the perfect dose.
Ashleigh returned the plum pit with little wear for the adventure
And we were so thankful for neighbors assistance & accompaniment!
Nighty, night and we're all sleeping tight :)

Golden Gate Park ...

There are two beautiful Golden Gate Parks ~
one in San Francisco (for a great adventure and pictures, click HERE)
and the other just west of Denver ... just keep scrolling down for pix of this one :)

Our local Golden Gate is just a bit over an hour from home and one of our favorite mountain get-aways. Jules, Robyn & Darold, Dave, Trey, Sean and I had a great weekend in May which included a 5 hour hike and boulder scrambling adventure.

And without further ado, here are some pix of my favorite goofballs...

Campground FULL!
Camp meals ~ yum, yum!
Neighbor Jules, Sister Robyn, Bro-in-Law Darold, Darling Husband Dave ...

Time for that big hike - Darold & Robyn in the lead ...Sean ...Trey, Dave, Robyn & Darold (can you see me holding the camera ;)Which way?Darold & Robyn and a snow patch!

These boulders ended up playing a very prominent role in our very long day ...
Why? because they were there, of course!
Sean, Dave, Trey, Darold, Robyn ...

A flutterby ...

A favorite part of Colorado high country- a babbling baby stream ...



At this point, we had lost the over half of our party ...
those boys were up, up, and away!
But it was a great chance to snap these pix of Robyn & Darold!
These are the distant boulders from the pictures at the beginning of our hike ~
Dave, Trey & Sean scrambled all the way to their tops!

As soon as someone/anyone reminds me what and why it was Darold was hollaring,
I'll update this post with the story of what he was saying & why.
At this point let it be known that I don't think HE was the one
that was really being the problem :)
Dave, Trey & Sean were scaling those huge boulders ...



And finally, back down to join us - safe & sound ~ goofballs!

Reunited and it feels so good ...
Dave, Sean, there I am, Darold & Robyn
Trey & Darold changed roles for this one!
Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em ...

What's with this shot? I don't have a clue!
Colorado is so gorgeous --
even in the spring before the Aspen Trees have been dressed in their summer foliage ...

Time to head on home ... another set of beautiful pictures,
another set of more beautiful memories with family & friends.

Recession ... or not?

Recession ... or not?
The economy isn't doing as badly as you think. It just feels that way.

By Geoff Colvin, senior editor at large
Last Updated: September 17, 2008: 1:53 PM EDT

(Fortune Magazine) -- The recession is no doubt hurting you, perhaps badly. Your sales may well be down. Maybe you've even lost your job. Whatever your troubles, you may safely blame them on the recession.

After all, most of the CFOs questioned in a recent poll agree that the U.S. is in a recession; among the general public, 76% said the U.S. was in a recession six months ago, and other polling suggests most people believe things have grown worse since then.

the comment section for the rest ...

Treasures in Heaven

Matthew 6:19-21

Treasures in Heaven

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Suze Orman: 'Thank God, they bailed out AIG'

(CNN) -- The Federal Reserve Board announced an $85 billion plan Tuesday to bail out troubled insurance giant American International Group Inc.

Suze Orman says it's a good thing the federal government bailed out troubled national insurer AIG.

The federal government decided to intervene after determining a failure of the company, whose financial dealings stretch around the world, could hurt the already delicate markets and the economy.

Personal finance expert Suze Orman appeared on "Larry King Live" on Tuesday to discuss what the AIG bailout means to you and how safe is your money during this economic downturn. The following is an edited version of the interview:

Larry King: A few months ago, you said on this very show that you would be worried if there was another big government bailout. It's now happening. Should the government be helping AIG?

The rest is (of course :) in the comments ...

The Scarlet Ibis

The Scarlet Ibis ...... by James Hurst

("The Scarlet Ibis" is a tragic short story written by novelist James Hurst. It was first published in The Atlantic Monthly in July 1960 and has since appeared in multiple high-school literature textbooks since the late 1960s.)

