Lofty Ambition

Dh and the kids met a man the other day who was a professor at SMS (oops, MSU, sorry). They were having a lengthy discussion and eventually the subject of homeschooling was brought up. Why is it that people feel they must test our children when they are homeschooled? It's not uncommon for people to ask my children where they go to school and when they say "I'm homeschooled", inevitably the next question is "What's 9X6?", or "Who was the 3rd president?". Sheesh! I don't recall my older children who went to PS ever fielding such questions. I can only hope that it's because more is expected of homeschoolers than their public schooled counterparts. It's no secret that many of the last geography and/or spelling bee winners have been homeschoolers. I admit I would love to have a child with such a love of learning that they win a scholarship to an Ivy League College and obtain a PhD and find a way to cure cancer or end world hunger and win a Nobel prize and..........."EARTH TO CINDI".................Oh well, I can dream, can't I?

The professor eventually got around to asking sisterwho what it is she wants to do when she grows up. Sisterwho said, "I want to cut hair". Dh didn't miss a beat and nobly replied, "There ya go, we must be doing something right!".

Hey, where would the world be without Hairdressers?

Da Vinci Might Have Been a Nut

I recently finished reading "The Da Vinci Code". I have to say, it's a great read and I would highly recommend it to those who have the discernment to take it at face value for what it is, a fictional novel.

The author, Dan Brown is a smart man. It is sadly comical that this book has stirred up more controversy than I imagine Darwin's "The Origin of Species" must have some 150 years ago. Unfortunately, in today's world we have the means to spread information, accurate or not, like wildfire. Dan Brown is now a wealthier man because he wrote a novel about something that gets people's attention. The movie, critics say, stinks, and if it weren't for all of the hoopla it probably would have been a flop! The author of the book and the writers/directors/producers of the movie knew exactly what they were doing and we've played right into their hands.

I'm not writing this to convince anyone of anything--we must all evaluate our own hearts--but if you are questioning what you've always known I would encourage you, no matter what your beliefs, to pray for clarity. Educate yourself on what the book says and you will probably be surprised to find as much information that contradicts "The Da Vinci Code" as you will information that supports its claims.

After I finished the book, I had questions about what the author says are "Facts". On page 1 he says that "All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in this novel are accurate". Are they really? By whose standards?

One example: Regarding "The Last Supper" painting by Da Vinci; Brown proposes that the person seated to Jesus' right is not The Apostle John but actually Mary Magdalene. He points out the feminine characteristics and the color of the dress which is exactly opposite to the color of Jesus' garments, subliminally suggesting that Jesus and Mary M were lovers. First of all, I have to ask, was Da Vinci there? No, of course he wasn't. He painted HIS own idea of what the last supper might have been like and the symbolism he uses is of his own fabrication. Even if he did suspect that Jesus had a lover or a wife, was he right? If you look at the painting, you will see that many of the disciples look somewhat feminine and knowing what we know about Da Vinci, well, umm, I'll let you make your own assumptions. Historians KNOW that Da Vinci was a flamboyant homosexual, an eccentric, and is known for painting artwork depicting Christian themes, not as an expression of what he believed but to fund his lavish lifestyle! And here we are, putting Christian beliefs and Biblical truths on the line because of him?! Come on!

I saw a phrase on a church sign the other day that made me smile, "No codes, just truth". Before you question your faith or anyone else's, get the REAL facts. Be prepared to defend the truths you hold dear and don't ever, EVER, let the words that ONE small man has written convince you of anything without gaining more insight on the subject, regardless of the topic. As dh always says, "Be skeptical!".

It's pretty simple. I can't say what Dan Brown's motives are but most people write novels to make money, hmmmm.......

Wasn't Jesus a Liberal?

Published on Tuesday, October 19, 2004 by CommonDreams.org

by Gary Vance

Liberalism has been under assault for years now. The battering of this grand political philosophy has altered the contemporary definition of liberal to the point that Conservatives use it as a profane word. They use it to paint a political opponent as anti-God and anti-American. It has gotten to the point that moderate and liberal Christians are afraid to be open about their political leanings. Sadly, it even affects their conscience and choices as they enter the voting booth. This is particularly troubling to me as a Christian evangelical minister who loves America.

