Southern Porch Extension

[ready2go]

I haven't seen Don on the porch lately. I'm hoping he and Carol are alright.

Ahoy, porch dwellers! Land ho!!! Lower the dinghys...we're goin' ashore.

Carol and I are still able to sit up and take nourishment, so all is fairly well.

Don

[Laurie]

My article, accepted by EFCA Today, is now online. EFCA Today is a publication for pastors and leaders and the article is about how the church can help those with eating disorders. It's an uphill climb to get my site and services out there to churches and this is a step.

Please pass on the link to your own pastor or any other church or other ministry leaders you may know.

http://www.efcatoday.org/site/article/a ... he-journey

[cori67]

Thank you to everyone who went and voted for Noah's Arks Rescue. They maintained their 28th place and won $50,000! That money will go directly to the animals they rescue. The wonderful thing about Noah's Arks is the founder has no overhead, so 100% of the money she gets goes to the animal's care.

[Verna]

Hooray, Laurie. Every bit of publication helps.

Yo Don, I wondered if all your falls had kept you from sitting up! You and Carol take care.

Joanney, I'm so sorry about your needing to postpone your surgery. I will keep you in my prayers.

I continue to be buried in editing and re-editing. I had no idea self-publishing was so difficult, but I like having the final sayso over everything and getting the finished product quickly. My granddaughters are almost ready to upload the book to CreateSpace. Then I hope they don't find any problems. I said it would be better to order directly, but if anyone wants a signed copy, I can purchase them and send them.

We're loving the cooler days here.

Sadly, our Panthers did not look like they are quite ready for the Super Bowl.

[ready2go]

A little something to think about...

Only in America.......do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.

Only in America....do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke.

Only in America.....do banks leave vault doors open and then chain the pens to the counters.

Only in America .....do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.

Only in America ........do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight.

Only in America .....do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.

EVER WONDER ....

Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?
Or….if blind people wear sunglasses why don’t deaf people wear earmuffs?

Why can't women put on mascara with their mouth closed?

Why don't you ever see the headline 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?

Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?

Why is it that doctors call what they do 'practice'?

Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dish washing liquid made with real lemons?

Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?

Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?

Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?

You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?!

Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?

Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?

If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?

If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

[BeachGrandma]

http://media.nmfn.com/tnetwork/lifespan

My final number, in calculating how long I'll live, was 96.

What's yours?

[ready2go]

http://media.nmfn.com/tnetwork/lifespan

My final number, in calculating how long I'll live, was 96.

What's yours?

90

Whoa! I think the test is skewed to promote false optimism. I'm already losing my grip...and fast.

Me thinks their objective is to sell some kind of insurance...insuring their own long-term survival.

Don

[Laurie]

Those are good ones, Don.

Great. I'm going to be stuck here for 95 years. I don't think I'll really live that long, and I certainly hope I don't. That little test is a good gimmick, though, for Northwestern Mutual.

[Verna]

It looks like Mariane and Don and I will hold out for 96 years. I hope IF that should be the case that the Lord will come before then!

Love the nip in the fall air here.

Hope all is well with porch members and visitors.

[Joanney]

Well, I will only be here until I am 87. Which makes sense since 3 of my grandparents died in their 80's. The other one lived to be 94. But the family history of heart disease before age 55 brought the number down. And I don't have all that good of eating and exercise habits.

[BeachGrandma]

Someone figured out that we all can expect to live as old as our oldest parent.

My mother lived to be 96 and that's the age the test showed for me, too -- 96. Unfortunately, the last ten years of Mother's life were filled with unbelievable pain and suffering but her testimony continued right up until the day she died. I guess it's also true that "we die the same way we lived," which means different things to different people.

Go figure.

[Allison]

It says 91 for me. At first, it kept saying 35 or something like that, and I was trying to figure out what in the world was wrong. Then I realized I read "weight" as "waist." That would make a difference!

[Laurie]

Hehe, Allison. Yes, that WOULD make a difference.

I went back and retook the test, this time checking that I ate more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables. It says I'll live to be 98. That's an additional three years (score last time was 95) that I don't want to be here. Another good "excuse" not to overdo it on those nasty old veggies. (Where's the Mr. Yuck emoticon when you need him?)

[Joanney]

Someone figured out that we all can expect to live as old as our oldest parent.

My mom is still alive and 74, but her dad lived to be 88. Not sure I trust any of these false hopes anyway. It doesn't take into account the possibility of accidents or divine intervention.

[Carole L]

Well, I am now an official, paid, book reviewer.

I reviewed a second grade children's book, and they liked it, so now I will be getting more of them to do. Doesn't pay much, unless you have kids, or grandkids. I get paid $5 a review, plus I get to keep the book. The book I reviewed was priced at $21.95. It was a very nice book!

Here is what I wrote, in the form they wanted it:


The Magical Life of Mr. Renny

Leo Timmers started out his career as an artist, which can be seen in his extraordinary drawings that almost pop off the page with all the bright colors. This book was originally titled Meneer Rene and was intended to pay tribute to the Belgian artist Rene Magritte, who is famous for his use of color and surrealism.

This is a book about making choices. Mr. Renny, a dog, is a very good artist, his drawings look so much like the real thing that it is hard to tell them apart, but, like many artists, he is not having much success selling his paintings. Mr. Renny is granted a wish that turns his life around, a wish that allows him to have whatever he wants, but, alas, he soon finds himself bored. This book reminded me somewhat of the King Midas story but being written in a way that will definitely appeal to second grade readers.

The drawings are delightful eye candy, with many details to explore. The story is adventurous and witty. Who wouldn't jump at the chance to have anything you could dream up?

There are many beautifully depicted objects to help the second graders increase their reading comprehension, reading skills and putting words in context.

What is friendship worth? What did Mr. Renny really want in his life? While traveling around the world was fun, it was lonely. This would be a good book to bring about discussions of what is important in life, to understand the concept of the value of things versus people and relationships.



The Magical Life of Mr. Renny

Copyright, text, and illustrations by Leo Timmers
Translated by Bill Naglelkerke
Pub. Gecko Books
Rev. Carole Robishaw
Hardcover, 30 pages, also available in paperback
978-1-877579-21-2 Hardback
978-1-877467-89-9 Paperback
Fantasy/Fiction
Lexile score 450
Country of origin: Belgium
Originally titled: Meneer Rene