Quote(s) of the Day.....

....as stolen directly from Mike Todd:

The Prophetic Imagination

"Empires live by numbness. Empires, in their militarism, expect numbness about the human cost of war. Corporate economies expect blindness to the cost in terms of poverty and exploitation. Governments and societies of domination go to great lengths to keep the numbness intact... Thus compassion that might seem simply as generous goodwill is in fact criticism of the systems, forces, and ideologies that produce the hurt." (p. 88-89)

and...

"Quite clearly, the one thing the dominant culture cannot tolerate or co-opt is compassion, the ability to stand in solidarity with the victims of the present order. It can manage charity and good intentions, but it has no way to resist solidarity with pain or grief." (p. 91)

Mike seems to have shovelled his way to the bookshelf. And I am grateful.

Our Little Emmy....

.....All Grown Up and On MTV

Buy Nothing Day

Quote of the Day....

Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it.
— Jacques Prévert

Alice Walker Quote....

"I have learned to accept the fact that we risk disappointment, disillusionment, even despair, every time we act. Every time we decide to believe the world can be better. Every time we decide to trust others to be as noble as we think they are. And that there might be years during which our grief is equal to, or even greater than, our hope. The alternative, however, not to act, and therefore to miss experiencing other people at their best, reaching toward their fullness, has never appealed to me."

Quote of the Day.....

Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.
— Napoleon Bonaparte

The person who is waiting for something to turn up might start with their shirt sleeves.
— Garth Henrichs

Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.
— Anonymous

Quote of the Day....

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
-Martin Luther King Jr. (as quoted by Robson Jewitt)

Quote of the Day....

"But I want first of all to be at peace with myself. I want a singleness of eye, a purity of intention, a central core to my life.... to live 'in grace' as much of the time as possible. By grace I mean an inner harmony, essentially spiritual, which can be translated into outward harmony."
Anne Lindbergh

Quote from Waving or Drowning....

We are the people we've been waiting for.

U2 and Green Day -- The Saints Are Coming

Check out what Mike Todd is up to.....

Waving or Drowning?

Passion:

The most beautiful make-up of a woman is passion.
But cosmetics are easier to buy.
— Yves Saint Laurent

Bithday Roses

Folk Singers

It's funny -- just a little bit of hospitality and it makes all the difference in the world to people. Case in point, this 'band' (in the old english sense - not the rock'n'roll sense) were travelling by and honoured us with their presence.

We were already interested in what Catherine MacLellan was doing, and were already cheerleaders by proxy (her dad is Gene), but enjoyed getting to know her friends and fellow muscians.

When you model hospitality -- it's contagious. Our kids have invited travelling bands to stay the night. The stories from those events live on in infamy. You really haven't lived until you see several musicians stumble in at midnight -- tired and bedraggled -- but still sylin' in their tight 'girls' jeans, and "jet black (previously straightened) swept over the eyes hair" -- crash on the floor -- only to wake up bright and early -- found jumping on the trampoline in borrowed house coat (Meg's) and floppy Sponge Bob slippers (Em's)! Check out the band "Blessed by a Broken Heart" for photos of the guys. We show up on the credits for the first album. Just because somebody cared enough to make them pancakes.

The great thing about musicians is they are starving. They may have started the trip vegan, but by the time they land at your place, they will eat anything. Serve quiche, it's the best thing they have ever had. Serve it again at breakfast, and you are Martha. Make muffins from a mix, and you are voted elected to parliament. You really can't lose. Try new recipes. Try old recipes. Try out the stove. They will love you for it.

Turn the porch light on, join couch surfers.org, Tell your pastor to put you on the list for people willing to show hospitality to missionaries passing by -- that you have a pull out couch and make a mean cup of coffee. Trust me, there is no list, but you will start one.

Word gets out that you have the floor space for a mattress. Travellers are dusty and tired. You don't have to be witty and informed. Mostly they just want a quiet place to lie down.

Try it.

Get out there.

Get dirty.

Take risks.

Have somebody over.

Thought for the Day

Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that.
— Michael Leunig

A Case in Point....

The real problem of leisure time is how to keep others from using yours.
— Arthur Lacey

L.Bo's Heart Had Wings

As per Lesley's blog comment: she is a singer of rare renown.
Definetly one of my favourites.
In fact, here are my top two on stage together, SVFF 2005.