Pictures from the PCC!

You can tell how much fun KAI had - here he is, listening to the Leave No Trace lecture:

offering to drive:


And completely wiped out after a full day of caching and socializing.

Pokagon Cacher's Campout

We had a fun time this weekend, for this weekend was the 3rd Annual Pokagon Cacher's Campout. They had various activities for the cachers, including some temporary (non-loggable) caches, a "reverse closest-to-the-pin" contest, and a Film Can Toss. And of course the requisite Potluck Dinner, raffle drawings and other assorted distractions.

The highlighted speaker of the day was Bill Houk from Leave No Trace, who did a great job at educating us on the " Seven Principles of Leave No Trace", why they exist, and how they could be applied to not only geocaching, but other forms of outdoor activities. (It helped that Bill himself is a geocacher, so he knows a lot of the challenges and opportunites that face geocachers).

We met up with Torry, who did his usual excellent job at providing humor, sociability and quite a few raised eyebrows. Anyone who knows Torry can just imagine the comments that were being made during the "human waste disposal" section of the "Leave No Trace" presentation...including comments about the "poop tubes". The nice ladies sitting in front of Torry were in a constant giggle-fit from his comments (thank goodness they found him amusing...)

After the dinner and so on, we followed Torry back to his campsite for some excellent homebrewed beer and socialization. Much fun was had by all, and we didn't get back home till around 11:30 pm.

VERY good day.

Sleepy now.
That's the consequences of a Very Good Day, I expect. Ah well. Thanks, Torry, for your hospitality.

Always what we need, not necessarily what we want

God provides. He always does - and it's always what we need, not necessarily what we want. I have to keep reminding myself of this as I wonder about my contract. I was originally hired to the end of this year, and I'm starting to look again for work. Will I find it? Dunno. God provides. He provided this job, and a place for me to stay (well...two places, now. I'm extremely grateful to the kind woman who first invited me into her home, sight unseen, and put up with me for several months. And I am also VERY glad and thankful to my friends who have now invited me into their home to our mutual benefit.)
But, even though He provides what we need, that doesn't guarantee it will be an easy time. Being away from family and home each week, only going home on weekends...that's rough. Knowing that other people have it worse - away from family for over a year, having loved ones serving in the Middle East...that's WORSE, but knowing that others have it worse doesn't make my position any easier for me. I've never quite understood how other people (not everyone, obviously) can say, "Oh, I like to remind myself of other peoples' situations - then mine doesn't seem so bad and I can cheer up!" It doesn't work that way for me. I see other peoples' situations, then mine doesn't seem so bad...yeah, that part works. But then I don't "cheer up", really - I just think, "Geez...I must be some more kinda selfish shallow person to still feel like this is difficult when they have it so much harder." Then I feel worse, not better.

A very dear and wise friend told me, though, to remember that just because someone else has it worse / harder / whatever doesn't mean my feelings are invalid. Just because I'm not happy about my situation when someone else has it worse (and there's always someone with it worse) doesn't mean I'm selfish and shallow and I have to cheer up now. I guess what I'm looking for in that situation is "permission". If someone else has it worse, I almost feel that I'm not allowed to feel sad / depressed / anything-but-happyhappyjoyjoy. Well, the heck with that. I'm not really a happyhappyjoyjoy person, to be honest. Never have been. I'm sure that doesn't make me terribly easy to get along with, and I'm (again) grateful (and a bit puzzled, to be honest) that so many people are willing to try.

