Dream•sync

Abbey requested the recipe for the bars I brought to Prayer & Praise on Wednesday, so here it is. Saw it on the side of the Corn Flakes box and only modified it slightly.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 5 cups corn flakes cereal

Directions:

1. Measure out the corn flakes and place in a large bowl.
   
2. In a large sauce pan, combine chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter.  Stir over low heat until smooth.  Remove from heat.
3. Add the pre-measured corn flakes to sauce pan.  Stir until evenly coated.
4. Coat a 9 x 9 x 2 pan with cooking spray and transfer the mixture into it.
5. Using wax paper, press the mixture evenly into the pan.  Cut into squares when cool.

I actually used a 9 x 13 pan and the bars came out thinner, but just as good :)  Next time I'll probably double the recipe for the larger pan.  If you need the bars to cool faster throw them in the freezer or fridge, just allow them to thaw a bit prior to cutting into bars if they freeze - otherwise they have a tendency to break along jagged lines.  Again, this does not affect the taste :)

So in just two days a lot has happened. Some good, some not so good.

First, the 'not so good'. My Dad's been dealing with some ministry stuff - I'd ask that you'd pray the Lord would give clarity and wisdom to him and all involved. I could see it on his face last night after the meeting - he was weary and it showed.

The other not-so-good - we've drained Dad's cabin fund, a.k.a. my apartment fund. I'm honestly not worried about it - the Lord will provide the funds we need to complete the work in His time. And he's provided me a job so I'm guessing that's where the funds will initially come from. So no more rare book purchases for a while :)

The good - well, the Lord is always good :) In this case I'm referring to the chocolaty goodness that mentioned in the post title. Look for that shortly...

Listening to: "Black Balloon" by the Goo Goo Dolls from 'Dizzy Up the Girl'
Reading: 'Post Mortem' by Patricia Cornwell. First Kay Scarpetta novel and it's dark. Interesting to go back and read it when I know some of the story from her later novels.
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 5: Peace Be with You. Had a good time at Bible Study last night.  Hard to persevere through last night's video session for some reason. We're sticking with it regardless.

So I decided to follow through on my blog redesign.  Can't take all the credit for this one - I just happened to find a great template site:  http://btemplates.com/   Searched several options and thought I'd try this one.  Had to tweak it a bit to get it to where I wanted it, but overall I'm liking it...so if any of you want to try out a template and have coding questions let me know - I think I've got it figured out :)

On another note, didn't go to play volleyball for a few reasons.  One, I'd prefer to go with people that I know at least the first few times, and since they had other commitments I opted out this week.  Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll head over to play.  Second reason - Mom's birthday dinner with G & G.  We went to a nice steak place - and I got veal.  LOL  Was going to go for steak but just wasn't in the mood.  Who knew I had to be in the mood for a good steak?  Anyway, Val ended up stopping home just as we were getting in the car to go and so she tagged along.  Poor Kim - she's been home sick with a fever the last day or so and hasn't been feeling all that well...She's on the mend though, so hopefully she'll get back to work on Thursday...

And one more thing - I realized how important it is to share those 'weird' things that seem to be coincidences (which I don't believe in - there are no coincidences!).  Like last weeks' 2 Peter1 I shared at Prayer and Praise.  For 4 days I kept hearing and reading this passage - specifically Chapter 1 verses 3-12.  So I shared based on the more obvious prompting of the Holy Spirit (4 days in a row is pretty obvious I think lol).  And based on a few things today I'm thinking that it definitely wasn't just for me - that these things we're led to discover by the Holy Spirit are meant to be shared with others so that they may also reap the benefit.

That said, I haven't had any glaring 'coincidences' or other scriptures jump out at me this week.  But I would encourage any of you reading this - share what you've been learning.  You never know how the Lord will use it in someone else's life.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11

Listening to: "Unbound" by Robbie Robertson from 'Contact From the Underground'
Reading: 'Post Mortem' by Patricia Cornwell. First Kay Scarpetta novel and it's dark.  Which means I'll be reading something not in the forensic sciences for my next novel...
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 4: The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength.

So today started off..well...interesting.