It was in the clove of seasons, summer was dead but autumn had not yet been born, that the ibis lit in the bleeding tree. The flower garden was stained with rotting brown magnolia petals and ironweeds grew rank amid the purple phlox. The five o'clocks by the chimney still marked time, but the oriole nest in the elm was untenanted and rocked back and forth like an empty cradle. The last graveyard flowers were blooming, and their smell drifted across the cotton field and through every room of our house, speaking softly the names of our dead. It's strange that all this is still so clear to me, now that that summer has since fled and time has had its way. A grindstone stands where the bleeding tree stood, just outside the kitchen door, and now if an oriole sings in the elm, its song seems to die up in the leaves, a silvery dust.

If you'd like the rest, it is in the comments ...

Squirrels love Mr. Dave ... Dave hates the squirrels ...

It's raining here today and Ryan & his bike are wet and unhappy on campus in Boulder.

Dave's in the garage continuing the huge project that has been going on for a few weeks.
Trey & Sean are at school all day and Drew has school & work today.
Ashleigh is asleep in the chair next to me and Haley is hiding from the rain in her crate.

In the midst of a damp and quiet Friday, especially with Haley hunkered down,
our resident squirrel has crafted a creative way to empty one of Dave's bird feeders.

Here's a picture as well as a video of this bright little creature
using a perfect tool of nature for his cause ...


The event won't last too long, the industrious guy's firm grip is actually slowly but surely
stripping all the leaves from the limb, but he'll have a very full belly before he loses hold!



Have a great precious Friday & weekend!
Love, love & more love, Sherrie

10 Questions ...

Today we have a special guest posting ~ Sean! The following is his homework assignment "10 Questions" ~ the original was prepared on 1-sheet in a 3-column newsletter format. I hope you enjoy his newsletter as much as we did (and the pictures I found to go along with his stories :) ...


10 Questions

Sean: An eleven year old boy with a passion to be a teacher. A student of Mrs. E's sixth grade classroom. Math and writing are his best strengths. He loves computers and problem solving games. Sean will now take your questions.

When you were a little kid, what was your favorite toy?
In my opinion, my Blues Clues notebook ... I got it when I was about four. I got it because I was obsessed with the Blues Clues show. When I had it I used to draw things and make my own mysteries. It even had its own big crayon that it came with, but sadly I lost it a log time ago. I would love it if I still had it now.

Out of all your vacations trips, which one did you most enjoy?
I would have to say my birthday in Hawaii. I flew to Hawaii for my 8th birthday with my family. We stayed there for a week. We went swimming, surfing, and stayed at a hotel. We went surfing for the day. Even though I wasn't very good, it was still fun. Out of all the times I tried, I only got up once and only once for about 1 or 2 seconds before smacking my face on the water. When we were at the hotel we fed nearby birds by putting frosted flakes on the window sill. It was so special to me. But sadly we had to fly home from our fun adventure after a week of exciting activities.

If you could own one thing in the world, what would it be?
Right off the top of my head I picked a money making machine because I could get whatever I want whenever I want. I could also give money to poor and make new homes for people. I would make a successful computer company and add to my money. It would be so exciting to have a money making machine because I could do whatever I wanted with my money. If I ever had a situation like jail, I would have enough money for bail!

What makes your skin crawl?
What I am about to say is my absolute most hated noise in the whole world - fingernails on a chalkboard. Just the thought of it gives me goose bumps. It's like a screeching monster yelling sending a shock wave of fear and shivers through my body.

In school, what are you best at?
When I really put my mind to it, math and writing. Although I don't like writing and I don't think I am good at writing, other people tell me that I am really good at it. I write well but I always think I did badly when I end up with an A. Math on the other hand is a given strength in my department. I love to solve problems and help others better understand problems in math. I love to apply my math skills to daily life, it helps me a lot to do things better. Math is a way for me to better understand life.

