I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

Belinda44

Agree.  I always enjoy his writings.

Speaking of writing, how is your book progressing?

alexandria58

Well, I'm on page 284 with plans to finish in around a hundred pages, but I've paused the forward motion to do some editing and rewriting. I submitted the first 50 pages to another contest, the Claymore Awards, from the Killer Nashville conference for mystery and thriller writers, and I'm again pushing to get done by mid- August.

Part of the reason for the rewrite - to up the tension.  Another reason -I decided to change one of the original premises - I had had my main character as a BC survivor with a MBX, but it was not a really big plot point, just part of her character description.  I've decided that it would be better to deal with BC in a sequel, so that I can more thoroughly explore the issue and how it affects my character and the people around her.  That's assuming there is a sequel, but I'm hoping.

Belinda44

Wow, that's awesome!  Good luck with the final 100 pages and good luck with the contests!

pip57

Beautiful day here.  I went to have my coffee on the porch and fell asleep.  Now, back to the packing.

Alex...I look forward to sitting at my new home reading your book!

crazy4carrots

YramAL

We have had a really nice stretch of weather here in the Seattle area. It's been awhile since we've had a spring that wasn't rainy day after rainy day. It was so nice last night that one of the restaurants by Greenlake(a popular Seattle gathering place) had all their sides open and there was outdoor seating and a violinist. I said to my husband, "When was the last time there was outdoor seating at a restaurant in Seattle on June 8th?" I know that sounds weird to those of you in other parts of the country, but it's true. 

Off to church, and then 2 graduation parties. It's that time of year!

Mary

bluedahlia

bluedahlia

Anonymous

thanks for the link, Blue.  Bishop Shelby Spong has written some wonderful, wonderful books too.  I've always respected his voice in the Episcopal Church.

Re: Gospel of Thomas, Elaine Pagels has also written a really good book by that title.  Also her Gnostic Gospels, much older, but still fascinating.  Giggle producing, to think about a group of White Men, all from the MIddle East, sitting down & deciding what would, and what would NOT be in "the Bible" that has to some, become the world of G-D.  Proof texters is the term Shely Spong uses to refer a person who picks out "lines" from "the Bible" to support their own point of view.  Happy reading all.

GORGEOUS sunny blue sky day in the hills of Western MA.  Glorious.

Happy writing, Alexandria - give us a "heads up" when we can run to purchase your book.

BLUE - Winnie's middle name is "ther" as in "Winnie-ther-Pooh."  To which you may add, "Oh, Bother, sunny!"

bluedahlia

Ray went golfing today so am patiently waiting for him to return.

This video made me cry!

http://www.upworthy.com/this-is-the-worst-thing-i-have-ever-heard-a-child-say-3

Wabbit

OMG that is so sad   Nobody who watches that can ever again question why we need things like Black History Month. 

Anonymous

Tragic - where do they hear that SO YOUNG?  Parents?  School?  THEY ARE SO YOUNG...still can't believe it, just so,so sad. I want to jump thru the screen and HUG them...

pip57

Re editing the bible.   Isn't that what they are screaming about with the Bengazi press release?

bluedahlia

Alyson

The Gospel of Thomas, like those of Mary, James and Judas  and several others didn't even make it into the original Christian Bible. Then so many were removed at the Reformation these are now called the Apocrypha. Church  and Reformation history were my major topic and don't get me started on ultra Conservative Christains.

Must be silly season for politicians ours here have gone crazy accusing each other of all sorts of things . Why don't they grow up and get on with the job of governing.

Belinda the songs bring back great memories.

Hope you are all having a good weekend, mine is well and truely over.

IllinoisLady

Blue....loved what the preacher had to say.  To me he is right on.  Especially with the heaven ahd hell concepts.  I have long felt.....where we are....right now, this minute is and can be either...........I don't think you go anywhere and "burn".  That is nearly ultimate control and hate to say it....but it brings in a fair amt. of cold hard cash too. 