First, I've de-linked my blog and my facebook page. For various reasons. And as much as some of my friends rely on facebook for their updates they may be disappointed in this development, however, for my own sanity it's the right choice :) I guess I'm not keen on broadcasting my blog to every connection I have on facebook. I'm still blogging, just in a more 'private' way - which is a huge oxymoron considering nothing you post on the internet is ever private LOL. Maybe I'm just filtering for the most dedicated of readers - so if you are reading this, it's because you have the direct link to my site. Thank you for reading :)

Anyway, as is my normal practice, I wake up without and alarm, in this case at least an hour earlier than I had anticipated. Blah. Not able to get back to sleep, and an underlying panic just at the edge of my consciousness. I have an idea of what's causing it and so I choose to ignore it, and that's followed by a futile attempt to reclaim another hour of sleep before removing myself from my bed and starting my day.

I meet my mom on the stair as she's heading out. I missed celebrating her birthday yesterday. Several reasons for that - one, I attend a church in the Finger Lakes region, and that's a 2 hour drive. And I can hear some of you asking why I would ever drive that far for church my answer is it's worth it. Anyway, between driving back and forth for the other events I was attending this weekend it just wasn't feasible to drive back and forth twice this weekend (I had a Relevant Worship concert to attend - lots of fun - word of the night being 'awkward' LOL :) And even though I talked with my mom about not being here in advance I still feel guilty. Ugh. Anyway, met her on the steps this morning on her way to work and wished her a happy birthday again.

It's always a challenge to come up with the right gift - for anyone, not just my mom - but this year my sister Kim had a great idea... so we went with it. And yesterday afternoon they placed the gift on the porch and told mom after dinner that she needed to see the improvements we made to the porch. Dad told me last night that she went out on the porch and was looking at the stairs and didn't see it right away. She looked left and there on the porch was a kayak :)

She was completely surprised - and happy too. And saying that we needed more so she wouldn't have to go by herself. You see, when we're in the mountains on vacation we like to be on the water. Some of the rental houses we've stayed at have kayaks that we can use and we've enjoyed them in the past. My mom apparently made a comment this past summer about how we needed one as the place we stayed didn't have one. So Kim wisely tucked that tidbit away and shared it with me a few weeks ago. After running it by Dad and Val we started looking, and thanks to a trip to Dick's that Kim and Val took, we got mom a kayak. Dad's going to try to get her out on the pond with it. LOL

Anyway, Happy Birthday mom :)

So that was the celebration yesterday. Mom confirmed her surprise with me this morning, then told me the dinner with Grandpa & Grandma D was rescheduled for Tuesday night. I had requested Monday. Ehh.... so I won't be celebrating with them either, which makes me want to bake a cake or something even though she's received no less than 3 cakes in the last day or so. Yes - I have a guilt complex... I won't be going because a Volleyball league is starting up and I've been interested in playing in one for a few months now. And it's starting this Tuesday. Going to see if one or both sisters want to come. And I'm geared up now after this past weekend's volleyball event.

Yep - volleyball yesterday afternoon. A few games indoors, a few games outdoors. Pretty good games, and great to meet new people. And get in a few good games of volleyball with some excellent volleys. Still looking forward to a more competitive level of play - not hugely competitive, but more 3-hits-per-side type play. I'm finding myself a bit sore today though...worth it for the play.

So where was I, oh yes - today - so I'm in my office, and I get an email from the CEO asking me website questions and please call him at his direct line. The nice part is we're a smaller company (less than 300 employees worldwide) and as I worked at the corporate office I've done quite a bit of work for the CEO so I know him. Just didn't expect an email of that direct nature. So I call from my parent's land line, leave a voice mail and two minutes late receive a call on my parent's line from the CEO. He commented on how he got a busy signal the first time and that he hadn't heard one of those in years :) Anyway, he asked me to help out his wife as she's setting up a survey for her doctoral dissertation and he felt out of his depth with the web stuff. So I called her this morning and had a nice chat with her, and apparently the CEO is happy with my breadth of knowledge on web stuff because she mentioned how he mentioned me when she had questions. So that's good - it means that they have confidence in my ability to do my job. Which is really good cause I'd like to keep my job :)

So as I'm on the phone with her, a blue jay flies smack into the window. Let's just say it startled me. Which shouldn't surprise anyone because I startle easily. I have an abundance of blue jays now, and this morning they've been chasing each other, and the woodpeckers, and vice versa, and the squirrels are chasing them - must be a good day for chasing. This one wasn't paying attention and flew into the window. No worries - it survived the ordeal, but it took me about 5 minutes to recover....

