Weekend : Whimsy and Wonder

Did you notice the activity at the top of the blog page? It's a plain, simple hangman game. Give it a try: simply type your guess in the box; if your guessed letter is used in the word it will appear immediately. If you guessed a letter that isn't in the mystery word, it'll appear in the garbage bin, and a section of your gallows or your hanging man will appear. Simple, fun--what more do you want? I thought it was a whimsical idea for the top, symbolically pointing out the importance of language and words, while also offering a bit of amusement or relaxing mental stimulation. Also, you'll want to always scroll to the bottom of the page to witness the often-changing sunset photo. What a fitting end, huh? A sunset. God displaying his power, and beauty, and promise at the end of one day of light; it also reinforces my title, pulling in the concept of "Eventide." Just a few tidbits to help you enjoy my blog page. What do you think?

So, we did go to fulfill our parental duties and judge speakers this morning. As I expected, I was duly impressed by the dedication and commitment and level of professionalism of these young leaders. I was chosen to judge the "Extemporaneous" event where speakers are to informatively and fluidly speak for 7 minutes in response to a question dealing with current world news after having only 1/2 hour for preparing their ideas and documentation. Even though the topic of the economic crisis in our country these days decidedly does NOT lie within my scope of interests, I was still significantly amazed by the quality of these kids and their keen abilities in the very pertinent realm of communication. Wow! If you're ever asked to volunteer as a judge for a high school event like this, consider it seriously, as it does certainly ramp up your respect and admiration for teenagers. Leastwise, it should --from my perspective! My bride was chosen to judge the "Original Oratory" contest, and while apprehensive beforehand, did also seem to think it impressive in the end. Some of the ideas and opinions presented were somewhat controversial, so the challenge for her was to judge fairly based on the merit of the speaking ability and not the agreeability of the content. Did pass our son in the hallway between rounds, and while we are still not accustomed to seeing him in formal clothing with a tie, he said things had gone well so far and he looked like he was still having a good time. That's the important part.

These days when the son is away at school activities are days we get to totally focus on our daughter and the things she may want to do. We enjoyed a tasty Japanese lunch with tempura and udon noodles, roamed around a music store where she "tried out" a few guitars, and hit the library to restock on reading materials. She checked out a bagful of books that she thought she might want to read. I wonder if next year when the son is off to college she will feel "overloaded" with parental attention. Those days will be a "whole new world" for all of us, and we CAN wait.

Well, I finally get to end according to my sense of timing: no hovering kid wanting to use the computer right now. Feels like I've "rambled" plenty long enough, communicated pertinent information, related personal ideas, and probably too much emotion, so I'll call it a completed post. Bounteous blessings to you this day!