Sean O'Wesely

Here I am, dressed as "Sean O'Wesley", John Wesley's long-lost very distant Irish cousin. This picture was taken at Monroe City United Methodist Church's 140th Anniversary Celebration on Sunday, August 27, 2006. To see more pictures from the celebration click here.

Today's Banjo Lesson

Look carefully at the fingers of my right hand above. Notice how the nail on my index finger is nicely rounded, while the nails on my middle and ring fingers are jagged. Such jagged fingernail shape is the result of banjo playing. Most banjo players who play in the "old-time" or "clawhammer" style do not use fingerpicks, and instead just use their fingernails. The result of playing the banjo with your fingernails is a softer, less piecing sound than using metal fingerpicks. The other result is misshapen and jagged fingernails. But most old-time banjo players are willing to put up with this cosmetic hazard of the trade. In fact, some proudly display their jagged fingernails as a "badge", proving to the world that they are genuine, old-time banjo players who haven't allowed themselves to be corrupted by such modern innovations as metal fingerpicks.

That's your banjo lesson for today. Stay tuned for more lessons later!

No Post Before It's Time

Rebecca and I are back from our weekend retreat, known as a "Walk to Emmaus". Be looking soon for post telling you all about it, or maybe a post on a completely different subject. But for those of you clamoring to see a post of some sort or another, this is what I say: give us some time! I've attached a picture of Orson Welles taken in his later years. Many of you may remember the TV commercials Welles did for the Paul Masson winery in the late 1970's. The famous catch-phrase Orson always said at the end of each commercial was, "We will sell no wine before its time!" So to the viewing audience at home, Rebecca and I say, "We will post no post before its time!"

The Banjo Cross

Throughout the ages, the Cross has been depicted in a variety of shapes and forms. Besides the "standard" Latin Cross, there is the Greek Cross, the Celtic Cross, the St. Andrew Cross, the Maltese Cross, the Jerusalem Cross, St. Brigid's Cross, and many others.

So I got to thinking--why not the Banjo Cross? And so I with the wizardry of Apple Works "Drawing" program, plus a picture I found on the internet, I created this "Banjo Cross". It is kind of a cross between the Greek Cross and the Celtic Cross. Some may think this is silly or even an outrage, but I say, "why not?" considering all the other Crosses people have made throughout the pages. Plus, this is an important reminder that Christ died for everyone, even us lowly Banjo players!

A Page from Pete's Diary

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovksy (1840-1893) is one of my favorite classical composers. (N.B. to my musicological friends, I'm using "classical" in the generic, recording-industry definition). Tchaikovsky composed such wonderful masterpieces as the 1812 Overture, the Nutcracker, the Pathetique Symphony, and Romeo and Juliet. In addition to being a prolific composer, he also kept extensive diaries. I mention this, because my diary entries for this past week (if I were to keep a diary) would resemble his from 1890:

8 March Thursday. Sick.
9 March Friday. Sick.
10 March Saturday. Sick.
11 March Sunday. Sick!
12 March Monday. Sick!
13 March Tuesday. Sick!
14 March Wednesday. Sick! Disgusting to recall this time. Only today toward evening, I think, I am better, thank God!*

Fortunately, my illness has not been as bad or as lengthy as Tchaikovsky's apparently was. But neverthless, when I look back on these past few days, all I can say is "Sick!"

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*Sourch for Tchaikovsky quotes:
Wladimir Lakond, trans., The Diaries of Tchaikovsky (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1945/1973), p. 297.

Sick!

Sick! Started with a sore throat on Tuesday. Became a full-blown cold on Wednesday. Still sick today on Thursday. Hope to be better by the weekend.

Check Your Shoes!