And now I'm looking at this huge post and thinking I need to change my blog layout so that my posts don't appear so long... maybe I should post smaller things more often as opposed to longer ones less frequently...would that help? Long posts are what happens when you find blogging cathartic :)


Listening to: "Perfect (Original Mix)" by Rob Lemon from 'I Love Trance: Vol 7'
Reading: 'Post Mortem' by Patricia Cornwell. Just started it this morning.
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 4: The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength.

"Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."

Hello all.. just thought I'd pass this along. It was written back in 2005 and I found it today on Boundless. Thought it was a great reminder of the responsibility that comes with blogging...

http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001341.cfm



Listening to: Munch 3 [Remix] from the Oddworld: Munch's Odysee Soundtrack
Reading: 'In The Courts of the Sun' by Brian D'Amato. Just finished it this morning. A lot of language that didn't need to be in there, as well as other material. Interesting storyline, but kind of ended on a downer. It's the first in a trilogy though I'm not sure I will continue it when it becomes available. Hoping to pick up my next book this weekend at the book sale :)
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 4: The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength. Had to reschedule with my friend because of visiting coworkers. We both feel like we're being hindered in this study for whatever reason. Which is even more incentive to keep doing it.
FB Friends: Read it in situ here: dreamsync.blogspot.com

that's right - and sooner than expected. Yesterday a USPS truck actually drove down our driveway and was going to leave a 'you weren't here so we're keeping your box at the post office' note but thankfully my Dad intercepted the mail carrier before he could leave :)

Haven't taken any pictures yet but I'll tell you - it's exquisite :)

I realized also that after all this talk of this poem, that I haven't actually given you the full poem to read, so I'm including it here. And I don't have the book under lock and key yet, so if you're at prayer and praise tomorrow night you may just get a glimpse of it....

Enjoy :)

Mortality
William Knox
Job, iii. Ecclesiastes, i.


Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud?
Like a swift-fleeting meteor, a fast-flying cloud,
A flash of the lightning, a break of the wave,
He passes from life to his rest in the grave.

The leaves of the oak and the willow shall fade,
Be scattered around, and together be laid;
And the young and the old, the low and the high,
Shall molder to dust, and together shall lie.

The infant a mother attended and loved;
The mother that infant’s affection who proved;
The husband, that mother and infant who blessed;
Each, all, are away to their dwelling of rest.

The maid on whose cheek, on whose brow, in whose eye,
Shone beauty and pleasure—her triumphs are by;
And the memory of those who loved her and praised,
Are alike from the minds of the living erased.

The hand of the king that the sceptre hath borne,
The brow of the priest that the mitre hath worn,
The eye of the sage, and the heart of the brave,
Are hidden and lost in the depths of the grave.

The peasant, whose lot was to sow and to reap,
The herdsman, who climbed with his goats up the steep,
The beggar, who wandered in search of his bread,
Have faded away like the grass that we tread.

The saint, who enjoyed the communion of Heaven,
The sinner, who dared to remain unforgiven,
The wise and the foolish, the guilty and just,
Have quietly mingled their bones in the dust.

So the multitude goes—like the flower or the weed
That withers away to let others succeed;
So the multitude comes—even those we behold,
To repeat every tale that has often been told.

For we are the same that our fathers have been;
We see the same sights that our fathers have seen;
We drink the same stream, we feel the same sun,
And run the same course that our fathers have run.

The thoughts we are thinking, our fathers would think;
From the death we are shrinking, our fathers would shrink;
To the life we are clinging, they also would cling—
But it speeds from us all like a bird on the wing.

They loved—but the story we cannot unfold;
They scorned—but the heart of the haughty is cold;
They grieved—but no wail from their slumber will come;
They joyed—but the tongue of their gladness is dumb.

They died—aye, they died—we things that are now,
That walk on the turf that lies over their brow,
And make in their dwellings a transient abode,
Meet the things that they met on their pilgrimage road.

