Washers and Water
Every day is a beautiful day, every month is a good month, and January is a notable month due to the sun and the Bay. March 3rd and it's shifting now as we move toward springtime, but for January, Earth's seasonal tilt has moved the sun southward such that, instead of being directly above 7H as it is in summer where it doesn't shine in my window and thus helps lower the Gulf Power bill for cooling the apartment, the sun in January is directly over the Bay, blindingly reflecting brilliant hot sunshine into 7H and lowering the power bill by keeping the place warm.
Hurricane Michael deprived us of a full year of seasons in 7H. But in restoring 7H after the storm, instead of putting curtains back up, we decided to have shutters installed so as to give us better control of the sun's access of heat and light. The difference is significant. BHM it was uncomfortably warm here in my Bayside chair in January even with curtains closed, and we ran the air conditioning, never turned on the heat. AHM, and 2020 was our first January back in 7H, we tilted the shutters to deflect the light, and we ran the heater all month long.
So, for one thing, it is not global warming, it's whether you have curtains or shutters.
Yesterday I got a pair of demo hearing aids. My first pair was from the VA in 2005. My last pair I bought nine years ago and they served me well. I thought I could hear fine, but Linda said not, and "encouraged" me to visit Gulf Coast Hearing Center to be checked out again. These demos, I can control them from my cellphone, it's insane, I never heard of such.
And what I found out when we arrived home is that Linda's washer and dryer sing. Actually, they play tunes, loud, quite loud. Obnoxious, like someone's in the laundry practicing piccolo loud, above forte, fff, "Yankee Doodle" or something. I jumped out of my skin. Linda says they've been playing these tunes all the years they've been in there. I had no idea. I say get rid of them. We can buy a quiet washer and dryer that just do what's expected. It'll be a nice birthday gift and a lot cheaper than that ruby ring.
A bone to pick. Sunday morning I picked up a tri-fold pamphlet titled "The Sacraments". It addresses Baptism, Holy Communion, and five other actions. About the first it reads, "Baptism is the means by which we become members of the community of believers, defined in the New Testament as the Body of Christ. ... Following a series of questions, responses and prayers, the priest pours water on the candidate. ..."
Is that it, that's it, that's all? I don't think so.
That's only the good news. There's good news and bad news, and that's just the good news. The pamphlet fails to mention the rest of it, either intentionally or, hopefully not, out of ignorance. The bad news, which is the essence of it, is that Baptism is two-way. Baptism is not just Hey, congratulations and welcome, you're a member now so now you get free bickies and sherry. Baptism is a covenant, a contract. The candidate enters into a new relationship with God, a covenant that is quite formidable, that in fact could be most unnerving if sprung upon a candidate who's standing there at the font waiting to get water poured on and all of a sudden it's Oh, you have to agree to certain terms first.
It's like this:
Baptism is that you promise to do five things, and you are expected to keep your promises:
To continue in the apostles' teaching and
fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers.
WHAT? APOSTLES? HOW DO YOU MEAN? AND "IN THE PRAYERS" - - DOES THAT MEAN COMING TO CHURCH?
To persevere in resisting evil, and whenever
you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord.
WAIT, SAY THAT AGAIN?
To proclaim by word and example the Good
News of God in Christ.
PROCLAIM? THAT DOESN'T MEAN I HAVE TO SAY "JESUS", DOES IT?
To seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving
your neighbor as yourself.
I THINK SO, BUT
To strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human being.
WAIT, NOBODY MENTIONED THIS, I MEAN, "ALL PEOPLE"? "EVERY HUMAN BEING"?WHAT ABOUT IMMIGRANTS AND GAYS AND MUSLIMS AND HISPANICS. AND LIBS, WHAT ABOUT THE GARDENIA LIBS, NOMESANE? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? SEE, I THOUGHT THIS WAS MEMBERSHIP AND GETTING INTO HEAVEN. CAN I GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT?
Sure, no problem. Wouldn't want you to do this without realizing what you're getting into. Baptism is that after you make these promises to God, we pour water on you and you've committed yourself to walk the Way of the Cross as your Way of Life.