Liberalism as defined by Webster’s Third New International Dictionary: “a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of man, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for tolerance and freedom for the individual from arbitrary authority in all spheres of life…”

I am not sure why anyone would feel threatened by Liberalism as defined by the dictionary. They are apparently unaware or simply refuse to acknowledge the long history of liberals who have labored for the betterment of society and the furthering of God’s Kingdom.

The labor movement of the early twentieth century was aided significantly when major Christian denominations got behind it. No average American would have a fair wage today if it weren’t for liberal Christians and labor activists. Liberal Christians and civil rights activists fought and still fight against conservative America for racial equality. Child labor laws were enacted because liberals fought for them. Medicare and Social Security exist today because of Liberalism. “Bleeding heart liberals” have long advocated for the homeless, the hungry, the less fortunate, and the disenfranchised. The women of America owe liberals a big thank you for their almost equal rights. “Tree hugging liberals” fight for clean air and water standards instead of favoring industrial polluters and short term profiteering that destroy God’s green earth.

Liberals believe in affordable health care for all U.S. citizens. They also believe in higher taxes for the rich and lower taxes for the middle class and the poor. Liberals love their spouses and children. Liberals faithfully attend their churches to worship God. Liberals love America and hate terrorism and have proved it by fighting in every war for this country. Liberals come in all shapes, sizes, and color. They are found in the ranks of Protestants, Catholics, Jews, agnostics, and atheists.

Conservative Republican policies generally favor the wealthy and ignore the needs of the poor. Their policies are so often greed-driven, with no concern for the environmental or societal consequences for their exploitive actions. Jesus plainly taught that the love of money is the root of all evil. So, Christians can go after the various “fruit” of sin in our society, but they won’t see the real change for the better until the axe is laid to the root. Christians should oppose greed-driven policies as a primary point of political concern.

I am sick of reading letters to the editor and editorials that paint Democrats and liberals as anti-God and anti-American and that portray conservative Republicans as the only true Christian patriots. We know that many Democrats are pro-choice and many support gay issues and this troubles most evangelicals. Democrats also support causes that should be of Christian concern that go untouched by Republicans. I have listed some in the above paragraphs. True prophetic vision sees that there is great need for repentance on the left and the right. The effects of powerful lobbyists, special interest groups, greed and corruption abound on both sides of the aisles of Congress. God sees it all and so should Christians. Christian voters need to see that God’s heart breaks over more than just a few political and moral issues. It is time to take off our blinders and mourn for the sorry state of affairs that is American politics.

Jesus was the ultimate liberal progressive revolutionary of all history. The conservative religious and social structure that He defied hated and crucified Him. They examined His life and did not like what they saw. He aligned Himself with the poor and the oppressed. He challenged the religious orthodoxy of His day. He advocated pacifism and loving our enemies. He liberated women and minorities from oppression. He healed on the Sabbath and forgave adulterers and prostitutes. He associated with drunks and other social outcasts. He rebuked the religious right of His day because they embraced the letter of the law instead of the Spirit. He loved sinners and called them to Himself. Jesus was the original Liberal. He was a progressive, and He was judged and hated for it. It was the self-righteous religionists that He rebuked and He called them hypocrites.

The primary issues of Christian Liberalism were birthed when Jesus spoke the profoundly prophetic words found in Matthew 25: 31-46. These scriptures reveal God’s heart for the poor, the sick and other neglected people through out history. Christians should read this text and judge for themselves which of the two groups mentioned there more accurately reflect the political parties of today. His Liberalism lives on today and the issues have not changed much.

I am glad that conservative Republican candidates advocate for the family and a few Christian issues, but we must quit pretending that they are the only ones that Christians should consider voting for. People should not call themselves pro-life if they are only anti-abortion and yet feel no twinge of conscience over the unfair application of capital punishment or wars fought for dubious motives. A true pro-life position cares just as passionately for the born as the un-born and views war as a last resort when all other options are exhausted.

Christians should look for candidates that will work for issues that are of importance to Christ and that can be tackled legislatively. Sadly, most of those causes have historically been opposed, ignored, and minimized by conservative Republican policy makers. They seem to dangle the moral issues carrot around election time. Then, even with a Republican controlled White House and Congress, prove themselves powerless to do anything about those issues when they convene to legislate. Issues such as eliminating poverty and homelessness in America, true equal rights for all citizens, environmental protection, a fair minimum wage, affordable health care, and lowering our infant mortality rate all go unattended. That’s just to name a few.

