Sniffing Vanilla Weddings

I had another "moment" tonight. Our kitchen has been a wreck for some time with the constant rotation of eggs (and now fresh farm ones that require washing), flour, butter, vanilla, assorted chips, etc. It's a Flynn Buck thing. Don't ask - it puts Monopoly Money to pitiful shame.

The moment came about with the finding of a decorative storage bottle holding about a precious tablespoon of family history. It's the last of the Horton stash of Hatian Vanilla.

Hatian Vanilla came across the Gulf of Mexico in plastic bleach bottles with my mother in law nearly thirty years ago. At the time she and Dad were serving as missionaries in Port-au-Prince. Thrifty folks they were, the bought high grade vanilla cheap, and shared. I don't know how much of the stuff she stashed in her suitcases when they came for our wedding, but everyone in my family was treated to this wonderful treasure. It was my first exposure to high quality flavoring. All I'd ever had was McCormick Imitation Vanilla. No comparison.

I don't know when we ran out. But we did and it was forgotten about, till a few years ago when my sister gave me what was left of hers. One sniff and I was a newleywed in my first kitchen again. Ahhh, the memories!

And sniff we have. That's mostly what we do with it. The flavor is so unique and I don't want to lose the memory again. The kids savor it too - they understand the significance. But it has been used very sparingly and only for special occasions. The last time was for cheesecake for Mike and Heather's wedding. A piece of my wedding history was tied into theirs. It was only fitting. The next time will be for Becky's wedding. I don't know if she'll want cheesecake or what, but it's set in stone that the remainder is to be used for her special day. And Lord willing I'll keep just a bit, strictly for sniffing.

60 Minutes and Disappearing Bees

Let me wear a shirt with a beekeeper logo in public and I guarantee questions and comments. "I heard about the disappearing bees!" "Have any of your bees disappeared?" "Have they found out what's causing the bees to disappear?" (Worse yet . . ) "Did you know cell phones are killing bees?"

Hold it! Stop! Yes, there is a problem. And it is a serious problem we all need to be concerned about. If nothing else Colony Colapse Disorder (CCD) has brought much needed public attention to the importance of the humble and much taken for granted honeybee. Since the second airing about the problem on 60 Minutes last Sunday night I can't leave the house without hearing about it. It's a good thing.

So here's the scoop. My bees are fine. They are experiencing the normal life cycle, climate changes, pests, challenges, ups and down of bees, but none of this disappearing stuff. For that matter there are no known cases of CCD in Alabama. This can be verified with our Department of Agriculture.

CCD has mainly affected migratory bees. Your next thought should be "what is a migratory bee?" Bees are kept either in stationary hives or migratory hives. Stationary hives are in permanent locations and are rarely if ever moved. Most hobbyist beekeepers maintain stationary hives. Once the local nectar flow has ceased bees in stationary hives take it easy - there's no mad rush to build a massive population or gather nectar and pollen.

Migratory bees on the other hand are moved from crop to crop to crop all during the year. They may be on watermelons for six weeks during bloom, then corn for four weeks to pollinate it. Every time they are moved they have to reorient their location to the sun and learn their way around. California's bees have been so decimated that beekeepers from many states truck in hundreds of hives for almond pollination. These bees don't get much of a break. Finish one job and go on to the next. It's a vital part of our food production.

But the bees in migratory hives are the ones being affected by CCD. It was recently announced that they've found residue of over 40 pesticides and crop chemicals in the comb of migratory bees. That's a lot of stinking toxins. And commercial beekeepers aren't known for rotating comb but have reused it indefinitely in years past.

Combine that with the stress of getting no rest . . . in human terms I'd probably get sick and go off to die somewhere too if my house was toxic and I couldn't stop and rest.

I'm not saying that's why the bees are disappearing. Research is still continuing and already they've found a virus that weak colonies are susceptible to. And CELL PHONES AREN'T KILLING BEES. That wild claim was based on research that had nothing to do with cell phones and the scientists were ticked. The good news is that beekeepers all over the country are now implementing comb rotation practices and actively looking for other ways to protect our bees. We have no control over many things, like the farmer who sprays his vegetables or the neighbor who puts bug killer on her flower bed, but we can do everything possible where we are with what we have to nurture and protect these little gifts from God. We're in deep trouble if we don't.

The Rest of the Story

Norman was right. Today Irene went to the jail and the girls in #47 told her the same thing - they felt that the Muslim girl was mocking me and weren't going to put up with it.

I find myself touched very deeply. This kind of love from such an unexpected source is very humbling. I find the roles reversed - I've lived Matthew 25:40 for many years now; And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Now, a week after the fact I am faced with the realization that they acted in love to stand up for Jesus by standing up for me.

I feel very small, and very grateful for the privilege of ministering to these women.

I spent the best part of today at the jail. I should have known it wouldn't be a routine visit from the outset as things were a little crazy from the start. The last few months I've pretty much entered and exited the building unaccompanied excluding the person who monitors the cameras and unlocks the doors electronically as I pass through. But today was different. A female deputy entered with me and a guard gave instructions to the security monitor who didn't get it and left me stranded in a vacant hall with nothing but locked doors surrounding me. After it became apparent that "whoever" didn't have a clue I was there I hit the intercom button and he/she got me through the next two doors into cell block 45.

