Tom and Nyla hosted Mike, Schatzi, Pat, and Steve for a wonderful weekend in the Iowa Great Lakes. One of the treats was the chance to water ski on West Lake Okoboji. As you can see in the background, the sailboats were out for a regatta. Schatzi went first, Steve followed, and Mike wrapped it up, doing a great job on skis.

Of course without Tom at the wheel and Nyla rooting for the skiers, none of it would have happened at all.

Mike behind the boat
Originally uploaded by hirbyfam.

The July 25 issue of The Christian Century includes an interview with John Bell of the Iona Community and the Wild Goose Resource Group. Bell is not only eminently singable, he's also eminently quotable. This statement (p. 21) speaks to me:

If the church in the Northern hemisphere does not in the next ten years use songs that come from Asia, South America and Africa, it'll be deemed racist. It will be seen as a case of musical apartheid. Most Christians in the world are black and poor. They're not white and affluent. If that's the body of Christ of which we are a member, then we have to share the joy and the pain of fellow members.

Mike De Sisti, a photojournalist with the Appleton Post-Crescent, has a great blog that he and his P-C colleagues use in presenting video essays and slideshows. I stumbled on this essay, featuring the inimitable Queen Bee in downtown Appleton, today.

Noor and his wife Jennie Baha have owned the Queen Bee for 14 years. Tucked away on the 200 block of E. College Avenue, the Queen Bee breakfast and lunch restaurant in downtown Appleton manages to survive among the larger chain establishments thanks to loyal customers. They come to enjoy the food, share a story or two and celebrate life.

The "celebrate life" moment refers to comments by Leota, who was eating breakfast at the Queen Bee the morning after her husband, Lee, had succumbed to Alzheimer's disease. "Lee loved the Queen Bee," she said. Poignant.

Count no day lost in which you waited your turn, took only your share and sought advantage over no one.

--Robert Brault

Stumbled across this quotation while reviewing AWADmail issue 216 (July 1, 2006) this evening. Anu Garg usually includes quotations in his A.Word.A.Day messages, but I missed this one when it came. I'm glad I decided to review the weekly summary.