Those Drydens!

Once when I was hearing the story of a dramatic conversion of a fellow who had at first mocked the Christian life, a quote popped out of my mouth. It was :"And those who came to scoff remained to pray." I thought 'Where the heck did that quote come from?' I looked it up in the school library's famous quotes reference book and found out that saying came from John Dryden, a 17th century poet who I happen to be related to! Recently I went through a bit of a hard time and a good friend sent me another Dryden quote from one of his poems:
I'm a little wounded but I'm not
Slain; I will lay me down for to bleed
Awhile, Then I'll rise and fight with you again.
John Dryden,1631-1700

August

Enjoying this weather. I think in August that many people(me included) start to dread the end of summer and the inevitable cold winter. I thought I would think about the things I look forward to this fall.
1. Football. I love to watch Matt's football games. I'm sad because this is the last year the Hickey kids will be involved in High School football(as players,that is. Tom is still coaching)
2.Fall colors. Blue skies. Lovely sunsets. Evenings spent in the back yard watching falling stars and drinking wine around the fire.
3. My art class that I signed up for. Drawing 1. I've taken classes similar to this before, but it's been awhile so I'm starting with drawing again. There are drawing2 and drawing 3 classes that I will take next. They are offered through the extension division at U.ofS. I'm very excited.
That'll do for now. One other thing I look forward to is the Gordon Lightfoot concert in October.
What have you all got signed up for, or look forward to this fall?

Drumming and crying in beer

What a title! On Sunday Ray and I went in the afternoon to the Drumming Festival downtown on both sides of the riverbank. They had groups playing druma from all different traditions, from aboriginal to carribean steel drums to celtic to symphony, and every ethnic group you could think of. It was hot out, so we decided to head across the bridge to the Yard and Flagon,our favorite watering hole and sit up on the rooftop deck and have a pint. On the way in I saw a young woman sitting alone at a table crying,trying to hide her tears. On the table in front of her was her empty beer glass and another one, empty across from her, where someone else had been sitting. I thought about whether I should go and throw my arms around her and say "There,there" in my most matronly manner, but she looked like she wanted more to be left alone. Who knows what would have been the right thing to do. What would you have done? Honestly. And more importantly, why do you think she was crying? Love affair gone bad? Sad because her beer was gone?