Jeremiah Bible Study

I started the Jeremiah research yesterday. I thought the study would be boring as Jeremiah is known as the 'weeping prophet'. I have not found that to be true. Jeremiah was sad over the fate of Jerusalem. The country was in a time of crisis. Does that sound familiar? Jeremiah knew if the people of Jerusalem did not turn again to worshiping the one true God, the country would be destroyed. Perhaps Jeremiah has words for the USA today. Stay tuned. I'll let you know.

Thomas Jefferson Quote

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
willing to work and give to those who would not." Thomas Jefferson 1802

I'm Baaaak!

Did you think I got lost searching for Sallie Bluejacket? I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted on the blog. I've been traveling, visiting children and grandchildren. When I'm with the children, all thoughts of blogging goes right out the window.

I've also had company visiting so that meant house cleaning. Ugh! I hate to clean house. I would rather be in my office communing with my computer.

Now I have little piles of work all over my workspace that must be done before I can get back to writing Murder on Tour. I need to write book reviews for The Fifteenth Letter, Romantic Notions, and Piercing the Veil. Hopefully those reviews will be up on Bookloons.com this week. I am reading The Prosecution Rests for review with Earlene Fowler's new book Love Mercy waiting in the wings. I have an opportunity to interview Ms. Fowler also for posting on Bookloon.com. That will be a first for me. I will inquire if I can also post it on this blog also. I have long admired Earlene Fowler's work.

Oh yes, way back on the corner of my desk is my taxes. I must do them but keep putting it off.

I must start writing Bible Study lessons for LifeWay in April. They will take some time to research. I will be blogging about the lessons as I write them. Then way, way back there somewhere is the genealogy that I need to enter into my computer program. All those elusive notes that must be corraled and put together like a puzzle. I often wonder if any of my children will appreciate the effort I've put into recording their geneology or if it will all be thrown out with the trash.

On a brighter note, my ornamental pear trees are blooming and the dandelions are making headway in the yard. Is spring here or do we have more cold weather coming?

Searching for Sallie BlueJacket

Wednesday morning three intrepid explorers (intrepid sounds better than three over-the-hill wanderers) started for Oklahoma. We, Virginia, Kathy and I, were in search of Sallie Bluejacket. Virginia wrote a story about Sallie, who was a Cherokee Indian. She needed a picture to go with the story. Since Sallie is deceased, we decided the best place to look for her was in the cemetery. Sallie's maiden name being Bluejacket, where else would we look for her grave but Bluejacket, Oklahoma?

So, fearlessly into Vinita we went, turned on Route 2, then Route 25 and there it was, the town of Bluejacket. But where is the cemetery? Being women, we immediately stopped to ask for directions. A kindly senior citizen whose ancestors, no doubt, had roamed the Oklahoma hills for many years, gave us tentative directions. We all know if a man were driving we would still be wandering around the town fruitlessly searching for a cemetery.

We found the Bluejacket cemetery and plunged into the task of finding one stone among many. The wind was sharp but we were dedicated. Hey, we found it and took several pictures. The conversation went something like this: "I'll get a picture." "I want one too." "Now take a picture of me with the stone." "Oh, wait, the wind blew my hair in my eyes." "OK. I'll take another." In the process, Virginia dropped her folder containing information about Sallie and her family. The wind picked up the pages and blew them hither and yon. Virginia, in pursuit of her precious papers, gave chase. Everytime she started to pick up a page, the wind blew it a bit further. Kathy and I just stood back and laughed (and took pictures). Was the mischievious spirit of Sallie Bluejacket playing with us?

Feeling successful, we decided to look for Sallie's father's grave stone. Charles Bluejacket was a prominent Methodist minister in the area. A picture from the internet showed a white stone with a pointed top. Standing together, studying the picture, we intrepid explorers discussed among ourselves that the stone must be like that one right over there not far from us. Of course, where could it be? Could it be that stone? Now feeling rather foolish, we discerned that yes we had found Charles Bluejacket's grave stone (literally right under our noses).

The excitement over we drove back to Vinita and drove ten miles west when we only needed to go two miles west to the rustic restuarant, Cowboy Junction. The deco of Cowboy Junction is a feast for the antique lover's eye. The food was delicious. The restuarant is operated in conjunction with the Cowboy Church located in the same building.

Tired, stuffed and successful in our adventure, the intrepid explorers returned to Springfield, vowing, "That was fun. Let's do it again soon."

The Naked Archaeologist

Does anyone watch the Naked Archaeologist? Ha! Got Ya!. Really he's not naked. He makes archaeology naked (uncovered.) The show comes on at 5 p.m. Sunday on History International. His shows are proving or not that Biblical History is correct. I agree with most of what he shows but some I do not. But it is an interesting show.

TV RANT

This is a Rant. I warn you before you begin to read, you may not agree. That's OK. This is my place and this is my opinion.

One of my favorite shows is Bones. I read where this season Bones and Sealy will 'get it on.' Come on writers. Don't mess up a good thing. Part of the tension is Sealy and Bones disagreeing, then agreeing. Past sexual liaisons on Bones have the characters 'getting it on' in strange places and at the drop of a hat. Just an eye roll and there they are naked in bed. People, sex is not love. Sex is part of love but love is a special feeling toward one person. You want the very best for that person. You give up part of yourself for that special person. We are doing readers and viewers of TV a disservice when we portray love as only sex.

Gibbs in NCIS keeps his private life to himself. His genuine fatherly love for Abby is not sexual. It is refreshing. CSI ruined their show's image when Grissom and Sara suddenly became an item. The show began to focus on their relationship instead of the mystery of their cases. Catherine keeps her private life to herself. Thank you Catherine.

I do not care for most reality shows. Too much reality is too much information. Amazing Race has a mother and deaf son competing this season. That one I will watch.

Oh yes, one more thing - Let's not have any more characters using the urinal while 'communicating'. Yuck!!!

Taxes, groundhog day, Murder on Tour

I was just wondering - Do you think if I DON'T pay my taxes - would I get nominated to a government position? Of course, I would apologize!

Groundhog Day. Of course we'll have six more weeks of winter. It's only the first of February. We may even have seven more weeks of winter. We still have to have Easter Squall and Blackberry winter. That is my Ozarks roots coming out.

I got up enough courage to ask a couple of people to critique my novel Murder on Tour. They said yes. I always hesitate to ask for a critique. Afraid I'll get an honest one maybe.