grafted in and on the journey

Hello Grafted In Readers, Today is the last day of Autumn, in my corner of blog land. By this time next week, Christmas, Boxing Day, and probably too, stores will be experiencing the return of unwanted purchases made in the holiday rush. I have never been part of that return crowd. One year, my wife and I went to a major store to join the midnight madness for Black Friday. Never again! The register lines were long, and the atmosphere was tense and crowded. I will be playing piano next week for holiday diners: Sunday, Monday and Tuesday afternoon, respectively. On the routine front: I am still reading "Any Two Can Play", 1981, Elizabeth Cadell. It's an entertaining read, probably more a novella than novel per length. My book, "Homecoming: A Memoir" is available for a reasonable price both as print and EBook on Amazon and Smashwords. ISBN: 9780463166895 Thus far nearly a dozen readers have purchased and tell me they are either enjoying, or looking fo...

Hello Grafted In Readers, I just felt another visit between us was in order, as it is Dec. 12, 2018 in my corner of blog land. Let's talk health and a couple other goodies, okay? The holiday season is here, my wife and I are going out for dinner tonight before we grocery shop. What should we do and eat to keep from over-indulgence? A March 2016 article from the online EZine, US News suggests some of the following: - Forgive yourself when you over-indulge; it will likely happen. - Have a fish as your meat three times a week for your health. - Occasional dark chocolate is known to improve mood and heart health. - Add fiber. Things like oatmeal, brand cereal, grains can help one feel full and aid overall function. - Move it. Walk a few extra steps to your destination. Take short walks throughout the week. If you google health tips or health tip of the day, the results will show plenty! ~ I mentioned reading a Danielle Steel Novel, Accidental Heroes. I'm just about...

Hello Grafted in Readers, It is just about Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018 in my corner of blog land. - The big news in my corner of the world is my memoir, Homecoming A Memoir, is published on Amazon and Smashwords, David C. Russell, and ready for your reading consumption. The memoir is highlights of my life journey of 65 plus years, and how it had a rocky start. Length is short, 95 pages, and if you do read, a review would be appreciated. For more info check out my author website: https://www.dldbooks.com/davidrussell I am currently halfway through a Danielle Steel Novel titled, Accidental Heroes, and enjoying her writing style. If you like suspense, try this title. - In health, I recently learned from doing an article on teeth stain removal that there are actually toothpastes one can buy that will remove stains from the surface of teeth. Use once weekly is the recommend, and your preferred toothpaste the other six days. That's it for this visit, and hope you are enjoying ...

Hello Grafted In Readers, Today is December 6, 2018 in my corner of blog-land. First, Holiday Greetings and shalom to each of us! This is the time of year when Christians and devout Jews each recall miracles specific to faith practice: Hanukkah and Christmas. Unfortunately, most Christians have very little understanding of the story behind Hanukkah. Educate yourself and your faith may be enriched, because, likely, your pastor or priest may not do so. As many of you know, I am what they call a lover of words. I am frequently adding new words to my card file for use at the "right time." Let me share a couple: Dingle: It's a noun. Dingle means a small wooded dell. Synonyms include dell, dale, valley and glen. Delouse: To remove lice. Hoarfrost: A white layer of pieces of ice like needles that forms on objects outside when it is very cold. These definitions are from the Collins Dictionary for dingle, and Cambridge Dictionary for delouse and hoarfrost, respectiv...

Hello Grafted in Readers, For those living in the USA, this week begins the Holiday season with the observance of national Thanksgiving on Thursday. Already, commercial media are focused on holiday shopping and consumerism, but Black Friday is now a term to describe discounted items rather than just a festive shopping day. I recently subscribed to the newsletter from the long-running "Saturday Evening Post" periodical, and this one featured an article about dinner conversation for holiday occasions. I am going to present a few of their ideas, but if you can find the article online, do read as it is both informing and entertaining. This is geared more to Thanksgiving also nicknamed 'turkey day' here in the US. - Proper ways to cook a turkey: roast, bake, in a baking bag, other. - Auto maintenance: Driving directions. Use maps, GPS, how often to change oil, etc. - Sports, holiday edition: College bowl games, NBA, NFL, etc. - How escrow works: What is escrow, ex...

