Hello, hello,
Happy Thanksgiving Park Family. Stacy, Liam, and I are working on our Christmas plans. It's not firmed up yet, but we may be in Syracuse the week before Christmas, then heading to Chicago for Christmas. We're working on places to stay, etc.
In the meantime, I wanted to show you these two neat maps I found. They are super high-res, about 30 MBs each. So, save them to your computer before opening.
They show a bunch of olde tyme Cardiffians, including an "N. Park" and an "R. Park". Just down the road is a "C. Estey", which is where my mom now lives.
Enjoy.
1860
1874
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
Strength
Foolish Toils?
Greek Mythology tells us about a man named Sysiphus
Who was handed a seemingly worthless task.
Rolling a huge rock to the top of a hill,
Only to watch it roll down the other side...
I say to you - Sysiphus truly lived!
For unkike the man who sits beside the hill-
Watching Sysiphus and laughing
At his seemingly worthless toils...
Sysiphus lived a full life!
Sysiphus tasted victory at every summit!
And at that summit he beheld sights like no other man!
And even as his grip on that rock gave way -
Sysiphus won the greatest prize!
For the pain of that moment taught him strength...
Strength to never give up
Strength to take hold of that rock
And the strength to try again!
Clint Warren Stanton
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Veteran's Day
I DREAM OF WAR
I dream of war
and deadly things
of Vietnam
and Marines
I smell the shells
and powder fumes
and see the troops
it consumes
In my dreams
I go back
to that awful
jungle pack
I relive those days
of doom
and see the friends
it consumed
I wonder why they
had to die
and I was left
to dream and cry
Written from the heart by Bob Anthony, Vietnam veteran
*Thinking of you Grampa, Dad and Brother.
Thank you for serving our country and keeping us safe
and I am not specifically referring to the Vietnam War.
My family is one of military experience ranging from
many different conflicts. This is out of respect to them
and the many citizens who have served. Thank you!
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Our Fundraiser was a Success!
Here is an update on our fundraiser for Poverty and AIDS in Africa
This is not counting the Art Sales and Silent Auction..we will add
them to the total from the live music and donation boxes spread
throughout SL. Ready? In the 48 hours (of no rest might I add,)
we raised over $511,000L !!! This was quite an accomplishment
given that this was our first on SL. We are planning on keeping
up this effort. Thank you for everyone who helped with this effort,
the musicians, artists, volunteers, and land owner. We could not
have done this without you.
This is not counting the Art Sales and Silent Auction..we will add
them to the total from the live music and donation boxes spread
throughout SL. Ready? In the 48 hours (of no rest might I add,)
we raised over $511,000L !!! This was quite an accomplishment
given that this was our first on SL. We are planning on keeping
up this effort. Thank you for everyone who helped with this effort,
the musicians, artists, volunteers, and land owner. We could not
have done this without you.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Paintbrush upon the sky
The Aurora Borealis
George MacDonald
Now have I grown a sharpness and an edge
Unto my future nights, and I will cut
Sheer through the ebon gates that yet will shut
On every set of day; or as a sledge
Drawn over snowy plains; where not a hedge
Breaks this Aurora’s dancing, nothing but
The one cold Esquimaux’ unlikely hut
That swims in the broad moonlight! Lo, a wedge
Of the clean meteor hath been brightly driven
Right home into the fastness of the north!
Anon it quickeneth up into the heaven!
And I with it have clomb and spreaded forth
Upon the crisp and cooling atmosphere!
My soul is all abroad: I cannot find it here!
Online text © 1998-2007 Poetry X. All rights reserved.
From The Poetical Works of George MacDonald | 1893
George MacDonald
Now have I grown a sharpness and an edge
Unto my future nights, and I will cut
Sheer through the ebon gates that yet will shut
On every set of day; or as a sledge
Drawn over snowy plains; where not a hedge
Breaks this Aurora’s dancing, nothing but
The one cold Esquimaux’ unlikely hut
That swims in the broad moonlight! Lo, a wedge
Of the clean meteor hath been brightly driven
Right home into the fastness of the north!
