Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Curtis Comes Through

Two days before Christmas I wondered up to say hi to Curtis at Book Traders. Since Curtis is often the last book dealer on people's list I never expected him to have a book Dad wanted. When I asked for books by Helen Nearing, he didn't think he had them either, but low and behold he had the one book that Dad was looking for (Light on Aging and Dying); hardcover, in good shape and only $5.00. Made my day, and Curtis's.

Cervical Relief

Thanks to your prayers, God's grace and some physical therapy I am now pain free! Will be blogging more again; I really miss doing it.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Cervical Oblique


In case some of you were wondering, here is proof I have some backbone.

















It's not the typical way you might look at me, but this is what I look like to an x-ray machine.

Indication: Neck pain and paresthesias. No History of trauma.

Findings: There is no evidence for acute fracture, subluxation, or abnormal prevertebfal soft tissue swelling. The intervertebral disc spaces appear preserved and the nerual foramina appear pattent bitlaterally.

Impression: No obvious fracture. Should the patient's symptoms persist, further evaluation with MRI would be suggested.





In other words, no-one really knows why I've got a genuine pain in the neck that comes and goes and won't let me sleep anywhere but on my back with me looking straight up at the ceiling. Try sleeping that way all night for several nights! It's weird, the Doctor can't do anything for me and Advil won't touch the pain, but a light touch with my fingers on the side of my neck and the pain goes away (that is until I remove my finger). I'll work with a physical therapist for a week - then try some more drastic manipulation with a DO. Pray for me -- I'm headed to Boston Thursday for a Microsoft Seminar.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Trust Offered

Trust offered is a rare experience -- so yesterday's noon time adventure at Marcy's Diner threw me off guard. I was feeling particularly discouraged so decided a hamburger and community at my favorite diner would provide some relief.

Right after I ordered the hamburger I had this horrible thought about an empty wallet. I quickly checked and found only three dollars for a four dollar hamburger. Much to my surprise, the waitress told me if I was coming back another time, just bring the rest. She wasn't looking for the money today, just whenever. My stomach and spirits lept for joy as I was hungry and didn't know if I could quite survive the trip to the bank and back.

What really amazes me about this experience, is the offer she made. As I remember it (hunger may have clouded my memory) she offered to trust me for the remainder. I wondered, did I look that desperate? I doubt it - I just think she had a compasionate heart...

By the way -- check out the link to Marcy's Diner. You'll see a picture of the place. It is right next to where I work, and is mostly locals who eat there. It is inexpensive - good food - and friendly. Being next to the Maine College of Art, it also has some very interestingly dressed artists who are making statements that aren't at all to clear to me...

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Gideon - The Clown


You gotta love this one!

Thanksgiving Dinner

Here is one Thanksgiving Picture with the people and so little food in view - but the table is loaded full and the same was said of our bellies a short while later. We celebrated Thanksgiving on Friday instead of Thursday as Bear and family flew in on Thursday and Dad, Sue and Cindy came up on Friday to join us. It was the first time Cindy and Dad had been up for many years and it was good to see them. After dinner we had Evening Prayer after the Anglican Tradition.

Dad also took to the playing the dulcimer he build for us many years ago from his own plans and kit he designed. The strings needed to be replaced, but he did play a tune he composed many years ago when Cindy was in California and worried parents were wondering what she was dong. I've already forgotten the title of the tune, but I'll slip it in here later.

And here is Dad with his two Great Grandsons.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

UplandHarma Books

One of the joys of traveling is getting to explore used book stores. It is even nicer when the book store owner likes to talk about his business. Jerry Haley of Uplandharma Books in Upland, Indiana is one such bookowner, and we had a great time talking about pricing of books, what books to stock and to stalk, what books to have to attract customers in the store, and the differences in bookstores due to geographical locations. Jerry shares the same admiration for reprints with the old fashioned decorated hardcovers as I do as we talked at some lenght some about these reprints. The book in my hand in the photo is a limited edition reprint # 454 of 500 of "Wings" by Gene Stratton-Porter that goes for $71.75 in his store. Later in the day, we went to Gene Stratton-Porter's home on the edge of the Limberlost Swamp (remember reading "Freckles" or "The Girl of the Limberlost"?) and found several copies of the book for under $45.oo!

