7/16/08

Disc   Utility.   We've had some computer issues, mainly the fallout from spilling water on it a few months ago.   It died, but then was resurrected for these months.   But then it really died.   We did find someone to fix it, and are really grateful for not needing to spend a fortune on a new machine.   So, this sort of feels like this computer's third life by now.   Anyway, one of the things I've done to try to get things running smoothly is to use something in our Mac operating system, Disc Utility.   Disc Utility is something that corrects problems with the system.   Now, don't ask me how software can help with hardware.   It makes no sense to me how digits can do work on a physical piece of equipment.   But evidently it can.   One of the things Disc Utility does is to correct permissions, which I think are software, not hardware.   I can't really tell you what a permission is.   My kids don't even ask permission.   They announce things.   “Daddy, I'm going to the bathhouse.”   We come back with, “Do you mean…”   They then correct it with, “May I go to the bathhouse?”   The bathhouse question is a camping question, of course.   We do have indoor plumbing at home.   Even in Etters.

But a vacation like this one is Disc Utility for my brain.   We are away from the phone.   We have to drive to email, not walk by the computer and check it several times a day.   There is no TV.   No cell reception.   No video games (which we don't have anyway).   Our neighbors are all family or good friends.   The air is clean, clear, and smells like pine, not Pine Sol.   (Okay, we don't use Pine Sol.   That was my attempt at being clever.)   The humidity is low.   All around are rocks, trees, water, and sky.   The sounds are wind in white pines, and the occasional hum of an outboard motor.   The chore lists are short, but there isn't a lot of entertainment, either.   And there's something about this less stimulating environment that does good things in my heart.   At first, I will admit, the lack of urgent concerns and distractions is disconcerting.   But as I become accustomed to a slower pace, I feel myself unwind at a deeper level.   And file permissions get fixed.   The hard drive is being restored to working order.   The clutter of unneeded files like worry and hurry are being deleted.   I'm sure they will get a reinstall when I get back.   But for now I'll enjoy it.   So I have to recommend taking a vacation where you do very little other than BE.   We are all much better at doing than being.   But when we quit doing and be, we can connect with the God who caused us to be.   And that is what we need very much.

7/17/08

Did I mention that Crotch Lake is where I proposed to Sheri?  

It is.  

In the summer of 1994 we were here, as we have been every summer but one since we've been a couple.   Sheri has been here every summer except one in her whole life.   This particular year we went out for a spin on the lake in a borrowed boat.   I had brought some things with me in a bag.   All over the lake are small, rocky islands covered with pine and cedar trees.   They are fun to explore, to use as a swimming dock, to do some cooking over a little campfire, etc.   The islands are named for people who have been there, things that happened there, and so forth.   There's Blueberry Island, Long Island, Burnt Island, Ant Trap Island, Flat Island, Picnic Island, and others.   We got to one of these islands, now called Engagement Island, and got out.   After a few moments of really anxious conversation I announced I'd be right back.   It was really anxious because I knew what I was about to do, and so did Sheri.   But I couldn't just tear right into it, so I had to make it look nonchalant.   Which it didn't.   Oh, well.   So after I got myself ready I came back dressed in the top half of my tuxedo and shorts and sneakers.   You might wonder where a 20-something year old guy gets a tuxedo.   It was left over from college, music major days.   I put on the top half of it (shirt, tie, and coat) and came out.   I'm not sure why I stopped with the top half only.   I guess I thought I'd ruin the rest of it in the dirt.   Sheri knew all along what I was doing, but now she was seeing it face to face.   I walked back to Sheri, got down on one knee, told her again how much I loved her, and asked if she would marry me.   I also presented her with a ring that was new but had a family heirloom diamond in it.   She said yes!  

We quickly got back into our boat to look for Sheri's parents who were out fishing.   We found them and showed them the ring on Sheri's finger.   Actually they were not surprised since I had asked for her dad's blessing earlier that evening.   Her mom knew, too, because we were in cahoots getting the ring made.   That's another story.   We got married the following summer, August 5, 1995.   This year it will be our 13 th anniversary, which we will celebrate in Wisconsin on tour.   Apparently 13 is the Cheddar Anniversary.

The one time Sheri missed coming to Crotch Lake was the summer she was on bed rest waiting for Morgan to arrive.   That was not fun.   Don't ever tell anyone on bed rest how nice it is that they have an excuse to take it easy and relax.   What they really have is uninterrupted time to lie there worrying that their baby might come too soon to be okay.   Not relaxing at all.

Anyway, suffice it to say Crotch Lake has been a very important part of Sheri's family for her whole life.   And now I get the chance to enjoy this tradition, too!

On another subject, I am the proud owner of a new computer battery.   Get this.   At home in Pennsylvania, I went on Ebay.   I found the exact battery I need for this laptop, which to me was sort of amazing.   I ordered it and paid for it in American funds.   The company, which is located in Hong Kong, shipped it to me here in Ontario.   God bless the internet!   An American can order something at home from Hong Kong and have it meet him in Canada!   And I paid less than half what I would have paid for the same battery through Apple or MacMall.   What a world!   And if I think that's impressive, wait until heaven!   Can I give the planet Jupiter a fly-by?   See how high I can jump on the moon?   Who knows, but life with fewer boundaries sounds pretty great.   No sickness, no death, no pain, no sorrow.   Not too shabby!   What a great God we have who is preparing a place for us and will come back to receive us to Himself!   He said so in John 14:2.   Read that promise and picture Him speaking to you.   Wow!

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