Yea, hope and despondency, pleasure and pain,
Are mingled together in sunshine and rain;
And the smile and the tear, the song and the dirge,
Still follow each other, like surge upon surge.

’Tis the wink of an eye—’tis the draught of a breath—
From the blossom of health to the paleness of death,
From the gilded saloon to the bier and the shroud
Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud?

Listening to: Jars of Clay 'Futhermore: From the Studio'
Reading: 'In The Courts of the Sun' by Brian D'Amato. I'm enjoying the book. Still a few sections and details that are unnecessary, but being immersed in Maya culture even fictionally is cool.
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 4: The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength. A bit behind on my studies - need to quit playing Call of Duty early tonight so I can do some real studying :)
FB Friends: Read it in situ here: dreamsync.blogspot.com

If you're just joining the story now, best to go back to my last post...so where was I? Oh yes - did well on my college reading project for public speaking. And more importantly I had the full poem in a book I could access anytime I wanted in the college library.

Then I graduated.

Hmm... no longer on campus, but ok because I got a job about 10 minutes away from the college. And it's not like I couldn't live without reading this poem. It was just nice to know that if I needed to reference it, it was there.

On occasion I would get the urge to go back and find the book and read the poem. And unless they've rearranged the library greatly since I was last there, it's downstairs in the poetry section, by a building support column. No, I don't have the call numbers memorized. I can see where it is on the shelf in my head :)

Probably about 7 years ago I thought I better make a photo copy of it for my own records. Never know when the book would disappear off the shelves, never to be found again. So I went, found the book and photo copied 'Mortality' and another poem called 'Not Lost, But Gone Before'. Folded up the papers, took them home and promptly filed them. Don't ask me where the copies are now -I have no idea LOL

Around the same time I made the photocopy I mentioned my search for this book to a coworker. They asked if I'd ever done a rare book search before which I hadn't. Hadn't really thought about it. Just figured when I walked into an old book store someday I would find a copy of this book that I've been wanting for so long.

Yeah. Not the smartest plan of acquisition, but hey. It was just a book of poetry and I still had access to my photocopy (at the time it wasn't lost in the filing) and the copy at the library.

But on the advice of this coworker I searched the web for a rare book search and found this wonderful resource: www.alibris.com specifically their Book Fetch feature.

First I searched for the book. Reprints galore, but none of them really fit what I was looking for - an early edition - you know, the 'old' smelling mid-1800s edition. So instead of throwing down $25 for a modern reprint, I used Book Fetch to notify me when an original became available. Kinda felt like cheating though. I wouldn't be doing the hard work of researching and trying to find this book.

Ah well. Filled out the Book Fetch form and submit it. That was what, 8 years ago? Didn't give Book Fetch a second thought...

...until yesterday.

Yesterday I was in Ohio at the office. Yesterday I was checking email in the morning when this subject line caught my eye:

"Your Alibris Book Fetch Results for 10/12/2009"

Could it be? No... Oh my word...it is... seriously?

Your search for:
Songs of Israel by William Knox
Published Before1875

Matched: The Lonely Hearth, the Songs of Israel, Harp of Zion and Other Poems (With Two Als Cards From Wright Howes and 1als Note By Howes) by Knox, William, 1789-1825 John Johnstone. London. (1847)

No way...

So I clicked on the link. And read the description.

16mo-over 5¾"-6¾" tall. 216p. An item of extraordinary rarity of which less than a half dozen are known to have survived. Abraham' Lincoln's copy, the copy Wright Howes discovered in Edinburgh (the Knox family copy), the copy given to Lincoln Memorial University, and give others. Lincoln referred often to the poem in his copy entitled "Mortality" first discovered by Lincoln more than a decade before ascending to the Presidency. Mr. M.L. Houser of Peoria, Illinois, the Lincoln Scholar, had Wright Howes, the preeminent expert on Americana to acquire a copy of the book for him in England. On July 28, 1934 Wright Howes wrote Mr. Howser [sic] that he was back from England where he had gotten one of the items which was the 1847 edition. though described as fine, we think a fair binding copy w.a.f. (though sitll in original cloth) is more appropriate. The card notes "apparently this is the only copy in all the British Isles, so treasure it. "--Wright Howes, another Card on his letterhead written in February 1935 notes "glad you are so pleased with Knox's Poems...I knew it was exceedingly rare as no one in england knew anything about it. Always glad to hear from you. " A letter to Wright Howes from Maurice Boyd (author of the work yet to be published in 1966 William Knox and Abraham Lincoln) he inquires about the detail of the 1934 purchase. The copy came from the Knox family and as is further evidenced by ownership signatures on half-title page was owned by his niece, Jane Cocrhane, and then by her niece, Harriet Lang. Professor Boyd goes on to ask what was bookseller and how did he obtain it. Wright Howe responds on bottom of same letter: "My recollection is that this Now volume was supplied me by Jas. Orr on George St. in Edniburgh. he has been dead about 15 years. I was in Edinburgh about 10 years ago and met his son, now iwth another firm, he promises to try to obtain another cop for me, but I 'hev me doots", Wright Howes. Also includes Wright Howes envelope with history of Belleville extract