Hello Grafted In Readers, October is just about over, and Autumn has truly arrived to the lower midwest with chilly overnights and cooler daytimes. We have mid-term elections in our country in about one week, the campaign ads will then conclude. This past weekend the 2018 major league baseball season concluded with Boston taking the series in four games out of seven from the LA Dodgers. Actually five games, I stand corrected. There was an eighteen inning game on Friday night into early Saturday morning that the Dodgers won. Unfortunately our nation continues to suffer from quite visible division. Funeral services began today in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area as eleven people were gunned down during worship services at a Jewish synagogue this past Shabbat/Saturday. Three were injured from reports and the assailant will likely receive the death penalty for this being a federal crime. Some Protestants were too caught up in celebrating the anniversary of the Reformation to even pray...

Hello Grafted In Readers, Today is August 30, 2018, Thursday in my corner of blog land. We are having temperatures in the mid 20s Celsius, after having a heat wave for the past several days with the high feeling like 40 degrees Celsius. Yes, we visited a local pool a couple times to find relief and enjoy some water aerobics, too. On occasion, we talk health in our blog visits, and this visit will be health oriented. Do you want to look and stay younger? According to "Reader's Digest" magazine, some of the following foods can help us appear and stay younger looking and feeling. They slow the aging process our bodies all eventually will succumb to. - Green and yellow legumes are suggested that include whole cooked peas. These contain fiber and anti-oxidants that help slow aging. - Nuts, and in particular walnuts, are recommended to have as a snack perhaps three times a week. These slow the progression of heart disease and minimize the risk for cancer as we grow ol...

Hello Grafted In Readers, Today is August 8, 2018 in my corner of blog land. I titled this post, Wait A Minute, because of the pasted news item below from Breaking Israel News, about Chinese Christians studying the Torah, first five books of the Holy Bible. Since one of our blog intentions is to encourage one another in the study of God's instruction, this post is fitting: Other news on my life afterward. Chinese Christians Are Praying For The Peace of Jerusalem By Dr. Rivkah Lambert Adler August 8, 2018 , 9:22 am Look! These are coming from afar, These from the north and the west, And these from the land of Sinim. Isaiah 49:12 (The Israel Bible™) Christians from around the world come to Jerusalem every Sukkot to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. (Credit: Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz/Breaking Israel News( It’s risky to be a Christian in China today. Despite this, the numbers of Chinese Christians interested in studying Torah, learning Hebrew and visiting Israel is skyrocketin...

Hello Grafted In Readers, Today is June 14, 2018 in my corner of blog land. Next Thursday will be the first day of summer officially! My son and his wife will be married one month this Saturday, happy one month you two! On my blog intro, one of our purposes is to familiarize ourselves with some of the things we inherit from the Jewish people as we consider ourselves believers, Messianic, Hebrew Christians or some such term. Today, the newsletter from My Jewish Learning, featured an article by Rabbi Daniel Kirzane discussing the topic of the ancient sacrifice that Jewish people practiced in Biblical times. They offered animals, grain or money at the tabernacle, which were called korbanot. Rabbi Kirzane shares that the word korbanot means something that draws close. The intention was to draw the one giving closer to God. Do you ever think of your giving in that manner? It's a fresh thought for me to be honest. The definition at the beginning of this article is of interest: Sacr...

Hello Grafted In Reader, Today is Friday, April 20 in my corner of blog land. I want to return to one of the purposes of this blog, and that was to inform us of the Jewish roots of our faith in Adonai. Today, I wish to share a reflection with you from the website by chaim ben torah and hope it will enrich your understanding. Do share with a friend. HEBREW WORD STUDY – PROTECTION FROM THE WORLD – KATHENOTH  ‘OR  כתנכ עור   Genesis 3:7,21:  “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. (21)  The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.”  I was reading from the works of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, a 19th century Jewish scholar and discovered something I never even considered.  I have read Genesis 3 countless times in my life, I have heard numerous sermons where these verse are quoted but I never stopped to really meditate on what this actually means...