Anon it quickeneth up into the heaven!
And I with it have clomb and spreaded forth
Upon the crisp and cooling atmosphere!
My soul is all abroad: I cannot find it here!
Online text © 1998-2007 Poetry X. All rights reserved.
From The Poetical Works of George MacDonald | 1893
Saturday, October 13, 2007
To All the Mothers Out There-This is for You
BUILDING CATHEDRALS
I'm invisible.....
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way
one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be
taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?"
Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping
the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see
me at all. I'm invisible.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you
tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even
a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide
to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Pick
me up right around 5:30, please."
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes
that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude -- but now
they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's
going ... she's going ... she's gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a
friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and
she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there,
looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to
compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress;
it was the only thing I could find that was clean.
My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could
actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when
Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I
brought you this."
It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why
she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with
admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."
In the days ahead I would read -- no, devour -- the book. And I would
discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I
could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals -- we
have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a
work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and
expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the
eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the
cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird
on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you
spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by
the roof? No one will ever see it."
And the workman replied, "Because God sees."
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost
as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the
sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of
kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is
too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great
cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease
that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own
self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of
the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work
on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went
so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime
because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's
bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the
morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand-bastes a turkey for three
hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a
shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And
then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna
love it there."
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're
doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel,
not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the
world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
I have had the privilege of knowing 99% of all the women I'm sending this
email to and shared the sentiment of "Your gonna love it there" or "I just
love going to her home, it is so filled with LOVE." "She makes everyone feel
so at home." "Her door is always open and so is her ever loving heart, and
I'm one of the lucky ones who can call her my friend."
I hope you all recognize yourselves as builders of Great Cathedrals!
*Unknown Author
I'm invisible.....
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way
one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be
taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?"
Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping
the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see
me at all. I'm invisible.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you
tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even
a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide
to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Pick
me up right around 5:30, please."
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes
that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude -- but now
they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's
going ... she's going ... she's gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a
friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and
she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there,
looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to
compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress;
it was the only thing I could find that was clean.
My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could
actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when
Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I
brought you this."
It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why
she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with
admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."
In the days ahead I would read -- no, devour -- the book. And I would
discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I
could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals -- we
have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a
work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and
expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the
eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the
cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird
on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you
spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by
the roof? No one will ever see it."
And the workman replied, "Because God sees."
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost
as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the
sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of
kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is
too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great
cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease
that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own
self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of
the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work
on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went
so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime
because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's
bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the
morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand-bastes a turkey for three
hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a
shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And
then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna
love it there."
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're
doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel,
not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the
world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
I have had the privilege of knowing 99% of all the women I'm sending this
email to and shared the sentiment of "Your gonna love it there" or "I just
love going to her home, it is so filled with LOVE." "She makes everyone feel
so at home." "Her door is always open and so is her ever loving heart, and
I'm one of the lucky ones who can call her my friend."
I hope you all recognize yourselves as builders of Great Cathedrals!
*Unknown Author
Thursday, October 11, 2007
2-day Fundraising Event to Fight Poverty and AIDS
2-Day Fundraiser for Fighting Poverty and AIDS in Africa
Date:Sunday, November 4th to Monday, November 5th
Time:11 :00 AM PDT Sunday running 48 hours
Location:Africa
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Africa/194/137/29
COME OVER AND CHECK OUT THIS BEAUTIFUL SIM WHILE ENJOYING TWO DAYS OF ART AND CULTURE, MUSIC AND DANCE
There will be a full line up of the best musicians in Second Life each with an hour and a half set or more, along with some DJs playing all your requests.
Starting October 20th, Painters and crafter will start to display on the grounds of this wonderful African SIM.