And put it in my cart immediately.

I walk over to ask the Director of IT his opinion of this kind of purchase. He says if it's a rare thing it's more like an investment. He read the description and said 'Cool'. I took that as a 'go for it'.

Then my boss shows up - and I am so excited that the book is even available I tell her exactly what I'm doing - might as well be up front about not working at work... She thought it was the coolest thing that I may actually have found this book. Seriously. I have an AWESOME boss...

Anyway, while I'm talking with her and debating this purchase I can't login to the site. It doesn't recognize the email address. Which I find strange as it emailed me at that address. Then I click on the link in my email again to see if that works, and the page with the book - the book I'm looking for - comes up with this:

That item is now out of stock, but you may find a similar item below:

Nooo! I'm thinking.... I waited too long and someone else bought this obscure book before I could make a decision. How cruel! To find something you've wanted for so long and then to have it snatched from you as you're having website issues.

I had to admit to the fact that this little 'quest' was a bit more important that I thought. Always there under the surface. Hoping against hope to find this book - which turns out to be even more rare than I ever thought it was...

I share my dismay with my boss and she says 'well, if you were meant to have it it will still be there when you login'.

I login and click the link again.

That item is now out of stock, but you may find a similar item below:

Argh... it's hopeless. I've lost my chance to pick up this book. And I'm trying to learn what I am supposed to be learning about this whole thing. What's the Lord trying to teach me? That's when I see my cart.

You have 1 item in your cart.

Seriously? Could it be that simple?

Apparently when I put this thing in my cart, it signified to everyone else that the book was no longer available. Including me when I tried to click on the link to the original item.

So against all hope I went through the purchase process and it now seems that I am the new owner of a very rare book. It may or may not be first edition. It may or may not be a copy that belonged to the Knox family (check out that description again... unbelievable). I'm hoping it is for the price I paid for it :) No worries - it was a bit more than I thought, but still in a reasonable range.

I have the confirmation email. I now have the shipping confirmation as well :)

In the meantime, I am feeling that euphoric high that happens when you find something you've been looking for for a long time. Kind of like the widow looking for a lost coin who finds it and rejoices with her friends - and I'm thanking God for that little glimpse of what He must feel when one of His prodigals come home.

That and I'm slowly coming to realize once again the Lord's perfect timing. If this book had come up for sale when I was in college I wouldn't have even had the chance to pick it up. If it had come up 8 years ago when I first tried the book fetch I would not have the finances to make a snap decision and would most likely had lost the opportunity to pick it up. But it didn't - it came up for sale precisely when I have the finances to make a quick purchasing decision.

And humbly I'm reminded that if the Lord can precisely time the sale of a rare book that's been the desire of my heart for so many years, how much more is He concerned about the timing of a spouse?

But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."
My times are in Your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
Make your face shine on Your servant;
save me in Your steadfast love!

Listening to: "O Praise Him (All This For a King) - David Crowder Band" from The Best of Passion
Reading: 'In The Courts of the Sun' by Brian D'Amato. Very interesting story line. Think Maya, the Sacrifice Game, 4 Ahau aka December 12, 2012, and Time Travel of someone's consciousness back to the days of the Ancient Maya culture.Story is great, the language in the book leaves a bit to be desired...
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 4: The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength.
FB Friends: Read it in situ here: dreamsync.blogspot.com

So you may or may not know, but I have this thing for old stuff. Which includes ancient stuff that you see in museums - come to think of it, I passed a truck yesterday on the highway that was a corporate Archaeology company...hmm...should look them up. Anyway, I have this thing for old books. Really old. You know the kind - the ones you find in a back corner of your grandparent's house that smell kinda musty - they smell "old".

