Watered Garden

I hadn't thought about that BS for years! The funny thing is, we watched a movie last night that I thought was much too violent. I had dreams last night of being trapped in my grandmother's house by the bad guys and needing to crawl out the coal chute in the basement to catch a horse in the garage so I could ride off for help. It was vivid and in color, green grass, blue sky, sorrel horse. I can also think of at least one time when God told me something in an extremely vivid dream that was ultimately comforting and consoling, and reassured me of His love and care of someone I love very much. I very frequently dream and more often than not, the dreams I recall are a source of great amusement to my husband, who also has weird dreams at times. I do remember the SIT replacing the need for sleep in FLO. I also remember the young woman who looked that in the way, called it what it was, and enjoyed a nap every afternoon when she came home from work. Nothing could dissuade her from doing this and she was not impressed by the idea that it was unnecessary. So nap she did, probably with a smile on her face as she dreamed of the looks that were given her as she headed off for beddy-bye. Oh and my dog dreams also, probably of catching the 40 lb tom turkey who lives with his family in the woods behind the house. WG

We did calisthentics to "chicken fat" in college. I never wanted to strangle anyone so badly - it was a tossup between the PE Nazi and The Music Man, I'd have happily throttled 'em both! WG

When I was a WOW, I noticed my WOW brother, the sweet quiet one, had some interesting little houseplants growing in a pot on his windowsill. "Is that what I think it is?" I inquired. He replied sheepishly that he'd never seen a pot plant and "just wondered what they looked like." I asked where he got the seeds and he said from someone on the campus of the nearby university. Later our BL saw to it that they were destroyed. I did bring a half full fifth of tequila from Texas to Fellow Laborers. I actually didn't drink or even own it, but it belonged to J**ie L**is who had left it there and I was of a mind to return to him next time I was at HQ. When I unpacked it, the house leader nearly had a stroke, and I informed her it wasn't mine, who it belonged to and why she should leave it alone. (No one had yet informed me Fellow Laborers were never under any circumstances to imbibe.) Later when we were actually being allowed out of prison to go to NK, I went to look for it and she had poured it down the sink. I was not pleased, but of course helpless in the face of her righteous indignation. WG

Deja vue all over again! Sometimes I wonder if I didn't check my brain at the doorstep along with my "negatives" which weren't allowed to come in to twig and find relief. Meany Poopheads indeed! WG

I thought Don Wierwille also got his Bachelor's at Lakeland.?

We got about 12 degrees here. Birds outside the front door bitching because I haven't fed them yet. But we do have forced amaryllis bulbs blooming in the sunroom; that's a bonus! WEG

My husband has done some coaching, and we enjoy going to the sports events where he teaches. I think it is so sad that when levies don't pass or when the state funding is cut off, sports is one of the first things to go. Kids learn so much more than how to play that sport; they learn how to be better people and live better lives. I have never passed up voting for a necessary school levy, even when I didn't have kids. WG

I was an avid reader of all things, including fiction. I had a bachelor's of English degree and had in fact taught for a brief time. I remembered the other day my textbook "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare" and how after loaning it to a friend who tore up the cover, I sent it out to be rebound. That book was my pride and joy until TWI-dom, when all of a sudden it was earthy, sensual and devilish, and out it went. I wish I still had it. After I got married, however, I found my husband thought it was fine if I read whatever, as long as I put the book down when he was talking to me. So a reader I am today and proud of it! WG

What did I say that was mean? I certainly did not intend to sound mean, but perhaps rather comforting. I simply meant that it takes time to heal. It has and does still for me. WG

Actually, I've been in more than one church where babies and children are dedicated. More precisely their parents and the congregation as a whole dedicate themselves to bringing up the child "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." These churches also believe in water baptism but that it is for adults who are committing their lives to Christ because they have been saved of their own accord. WG

Jeff, Shellon, et al, It took a lot of time for me to put away all my anger, frustration and fear, along with the self-distrust I felt. I still occasionally run across a bit of it, like a grain of salt under my fingernail that needs to be brushed away. You will heal. We all will. God promised it and He alone does not lie. WG

