Flash Floods

It was 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the desert. That would be in the shade, my friends. It's nice to have a pool. We took our trusty little pool vacuum cleaner and got rid of the desert sand that likes to settle on the bottom--caught a few wasps and other bugs in the skimmer. Then a bolt of lightning struck the vast emptiness behind us. Mmmm, better get out of the pool. Thunder followed, and more lightning. And suddenly gales from Middle Earth haunted the neighborhood. Darkness greeted us around one in the afternoon.

The local mountains disappeared into the mists of Avalon and reappeared as if rising from the sea. A flash flood turned the desert into a torrid river. But 20 minutes later the dried up earth had already swallowed the flowing waters. And all is how it used to be. It's 10 degrees cooler yet the sun shines again. In the end, the storm managed to gather the tumbleweeds and drop them in our gardens. The rose bushes have lost their petals, and the pool could use a little more water.

We fared well this time unlike the city by The Lake--uprooted trees, flooding and damage to the local McDonalds. These are the days of our lives.

In any case, Mother has another entry in her 1942 blog. I'm just sayin' . . . you seriously might want to go read.



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Thursday Thirteen Ed #14

Thirteen Pro Athletes We Can Still Admire.
This is a quick list of good-guy athletes. Yes, they do exist. They just don't get the press and they probably don't mind.

1. Curt Schilling (Boston Red Sox): It's that whole bloody sock incident and him telling the team there's no such thing as "the curse." And he's finally speaking out about his faith.

2. Matt Hasselback (Seattle Seahawks): He got a little cocky there when he played against the Packers, but when he got put in his place he humbled himself. He's always talked about his faith.

3. David Eckstein (St. Louis Cardinals, though he'll always be an Angel): He plays with heart, loves his family and I could go on about this little man, but just google him.

4. Eric Karros (Los Angeles Dodgers, retired, awesome broadcaster): Didn't mind that buddy Mike Piazza took all the glory. He raises money for the pediatrics dept. at Lynwood Medical Center. I've volunteered at his golf tournament and he's a gem of a gentleman.

5. Shawn Alexander (Seattle Seahawks): Most beautiful smile with a quiet and gentle spirit to die for. Always keeps the faith.

6. Andy Pettitt (New York Yankees): Don't respect the Yanks much but Andy is someone to look up to. He's a team player and gets along with all of his colleagues. When playing for the Houston Astros and the press accused him of saying "Oh, my God!" in anger it was his team mates that corrected the media. Andy said "Oh my gosh" and they were not angry words. He was just amazed at the home run hit by . . . sorry I forgot who hit that. Forever keeps the faith.

7. Tim Salmon (LA Angels of Anaheim, retired): Anyone who can stay with one team deserves to be respected. And get this--Tim runs a boot camp for Daddies-to-be (rookie dads) to become veteran-daddies-that-are. Apparently the dads get to bring the kids to boot camp. Nice!

8. Tony Dungy (Indianapolis Colts): Wow! Google him and take the time to read his son's story. Faith in Jesus carried this family through their darkest moments. I'm glad they are the Super Bowl Champs.

9. Rick Ankiel (St. Louis Cardinals): So how does a guy go from awesome pitcher to can't find the strike zone in one year then disappears from baseball and emerges as a homerun hitter six years later? Ask Adam Kennedy who apparently kept the faith for him.

10. Shawn Green (New York Mets): Our most awesome Jewish young man. Tried to keep the Sabbath and even refused to play on Yum Kippur (sp?), at least I think that was the Jewish holy day. He's getting a little bit of an attitude in New York--go figure.

11. Ryan Klesko (San Fran Giants): Seriously needs to get out of Giant territory. Likes to share his faith with fans after games. Well, he did when I was there at a San Diego game in their old stadium.

12. Jeff Burton (NASCAR #31): He's the quiet race car driver lovingly called JB. He's a gracious winner, loves God, family and racing. It's a good order of things.