There's a shop in the adirondacks that has some - The Maxton House. I remember back when it was some guy's antique shop that was just PACKED with old junk. A few cool tidbits, and lots of old books, but mostly junk :) Then another family bought the house and all the stuff and cleaned it out and started this wonderful little shop with crafts. To my delight, they kept a room in the back for all the old books for sale. Every year I go back to that store and look at the books. The place was recently sold to another family and I'm hoping they don't change the old book corner...we shall see... This year I got a really old hymnal, a book with photos of Israel from the early 1900's and a book on the National Parks with old photos from the 1930s. Nice, old books.

But none of them equal to the one I've been searching for since..oh...1996. Yeah - that long. Which in comparison to other peoples searches isn't that long, but I digress...

It started in my High School AP English class. Actually it started much earlier than that but it wasn't until High School AP English that I made the connection... I was required to read several books before the start of the school year - my senior year. Which means that I really wasn't that into it as the beginnings of senioritis had already set in. Nevertheless, I read the books and wrote reports, then found I had to read a Biography. Ugh. I have a hard time with anything other than fiction - I love adventure stories, and somehow reading about another person's life just wasn't that interesting to me.

I looked a several biographies from the library and started a few but just couldn't get into them. Then I discovered this old book on my mom's bookshelf - Norman Hapgood's "Abraham Lincoln, the Man of the People. It was an old book - but it was about Abraham Lincoln - and it was written not too long after his death. 'not too long' is relative in terms of a biography. Let's just say it was written only 30 years after his death and not a hundred or so. In other words, this guy had access to Lincoln's contemporaries, which was important to me. Even as a 17-year-old.

So I pulled it off the shelf and started reading. I think I finished the book in several days - it was actually a good book. I learned a lot - including a few stanzas from what Hapgood said was Lincoln's favorite poem. It's called 'Mortality' or 'O Why Should The Spirit of Mortal Be Proud?'. And it was written by William Knox back in the mid 1800s. The Bio didn't give a book for that poem, and it only gave a few stanzas. But I recognized one of them:

'Tis the wink of an eye, 'tis the draught of a breath,
From the blossom of health to the paleness of death,
From the gilded saloon to the bier and the shroud,--
Oh! why should the spirit of mortal be proud?

So where had I read that before? Ah yes....so it really started with a Michael W. Smith song on his i2eye album called 'Live and Learn'. I remember hearing this song in the basement in my parent's house and trying to decipher the words in that stanza, never realizing it would connect me to a book in the living room and send me on this quest.

That song came out in late 1988. So if you figure I got the album for Christmas that year or the next, I was 10 or 11 when I first heard the song. Crazy - that means I've known vaguely about this poem for 20 years or so... ok now I feel old LOL

Back to the 'quest'. So I read the biography on Abraham Lincoln and wrote a report on it. And I still cherish that old book that reintroduced me to that president and to the William Knox poem.

Flash forward about a year to my freshman year of college. Public Speaking was a course that everyone had to take. Mine was in Alfred I think? In one of the back rooms maybe - I could be totally off. I remember what the room looks like but not where it was... anyway, for one of the assignments we had to pick a poem to read. My first thought went to 'Mortality', but that meant I had to find the complete poem. I had to read something for a minute and a half and 3 stanzas were not going to do it.

Over to the library, searching for poems to read, hoping to find Mortality. Not seeing it showing up anywhere and getting discouraged. Scrounging the shelves for Poem anthologies that might have that poem in it. Finding something :)

Namely the 'World's Book of Best Loved Poems' from the early 1900s. Couldn't believe it when I looked in the index and found the complete text of 'Mortality'. The complete text which is something like 15 stanzas. I had the author, I had the full poem, and I had more than that - I had a book title and a date. Specifically, 'Mortality' by William Knox, from 'Songs of Israel' 1847.

I paired that poem with John Donne's 'Death'. and Did well on my project. And now I had a book I could refer to for that poem at any time.

