Chris Loehmer Kincaid's Blog, page 169

Who's got your back?

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. Psalm 46:1 New Living Translation
I did something really stupid this week, so stupid that I haven’t told anyone except for my husband and I had to tell him. I didn’t know what to write about this morning and then God said, “You remember that thing you did this week?” To which I said, “I cannot tell the world about that, everyone will think I am an idiot.” God didn’t say anything to that, but I knew what He was thinking, so here it goes.
I am sure that you get your share of “junk mail” email, no matter how much computer protection you have against that kind of thing. I kept getting an email for a free Kohl’s gift card worth $500. I finally gave in and thought I would just check it out.
I answered the simple survey questions and the thing pop ups saying that I have only a few steps left and this gift card worth $500 will be on its way to my address. What pops up next is this window saying, simply pick two of these great deals from our gold package.
It is a list of “free” samples such as teeth whitening or acne medication or Disney books. For the cost of shipping and handling (anywhere from $1.04 to $5.95), they will ship my “free” sample. I don’t have to do anything after that and they will continue shipping my monthly supply of whatever this is and charge my credit card until further notice (to the tune of from $54.95 to $95.95 per month). I thought, OK, I can do this, I just have to be sure to cancel this thing as soon as I get it.
After I chose my two “free” samples, the next window pops up saying, simply pick two of these great deals from our platinum package. I thought, oh, nuts, but I am in this deep already, so I might as well keep going.
So I made my selections, having already lost my excitement over the free $500 gift card. The next window pops up saying, simply pick four of these great deals from our premium package. Well, I had to admit defeat. I had been pulled in and whipped. It was time to cut my losses, wait for my “free” stuff in the mail and hope I had the time and energy to cancel all this stuff.
Then the phone rang. Nuts, I thought, this cannot be good. I checked the caller ID. No, this is not good, I decided, but I have to answer it anyway.
“This is your credit card company. Did you just authorize four on-line transactions, ranging between $1.03 and $5.95?”
“Yes, I did.” I saw light at the end of the tunnel. “And I messed up. Can you cancel them all?”
“No, I can’t since you did authorize them. But I can cancel your credit card and issue you a new one so that these companies can’t make further charges.”
I wanted to crawl right through the phone line and give him a hug.
I know that most people would say that I have decent credit card protection, but I would argue that I have better protection than that. God looks out for me in everything I do. No matter how stupid or how seemingly trivial, He’s got my back.
Thank you Lord, for being there in my every time of need, for not judging me when I make mistakes, for picking me up when I trip and fall. Amen 

A Trip to Brights Pond

As seems to be my recent trend in book reading, I discovered the Brights Pond series through a social network. I can’t remember if it was Facebook or a blog, but I just love Joyce Magnin’s little village of Brights Pond.

I started with Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise, downloading it when it was free on the Kindle. Even though it is the second book in the series, I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything, except for reading about earlier adventures of the lovable characters who live in Brights Pond.
My next find was Griselda Takes Flight, the third novel of Brights Pond. Equally entertaining, I met even more of the town’s quirky residents.  
These books are a look back at a simpler time, a time when winning the biggest pumpkin contest was the most important event in town. Or when a women’s softball team didn’t have to be sponsored by a tavern. Or when we all knew that prayers would always be answered.
I have yet to read the first in the series, The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow, but that is on my to-do list. Anyhoo, if you like to read a book that is a total escape, full of clean fun, good humor, eccentric folks and even a lesson or two, the novels of Brights Pond are for you. All of Joyce’s books are available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Nobles. 

It will all work out.

“Sometimes you just have to go for it and sometimes you have to wait and it sure is hard trying to decide which it is. But no matter what you do, you have to tell yourself that it’s the best decision you could make at the time. And then you go on…I don’t believe you should regret any decision you make. But that’s the way I am. Maybe I can’t admit that I’ve made a mistake. But whatever happens, it’ll work out or you make it work out.”
Somehow I had it in my head to share an Albert Einstein quote tonight. But I couldn’t decide on one and then when I found one I really liked, I couldn’t decide what to say about it. Then I thought that my sister Pat had written something similar to one of his quotes and thought I would compare the two. And by that time I was so confused and an hour had passed and I had nothing to show for it.
But as it turns out, this quotation by my sister Pat kind of fits the bill. Why do I obsess some nights about what to blog about? I mean, if it is that difficult, maybe it wasn’t meant to be. Maybe some nights, I just don’t need to bore you with my blog. Maybe no words are better than stupid words. But whatever I write about, it is not life or death. Right? And it will all work out.  And still not a day goes by that I don't miss her. 