13. Curt Warner (Arizona Cardinals): He had two good years with the Rams and then his arm faded. I loved it when the Cards were on the verge of beating the Bears last season but fell behind by a few points with a minute or so left in the game and he told Matt Leinard, "You can do this, you were made for this." Aww, he's still cool. Keep the faith Curt and may you find one more good season.

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Book Review: Mariah Mundi

The Gatekeeper's life has been stuck in a whirlwind of late. Thus her brain has had quite the challenge to come back to Earth, so to speak. She has three book reviews to write, one being for Mariah Mundi, but alas, she flounders.

However, we have found a worthy review by Jill Murphy of "The Book Bag" in the UK and shall publish it here for our enjoyment. Mariah Mundi will be released on September 6th, we have not been told the release date in the US, so reserve your copy right now. We shall discuss the Mariah Mundi treasure hunt in a later post. Original manuscripts worth thousands of that British money is hidden around Scarborough amongst other treasures. In any case, here's the review by Jill Murphy.

Sidebar: They're touting it as a successor to Harry Potter, but I think it surpasses Potter on just about every level there is. Highly recommended. (Jill Murphy)

Mariah Mundi has ended his time at the Colonial School without a family to go home to. His parents are missing, presumed dead, somewhere in the Sudan. So Mariah is sent to take up employment at the Prince Regent Hotel, a fabulous place filled with inventions and luxury. It even has a steam-operated lift. Mariah is to be apprenticed to the Great Bizmillah, the magician at the hotel's theatre. It doesn't take long for Mariah and his new-found friend Sasha to discover some unwelcome secrets about the Prince Regent. Previous boys sent there from the Colonial School have all disappeared and to where, nobody knows. In an Egyptian sarcophagus deep in the bowels of the hotel's basement, Mariah and Sasha find a shocking clue to their fate.

But in whom can they trust? Definitely not in the hotel owner, the narcoleptic Otto Luger, or his girlfriend Monica, who never removes her hands from their silk gloves. The Great Bizmillah isn't a good option - he is seen in furtive conversations with the mysterious Isambard Black who follows Mariah about in a very suspicious way. Even Captain Jack Charity with his pet crocogon Cuba doesn't seem to be telling all that he knows.

The Midas Box is dark, dense and exciting and it doesn't make any concessions to its young readers. The narrative is a combination of fantasy quest and whodunnit and every character has ambiguities. You're never quite sure in whom to trust. Moreover, you're never quite sure that characters are the people they claim to be, or even the people they actually were in the last chapter. There are moral certainties but everyone is tempted, and the trick in the book is in establishing who is going to emerge unscathed. Unashamedly, there is an awful lot going on - no decision is devoid of consequences and sometimes costly compromises must be made.

There's a wonderful Dickensian atmosphere to it all and the Prince Regent Hotel, carved into a cliff, rises like a colossus out of the sea's mists, a representation of humanity's arrogance and cruelty but also its potential. Its green, slimy basements belie the luxury and invention at its top. It really is wonderful, wonderful stuff. Underneath the action, there is a wealth of subtle jokes and puns - handkerchiefs become hankersniffs for example - and you have the wonderful feeling that the more times you read this book, the more it will open itself up to you.

I'm removing half a Bookbag star for accessibility. There were times when, even reading as an adult, I found parts of The Midas Box difficult to follow and the book is dense enough to prove daunting for some less confident readers. However, this is not a real criticism; I'm all for books that challenge and books that pay even greater dividends on second and subsequent readings and The Midas Box does both. They're touting it as a successor to Harry Potter, but I think it surpasses Potter on just about every level there is. Highly recommended.

There you go my friends. The Gatekeeper shall finish her own copy soon and report her two cents worth. I would have a link for you all to buy the book but nobody seems to be selling it yet. No fear, you shall find it here . . . soon.





GP Taylor Mariah Mundi The Midas Box

I Love The Old Guys In Dodger Blue

Okay, honestly, I'm going to have to write my own Dodger news.




The Gatekeeper's Shoppe?



