Internet Explorer Security Flaw

I'm writing this post from blogger rather than using Windows Live Writer. I wanted to record a change in my blog stats. Usually, more than 70% of the views of my blog are made using Internet Explorer. The past few days more than 70% are using Mozilla Firefox with another 25% using Chrome or Safari. That means people are following the advice to switch from Internet Explorer as a browser until Microsoft fixes the security flaw. I think that is pretty good response to advice.

I have had Firefox on my computer for quite awhile. I used it a lot while trying to make the healthcare.gov site work well enough to let me sign up for health insurance as Internet Explorer would not work with that website most of the time. However, most of my bookmarks remained on Explorer. I did import my current Explorer bookmarks into Firefox a few days ago. I really should clean up my bookmarks on Firefox as many are obsolete and no longer used, but I will probably go back to Explorer. I like the display of my homepage better on Explorer, and there are other quirks on Firefox that make me like it less. I could probably tweak those, and I may if I decide to stay with Firefox. For now, I am too lazy to clean up Firefox.

Endarkenment

I was surprised to find Barbara Brown Taylor featured on the cover of Time magazine’s April 28th issue. I mentioned her in an earlier post re her book Leaving Church.

The article points out that we seek enlightenment but shun darkness. Indeed, enlightenment is a goal of many religions. Darkness in the Bible is at times identified with evil, sin, spiritual blindness. Taylor says darkness holds more lessons than light and that contrary to what many of us believe, it is sometimes in the bleakest void that God is nearest. “New life starts in the dark. Whether it is a seed in the ground, a baby in the womb or Jesus in the tomb, it starts in the dark.”

“Turning in to darkness, instead of away from it, is the cure for a lot of what ails me. Because I have a deep need to be in control of things, to know where I am going, to be sure of my destination, to get there efficiently, to have all the provisions I need, to do it all without help—and you can’t do any of that in the dark.”

Some of her thoughts tie in with Belden  Lane’s Ravished by Beauty, his examination of centuries of Reformed theology’s perspective on how nature reflects and communicates to us about God. Some of his observations:

“One experiences God in loss even more powerfully than in attainment.”

“One should never automatically assume adversity to be a sign of God’s punishment. God’s sending of a ‘sea of troubles’ to heighten the longing of the faithful was a mystery that captivated the Puritan mind.”

“A God of wild splendor is found in nature’s dark side as well as its lightness and beauty. Encountering God means facing head-on the unexplainable mysteries of a world filled with pain.”

“Nature serves as a school of affliction as well as a school of desire [to experience the transcendent God]. It disrupts the ego, redirects misplaced longings, and teaches radical trust.”

In darkness we must trust God’s goodness and redemptive powers. Whether our bowls (lives) are filled with darkness, light, natural beauty, or natural disaster, He is in control. He sees what we cannot see in darkness as our begging bowls fill. 

Perimeter of Grace Village

My walk around the outside of Grace Village and the environs showed spring is progressing. I saw 7 geese (somebody is the odd fellow out?) and a duck on the wing at the pond.

 

Nice blue sky but a tad chilly in the 50’s.

 

 

 

More grape hyacinth outside of the bed than in. Don’t know what happened there.

 

The grass is going to need mowing soon.

Grace Village sits midst a nice residential area.

 

I saw one tulip about to open; I could tell it was a red flower. Our pear tree will probably flower by this weekend. The “rule” here in northern Indiana is don’t plant flowers (other than pansies) or hang flowering baskets until after Mother’s Day. It will be a few more weeks; I may buy a planter or basket right before Mother’s Day so I can move them into the garage if necessary to protect them. The stores are starting to stock flowers. I enjoyed my afternoon walk.

Fabric Coasters

My sister-in-law from Livonia, Michigan was visiting my husband’s sister in Warsaw. We had supper with them last night. She had made some fabric coasters for a church project and had some left over. I really like the flowers on the dark background. It reminds me of some of the Echo scarves I used to peruse at department stores in my 30’s. I flipped one of the coasters over so you can see that there is a floral back as well as the four squares fitted together. I need to have a cup of tea soon to use these coasters. I really like them.