That said....church seems to be ok for a number of people......if they have, as the minister said, grown up and gotten past the control issues that have been standard for so long.  If they are smart enough to know which rosy garden paths to avoid.  I think the Bible was RE-DONE about 26 times --- that is an awful lot of rewrites if your hoping for truth. 

Alyson.....forgot to say.....I am probably fairly like-minded with you on the conservative Christians.

Jackie

Blue, for some reason I could not get sound on your last link.  Drat.

Had a long weekend.  Got up yesterday morning quite early and spent all day emptying out my 10 by 14 shed with loft.  Today, we re-packed, sorted out what stays, what gets donated and what was only good for the trash truck.  Ten years worth of stuff crammed in till no one could get in.  Happy to report.....you can dance in there now .  It's great.

Jackie

IllinoisLady

IllinoisLady

IllinoisLady

CherrylH

Blue, experiments lilke the one in the video was used in 1954 to win Brown vs.Board of Education.

Wabbit, I don't think we need Black history month, Hispanic History moth, Women's history month. We need to teach HISTORY in our schools. All of it. Black, white, red, ,brown, male female. History. Period.

Also, re: the bible and interpretations. I'm a big fan of Marcus Borg and Jon Dommic Crossin, contemporary theologians who take a very real look at the historical Jesus. Good reading.

lassie11

A book I've had for many years is called "The Women's Bible". It was done by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and a group called the Coalition Task Force on Women and Religion in the late 1800s.  It takes various chapters and provides analysis showing that they read the bible very carefully. A comment on the front page recreates the inscription from Elizabeth Cady Stanton. She said "Genesis Chapter I says Man and Woman were a simultaneous creation. Chapter II says Woman was an afterthought. Which is true?"

Might be time for me to reread this one as my attempt to reread the bible stalled at Numbers. I was tired of the violence and callousness and worried that my aversion to things numerical might be a hindrance.

CherrylH

Lassie,

When someone says the Bible must be taken literaly, the first thing I ask is which of the two cration stories is correct and which of the two floor stories is correct, since they contradict each other. The usual reaction is that they had no idea of what is actually in the bible. They've been fed sound bites and have never done a critical reading themselves.

crazy4carrots

And then there are the folks who have been told and thus believe that "God" wrote the Bible........

suzieq60

Uh Oh - Susie's been cleaning - it was a holiday here today and it has rained all day. I cleaned out the store room under the stairs and rearranged everything so I could fit our new suitcases and other stuff from the spare room in there.

Then I cleaned the spare room downstairs ready for our visitors in July. Rearranged the bed to move it away from the wall so it will be easier to get in that side. Polished the furniture in that room and finished up vacuuming the room and my office - WOW what a difference.

I have some old suitcases to give to a charity shop and a couple of Steve's old golf bags to donate to young golfers and an old printer I think the guy next door might use for parts.

All in all a good effort for the afternoon. Feel great as I had a shower after all that - I must have been filthy.

Back to work tomorrow so I can rest

Alyson

CherrylH we are reading from the same page. Pleased to know of thinking people in your part of the world. Sometimes it can be a bit lonely.

Suzie, you are making me feel bad, I need to get organised for my brother and sister in law who arrive on Friday. Trouble seem to have so much to do with DD going - they leave Friday.

suzieq60

Aly - I hardly ever clean the place up - a spare room is a spare room and it hardly ever gets used, so why would I keep the furniture clean - I do vacuum it, when I vacuum, but working full time really inhibits much cleaning other than necessary. It was full of junk, so it's good to remove most of that. Still have a box to go through and I have to find somewhere to keep my Tule bike car carrier when they come.

Our daughter and son are coming in July with their babies - can't wait for a mini family reunion. At least the upstairs spare room is clean from when Chrissy came to stay last year, but I bet the furniture needs cleaning.

Made a lovely dinner of beer battered fish and chips and aoli ( + salad for Steve) accompanied by a very nice sav blanc

bluedahlia

So I'm a tree hugger....shoot me!

IllinoisLady

IllinoisLady

IllinoisLady