Gatekeeper Think Cure LA Dodgers

The PDF Files

It took her a while but even Lady Gatekeeper learned how to make pdf files. You'll need to proceed with the Adobe Acrobat Download in order to produce these files. But you knew that. What the Lady was looking for was the necessary pdf converter software to self-publish a few short stories. Found a good one which will allow her to convert from Word to PDF and 50% off at that. Can't lose there.

In any case, the Gatekeeper knows that Adobe Systems has developed and perfected this portable document format. These allow one to view and capture information from any computer system and application. Even government agencies use Adobe--see, they're smart. Just kidding. We use pdf files to create all our homeschool documents and they are easily sent to all our students online. Keep writing and creating those perfect docs!

Of Blogs And Purpose

And speaking of other blogs. I was speaking of other blogs wasn't I? I'm maintaining about 5 blogs these days. What was I thinking exactly? Who knows. It started, really, so that this blog would remain a more personal journal and leave the business somewhere else. Since it has always been my intent to make a living online to keep my stay-at-home-mom status I've worked very hard this summer to make a consistent paycheck. It's been quite an interesting journey which includes my freelance writing adventures. At least I've been able to pay all my bills and paid for a nice vacation. So here they are (my other blogs) and the reason for having them.

The Family Book Cellar: It's where I have all my online programs. I asked the Lord to help me make, at least, $400 a week over there. We're more than half-way towards that goal.

If Mom Had A Blog In 1942: This is mom's story of how the Lord took her through WWII and a civil war. We are very honored to have a small group of regulars over there. They keep me writing. Hope you join us as I introduce you to an extraordinary little girl who grew up in a world filled with wars.

My Dad's Sermons: Dad's blog is actually called "The Pentecostal Journals of W.C. de Quilettes." I've condensed some of his sermons and Bible studies. We'll be adding CDs and DVDs soon. There is a certain responsibility one must own to take on this task.

The Hollywood Moms Report: Stories, articles, interviews and all our wanderings with my kids who are trying to make it in Hollywood. If we raise them well, with God's guidance, these kids will have a good enough foundation to make it in this industry without "losing" their way.

The Gate Webzine: Sad to say but I've kind of neglected this one. And would you believe it's my church's webzine? It seems that I'm going to need a little bit of help on this one. Need to promote it at church but I'm on the bottom of the ministry list. No matter--the Lord has perfect timing.

Oh, those blogs. They do fill my days. And happy days they are as well as productive. Take care and I would be very honored if you came to visit.



The Gatekeeper's Shoppe?

Karl's Blog

I wish the Gatekeeper could get her blog as organized as Karl's blog. You'll have to visit his blog to find out exactly what I mean. To begin with it's rather fun and inspirational with his Random-Acts-of-Kindness posts on Monday and the Friday Factoids make for very interesting reading. For instance did you know that in Gone With The Wind, according to the battles mentioned, Melanie would have had to endure a 21 month long pregnancy? Hmmmm, very interesting. Big oops.

Karl Moore, of course, is a successful British author with great inspirations for us all, especially writers. He even has a radio station for writers by writers and one with saxophone music. Maybe he'll add a rock and roll one later. I would love to pick his brain and find out how to operate one of those stations.

In any case, spent your free moment at his blog and connect with other writers at his very popular forum. That's my two cents worth, hop on over and have a great time--feed your brain.

What I Did Today

Look what I can do. It's one way of spending a Saturday--put pictures on T's I mean. Oh wait, I also half-poisoned myself with all those chemicals we threw in our little pool to get that cloudy murky stuff out. Typed up a few gazillion pages for Dad's blog and cooked up a little corn beef brisket. And I did check in for jury duty. You can do that online now. My jury duty has been postponed so I don't have to show up on Monday. But then I must call in everyday. Here's lookin' to Friday. Oh my. I forgot to tell the court I have no car at this moment. Hmmm. One could only hope they care. Not!

In any case, here's our Gatekeeper T-Shirts made over at SpreadShirt. Just tryin' to have some fun!



