What to Blog About?

I have renamed my computer the Thief of Time. I spend way too much time looking at things on the Internets. I have books to read and should really clean the office. Instead I read the liberal blogs and the Masonic Blogs and talk to my friends via e-mail and chats and all of a sudden I have no idea where the day has gone.

I was going to blog about Duplicity but I was afraid if I did I would spoil this excellent movie for those of you who have not seen it. Needless to say I enjoyed it when I went on Saturday.

I did not have anyplace to go on Sunday and I did not accomplish a thing. Today, however I did do something. I dug around and found my summer watch. In 1978 I took my mother and sister with me on a trip to Los Angeles for the National Education Association Meetings. There are a lot of stories that go along with this trip. Some are funny. This one is just kind of neat. We drove out the northern route. This took us through Winnemucca, Nevada where we stopped for breakfast. Now this trip was my treat. I was paying for everything but this morning I finished my breakfast and elected to go play the "slots." I am not a gambler. I will play cards for nickles, dimes and quarters but I seldom go to a Casino and when I do I use my "system." I put so much money on the line and when it is gone I quit. Usually it is less than $50 and more likely to be $25. - If I win I might keep playing until the winnings are gone also but this morning it was different. I planned to lose a whole $5.

I got some nickles and started to play the machine. I noticed that Mother had finished breakfast and was paying for our breakfast and so I switched to $1 coins. I got to where I had three left and I put them in the machine. I pulled the arm and fully expected to see the wheels turn and nothing to happen. I would have enjoyed losing the money. It would have been my entertainment.

Instead you can imagine my feeling when the lights started flashing and the bells clanging and the coins started falling out into the tray. OH MY GOD! I had hit the Jackpot. A blond lady of about 50 years of age dressed in a tight outfit came over to help me. She brought me a cup to put the coins in. I loaded them up and was ready to leave and she said, "Oh no Honey, let me fill up the machine you have more coming." She put more money in the slot closed the door and the lights started to flash and the bells to clang once more and thrill of thrills more money poured out into the tray.

I told my mother - "Hey Mom, I just hit the Jackpot!"

"Let's get the hell out of here." was her response. I kept the coins and turned in the tokens and we made our escape. I kept the money and chortled over the almost $300 I had won. I know it was not much but it was still exciting. We drove to San Francisco, down the coast highway with a stop at Big Sur (which is my favorite place in the world) on down to Los Angeles for the meetings. Then through Phoenix where we stopped to see Bill and Ann Cook (friends from the lake) and then on to New Mexico and back to Colorado and then home.

In New Mexico I went into a shop that sold Indian made Turquoise jewelry. There I picked out the watch band you see above. It is signed W Nez and it is sterling and I put my Sieko watch on it. The stones are from the Kingman mine and I love it. I don't wear it in the winter as the watch is set for Daylight Savings time and it is just a bother to change it. But in the summer I wear silver and put the gold watch away and so there you have the story of how I got my watch band. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by. ARTYAL, Hugs.

On another note. Harry's dad and mom got married in Montana last Thursday. David Letterman just announced his marriage to long time girlfriend and mother of his 5 1/2 year old son. Congratulations, I actually got tears in my eyes when he told about it. Now if everyone who wants to get married could - it would be a good thing.

He also announced that his Ball State Women's Basketball team is going to play in the NCAA tournament (At least I think it is the NCAA - I know absolutely nothing abut sports) - They will be playing Iowa State. Should be an interesting game. My friend Dom is a professor at Ball State currently entertaining me with his blog about his teaching sabbatical in Greece. He has lots of great pictures up.

Thanks again, Hugs again, Stay in out of the rain. j

Milestone

Acacia Fraternity - 100 Years at Iowa State

Jeremy Davis (Last year's Worshipful Master just sent me the link to the set of pictures from the 100th Anniversary party of the Acacia Fraternity at Iowa State. He is one of the Advisors for the fraternity. You used to have to be a Mason to be a member of Acacia. Go watch.
You can see more pictures here.

2009 Annual Spring Meeting Iowa Research Lodge No. 2 A.F. & A.M

Friday, May 1, 2009
DM Consistory Lounge • 519 Park Street • Des Moines, Iowa
Send Your Reservations by Mon. April 27 to
Iowa Research Lodge No. 2 • P. O. Box 13048 • Des Moines, IA 50310
Phone: 515/255-7600 • E-mail: masmedia@dwx.com • $15.00 per person

Give a Membership - New Members Receive 2 Previous Selections & the 2009 Book
Membership Application

Program

Social Time 4:30 p.m.
Open Lodge 5:30 p.m. - Business Mtg Masons Only
Research Dinner Ladies Invited 6:30 p.m. $15.00 per person

Presentation
“Fraternalism --The Lost Word in Charity”

W. Bro. Robert G. Davis, 33°Grand Cross

Paul Horn Memorial Medal Recipient • Grand Master’s Award Grand Lodge of Kansas

Robert G. Davis is well known both in the areas of Masonic Research and Masonic Renewal. For his work in Masonic Renewal, he was awarded the Paul Horn Memorial Medal by the Grand Lodge of the State of Washington. He was the first person to receive this highest award of that state who is not a Past Grand Master.

In 1999, he was selected to receive the Grand Master’s Award of the Grand Lodge of Kansas (the highest honor given by that Grand Lodge) for his work in Masonic Leadership.

Robert Davis is Executive Secretary of the Guthrie Scottish Rite Bodies in Oklahoma.