I have some questions for the Christian Right. Why have you not held our current elected majority officials accountable for their failure to address the full spectrum of Christian issues? Why would you vote for them again?

It is time for Christians of conscience to stand up to religious and political hypocrisy. Christians should proudly proclaim progressive values today and should advocate for the Christian Liberalism that is our heritage and our legacy.

Camping on the Buffalo River

We just got back from a camping trip in Arkansas. What peaceful, quiet, unrivaled fun! Dh doesn't like to camp, he's a homebody and his arthritis makes him so stiff that he couldn't possibly enjoy sleeping under the stars. I have bugged him to take us camping for quite some time without success so when my friend (I'll call her "K") and her daughter, "Z" (4 years old) asked us to join them on a trip, we answered with a resounding "Yes"!.

K, who had Z, her only child, when she was 43 has camped and hiked around the globe. I, on the other hand, haven't been camping since I was a child so I was a little naive. We debated on whether to go to the Lake or to the river and when K asked sisterwho which she would rather do, sis answered "I'm scared of lakes, let's go to the river". So the river it was.

Packing for the camping trip was a major challenge. Since we've never been camping as a family, we had no camping supplies. I had to buy a tent, sleeping bags, lanterns, a life jacket for littlewho, and a cooler. Bass Pro saw me coming a mile away! I started packing a week ahead and ended up with a carload of stuff that would have gotten us through a few weeks in Alaska. Heck, when you don't know what the weather is going to do, you have to be ready for anything. I had everything from swimsuits to hats and gloves.

Food preparation was also a huge undertaking. I was not about to undo the wonderful benefits of spending several days in the open air by eating a bunch of potato chips and bologna sandwiches so I toiled over the hot stove for days, baking bread, making tortillas, chopping vegetables and cooking soups. K brought chicken salad, hummus, boiled eggs, carrot and celery sticks, dates and nuts. We ate well!

I arrived at K's house Monday a little embarassed. I was afraid that she, being the experienced camper that she was, would surely laugh at my car packed to the ceiling with stuff. I almost lost it when I saw her car loaded with things which Z "needed" for camping such as a plastic doll highchair and a stuffed rabbit bigger that her!

We chose to go to a campground with a few amenities like toilets and showers. Neither of us had ever been there and apparently had envisioned a campground situated right on the river with the water in full view. We arrived at "Tyler Bend", a national park, around 2:30pm. K was following me and I pulled into the park and drove around searching for a campsite on the river. The river was nowhere in sight. K got out of her car and walked over to the edge of the woods hoping to see water rushing but it was not to be. She walked back toward me with her hands up in the air and said, "Where's the river?". We were a little disillusioned so decided to drive back up to the visitor center to be directed to the closest campsight with a river view.

I walked in the door of the visitor center and there was a lady behind the desk. I said, "We're here to camp but really wanted a site next to the river". I was sure I could hear her snickering to herself as she said, "We can't put the campsites right on the river, they would wash away with every rain". I almost expected her to end her comment with "you fool". She explained that there was a trail leading to the river so we could just walk to it whenever we pleased. We asked if there was any way to camp ON THE RIVER and she showed us the way to a campground that was primitive--we would be camping on a gravel bar and there were no facilities. We weighed our desire to be able to see water with our longing for flushing toilets and the toilets won out. We drove back to the campground and started setting up camp.

I am the type of person who reads the directions thoroughly before putting anything together; probably has something to do with having a dh who dives in first and asks questions later. It's excrutiating to think about the number of items we have put together only to find, hours later, a crucial, missing part that had been forgotten. After unloading the car, I started taking the tent out of it's bag and sat down to read. Sisterwho had brought a friend with her and they wanted their own tent so I forgot to mention I had purchased a small, 2 man tent for them. They chose a spot for their tent several feet away from the campsite, next to the woods. I had my back turned to them and K as I was reading the novel that was to show me how to erect a tent.

I finally had all of my tent parts layed out in order on the ground and was ready to start putting it together. I turned around to see if I could offer the girls any assistance and was shocked to find they had their tent up, complete with bedding inside and they were moving in! K also had her tent put up and offered to help me but I was determined to do it myself. Once I got started, it actually went up quite easily and turned out to be very comfortable with my queen sized air bed inside (it's what you call "roughing" it).

