Cooperation

 Men's Goal Ball is on at the Paralympics today. Three men who are blind are on each side of the court trying to block the ball from opposing team with their bodies.  Spectators need to be quiet so the men can hear each other and hear the basketball size ball, with a bell inside, coming towards them. Fascinating!  And just as fascinating that a referee with no arms, but with eyesight could announce when a goal had been made.  As differently abled and disabled, we need each other.

Vote by mail

Can you, in the state in which you live, now request an Absentee ballot for the upcoming general election? In Iowa, as of August 27, we now can. In our county we can either go to our County Courthouse, or go on their website (www.cerrogordo.gov) Ballots will be mailed out Oct. 16th. Sometimes postal delivery takes longer than we may think, so mail it in quickly. Mail-in ballots received after Nov. 5 will not be counted. Check out the rules for the county and state in which you live.

 

Olympics Opening Ceremony

 The "Inclusion Revolution" People with disabilities and those without participate together on stage. Also, the lighting of the torch ceremony included people not just from France but from many nations.  In the picture, although it looks like people are rowing on water, it is just the lights that portray water and boats.

The Paralympics

 The 2024 Paralympics have begun. The opening ceremony was today. Watch them. Watch what people with disabilities can do!  Learn! Celebrate! Respect them!

Sixty-two years of marriage

 Today the thermometer outside says 99 degrees. When Burton and I were married here in Mason City on August 26 the temperature was 76 degrees. So we stayed indoors for our anniversary.  We met in 1956 but would not be married until 6 years later: 1962, because deaconesses were just recently allowed to marry and men (of course) could not marry until their final year of seminary, and then only with permission. But here we are, spending the day reading some of the two large boxes of letters we sent to each other during those years. We give thanks.  Son Joel, wife Rachel, Jennaya and Jackson and his girlfriend Mya, stopped by and saw some of the letters.

Words of Kamala Harris

 DNC: Words of Kamala Harris: Every day in the courtroom, I stood proudly before a judge and said five words: “Kamala Harris, for the People.” And to be clear: My entire career, I have only had one client. The People. And so, on behalf of The People, On behalf of every American. Regardless of party. Race. Gender. Or the language your grandmother speaks. On behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey. On behalf of Americans like the people I grew up with. People who work hard. Chase their dreams. And look out for one another. On behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on Earth. I accept your nomination for President of the United States of America.

DNC Words of Cory Booker

 DNC: words of Cory Booker: You can't lead the people if you don't love the people--all the people. The power of the people is greater than the people in power. I believe in America where we share a common good and a common cause and our common destiny. If you love America, you will work for America. Keep the faith.

DNC Barack Obama

 DNC Barack Obama: The election does not just matter to the people in this country. The rest of the world is watching. . . No nation, no society has ever tried to build a democracy as big and as diverse as ours before. One that includes people that, over decades, have come from every corner of the globe. One where our allegiances and our community are defined not by race or blood but by a common creed. And that’s why when we uphold our values, the world’s a little brighter. When we don’t, the world’s a little dimmer—and dictators and autocrats feel emboldened, and over time, we become less safe. 

words of Hillary Clinton

 DNC: Words of Hillary Clinton:

Eight years ago, I was honored to accept the Democratic nomination and become the first woman to lead the Democratic ticket for President of the United States.

We made history that day. The excitement was palpable. Shattering the long-awaited glass ceiling of a woman in the White House felt closer than ever before.

Now, we have the chance to make that dream a reality.

The Old Creamery

 I'm not able to take long trips anymore, so Burton and I recently traveled 20 miles to Garner, Iowa, where my Uncle Ott was butter maker for many decades. The Creamery  is now "The Olde Creamery" which fittingly features homemade ice cream in many flavors.  Of course was had some. We also saw Uncle Ott and Aunt Caroline's home which was a stable place for my sister and me growing up after our father died. On the way home we also walked around Central Gardens of North Iowa in Clear Lake. 

Election Certification

 In 2020 Trump supporters tried to subvert election results in some places. In 2024 the attempts will be bolder. At the local, state and national level, 2020 election deniers are being appointed to control the certification process. Who are the people who will be in charge of counting and reporting the results of the Nov. election where you live? Will they be election deniers? Getting out the vote is important. Just as important is who will certify, or not certify the votes. 

Iowa Potato Salad

 Potato Salad the way my mother and then I have made it for years; we call it Iowa Potato Salad. There's no recipe written down. Take the same amount of eggs as you do small potatoes. Hard boil the eggs (I use about 6), putting them in the water after it boils. Leave in for 10 minutes. Put the potatoes in tap water; let them and water come to a boil at the same time. Cook until potatoes soft (by a fork) but not mushy.  Cool. Mix sliced eggs and bite-size potato pieces together with mayo. Eggs last so the hard yoke stays whole. Add very small pieces of celery, cucumber, onions, or whatever.  (Not too much). Salt well.  Refrigerate. It stays for 3-4 days.

Olympics Celebration

Over 10,500 athletes from over 200 countries took part in the 2024 Olympics, including Barbados, Cayman Island, New Zealand, Ukraine, Aruba, Canada, New Zealand, Cameroon, the United States, Cuba, Estonia, Fiji, India, Laos, Kenya, Namibia, Latvia, Netherlands, Syria, Australia, Ethiopia, France, and a refugee team. Tonight we celebrate the closing ceremony and pledge to continue to work for a peaceful global community. 

True Stories of Made-up Ones

When I was doing my student teaching as Roosevelt Elementary School in Mason City, the teacher would say to the first grade students, "Remember, when you stand up to tell a story be sure to start with saying if this is a true story or a story you made up." To this day I can see those children beginning with either, "This is a true story" or "I made this story up." Would that today adults could distinguish between telling the truth or making things up. 

Severe ME Day

 Today, August 8, is Severe ME Day.  I have lived with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) for 42 years. It continues to be a disease with no known cause and no cure. We have lost many, many people to the disease.  Most doctors still are not taught about ME so finding knowledgable medical personal to help is difficult. Please pray for those who struggle. 

Absentee ballots

 Absentee ballots may be harder to get this year. And they need to be received l15 days before the election.  Sometimes P.O. delivery takes longer than we might estimate. It is now not legal in Iowa to send unsolicited absentee ballot applications, or to pre-fill things such as a voter's name and address on a ballot application. In previous elections voters had a 110-day window to submit the application. The Iowa law reduced that window to 55 days so voters in the 2024 general election will not be able to start submitting applications until late August. The cutoff to return the ballots is five days earlier this year.

Iowa is one of 10 states that have narrowed the window for applying for a mail-in ballot to make it harder to apply for a mail-in ballot. 

The Answer

  The answer for my posted question Friday: All three!  1. I Body surfed off the coast of South Australia when in Adelaide to speak at the Lutheran Seminary there. The next land south of the Southern Ocean is Antartica. 2. I waded three miles to Holy Isle across the North Sea at precisely low tide, with members attending Global Diakonia. 3. I climbed a Phoenix mountain near son Mark's house 3 times, once by myself which did concern Mark. 

Which of these three

 In the Spirit of the Olympics, which, if any, of these three have I done? 1. Body surfed in the Southern Ocean? 2. Walked three miles to Holy Isle across the North Sea? 3. Climbed a mountain by myself in Phoenix? Reply by posting numbers.