NBA Lockout is Official

Wow. I love basketball, my mom loves basketball.

But here's where the rubber meets the road. The players being locked out will not suffer. The owners will not suffer. The ticket vendors, janitors, food service workers, security guards, venue employees, etc... will suffer.

My mom has worked most of her adult life. She lost her retirement in the recession. She now lives on Social Security. I think these owners and NBA players need a dose of reality. Grow up folks, it's basketball. It isn't life saving, life changing, benevolent or society building. It isn't feeding the hungry, clothing the naked,  supporting the hurting or giving life to the dying and downtrodden.

Get a grip. Make your money deal, go play ball and entertain your fans.

Yes, you are talented but so are a lot of us. Just not in ways that pay of millions of dollars for hours of playing ball. Thank you players for the good you do, but lots of us do good without applause or recognition. Talk to the City Rescue Mission workers.

I love the excitement and entertainment that NBA basketball brings to our lives. I also know, lockout or no lockout, life will go on. For some, it will be harder because they don't have millions to bide them over. Think of them when you're whining about not getting paid what you're "worth".

peace.

Change

I know I've talked about change before, but I'm looking at it a little differently these days.

On June 16th, I received a call from my mom. She was crying, sounded scared and all she said was, "Will you come look at me?"  I said yes, I'm coming, and I went. Calling my sister, praying the motorcycle cop didn't read my speed and praying for guidance, I got there as quickly as possible. She was pale, shaky, weak and not feeling good. So off to the heart hospital we went.

Within 24 hours, we knew she had 2 blockages in her left ventricle artery. Called the widowmaker, it's nasty juju. So her stay was extended and on June 20th, mom had double bypass surgery. In 1 1/2 hours, they took a vein from her leg and bypassed the bad places in her artery. Her heart is healthy, we are grateful.

But now comes the change. She can't lift, push, pull, extend or reach with her arms. Try it. She has to think about how to put her shirt on, shower, pull up her pants, etc... Change.

Mom has to change the way she eats, cooks, shops, etc... Change.

She can't mow, clean, drive, be independent, etc... Change.

She will feel better, live longer, be healthier, etc... Change.

So change isn't all bad, but it does take thought, effort and commitment. This particular change has created in me a sense of responsibility for my own health. Change is here for me, too.

And it will be good.

peace.

Have you heard of the needs in Cashion?

**PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE WITH  ANYONE INTERESTED IN HELPING**

If you want to help, contact Wendy Hanser.

 

Two teams are heading to Cashion this Saturday. Please RSVP if you can help.  Also, see end of email for prayer needs.

 

Team One- Cashion Donation Site MOVE

We need lots of hands to help move all the donations to a new location.

Where: Cashion High School

When: 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

 

Sorting help is still needed prior to Saturday if you are able to help.

 

 

Team Two-- Debris Clean-Up

Clean up continues at the home sites on Cottonwood Hills Road. We have just learned of an older gentleman who lives adjacent to this area that has not had any clean up assistance yet. We would love to have enough people to continue helping on the home site from last week and to start on this gentleman's yard.

 

Where: Crossings Community Church

When:  7 a.m.

 

Bring gloves, wheelbarrow, small tools, sunscreen, bug spray, water.

 

 

Prayer Needs

Many of the families affected by the tornadoes in May have had long-standing struggles with poverty and other related issues long before the tornadoes destroyed their homes. As a core of interested individuals is developing to assist these families, it is clear that building relationships that endure past this disaster will have the most powerful affect upon these families.  Please pray for the following needs:

1. The ministry of Krista and Mitch Houston, who are in a community missions role in Cashion and have a vision for long-term ministry there.

2. Brett and Gigi Burk, who are neighbors providing primary emotional support to many of the families.

3. One of the women in the area has just been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and is not seeking treatment due to a lack of insurance.

4. One recent high school graduate has the opportunity to be the first in her family  to attend college but currently does not have a car to commute to classes.

5. One young woman just gave birth to a baby with a double cleft palate. Surgery has been done and the baby has been released from the hospital but the mom has nowhere to go.

6. Financial resources are needed for each family to restore electricity ($700 per hook up)

7. Many families are in need of cars to replaced those destroyed in the storms.

8. Financial resources and equipment are needed to remove the storm debris.  This will cost tens of thousands of dollars.

We haven't heard a lot about these needs, but they are needs none-the-less. Please pray and help as you can.

peace.

Sometimes Mondays resemble....

peace.

Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a livin'....

Get Your Tickets Here

I just went to see the Celebrity Attractions production of  9 to 5 last night at the Civic Center Music Hall. I must tell you before I begin my review, I LOVE Dolly Parton. Her music, her spirit, her movies, even her hair!! She is the embodiment of joy to me, she just makes me smile. Anyhoo....

I won tickets on Twitter from Celebrity Attractions and I was thrilled! So I took my good friend, Barb, and we got our Dolly on!

The show is fast moving and so much fun! The sets are amazing, always moving and changing. The three leading ladies, Dee Hoty, Mamie Parris and Diana DeGarmo are wonderful, engaging and provide strong, funny performances throughout the production.

Cast of the National Touring Production of 9 to 5: The Musical. Photo credit: Joan Marcus

If you haven't seen a show recently or even if you have, you should go see this one. Lots of laughs, lots of great music and a terrific cast of talented performers. It'll make you forget you have to work 9 to 5!

peace.

The Trouble with Bees

So we've probably all heard about the studies done on honey bees. If not, you can google it, there's a lot of info out there.

Anyway....

The trouble with bees is they are mobile. They fly. When their hive gets crowded, they swarm in search of a new home. Like the knot hole of our Maple tree. Yep, we've got bees in our trees. (OK, just one tree but that doesn't rhyme.)

We weren't home when they swarmed, but our neighbor witnessed it. It didn't take them long to inhabit our tree though and now we're stuck. You see, if we could have called a bee keeper when they were swarming, they would have gladly come to get them.

Swarming bees = good bees to capture and relocate.
Happy bees building a hive in a tree = no one wants them.

It's to dangerous, difficult, time-consuming, yadayadayada....to deal with them once they are established. So our options....cut the tree down or kill the bees.

I hate to say it, but bye-bye bees. I love my tree and honestly, if the neighbor behind us weren't so concerned for his son and wife (both highly allergic) we'd let them stay. They are happy bees. They are high enough up in the tree they don't mess with anyone, but the liability of what might happen/could happen means the bees have to go.

Services pending.

peace.