What winter activities do you do?
To start off, I have to say that winter is my favorite season. I absolutely hate the summer and hot weather. It just is too hot for me to stand. I do lots of activities in the winter but my favorite one is snowboarding. I snowboard every weekend in the winter. I do it whenever I can. I usually get a mountain ski pass for five of my favorite mountains. I love the sound of my snowboard carving up against the puffy white blanket covering the mountain. It's so fun because I snowboard with my friends and family. I hate to snowboard alone. I will conquer any mountain that comes my way.

What summer activities do you do?
In summer I do a variety of different things that involve wheels. The one I enjoy the most is skateboarding. I skateboard at a skate park every week, but I try to skateboard every day I can to practice. I really like to be free with the wind on my skateboard. I love the sound that my hard wheels make on the hard concrete. Skateboarding is a way to practice my snowboarding for the winter. They have a similar feeling, skateboarding and snowboarding.


What do you do when you go to the lake for camping?
When I camp I do a whole lot of things at the lake. My favorite is water skiing. I love the sound of my skis patting on the soft water with little force. The wind feels like a big warm wave of happiness washing over my whole body like an ocean wave. When I water ski, I ski for about 45 minutes or more. I can get in the water, put on my skis, get up, have a successful skiing time and when I feel tired, I let go of the rope and sink into the water without getting my hair wet! Water skiing is a way for me to have fun and work my body.

What is your dream job?
A dream job is hard to choose at this age but I guess what I would enjoy the most is a teaching job at the elementary school. I would like to do this because I think that teaching others is important because then I can encourage others to learn the knowledge I have gathered. I could encourage others to like school instead of disliking it. Passing down knowledge is exactly what I want to do as a teacher. It makes me smile just thinking about teaching younger kids.

Sarah Palin ...

Sarah Palin and the Double Standard
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
By Susan Estrich

The last line of Susan Estrich's article (the total article is in the comments) ... "If she thinks she can do it, if her husband and children support the decision, as they seem to, who are we to say otherwise? She deserves what every father running for office automatically gets: a chance to be judged fairly, based on experience and ideology, qualifications and competence, not our second-hand judgments of her most private decisions."

Personally, when I heard this nomination, I was completely jazzed by the idea of this type of woman (family oriented, successful, independent-thinking, and with high integrity) being selected as the nominee for Vice President of the United States of America. For some reason, her nomination seems to shatter more glass ceilings than the political careers of Geraldine Ferraro, Hillary Clinton, or Nancy Pelosi ~ maybe because Sarah Palin just seems much more real & likable to me. Sherrie

Don't Waste Your Cancer ...

Often when I am deep in prayer for people who are suffering, I am drawn again to this article by John Piper. Perhaps it will be a blessing in your life to consider these thoughts on God's goodness, power, and control in our lives ... I know that I am encouraged every time I re-read this piece and I share it with the thought that you may be as well :)

Don't Waste Your Cancer
Link to his article on wikipedia: John Piper
Link to his blog: Desiring God

I write this on the eve of prostate surgery. I believe in God's power to heal by miracle and by medicine. I believe it is right and good to pray for both kinds of healing. Cancer is not wasted when it is healed by God. He gets the glory and that is why cancer exists. So not to pray for healing may waste your cancer. But healing is not God's plan for everyone. And there are many other ways to waste your cancer. I am praying for myself and for you that we will not waste this pain.

1. You will waste your cancer if you do not believe it is designed for you by God.
It will not do to say that God only uses our cancer but does not design it. What God permits, he permits for a reason. And that reason is his design. If God foresees molecular developments becoming cancer, he can stop it or not. If he does not, he has a purpose. Since he is infinitely wise, it is right to call this purpose a design. Satan is real and causes many pleasures and pains. But he is not ultimate. So when he strikes Job with boils (Job 2:7), Job attributes it ultimately to God (2:10) and the inspired writer agrees: "They . . . comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him" (Job 42:11). If you don't believe your cancer is designed for you by God, you will waste it.

