2351 Days since retiring July 1, 2005!

"The Divine is not something high above us. It is in heaven, it is in earth, it is inside of us."
from Art of Peace

Read on and fall sound asleep

Since the 26th of November we have been without internet for 8 days! I hate you COMCAST. The only thing that keeps me from fleeing the company of boobs and knuckleheads are Television programmers. Within the cloistered halls of “shattered manor” are three cliques with widely differing tastes entertainment or education. The Master and Mistress share a very limited selection of shows we could watch together. Those are no impediment to moving to another content provider. However, we have a much larger selection that only one of us can tolerate. Unfortunately most of those are shown within similar time slots. For example on Wednesday night there are 3 shows that I want to watch between 8 pm and 9 pm and the same applies to her. That is 6 that we want to watch or record at the same hour. Most of the time I can find one of mine repeated later but she generally has to wait for reruns. We have two Comcast DVRs and can almost capture our desires. With AT&T we would be limited to recording only 4 shows at once. I cannot get AT&T to commit to installing a second receiver/recorder. Same with Direct TV and Dish Network. The third clique does not and will not ever have means of recording shows. They share the Mistress TV when available.

Comcast did rather dramatically drop our cost for cable and internet for the next 6 months. The hundred dollar per month saving almost makes the dropsy internet service tolerable. The Comcast service rep who actually had a clue about his job finally came this afternoon. He ran a third cable exclusively for internet to the modem/wifi node. So far, 6 hours later, we still have internet and it is much faster than I remember it ever being. Sadly my wife’s HTC Android phone will not synch with the internet. I don’t know how to change setting so that it automatically reconnects. She seems very reluctant to ask the vendor how to solve the problem.

Sunday the youth group in my church put on a performance of ”The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”. To watch the video click HERE.I wanted to take some pictures to show my wife but because I have quit carrying my “man” bag with camera and video camera I was forced to use my iphone. While fiddle-farting trying to get a good exposure I noticed the “Camera Genius” app indicated it had a video mode. Hallaleuh! I took several videos and was pleased with the performance of the video camera. I love my IPHONE.

My internet connection just clicked off. SHEISS!!

My Koi become very sluggish when the weather turns cold. They ate none of the food this morning. I dipped it off the surface an hour after feeding. Excess food sours the water badly.

Hopefully I will be back tomorrow.

BTW, Bev the place I suggested is MURHY’S STEAKHOUSE in Winchester, Texas. That is in the area between Smithville and Giddings. I will call early next month to finalize plans.

12/02: Dear God, help us to be doers of your word and not hearers only. Amen. 12/03: Thank you, O God, for being gentle when you search us for sin so that we are not humiliated but forgiven and purified. Amen. 12/04: Eternal God, help each of us choose to live a life that reflects your glory, now and always. Amen. 12/05: Open our eyes, dear God, to see as you see. Amen. 12/06: Dear God, like Mary, we are often perplexed. Let us, like her, trust you to work in our lives for good, as we pray, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."* 12/07: Dear God, when darkness and grief surround us, help us to turn to the light of your son, Jesus Christ, and help us to mourn with hope and faith, leaning on the promises given in your word. Amen. 12/08: Holy God, we thank you for the birth of your son, Christ Jesus, through whom we can be re-created and re-born to eternal life with you. Amen. The prayers are from the Upper Room. For your own free E-Mail Devotional visit : http://upperroom.org/devotional/email/ and click on the link “Other Ways to Receive the Daily Devotional”

CROCK POT DRESSING

MELT 1 CUP MARG WITH 2 CUPS CHOPPED CELERY AND 1 1/2 CUP ONION.
POUR OVER 16 CUPS CUBED BREAD

ADD:
2 WELL BEATEN EGGS
1 TSP. POULTRY SEASONING
1/2 TSP SALT (MORE OR LESS)
1/2 TSP. SAGE (OR LESS)
PEPPER
3 1/2 T0 4 1/2 CUPS TURKEY BROTH. I USE CANNED CHICKEN BROTH.

** YOU MAY SUBSTITUTE 2 CANS OF CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP AND 2 CANS OF WATER FOR THE BROTH.

PUT INTO CROCK POT ON HIGH FOR 45 MINUTES. TURN ON LOW FOR 6 HOURS. YOU CAN USE AT THE END OF 4 HRS IF NECESSARY. ALSO ADD ANY OTHER SPICES THAT YOU LIKE.

I HAVE ALSO COOKED IT IN THE OVEN.

We owe Darlene a debt of a hearty appetite for this recipe.

”The main difference between a cat and a lie is that a cat only has nine lives.”
Mark Twain

SGGP