"Smile"

 Remember the big catch-word of the early 1970s? “Smile” and everywhere you saw a smiley face. Not to be left behind, my parents (or was it Santa?) bought me my own Smiley for Christmas, 1971.

Up until that point I don’t remember who shared in the many adventures of Randy and Dandy (my sister Pat’s two stuffed bears). But by the time Smiley came along Pat would have been 12 years old, so I think she was maybe backing off on that whole make-believe world we once lived in. I obviously remained in that world for a while.
I slept with Smiley for years. One morning I woke up and his eyes were missing. I believe that sometime in the night, during a bad dream, I pulled those little yellow eyes right off.  I couldn’t look at him until somebody (I can’t remember who) glued them back on.   That clock, by the way, hangs in my living room today, even though it doesn't keep time anymore. Bonus points if you can tell me who that is on the album cover behind Pat.

For being 41 years old, he doesn’t look too bad today, does he? 

What is beckoning you?

When I decided to challenge myself to write a blog post every day for the month of January, I assigned myself to write a poem on Mondays. All my brain can think of right now is that it was chilly outside today and that seemed to be all that anyone could talk about. I do not want to write a poem about a cold Wisconsin winter. My brain told me not to sweat the poem-thing and to wander around some files on the laptop. I came across one titled "Journal Entries".
On New Year’s Eve, 1976, I started keeping a journal. I think I filled ten notebooks over the years, mostly with teen angst, mind-numbing ramblings and various drivel about my boring life. At one point I started typing certain entries into my laptop, for no reason whatsoever. Here is the first entry I read tonight.
  Journal entry  08/04/1983  Dearest Journal  Way back when I was just a kid I thought the thing to do would be to go to UW-Stevens Point for journalism, get my degree and then turn to fiction writing.  When you see all these big time authors, their biographies always say they have a Bachelor’s degree (or sometimes a Master’s) in journalism or English. So I thought I’d maybe stick out four neat sweet years of college and then I’d be a writer.    But there were so many things that got in the way, but mostly I got in my own way. All the signs were there telling me to keep going, to make something of my life. Everything fell into place, but I fought it all the way. And still am.    Oh, dear sweet Journal, yet another door has swung open at my bidding and just inside is someone calling my name. But I’m not sure of the blueprint of the building beyond.    When the mail came, there was a letter for me.  “I am pleased to inform you that your admission to UW-Madison has been approved.”   But do I really, really want to go? Tomahawk will always be here and I’ll always come back when I am scared and cold and tired.
Seriously, that’s exactly what I wrote thirty years ago. The day that letter came in the mail, I had already completed two years of college at UWC-Marathon County and one year at UW-La Crosse.  In my heart I knew what I wanted to do with my life, but the rest of me was still stuck.
What do you think? Why do we always hesitate when that door opens and the unknown beckons us to enter? I don't know how many stories and poems I typed on this old thing. 

What's our expiration date?

 “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. John 5:24 (New Living Translation)
Hydrogen peroxide? I don't think so. 


Rubbing alcohol? I really don't think so.

This past week, I cleaned out the linen closet. I complain that my husband is a pack rat, but I guess I save a few things too. But I don’t want to be wasteful. So which of these items do you feel really need to be thrown out?

Chapstick? Does it expire or just dry out? Contact solution? Yea, that probably expires.

