QUARANTINE BLOG # 564

October 15, 2021

Bonnie and I met Elizabeth and Brian on a cruise many years ago.  Please pray for Elizabeth, and of course Brian as he cares for his wife, as she is facing surgery.  Because of many factors, not the least being the Pandemic, it has been impossible to schedule until now, and a definite date is still to be set.  But please start praying for them, and keep them before Father and the Throne of Grace.  When I have news to share, you’ll read it here.  And thank you!

👉  Our daughter, Jennifer, teaches K-4.  She was asking her young students what they want to be when they grow up.  Answers included: ballerina, builder, Spider-Man, and unicorn.  Jennifer said, “Baby, a unicorn isn’t a job.”  The little girl said, “Then I wanna be a witch.”  Jennifer replied, “Let’s go with unicorn.”  Art Linkletter would have been proud (kids still say the darndest things).

👉  Ain’t it the truth!

👉  So far the count is 2 for using small amounts when the toothpaste tube is almost empty so it will last longer, and 2 for using large amounts so the tube can be quickly discarded.  I’m one of those who use large amounts, and here is why:

👉  Some more “Sayings by Mac”

“If fireworks are coming at you and you have an umbrella, run a lot and scream more.”

Amy: One day we were all playing ‘I Spy’ and I said, “That’s the end of the game and he said, “That’s okay.  I’m going to play with my brain now.”  Wonder who won?

There was a spider crawling on the ground and Amy told Luke to kill it.  Mac said, “Wait!  Let it bite me so I can become Spider Man!”

👉  Do you remember Mac saying he wanted to “milk” Mayleigh?

👉  We're off to see the Wizard.

In 2005, one of the pairs of ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” was stolen from a museum in Minnesota.  In September 2018, 13 years later, law authorities announced that they had located the treasured slippers.  There are six known pairs of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland during filming. 

Toto was a star performer played by Terry, a female Cairn terrier who appeared in 16 films.  Toto got paid more than the Munchkins.  He raked in $125 per week (equivalent to about $2,500 today).  The Munchkins made between $50 and $100 a week, which is no small chunk of change for 1939, but hardly the movie star salary you’d imagine.

Anytime you have a movie adapted from a novel, some things are guaranteed to change.  One of the most iconic details of “The Wizard of Oz film is Dorothy’s red slippers.  In the book, Dorothy had silver slippers, but studio head Louis B. Mayer wanted to swap the color for something brighter so he could test out MGM’s new Technicolor technology.  Dorothy’s shirt was also a light pink, rather than white because white was hard to shoot in color.

On Monday, the Wicked Witch.

👉  In 1964, the Beatles had 3 songs that went back to back to back on the Billboard Hot 100.  “I Want to Hold Your Hand” hit Number 1 on February 1 and stayed at that spot for 7 weeks.  On March 21, it was overtaken by “She Loves You,” and on April 4 “Can’t Buy Me Love” took over and stayed in the top spot for 5 weeks.

“I Want to Hold Your Hand” was also the group’s first American number-one hit, and started the British Invasion of the American music industry. 

“She Loves You” was the Beatles’ all-time best-selling single in the UK.  Unusual for a love song, the lyrics are not about the narrator’s love for someone else; instead the narrator functions as a helpful go-between for estranged lovers.

Paul McCartney said, “I think you can put any interpretation you want on anything, but when someone suggests that “Can't Buy Me Love” is about a prostitute, I draw the line.  The idea behind it was that all these material possessions are all very well, but they won’t buy me what I really want.”  However, he was to comment later: “It should have been ‘Can Buy Me Love’” when reflecting on the perks that money and fame had brought him.

👉  More license plates Monday.  We’re out of space for today.

👉  Today’s close “Your Heart’s Desire,” is from Praying with the Psalms, by Eugene H. Peterson.

“May he grant you your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your plans” (Psalm 20:4).

A closer look at Psalm 20 shows that its first half is a series of intercessions for the king.  No one can sustain leadership without the support of the people’s prayers.  More important than their taxes, more significant than their industry, more influential than their intelligence, are their prayers.  The best thing we can do for another is to pray for him or her.

Prayer: I pray for those set over me in government and church.  Strengthen them in their leadership, support them with your grace, keep them open to your justice and mercy, use them as instruments for your will.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

-30-