*Most of the proceeds will go to ONE.org and to the Ambassador of Africa to help fight poverty and AIDS. The rest of the proceeds will go to the individual artists and musicians for their wonderful efforts made for this fundraiser. Of course, it is for a great cause; therefore, any Artist or Musician willing to donate their entire proceed or tips would be greatly appreciated.
There will also be a silent auction running during this event of fine arts and crafts.
If you have a talent to share for this cause please contact , Roldan Noel or Jen Leval
The following musicians and artists have agreed to be part of this event . If you are not included please sign your name and return this note card to Roldan Noel or Jen Leval.
Phemie Alcott (Musician)
Naphtali hawks (DJ)
Souza Subagia (Painter)
Komuso Tokugawa (Musician)
Paisley Beebe (Musician)
Mash Rhode (Musician and Painter)
OhMy Kidd (Musician)
Sable Slade (Jewelry and craft maker)
Wendy Curtis (musician)
NuScore Kid (muscian)
christobal Fargis (painter)
Roldan noel (painter)
Freestar Tammas( musician)
Mer Dreier (photographer)
Brewer Beerbaum (photographer)
SanityInn (musician)
Dave Burma (DJ)
Autopilotpatty poppy (Painter)
Eyewall paine (Musician)
Jen Leval (Sculptor & Photographer)
ChelseaMarie Noel (Musician)
Grateful Stryker (Musician)
Kimber Enoch (DJ)
Nade Gough (Musician)
Sting Rhode (Musician)
RoseDrop Rust (Musician)
Smily Raymaker (Musician)
Charley Ihnen (Musician)
Cylindrian Rudabaga (Musician)
Pato Milo (Musician)
Tuna Oddfellow (Magician)
and many more to be add................
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Thanks my friend for this video
You will only find this funny if you have been there.....
lol
lmao
lmfao
omg!
he he
ha ha
pfttt...
Did I forget any?
lol
lmao
lmfao
omg!
he he
ha ha
pfttt...
Did I forget any?
Friday, September 28, 2007
I am copying this from another's post, but it spoke so truthfully...I had to share:
As long as you are kind and there is love in your heart, a thousand hands will naturally come to your aid. As long as you are kind and there is love in your heart, you will reach out with a thousand hands to help others
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgHmSdpjEIk
As long as you are kind and there is love in your heart, a thousand hands will naturally come to your aid. As long as you are kind and there is love in your heart, you will reach out with a thousand hands to help others
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgHmSdpjEIk
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
To Pete and Stacy:
Such an honor beyond comprehension. We will ponder what you have asked of us. It is such a great honor Pete and Stacy. Your precious one will be loved and cared for forever and ever. He is growing so big, so fast. You are wonderful parents for Liam. God Bless you good friends. Love, Jen and Adam.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Checking In!!
Hi
I'm trying to work this thing without much success!
I'm looking forward to our weekend at Beth's - hope you are.
We are both so busy - I rarely get a chance to talk to you or anyone.
I have photos of the kids - but I don't know how to work this blog thingy.
I'm also thinking this would be a great resource for the center!?
Your help would be great - and I love all the info. that you have gathered.
I'm on my computer every night for work and this is a great way for us to keep
in touch. Let me know what you think.
Love - Shanti (Peace)
Noam
I'm trying to work this thing without much success!
I'm looking forward to our weekend at Beth's - hope you are.
We are both so busy - I rarely get a chance to talk to you or anyone.
I have photos of the kids - but I don't know how to work this blog thingy.
I'm also thinking this would be a great resource for the center!?
Your help would be great - and I love all the info. that you have gathered.
I'm on my computer every night for work and this is a great way for us to keep
in touch. Let me know what you think.
Love - Shanti (Peace)
Noam
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Last Picnic of the Summer
Jake on the left didn't want the water balloon to pop. The two little ones just kept passing it between them until the other boy couldn't resist and threw it at Jake. It would then pop on the ground and poor Jake would be so upset. LOL
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