Special Quotes
Dance like no one's watching. Love like you'll never be hurt. Sing like no one's listening.
And live like heaven on earth.
-Source unknown to me

THE ARTSY SITE OF THE MONTH:
Tapestry In Talent Home Page
Sometimes those with the least access to art need it the most.

PERSONAL HOME PAGE OF THE MONTH:
Charmaine's Place in Space
A nice combination of light and serious topics, with relevant links and handsome
use of space.

WEB PAGE DESIGN SITE OF THE MONTH:
Woodchuck's HTML Tutorial
The basics of HTML, plus help with extras.

SEASONAL SITE OF THE MONTH:
NSTA School Bus Safety Guide
The big yellow buses are out--watch for them!

JUST FUN SITE OF THE MONTH:
GORP - Great Outdoors Recreation Pages

DOWNRIGHT SERIOUS SITE OF THE MONTH:
Homeword's Home Page
Began with one homeless man who now has a home, but continues to help the
homeless have a voice.

HISTORICAL SITE OF THE MONTH:
Phillip A. Cannon, Antique Tool And Ruler Collector
This man is serious.

September Events

For September Travelers

September 5-7, 1998
Japanese Festival
Missouri Botanical Gardens, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri.
24th year of this event, which highlights Japanese culture and art in tea ceremonies, crafts,
floral design, martial arts, and more.
Additional information: Call 314-577-9400 in Missouri, or 1-800-642-8842 outside Missouri.

September 11-12, 1998
BubbaFest
McKinney Park, Woodruff, South Carolina.
In its 6th year, this celebration is home to the Bubba-Q Cook-Off and the BubbaLympics.
Entertainment, crafts, vendors, food. Proceeds go to student scholarships
More information: Call 864-596-5202

September 11-13, 1998
Winston-Dillard Melon Festival
Riverbend Park, Winston, Oregon.
Parade, craft and food booths, entertainment.
More information: Call Kathy Holcomb 541-679-6739.
NOTE:Nearby is the Wildlife Safari, an exotic wild animal drive-through park. To reach the
park take exit 119 off I-5, go west 3 miles.

September 12-13, 1998
Wausau Festival of Arts
Downtown Pedestrian Mall, Wausau, Wisconsin.
20,000 are expected to attend this show of more than 100 juried artists, also featuring
children's art and plenty of ethnic foods to enjoy.
Additional information: 715-842-1676

September 16-19, 1998
American Soya Festival
Ananda, Ohio.
Street fair, with entertainment, games, various foods featuring soybeans, pedal tractor pull,
parades.
More details: Call 800-345-4FUN.

September 19-20, 1998
Wine and Harvest Festival Fine Arts and Crafts Fair
W62 N546 Washington Avenue, Cedarburg, Wisconsin.
Up to 20,000 attend.
Information: Call 414-375-3676.

September 19-October 3, 1998
Windsor Festival
Various locations, including Eton College Chapel; Windsor, Berkshire, United Kingdom.
Choral music, jazz, opera, literary events, lunchtime concerts and tours. Performers this
year will include The King's Singers, BBC Orchestra, Choir and Soloists of St. George's
Chapel, and Jonathan Rees-Williams at the organ. "The Musical Mystery Tour" holds
special appeal for children.
More information: Call 01753-623400.

September 25-27, 1998
Turkey Vulture Festival
Kernville, California.
4th annual event. Field trips, workshops, lectures, children's events, exhibits.
Details: Call 760-376-2629.
NOTE:This is an area well-known for its rugged appeal to tourists. Rock climbers, white
water rafting devotees, campers, and hikers come from all over the planet to play in and
around Kernville. The Kern County Fair is also in progress during the Festival, so this is not
some place only a turkey vulture could love.

September 26-27, 1998
Lakeside Festival Arts and Crafts
Beach Road, Lake George, New York.
Fireworks, food, music, boat show.
Information: Call 518-668-5755.