The Limberlost Swamp was drained during Gene's lifetime and she moved several miles away to a lakeside property to continue her writings. Shorltly after that she went to Hollywood to put some of her books to film. You can buy them on DVD at the store behind the sign in the picture

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Apples for pies

I've fallen way behind in posting the pictures and telling the stories of a trip to Indiana. So here is a picture appropriate for what Joan is now doing -- making an apple (cranbery) pie, although not from the apples in the orchard in the picture. Unfortunately, we left the apples at Dan and Julie's house. Hope you guys have made a pie from what we left!

On the left is a biology prof at Taylor. He was quite knowledgeble about apples and it just happens to be his orchard. Most of these trees have multiple grafs on them, which mean several varieties on a single tree. It's not often you get to taste so many different apples to compare them. My memory being what it is, I can't remember which one I liked best, and probably couldn't get it anywhere else if I could remember it!

Monday, November 14, 2005

Community

One of the things one normally loses when leaving one group to join another -- is a shared history. I am talking about the knowledge one gains about another person through contact with them under a variety of circumstances. Knowledge that allows space to make a mistake or even to sin or forgive. Knowledge that builds memories to share at a later date. Knowledge that allows communication by a look or a trigger word that communicates by the memory of some shared experience. Joan and I have lost a lot of that in leaving Second Parish.

For 6 weeks Joan and I have been exploring various Christian Communities in the Portland area. Since we were visiting Anglican communities, we did feel a great sense of shared history as we participated in hymns we had always sung, hymns we knew were sung by Christians from centuries back, reponsively read Psalms that have even more history etc. But it is time now to get back into community. For us - as we find a temporary community (and maybe permanent home) at Christ The Redeemer, we are moving into a community with a lot of our old friends! We also then will be moving back into a community with which we have a lot of personal history already. What a blessing!

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Chant & Polyphony

Tuesday night Joan and I went to hear Chants sung by the Cathedral Schola Cantorum in just the right setting, a hugh cathedral. The cathedral setting has as much history as the chants themselves. The REC has introduced us to chants and I love using them in worship as a response in song to God when He speaks to us through His word. The ones we heard Tuesday night were all polyphony. The only downside is that they were all in latin. We had the english words, but as a tool in worship, you gotta use english if that is all you speak! The chants will continue every Tuesday evening until Dec 20.

History of the church building from Portland Landmarks:
The original cathedral was lost in the Great Fire of 1866 while still under construction. The present cathedral, a massive brick structure anchoring a soaring 200-foot spire, was completed in 1869 and represents an urban adaptation of Gothic style. On the day of consecration in September 1869, a severe storm blew down the main steeple, hurling it across the street and smashing a neighboring rooftop. the present steeple, crowned with a gilt cross, was completed a month later. The magnificent stained glass windows were brought from Munich in 1910 to line the nave, while the rose window over the main entrance dates to 1869

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Book Traders

I have never found Curtis in too optimistic a mood, but today was the lowest I have ever seen him. Curtis runs Book Traders used book store just up the street and I can be found there at least once a week around noon-time looking over his books. Curtis was in a talkative mood today, but it was mostly about how bad business was. It seems Portand's social policy has attracted a lot of people downtown to his area who can only afford coffee and doughnuts. Some of these are nice people, but not the whole crowd.

His story today centered around a rather plump guy who "can't stop at eating one doughnut" and whose glutony evidenced itself in Curtis catching him walking out the store with 100 of his video's in a bag. Curtis dumped the bag out and threw the guy's bag out into the middle of the street, telling the guy that if it was ten years ago, he would be throwing his you know what out there as well.