The kids were eager to start exploring so littlewho and the girls took off down a path that led into the woods. Minutes later littlewho came running back to the campsite yelling "my legs are itching and they won't stop!" He looked quite miserable but I couldn't see anything. I poured cold water on them and within seconds he had little whelps coming up all over his lower legs. I hollered at K to come look (she's a physician). At first I thought it must be poison ivy but K said it takes a couple of days for someone to react to that. She asked me if I had brought any Benadryl and fortunately I had (but neither of us--a doctor and a nurse--remembered bandaids, go figure) so I gave littlewho one to chew. It didn't take long for the whelps and the stinging to subside and we eventually determined it must have been stinging nettles that caused it. Whew! Poor little guy, he was really suffering and that was the first time I had ever encounted such a thing!

It wasn't long before the camp host (aka the "camp nazi") drove up in her golfcart to welcome us to the Buffalo National Park. She was listing the rules of the campground and warned us about "critters"; skunks in particular had been quite a nuisance and someone's dog had recently been sprayed. As she was telling us this, Z's eyes were becoming wider, unnoticed by us and before long she was crying and clinging to K, terrified of the skunks. Who knows what kind of vision she had in her little mind regarding skunks but she was in such a state that she wouldn't let K put her down for hours and there was nothing we could say to alleviate her fears. K eventually put her in the car where she felt safe. I told littlewho to go talk to her and explain what skunks were and pretty soon they both came bouncing back to the campsite without a care in the world. I wish I could have been a fly on the window and heard exactly what it was that a 5 year old could say to his little friend that made her forget about a vicious kid-eating skunk.

We started a campfire and made "Hobo pockets". I chopped potatoes, carrots, onions, zucchini and sweet potatoes ahead of time and let everyone choose what they wanted in their pocket. I put a tablespoon of butter on top, wrapped it in foil and threw the pockets in the coals of the fire. They cooked surprisingly fast and were incredibly tasty. Even the kids gobbled them up!

At night, it was cold but we all had fleece clothing. I'm not inclined to wearing polyester ANYTHING but I realize now that synthetic materials have their place. K taught me that fleece will hold the heat in, unlike cotton. That, along with our sleeping bags rated for 25 degrees kept us very warm at night. In fact, I was too warm, even when the temperature got down to 44. K even has fleece socks which are on my wish-list, something you don't want to camp without in the cooler weather.

K has a portable, one-burner propane stove that we used the next morning to make hot water for coffee and hot chocolate and pancakes. There's nothing quite like waking up and emerging from your tent on a cool morning to the birds singing, the sun gently warming your face, and pancakes.

We lugged our lawnchairs and coolers down to the river so the kids could play all day. They swam, caught crawdads and tadpoles, collected rocks and built sandcastles. The Buffalo river is particularly beautiful with it's high bluffs and clear water. The kids played on the sand bar most of the day and we are still crunching sand between our teeth, just like a day at the beach! In the evening we made another fire and had burritos for supper. K had brought avocados, black olives and refried beans and I had the homemade tortillas, cheese and salsa and we had another wonderful meal. Afterwards, we roasted marshmallows (our one indulgence) and made s'mores, YUM! Littlewho kept repeating "I am having so much fun!".

At night, we loaded all of the food into our cars because of the animals who wait for unsuspecting campers to go to sleep so they can raid your coolers and baskets. Unbeknownst to me, sisterwho and her friend had their own stash of junk food in their duffel bags. Their tent was only large enough for the 2 of them so that night they put their bags outside the tent. When we woke up in the morning, one of their bags had been dragged into the woods and a trail of candy wrappers, slimJims and pudding cups led us right to it. None of us heard anything during the night; I suspect it was raccoons who can be pretty creative little "bandits". I only hope it wasn't a bear!

I went on a run while we were there. I didn't really know where to go but decided to take off on one of the hiking trails. I assumed (wrongly) that the trails would be like the ones at our local nature center. YIKES! The trail was little more than a cow-path and I was running along the edge of embankments, dodging huge boulders and tree roots. The trail went down for quite some distance and then started going up and up until I came out on the top of one of the bluffs looking down at the river. It was beautiful but quite dizzying and I kept imagining myself falling so I quickly took off again on the trail that was marked "return trail". Well, turns out the return trail returns you to a spot about 2 miles up from the campground and I had already run at least 4 miles on rough terrain. When I finally arrived back at the camp, I had been gone an hour and my knees were a little worse for the wear. I was not at all winded, though; training on these hills where I live has really increased my stamina.