CROSS??? - - ACTUALLY I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS ALL THIS COMPLICATED, PROMISES AND STUFF. HEY, I JUST NOTICED, MY PHONE IS RINGING. BUT I'LL TRY TO GET BACK TO YOU REAL SOON.
No prob. Don't call you, you'll call me, right?
++++++++
Frühstück
Hurricane Michael deprived us of a full year of seasons in 7H. But in restoring 7H after the storm, instead of putting curtains back up, we decided to have shutters installed so as to give us better control of the sun's access of heat and light. The difference is significant. BHM it was uncomfortably warm here in my Bayside chair in January even with curtains closed, and we ran the air conditioning, never turned on the heat. AHM, and 2020 was our first January back in 7H, we tilted the shutters to deflect the light, and we ran the heater all month long.
So, for one thing, it is not global warming, it's whether you have curtains or shutters.
Yesterday I got a pair of demo hearing aids. My first pair was from the VA in 2005. My last pair I bought nine years ago and they served me well. I thought I could hear fine, but Linda said not, and "encouraged" me to visit Gulf Coast Hearing Center to be checked out again. These demos, I can control them from my cellphone, it's insane, I never heard of such.
And what I found out when we arrived home is that Linda's washer and dryer sing. Actually, they play tunes, loud, quite loud. Obnoxious, like someone's in the laundry practicing piccolo loud, above forte, fff, "Yankee Doodle" or something. I jumped out of my skin. Linda says they've been playing these tunes all the years they've been in there. I had no idea. I say get rid of them. We can buy a quiet washer and dryer that just do what's expected. It'll be a nice birthday gift and a lot cheaper than that ruby ring.
A bone to pick. Sunday morning I picked up a tri-fold pamphlet titled "The Sacraments". It addresses Baptism, Holy Communion, and five other actions. About the first it reads, "Baptism is the means by which we become members of the community of believers, defined in the New Testament as the Body of Christ. ... Following a series of questions, responses and prayers, the priest pours water on the candidate. ..."
Is that it, that's it, that's all? I don't think so.
That's only the good news. There's good news and bad news, and that's just the good news. The pamphlet fails to mention the rest of it, either intentionally or, hopefully not, out of ignorance. The bad news, which is the essence of it, is that Baptism is two-way. Baptism is not just Hey, congratulations and welcome, you're a member now so now you get free bickies and sherry. Baptism is a covenant, a contract. The candidate enters into a new relationship with God, a covenant that is quite formidable, that in fact could be most unnerving if sprung upon a candidate who's standing there at the font waiting to get water poured on and all of a sudden it's Oh, you have to agree to certain terms first.
It's like this:
Baptism is that you promise to do five things, and you are expected to keep your promises:
To continue in the apostles' teaching and
fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers.
WHAT? APOSTLES? HOW DO YOU MEAN? AND "IN THE PRAYERS" - - DOES THAT MEAN COMING TO CHURCH?
To persevere in resisting evil, and whenever
you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord.
WAIT, SAY THAT AGAIN?
To proclaim by word and example the Good
News of God in Christ.
PROCLAIM? THAT DOESN'T MEAN I HAVE TO SAY "JESUS", DOES IT?
To seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving
your neighbor as yourself.
I THINK SO, BUT
To strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human being.
WAIT, NOBODY MENTIONED THIS, I MEAN, "ALL PEOPLE"? "EVERY HUMAN BEING"?WHAT ABOUT IMMIGRANTS AND GAYS AND MUSLIMS AND HISPANICS. AND LIBS, WHAT ABOUT THE GARDENIA LIBS, NOMESANE? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? SEE, I THOUGHT THIS WAS MEMBERSHIP AND GETTING INTO HEAVEN. CAN I GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT?
Sure, no problem. Wouldn't want you to do this without realizing what you're getting into. Baptism is that after you make these promises to God, we pour water on you and you've committed yourself to walk the Way of the Cross as your Way of Life.
CROSS??? - - ACTUALLY I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS ALL THIS COMPLICATED, PROMISES AND STUFF. HEY, I JUST NOTICED, MY PHONE IS RINGING. BUT I'LL TRY TO GET BACK TO YOU REAL SOON.
No prob. Don't call you, you'll call me, right?
++++++++
Frühstück