New Words

There are certain words or phrases that, upon initially being introduced to them, just go around and around in my brain looking for ways to be used in everyday speech or writing. But sometimes, hard as I try, I just can't come up with a conversation in which they fit. Today's Merriam-Webster Dictionary Word of the Day is a perfect example. The word is clitic. Do you know its definition? Or have you even heard the word clitic before? I hadn't. But here's a clue to its meaning. It'll surprise me if your speech isn't just chock full of clitics. Mine is. Go see what we've been using all along without knowing it!

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful today for cooler temperatures and rain. I'm not a hot weather lover at all so our abundance of 90 and above days this summer has not been to my liking one little bit! And, although overall its been a rather wet summer, the last couple of weeks have been dry. Considering that I've recently planted some hydrangeas and a few other perennials as well as the fact that I'm now responsible for the garden our former tenants left, I'm very thankful for this help with the watering!

Please join with Kim of The Upward Call, myself and several other friends who are committed to praising our God for the good gifts in our lives each Thursday of 2010. What are you thanking God for today?

Quotes From the Cottage

Many of these displays of faith which have come under our review, have been given towards the close of life, or in the article of death. It is a question of deep interest to us all, Have we a faith which will support us amid the frailties of age, amid the debilities or the agonies of dissolving nature? We all profess faith now: the hour which is to try whether we possess it or not is fast approaching. The reality and the strength of our faith must by and by--God only knows how soon--be put to a severe trial. Ah! how many, who thought they had faith in health, find they have none in sickness; and how many, who thought their faith strong, find then that it is indeed but "as a grain of mustard seed!" Let us now, by seeking clear, distinct, extended views of Christian truth and its evidence, "lay up a good foundation for the time to come, that we may hold on eternal life." Nothing but the faith of the Gospel can enable a rationally thinking man to enter with composure and delight into the unseen world. It is the faith of the Gospel, and that alone, which can enable the expiring mortal to exult in the dissolution of "the earthly house of this tabernacle," and say, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"~John Brown in Hebrews regarding Hebrews 11:20-22

Sunday's Hymn: Nothing But the Blood of Jesus

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

O precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my cleansing this I see—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my pardon this my plea—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Now by this I'll overcome—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Now by this I'll reach my home—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Robert Lowry, 1876
Tune: Nothing But the Blood, Robert Lowry, 1876

Thankful Thursday

The work marathon began for my hubby at 8:45 Tuesday evening when he headed into work to do his part for the move of some equipment. He said it went smoothly but he didn't get home again until 3:30 AM yesterday morning. After maybe 2 1/2 hours of sleep, he was up again and out the door to be back at work in case any problems arose from said equipment move. Some problems did arise and he didn't get home again until 9:30 last night. Right now, Andy is sleeping and that's pretty unusual...its 9 AM! But he was exhausted!

Today I am thankful to God for:

• His protection of my husband on the travel to and from work as well as the time working while Andy was so tired
• His provision of a boss who told Andy to work from home today...and not be in any hurry to get up to do it!
• His provision of this job, a good job, for Andy when so many are struggling with unemployment

What are you thanking God for today? Each Thursday of 2010, I'm sharing my thankfulness along with Kim of The Upward Call and other friends. Please join us!

Update: I love the way sharing these good gifts from our gracious God magnifies our recognition of the blessings He provides! I just visited Rosemary at Whatever is Good and was reminded to thank Him for the restorative sleep that He's provided for Andy as well. Thank you, Rosemary!

The Mystery Ship!

Here it is...the "mystery ship" of the Maritime Heritage Festival in Port Washington, WI! So if you haven't clicked through to find out (or I didn't tell you yesterday after church), she is...

...the H.M.S. Bounty!
This Bounty was built in 1962 in Nova Scotia specifically for the MGM Film Studio's production of Mutiny on the Bounty. The original Bounty was a British Naval ship and the most famous mutiny actually took place on her in 1789 when Captain Bligh was overthrown by Master Mate Fletcher Christian and his followers in the South Pacific.

Built one third larger than the original, with longer hallways, larger decks and higher ceilings to accommodate movie equipment, she still remains true to her 18th century roots. In addition to the movie she was built for, the H.M.S. Bounty has been used in Treasure Island, Yellow Beard and Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean-Dead Man's Chest among others.



The Bounty's tables use ropes (called lines on a ship) in what was an early attempt at gimbaling which is a method of keeping things level on a ship when it heels or pitches on the sea. You can imagine how much easier this makes it to eat on a ship!

Figureheads were used on the old tall ships to enable sailors, who were generally illiterate, to locate their ships on the docks as well as to appease Neptune, the god of the sea. The Bounty's figurehead is quite sedate compared to the more typical buxom and scantily clad ones.

Aside from her use in seafaring movies, the Bounty's mission is primarily educational. She appears dockside, as we toured her, or you can sail port-to-port on her. Can't you just imagine yourself behind the wheel with Captain Jack Sparrow at your side!

Tall Ships

Friday we celebrated getting the hard work done on the rental by enjoying an outing to Port Washington, WI to see the tall ships there as part of the Maritime Heritage Festival. The forecast was for overcast skies with a 40% chance of thunderstorms but we set out hoping that the 60% chance of no T-storms would prevail. Here's what things looked like upon our arrival:

We proceeded to check in with the tall ship that we were scheduled to sail on at 10:00 AM only to discover that there was some sort of misunderstanding between the crew of the ship and the people in charge at the marina resulting in a missing boarding ramp. By the time that was resolved and we boarded (about 45 minutes late), the sky looked more like this:

Oh, and the ship we sailed on? It was the Roseway, the last working pilot schooner in this country. She retired from that service in 1973 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997. She now serves as the educational vessel of the World Ocean School, a nonprofit organization. Here's a picture of her taken during the cruise after ours:

The other ship that was available for cruising was the Lynx. The Lynx is a replica of an 1812 naval schooner and is owned and operated by the Lynx Educational Foundation, another nonprofit educational foundation. Their mission is to to teach about America's struggle to preserve her freedom.

There was some difficulty for these ships in negotiating off the docks and proceeding out into Lake Michigan (and back in) because of the amount of draft they need and the restrictions caused by a rocky jetty at the mouth of the harbor. They both had rubber dinghies to assist them in these maneuvers but doesn't it look like the Lynx is about to be boarded by pirates?

Maybe that's why this shot was fired a little while later!

There were more tall ships to be toured as well, including one billed as a "mystery ship." But this post is getting rather long so I think I'll just leave that one as a mystery for today and show you the pictures of it tomorrow. Happy sailing!

Sunday's Hymn: My Times are in Thy Hand

My times are in thy hand;
My God, I wish them there;
My life, my friends, my soul, I leave
Entirely to thy care.

My times are in thy hand;
Whatever they may be;
Pleasing or painful, dark or bright,
As best may seem to thee.

My times are in thy hand;
Why should I doubt or fear?
My Father's hand will never cause
His child a needless tear.

My times are in thy hand;
Jesus the Crucified;
Those hands my cruel sins had pierced
Are now my guard and guide.

William F. Lloyd, 1824
Tune: Vigil, Arr. from St. Albans Tune Book, 1865