Curtis told me this story just after the story about the police, who don't come when he reports crime. Catching someing peeing on his storefront in the middle of the afternoon and reporting it resulted in only a casual remark "That is only George being George". Well that set Curtis off on a tirade which I won't bother to repeat here...

Portland, in Curtis's opinion, is only interested in the Old Port Area. He loves Portland, but is really down now. He says Sunday he only bought in $25 worth of business. He says he will be lucky to make it through the winter. I'm calling all my friends this evening to go give him a visit. That's Book Traders at 561 Congress Street in Portland. Call 207-773-1840 and tell him you are cheering for him and that Dana says to hang in there...

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Vist with Julie, Dan and Sam

"Can you hear me now" Verizon missed a spot -- the entire inside of the house. Here is Julie making a cell phone call to her folks.


Our trip was so full of fun and activity, that I'll have to give it to you piecemeal. Coming attractions include a visit to Dan's Hydrology class and tour of Taylor University, an evening with Wendell Berry, an evening with Julie's parents, Bohnaza gametime, a trip to Gene Stratton-Porter's cabin by the Limberlost Swamp, a morning jog and a visit to the local used bookstore. Stay tuned...

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

A Severe Mercy

My noontime walk today took me up Congress Street in the direction of Cunningham Books. As I walked, I talked .. to Dad on the cell phone as I hadn't talked to him in a few days. We got to talking of CS Lewis. Apparantly he hasn't been able to find a used copy of "A Grief Observed", so I thought I just ought to take a look at Cunningham's, as I can almost always find what I want there. Not to long ago I picked up his "Letters to Children" which is a very good read. Many children wrote to him about his characters in Chronicles of Narnia. Some of the letters were children asking some pretty good moral questions of Lewis, which he answer so simply, without condescention.

I didn't find "A Grief Observed", but I did find A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken, which is a marvelous story of Sheldon and his wife, who shortly after they get married dies of cancer. The book includes 18 letters from CS Lewis to Sheldon, as Sheldon attempts to deal with his wife's death. The book was written before CS Lewis was married and thus before Lewis faced the same tragedy. So - I bought the book at $6.00 (a hardcover in great shape!) and inside of 30 minutes had it packaged, addressed and mailed! The joys of working downtown....

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Kayak Surfing on Highland Lake

Today's stiff winds were not unlike our trip to Nequassett Lake the year we bought Joan's kayak. There were plenty of whitecaps out on the main part of the lake and we had to turn around shortly after setting out. We put in from a sheltered area on the South end of the lake. As usual - Joan, eager to get onto the lake puts a lot of energy into the start of the trip. She did all right against a stiff wind. I failed to get many pictures up ahead, as the whitecaps appeared and the going got rough. But we got far enough out into the lake to take advantage of the nearly 2 foot waves to do a little surfing on the way back in.


Can you guess what Joan is doing in this picture?

1. Getting ready to jump out?
2. Shielding the sun from her eyes?
3. Rowing the wind?
4. Telling me I've taken enough pictures?

Feel free in the comnments to add to the multiple choice questions. After a few days - I'll tell you what she was really trying to do...





This one is just a still shot taken from the surface of the water. We headed south to the dam in the very sheltered outlet to the lake. In our previous trip we had not be able to go far because the lake level was too low. The level was very high today and we made it all the way to the dam. The batteries on the camera gave out, so I didn't get any pictures of the dam.










Saturday, October 29, 2005

MIGHTY MEN OF VICTORY


Well we might not look like Mighty Men prepared for battle, but there is not one of us without some sort of a smile and an eagerness to engage the real enemy and win back strongholds for Christ. This is a wonderful group of Christian men seeking to live the gospel in their families, their churches and communities where they live. Eduardo (Rector of Good Shepherd - Brockton Mass) stands tall second from left in the front. He organized the Retreat, led the singing and most of the sessions. He also kept us on schedule. The guy just to the left of me but in the back, is Don Stone, Pastor of Leigh Valley Presbyterian Church in Allentown PA. who led the Friday Eveing Session discussing the inappropriateness of women in the Military. The discussion was followed by our watching the movie "We Were Soldiers" starring Mel Gibson.

