Sausage. Pork Sausage

Today as I was perusing the meat section I came across some fantastic local meat.  Grateful Growers, located in Denver, NC, began as a small farm producing free range poultry and pig for their family and soon thereafter began to share with folks like me.  That made me happy.

I’ve had their pulled pork on my favorite pizza at Revolution Pizza and Ale House several times and was esctatic to find their pork sausage at Earth Fare this afternoon.  Now I have one more reason to look forward to the calzone dinner this week!

July’s Playlist

Yesterday I decided I wanted to write a monthly blog entry about what music I’m listening to in the car.  Lately there have been three album spinning around the Focus.

The Gabe Dixon Band, The Gabe Dixon Band

Last month one Thursday evening at a housewarming party Charlie threw out the idea of catching The Gabe Dixon Band at the Evening Muse on Friday, the next day.  That sounded like a great idea so several of us joined him for an excellent evening.  This was my first experience with the band and after the thoroughly enjoyable show I picked up their most recent album.

So far the songs that tempt me from listening to the album straight through are Five More Hours and Baby Doll.

Roman Candle, Oh Tall Tree in the Ear

I’ve already written about this album.  Even still I listen to it regularly.

After listening to Roman Candle’s most recent album nearly nonstop for a month several songs are vying for the top spot as my favorite.  They Say, I Was a Fool, Eden Was a Garden and A Heartbeat are giving One More Road a run for it’s money as my favorite song on the album.

The Jayhawks, Music From the North Country

This album was a surprise as I found it at the record store this week when I lollygagged that direction.  I picked up the deluxe edition for the second disc included which is a collection of early versions and unreleased tracks.

I’ve enjoyed these early versions of songs by The Jayhawks.  It’s fun to hear them and then listen to the final version that ended up on an album.  The early favorite is Rotterdam which became All The Right Reasons from their album Rainy Day Music.

A Lover’s Quarrel With The Evangelical Church

During this summer of reading I have been quite thankful to enjoy three books.  First came The Logic of Life, then Confessions of an Eco-Sinner and now A Lover’s Quarrel With the Evangelical Church is added to the list.  So far all three have been fantastic with A Lover’s Quarrel being the most interesting.  Here Warren Cole Smith addresses what he sees as the current declining state of the Evangelical Church in America and what has subtly led to it.

Much of Smith’s critique stems from a reading of  Richard Weaver’s Ideas Have Consequences.  From the pages of Weaver’s philosophical take on the decline of American civilization Weaver is able to parallel the decline of the American Evangelical Church.  From this he formulates his quarrel.

Essentially Smith contrasts the use of modern methods in the Church instead of how the Christian Church has historically behaved.  Instead of small, local congregations there are impossibly huge mega-churches.  Instead of  an Evangelism that seeks to grow disciples of Jesus that are able to do the same they count heads as a measure of God’s blessing.  Instead of a revered consideration of God’s work through history and placing ourselves in the story there is only a toxic focus on what God is doing now.  What has come before is irrelevant.  These concepts, along with a few more much more eloquently stated, Smith sees as the consequences to the ideas that started so many years ago as the Church, and para-church organizations, hoped to reach more people with the Gospel.

I very much enjoyed this book as it shined a light on some conclusions I had already been moving toward and illuminated many things I had never considered.  Like all good books (and art) Smith’s work enlightens both reality and myself.  Now the question as I can now see myself under a brighter light is what will I do about this?

This question will be difficult, but ultimately good, to answer.

Confessions of an Eco-Sinner

Today I spent several hours hanging around Southpark Mall waiting for my new prescription sunglasses to be made (hooray for an FSA!).  During those hours I read a good portion of my current book, Confessions of an Eco-Sinner, by Fred Pearce.  In Confessions Pearce recalls his journey to find the sources of all the accoutrements he uses as he engages in the Western lifestyle.  Here he searches out the origins of his favorite fruit, the banana, to the mine that gave the gold for his wedding band.  As I read part three this afternoon (about China and how nearly everything he had was produced there) I was reminded about a book I read last winter and my favorite places in North Carolina.

Last fall I happened to be in Nashville, TN for the Southern Festival of Books and purchased Ron Rash’s most recent novel Serena.  Here he tells a fictional tale of a company logging the North Carolina mountains and the toll it takes on all the people involved and the land.  Here, with vivid detail, Rash describes how the owners of the logging company viewed the trees.  They were to be cut down for industry and when those forests were felled they would move onto the next forest and do the same.