Baby poweder? What is there to expire? Some kind of tooth gel? Maybe. 
I think we can all agree that some things expire and some things don’t. And some things clearly need an expiration date and other things, in my opinion, don’t.  But what about us?  What is our “out-date”?
What was the whole hoopla about the end of the Mayan calendar? Didn’t it say the world would end on December 21, 2012? Apparently that was not our expiration date. Even Jesus did not know when the world as we know it would end and He would return in glory.
“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. Matthew 24:36 (New Living Translation)
Lord, let us live each day as it comes without worrying about tomorrow. Let us just be ready when You do return. Amen

Return to Book Review

In February 2010, when I first started blogging, I wasn’t quite sure how to find other bloggers with like interests. I was just new to Facebook, too, so I didn’t find much there either. I did a few searches on Blogger and one of the first blogs I found was “Thoughts from a Bag Lady in Waiting” by Linda Myers. At the time, she was counting down to retirement and I was counting down to getting up the nerve to just up and quit my job, so I thought that maybe I could glean some wisdom from her blog. She also likes to travel, so I thought that was another bonus.
At the time, she also had it in her head to write a book. Over the last years, having found lots of other blogs to read, I kind of have neglected the Bag Lady. When I would check in with her I noticed that her book was coming along and then suddenly I discovered it was out. I thought that due to my neglect I really owed it to the Bag Lady to get her book, so I downloaded it on the Kindle last week and barely put it down until I had finished.
“Return to Viet Nam: One Veteran’s Journey of Healing” was not at all what I expected. I knew it was the story of how Linda’s husband Art returned to Viet Nam as a way of dealing with his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but I never realized just how complex the disorder is and how it effects everyone in your life.
Using a journal format, and including perspectives from everyone else involved, Linda shares the journey that she and her husband made to Viet Nam and back, both the physical journey and the emotional one. She describes the fascinating country of Viet Nam and how it is still struggling from the effects of the war. She even includes her own failings on the trip (something I so can relate to).
I really liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who has served during any war, the loved ones of anyone who has served, and anyone who is interested in Asian culture and history. This book is available from Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, both in paper format and e-reader. 

Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs

A long while back, I promised that on Thursdays I would share a saying, some song lyrics or an interesting sign which I spied somewhere in my travels. I've been neglecting the sign aspect. I haven't run across any lately which warrant an entire blog post, but here are some from the archives.  This is at the city park in Houghton, Michigan. Doesn't this look like a lot of fun? But remember, kids, go down feet first.
I don't know about the aspargus salad, but I'd like to try one of Ken's pot pies.
But do those vehicles and their trailers need to be upside down?
 Bicycles? I think these are really wooden shoes.
Oh, the bicycles are in the background.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Tuttle

During the month of December, one of the bloggers I follow shared daily some of the toys which she had as a youngster. I had some of the same dolls, same games and same books. It was a great flashback and I thought that someday I would get out the old toys and share them with you. Then I realized that I really don’t have many of those old toys left. Or I don’t know where I stored them.
This afternoon, while cleaning out the linen closet I came across this great find.
Her name is Mrs. Tuttle. Yes, she is a little ratty but at 46 plus years old, I think she is managing. The story as I remember it is that my sister Pat and I were spending the night in Wausau with our much older sister. Judy is 15 years older than me and was working at a bank and living in an apartment building which is long gone. She bought me and Pat each a stuffed animal. Mine was the turtle and Pat’s – well it really wasn’t a stuffed animal.
It was this hideous plastic snake. If you can picture a Hawaiian lei where the flowers are four inches in diameter but flat and green, white or yellow thick plastic, and when spread out this thing is five feet long, that is pretty close to what that thing looked like. Hideous.  I don’t remember what Pat named the snake, but it had many adventures with Mrs. Tuttle and our other stuffed friends, who I suppose I will now have to tell you about next time. 

January poem #2

Another day of tryingAnother day with lots of sighing Another day to end up cryingAnother day you feel like dyingYou wonder when it all will endYou wonder how you can help this mendThat’s when you fall and stumbleWhen you feel lost and humbleThere’s only one place left to go That’s into the arms of your God and Lord.
A couple nights ago I woke up with someone singing the above lyrics in my head. Does anybody recognize these words? I really hate to steal them, but I thought I better check. I think that whoever that is who lives inside of my head wrote this and felt the urge to wake me at three am so that I could jot down the words. Too bad I don’t know how to write music or I would’ve written that down too, but the tune is lost forever. Or at least I hope it is because if I wake up another night with this in my head I will be seeking psychiatric help.
I think that most writers have been awakened in the night with a great scene from their book in their head, and they have to get up to write it down. Does anyone know if song writers wake up with new songs in their heads? Just wondering.