I do not approve of the flu shot. But this was awesome nonetheless.

Today I was listening to a pop artist because I had heard her name enough times that I had to find out why people were listening to her. For those of you keeping score: it’s not Britney Spears. YouTube had a number of her videos online so I listened to them on the y’ube and got a feel for the style of her album(s). I did not watch more than about 10 seconds of her video but I’m pretty sure I’m prejudice. The reason I say that is that with computers and software being what they are even I can sound relatively decent so I want a genuine artist writing from their heart about things that matter to them. I need something deeper than dulcimer tones.

Am I prejudiced against the pretty faced girl who sings like an ‘angel’ (pardon me while I puke in my mouth after writing that)? I think so. What if the unnamed country-pop star is really a great, talented gal who writes real songs from her heart? I’m scared if she does because she’s got to have a large chunk of bubble-gum lodged in there and its coated with banjos [this makes her songs authentic country, I believe]. Definitely enough to have a need for heart surgery. If she likes country music and enjoys singing about love, broken heartedness and incestuous relationships like traditional country musicians that’s great, but it just doesn’t show up in the lyrics and the videos are more about her hot young body than they are about her personality.  Or, as my sister, who likes country, likes to say: her qualities [a reference to the Bachelor TV show].

Help me find a really, really good country artist who writes quality songs, has depth in lyrics, music stylings, and isn’t just a celebrity for appearance sake.

At the end of the above video is a grape letting off a gaseous flame. I showed the above video to an 11 year old boy and he announced, “Oh! They made it better!” In boy terms there is nothing better than first making flames from a grape in a microwave – except to be able to make the flames float up in succession. That’s just magical.

Clearly I have not talent and someone this age starting out with this much talent is going to rock whatever Idol they have in their country. Simon Scowl should watch out.

While our friends the Masons are in China we’ll be thinking of them – and this video reminds me of the cuteness that is their blessed daughter Nadia, who will clearly also rock the world, but probably for World Vision and not for YouTube. Have fun Masons!

Today at church we said good-bye to our friends the Pools.  They’ll be moving to Virginia later this week and we won’t see them as regularly.  Fortunately Rachel has family here so they’ll be back at times and we’ll get to see them.  I was very sad to see them leave.  The Lord has a plan for them and I’m OK with their departure.  We had to leave friends and family when we left Nevada and Texas.

One of the families we left in Texas was the Mason’s.  They’ve been planning and trying to adopt a baby from China for about three years now.  Today, in China, they picked up their baby girl Nadia.  Jessica and I had tears streaming down our faces as we watched these videos of Luanne & Mike holding their new baby girl.  They will be heading home after about a week’s time I believe.  We can’t wait to meet Nadia and see them again as a bigger family.

Many tears today, but we’re glad for what the Lord is doing!