As one who lives with obstructive sleep apnea it's common for me to have bouts of sleepiness throughout the day. In fact, I often come home and take a nap either before, after, or during supper! One day last April I came home from work, plopted down on my bed and promptly fell asleep. Some time later, Rebecca woke me up and told me to hurry up and get ready because we had a function to attend in Canton, MO. Still somewhat groggy, I got out of bed, put on my shoes, ran a comb through my hair, and got in the car. Fortunately, Rebecca was driving! In the 20 minute drive from Palmyra to Canton, I gradually began to "come back to life".

We had a fun time in Canton. It was a farewell party for a pastor who was moving on to a new position. At the end of the evening as we were getting ready to leave, Rebecca told me to look down at my shoes. I looked down, and to my shock I discovered that I was wearing two different shoes! I must have been half-asleep when I put my shoes on. The funny thing is, no one said anything about my mismatched shoes until we were getting ready to leave. And neither did my feet feel strange despite the fact that my shoes didn't match. One of the church members was on hand to document this merry mix-up. We all had a good laugh that evening and learned an important lesson: be sure to check your shoes before you leave the house!

Stand Up And Be Counted!

Today I just added a "visitor counter" to this blog site, so that I can check to see if people are really visiting our site or not. There it is, on the right-hand side of the screen, just under the box with our profiles. By virtue of clicking to this page, that means you've been counted! Of course if I want to look impressive, I could click on this page dozens of times myself each day, just to inflate the counter numbers. Or any of you could do the same! ;-) Neverthless, for those who are becoming regular visitors, I hope you are enjoying the site. Your comments and feedback are always welcome.

Hat Tip to my friend whose blog site helped me add the visitor counter to this site.

Katrina One Year Later

The days following August 29, 2006 were difficult ones for the Peak family. As you all know, hurricane Katrina made landfall on the US Gulf Coast early in the morning of August 29. Before Katrina made landfall, there was considerable speculation whether or not New Orleans would take a direct hit, or whether the storm would veer off in one direction or the other. As it turns out, technically speaking, New Orleans wasn't hit directly. However, the center of the storm was still close enough to NOLA (as New Orleans is commonly known) that the city sustained catastrophic damage. As Americans woke up on that Monday morning, the television screens were filled with footage of the devastation that had hit NOLA.

Now here is where the story hits home. My brother Andy has lived in NOLA for several years. I didn't know exactly where he lived, but my dad said that he lived near the French Quarter, the part of NOLA that was least hit by the storm. Even so, as the pictures began to stream on the television, my family began to wonder more and more if Andy was safe. We tried calling--no answer because phone lines were down. We tried emailing--an exercise in futility since the electricity was out. We started constantly watching the TV footage to see if there was any sign of Andy. Had he evacuated? If so, where might he have evacuated to? Had he stayed put in his residence like many others had? And if so, had his place been damaged? As the week progressed, our worries increased. We started checking the numerous web sites that were set-up to help people locate displaced loved ones. I myself would check these sites several times a day with no luck. Our only hope was prayer, and I sent out emails to everyone in my address book to get people praying.

Finally on the evening of Labor Day 2005, one week after the storm hit, my dad called. Andy had called and was safe! He had remained in NOLA when the storm hit, and wasn't able to evacuate until a few days later. He was in Houma, LA. Since his place in NOLA was currently uninhabitable (although not badly damaged), he needed a place to stay for a while. So he flew out to California and stayed with my dad for two months until his place was ready to go. After two months my brother returned to NOLA, and fortunately did not face too much loss in comparison to what countless other people had faced. My brother tells the story in much more detail. To read his complete account, click here.

On this one year anniversary, we give thanks to God for my brother's safe evacuation. We remember the countless people who experienced loss of loved ones and property. We also remember the ongoing recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast.

Monroe City UMC Anniversary

This past Sunday, August 27, Monroe City United Methodist Church celebrated "140 Years of Making Disciples." Festivities went on throughout the entire day as we marked this important milestone in the life of the congregation. To see some photos of our 140th Anniversary Celebration, click here to go to the Monroe City UMC blog site.