Refractions and Reflections

---1--- Last Saturday (September 7) I went with a friend to the Greater Ozarks Bluesfest . It was a hot day, but not too hot, and for most of it we happily sat in our lawnchairs in the shade. Late in the afternoon, though, we were in the sun, but it cooled off quickly. So, all in all - great weather, great day.   Right from the start (about 2 p.m.) there were a few tipsy spectators who decided to dance. Do I think they were tipsy because they were dancing? No. Just see for yourself:   But then I recorded a little bit of a harmonica feature and got a nice surprise with dancers who were not tipsy! It was quite fun!     At one point one of the artists said, "I know this is a Bluesfest, but can I get away with playing a little soul?" I leaned over to my friend and said, "We all white here - we don't know the difference!"   Here's a shot from when the saxophonist from the Selwyn Birchwood Band (my favorite band of the da...

---1--- This week I went and visited my friend Jason's tattoo shop he opened in a nearby town a couple of months ago. I had been meaning to go see it since it opened but hadn't been able to until now. It's called Sundown Tattoo , in Aurora, Missouri.   This is the lobby area just inside the door and to the right. My friend Jamie, Rick the tattoo artist, and Jason the proprietor. Me and Jason, in the room where all the magic happens. ---2--- Jason, Jamie, and I walked down the block to a local restaurant called Bootleggers for lunch. It is housed in a building that used to be a bank, and all its bankish features have been maintained, such as the teller cage up front and the vault, wherein they now have a microbrewery and make their own beer. Jason tells me they put the beer in a brown jug for you, complete with cork and sealing wax. (No, I didn't sample it.) I had no idea Aurora had a local beermaker! It is a town of about 7500 people. I found t...

--- 1 ---   T his month I am participating in an A to Z Blogging Challenge , and today’s letter is K. So today's Quick Takes will have themes that begin with...[drumroll, please]... K !  (...Some of these will legitimately start with K and others might be a little forced.... But it's my blog. I can do what I want. Ain't nobody the boss of me, and all that jazz.) Please note: I realize my type style/size/color is all messed up  and inconsistent in this post. Still figuring out the formatting...please overlook it this time! :) --- 2 --- Kanine Update: Want to know what I find funny? My dog likes things that smell good. I bought some new vanilla verbena bubble bath and used it today and he would not get away from the tub, and kept whining wanting in. Then he kept sniffing my hands afterward. I think he likes it when I burn candles, too. He also went for his first walk last week. At first he did not like the leash at all, but I left it slack and ca...

--- 1 --- I have been following 7 Quick Takes for several years now and intended to participate for some time, but this is my first post! So exciting. --- 2 --- Today we preached the second sermon in our series in my homiletics class. The series is on Revelation. In this video, first is my series introduction, then my second sermon (I was not in class the day our first sermons were recorded). Some of you had requested the videos, so here is one! Remember we had a time limitation (15 minutes for the sermon); and also, I hear the camera adds about 60 pounds. I think my biggest self-critique would be that I smiled entirely too much - gotta work on looking more serious! ;) --- 3 --- If you are going to be reading my blog, perhaps you would like to know a little more about me. This would be a great place to introduce myself! I am a seminarian and will be finishing my MDiv this year. Next? I am not entirely sure. Possibly, I will study History at Missouri State University, but ...