Christmas 2009

We are very thankful for the wonderful gifts we received. Here are just a few photos:

From Leigh-Ann & Peter: a really nice wall hanging.

From the Comeaus & M.

My truck.

My other truck.

Jerusalem, The Eternal City

I am just about finished with reading a book with the same title as this post, authored by Kelly Ogden, David Galbraith, and Andrew Skinner. It is a wonderful book that I have thoroughly enjoyed - as evidenced by the fact that, unlike most books I begin to read, I will actually finish this one. I thought I would share here a quote from page 401 of the book as it really struck me as a pretty succinct statement of why things are so difficult in Jerusalem, and, by the way, why it is so very important to the world that there be a true prophet on the earth; someone who can, with authority, speak for and represent God:
"While law is technically an instrument for resolving conflict, in the case of the holy places in Jerusalem, it appears to be less applicable. Part of the problem is that religious precepts by their very nature reject compromise. An individual may waive personal interests, but no individual may waive rights on behalf of his God. In disputes over holy places, the principal litigant - in this case God - is absent, as it were, and is represented by mortals who, rightly or wrongly, believe that they are not at liberty to yield anything on his behalf. Therein lies the crux of the problem with Jerusalem. Additionally, a secular state with a religiously mixed population must be neutral in religious matters. That requires the state to be both liberal and tolerant - a position that satisfies no one."

Thankful for the Spirit of Christmas

This year's celebration really has been a grand Christmas for us. Although we have dearly missed our children and grandchildren, we have made it even more service-oriented than in the past. We won't tell you how, as that would spoil it, but part of it was tending to poor M who had a bunch of teeth pulled just before Christmas. She is doing better now and we look for full recovery before 2010.

As I was looking at some of the Church's videos on Christmas morning as I made breakfast, two really stood out for me. I love the message of this first, as it puts Christmas gifts in perspective:


And this other is one that I think I will review on a regular basis throughout the year - just to help maintain my perspective.

The One Log House

This was another item we thought was pretty cozy. A 3-room, 2-door, house built into a single redwood log.

This is the view from the living room looking back through the bedroom to the kitchen area.

Here is the couch in the living room.

This is the "dining room" across the room from the sofa in the "living room".

And here is the kitchen area, complete with stove top and sink.

This is the bedroom - sleeps 2 rather nicely.

Into The Woods

Okay, now that you have put up with some rather odd photos, here are some of the better ones. The redwoods really are very beautiful. The day we took these first couple of photos the sun was just coming out and burning off the very patchy fog, creating some pretty shots.

These didn't turn out quite as I had hoped, but I knew when I took them that it would be a dicey proposition. I couldn't get the right angle so that I could photo the web and spider so that you could see them. In person this was really a great sight.

Here are a couple of shots of the Eel River showing the mist as it was departing.

It never ceases to amaze me just how green everything is. But it should come as no surprise, as everything is not only green - but wet. We love to walk in the woods as it is so quiet and we are surrounded by ferns and clover. This first photo is of an interesting phenomenon - it appears that new trees are growing up from one that has fallen over, presumeably, but definitely not, dead.

And a final shot of the fog shrouded hills. This really does not do it justice as it was very beautiful.

Redwood Chain Saw Art

One of the great things one sees during a trip to the redwoods is the chainsaw art perpetrated on redwood logs. Some of it is really good. Here is a sample of some that we enjoyed.

Now there's something you don't see every day.

My apologies to all who came across this post that wasn't for a while. I don't know where it went between the time I finished it and when it supposedly got posted to the blog. Anyway, we'll try again here. This was just one of those interesting things one finds on a road trip. It was truly just out in the middle of nowhere (well, somewhere between the community of Pepperwood and the forest). It appears to be a large likeness of a corn cob carved out of wood, but the plaque is a non-sequitur - from Fortuna? Anyway, I am a sucker for anything that fits the title of this post.

Christmas Lights

Now that M is home we are putting up some lights on the exterior.








As you can see, I was not much help. We old folks get tired soon, I supppose.

Videos From Our Trip

Coming back from Ferndale, we crossed this historic bridge. So I took a video of us just for fun.

We just loved driving through the stands of redwoods, so I took some video to share.

This last video turned out very cool. I had gotten out to take some photos of the sunlight filtering through the trees, when I came up on this "smoking stump". In reality, a steam chimney, soaking wet, being warmed by the sunlight.

Ferndale Fun

33 years ago we spent a few days exploring the Redwoods from a base in Garberville. This year we are back, and having more fun than ever. Today we went to Loleta and loaded up on cheese, then went over to Ferndale and wandered around. More on that later, but here are some pictures of some pretty cool looking houses.

Not Christmas -- Crispness

When I was a young man there was commercial for potato chips that focused on how crispy they were - their crispness. However, as you may have noticed if you have ever said them together, crispness sounds a lot like Christmas; so much of the commercial was spent by this guy repeating, "not Christmas, crispness". Well, I admit that I have a pretty odd funny bone, but have always thought that was one of the funniest commercials I have ever seen (right behind the one where the macho cowboy rides up and says, "you may not believe this, but my name is Granny Goose").

Anyway, I thought of that little example of the confusion of language yesterday in one of the sessions of stake conference. One of the members of the high council was called upon to bear his testimony, which turned out, in my opinion, to be one of the premier sermons of the entire conference. But in the course of his remarks he mentioned a misunderstanding he had from his youth about a future event that is usually referred to as "the end of the world". As a young man he had been concerned that he would not be able to participate in certain mortal activities related to family life because of the impending "end of the world". My immediate thought was, "Not 'the end of the world', 'the end of the world' - and I determined to post a blog with my thoughts on this subject in hopes to clarify things for anyone else with misunderstandings.

"The end of the world" really means "the end of the world as we now know it", or "the end of worldliness". The whole idea behind the calling of new prophets and the restoration of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, with the keys necessary for salvation, was to ensure the endurance of good people beyond "the end of the world" into the time when such good people can live together in love and families according to the plan of Heavenly Father from before the beginning. We are explicitly promised by a latter-day prophet that ". . . the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened and be caught up to meet him. And they who have slept in their graves shall come forth, for their graves shall be opened, and they shall be caught up to meet him . . . They are Christ's, the first fruits, they who shall descend with him first, and they who are on the earth and in their graves, who are first caught up to meet him;"

This joyful reunion of three parts of our very extended family, those who have lived upon the earth and have passed on, those still living on the earth, and those who will come with Christ, is a sure promise to all those who are diligently striving to become saints by hearkening to the Lord's prophets - that is, "every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice ["or by the voice of my servants, it is the same"], and keepeth my commandments".

So in reality, as we follow the prophets we begin to live now just as we will then. We truly have nothing to fear from the journey. Here are some pictures of some people that I hope to be with on that day.

My apologies for the poor quality of this last photo, but it is the only one I have of a very important time about a dozen years ago when we were all together.

It Really Is Beginning To Look Like Christmas

Here is the 2009 version of our Christmas tree. Note that it needs to stand on a box to be seen - I like that in a tree.
And here are a few participants in the parade of nativity scenes that is now taking place around our house, making it a real joy to look at.