Till all success be nobleness, and every gain divine!
Happy Independence Day, fellow Americans!
We're having a bit of a confused celebration here. We're going over to Ryan's apartment to watch Independence Day, fireworks... and Doctor Who. With scones and jelly babies. Hopefully there will be hot dogs or hamburgers involved to make it more... native. Though I should say, the scones I made aren't British, they're a mix made by a company up in the Pacific Northwest.
My folks are going to watch a parade and fireworks in a town further west which makes a very big deal of it all. They went last year, and Dad and Uncle Hugh made fools of themselves yelling at parade floats, demanding candy. (They then give the candy to any nearby children, so it all works out.) It'll be a fun break for them; their house is still a mess from the remodeling. In fact, Mom roped me into helping them paint tomorrow. As she pointed out, the relatives'll be pouring in soon for Lucy's wedding, and they'd like the place to be done - really done.
Everyone here is getting really addicted to jelly babies. Amy reckons it's 'cause they're pretty much pure sugar. I dunno. I just think they're tasty.
We're singing "America the Beautiful" in church on Sunday. I informed Pastor Kevin that it's probably the first time ever we've sung a patriotic song during worship. That surprised him. But, you know, Mennonites never really do that sort of thing. A lot of my ancestors not only didn't go into politics or the military, they wouldn't vote and sometimes didn't pay taxes, either. Even after September Eleventh, we didn't sing anything patriotic. It's been only the last ten years or so that even the subject of secular government has come up in the sermon, and is there generally when the pastor makes the point of praying for those in charge, whoever they may be.
Pastor Kevin replied that several people in the early service (the "traditional worship" service) had been asking to sing patriotic songs. I wondered aloud what they're last names were, 'cause I'd bet my car they weren't German. I do hope nobody complains, though. "America the Beautiful" may extol our country, but each verse ends by asking God to bless and improve what we are. Confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty in law.
Of course, my church is a little confused about the holiday too: we're ending the service with the old Irish hymn "Be Thou My Vision." :-)
We're having a bit of a confused celebration here. We're going over to Ryan's apartment to watch Independence Day, fireworks... and Doctor Who. With scones and jelly babies. Hopefully there will be hot dogs or hamburgers involved to make it more... native. Though I should say, the scones I made aren't British, they're a mix made by a company up in the Pacific Northwest.
My folks are going to watch a parade and fireworks in a town further west which makes a very big deal of it all. They went last year, and Dad and Uncle Hugh made fools of themselves yelling at parade floats, demanding candy. (They then give the candy to any nearby children, so it all works out.) It'll be a fun break for them; their house is still a mess from the remodeling. In fact, Mom roped me into helping them paint tomorrow. As she pointed out, the relatives'll be pouring in soon for Lucy's wedding, and they'd like the place to be done - really done.
Everyone here is getting really addicted to jelly babies. Amy reckons it's 'cause they're pretty much pure sugar. I dunno. I just think they're tasty.
We're singing "America the Beautiful" in church on Sunday. I informed Pastor Kevin that it's probably the first time ever we've sung a patriotic song during worship. That surprised him. But, you know, Mennonites never really do that sort of thing. A lot of my ancestors not only didn't go into politics or the military, they wouldn't vote and sometimes didn't pay taxes, either. Even after September Eleventh, we didn't sing anything patriotic. It's been only the last ten years or so that even the subject of secular government has come up in the sermon, and is there generally when the pastor makes the point of praying for those in charge, whoever they may be.
Pastor Kevin replied that several people in the early service (the "traditional worship" service) had been asking to sing patriotic songs. I wondered aloud what they're last names were, 'cause I'd bet my car they weren't German. I do hope nobody complains, though. "America the Beautiful" may extol our country, but each verse ends by asking God to bless and improve what we are. Confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty in law.
Of course, my church is a little confused about the holiday too: we're ending the service with the old Irish hymn "Be Thou My Vision." :-)