2. You will waste your cancer if you believe it is a curse and not a gift.
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13). "There is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel" (Numbers 23:23). "The LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11).

3. You will waste your cancer if you seek comfort from your odds rather than from God.
The design of God in your cancer is not to train you in the rationalistic, human calculation of odds. The world gets comfort from their odds. Not Christians. Some count their chariots (percentages of survival) and some count their horses (side effects of treatment), but we trust in the name of the LORD our God (Psalm 20:7). God's design is clear from 2 Corinthians 1:9, "We felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead." The aim of God in your cancer (among a thousand other good things) is to knock props out from under our hearts so that we rely utterly on him.

4. You will waste your cancer if you refuse to think about death.
We will all die, if Jesus postpones his return. Not to think about what it will be like to leave this life and meet God is folly. Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, "It is better to go to the house of mourning [a funeral] than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart." How can you lay it to heart if you won't think about it? Psalm 90:12 says, "Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." Numbering your days means thinking about how few there are and that they will end. How will you get a heart of wisdom if you refuse to think about this? What a waste, if we do not think about death.

5. You will waste your cancer if you think that "beating" cancer means staying alive rather than cherishing Christ.
Satan's and God's designs in your cancer are not the same. Satan designs to destroy your love for Christ. God designs to deepen your love for Christ. Cancer does not win if you die. It wins if you fail to cherish Christ. God's design is to wean you off the breast of the world and feast you on the sufficiency of Christ. It is meant to help you say and feel, "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." And to know that therefore, "To live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 3:8; 1:21).

6. You will waste your cancer if you spend too much time reading about cancer and not enough time reading about God.
It is not wrong to know about cancer. Ignorance is not a virtue. But the lure to know more and more and the lack of zeal to know God more and more is symptomatic of unbelief. Cancer is meant to waken us to the reality of God. It is meant to put feeling and force behind the command, "Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD" (Hosea 6:3). It is meant to waken us to the truth of Daniel 11:32, "The people who know their God shall stand firm and take action." It is meant to make unshakable, indestructible oak trees out of us: "His delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers" (Psalm 1:2). What a waste of cancer if we read day and night about cancer and not about God.

7. You will waste your cancer if you let it drive you into solitude instead of deepen your relationships with manifest affection.
When Epaphroditus brought the gifts to Paul sent by the Philippian church he became ill and almost died. Paul tells the Philippians, "He has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill" (Philippians 2:26-27). What an amazing response! It does not say they were distressed that he was ill, but that he was distressed because they heard he was ill. That is the kind of heart God is aiming to create with cancer: a deeply affectionate, caring heart for people. Don't waste your cancer by retreating into yourself.

8. You will waste your cancer if you grieve as those who have no hope.
Paul used this phrase in relation to those whose loved ones had died: "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13). There is a grief at death. Even for the believer who dies, there is temporary loss; loss of body, and loss of loved ones here, and loss of earthly ministry. But the grief is different, it is permeated with hope. "We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). Don't waste your cancer grieving as those who don't have this hope.

9. You will waste your cancer if you treat sin as casually as before.
Are your besetting sins as attractive as they were before you had cancer? If so you are wasting your cancer. Cancer is designed to destroy the appetite for sin. Pride, greed, lust, hatred, unforgiveness, impatience, laziness, procrastination, all these are the adversaries that cancer is meant to attack. Don't just think of battling against cancer. Also think of battling with cancer. All these things are worse enemies than cancer. Don't waste the power of cancer to crush these foes. Let the presence of eternity make the sins of time look as futile as they really are. "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" (Luke 9:25).

10. You will waste your cancer if you fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth and glory of Christ.
Christians are never anywhere by divine accident. There are reasons for why we wind up where we do. Consider what Jesus said about painful, unplanned circumstances: "They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness" (Luke 21:12 -13).

