Monday, March 28, 2016

The Gospel According to Eagles

I have a new obsession and it's watching the DC Eagle Cam.  The American Eagle Foundation has this cam, and three cams in Dollywood that watch over the nests of our country's bird, the Bald Eagle.  There are other nests and cams that operate, but normally are most active when eggs have been laid, hatched and the world can watch the interaction of the Mom and Dad eagle with their young.  

I am hooked.  Who knew watching an Eagle Cam could be so engaging?  I'm fascinated by so many things that occur while watching.  The Mom Eagle keeps watch over her young and before they are hatched she helps to incubate them by sitting on the eggs.  This may change if the temperature changes, so she keeps a close watch on these pre-born chicks.  For the DC Eagle nest, the Eagles are named Mr. President and First Lady.  The Dollywood Cam has Franklin and Independence, Isaiah and Mrs. Jefferson, and Sir Hatcher and Lady Independence.  The Dollywood nests have recently laid eggs, so the Mom Eagles are staying right in the nest the majority of time.

Mr. President goes out and secures food, so watching the cam can be a bit gross at times, when he brings some dead animal to the nest and they pick it clean to feed the baby birds and themselves.  There is blood, so be prepared.  The admins that monitor the periodic chat times, also post updates.  Mr. President does give the First Lady breaks and she leaves the nest to have "Eagle-ess" time while he takes over duties watching the Eaglets.  Good to know that the Eagles share the parenting duties.  

When I watch these cams, I'm completely enamored at the intricacy of creation.  Their nests are so well made (and quite heavy I've heard), and constructed to sit atop a tree and hold the family without fail....unless some tornado whips through I'd assume.  I can't imagine not believing in God as our Creator when you look at the nest alone and how it is built by these majestic birds.  Also, their ability to mate, lay eggs and protect their young is something beyond my comprehension.  Of course, there is a disclaimer on the site that anything can happen in the wild, but I've seen enough of upset Eagles to know they will put up a true fight before letting anything come near their eaglets.  But, as Scripture teaches in Matthew, birds don't worry about things because they know the Creator will provide.  Mr. President doesn't tell First Lady, "So I hope I find some food when I go looking today."  Because he knows he'll find some.  Oh to have the faith of an Eagle.  

Beyond the evidence of a Divine Creator, after watching the Dollywood Cam, I'm struck by something even more amazing.  The Momma Eagle rarely leaves from sitting on her eggs.  She recognizes the life that is in those eggs, ready to come alive and she is doing her part to ensure they hatch and survive.  She recognizes life, even before they hatch.  Read that again, "even before they hatch."  When we talk about life in a human mother's womb, we can hear heartbeats, see the babies on ultrasounds, and know that blood is pumping.  But even for the Eagle, they recognize there is a life that is about to emerge.  And they are going to do everything they can to make that happen.  The wonder of new birth.  Oh to have our world value life like the Eagle.

Friday, March 25, 2016

It Only Happens to Me

My life is funny.  I think that's why I enjoy life so much because the small encounters I have on a regular basis make me giggle.  I'll share a few in today's blog post that, even days later, leave me smiling.

A couple of weeks ago I met my sweet friend, Martha, for our monthly Cracker Barrel date.  We meet for breakfast (or brunch actually) once a month and I cherish those times together.  Many days we end up spending a couple of hours talking and enjoying our food, but on this particular day, we could tell they wanted us out.  Granted, there was a wait, so we needed to leave, but I chuckled at our not taking the server up on "to-go" drinks and then him returning with drinks to go.  

Before we left, I made a trip to the restroom.  There was one lady coming out and a woman and her child at the sinks.  I entered the stall and then poof the lights went out. My first thought was the child must have hit the switch, but I thought surely the Mom would have noticed that.  Then, when everything was so quiet and I was in the restroom alone, I thought "Did I just lose my eyesight?"  I put my hand in front of my face and couldn't see a thing.  Eeks!  I have lost my eyesight!  I was quickly reminded that public restrooms have no windows.  Have you noticed that?  I challenge you to check out the next public restroom you enter.  No windows 99.9% of the time.  So I struggled my way in the dark after taking care of business to get to the door and flip the light on.  I'd waited expecting someone to enter and they didn't.  I knew it wasn't the rapture, because, people, I know where I'm going!  As I got to the door someone was coming in and surely thought I was a loon.  I told her "someone flipped the lights off."  She looked at me as if I'd just escaped the mental hospital.  For all the angst of that restroom visit, I chalk it up to the wait staff wanting me to leave.

