Tennyson On Prayer

from Morte D'Arthur:
ht: (Gina Dalfonzo from The Point Blog)

More things are wrought by prayer
Than this world dreams of.

Wherefore, let thy voice
Rise like a fountain for me night and day.

For what are men better than sheep or goats
That nourish a blind life within the brain,

If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer
Both for themselves and those who call them friend?

For so the whole round earth is every way
Bound by gold chains about the feet of God.

Breaking Home Ties

I have several friends who have sent their kids off to college for the first time this year. I spoke with one of them recently,and she told me how hard it was to get used to not having her daughter in the house. She confided how hard it was for her and that it was much more difficult for her than for her daughter, who was having a great time at her new digs.

I thought about my friends when I saw this article about a Norman Rockwell painting that was found hidden in the wall of a Vermont home. Here are the highlighst of the story from cnn.com.

Story Highlights:
• "Breaking Home Ties" was found this year behind a wall in a Vermont home
• At $15.4 million, the painting breaks a record for Norman Rockwell at auction
• The painting's buyer chooses to remain anonymous
• Earlier buyer had made a copy and hidden the original, for which he paid $900

Read the rest of the story here.

I'm Going to Disneyland!

Tomorrow we're going to the Happiest Place on Earth to celebrate my daughter's 9th birthday. Yeah!

The End of Time

I read an article in the LA Times a few weeks ago that reminded me of something I hadn't thought about for years. AT&T is discontinuing Time of Day information service as of this month. Anyone else remember calling "time" to get the correct time?

The time at the beep is: "All Gone"

Mourning Madeleine

Madeleine L'Engle, the beloved author of classic children's books such as A Wrinkle in Time, passed away yesterday. I discovered Madeleine as an adult, and she is one of my very favorite authors. I love the way she combines science with faith and doesn't talk down to children.

Here is a quote which explains why I love her stories so much and why the world is poorer today. Thanks God for giving us Madeleine, and thank you Madeleine for the stories:

Why does anybody tell a story? . . . It does indeed have something to do with faith, faith that the universe has meaning, that our little human lives are not irrelevant, that what we choose or say or do matters, matters cosmically.

Some New English Words

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.
(ht: The Point Blog: A Little Friday Humor)

1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which
lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

2. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

3. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people, that
stops bright ideas from penetrating. The Bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

4. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

5. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

6. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

7. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

8. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.

9. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

10. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

11. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

12. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

13 . Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

14. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

15. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.