And seeing as this is a 'quest' story... I'm going to finish it in another post. Have to keep you in suspense for a bit longer :)

Listening to: "Enough" from The Best of Passion
Reading: 'In The Courts of the Sun' by Brian D'Amato. Very interesting story line.
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 4: The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength.
FB Friends: Read it in situ here: dreamsync.blogspot.com

no, not in my office thankfully :)

So after about a week and a half , yesterday I started seeing some birds hanging around my feeder. Strange to think that was a relief - as if I did something to offend the birds...

Since I saw them out yesterday and was going shopping with my Mom, I figured I'd buy a few more treats for them. Hung them up this morning, and lo and behold, they have already found 1 of the two new suet baskets, and 1 of the two corn feeders which are supposedly to keep the squirrels occupied and away from the feeder.

Anyway, Here's the running list:

Blue Jay on the new suet basket this morning. Now I've got two of them vying for the feeder...








Red-bellied Woodpecker. Checking out the feeder... He came back later for suet.











Black-capped Chickadee. I have two of these guys flying around each other. They found the corn before the squirrels. Still working out the best settings for my camera to pick up these fast and flighty birds. One thing - it helps if you're not shooting through a dirty window and a screen. Screen is now gone, but I have yet to try to clean the outside of my office window...

Downy Woodpecker - This one's the female. And honestly a fluke that I caught it on camera at all. Saw something unusual flying from tree to tree in the wood behind the bird feeder and just barely caught it.



White-Tailed Deer - Lots of these. I see them probably 3-4 times a week. They tend to cross our driveway more than I ever realized. Though it's not often in the past that I've been here during the day to actually witness the crossing. And sometimes they just stand there in the middle for 15 minutes or so. Definitely doesn't work as a hiding spot ;)

There are the squirrels and chipmunks as well, but no pictures of them yet.



I was reminded of this passage of scripture as I was putting this post together - Matthew 6:25-34. I'll share it as a close for this entry:

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Good things to remember :)

long title I realize... sums up what I've been dreaming pretty well. Just as a heads up - this first one gets a little gory. I try not to really lay out all the bloody details, but they are bloody as it's a warfare dream. Feel free to skip it if you'd prefer. I won't be offended. Blogging them is cathartic - it helps me put them away and focus on real life :) Two nights ago:

I'm on what appears to be a very small oil rig - it's on stilts, and has at least two levels. It's made out of wood - and wood that looks like it's been exposed to the elements for a very long time. The wood appears soft and rotten in places and the boards give when I walk over them. Every available inch of wood is covered in either hanging moss or old decaying jungle vines.

The lowest level is where we all start. There is an enclosed area with wall on all sides, and only one opening that I can tell. Outside this room there is a large deck that surrounds the center room, with partitions sectioning off parts of the deck. Some of these spaces are almost cave-like as their ceilings are low.

I am with a group of people all dressed in jungle fatigues - no helmets. We are playing a game - or at least that's what this group thinks. I apparently believe that it's more than a game, but no one is paying any heed to my warnings.

We are given weapons, with a very limited supply of ammo and told that the first wave is coming. Everyone rushes out to discover that the first wave is a human-like creature, only they are 7 feet tall with very long arms and sharp-clawed two-fingered hands. They have flesh colored skin with a bit of grey tone, but after only a few minutes everything is speckled in blood - and not just creatures - human blood abounds as well.

I am standing, watching all of this as if it's not really happening. One of my friends pulls me aside and snaps me out of it. The first wave is finished, now for the second. We have a brief respite to stock up on ammo and determine a better defensive position before the next wave hits. I already have these flares even though no one else was provided them. I follow my friend to one of the small cave-like alcoves on the first level of this makeshift jungle oil rig.

The space is only 2-3 foot high - high enough for us to site comfortably under the protective roof. We have sturdy walls on three and a half sides and only one 6 foot opening in the center of what now looks like an 8 foot wall to defend. I am in the back left corner, my friend sits to my left on the wall near the opening. There are two others in this room. I recognize one of them.

The second wave is coming. Only it's not humanoids. It's 3 foot long, 6 inch in diameter worms with a circular mouth with teeth - similar to a lamprey or a tapeworm. They are hideous. Pink-grey fleshy colored once again, and already bloodied from 'cleaning' up after the first wave.