Hello Grafted In Readers, Can you believe we are in the second quarter of 2018? My calendar says today is April 10. By the end of the week, my region of blog land could experience temperatures in the mid 50s. We have had 30-40-degree temperatures much of this month and periods of light snow. Yes, it happens but we are ready for w a r m. Words and Writing I just finished working on a 2,000-word story that grew in length with four revisions and will now undergo a title change as recommended by my editing cohort, Rebecca. It's a remembrance of a college professor, Mr. Paul Whaley, and his impact on my young life. Now, I am considering writing a story based on two words: maladroit and dexterous, two antonyms. The maladroits want to be like the dexterous, but in the end realize they are not and come to terms with that. It's much like some of us wanting to be or do this or that. In the end (whatever time that involves) we realize we can, cannot, will or will not and thus reorde...

Hello Grafted In Readers, Today is March 19 in my corner of blog land. In thirteen days the western Christian church will celebrate the Resurrection of Christ Jesus known for nearly eighteen centuries as Easter Sunday. Few, will present the history of this holiday, but actually several will refer to the Resurrection of Christ as "the or that first Easter." Bullshit! Educate yourself on the history of this observed Holiday. I think it's time to change the name of the day to Resurrection Sunday. Or, Resurrection Day. If you call yourself a follower of Christ, a Christian, than name what he did to honor Him! This weekend, western Christians celebrate Palms Sunday. They will reference the crowd for being fickle in attitude by lauding Yeshua as King and then just days later calling for his death. Secondarily, "they" will recognize it was their sin that led G-d to lovingly redeem humanity because of desire for an ongoing relationship with us who deserve just the...

Hello Grafted In Readers, Today is February 5, 2018 in my corner of blog land. Tomorrow, Lord willing, my father will celebrate birthday number 93! I spoke with him over the weekend, and he plans to have a quiet time with friends at a restaurant in the town where he resides. He sounded well. Mom has been gone since 2010 and I am sure after 60 years of marriage, there are times when he is missing her and his family who live around the country. The flu epidemic has been in the news this winter here in north America. Related is a condition known as pneumonia. A recent edition of the Mayo Clinic newsletter, Housecall, describes pneumonia as an infection that inflames the air sac in one or both lungs. The sac may fill with purulent material resulting in coughing or producing phlegm when one coughs. Also chest pain, fever, chills, feeling tired, some mental confusion in older folks, persistent cough. The Mayo Clinic writers recommend to see a healthcare provider if chest pain and co...

Hello Grafted In Readers, May I consider this a bonus visit between us? It is January 16 in my corner of blog land. One topic today: Words of the Year. I receive a weekly newsletter titled Grammar Girl and this issue discussed some of the top words from 2017. Experts agree that "fake news" exceeded others and was the winner. A couple other words of interest to me were - kwaussie which is an Australian word describing one who has dual citizenship in Australia and New Zealand. - agathism is a word that has been around for a couple centuries. It is a belief that things will eventually get better, though the means of getting there may take time and considerable effort. -broflake is defined as a man or boy who lacks resiliance or coping skills when setbacks occur or disagreements arise with others. I wonder if that has to be gender-specific? Hopefully, I will find a story creation to use one or two of these fine words in. I'll let "fake news" run its co...

Hello and Happy 2018 Grafted In Readers! It is January 4 in my corner of blog land. We are in our tenth day where the temperatures will not reach 20 degrees Fahrenheit but they will remain in the teens or single digits through the coming weekend. I understand that we could break previous records from 1979 and 1936. I was out of state for both times in the past. In 1936, I was not born, and in '79, I was doing an externship in another state to finish college. Since last time, I did finish reading, and still highly recommend, "Davita's Harp" by the late Chaim Potok. He writes in an entertaining manner and also has plenty within the story for one to ponder. Consider for example the advice given by Aunt Sarah to the nine-year-old Iliana Davita, "Good-bye Davita. Be discontented with this world, but at the same time be respectful." I plan to read another novel or two by this author in the coming months. What is the start of a new year without a health re...