So it is with cancer. This will be an opportunity to bear witness. Christ is infinitely worthy. Here is a golden opportunity to show that he is worth more than life. Don't waste it. Remember you are not left alone. You will have the help you need.

"My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus"
(Philippians 4:19)

Much love, Sherrie

Whew ... they are all labeled!

So that I can be like my beautiful cousin Keri .. :)

It's been an undertaking but I've now completed going through my blog
since its very beginning and adding labels to each of the 555 posts I've made to date.

Now there is a section on the right of this blog page called 'posts by label'
that lists all the labels I've used and when I click on any of the labels,
then all the posts I've ever done which have that specific label will come up.

This seems like a great way for me to be able to look back over my blog
and find particular types of posts for memories, pictures, or thoughts.
(for example ~my Ponderings, which are quite boring,
or pictures from our Adventures, which are quite fun :)
And now each of my boys (including Dave ;) can click his name
and he'll find all the posts that have his pictures ~ hopefully they'll like that.
And there are labels that gather all the posts for each of their mission trips
(for example, clicking 'MT - India' will show all the posts for Ryan's Indian Summer)

And for me, the few awesome videos I've ever included all show using the 'Youtube' label,
which I'll enjoy because they are fun to revisit and be happy with again.

All in all, these labels seem to be a pretty neat feature, especially with their list.
(And yes boys, I said NEAT because it really doesn't bother me too much that I'm old!)

I even figured out how to use the "customize" feature to add a family picture
to the top of the blog ~ now how cool is that?

Love to all, Sherrie

It was a great labor day weekend ...

We had a great labor day weekend with our friends from sunday school class camping together in Colorado Springs ~ eating, playing miniature golf, sharing daily devotions on the gardens (of Eden, Gethsemane, and heaven :) swimming, GPS hunting, swimming, and going to a chuckwagon. Whew, a lot of fun, relaxation, fellowship, and joy! I'll post pictures once I've collected them from the many great photographers that were with us :) Lots of love, Sherrie

Girlfriends are VERY special ...

In the 2007-08 year, I had a special time every other Wednesday morning at Ladies Bible Study at our church. The book we used was all about the new testament encouragements for how to treat one another ~ starting with the Fellowship of Believers from Acts 2:42-47 and continuing on through accepting one another, loving one another, being patient with one another, bearing one another's burdens, working with one another, forgiving one another, being generous with one another, teaching one another, living at peace with one another, praying for one another, being thankful for one another, and rejoicing with one another. Our prayer time, lessons, and lunches afterward were times of precious sisterhood and community in my life.

So as I catch up with posting pictures from earlier this year,
here are some from our last day together at the end of April.
These delightful ladies are beautiful, inside and out!

Our Amazing Leadership Team ~ Melanie, Lori, and Deana ...

Me lovin' on dear Alma, our hostess for the day ...

A beautiful Garden Party for our last day ...

Our group ~ what a special year we shared!
Sherrie, Emily, Tracy, Julie, Carol, Jeanie Angie, our new friend, & Nancy
Missing this day ~ Becky & Baby Quin and Kristen

Our worship team ...
Tina, Karen, Lisa, Emily, Mandy, Sheri, Char & Sarah

Lisa leading the worship team ...

Eric faithfully took care of our technical & sound needs each week ...

Lori & her precious momma Esther, what loving encouragers!
Karen & her precious momma Emily, another set of dearest of dears ...

The kids came in to share their joy with us
(Shannon, Pam & the whole team are so awesome with them :)

The group leaders and assistants ...
Mandy, Betty, Julie, Amy, Roseanne, Kathy, Tara, Tina & Sherrie

Gabrielle & Julia ... future ladies bible study girlfriends ~ how precious!
Girlfriends in the Lord are an amazing gift,
thank you Heavenly Papa for this blessing, amen.