Rash’s story also talks of how many of the national forests and parks, specifically the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, were formed.  They came about when many people saw the destruction of the forests and were grieved.  They drew a metaphorical line in the dirt and said no more.  This process did damage as well with forcing families to move from their land so parks could be created but they did save forests and protect land.

In other areas where the forests were completely decimated the government acquired the land and created national forests.  Places like the Pisgah National Forest, one of my favorite areas, look today as if they have been there for centuries but in reality the trees we now see are second growth.  They have grown over the last century since the last logging crew vacated to greener pastures.

As I was reading Pearce’s book this afternoon and seeing what he saw as he visited cities in China that very well manufactured the computer I’m typing with and the shirt on my back I was reminded of this transition in America.  Once the forests were practically decimated people realized what they were doing and stopped it.  Presently in China, and other Asian nations, people are ravaging their forests in the same fashion.  They are felling rain forests for their lumber and using them to build flooring and furniture.

Eventually their forests will be near extinction and they will realize, as some Americans did in the early twentieth century that they need to be protected.  At least I hope they do.

So far this book has been quite sobering; it is indictment on my consumer based lifestyle.  As Pearce tracks down the sources of his stuff he’s tracking down the sources of my stuff.  This book has already led me to question many of my behaviors and hopefully it will continue to do as I finish it this week.

Food

I’ve been thinking seriously over the last few years about the food I eat.  These thoughts have not necessarily had me completely change my eating behaviors but some of my eating practices have changed.  Much of this has been part of my desire to live with the Earth instead of simply on it.

Some things I have already begun to do is only purchase milk from a local dairy (complete with a returnable glass bottle), bread from a local bakery, local eggs and local beer.  One thing that I hope to begin doing is growing some of my own food.

I have several friends that garden and grow a significant proportion of their produce in their yards and community gardens.  Here they are able to take parts of land that would only be used for grass, something with purely aesthetic appeal, and use it to benefit themselves and the land.

A few upcoming revolutions in my life are to read this book.  Also, next year I plan on having one big revolution of starting a garden.  I’m going to snag a plot in a community garden (probably this one) and learn this fine art.

Titus Times

Titus 2:11 – 14
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us up to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

Titus 3:14
And let people learn to devote themselves to good works in order to meet urgent needs, so that they may not be unproductive.

These last few weeks I have been reading and considering Paul’s words to Titus found in the New Testament.  This is typically how I engage the Bible.  I take an entire story, book, or letter and consider it as a whole to find the various points that pervade the text and focus instead of looking at individual sentences and words.  I believe true meanings reside in the entire text.  Even still it’s easier to consider smaller passages.

Two passages that find their way into my consciousness are Titus 2:11 – 14 and 3:14.  Both give goals, or characteristics, of a life of Christian faith.  These characteristics of godly living and good works, both residing under the umbrella of sanctification, come directly from the grace God grants.

First, in Titus 2:11 – 14, Paul instructs Titus on one of the primary goals of God’s grace to those that believe.  It is not only to bring us into relationship with God through “redeem(ing) us from all iniquity” but to train “us up to renounce impiety and worldly pleasures.”  It not only brings salvation but brings godly living.  It is what prompts me to say no when appropriate to what God does not desire and yes to what He does.

One result of saying yes to what God wants of us is saying yes to helping others; saying yes to good works.  One of the final thoughts Paul gives Titus to pass on to those under his care is to be productive through good works.  These good works are to “meet urgent needs” of people.  This distinction is good in defining what are to be the results of good works.  They are to directly benefit people.

So how can I, as one hoping to be called a Christian, listen to Paul through Titus today?  I can say yes to what I ought and no to what I ought not.  I can say yes to help those with pressing needs.  To do this I will need to know needs which mean I must know people so I need to better engage in relationships.  Ultimately this will not be easy but it will have me responding appropriate daily to God’s grace.

Lingering Around

This is the first video I made (yesterday) on my new computer. The process was fun but the product is average at best.

The images are taken from various hikes I’ve been on in the last two years. Some places represented are the Great Smoky Mountains (NC/TN), Grayson Highlands (VA), and Sassafras Mountain (SC).

The song is “Linger for Awhile” by Dan Zanes. I do not have permission to use the song.

more about “Lingering Around “, posted with vodpod

Hooker Falls, Triple Falls, High Falls, …

Saturday morning four others (Julie, Suzanne, Charlie and Andrew) accompianed me (Rob) on a visit to five of the waterfalls found in the Dupont State Forest.  I guess I really should say we accompianed Julie since it was all her idea.  We were out of Charlotte with a bang and after a short detour at Ingles in Shelby we were preparing for the hike around 10 A.M.  We walked somewhere around nine miles and took in five waterfalls. Out of the parking lot we walked a little less than a mile to Hooker Falls.  Here we were far from alone as it is a phenomenl swimming hole.  This particular falls is less known for its height as it is its width.

