"Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines." - Satchel Paige

SettlersOnly.com

I got a lot done today. I worked in Fred and on the berries, I got the deck cleaned up, and cleaned out the chicken pen. It was a beautiful warm sunny day and working outside was wonderful.

One of the words to pass into the Rude and Inappropriate category is oriental. I'm not sure why, and that's after reading about the new standard. The word comes from the Latin and means east, from a root meaning rising, as in the sun which rises in the east.
One of the sites I read said Asians (the new politically correct term) in England don't have any problem with being called Orientals, but in the U.S. it's a no-no.
Does one now take a ride on the Asian Express? Got an Asian rug? If you start a new job do you first have to go through Asianitation? If you get lost in the woods do you look at the moss on a tree to re-Asian yourself?
All of those originally orient-based words come from that root meaning of east. The oldest maps we have are from that part of the world, and whereas we put north at the top of the map they put east at the top. In seminary I learned that the ancient Hebrew idiom for the word east is literally "the way you face," because you start by establishing which way is east. That's why you go through orientation when you begin a new job, to get started in the correct direction.
It's OK; I'll be careful to use Asian instead of Oriental. It's no particular burden for me and given the option I don't want to offend anyone, even the overly sensitive. But at some point everyone will find something they deem personally offensive and we'll all be in a constant fear of getting it wrong. And then what?? Get killed by a bullet from a personal protection device?
Will musicians begin referring to the bird's eye symbol as meaning tempo disabled?

Mostly, can we all agree not to take ourselves so seriously?

We'll try a new church tomorrow. It's in central Eugene, not far from the university. On the way home we'll get lunch at the usual (Carl's Jr.) and then stop in to Lowe's to get 12" of lightweight chain so I can hang a sign in Fred. Pics to follow.

While eating lunch I had a conversation via Facebook's chat function with a young man in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. His English skills are limited but he's originally from Sumbawanga on the other side of the country where I did the pastors' seminar. That's how he found me. Seemed like a nice enough guy based on our exchange, but I'm also aware that wazungus (white people) are prime targets for posers from Africa, so I'm alert to that possibility.

It's a good thing I've got a cup of coffee left in the thermos from this morning's brew. I need that last little bit of caffeine to get me through to 8:30.