Forty five is a nice group of ladies, sweet, low key and amiable. All of the female trustees have come from 45. The usual crowd got up for a Bible lesson and the usual crowd slept through it. I can always teach more and teach deeper truth with this group and they're always a blessing. When we finished I notified the monitor via the intercom that church was concluded in 45 and that I please be allowed to enter 47 next. We heard the door unlock across the hall, but after a few minutes it became apparent the monitor didn't think to let me out of 45. The resident trustee informed him/her of the mistake and I exited and was across the hall momentarily.

Forty seven is the "trustee" cell, though no trustees reside there. It is a much larger cell with four sets of bunks, a larger table and much more space. The usual group of girls was there too - women I've come to know and love over a number of months. They always ask about Becky. They really took to her when she visited with me at Christmas. There were a couple of new faces, most notably a dark haired girl on a cot to the side. She was polite, but wasted no time telling me she was Muslim and asked for a Koran. Bible study was disrupted before we even began with lunch trays - it was funny seeing everyone scurry to put on their blues, a new rule that you have to be fully dressed to receive food. (I like this rule - it prevents the male inmates from seeing them skimpy when the food is served!) In the process the new girl and I got to speak - she complained about being served pork hot dogs and quoted something from the Koran. In typical lion chaser fashion I wasted no time telling her Jesus's take on the topic, that it's not what you put in the man that defiles him, but what comes out from the heart. The lesson was good from there, but she and I did go back and forth a couple of times on that vein. If she was confrontational I never picked up on it and just discussed what the scriptures said. At the end of the lesson I got hugs from everyone except her - she just wanted to shake hands and I told her that I was really happy to get to meet her and that was it. She did ask about a Koran and a prayer mat, things that I didn't have access to and wouldn't provide anyway and I caught some of the other girls giving verbal put downs, "just cool it", "let it alone," behind my back as we hugged and said goodbye. And I left. The monitor got the doors right this time.

Forty six was next. All the women there were engrossed in an ethnic soap opera and only one wanted church. We were in the process of getting permission to study in the hall when things shifted and they turned the tv off and gathered around the door - a fight had started across the hall in 47 and these gals were enjoying the show. 'Dear Lord, NO!" was all I could get out of my heart." He heard me and I immediately called for prayer amid all the racket and ruckus where the guards were now scurrying to break things up. We prayed for peace and that God would contain the bad spirit that stirred up the trouble. Then ALL the girls settled down and were now eager to hear the Bible lesson. We'd barely got started when the cell door opened, a guard and a deputy escorted the muslim girl in, apologizing the whole time. She came in quietly, went to the back where she spread her mattress and remained very quiet through the rest of the lesson.

So that was how my day went. It was quite bizarre compared to normal days. Later when I recounted the events to my family Norman spoke at last and said, "You know what happened over there don't you?" No, not really . . . He continued "They weren't going to put up with her ragging on their preacher lady! They were putting the whoop on her to stand up for you!"

Is that what happened? I don't know. I hope not, but I do know this, I love those girls and they know it. And I know they love me too. People often ask me if I feel uneasy or threatened in jail and I've honestly had to conclude that I feel very safe in there. I don't know how it is during the week, but I know when I go that love is in the house. Were they standing up for me? I don't know. But Irene is going next week, and she's under orders to ASK! I'll post more when I know more.

Jane and the C Word

Call me a simple Alabama girl. I have to admit that when I heard about yesterdays early morning slip of the tongue I silently had to agree with her statement. Yeah, I'm from Alabama, I don't do that either. Further investigation however revealed that her appearance on the Today show wasn't against vulgarity disguised as art, but that she was there to support and promote the V Monologues in which she's actually participating.

What? The Vietnam activist now turned Christian is now turned to promoting an X-Rated excuse for art??? Remember now, I'm a simple Alabama girl. But I do know how to google a few things and what I found out is that the V Monologues (see, I can't even bring myself to write the biologically correct word) has morphed from a base and crass play to a full fledged movement that seeks to end violence toward women. Ok, I'm all about ending violence toward women.

The whole thing is that dear Jane's participation appears to be a band-aid to a social problem she contributed to in the first place. As an outspoken activist in Vietnam she tore down the moral of an entire armed forces and the American people as well. There is still much anger in this country over what she did. Who does it get taken out on much of the time? Women. Her actions in Vietnam earned her a special traitor status unequaled to any male in history (in my humble opinion) and that anger is still vented against women today.

Then there's the feminist activities. Radical feminism emasculates men. Emasculated men are angry. There again, who bears the brunt of this social problem? Who gets to deal with the men who've been beat down by an ideology that plays down what God intended them to be? Hmmmm.

So here we are - we're living in a world that has pretty much rejected Jesus Christ who elevated women's worth by his holy words and actions and now Ms. Jane who has claimed to know Him is seeking to eliminate the problems she helped create by promoting unholy words and actions. Remember, I'm just a simple Alabama girl but is the irony lost on anyone but me?

This is a photo of some of my "kids", Dennis and Toni with their son, Dennis III. I couldn't resist sharing the photo. Dennis is in the Army and will be leaving for Afghanistan soon.