Early voting days in Kentucky are October 29, 30, and 31! See you at the polls that week!
Election Focus
Rite of Passage
I heard about Costco while in Cambodia, and then when I returned, my sister Mary introduced me to the real thing and eventually I got a membership. In articles, I had also seen mention of the $1.50 hot dog combo, their trademark food offering that never changes its price.
Today I went to Costco to get some things for my trip to Cambodia next week and since it was lunch time and I was far from home, I decided to try the hot dog and a Coke. Not bad!
The “dining room” lacks a certain elegance, but now I feel like a real Ahmuracan!!
Thomas Merton
The True Self
Thomas Merton, the Trappist Monk, is noted for his conception of the true self, the real person who is often obscured by fears or insecurities or sinfulness or other factors.
Yesterday’s 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time gospel was the story of the father who asked his two sons to work in the vineyard. One said he wouldn’t but then did the work. The other said he would work but then refused to do it.
Here is a commentary from Daily Prayer 2026 that places that gospel story in the context of an understanding of the true self:
International Deaf Week
Today is the last day of International Deaf Week, the celebration held each year by deaf people all over the world the last week of September. One feature of Deaf Week is this Deaf flag which was voted on and approved in 2023 at the general assembly of the World Federation of the Deaf.
Our Old Kentucky Home
Here we are four of the surviving Dittmeier siblings–Charlie, Jane, Martha, and Mary–at the Pewee Valley Women’s Club where we had a baby shower for Mary’s daughter Bailey. It was a grand event and the location made it even better. Our family was in Pewee from 1960 till our mother died ten years ago.
Mid Autumn Festival
Today in China and Hong Kong the Mid Autumn Festival took place. This celebration, with a history of 1,300 years, is marked on the full moon by children carrying decorative lanterns, special foods, and especially by the exchange of moon cakes. It is a beautiful and engaging time in Hong Kong and I miss it!
International Deaf Week
September 21-27
20 Years of the CRPD and National Sign Languages
As we mark 20 years of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, we celebrate a recognition: national sign languages as full and equal languages. 20 years on, recognizing national sign languages means reaffirming a commitment to deaf people’s human rights and ensuring these rights are fully implemented.
Here and There, Then and Now
After 42 years in Asia, I returned home to Kentucky. But it isn’t the home I left. Things I saw THEN are different NOW. Life HERE is different from life THERE. Here is another example of the differences.
then
Funeral homes have a long tradition of providing “Comfort & Service to Families” upon the death of a loved one, as the Rattermans ad below indicates.
now
The loved ones of the family apparently now include the family pets. I wouldn’t have seen THAT forty years ago!
Elections are coming!
Make sure you are registered! Check online to see if you are current because the Republicans and the present administration are doing everything they can to remove voters from rolls.