Lion And Lamb T-Shirt
Spreadshirt Market Place Product


Spreadshirt Market Place Product
Back Off!!T-Shirt

How To Start Writing Your Book

An incredibly informative and fun seminar called AuthorizeMe is being offered soon. This seminar, taught by my friend, Sharon Norris Elliott, will help you to get your book idea out of your head, completely outlined, and formatted into a professional book proposal ready to present to an acquisitions editor. After you learn the AuthorizeMe method, you can apply it to all future book ideas you may have.

AuthorizeMe is being offered this October as an add-on day to the Sandy Cove Christian Writers' Conference. It would be great if you could attend the entire conference and the seminar, but if your schedule and budget only allows one class, you won't be disappointed by attending AuthorizeMe. The details for the AuthorizeMe add-on class are below. Register directly with the Sandy Cove Conference center and e-mail Sharon directly to tell her you'll be attending. You'll be glad you did!



AuthorizeMe - Special Add-on day to the writers' conference
October 3 - 4 Sandy Cove Christian Conference Center
Northeast, MD
Cost with overnight stay and meals: Single = $302.00; Double = $242.00

Register for full conference and/or add-on day at www.SandyCoveWriters.com
Contact Sharon directly at AuthorizeMe@sbcglobal.net

(Full Sandy Cove Christian Writers' Conference dates: Sept. 30 - Oct. 3)

Read my interview with Sharon here.


Ah, Would You Venture Into The Gatekeeper's Shoppe?

AuthorizeMe Story boarding Sandy Cove Christian Writers' Conference

The Neighborhood Chronicles

The neighborhood slept in a cloud of dust last night. Why are there trucks still cruising the desert at 4:00 AM? A mystery indeed. They have left an inch of dirt at the bottom of our pool. Oh bother, time to buy that underwater pool vacuum cleaner. Oh well, it had to be done.

New neighbor to the left has tried to laid down squares of green grass. Glistening pearls of fresh water escape through hissing sprinklers. It's quite soothing, to say the least. But alas, there are already yellow patches appearing here and there. Soft green grass will struggle on to find strength if it is to grow in our desert community.

Neighbors are moving this week, and likely in the weeks to follow. A mother's life was taken and her soul mate, her lover, her husband of fifteen years can no longer live in the house they called home. We shall miss them and forever wonder if we had done enough. God will watch over them as we bid them farewell.

Furthermore, neighbor to the right (Lady Peas) has not been spotted for a while. It seems that her husband has taken a few days off. We shall not speak of it further. Do not worry, Lady Peas, we have your children. Send food soon.

In any case, our castle lays silent amongst tumbleweeds and desert sands. The coyotes have wandered off for the day. They will return when darkness falls, with eyes aglow, looking for water. It is here for their taking. Our little Road Runners appear when Mr. and Mrs. Coyote make their exit. I do wonder who is faster. Would not like to find out however.

At any rate, the Gatekeeper finds herself alone. Her young lord has journeyed to his father's new abode near the Kingdom of the Mouse. Tomorrow he shall witness the beating of Blue Jays by Angels (those in Anaheim) and share his dreams with Cousin J. who he hasn't seen for a year. It will be a good reunion.

Princess S. is in school--a six hour film class. She called to let Mom Gatekeeper know she was having fun. She bears her nickname, School Girl, with pride. Ah, life is good.

I shall read "Mariah Mundi" by Rev. Graham Taylor, and will do a book review soon. Speaking thus of book reviews, The Village has asked me to do a few and I suspect, with great enthusiasm, they will soon have a full-time book reviewer. Should be fun as we showcase our very own authors.

Well, clothes will not wash themselves--away with me. The neighborhood shall survive yet another day under the scorching sun.


"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." (1 Peter 8-10)

Ah, Would You Venture Into The Gatekeeper's Shoppe?

