As I leave Kandern this is perhaps my favourite work memory. One of my colleagues had this "costume" with her on this cold day in December 2015. I would definitely set a record for the worlds shortest Giraffe.
This is Shannon Signing off.
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Bonhoeffer's words, Washington's prayers and Shannon's confession.
Currently I am reading Eric Metaxas biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Although I am only 1/3 of the way through, I can not help but think, 80+ years after what was written and said, that he still has much to say to those of us living through today's current events.
There are two quotes of his that I shall share. One is from 1933 and the other from 1934:
"The fearful danger of the present time is that above the cry for authority..we forget that man stands alone before the ultimate authority and that anyone who lays violent hands on man here is infringing eternal laws and taking upon himself superhuman authority which will eventually crush him."
"It is high time we broke with our theologically based restraint towards the state's action- which after all is only fear. 'Speak out for those who cannot speak.' Who in the church today realises that this is the very least that the Bible requires of us?"
Bonhoeffer Bio
Where the rubber meets the road:
I don't know what to make of Donald Trump. I just don't. I will admit it. More often than not he says things that baffle me. There is not a fibre of my being that wouldn't like to get ahold of his device and smash it to the ground while making clear with my words and expression that Twitter is not a tool of Presidential policy and that governing should never be done via hash tag.
Confession time::: Up until a few years ago I was a registered Democrat, now I am a registered Republican. I am disheartened that in my first Presidential election the Republicans couldn't do better. Now the reverse is true, had I still been a registered Democrat I would have felt the same way. Why? Because America, we can do better! Golly, we ought to do better and I pray that in four years we do better!!!
Now before you get upset, I am still pretty liberal in my stance of what I expect of the Government and the switch to a different party came because I found myself identifying more with the principles of the Republicans than the Democrats.. Imagine a country with more than two legitimate options (okay I currently live in a place with more than two and next to a place with more than two, they aren't doing so great either, maybe if we had four options, or no more than 6.. less than 7 but more than 3, you see where I am going here, you can't please all the Shannon's all the time, OH-- and you SHOULDN'T TRY, Shannons are a fickle people, trying to please them all the time will drive you crazy and take the rest of the world with you). I underlined myself up there because at no time do I, or would I expect what, or who I identify with to mean that you (the reader, my friend, my family) are wrong for not being at my party. I defer to Hirschfield on this, he wrote an excellent book on building bridges.. guess what- we can hold different views and my "wrongness" has absolutely nothing to do with your "rightness" (Oh, and we can both be wrong) ;) Since when does being wrong matter so much??, ask anyone that knows me well- I am wrong about ALOT of things, doesn't make me any less lovable!
Sidebar:::: Being mean, being a bully?? yay that is WRONG. We can agree on that, so if at anytime my friends and family see me acting mean or being a bully, regardless of my political party or where I go to Church; regardless of how often I pray or what music I listen to, then you better call me out on it. Just as I would do the same to you.. being mean and a bully is garbage and should be thrown out! This next quote comes from a beloved friend of mine, he is with Jesus now, but as a loving husband and excellent father (and Grandfather) he was known to say "nice is nice, mean is mean", doesn't get any easier than that!
“The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty.”
“The common and continual mischief's [sic] of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and the duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it. It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passion.”
Washington farewell address download
From Washingtons Prayer Journal:
George Washington wrote about what he felt made America great:
And lastly:
"For happily the government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens"
The religion of George Washington
There are two quotes of his that I shall share. One is from 1933 and the other from 1934:
"The fearful danger of the present time is that above the cry for authority..we forget that man stands alone before the ultimate authority and that anyone who lays violent hands on man here is infringing eternal laws and taking upon himself superhuman authority which will eventually crush him."
"It is high time we broke with our theologically based restraint towards the state's action- which after all is only fear. 'Speak out for those who cannot speak.' Who in the church today realises that this is the very least that the Bible requires of us?"
Bonhoeffer Bio
Where the rubber meets the road:
I don't know what to make of Donald Trump. I just don't. I will admit it. More often than not he says things that baffle me. There is not a fibre of my being that wouldn't like to get ahold of his device and smash it to the ground while making clear with my words and expression that Twitter is not a tool of Presidential policy and that governing should never be done via hash tag.
Confession time::: Up until a few years ago I was a registered Democrat, now I am a registered Republican. I am disheartened that in my first Presidential election the Republicans couldn't do better. Now the reverse is true, had I still been a registered Democrat I would have felt the same way. Why? Because America, we can do better! Golly, we ought to do better and I pray that in four years we do better!!!
Now before you get upset, I am still pretty liberal in my stance of what I expect of the Government and the switch to a different party came because I found myself identifying more with the principles of the Republicans than the Democrats.. Imagine a country with more than two legitimate options (okay I currently live in a place with more than two and next to a place with more than two, they aren't doing so great either, maybe if we had four options, or no more than 6.. less than 7 but more than 3, you see where I am going here, you can't please all the Shannon's all the time, OH-- and you SHOULDN'T TRY, Shannons are a fickle people, trying to please them all the time will drive you crazy and take the rest of the world with you). I underlined myself up there because at no time do I, or would I expect what, or who I identify with to mean that you (the reader, my friend, my family) are wrong for not being at my party. I defer to Hirschfield on this, he wrote an excellent book on building bridges.. guess what- we can hold different views and my "wrongness" has absolutely nothing to do with your "rightness" (Oh, and we can both be wrong) ;) Since when does being wrong matter so much??, ask anyone that knows me well- I am wrong about ALOT of things, doesn't make me any less lovable!
