Prior to this I didn't know...

I stumbled across this amazing blog called Prior. It is soooo cool. And what really freaked me out was it is my cousin's blog. I didn't even know she had a blog! I love it! Her work is beautiful. I knew I was out of the loop on a lot of stuff, but apparently I didn't even know there was a loop. So, if you love really creative, fun, unique, one of a kind type of decorating, you will really like Lezlee's site.

Zoo Doo

I didn't take this shot of Patrick. You can find the photographer's blog and pictures at aeolian dissonance.

Actually, the photograph is not posted on my blog, as the link to the larger version indicates, it is from my photostream on Flickr. After reading your "About Me" blurb, I'm sure you will want to do the right thing here and credit my fully copyrighted photograph with my name. Of course, the right thing to do with an image that is © all rights reserved, is to ask permission of the artist before using it, as is stipulated not only by copyright law, but is also part of the Flickr TOS. If I had chosen to make the image a Creative Commons License image, then it would have been appropriate for you to use it without my permission, but it is still polite to acknowledge and request usage.

Thanks,

Barry

My in-laws met us at the zoo today. They only had an hour to visit so I took them through the Children's Zoo first and we checked in on Clay at his "end of the session" party. The keepers kept offering us ice cream and cookies. We passed and I'm glad we did. I took them down to see Patrick. Betty had heard me telling stories about him at Thanksgiving and I figured if he was out he would put on a good show. We found him sprawled on a huge log soaking up a sunbeam. I waved for him to come over and he casually ambled our way stopping to strip some bark off a felled tree. Right before reaching us he threw the bark at the window and did his charging up and down ritual a few times. Then he pulled something that I had never seen him do and never want to see him do again. Scooting backwards to the very edge of the ravine, he reached behind his back and pooped in his hand. That was enough to make me ill seeing he was inches from us. My first thought was that he would smear it on the window. That would have been horrible. But no, he went more base. He began to pick through it and eat. I'm afraid that if I had eaten the ice cream and cookies it would have all come up. I was a tad bit queasy for the rest of the day.

Later in the afternoon I had a great talk with the Gorilla docent. One of my favorite things to do is to sit in the research center, watch Jenny and Timbo, and read. Jenny is the oldest gorilla in North America. She has been at the zoo almost all of her 54 years. It is so weird to realize that she was there when I was a little girl visiting. I wonder what went through her head as she was introduced to her new habitat. No concrete, no bars...only open sky, green grass, trees. Charles said it took her a few days to adjust. I can imagine. There is an old chimp, that after being offered for many years now a huge lush habitat, still chooses to sit on the concrete at the edge of her room. She will only make a quick dash onto the grass for a treat that lands close by.

We aren't much different. As humans we get so comfortable in our surroundings and circumstances(even if they are bad) that sometimes we struggle to adjust to something good, better, healthier. We would rather hang onto what we've got (and I don't mean the song) than step into the beautiful. The unknown, the different, is too scary.

My daughter showed me...

this video done by Isaac Deitz



I think it is beautiful.

Finding hope in smoldering ashes near K&A

Some people know about the warehouse fire that wiped out homes in Philadelphia. Well, it looks like beauty is beginning to rise out of the wreckage. Read here for encouragement. The column was written by Nathaniel Popkin. I found it through Another World Is Possible. More information can be gathered at The Simple Way. You will find some different thoughts about the American Dream and what it truly means to be Jesus to people. They do things in an unique way. It seems to be working.

Back From The Yucatan

Twins! The pastor's wife had no idea that she was
carrying twins until she delivered them. Surprise!

It's Monday. We got back Thursday night. This is the first time I have felt the desire to blog. Our time in the Yucatan was special. There were many beautiful things to see and the people we met were wonderful. I lost count of the villages we visited. We were suppose to go to five different ones, but in the world of missions you must remember a very important word - Flexibility. We flexed a lot. During our time in the first village, my 12 year old came to me and said, "These kids have nothing, but they're so happy." Of course we saw that over and over during our week. It was a good lesson for all of us.

I want one of these tricycles! It would be great to pick up groceries. One of the men let me test his out. I managed not to kill our music minister.





This is one of my buddies. I was helping her make her bracelet. Isn't she beautiful? She kept staring at me. I guess she had never seen anything so strange before!

















I bought a hammock for my family from the lady who made it. Think about this - I'm 5'4".
She only charged me $10. If I had bought it in the city it would have been $20-$30. I cut out the middle man and made a friend.
















As we began to leave on night this woman, the wife of the man that let me ride his tricycle, brought me this tortilla cover. Her 18 year old daughter makes them to sell. She and her husband presented it as a gift. I was so touched!

The people of this church fed us a wonderful dinner. It consisted of what I call "tapas", tiny soft tacos on homemade corn tortillas. Good stuff! Also at this church there was a door that I had to duck to get through. Again, I'm 5'4".









My daughter, Corinn, makes a friend in Ek Balam. Mayan temple ruins were discovered by outsiders in the late 90's. They are being excavated now. Soon this sleepy little village will be a hot tourist spot. It already has one "eco-hotel".

Clay makes some friends. This is at the Ek Balam's village square. There is no church here, but there is a Mayan missionary, Ramone, that wants to start one soon.
















Randy, the puppet master, and my daughter, Callie, showing off their dance moves during one of the puppet songs. I never got to see this live because I always had my hand up a puppet's hiney.