Days Two and Three in Lindsborg

I'm still waking at 6:00 AM Central Standard Time which means I'm up at 5 leaving me loads of time to make 8:00 AM Men's Bible Study at Messiah Lutheran Church. We studied 1Corinthians 15:35-58. Verses that figure prominently in Handel's Messiah. By the time I walked home the light rain that I encountered earlier had turned to snow. Went back for the play, J.B at the college at 2 being a study in verse on the book of Job. Heavy stuff in a warm dark room. The play was set in a circus big top, should I have asked for pop corn from the barker?

Woke Sunday morning to frosted windows and two inches of snow outside. Decided against walking to church in the dark on icy streets for 8:00 AM service. I do enjoy worshiping at Bethany. After walked up to Messiah for a Swedish Pancake Breakfast hosted by the Swedish Dance Society. We were greeting by lads dressed in 18th Centry Swedish Garb. Their sisters served us and a group of musicians entertained us as we dined. A retired trucker regaled me with tales of delivering farm equipment across Canada. I didn't stay for the dancing demonstration that followed. Toured the two nearby galleries one of which had a juried student exhibit complete with reception including punch, crackers, cheese and cookies. The Messiah was performed at 3:00 sharp as it is broadcast live-to-air. Save for the sheen audible on the violin section the concert deserved its standing ovation. A large bowl of cough drops was on offer in the lobby. By the time we got out at 5:30 a lot of the snow had melted and the daffodils and hyacinths were again standing proud.

The Snowbird Starts His Northerly Migration

I got off at 3:30 AM on Friday, March 22. The important thing is that I made it safely to Lindsborg as planned. In hindsight setting out on a 610-mile trip in the dark after barely driving for 4 months was probably not the wisest choice in the world. On Thursday I got out to fill my gas tank--$3.49 in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas though $3.39 in Lindsborg. Also refilled my propane tank and picked up a few groceries.

When I left Austin the temperature was 64º F; between Fort Worth and the Oklahoma Border it dropped to 40. When I got out to visit the washroom at the Welcome Centre a damp cold wind cut like a knife. A fellow traveler showed up fresh from a Gulf Coast Beach in Shorts and Sandals--Brrrr! The Oklahoma Welcome Centre makes undrinkable coffee--I should have remembered. I am thankful for a day without crosswinds and no precipitation. I stopped again in Ardmore for gasoline and Brunch at Jimmy's Egg--cheese Omelet, homefries, biscuits and gravy for under $10.00.

North of the ill-marked Kansas Border--the Welcome Sign appears after mile post one--paused to get my ticket at the automated toll booth. The Welcome Centre is 22 miles further on. They had info on Marquette but the Motorcycle Museum seems to be their chief attraction. I've later learned that their coffeeshop has closed depriving local farmers of a meeting place. Their washroom was a mess and the water fountain was heating, not cooling, the water.

Wichita is a go-slow zone with a canal running down the middle of the highway. Paid my $2.00 toll fee just before I entered. Not much to see once you leave the city and getting off the highway onto route 81 leaves one wondering, is there really a town here?

Not a great deal has changed in Lindsborg since I visited on my way north last year--in a lot of ways that's a good thing. Rented my campsite for ten days and got hooked up. Then walked over to Bethany College and got personalized assistance in purchasing my concert tickets. Walked down to Bethany Church which is still open days and picked up the Palm Sunday Bulletin. Then downtown to visit the Travel Kiosk and the Library. Stopped to look at a gallery exhibit. Finally walked back to Scott's Homeland Foods to pick up a few essentials--things have been rearranged slightly but they still stock Lutefisk, Lefse, Lingonberries, Swedish Meatballs.

It is pleasant to have internet access while seated upright in bed, something I've missed these past months. Save for the Kansas Wind my night was peaceful.

Winter Season 2013

Yes, I know, I've fallen behind in my blogging. About a month after I arrived in Austin I lost regular online internet access and haven't been posting much since. After the yearly round of Christmas Concerts and other events things settled down to a regular weekly routine. Except for Sunday morning service and choir participation weekends are quiet. Since I've been taking my laptop to the church office to get online I have had no access weekends. Once a month I get to the Austin Traditional Jazz Concerts with my friends Wes and Flo on Sunday afternoon. Great concerts but 3 hours is a long time to sit in cramped quarters while my ants wander.

Mondays are typically devoted to seniors worship visits. Help out in the clothing pantry on occasion.

Tuesday Mornings join a weekly bible study in the morning and a community meeting in the evening. BBQ at noon.

Wednesday Morning help prepare the newsletter for mailing every three weeks. There's a noon service with cookies and coffee after--join for cookies if not the service. Wednesday evening dinner or soup supper at church, Spanish Classes or bible study, Eucharist and Choir

Thursdays there's a monthly Senior Men's gathering, Men in Mission generally a social gathering, a talk of some kind, a tour, and lunch at a nearby BBQ Joint.

On Fridays Mann's BBQ offers Free homemade ice cream.

Most days I walk over to the church with my laptop or at least my tablet to catch up online. I also make the half-mile walk around the church property at least once daily to collect litter.

WHY THE TYRANTS WANT YOUR GUNS

So reads the headline article of a publication called Infowars. I don't

want your guns and I don't want you to have them either. Is it

tyrannical to want to live in a gun-free society?

The Bible has been used to justify slavery and capital punishment. To

subjugate women to deny them the vote, owning property, higher

education, jobs, loans. To deny rights to due to race, colour, creed,

and sexual orientation. To justify corporal punishment.

The formers of the constitution did not have much confidence in the

common man. Only male property owners and men of substance were allowed

to vote and even then the election of the president was left in the

hands of an electoral college. Nor did they put their trust in any

branch of government setting up a tripartite system that pitted the

executive, legislative, and judicial branches against one another. Nor

did they coach the constitution in plain language substituting "the

pursuit of happiness" for "wealth". The right to bear arms was meant to

guarantee the right of states to establish militias for their defense.

The language used has been since perverted to justify the keeping of

personal arsenals.

As the saying goes, there are lies, damn lies, and statistics. The

publication goes on to create pages of graphs that purport to justify

the keeping of weapons based on decreases in murder rates based on gun

ownership. Whether these statistics are fact or fiction no effort is

made to prove that one actually correlates with the other. In similar

fashion law enforcement agencies would trumpet their success in fighting

crime when the truth of the matter is that success rates in solving

crime are at an all time low. The decrease in violent crime, North

America wide is principally due to the fact that the population

demographic aged 16-36 which traditionally commits the lions share of

crime is at a 200 year low. On the other hand media reporting has served

to make a largely urban population who have become isolated from their

neighbours uneasy about their personal security. Nosy neighbours and

families who walk and own the streets are our best defense.