We spent our final day enjoying the river. We found another spot on the river with a shallow area that had a pretty strong current so the kids and K rode the rapids. I am a wimp when it comes to being cold AND wet and the water was really, really cold so I opted out. K had a fleece shirt on in the water and said it even keeps you warm when wet. I'm not convinced!

The kids and I are eager to go camping again, soon! Sitting around a campfire at night and looking up to see gazillions of stars, playing in the tent with the kids while waiting for the rain to pass, the peaceful sound of rushing water, food cooked and eaten out-of-doors and the uninterrupted quiet that comes from having no TV or radio is, in my opinion, the best vacation there is. At one point K said "I am in such leisure mode, I haven't thought about anything but being here". It was the most relaxed I've been in quite some time.

Things that I wouldn't go camping without are: a saw to cut firewood, fleece if it's cool weather, Teva sandals (they dry fast, stay on your feet, and are indestructable), a rope to fashion a clothesline, buckets, shovels and nets for the kids to catch and store their treasures, and a good cooler that keeps ice frozen for days.

Yes, I had Liposuction

Ok, I had liposuction last week and I admit it. One of my friends said, "More power to you, you go girl!"; everyone else has made comments like "you look just fine" (not in my opinion), "are you trying to be a supermodel?" (Ha! Not in this life) and "are you nuts!?" (possibly). No, I do not have a body image problem and yes, it was covered by insurance. Hey, I have enough scars and conspicuously missing parts, I can use all the help I can get.

3 years ago in July, at age 37, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. After 2 unsuccessful attempts to get all of the cancer with "breast-conserving surgery", I decided to have a mastectomy. One of the options for reconstruction after a mastectomy is a "TRAM", or Trans-Rectus Adominus Myocutaneous flap.

In laymen's terms, a TRAM involves taking part of the abdominal tissue, leaving the rectus abdominus muscle attached for a blood supply and tunneling it under the skin to form a breast. For me it was either using my own tissue for reconstruction or no reconstruction at all. I did not feel comfortable having something foreign in my body (breast implant) after already having cancer.

Another benefit of a TRAM is that you essentially get a tummy tuck (can you believe a male surgeon developed the procedure, woohoo, what a guy!). It's not as pretty as a cosmetic tummy tuck because the scar must be higher and wider to take advantage of the best blood supply but I have carried 4 children and therefore had a little excess tummy that I was happy to part with. However, I would caution anyone who is not both young and in the very best of health to think twice before having a TRAM. It is unfathomably debilitating and I have since taken care of several patients who've had the surgery and they have had difficulty recovering. When I called my surgeon's office almost 3 years ago to tell the secretary to schedule me for the surgery, within minutes my doctor had called back and said "Are you SURE? You're a runner and it's going to set you back." I appreciated his concern and he was right but I don't regret it. It took me 2 years to get back to running!

My scar goes from hipbone to hipbone and actually looks pretty good except that it's still rather red. I'm very happy with the results of my surgery and my plastic surgeon says the scar will continue to fade. The only thing I've had a problem with is the little resulting extra skin at the ends of my scar, commonly referred to as "dog-ears". Since I am not a dog, I didn't want to have their ears so I chose to have the skin (OK, call it fat if you must, who cares?!) flattened a little.

So, I went in for outpatient surgery. The hospital requires that you arrive 2 hours early so you can, well, sit and wait for 2 hours, I guess. It took the nurses about 10 minutes to get their paperwork completed and start an IV so I had plenty of time to finish my book, "The Da Vinci Code" (that's another topic...).

I don't necessarily volunteer the fact that I'm a nurse when I'm in the hospital because I don't want anyone to be uncomfortable and I know from experience that taking care of a fellow medical professional can be a little unnerving. The nurse asked me to sign an operative permit and asked me to verify what surgery I was having done. Without thinking I said "bilateral abdominal donor site revisions". She said "wow, you got that perfect!" then she eyed me suspiciously and said "are you a nurse?". It was too late, I had blown my cover.

I had been NPO--translation, "nothing by mouth"--since midnight the night before surgery and I drink enough water in a day to float a boat so my mouth was parched and I felt dehydrated. The nurse had me all checked in and asked me if she could get me anything. I very matter-of-factly said, "a glass of water, please". She didn't fall for it.

