Duck Daddy and His Five Girls - Day 16

A few of those reading the ongoing chronicles of Duck Daddy and his girls have wished out loud to have your own Indian Runner Ducks, because they are so cute. So, here are just a couple of the resources we have used to help us on our journey through Duckville. Now, I am sure that we are doing all kinds of things wrong, so please do not blame the skilled Duckmeisters of these venerable Duck Academies.

If you want to get yourself some Indian Runners please visit Wales. Really, visit Wales. Besides being "fy hoff gwlad yn y byd," it is also the home of the Indian Runner Duck Association. The Indian Runner Duck Association is in Welshpool, north east Powys, Wales. So you do not really have to visit them in person (although any trip to Wales is really equal to about 13 pilgrimages to Rome, or 6 pilgrimages to the the Holy Land), but you can go to the Indian Runner Duck Association website.

The next resource is a book by Dave Holderread, Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks. This is such a fabulous book, that not only my wife and I use it as a resource, but even the girls love it. I took it out on the lawn today with me, and as soon as I put it down they swarmed the book for a good Storey-time. ta-dum. Sorry.

After perusing some duck websites last night I was drawn to a particular spot on two of our ducks. Just above the eye, they always look like they are wet, and the down is a little thin. Now I do know that they scratch their necks and faces with those cute little webbed feet like a dog scratches behind his ears, but I had not connected the thinning of the fuzz above the eye to the scratching until today. One little girl has a somewhat pronounced case, a second has this noticeably but not as much, and the others don't have the "scarring." as the website described it.

Here is the scarring above the eye on our little duckie with the more noticeable thin wearing of the baby fuzz, and another pic of their cute little webbed feet with those sharp claws on the ends of their toes. I'm surprised they haven't poked their little eyes out with those serious claws on the end of their cute little paddles. Click on the picture to see the full size version of those little demon feet.

Glossalalia (Tongues) My Tiny Miracle in Spanish

Tonight I had a weird, but wonderful experience. I spoke Spanish. Okay, I know that millions of people speak Spanish, but I do not. Well, I know a few words like "Mas leche por favor," "taco," and "via con Dios." Perhaps a hundred words of Spanish might be found in my vocabulary if I thought about it hard and long, but that's what happens when you've been to Mexico, and lived near the Mexican border most of your life.

Yet my experience speaking Spanish was unknown to me until after it happened, and it occurred in a spontaneous moment of worship during our Sunday evening service. As a group we spent sometime singing improvisationally to a worship song, simply creating words of praise from our hearts. I sang in tongues during this time, and when the song ended Carlos asked if I knew that I was worshiping in Spanish.

Cool. I have been praying each morning this week about receiving the gift of interpretation of tongues, and then added that I would also like to speak in languages of this earth which I have never learned. Is this the beginning to answering that prayer? I dunno.

Skepticism can be had on this issue, but all I know is that it was weird and cool, all at once, and I am thinking that God was doing something unique among the small group at church tonight.

For more on the experience see the post at our church blog.

Wales - Grand Slam! Six Nations Rugby

I spent this afternoon with my Welsh friends at McGann's Pub in Boston. It was a day of Rugby games. I arrived while England was trouncing Ireland (to my surprise), and to the chagrin of the green jerseys in the standing room only pub.

The Wales/France game began at 1pm, and only a lone voice or two with French accents rose in the pub now filled with more red shirts than remaining Irish green. This was unique moment for the Boston Welsh Society, and in fact for a Welsh gathering in the US. There was actually a good group of Welsh together and yelling for their team.

As the game began, the Welsh expats, and myself stood and sang the Welsh national anthem together. Well, I gave it a try, but still haven't memorized the words. Sorry for the 2005 link, but the 2008 one isn't out yet.

