Squirrel news

The squirrels disappeared for a couple of weeks. I missed them terribly!! I asked questions of longtime residents here at JAARS and was told the squirrels were gathering acorns for the winter--or hibernating. I was thrilled when they reappeared about ten days ago AND put out their food again (packed away). I've had four at one time... recently. You can see that I pamper the squirrels. (I didn't put out the chair with squirrel feeder but scatter corn and sunflower seeds on the patio.) ~~ Check my earlier blog for the complete story regarding my relationship with the cute little critters.

Comment: Even after a phone call to Windstream, I'm still having a problem uploading pictures!! This squirrel picture was the best of ten that I attempted to add to this blog message. I'll keep trying!!

Bad upload pictures

These are in reverse order. The last attempt is top left; the first attempt is the last picture at the bottom. I've been battling this problem for over two weeks!!

At Any Cost

At Any Cost

O Lord my God, much grace by Thee
Has freely been bestowed on me.
Thy mercy, love, yea--wondrous light
Delivered me from blackest night.
And now can I, dare I, choose ease?
Go back to things myself to please?
Nay, Father, stir me for the lost
To give myself,--at any cost!

How greatly privileged I have been
Thru out these years on Thee to lean.
Upon thy word I've freely fed;
By waters still I have been led.
How great a debtor now am I!
Take thou my all, to live or die.
Have mercy, Lord, don't let me rust!
Break Thou my heart at any cost!

Yes, much I've heard of all the lost;
I've even prayed, "O save, Thou must"!
But now, it's up to me to choose:
Will I my life for thy sake lose?
Some day I'll answer for this choice.
Will I regret? Will I rejoice?
O solemn hour! O countless lost!
Can I say, "Yes, at any cost"?

From henceforth ALL to thee I give,
I know not where my life I'll live,
And care not, only if God's Son
Can look on me and say "Well done."
In joy? In Pain? what matters where
If I but know you sent me there?
Cost? Nay! 'Tis gain to follow thee;
Lead on, Thou Lamb of Calvary!

The author is listed as anonymous.

The poem was printed on Elaine Townsend's 1943 prayer card. Elaine Townsend (1915-2007) was the wife of William Cameron Townsend (1896-1982), founder of Wycliffe Bible Translators, JAARS (previously known as Jungle Aviation and Radio Services), SIL (Summer Institute of Linguistics), and other organizations.

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In the interest of accuracy, I searched the Internet in an effort to locate the otherwise "anonymous" author. I did not find the author of the above poem but here are two other renditions of At Any Cost, At Any Cost. Similar: Any Road, Any Cost.
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Note: If you stumbled on this specific blog message (due to the title), I hasten to tell you that I am a volunteer at JAARS, near Waxhaw, North Carolina. I "stumbled" on the poem Friday, Dec. 2nd, while serving as receptionist in Vernacular Media.

King of Kings

Have you seen this video?? It is well worth watching!! ~~ I'm still not able to upload pictures to my blog (or attach a photo to an e-mail message). I'm very frustrated with my Internet provider!!

Productive holiday weekend !!

A productive holiday weekend--but also very frustrating!! I've spent hours attempting to upload images!! I start the upload process and go back to my other project of the hour. Sometimes several hours just to upload one picture; sometimes (after all that time) it isn't a usable image (examples below). I also mentioned this problem in my Thanksgiving Day blog.

On Friday, I assembled a four-shelf free-standing storage (from Sam's Club). I placed the shelves in such a way that I could have two bins on the floor under the bottom shelf. Then I arranged shelf two and three so I could position drawers between them. Now I have a place for my Vita Mix, and Osterizer, and lots of other "storage." (FYI: I already had the plastic containers [bins] and drawers. Not an additional expense.)

Remember my recent lament: "Yipes, where do I put them now that they are out of the box?? More clutter!!" On Saturday, I assembled a three-shelf free-standing stand (from my overabundance of stuff, advertised "for sale" but never sold). I purchased it while living in Shelby and disassembled it before it went into the PODS storage. Before the day was out, I had unpacked my cook books and put them on the shelves. Not that I intend to keep, and use, all those beans, blender, food processor, pressure cooker, salad, vegan, and vegetarian cook books but I need a place to put them while I advertise them for sale (or for give away). So-o-o, over the last several days I have emptied five boxes!! (FYI: My kitchen is quite small, and storage is limited, so I desperately needed the extra storage units.) ~~ I'm now quite pleased with the appearance of the kitchen and would no longer be embarrassed if a guest stepped into my apartment.

Second picture shows the table (originally from the T@B teardrop trailer) in front of the newly assembled storage shelves. I'll need to move the table to get to the items on the shelves BUT this is preferable to things in cardboard boxes!!

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Yucky pictures (below). Time to phone Windstream and complain?!?!

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My extremely old cookbooks (including Grandmother Showalter's) are still in the box above the kitchen cupboards. I'm not ready to make decisions about them.

Dusting... rusting....

I dusted off rusty skills when I set a table for Thanksgiving dinner. Conservatively, it has been approaching ten years since I had guests, and decorated a table!! Upwards to one hundred JAARS family and friends enjoyed a potluck meal (with turkey & dressing), and fellowship. Initially, I signed up to "set up" or "clean up" and thought I'd find an empty seat at someones table. To my delight, friends from the RV Park said they would join me. Wow!! ~~ I didn't go to a lot of expense; I used my mismatched Corelle dinner plates (acquired over the years from Thrift Shops). Lord knows how long I've had an unopened package of paper napkins, and the plastic cups!! I searched my apartment for "Fall" decorations. Other than Trader Joe's awesome fresh cranberry sauce, and croissant rolls, my only expense was a delicious-smelling pumpkin-spice candle. ~~ It was such an enjoyable experience!! Praise the Lord!!

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Postscript, Sat. Nov. 26th, 2011, 1:30 PM: I've been trying (for two days) to upload the pictures from Thanksgiving dinner. Sometimes it takes over six hours to upload one picture--and then it isn't a usable image (example to our left)!! I've tried everything (everything!!) imaginable and have isolated the problem to my Internet provider (Windstream). I pay about $70. per month for phone and Internet. I rarely make or receive a phone call so all that money for limited benefits!! FYI: It isn't overloaded daytime traffic via Windstream; the same horrible extended period of time when I try to upload at midnight!! (I know it is Windstream because I went to Panera [with free WiFi] and could upload a picture in about three minutes.)

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Postscript, Sunday, Nov. 27th, 2011, 12 noon: It took four hours to upload the four Thanksgiving pictures. Two hours for the first pic.... ~~ I had a great Thanksgiving!! I hope you had an enjoyable day, too!! ~~ (FYI: No, I did not shop on "Black Friday.")

Thanks to Calvary

I'm just a sinner saved by grace. The beautiful gospel song written by Bill & Gloria Gaither eloquently expresses where I came from. Thanks to Calvary I'm not the person I used to be. ~~ Two favorites sung tonight on a Gaither TV program (on Public Broadcasting). ~~~~ 'Tis the season; I'm giving thanks!! ~~~~ The Old Violin (poem The Touch of the Master's Hand written by Myra Brooks Welch) has long been one of my favorites and I encourage you to click the links to read and listen....