Though I did some simple sewing in home economics classes in junior and senior high school, it isn’t a skill I acquired. Grace Village has recently set up a sewing room with machine for use by residents. Maybe I should think about learning. Lots of helpers probably.

Deer Candy

Earlier this week we had several cold nights/early mornings. They nipped a few of the crocus. I had enjoyed the blooms for about 2 weeks; I told my husband Wednesday to remove the board we had been using to cover the crocus at night. Sure enough, Thursday the flowers had all been eaten by the deer. The deer received their Easter candy early.

 I am enjoying my indoor blooms though.

The pink tulips were mostly closed when I bought them Thursday. Today (Saturday) they are opening up. The bowl of wooden eggs were made by  my husband out of a variety of wood species. They are remarkably light weight given they are of wood.

Last night the Grace Village choir (to which I belong), presented a lovely Good Friday service of sacred music and narrative. There were several hymns in which the congregation joined. It seemed to touch people’s hearts and put us into the right frame to praise God for his great sacrifice and tomorrow for the joy of resurrection.

My Easter lily had two partially opened blooms when I bought it over a week ago. Slowly, day by day, more have been opening. Just one left to open, and it looks like that will happen tomorrow. All of the lilies celebrating Christ’s resurrection together.

Have a joyous and blessed Easter.

Spring Day

We had a warm sunny day. I sat on the patio this afternoon working on a crossword puzzle and gazing at my crocus. It looks like I may end up enjoying about half of what I planted. The deer were coming each night and munching the developing plants and buds. For awhile, I covered one little clump with a bucket each night, but now I have too many. My husband put a long board across the flowers on prop boards. So far, that has worked. I can see the flowers underneath though, so I would imagine so can the deer. Whether they will be bold enough to knock the board over remains to be seen as this is only the third night of this arrangement.

The pear and maple trees have buds. The hostas and lilies and irises are sending up shoots. In my neighborhood I have now seen two small clumps of blooming daffodils. I bought an Easter lily for indoors this morning at the grocery store. Easter is forecasted to be around 60 degrees, though we will be in the 40’s for 2 or 3 days next week.

As I sat on the patio, I could hear birds all around me. This morning a chubby rabbit ate grass in the backyard and this afternoon a squirrel sat under the pine tree. It feels like spring alright.

I haven’t done much reading. I have a bad cold and between blowing my nose and getting through coughing spells, I feel wiped out. I did read the Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards. This is a pretty sad novel. Without giving away too much of the tale, the “daughter” has Down’s syndrome. The story starts out in 1964. One of the foundations of the book is the question whether to institutionalize such a child. It brings back vague memories of 1957 when my cousin was born with this syndrome. My aunt decided to keep her child in her home, but it is true that many doctors recommended institutionalizing. Another lesson of the book is that unilaterally making a difficult decision that affects others and keeping it from one’s spouse and children builds walls and sometimes guilt that destroys the family. As I said, a sad book.

In the spirit of my year words (“letting go”), I am trying not to fret about whether I will be able to sing with my choir on Good Friday. Because I have asthma, it often takes me a long time to get over respiratory illness. God knows my heart’s desire, but I have to believe He also knows best. I’m trying to focus not on being sick, but on the signs of awakening spring around me.

 

New Walnut Bench

You may remember that my husband really liked the bench at the foot of the bed in our rented condo on Amelia Island.

Bench in condo

Using a newspaper, he made a “pattern” of the side pieces and measured the rest of the bench.

 He has been working on a walnut version for our bedroom and is now finished. It is beautiful. It is hard to photograph such a reflective surface, but maybe this photo will give you some idea of the finished product. 

Walnut has such a lovely grain to it.

 

 

April 2nd

Still signs of winter around, but also signs of spring.