Team Captains For Memory Walk

At our house warming party my mom introduced me to her long time friend. Her friend smiled but she was silent, and didn't even seem to recognize who was doing the introductions. I learned later that Mom's friend suffered from Alzheimer's.

Therefore, if I may, let me tell you about The Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk. It is the nation's largest event to not only raise awareness for this disease, but to also raise funds for care, support and research. The Memory Walk has raised an impressive $225 million and the Association is once again asking for our help.

First and foremost if you would like to be a Team Captain you can sign up online and start recruiting your team. You only need to find ten members for your team to raise around $200 and, of course, commit to the 3 mile walk. As a team captain you will have access to fund-raising tools. Furthermore, it's a wonderful opportunity to build relationships with family, new friends and perhaps colleagues. Build good relationships with your customers or clients and instill a sense of honor to that business of yours (or more honor). Walk with a purpose. And what could be better than uniting with family and friends for a great cause.

As a team captain you can get it all going, use your leadership skills and earn a lot of pride for having done your awesome part to better this world. Now there's something to live for.

There's a walk in all states and you can find one close to your neighborhood, I'm sure. So sign up for a walk near you and be a part of the solution. It's where champions are made.





Memory Walk



Alzheimer's Memory Walk fund raisers

Family Vids For Our Aussie Cousins

Here's a couple of videos for Auntie G, Cousin S, and Niece J. Sorry, but I won't allow myself on film and I'll have Oma and Opa starring in the next video. The boy flying through the air is your Cousin Layne and the film maker is Cousin Cammy.




And here's a few rag-tag bits and pieces of videos I put together. The Princess and young Lord L. think it's not good enough to put on blog. To that I say, Hah!





Ah, Would You Venture Into The Gatekeeper's Shoppe?



PhotoBucket family videos Australia

From Seattle to So Cal in 24 Hours

So we hitched a ride back to Southern Cal with a friend of mine who was making her way from Alberta, Canada, to Washington and eventually return with us to sunny California. We left the cozy drizzle of Seattle at 2:00 am Monday and reached LA around midnight Tuesday. A couple more hours on the road and we were home and the 100 degree weather. All in all we totalled 24 and half hours of driving time. It was quite an adventure--I'll never do it again.

In the meantime we left our shoes on Counsin C's front porch and one cell phone in her car. We forgot to pick her plum tree which literally broke in half because of its massive sweet harvest. Somewhere between Snohomish and Lynwood we lost an Ipod, our laundry and apparently our sanity.

Good news: I conquered my fear of flying.
Bad news: I found my fear for Rest Areas!

Our next big adventure--awaiting the arrival of cousins from Australia. That's a three-hour drive to LAX for pick-up, to start off said adventure. Then we'll take Aussie cousins to visit San Fran, Seattle, Oregon and Vegas cousins. Ooooh, I'm tired already but looking forward to every minute. We'll have to take school on the road with us for Lord Spanky.

Our little desert community is looking forward to welcoming my cousins from down under. We have street barbecues planned, pool parties and an intro to American, Mexican and Peruvian food. And a trip to Inn & Out, of course. I love my neighbors!

Cousins

We cruised the fields of Stocker Farms and listened to a gazillion bands play from noon till midnight. Tasted exotic foods from Greece, Hawaii and the ice-cream man. There was enough dust in our hair, nostrils, on our feet and clothes to build our own sand box but we enjoyed every second of our family time together in the Washington sunshine.

Little cousin L. might have lost his Ipod thingy in my rental car so we are dealing with lost and found at Alamo (who by the way gave me a beautiful Cadillac SRX instead of a Kia Sportage for the same price). Cousin L. is very sad about this ordeal so we hope to find it soon.

Teenage cousin M. did a fantastic job setting up the worship tent, maintaining it, and choosing outstanding people to lead worship. I tried to make a video but I didn't have enough memory. More sadness. 13-year-old cousin R. took control of the prayer tent and did a fine job.