The surgery itself was pretty unremarkable. I have bruises and it's a little tender to touch but I have had surprisingly little pain. My surgeon talked me into general anesthesia which I regret, I think. My body simply doesn't metabolize drugs well; I'm a week out and still feeling the effects. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining and I'm not sure I would have wanted to be awake while they inserted a trocar and rammed it in and out of my skin (a perverse "friend" who watches the discovery channel described it to me as such). I am extremely happy with the way it looks; now I can buy clothes that actually fit!

Heirloom Garden Show

If you are into heirloom gardening, you have most likely heard of Baker Creek Seed Co. They are one of the most well-known rare seed companies in the seed-saving world. Their mission is to provide healthy, natural, authentic foods by promoting original, non-GMO (gene-altered) seeds.

I have ordered seeds from Baker Creek via the internet for several years. Turns out that they are in our backyard, only 7 miles down the road in Mansfield. This past weekend they held their spring Garden Show.

Yesterday, Littlewho, Sisterwho and I set out for a day at Baker Creek. To get there, you drive to Mansfield, MO, take 1 of 2 exits and head North about 5 miles. It is off the beaten path, to say the least. After turning off the main highway, you drive several miles down dirt roads while navigating the chugholes, over creeks, past a multitude of farms and eventually wind up at an old farmhouse at the end of a lane. Parking is in the fields around the house and along the creek bed where many people have set up tents to stay for the 2-day event.

Vendors come from areas all around to attend the Garden Show. Here you will find varieties of tomatoes and peppers that are unusual, old, and reportedly delicious. I bought 4 beautiful, large tomato plants and I'm anxious to see what they will produce. The fun is in finding out what types of jewels you have at harvest time. I bought a "Purple Russian" plant, described as "delicious,...flavor that tops the charts,...one of the best varieties for salsas and preserving, etc.". Another variety I got was a "Black Krim" which says it is a favorite of many fine chefs. I have no idea what the other 2 are but they are supposed to be good. Dh is a tomato lover, I just like growing them.

Just down the dirt path from the main house at Baker Creek is a wonderful building that houses all of their seeds. During their garden shows in the Spring and Fall they sell all of their seed packets for $1 each! It is incredibly overwhelming to stand among bins and bins of seeds, stacked floor to ceiling, most of which I've never heard of. Not having done my research, I just picked varieties that sounded interesting, or more importantly, pretty. I bought "Jumbo Pink Banana", a winter squash, "Chantenay Red Core", a carrot, a long bean called "Chinese Green Noodle", a cucumber called "Delikatesse" and melons called "Minnesota Midget", along with a plethora of other seeds, none of which I have room for. I just couldn't resist!

There were musicians, Silver Dollar City performers, speakers, including James Clary of "Clary's" restaurant who talked about what he looks for in locally grown food. There were people selling honey, tee-pees, jewelry, braided rugs and skads of other items. Littlewho purchased a wooden hunting "knife" and a treasure box carved out of cedar with a secret drawer in the back. Sisterwho bought a sterling silver ring and a painted wooden jewelry box.

The music was inspirational country gospel and bluegrass. There were kids playing fiddles, guitars and keyboard. One lady yodeled and most just sang and played whatever was on their hearts or what the audience requested.

The restrooms at Baker Creek are very nice, most of the time. Unfortunately, the women's restroom was out of order so Sisterwho and I were relegated to the port-a-potties. Rather than try to explain to Littlewho how to use a port-a-potty, I let him go into the men's restroom by himself when the other stalls were unoccupied. I sent him in with explicit instructions while I stood by the door. He went into the stall which I could observe from the doorway. Within seconds he came wobbling out. There he stood in the doorway, pants around his ankles, anatomy glaringly obvious to the 20 or so people standing around. He was yelling "don't shut the door, I'm scared!". Sisterwho shrunk away, mortified, pretending she was not with us. I ushered Littlewho back into the bathroom, not caring that I was of the wrong persuasion and assisted him with his business. There were a few knowing smiles and snickers as we walked out. Sister was still hiding behind a tree but Littlewho quickly spotted her, ruining her cover when he said "Sissy, what are you doing back there?".

We had a wonderful, peaceful, spirit-filled day. If you ever have the chance to go, I highly recommend it and if you aren't already aware of the dangers of "Frankenfoods", go to www.rareseeds.com for more information.