But anyway, God never said He'd make everything easy for us. Matthew 19:26 says "...with God, all things are possible", not "all things are easy" or "all things are preferable" or "everything works out the way you want it to." Faith moves mountains, but God doesn't say those mountains shift themselves around with no effort from us. GOD does the hard parts, but he's not some Great Vending Machine Santa Clause Wish Granter In The Sky, where you put in the right prayer coin, or the right ritual, or just wish hard enough and boom, we get Exactly What We Wanted! A new pony! A bike! Whirled Peas! Everyone to get along! Kumbahyah! Whoopee. Nope, not gonna happen. I firmly believe that God set up this job opportunity for me, and He wants me here, but I still had to apply for the job. The offer came out of the blue, and other circumstances surrounding the offer and eventual hiring were enough to tell me that this is where I'm supposed to be, but God never said anything about it being what I wanted, or expected, or that He'd make it easy. No, it's not what I expected, it's not really what I wanted (or especially where I wanted!) but it's where I needed to be, and where He needs me to be right now.
MY benefit from it may be just a financial one, or there may be other "Me reasons" for me to be here. It may be that the primary reason was to set me up to benefit someone else. I really don't have all the answers - but it's enough for me to know that God does. He's always working for our GOOD, even if it's not our PREFERENCE. That's tough to remember sometimes, especially when I reach to the other side of the mattress at 2am and there's nobody there.
But it is enough to get me through the 2am "nobody's there", and keep me going. I hope for something more preferable to come along, but until that time, I'm content (not happy, necessarily, but content) to be here, where he wants me, doing whatever He wants me to do.

Now...I'd PREFER to go have a chocolate-chip muffin. But...it's not good for me, so I'll have some Kashi cereal. Which, incidentally, tastes nothing like a chocolate-chip muffin.

Lest We Forget

It is the soldier, not the reporter, Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the organizer, Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who allows the protestor to burn the flag.

- Father Dennis Edward O'Brian, USMC

God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle-line,
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine -
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!

The tumult and the shouting dies;
The captains and the kings depart:
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!

Far-called, our navies melt away;
On dune and headland sinks the fire:
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet.
Lest we forget - lest we forget!

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe,
Such boastings as the Gentiles use,
Or lesser breeds without the Law -
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!

For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard,
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And, guarding, calls not Thee to guard,
For frantic boast and foolish word -
The Mercy on Thy People, Lord!

  -- Rudyard Kipling

What do you remember?

You had to see it coming. Honestly, it's September 11. 9/11. EVERYONE is going to be blogging, and emailing, and chatting, and posting stuff today about the attacks 6 years ago. It's the first major successful attack on US soil from an external source since Pearl Harbor, for pete's sake. The first major successful attack on the continental US since...what, 1814? And it was done using our own pride, our own open-mindedness, our own confidence in ourselves, our country, our way of life.
All of which were changed, even just a little bit, in an instant.

What do YOU remember? I remember it was a day just like any other day. I was doing my job when I got an email from a co-worker, entitled "OH MY GOD!!!!!"
I opened it up, and in it was a picture of a plane, flying into the World Trade Center. I figured my co-worker was forwarding some sick joke received from someone else. Only it wasn't a sick joke. CNN's website was overloaded that day. All work, or even pretense of work, ceased at my workplace that day, as we all gathered around 2 small TVs, trying to see what exactly was going on.
It wasn't a sick joke at all - it was sick reality.

And I remember the small things. I remember who I was standing next to, and right behind, and right in front of, while 2 dozen of us gathered around a tiny, 11-inch TV screen. I remember trying to call home, and the cell towers not handling the traffic.
Later, I remember talking to my dad about it, and I remember him saying that he never got to see the World Trade Center. They'd gone to New York City before it was built, and he'd put off going back since then, since there was always another demand on his resources. Besides, it'd still be there later.
Only now it won't.

I remember starting to walk back to my desk and hearing "OH MY GOD THEY'VE ATTACKED THE PENTAGON!!!"
I remember watching the Twin Towers collapse. I remember, later, reading accounts of the best and the worst of people on September 11 and the days following. I remember reading about all the people rerouted to Canada - and the wonderful people of a little town called Gander, in Newfoundland, Canada, who opened up their hearts and homes to everyone stuck there. I remember the patriotism. I remember flags flying everywhere.

