MY LITTLE LUCY

BIG BLUE IS COMING TO THE HOUSE

I think Washington will win, but I don't think it'll be easy. I predict that the skins will win by 10 points, but it will be close for most of the game.

I APOLOGIZE

As I was walking through the camp this morning I saw this shiny piece of litter off to the side of the trail. That packaging is just way over the top.

The following warning was printed on the back in eight different languages:

"Do not tear this package.
Break the small water-bag inside the package pressing softly.
The package will be inflated by air, explode and a disgusting smell will be exhaled.
Do not ingest."

What is this world coming to?

I hope Al Quaeda doesn't get ahold of this technology. That would be curtains for the U.S.of A.

QUESTION OF THE DAY

If you had to choose between only being able to speak during one pre-designated 1/2 hour block a day or speaking only in rhyme for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

and a bonus question of the day...

If you could only eat one kind of meat for the rest of your life and you were limited to meats you have never eaten before, which meat would you choose?

HAPPY DAY EVE!!!

The Western Tates plan on pulling out early in the morning on Happy Day to spend the morning at the Wild Animal Park in San Diego. We will probably eat out down there before zipping back for the kickoff at 5:30.

C'mon Skins!!! I need this!

Rev up that diesel!

Do you ever feel joy grow like a bubble
bigger and bigger inside you?
When I do, it makes me want to call
good news to the whole town...



run wild through the streets
knocking on doors
climbing on rooftops
higher and higher



till I reach the stairs
that lead to the tower
at the top of the town...




I pull the rope
and the bubbles burst
and go rolling rolling
in a jangle of bells
telling my joy
all over the town and away...

A HAPPY DAY MUST!!!

BOWDEN AND LUCY HELPED ME PICK THE FIRST RIPE PUMPKIN FROM OUR GARDEN TODAY

Bowden turned to Lucy and exclaimed excitedly "We're real live farmers!!!"

SKINS UNDEFEATED! (so far)

This coming Monday, September 17th, is Happy Day. Happy Day is a Tate family holiday celebrated on the occasion of the first nationally televised Redskins game. The western Tates are making big plans for the day- we migth go to the beach or up to Oak Glen for some apple picking- either way the day will end in front of the TV with a tasty beverage in hand and possibly a pickle or something. Why a pickle? I don't know... it just sounds good as I type.

Go Skins!!!

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Of your contemporaries whom you have never met, which one has had the great influence on you personally?

CONVERSATIONS WITH LUCY

Oh Lucy, You are such a good girl. You are so smart and pretty!

Nahhh...I'm just pitty.

CONVERSATIONS WITH BOWDEN

Daddy, do you know what?

What?

Sometimes I'm foggy, but sometimes I'm claritin clear.

THE WESTERN TATES ARE GOING ON TOUR

From October 11th through the 20th we will be in Benson, VT.

I can't wait!!!

We are still trying to get Lisa to come with us...maybe Erin Salavati too.

ECCLESIASTES 7:10

Do not say,
"Why were the former days better than these?"
For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.

SLUMBER PARTY AT THE CHURCH IN LA VERNE

After general clean up on Saturday we loaded the staff kids into three cars and drove them up to the Bonita Avenue Church in La Verne. After a stop at In-N-Out burger we got to the church at around 8:00 pm. We "slept" at the church and stayed up way to late playing games and hanging out. On Sunday morning we walked a couple of blocks to a doughnut shop, and then it was back to the church where I was scheduled to preach at 10:45. It was a lot of fun and I was grateful to the folks at La Verne for letting us use their building for our slumber party and for the opportunity to speak. Sorry Sarah isn't in any of these pictures. She took the pictures in front of the sign, and she was busy with Bowden, Lucy and Jack most of the rest of the time. Bowden and Lucy were running around that church like monkeys loose in a banana store



For more pictures of our time in La Verne visits Lisa's blog.

BOWDEN LOVES THE STAFF KIDS

SASQUATCH

You'll find no shelter here.
The front line is everywhere.

Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521), Portuguese explorer:

The church says the earth is flat, but I know that it is round, for I have seen the shadow on the moon, and I have more faith in a shadow than in the church.

IT RAINED TODAY

It started raining while I was in town having lunch with Pastor Tim at Arribas. It rained buckets and buckets and flooded the bowl where King's Kamp had constructed a life-size pirate ship for their pirate-themed week. How ironic would it have been if their ship had been washed away.



Despite the rain I was still able to put my outside crew to work. Everyday some unlucky folk rotate out of the kitchen to work with me outside. Luckily we got all of the firewood unloaded, stacked and covered with a tarp before it began raining. Nick and Nathanael helped me frame out a partition for thre A-frame. Nathanael had more expertise than Nick and I, and I was glad it was his day to work outside. Frankly, it is all I can do to get dressed in the morning, and even that baffles me sometimes. I am always grateful to be paired with someone who has some mechanical ability.




Thank God for the rain. It has been months and months since we have seen any.

I can relate.

CHICKEN AND WAFFLES AND JESUS

We had the staff over tonight for a bible study and a chicken & waffle dinner. Thanks to our friends, the Irvings, I was recently introduced to the flavor explosion that is Chicken and Waffles, and I thought we could pull off a reasonably good imitation. I think everybody was surprised by how good it was.




Nathanael Peck worked up an appetite today splitting wood out on the ballfield.






Sorry, the pictures of the Bible study are a little grainy. It was a good night. The fellowship and discussion were as sweet as kool aid and as substantial as a chicken and waffle dinner.

QUESTION OF THE DAY

If you had to speak for the rest of your life with a foreign accent, which one would you select to replace your natural voice?

I'M VERY PROUD OF MY BROTHER JOB WHO JUST RECENTLY GRADUATED FROM BOOT CAMP AND WHO IS A SEABEE IN THE U.S. NAVY RESERVES

THE PECKS ARE HERE!!!

Sarah and Bowden made a sign so we could find them at the airport.




It is so exciting to have the Pecks here!!! We are putting them right to work. That good ol' yankee work ethic. We were sad that Kaitlin and Angelica Barr left, but the arrival of the Pecks has softened the blow a little.

Hooray for the Pecks!!!

We are excited about reaping the dividends from all of Kevin and Carla's parenting.