September 26-27, 1998
AppleUmpkin Festival
Gaslight Village, Wyoming, New York.
Food, 300 arts and crafts vendors, pancake breakfast, organ and brass concert, car show.
Details: Call 716-495-6220

We had occasion to travel a length of California Highway 1 a couple of weekends ago, and encountered a perfect example of why some people could use a little tranquilizer in their drinking water. Ron drove a side street toward the onramp to the highway, and suddenly this little blue Geo came from nowhere and whipped in front of us, beating us to last stop light before the onramp. The light was red, so we waited behind the Geo, and when the light changed, the driver of the Geo floored the accelerator to get to the turn onto the onramp.

We merged into southbound traffic on Highway 1, and then watched in fascination as the Geo driver performed a series of what I loosely call lane changes, each one more rapid and reckless than the last. But this was a summer weekend, on one of the most scenic highways in the United States of America, where green agricultural fields and sweeping coastal views stretch out on one side or the other. Tourists, locals, shoppers, photographers, workers, vacationing families, and surfers travel this route. It's a very popular place to be, and when the traffic came to a crawl, and then to a standstill, we wondered what the obviously already manic driver of the little blue Geo would do in order to cope.

At this particular section of the highway, there is no real barrier between the northbound and southbound traffic. There is only a somewhat grassy median, which now appeared to spew dust as the Geo spun through in one big blue streak. Northbound travelers must have been surprised as the panicked driver floored the accelerator once again to get into their fast lane and head back in the direction from which he or she had come.

I watched the sea gulls and pelicans chase along the harbor while we waited for the traffic jam to clear, and wondered where the poor little crazed driver had gone. Did he or she try to find some back road on which to navigate at a high rate of speed, moving at any speed, not wanting to stop, to hesitate for fear of--of what? What would make someone so frantic behind the wheel of a car that they would risk their own life, and the lives of others, in order to keep moving at a pace faster than everyone else? It made me think of a motorist's version of Dante's Inferno, with increasing lanes of heavier and heavier traffic, in which you can never remain the car in front. There is always another car you must pass. There is always someone in front of you. You can never be first. You have an overwhelming need to be first. But you cannot.

If that seems a bit extreme, just think for a moment about the way a lot of us move through our own lives each day. Do you set the alarm clock for the last possible moment, leap out of bed, shower and dress, gather clothes to drop off at the cleaner's, spend a few hasty moments with your children, spouse, and pets in between a few gulps of coffee or orange juice? When you get to work, do you rush to get everything done so that you can relax on the weekend, only to find that the weekend is another rush of shopping, driving kids to their activities, and catching up on housework? Do you spend 50 weeks a year working overtime so you can go somewhere for two weeks and lie flat on a beach or enjoy the beauty of the mountains, only to get back in the car and start the process over for another year?

Even that place many of us go for spiritual renewal--church--can become a place where we over-extend because so few come forward to do anything at all. The rest of us build our ego by being "needed" to the point of being burned out because we have not learned that saying "No" is not an evil thing to do when "Yes" to one more thing might compromise the balance we need so much in life. One quality "Yes" is worth a dozen hasty "Yes's" which become empty promises we cannot keep. We can't volunteer for ten jobs in the church just to make up for those who will do no job at all, and still expect to give our best.

If it all ended right now, with a sudden cessation of heartbeats, would the things you have rushed to do make a difference in the light of eternity? Or would you only have a list of half-done tasks sitting there, with none of the really important things even written down, much less accomplished?

I believe that this life can be lived as a pre-extension of life to come when there are no barriers between us and God. The habits and inclinations we develop now prepare us for a time and place where all is possible. Think of your current goals, dreams, and relationships. How do you spend your time? Where do your hobbies and interests lie? Now imagine all of these things as part of your eternity. Does anything in the picture of your present day list of to-do's change for you?

Heaven (and here I would include the New Earth the Bible speaks of) isn't some ethereal future place where we float on clouds and play golden harps. It's simply an extension of the life we live right here and now because of Christ. It's the end result of being in harmony with God and His will for us, through His grace. It's living with Him and for Him, with no barriers and no time limits for the things we really want to do.

The time we have now is part of the time we'll have in Heaven.

With eternity in mind, scurrying to "get somewhere" doesn't mean so much. My to-do list changes drastically when I envision life with my Creator as I plan for today. There is peace in my choices, and a balance in the plans I make.

If your list changes too, I'd love to hear from you.

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