The Irish Nun

August 25, 2017
Neighbor Day

I wasn't really planning to do anything special for the solar eclipse last Monday but somehow the excitement of my friends in my breakfast meeting aroused my curiosity. I went home and made my own eclipse shoe box. True, the pinhole image was about the size of a matchstick head but the moon's shadow creeping in was still visible. I went out at the peak of the eclipse and shared my shoe box with my neighbors. One of them gave me an extra "solar film" that his wife picked up in church.

There we were --- neighbors huddled and staring up in the sky sharing anecdotes while Caleb, a little boy with his protective sun glasses, was going around on his tricycle oblivious to the rare galactic phenomenon we were celebrating.

We never got the full impact here in California so it was sunny the whole time. However, I did notice less heat intensity and the sun ray was a little less intense. We took group pictures. It was an impromptu festive event.

Then I started texting and emailing friends and got them excited. After all, a solar eclipse across the whole continental USA --- that comes once in a lifetime ... as if God put a yellow highlighter on his celestial map to bless this nation.

One of my friends said she was indoors the whole time and was sorry she missed the event. I told her she didn't really miss anything (at least visually). Then it "dawned" on me --- what she and many others missed wasn't just a scientific rarity but a social opportunity. Rich, poor, young, old --- everyone along the moon's path was blessed by God's gift. Not only were strangers sharing an amazing experience but also sharing their shoe box contraptions and their solar glasses, having great conversation, learning from each other, etc. Years from now, people will remember the eclipse as well as the fun they had with their neighbor.

Despite America's cultural diversity, we are all mere specks of humanity living under the magnificence of God's creation.

TGIF people!



Irish Nuns
Contributed by Tom of Pasadena, CA

A car full of Irish nuns is sitting at a traffic light in downtown Dublin when a bunch of rowdy drunks pull up alongside of them.

"Hey, show us yer noom-nuts, ya bloody penguins!" shouts one of the drunks.

Quite shocked, Mother Superior turns to Sister Mary Immaculata and says,
"I don't think they know who we are; show them your cross."

Sister Mary Immaculata rolls down her window and shouts,
"Buzz off, ya bloody little twunts, before I come over der and rip yer Twazzocks off!"

Sister Mary Immaculata then rolls up her window, looks back at Mother Superior, quite innocently, and asks,
"Did that sound cross enough?" *

* In case you were wondering, those are just made up words. You didn't really think I'd use swear words, did ya? --- Raoul



How Smart Are You?
Contributed by Tom of Pasadena, CA

There are only nine questions.
This is a quiz for people who know everything! I found out in a hurry that I didn't. These are not trick questions. They are straight questions with straight answers.

  1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends.

  2. What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward?

  3. Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?

  4. What fruit has its seeds on the outside?

  5. In many liquor stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn't been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?

  6. Only three words in standard English begin with the letters ' dw' and they are all common words. Name two of them.

  7. There are 14 punctuation marks in English grammar. Can you name at least half of them?

  8. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.

  9. Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter 'S.'

Answers To Quiz:

  1. The one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends: Boxing.

  2. North American landmark constantly moving backward: Niagara Falls .. The rim is worn down about two and a half feet each year because of the millions of gallons of water that rush over it every minute.

  3. Only two vegetables that can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons: Asparagus and rhubarb.

  4. The fruit with its seeds on the outside: Strawberry.

  5. How did the pear get inside the brandy bottle? It grew inside the bottle. The bottles are placed over pear buds when they are small, and are wired in place on the tree. The bottle is left in place for the entire growing season. When the pears are ripe, they are snipped off at the stems.

  6. Three English words beginning with dw: Dwarf, dwell and dwindle...

  7. Fourteen punctuation marks in English grammar: Period, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, apostrophe, question mark, exclamation point, quotation mark, brackets, parenthesis, braces, and ellipses.

  8. The only vegetable or fruit never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form but fresh: Lettuce.

  9. Six or more things you can wear on your feet beginning with 'S': Shoes, socks, sandals, sneakers, slippers, skis, skates, snowshoes, stockings, stilts.

PLEASE DO YOUR PART: Today is National Mental Health Day. You can do your part by remembering to send this e-mail to at least one genius challenged person. Okay, my job's done!

(I answered all correctly except one --- Raoul)



TGIF Videos

In Laws
Sent by Lito of Anaheim, CA

Here's a rare Muslim comedian. Have you ever wondered why they use the term "in-laws?" Pretty insightful.

Hammock for a Monkey
Sent by Charlie of New Jersey

I always knew our friends were intelligent but this ape blew me away. Maybe one day they really will rule the planet.

Solar Eclipse: Proof of God?
Sent by Don of Kelowna, B.C.

Nice article about God's majesty.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”




Parting Shot
Thanks to Charlie of New Jersey who provided this photo



Comments

Love your illustrations!

Ed

Love your illustrations!

Ed

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