Once we finished at Hooker Falls we walked for a time until we reached Triple Falls.  Here I attempted to climb the entire falls by descending from the trail to the falls base but found my climbing skills lacking.  So instead I took a picture.

After leaving Triple Falls the path (or was it a road) took us to High Falls.  I’m not sure why this particular falls is known as High Falls; maybe because it’s taller than Hooker Falls.  Possibly it’s elevation in relation to the other falls?

The walk from High Falls to Bridal Veil Falls took us by Lake Julie.  Here we ate lunch. After lunch we found our way to Bridal Viel Falls.  It is aptly named.

Up to this point we had only walked around four miles. Considering the distance and the number of waterfalls we were able to enjoy this absolutely astounds me. During the remaining five miles of the walk we only encountered one waterfall, Grassy Creek Falls.  This fall took a bit of walking and boulder hopping to find.  We found it and I took a picture before I startled a Copperhead and it launched toward Andrew.

Sorry Andrew

All in all, as far as days go, this was one of the best.  Great weather, wonderful waterfalls and fabulous people made this day a day to remember fondly.

.

Roman Candle: Live at the Muse

A few weeks ago I was able to enjoy something for the first time.  Those are good days.

This particular first was seeing Roman Candle live.

A few years ago I picked up Roman Candle’s album The Wee Hours Revue.  I was hooked.  A few weeks ago I picked up thier most recent album Oh Tall Tree in the Ear.  Both are fabulous records.  An instance of poor timing on my part is when I bought The Wee Hours Review; it was a week after an appearance at The Evening Muse.

They didn’t make it back to Charlotte until two Friday’s ago.

Julie was kind enough (or was it bored enough?) to join me for the show and it was a treat.  From the opening chords of Eden Was a Garden to the final exhale of Early Aubade many of us eagerly sang every word to every song.

All in all it was a great show; one that I will not easily forget.

Thanks for the picture Julie.

The Logic of Life

Today begins my first day of summer vacation and thus begins one of my favorite summer activities.  In the summer I have many hours to read and these are some of my favorite hours.  This summer’s first book is The Logic of Life by Tim Hartford.  Some other books on my summer reading list are Rock, Paper, Scissors: Game Theory in Everyday Life by Len Fisher, Knowing Christ Today: Why We Can Trust Spiritual Knowledge by Dallas Willard and Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges.

Two summers ago I read my first Hartford book, The Undercover Economist, and thoroughly enjoyed it.  It was an enlightening look into the inner-working of economies.  Lately I hear from Mr. Hartford as he is the host of the statistical radio show airing on BBC4 called More or Less.

Some initial thoughts from the introduction…

“The argument of this book is: first, that rational behavior is much more widespread than you would expect and crops up in the most unexpected places — including the heads of oversexed teenagers; and second, that the economists’ faith in rationality (faith is, I think the right word) produces real insight.  In fact, I believe that if you do not understand the rational choices that underlie much of our behavior, you cannot understand the world in which we live.”
The Logic of Life, Tim Hartford, pg. xi

I’m looking forward to learning more about rational choice theory.  I know that this is something I have an internal struggle with; balancing having rational and irrational reasons for why I do and believe certain things.  I have made decisions with both well thought out reasons and on gut feelings.  The results have been both good and bad so I don’t have enough personal experience to go one way or the other.  Even still I think my gut feeling decisions have been based on rational reasons.

“At our destination, my daughter wriggled out of her stroller and scampered off to daub her hands in bright blue poster paint.  I sat in the corner, thinking about the rational reasons why only two of the the thirty-one accompanying parents were fathers; we’ll get to those reasons in chapter 3.  My daughter interrupted my musings and demanded a snack, so we shared a cookie and then I held her hand as she climbed up the stairs and slid down the slide several times.  I helped her bound on the trampoline and then we stuck glow-in-the-dark pictures of rocket ships and astronauts onto a paper plate before covering them with blue glitter.  After a while she turned her face up to mine and stuck out her tiny nose for an Eskimo kiss.  It was a perfect half hour.”
The Logic of Life, Tim Hartford, pg. xi – xii

This paragraph simply made me smile.

I’m going to enjoy this book.