February 24, 2007

Breaking The Back of Winter

Blooming Dogwoods Honey Creek State Park Grove OK

2-23-2007

We have gone from freezing to blissful here in the Ozarks. I never thought that I would say that air temperatures in the 50's would feel "blissful" but the sun is warm and all is right with the world...It looks like we will be getting another blast of winter, but without the freezing we have been experienced recently. I am sort of looking forward to the thunder and lightning that is being predicted.

I took this photo this time last spring. It is still too early for dogwood to be in bloom. Many of these trees were destroyed in the ice storm of a month ago, The Oklahoma border lands were really hard hit. Towns between Fort Smith and Tulsa were robbed of their trees by the ice, tops and limbs snapped off, piles and piles of debris everywhere. I wonder how the summer will be with out the family oak in the front yard. So many were beyond repair, split right down the center.

Woody and I saw this as we took a driving trip to Tulsa two Saturday's ago. this was unplanned so we didn't do much more than have a meal and return a different way. I slept in the car and somehow that was good, usually I mind if I miss one thing, but the barren landscape depressed me so, I wanted to shut it out.

I am fighting the demons that beset me at the end of last year. I know that part of this is cyclical, part of it is my account at work leaving and getting the news that I am going back to the same horrid job I had before, worse because I am in the talent pool and so can be called upon to do the work no one wants to do, and should I stay here for long, will be rendered ineligible for the annual bonuses that account assignees get. Its a rotten deal. I have a final interview today for a position and two more next week, we shall see how things go. Its a test of my faith, God gave me this wonderful situation these past few months I can count on Him to do the right thing for me

2-24-2007

Woody started his new job at the old car lot, and propitiously it has rained like crazy with thunder and lighting. We had planned to go someplace today but I was asked if I could fill in for a sick person at work today so I said yes, they asked nicely and it will allow me to request next Friday off to go on retreat a little early as a birthday bonus...

Woody wanted to celebrate his last day of freedom by taking me to the movies and to dinner after work, sort of a date night. We went to a new resturant that opened in our new Mall, Mimi's. We had them in California but this was a whole step above those we knew. Very good, we both had fish and it was great.

Another reason we went out was the opening of the film "Amazing Grace". A historical work rather than a religious one it was very good and I recommend it to everyone Christian or not because it deals with the idea that one man can face down tyranny and succeed. Would to God we would see a William Wilberforce in our day, for there are so many evils in our world the could use a champion like that...

In a trailer advertisment for the film that we have seen but many of my peers have NOT seen, because of the politics of the 90 second clip, showed the irons of the slave ships, some of the horrible images of the West Indies plantaion abuse of slaves, as Wilberforce is debating in Parliment, and the chilling caption that ran under the music included the statement "This is the story of the abolition of the trading of enslaved Africans by Great Britian, a effort spearheaded by the tireless work of Willian Wilberforce.... (long pause) Slavery did not end however ..there are as many African slaves in the world today as there were in 1790..."

We do nothing about Africa as a nation. Darfur is not even a blip on the political map... but remember that shocking statement, there are as many African slaves in the world as there were in 1790. I intend to research that myself, but somehow I believe it...

I loved the film. I loved the way it dipicted Regency England, and how they handled the whole subject. But for the want of not making the movie Titanically long, they left out a few details that I missed but non history buffs wouldnt miss. Kids can see this. The images of slavery are brief and hinted at more than overtly shown and it would be a great way to introduce the subject, and why we must defend human dignity for all even those different from ourselves.

I have some new projects going and will tell you more about them as time goes on.

Labels: Scenic Arkansas, weather