We get out our flares which are set up like bullets in a stripper clip - all pointed up and lined next to each other. We set them up as a fence along the one opening. My friend - he isn't alarmed at the worms. It's almost as if he's done this before - which he has. It's how he knows to use the flares for this wave. This is when I begin to wonder what game I'm in.

We light the flares. The worms try to crawl over them to get to us, but the flames ignite the ooze covering there outer skins. They writhe as they die, squealing. I want the noise to stop. Those in the small room with me are dozing off.

The second wave is complete. I wonder what's in store for the third wave. I return with my friends to the central room on the first level. They are all wearing a cape-like overcoat with a purple interior and what looks to be red or gold stars. I want to know where mine is.

"You don't get one until you survive the third wave," I'm told. I look around the room for other 'recruits' like me - ones without the cape. There are none. I am the only recruit to have survived the first and second waves. I remember the group before the first wave meeting in this same room - they are all gone. I fight panic.

My friends tell me there's a weapons cache on the third level that I must access before the third wave. I start my climb to what is like a larger version of a crows nest. It reminds me of a guard shack. There I find the weapons cache. I stock up, very relieved to have a powerful gun and plenty of ammo with which to fight off the third wave.

I am back in the central area again, getting briefed on the third wave. The enemy has used humans to incubate the third wave - deforming their abdomen as if they were pregnant. The humans gestating the enemy have lost all mind control to the thing inside them, and act very much like flesh-eating zombies. The General in the central room thinks it's disgusting that they would take the test to this kind of level. I am not sure if I will survive the third wave. I am beginning to believe that this is some sort of high-level training program and for some reason I've been selected to continue in it.

So yeah. No, I haven't been reading about aliens, or playing any alien games or anything near as gruesome as what I've described. I can pick out a few things that make sense. The dream is reminiscent of a zombies level, I did some target practice at the G's this past weekend, getting the chance to fire some really nice weapons which made an appearance in the dream, and elements of it like the stress are probably coming from this huge project I'm working on... Strange regardless :) Last night:

Impressions of meeting up with my ex again - him who I haven't seen in about 10 years. Finding he's figured out where he needed to be and decided to come back for me hoping that I was still available. I am at peace when I'm with him even though I know it can't possibly be for real. He will leave me a second time. I decide to settle with what I can enjoy in the short term instead of standing up for myself. Foolish choice if I think about it rationally. But I don't because I'm dreaming.

There is another part of this dream that I can't quite piece together. it's like it's there - just floating outside my recollection. Funny thing is, I remembered it when I woke up this morning. It was only later in the morning when I recalled seeing my ex did that part of the dream disappear.

And I always have an off day when I dream about my ex. Always. So it's no wonder that today I feel like I'm in limbo. Stuck in the same routine, yet desperately longing for a change. Road trip anyone?

I would love to, but until this major project is done I can't. Maybe in the spring. My desire for change is from my desire to escape from the pressures that I face at work. Which is actually going really well. Apparently I'm worrying about it through my dreams...

So we'll see what tonight brings.

And on another note, if you made it this far I applaud you! Here's a reward: I've had a few of you ask how I got my text to wrap around my photos. First, you need to go to the settings tab and look under 'formatting'. Find the "Enable float alignment" and make sure it says 'Yes'. Next - and here's probably going to be the sticking point - you need to use blogger's 'add image' button. Once you click that little 'add image' icon you'll get a choice of how to place the image on the page. Select the one you want and voilà - text wraps around the image :)

If you're using another program to place your photos let me know which one you're using and I'll see if I can come up with a solution for you :)

And with that - I'm off to bed and most likely another intense dreaming session. 'Night!

Listening to: Nothing! Left my iPod in my purse so this has been a silent zone with the exception of the rain on the steel roof. Always did like that sound... except I have to walk back through a downpour to get to bed...hmmm....
Reading: 'The Atlantis Revelation' by Thomas Greanias. Third book in the trilogy - finished 'The Atlantis Prophecy' last night and started this one immediately. Once again good so far.
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 3: Greatest of These is Love. Still working on week 3.
FB Friends: Read it in situ here: dreamsync.blogspot.com