Hodgepodging The Riverfront

Daughter, picking wildflowers along the riverfront
If she had been selling seashells by the seashore, I could have had a better caption.

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 She writes the questions;

we write the answers.

Plug them into your own blog post

and join in!

1. Security or freedom? Can you have both? Explain.

When it comes to the USA, 'security or freedom' is like the song that never ends. But I would say that I'd rather live with more freedom than less, even if there's less security in doing so.

2. If you could visit any historical American site what would it be? Why?

The Mississippi River. Because it's huge and awesome. And not far away.

 A barge along the Mississippi River

 Ducks at Wabasha, MN
I took this a few years ago in October.
We were at that very spot yesterday, but no ducks.
We'll have to return in October. 

3. Free as a bird, free reign, be free of, free enterprise, free trip, walk away scot free, free for all...which 'free' phrase can best be applied to your life in recent days or weeks? Explain.

Not really applicable to this question, but I'll go with 'free trip,' because I spent last week with my daughter's family. Great to be with her, to be entertained by the antics of the grandkids, take walks along the Wisconsin River, and viewing the same 20 minutes of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone over and over...

 Think it would help to hold my phone the other direction?

River walk companions, always fun!

4. Something in your frig that's red? Gouda cheese (wrapper). Something in your house that's white?  My kitchen sink and my library shelves. Something in your view that's blue? Pencil box.

5. July 27th is National New Jersey Day. Have you ever visited The Garden State? If so where did you go? I went to the edge of the river to pick the wild blackberries that no one else seemed to want. Are there diners where you live?  I think there's one in Rice Lake, but I don't go there. Actually, I rarely go to even a restaurant.  Have you tried Taylor Pork Roll? I have no idea what it is. Do you like to play Monopoly? Yes, if I could find someone who likes to play it. Salt water taffy-yay or nay? Nay. How do you feel about shopping at the mall?  I hate shopping, period. Springsteen, Sinatra, or Bon Jovi-you have to pick one. I'll risk security for freedom here and say 'none of the above,' but if there's a gun to my head, I'll say Bing Crosby. :-) If there's no gun, you'll find me listening to John Rutter.

Raise your hand if you know why these add-on questions are appropriate on National NJ Day. These all originated in New Jersey - or on the Boardwalk??

 Aww. I came across this when looking for the library shelves photo.

This was a year and a half ago. Sleepy kitties!
They definitely didn't originate in New Jersey.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

 I'm forcing myself to let go of some of my books.

This is my effort to downsize, at least for this rainy day.

(photo online) 
But now I'm distracted with blog writing, a good stalling tactic.

***

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***

Have a great Wednesday!

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Resurrection Sunday

I Corinthians 15:17-26:

'If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.  Then those also who have died in Christ have perished.  If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being, for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.  But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.  Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power.  For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.  The last enemy to be destroyed is death.'

***

'There is...a quality of 'rawness' about these [resurrection] stories, and a quality of mysteriousness: there is the strange but very persistent theme that people do not at first recognize the risen Jesus - the story of the encounter with Mary Magdalene, the story of Emmaus. That is a significant factor once again which no one has ever fully made sense of, and again doesn't fit easily into literary stereotypes. There are cases in the Old Testament when people realize belatedly that they have been talking to an angel, when the angel suddenly reveals his glory; but that's not quite how it works in the encounter with Mary Magdalene or the Emmaus story. And so, in thinking about the historical basis of the resurrection stories, about the empty tomb and the 'apparitions,' it is important to be alert to the way the story is told and to begin to see how much of a shock it actually was - and of course, still is.

'The story is told in a new way because nothing like this has ever happened before; and we are still finding it difficult because nothing like that has ever happened again. But... that is what you might expect in retrospect; what you might expect if what you're dealing with is an event that inaugurates a new phase in human history, not just another episode in the continuing story, but something that reshapes the whole way in which we talk about God, and about God's world.'    - The Sign and the Sacrifice, Rowan Williams 

Have a blessed Easter, friends!

Because He Lives!

The Red Barn Mystery and Lots of Ducks

I made sure to take my camera along when we went to Rochester on Wednesday, and couldn't resist taking a photo of this beautiful red barn. I'll let you in on a secret about it at the end of the post. I know, the suspense will just kill you!

In the meantime, I'm showing you some pics taken at a pond, and I think it was a National Wildlife Refuge on the Mississippi River at Wabasha, (Okay, Mr. C. just corrected me and said it was 'just' a pond. Fine. Well, very close to it is the wildlife refuge then.) Anyway, it lies just across the border of Wisconsin (which IS the Mississippi River) in Wabasha, MN. Wabasha is a pretty little town and heavily decorated for fall. The prettiest decorations, of course, come from the Creator who has given us abundant beauty in his creation. But Wabasha makes sure that ribboned corn shocks are hugging all the lamp posts and pumpkins are scattered thickly throughout the town.

What caught my eye, though, was the number of ducks on that bit of water, and how interested they were in us when we pulled off the road and stopped the car. Those  curious birds immediately started swimming toward the shore and the first brave fella walked right up to our car. I was afraid he was going to ask us for a permit or something! 

After a while they became disinterested and decided to leave. The takeoff was so fun to watch!

Birds of a feather, more or less.

On a quiet and pretty duck pond in Wabasha, MN

And now for the secret. The red barn at the beginning of this post is the very same barn as the one pictured above, (photo taken in early August). They had painted the barn since we were last there! I'm very glad that I got the 'before' photo as well as the 'after.' Although the photos were taken from different roads, this is the same barn, somewhere between Rochester and Wabasha, MN.

Linking to Eileen's Saturday's Critters

and Tom's Barn Collective

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