"Wales! Wales! Wales...!" the pub rocked with the cheering, and the flags of the Ddraig Goch, and Aled Jones' red and yellow flag of Owain Glyndwr flew whenever Wales scored. After a mixed first half of trading penalty kicks, and France beginning to show some serious muscle on the run, Wales hard hitting defense, and ability to take advantage of mistakes paid off with a second half rout.

29-12 was the final score. Phil Budden, the British Consul General in Boston arrived toward the end of the game, and provided free Beer and Guinness for we celebrating Welsh fans. I can't describe how at home I feel with anything Welsh. Strange for a California boy (or is that "boyo?") like myself.

So, at the end I suggested a plan for putting St. David's day on the map next year in Boston. If you are Welsh, you will want to watch for this! The more people we can get to participate the more media attention we can get. We are going to pray like St. David on St. David's Day! Like those early Celtic monks, we are going to gather a group together to stand in the river up to our waists on St. David's Day next year! Wanna join the fun? It'll be followed by a seriously Welsh Saint practice of downing a pint following I'm sure! Watch for information to come sometime late this year.

Sabbatical Coming

A couple weeks ago the church council discussed sending me on sabbatical. I thought to myself, 'Good idea, boy could I use it.' Then I said (contrary to my thinking), "That is an expensive proposition. We don't have the money for it, and neither does the church."

Of course the council knew this bit of information. Ever since our ouster from our former denomination - or perhaps I should start calling it our liberation from our former oppressors ;-) - the church has been running tight, and we are just making it by from month to month.

But, then Jeff was already in gear with a fund-raising plan, and was not going to take no for an answer.

So that brings me to our current state. I will be going to Wales with a missions team on August 3rd. When they return from the mission on August 16th, I will stay in the U.K. Some point shortly after that Bev will join me in the U.K., and we will travel to Taize, France to join the prayer, chanting, and spiritual retreat which has been going on there for the last 35 years or more.

It was decided that since I was already going to be in the U.K., that Bev joining me there was just a cheap as doing something here in states. With the friends we have on the other side of the pond this is probably true. So, off to Taize we go. Bev is hoping I will spend some days at a Welsh Language intensive in North Wales, which I would love to do, but then again methinks money, and waits and sees on that issue.

Dw i'n Casau Coffi! and now I have proof it's a bogus drink!

I have always hated coffee. One of the first phrases one learns in Welsh is unfortunately connected to this evil tasting brew. "Dw i'n hoffi coffi," is a phrase found on the lips of every Welsh learner, but I learned to say "Dw i'n casau coffi," instead.

Well here's further evidence from a study in the UK by the British Nutrition Association, which tells us that coffee does not provide the morning pick-me-up you though it did. Instead you might be simply experiencing relief from your addiction's withdrawals. Isn't that encouraging? - all ye who have been seduced by the great Seattle deception. Of course, the British Coffee Association intelligently replied, ""There are two sides to the debate and a wealth of scientific evidence suggests that moderate coffee consumption of four to five cups per day is perfectly safe...." Yep, you could see that one coming a hundred hectares of coffee plants away.

Coffee Haters unite against the insidious brown bean water, and learn the mantra -"Dw i'n casau coffi!" Pronounced - "dween casai coffee."

Rat-a-Tattoo

I've never wanted a tatoo before, but Carlos almost makes me want to get one. Maybe it's because he got a tatoo I really identify with, or perhaps it is because his tatoo is such a wonderful affirmation to me. Maybe because he is the only Aruban in the world with Jesus Christ tatoooed in Welsh on his forearm, and I feel like I should get some Welsh tats. Maybe I'm simply becoming more of a rebel, and I've decided it's time for the revolution to begin.

There is something to be said for creating a tribal identification with life changing groups, and experiences. That is what Carlos did with the Celtic Cross up on the wall of The Vault.

Carlos got the tatoo, because he identified with the mission and message of The Gathering, and has been experiencing some signifacnt change in his relationship with God. The tatoo was like a rite of passage, and it has a tribal indentification.

see Carlos' Tatoo here.