The weekend was quite refreshing. It is so good to participate in these discussions as men do not care what church affiliation you have. They are interested in relating to you as a person and in supporting one another in our efforts to glorify the one true and living God. There were at least three pastors in the group. Typical of Eduardo, who has the good support of the pastors in Brockton, he is not afraid to dialog and befriend any who claim the name of Jesus and to walk together in genuine love and support. I praise God for such men and count it a priviledge to know them...

How to stay warm during soccer


It is not often you get to see Joan smile in a picture, but the anticipation of a soccer game will do it every time. Shown here also is the smile of pleasure at having created a jacket of warmth (Dan - notice the ingenuity you inherited and Matt will recognize the duct tape) and possesing the treasured coat from Goodwill.

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Lunchtime Adventure

Ok – thanks to Julie’s example and encouragement I am going to try to post here more often. If nothing else, I can record my noontime adventures which have been many and varied. The adventures center around used bookstores, but include a variety of other surprises as well.

Maybe I will start with a Friday adventure of some time ago. I headed down toward the Old Port determined to only walk and not buy lunch (it get’s expensive) and ran into Anthony’s Italian Restaurant, next to Bull Moose music. This restaurant has live dinner shows on Friday and Saturday nights in this wonderfully, but simply decorated small basement area made out to be like a villa. So I say to myself - how can they do live shows here? I edged up to the counter, and low and behold the owner was there and explained the whole thing to me – like these are well known opera singers (The Tenors) and others on Friday and Saturday nights. I know he is telling me the truth because their photos and autographed memorabilia is on the wall above one of the counters. The place only seats about 24 people. The very Italian owner says there is still room for Friday night. Tickets are something like $35.00 and include a three course dinner with a bottle of wine. So I say – how can I not do this. However, we already had arrangements for the weekend. Well, I made it through that the day without buying lunch.

I wasn’t so lucky the next day. It was Friday and I went back to chat with the owner again, when concertino music met my ears along with the Italian lunch aromas as I entered the basement restuarant. Sitting on a stool was this 80 year old man who rides in bicycle into Portland on the Friday’s he is not cutting wood, to play for those eating lunch. I could have restrained myself from buying lunch with the aromas alone, but combined with the great music my resistance melted away. It was a great lunch and I learned to stay away when I can not afford to eat…

Monday, September 26, 2005

One Church

As I have been during a lot of reading on the Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) lately I wondered if they hadn't already achieved in practice what Godfrey talks about in his article "A Reformed Dream". Their Soli Scriptura, adequate but limited number of creeds (the early creeds and the corrective Thirty Nine Articles), their understanding of the universal nature of the church in the way they process ministerial credentials from other denominations, the invitiation they give while observing the Lord's Supper ("All baptized persons of other branches of Christ's Church are affectionately invited to the Lord's Table), and the way they approach missions. Their "Articles of Intercommunion" come close to what Godfrey talks about.

Saturday, August 27, 2005

Welcome Maddilyn Joan Perkins

We are some proud of Matt and Cheryl –

Here is Maddilyn Joan Perkins

Born August 27, 2005
weighing in at 9 lbs and 11 oz
with a running length of 21 inches.





Mother and Baby are doing fine!

Sunday, May 01, 2005

10% Dixie? Me?



Your Linguistic Profile:



50% General American English

35% Yankee

10% Dixie

5% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern


Monday, January 10, 2005

This is a happy bunch!

Posted by Dana
Bear and Gideon hard at work

Posted by Dana

Sunday, January 09, 2005

Lynn - You started a trend! I've shoveled three times since you left.

Posted by Dana

Saturday, January 08, 2005

To the left of the clock is a recent purchase from Pier 1 Imports. It may not be placed exactly right, and it needs to have the shelves filled with something -- but we have been looking for a long time for something that might fit in this spot...

Posted by Dana