Nothing says, "I'm ready for National Day" like a fresh chicken in the pot. I took this about a week ago between JingAn and Qufu Lu. I assume that these birds were destined to be part of today's National Day celebration.

The whole town was empty this afternoon. I rode my scooter for a little while, but then it felt like more rain was on the way so I got back home as quickly as I could. And it was cold.

Still ruminating on the readings for this week. We see Adam -- who was the first person, not the first man, really -- we see Adam needing a companion and then getting one. Then we see that relationships get broken. Jesus is not for that, but the fact that he's talking about it tells me that it's a reality. And then we see that we are still to welcome one another like little children. Children are not married which brings single people into the community of faith in a way that the pope seems incapable of.

And there is Job. Why, why did poor Job go through all that?  Answer? There is no answer. Can we live with that? I gotta say, I have a real hard time with it. I only live with it because sometimes I have to. I have never been happy about it, and I am only marginally faithful in the midst of it. So there might be something yet to learn from Job.

I have a few days off. I am just futzing around here and taking naps.