Jeff, it was my experience, however limited, in TWI that the first thing was that the MA'd person (we'll call this hapless soul "the victim") was said to be possessed. One guy left when ordered to sell his house simply because LCM said everyone should sell their house. I asked what had become of him, and was told, "he worshipped his house and loves his house more than he loved and worshipped God." I have no idea what was said about us; probably had to do with perceived weakness of our marriage, our son's misbehavior, and of course he was supposedly possessed with evil spirits, my rebellious attitude (that may have been true but I think of it as a compliment). I don't really care any more. I agree it's a huge sad deal that everyone who knew us, served with us and actually lived with us immediately nodded their heads in agreement with the MOG of the moment and like good little sheep trotted off to pasture without us. I think many of the people we knew lived in terror of being next on the list if they didn't join in. You know, there's this scene, in a children's motion picture, I think it's Babe; it is in the opening scenes, where the narrator is telling how the pigs all thought when they were loaded on the truck they were being carted away to a happy place with good things to eat, when in fact it was just to the slaughterhouse to made into hams and bacon etc. So they joyfully viewed the truck as their conveyance to joy and peace when in fact it was their conveyance to death and destruction. Perhaps the ones who stayed, the ones who agree with the leadership and buy their filthy lies are victims also. Unfortunately, though, they don't smell the death and destruction emanating from the slaughterhouse just yet. For what's it worth, WG

"There is a huge difference between being grateful to those that actually helped us and letting them own us. " Very nice, Jeff and very true. I think right now I'm alive in spite of TWI. When in FWC 20 I contracted some humongous infection like the worst flu in the world and was sick for almost two weeks, was actually allowed a day off, but of course no medical attention. A year later, I was giving myself insulin shots because a mystery virus had triggered an auto-immune response that killed all the islet cells in my pancreas, and I was a type I diabetic. I don't know and never will if prompt medical treatment would have prevented the outcome or even if that infection was the mystery virus that triggered the immune response, but the aftermath of accusation and recrimination, the "what did you do that caused this to happen to you?" "What sin did you commit that God is scourging you for committing by giving you diabetes?" and on and on and on has certainly triggered in me a strength to survive, and fine-tuned my BS-o-meter to detect any theological garbage flung in my direction. WG

I dunno. Maybe it's a clique or a cult, maybe not. Doctors hang out with other doctors because they get it. Teachers have a special bond, because they work with children and teens, and they get it. The WC was a horrible time for me, but maybe not for others. Even if they suffered together, had good times, bad times, sweet times, nostalgic times, perhaps this group feels like they are there because they want/need to be with others who "get" that particular experience. Some of the WC grads I met in 23 years were cliqueish, snobbish, superior, and gave the impression they genuinely believed they were the only ones on the planet who had "in depth spiritual perception and awareness." A very few of them actually DID. In any case, bon voyage, Belle, R**chesons, et all. Have a good time! WG

OH! Look! A flying pig!

I'd love to go on a cruise with REAL people. WG

Unfortunately, I have to use Windows etc because of my job. All the physicians' offices and hospitals in central Ohio seem to require it, along with Times Roman 12 font. The individuals I've typed for so far all have 97-2003 so I have to save every document as that format. It's the sudden appearance/disappearance of stuff that bugs me. Especially when I've transcribed half a dozen letters in a named/saved document, check it, save it again, and close it and it simply disappears. This is a year old computer and I've been keeping the word stuff that saved cleaned out pretty well. So where it goes, who knows? Just hope the gremlins of hyperspace like reading about colonoscopies! WG

Thank you very much; I'll await your evaluation. It was already in our new computer. The school where Mr. Garden teaches still uses XP and he likes it better than Vista. The files that disappeared were named and saved upon their creation and after every letter I typed, I saved again. We have run search after search after search and nothing shows up. I am singularly unimpressed with Vista. WG

Catcup, I think the soil in Indy is pretty much clay also, so you may want to start composting (if you compost, that is.) I'm from that area, Beech Grove actually. Haven't been back in over ten years. Hope you enjoy the area. WG

I put this up here in "General" in the hopes that someone will see it quicker than down in the computer stuff. I have been using Vista for over a year and I think it sucks like an open chest wound. I have created, saved, proofread, spell-checked and stored documents that completely disappear, it doesn't interface well with older versions of Windows, and is generally a PIA. We are considering budgeting to purchase Windows 7, and I wondered if anyone here had it and what do you think of it, especially in comparison to Vista? Thanks, WG

Good evening and happy new year! WG

Hey, how's it going? We got another grandbaby last year, a cute little guy with an easy-going disposition. Our cocker spaniel, Buckeye, loves to lick his runny nose. Hope all is well. Kathryn Maher

chihuahua

Do you mean the "red thread" stuff or that "research" night we stayed up and WC would put whatever we found down in his laptop? I have the red thread somewhere if you haven't already got it? WG

I always thought that was an excellent basis for condemnation, self- or other, for the hapless soul who was sick. Right up there with "all sickness is the result of sin." What a strange conglomeration of lies, half-truths, strange doctrines that composed his classes. WG