He is a Past Master of three Masonic lodges, and served as the charter Master of Guildhall Lodge #553, a traditional practices lodge in Oklahoma. He is a KYCH, a 33° Mason, and recipient of the Grand Cross. He has been employed by the Scottish Rite in Oklahoma for 22 years. He is a Past Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Oklahoma, and serves as the Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma Masonic Charity Foundation. He is a Past Sovereign of the Red Cross of Constantine, Past Sovereign Master of the Allied Masonic Degrees, and Past Governor of the Oklahoma York Rite College. Nationally, he is on the Education Committee of the York Rite Sovereign College of North America, the Masonic Education and Research Committee and Rituals and Ritualistic Matters Committee of the United Grand Imperial Council of the Red Cross of Constantine, and serves as the Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Scottish Rite Research Society. He also serves on the Steering Committee of the Masonic Information Center of the United States. He is past President and Fellow of the International Philalethes Society and serves as the editor of the High Council publications of Masonic Rosicrucians. He is a member of the Nine Muses Council No. 13 in Washington, D.C.

Davis also holds the Cross of Honor and the Legion of Honor in DeMolay and is an Honorary Member of the Supreme Council of the International Order of DeMolay.

Before moving to Guthrie, Davis served 14 years in the City Management and City Planning professions. He is past president of the Guthrie Education Foundation and the Lions Club. He just completed two terms on the City Council of the City of Guthrie, where he served as Chairman of the Finance Committee and Chairman of the Guthrie Industrial Development Authority. In addition to being employed with the Guthrie Scottish Rite, Davis is also a freelance writer and a grant writer for governmental entities, Native American tribes, and non-profits.

His hobbies include history, sociology, the esoteric traditions, men’s studies; and writing about all of these. He is currently writing a book on the history and evolution of the Masonic ritual, and has just published a book on manhood in America—focusing on the fraternal quest for the ideal in masculinity. Robert is married. He and his wife Sharon have two daughters and three grandchildren.
Bring your lady enjoy the food, fellowship and education.

A Note From the Secretary
Brethren:
Our 2009 book “Understanding Manhood In America: Freemasonry’s Enduring Path to The Mature Masculine”- was written by our featured speaker. This book gives insight into understanding how men think, what motivates their actions and why they often turn out to be what we make them to be. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet Bro. Davis and hear his prsentation. This book and the reprint of “Radical in the East will be available at this meeting.
IRL2 continues to maintain it membership around 650. The internet site has produced a number of new members throughout the year. The semi-annual meeting held in Newton, IA was a great success with R.W. Terry Tilton, PGM MN as our speaker.
Our thanks to W. Bro.Wade Sheeler, PSGS for serving as a working Worshipful Master. His direct approach to his position has helped me through some trying times.
Membership is the key to our growth. Please make an effort to bring in a new Masonic brother more light in Masonry by purchasing a membership for him. As long as the supply lasts, new members receive the current as well as two books from the library of past selections.
Phil Enabnit, PM

Sunday Wisdom

From One Mountain, Many Paths
An American Freemason Speaks Out for Peace

by Dr. Patrick Swift
Click book or here to go to the page and buy it for yourself,


Your God is One God, there is no God save Him; the Beneficent, the Merciful.

The Meaning of the glorious Qur'an 2:163
Islam

Becoming one with everything, a person should perceive the highest truth. There is nothing higher than the highest.

Shri Guru Gita 123
Islam

It is interesting to me that I woke up this morning dreaming that I was helping to set up a worship service in a room behind a flower shop and it had just been robbed. The little statue of a head had been taken and was no longer there. I think it was supposed to be the statue of the head of the deity. It doesn't make any difference what it was exactly. We were setting up and discovered that it was gone. It didn't seem to matter, we went right on getting ready for worship. I lay there thinking about it and realized that the message was that we should not put our devotion on to "things" - So many things which become the object of our devotion.

There is a group of (so-called) Christians who meet in a mega-church in Texas. As part of their service they hold up the Bible and repeat a litany which starts "This is my Bible..." They have put their worship and devotion on to a book. A book written and translated by men. Interpreted by other men. Now I don't want to minimize the Bible or its place in our society. I love (parts of) the Bible. But in the church I used to attend we said that we took the inspired word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal life. The key word for me was inspired. Every single word is not inspired - There is a lot in there that I reject. For one thing I reject a God who would rain down fire and brimstone on an entire city for whatever reason.

I love a lot of things. I love Bailey and Max and family (and you know who you are) and friends. I don't worship these things. When Princess Diana died I was saddened by her tragic death and the loss of her life. I watched as thousands of people paid tribute to her and placed flowers (offerings) all around the palaces. I remember having the thought "this is worship of a person." A person, for that is what she was. A good person who did good things but a person, nevertheless and a flawed one at that (as we all are).

So this morning I am going to fix my mind on God, the God named Love who has given His Love to us unconditionally without reservation and I am going to be grateful to Him for all of the ways he has manifested Himself to us.

Have a blessed week and Always Remember That You Are Loved.

ADDENDUM - I read about this today (Monday) which tell about another instance of turning a person into a god. 

I love Whoopie

You Go Girl! Rant On.

Lodge of Specialis Procer

We had another wonderful time last night at Lodge. We are small in number but the brotherhood is excellent. We had a short stated meeting and received a petition for affiliation.

Then Brother Ken Davis who is Master of Vitruvian Lodge in Indianapolis and the son of a very good friend of mine here in Ames was our guest and our speaker at the meeting. His remarks were very well received and will be published on our new blog Scire facis - The papers of Specialis Procer Lodge. This is a major component of our Lodge. We take care of the business very quickly and then retire to a festive board where we listen to and discuss papers. The discussion last night went on until after 10:00. And then a couple of the guys were there talking until about 11:30. If you are ever in Des Moines and want to join us let me know.