Yachta, yachta, yachta

The sign on the window of the boat says, "4 sale. First $100 takes it." The sign in front says, "Trailer NOT included in sale. Sorry. Use possible." As we drove by this boat, Jon laughed and said, "How would someone get the boat home without the trailer? How would they get the boat off the trailer?" Maybe they would just have to wait for a flood to launch and drive it. With the second anniversary of Katrina this week, some of those people probably would have appreciated having a boat, with or without a trailer. Several counties in southeastern Minnesota that recently flooded could have used it too.

The question is, why on earth do they want to keep the rusty trailer? The boat is also a P.O.S.

(You figure it out.) but has a retro look and might be great restored. I don't think we will purchase it unless we get a lot of rain.

Something Is Fishy

I don't like fish. I don't mean I have anything personal against any specific fish, I just don't enjoy eating them. Too often they "taste fishy". They probably should taste fishy just because they are fish not hamburger.

My husband and I have an understanding. He can fish all he wants as long as he doesn't bring fish home. He usually does catch and release, or gives them to his fishing buddy. Last June he went on an Alaskan fishing trip with his cousins. They caught 1900# of dressed weight fish. It was flash frozen and packed for the guys to bring home. He weakened and brought home a 50# box of frozen fish. I groaned and then called anyone who lived close and had freezer space. We did not have that much freezer space nor did I want that fish. We saved some salmon and halibut. He had eaten fish stew in Alaska and wanted to make a batch. We still haven't eaten any fish stew. I try periodically to convince him to divest our freezer of nature's bounty to no avail. He wants to keep it to make fish stew.

I have nagged a bit because it took up about 35% of our cold space. Finally, I have been trying different fish recipes I find online. I cook a slab and then have to eat it for four days. My stalwart fisherman does not eat the fish. Tonight's teriyaki garlic marinade wasn't bad.

Moral of the story: If you do not like fish and your husband says he is going to bring just one fish home, ask how big the fish is. The halibut above weighed in at 180#.

A couple of weeks ago my sweetie went fishing "up north" with his friend Lance. He brought fish home. It is in the freezer. When I asked him last weekend if I should cook the fish, he turned up his nose and said he didn't feel like eating fish.

That's is my husband of almost forty years on the left. My dinner is in the middle.

Faith, Hope, and Charity

Last week the pastoral staff and their families from our church went on retreat. Our church uses a camp in Wisconsin owned by another church that rents it for church group gatherings. It has a old main lodge complete with stone fireplace, plenty of bunk space and the ambiance of a log lodge. It is a rustic setting with lakeshore and woods and three detached cabins. One of our associate pastor's wives told me the cabins have names. They are Love, Joy, and Faith. They usually stay in what they humorously dubbed "The Love Shack". It is older but cozier. I asked our associate pastor why they didn't name the third cabin "Hope" instead of "Joy"? I guess there is no hope.

Yesterday was my day to change the sign at church. It faces a busy highway and is used as an opportunity to reach people driving by with an inspirational message. We had windy, stormy, weather last week and I found the F in faith had slid off the sign. So I guess there is no hope and our faith is failing, but we have plenty of love in that congregation.

A Lost Woman

My friend has been on a medical fast using liquid protein shakes since June. She has lost almost as much weight as I have. I am now at -65# and getting close to goal. It is heartening to have people comment that I can stop now. "You have lost enough". I think people are conscious about anorexia. I am more conscious of the middrift bulge. Sobering thought: Between my friend and I, we have lost the equivalent of another whole woman! I said that to her husband and he laughed a little too hard.

PS This picture doesn't look like either of us. Yet.

Diaper Dilemna

Andy relates seeing a lot of stuff on the streets of the city in China that he carefully stepped around. He found out later the cause of this organic pollution was babies without diapers. Parents keep the small fry naked on the bottom. No diaper. The mom or dad become good at reading the signals and facial expressions of the infants and hold them out at arm's length when they look like they mean business. We are more ecologically conscious in America and even some of our dogs wear diapers! Can't have them making messes in the house. I think some of this is because Fido becomes one of the family and people have a hard time euthanizing an older, incontinent pet. I hope that is the cause. We have had a dog from the dog pound in past years that we adopted. Reason he was there? He was not house trained. Found out you cannot teach a one year old dog to go outside. We returned the dog and did not buy the case of "Doggie Pampers".

Hollywood Rain

We saw an unusual phenomenon in our backyard this week. As you looked out the patio doors it was raining on only one side of our yard. Several times I have noticed it raining in the back and not in the front. That doesn't last long, only until the cloud moves. This lasted several minutes and the sun was shining. It looked like the scene when the movie makers are sprinkling to simulate rain and the camera pulls back to reveal it isn't really raining.

Twice as Righteous

One of the tests of Christianity is how we relate to each other. I love this cartoon. We need to remember we are not in competition. We recently had a large congregation from a nearby town build a big church close to our smaller church. The congregation began holding services in the new church this month. My first gut reaction was, "I hope people from our church don't mosey over there." My second, and better response, "welcome new neighbors." They are also an evangelical church and work for the same boss.