Last week I was lounging in my recliner to read and was going to use my heating pad.  With RA, many times at the end of the day, I need some heat on my joints to ease the pain.  I have a heating pad that I believe was on Noah's Ark, but it does the trick.  Until recently.  I noticed that the light would go sporadically off and on and didn't know why.  Gee, didn't even dawn on my that the heating pad was 100 kabillion years old.  On this one night as I was shaking the wire I saw a spark and saw smoke.  The cord had worn through and it was sparking.  Great.  Thankfully, God loves me and kept me from catching on fire.  I quickly tossed the ancient heating pad in the garbage.  

Though I have crazy things happen, there are lots of "good" crazy.  Today on my way to work I stopped by Starbucks to get a green tea.  This Starbucks is notably the slowest on the planet.  About every 3 trips, I get a free drink due to the slow service.  Today was one of those days.  Not all crazy is a bad thing.  

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

I'll Give That Five Stars

For those who follow my blog, you'll remember I started a YouTube channel a few months back called Rosie's Reviews.  I had this great and wonderful idea that I'd do video reviews of all sorts of things and become a millionaire from all the viewers I'd generate.  Yeah, that didn't happen.  I love YouTube.  It's like another television channel I watch.  Currently, I follow a lot of "vloggers" (the video form of a blogger) and usually watch a few videos in my subscription feed daily.  I really love the family vloggers...those that have children and vlog daily.  I'm either a sucker for kids or natural humor...or both.  But these vlogs are amazing!  You should check them out....the Ballinger Family....J House Vlogs....Daily Bumps....Our Teeny Family.  Every one of these families has a kid I'm totally in love with, so if you watch, you can take a guess.

Lest I digress...so I started this YouTube channel and then realized the work involved in keeping up a regular video schedule.  First you do the shoot.  That part was easy.  I'm an ad libber aka one-take wonder, so that part wasn't hard.  Second comes the editing.  I was editing at a low level - no bells and whistles like music, transitions, etc - but it still took time.  Then, uploading and publish.  My Internet is currently not the fastest - Uverse PLEASE come to my neighborhood! - so uploading a 15 minute video could take hours.  Due to my OCD, making sure I had a balanced schedule and videos in the queue to edit, and some sort of publishing schedule was like having a second full-time job. So, I soon let it fade. 

After my recent Oscar Challenge, my friend, Ashley suggested I start another blog simply focused on reviews.  Brilliant idea!!  Yes, blogs aren't as "2016" as a video, but my passion is the written word, so it just made sense.  And, since I have so much time on my hands (see sarcastic font here), I decided to do it!  On Leap Year Day, the blog was born - "Rosie's Reviews."  I'll be reviewing books, movies, makeup, food...you name it.  If it's something I use or experience, my critique will come out.  

But, wait, what about this blog?  Am I abandoning it?  Absolutely not!  My Rosie's Reviews blog will be an additional blog in my repertoire while this blog remains the mother ship.  You may see blog posts here that are "reposts" of reviews on my other blog, but this will remain my home plate of creation.  This blog celebrated its 10 year anniversary last April and it holds a very special place in my heart.  I started this blog after a time in a dry, creative-less job and needed an outlet to "bring creative back."  Giving this blog up would be like removing a creative gene from my body.

Be sure to visit and bookmark my Rosie's Reviews blog.  Here are the first three posts so you can catch up...

Launching a New Blog and Recapping the Oscars
http://rosiebooreviews.blogspot.com/2016/02/launching-new-blog-and-recapping-oscars.html

Book Review:  Me Before You
http://rosiebooreviews.blogspot.com/2016/03/book-review-me-before-you.html

Book Review:  The Secrets of Midwives
http://rosiebooreviews.blogspot.com/2016/03/book-review-secrets-of-midwives.html