I remember a lot of things. Rage. Anger. Disbelief. Grief. Determination. Pride. Gratitude.

It's interesting how easily we can forget. It's interesting how easily the events of six years ago can be put behind us. Where is the rage? Where is the anger? We can't sustain those forever - nor should we. Ongoing, relentless rage and anger and grief only serve one thing - HATE. Hate is what STARTED all of this, and hate will not finish it. Determination, yes. Hate, never.
But where is the pride? Where is the gratitude? Why is it we still whine about what we don't have? Must have the latest, coolest, hippest gadget. Must have MORE. Must GET more.

We'll never BE more by GETTING more. We can only BE more by EXPRESSING more pride, more love, more gratitude, more determination, more empathy. We BECOME more by being good people. If we don't remember ANYTHING else, we absolutely must remember that.

Be good people. Take pride in ourselves, our country, our fellow humans. Be grateful for the blessings we've been given. Say "thank you". Show other people we appreciate what they do for us. Show them we accept them for who they are - not what they can become, or who we'd like them to be. Accept people as they are.
This also means we need to accept that some people will never, ever accept US for who we are, and that they will do their best to eliminate us, and our way of life, by Any Means Necessary. And we must be prepared to defend ourselves. Being good people DOESN'T mean being Caspar Milquetoast or Pollyanna, stupidly hoping against hope that if we're "good enough" then everyone will like us. It's never going to happen that way, because Good People are always a threat to Bad People. ACTIVELY good people are even MORE of a threat. Ironically, being Good People is probably what started this in the first place - but it's also the only thing that will also end it. I'm not going to argue politics, or say that everything we've done is unequivocally good. I'm not that naive, nor am I completely stupid.
However, I do firmly believe that our country, and the beliefs that she is founded on and the rights that are guaranteed in our Constitution, are a threat to many governments and many organizations' way of life. The more people you have that think, and are encouraged to do so, the less chance there is of those people being dominated by the few people that want to run things.

Again, we're back to "Who watches..." and again, the answer is, "we do, because we must." We must be Good People, and we must be Intelligent, thoughtful people.
Think. Watch. Listen. Pray.
Then go out and Be Good People. People will remember you for it.

Stuff from the weekend

We visited my parents over the weekend. Lotta fun. We went to the Point Betsie Lighthouse, which was open, so we toured it. Dad & I went up to the Very Top. Mom & Kev stayed down - they were Incompatible with the stairs. Not real user-friendly stairways. See?

Bottom Stairs:


Looking UP the stairs:



















Then there's the upper set of stairs. Looking up at 'em, and looking down at 'em respectively:

But the VIEW was incredible.
















From here, South & North Manitou Islands and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore were visible. That doesn't happen every day, so we were very fortunate to see them.


We learned about the history of the lighthouse, its significance for Lake Michigan, and how important it still is for navigation.

Ships sailing the horseshoe of Lake Michigan - Lake Huron cut east at Point Betsie to go between the Michigan Mainland and the Manitou Islands, rather than cutting west of the Islands. It offers much better and safer navigation. the lighthouse and its grounds were sold to the historical Society that now operates it...all except for the actual light, which is still used as a navigation aid and is owned and maintained by the Coast Guard. It's all automatic now, of course. The original Fresnel Lens that was in the light house is still in existence, and has been restored. They're hoping to eventually house it back in the light house.

We took Kai to the beach on Sunday. He enjoyed playing with the waves, but he got ambushed by one that was a fast-moving roller and really splashed him hard when he was "biting" a smaller one that had just crashed in. He's not real big on swimming, so after about 1/2 hour of playing in the waves, he was done and wanted to go home.

We had a great time visiting my parents. I wish we lived closer so we could visit more often, but this is where God put us for now. Maybe later He'll have us move, but for now this is where we're supposed to be.

From the Scenic Overlook

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have cros't the bar.