Monday, January 31, 2005

Up and running

Yeah! My new computer arrived today, and, although I didn't get home until 10:00 tonight, it didn't take much to get set up and back online. The combination of a new computer and DSL is pretty amazing. I downloaded the Foxfire browser in just a few minutes. Now I'm getting used to the new keyboard layout, a touchpad, and an upgraded operating system.

The best part was that I didn't have to shop for the computer. I just contacted an acquaintance at D2 Consulting, told him roughly what I wanted, made a couple choices from the options and recommendations he gave me, and it was done.

Sunday, January 30, 2005

Zoning

One thing I miss about having ready Internet access is that it's a way to zone out, but in a helpful way, I hope.

I was wound up after a long day at church. Then, mid-afternoon, I went for a beautiful hike in Rubio Canyon. The weather has been spectacular these past days, and we had a view down the canyon, across Los Angeles, and out to the Pacific Ocean. Per the description I linked to, I believe we hiked to Moss Grotto/Ribbon Rock. There was a fair size waterfall over the rock. Definitely a place to go back to visit.

So, now I'm at Kinko's winding down after a stimulating day by catching up on websites I like to visit. But now that $8.20 has clicked over on my session, I'd better sign off for the evening.

Friday, January 28, 2005

Help is on the way

I ordered a laptop computer today and should have it by early next week. So, hopefully, I'll be back online at my leisure and when I wish rather than darting into Kinko's or public libraries and hoping for an available station. But these weeks have been an interesting realization of how much I depend on the Internet and e-mail.

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Summer at Holden

The summer theme, Standing on Holy Ground, at Holden Village sounds great:
Taking off our shoes, pressing our feet against the soil and grass and stone of this beautiful planet, we will encounter again God’s call to live with care and responsibility on this holy ground. Care for creation has long been a strong emphasis at Holden, but this summer we will give this concern even more attention, so that it can increasingly become a strong emphasis in other places as well.
Dorothy Bass, editor of Practicing Our Faith, is the program director. Larry Rasmussen, who wrote Earth Community, Earth Ethics, will be speaking at the beginning of the summer.

Saturday, January 22, 2005

Health news, etc.

First, an aside. I pulled up the WSJ to look up a column on health I read yesterday at work and read the first line of the top article: "A WINTER STORM BARRELED across the Midwest while the Northeast braced for more than a foot of snow." It's hazily sunny here in So Cal, probably in the low 70s. I sat on a boulder next to a rushing stream this morning with the sun warming my back while I read The Plot Against America for the knit one read too online book club.

To health. The USDA has published new dietary guidelines, including key recommendations and downloadable files of the entire report.

Ten minutes left on my hour of free library Internet access, which would cost me $12 at Kinko's at .20 per minute.

I just saw that Susie has started a cross stitch section of her website. Check it out!

Time's up.

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Test template change

I changed the Knit One Read Two ring code in my template, but it doesn't appear to be "taking" on my front page. It's fine if you pull up an archive entry but not on the default front page....Maybe because I'm at Kinko's??

Friday, January 14, 2005

Winter in Pasadena

Today is another beautiful Pasadena winter day. The kind that reminds one of the reason Midwest industrialists built winter homes here a hundred years ago, like the Gamble family—clear, blue skies after all the rain; temperatures into the 70s; snow-covered mountains ringing the valleys; and the fragrance of eucalyptus trees bounding the empty field that someday will be a W*l-M*rt (although the eucalyptus trees probably hadn't been brought in to this area back then). The kind that, if not enjoyed with at least a short walk at lunch, would be a crime to miss by staying inside a building all day.

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Random access

My computer decided to boot up tonight. I guess it just needed a few days rest, a week actually. Then I even managed to get the DSL working again by reinstalling the drivers that came with the new Ethernet card. At least, I think that's what did it. Nothing like trying stuff until something works. But I have the feeling it could stop working again anytime. Meanwhile, I've backed up some files onto disks, just in case.

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

A new Wendell Berry novel

I've yet to read any of Berry's fiction, so this link to Valerie Sayers' review in the Washington Post Book World of Hannah Coulter is to remind me to look for Berry's novels in the library.

Monday, January 10, 2005

So Cal storms

I've been reminded often of Washington state these past days while it rains and rains and rains here in Southern California. According to today's LA Times' headline story (registration required):
Los Angeles has received almost 21 inches of precipitation since July 1. That surpasses the average annual rainfall of 15.14 inches with five months yet to go. [...]
The current dousing, which began Thursday, has been the heaviest. The more than 15 inches that fell on Los Angeles in the first nine days of 2005 was as much as the average annual rainfall downtown.

Sunday, January 02, 2005

Bright and glorious

Sometimes, working behind the scenes in a church, you overhear and see disappointing words and actions. Other times, you get a glimpse of heaven. Today I had the joy of witnessing the latter. I was on a ladder replacing the 62 burned down Christmas candles in the windows (32 candles) and pew candelabras (30 candles) with all white Epiphany candles, which we celebrated today in advance of the actual feast day on January 6.

A woman who had emigrated from Denmark at least 50 years ago was preparing the altar with bread and wine. The pianist was practicing the hymns for today. He started playing "Bright and Glorious is the Sky." The woman exclaimed in her still-accented English, "Oh, that is a Danish hymn that we always sang at Christmas and Epiphany in Denmark!" Then, spontaneously and a cappella, she sang from the altar the first verse in Danish. It was beautiful.

[Note: the tempo of the electronic version of the traditional hymn tune linked to above is way too slow.]