Sidebar:::: Being mean, being a bully?? yay that is WRONG. We can agree on that, so if at anytime my friends and family see me acting mean or being a bully, regardless of my political party or where I go to Church; regardless of how often I pray or what music I listen to, then you better call me out on it. Just as I would do the same to you.. being mean and a bully is garbage and should be thrown out! This next quote comes from a beloved friend of mine, he is with Jesus now, but as a loving husband and excellent father (and Grandfather) he was known to say "nice is nice, mean is mean", doesn't get any easier than that!
After starting this blog I decided to do some research on the 1st President of the United States, George Washington. I was led to his farewell address written in 1796, it is a 32 page document and worth the read. Washington was a brilliant soldier and a reluctant President (I honestly think this is the best kind, but again I could be wrong and you could be right and we can still be friends, of course we would first have to agree who decides who is right. I defer to Hirschfield again, I can not determine your wrongness based on my (supposed) rightness, nor can the reverse be true-- you see where I am going here???). His thoughts on the future of the new Nation seem to be ringing true in 2017:
“The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty.”
“The common and continual mischief's [sic] of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and the duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it. It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passion.”
Washington farewell address download
From Washingtons Prayer Journal:
George Washington wrote about what he felt made America great:
It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.
It is impossible to account for the creation of the universe, without the agency of a Supreme Being. It is impossible to govern the universe without the aid of a Supreme Being. It is impossible to reason without arriving at a Supreme Being.
Religion is as necessary to reason, as reason is to religion. The one cannot exist without the other. A reasoning being would lose his reason in attempting to account for the great phenomena of nature, had he not a Supreme Being to refer to.Prayer Journal
And lastly:
"For happily the government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens"
The religion of George Washington
Monday, January 16, 2017
Christmas 2016
oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree. This is my Christmas tree : ) perfect for my place!!
Mulhouse Christmas Market
Kandern lit up for Christmas time
Each one is worth a Euro... you receive one from local retailers for every 5 Euros spent during the season : )
Kandern Grey at Christmas.. we did finally get snow this past week (January 12-16)
F1 Race Summer 2016
Check one off the bucket list. At the end of July I was able to attend a F-1 race. I had seats on the inside ring and watched as hometown favourite Nico Rosburg tried to take the flag. He started out number one on the pole, a bad spin of the tires at the start gave the lead to Hamilton. Hamilton never lost the lead. It was a fabulous race!!!
This is a PACE car!!!
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Only in Germany..
I received this email from the HR department of BFA yesterday.. Too good to not share : )
Good Afternoon Staff Team,
This is to let you know that tomorrow, Saturday December 3rd, is a time many of the local wooded areas/walking paths will be closed for wild boar and deer hunting.
Please obey all posted restrictions you see along paths and leading into the woods.
Saturday, July 9, 2016
Adventures in Mongolia
On Saturday 18-June I landed in Chinggis Khaan Airport in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to begin 9 days of adventure!
I am officially a millionaire!!! The currency is the Mongolian Tughrik, and the USD equivalent below is approximately 740 : )
Mongolian Parliament..
On Monday 20-June we began our four night, five day trek into the Gobi Desert.
We spent the night on the 20th in a Ger owned by a family off the main road.
On Tuesday morning we set off for Yoliin Am (Eagle's Mouth).
Yoliin Am is known for having ice many months out of the year.
Traveling through a gorge is not for the faint of heart, this picture does not tell the complete story; but I could have reached out the car window and touched the cliff wall.
Roads?? Where we're going we don't need roads! This is the drive to Khongorilin Els (Singing Sands)
This is me, I am riding M.C. that is what I named him (her?). It stands for M.iddle C.amel. He (she?) smelled REALLY BAD, like REALLY BAD.. it has given me a new basis of comparison in which to judge all other bad smells!
FUN IN THE SAND:
Angel
Greetings
While we didn't hear any singing, the dunes gave us much to look at.
Poor guy! (or gal!) The sand claims another victim!
The shoe of the above?? Actually if you look at the back of the shoe you will see our little desert friend : )
On Wednesday 22 we drove to Bayanzag (Flaming Cliffs), once again roads are optional
Bayanzag
The sun dries and peels up the top layer of mud
Uh-oh.. another one bites the dust!!
Fun in the mud
So we decided to go looking for dinosaur bones (what this area is known for), needless to say we did not have success.. however we did have success finding something. I saw what looked like a sign on top of a hill, up the hill we went; assuming to see directions to these talked about fossils and finds. Needless to say it was not a sign, and all I could think when we stumbled on this was 'only I would find a car part in the middle of the desert!'
The Ger camp we stayed at for our last night. The man who owned the place was VERY excited about his turtle building, he also has an elephant building and a museum.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)