My young lord Layne, made sure he had his back stage pass, he also had a staff pass, and was able to rock out in the front row with all the best bands--Skillet, Pillar, Classic Crime and Esterlyn to name a few. Then at midnight he hung around the bonfire with all the cousins and friends with guitars. Movies played all night at the X-Stage which belonged to the unsigned bands (soon-to-be signed I'm sure).

Cousin C. gave us a place to stay for our last couple of days here. It's a beautiful loft with our own bathroom and mini kitchen and a home theater to die for. We are sooooo spoiled. And no creepy crawling thumping spiders in the loft. Lots of black berries to pick, apples and plums before we head home.

There are still over or close to 20 cousins we didn't get to spend or even see, but we have promised to come back for Christmas. Oy! I'm tired already. We should be heading out after Freedom Fest tonight (around 2am) for California because the friends who are picking us up on their way home from Alberta Canada have to be back at work by Tuesday morning. Got to get my rest now. We are loading up on Starbucks. See you back home and here's some fine tunes to keep us all awake!

Home Theater

Mother asked the other day, "What does one receive for their 50th anniversary?" We told her anything she wanted. Of course her grandchildren chose for her a home theater from the Gallery Furniture in Texas (as just an example). They always get excited when they read there's financing available. Go figure. She smiled, but Father and I have already decided. Since she's not keen on traveling, exotic island adventures is a no go.

Nonetheless, as she usually checks out furniture magazines Father is set on finally furnishing that empty formal dining room of hers. She's given us enough clues and family is willing to pitch in. Houston furniture seems to be her style and we thought we would browse a few of those pages at the Gallery. Apparently there are amazing closeout deals as well as store specials you should check out. And if you live in the vicinity (they have a map) same day delivery is possible.

In any case, as a little girl, Mother shared a good meal every evening in her family's dining room. It is time for her to return to such elegance even though she is perfectly content with what she has. Perhaps that is the reason we find a need to spoil her. Here's the Excelsior Collection we would most likely choose. Now there's some class and style. It's very similar to what her family had when they ruled their island in the East Indies. Her golden years will be better still as we try to bring a little bit of luxury back into her life.

There's a showroom floor or you can browse the furniture gallery online. Let me know what you decide on.






Gatekeeper Furniture Gallery formal dining room

Freedom Fest Begins

Early Friday morning and Freedom Fest commercials hit the air waves. That should bring in the throngs. It's opening day at Stocker Farms and we are itching to go. The first band will play at noon, check out Freedom Fest website for the line up, because it's early and little cousin L. and I have no clue! What we do know is that Skillet will end the night and here they are for you to review, since you're not here! It's "Rebirthing" with clips from "The Chronicles of Narnia." How awesome is that?



We're going to try to get an interview with Skillet tonight. Pray for us! And pray for the kids who come to the festival. Lives will be touched, lives will be changed! Thanks, my friends.




Gatekeeper Freedom Fest Christian music festival

When God Calls

Here is something very close to my heart as I come from a long line of pastors and missionaries. Travel plans for mission trips, and getting a pastor from one church to the other, are just one long headache (though we take all things in stride). We usually had one poor soul take on the responsibility of letting the rest of the group know exactly what to prepare for--paper work, the different vaccinations and so forth.

Recently, scanning through the pages of my employment opportunities I came across information on missionary travel flights and started reading all about people taking care of people. I know, you've probably heard that before. But check this out.

Here's a group of individuals who know what it's like when the Lord sends you out to Thailand, for example, and as a missionary they know that you are trying to stretch every dollar you've raised. Most of the team at Golden Rule Travel have been missionaries themselves and the name actually comes from Matthew 7:12 which says, ". . . doing unto others as we would have them do to us." In fact, if you would read all about them you would get the bigger picture of who they really are.

The usual is there, of course: they will find you the lowest fares (they will go the second mile for you) by taking the time to check every airline and their special rates (and they do have contracts with most of them), they shall treat you like family, and the Christian staff will let you know every detail of your journey before you leave which even includes currency conversion info. But this staff truly sounds like it's more than a job for them (since they've worn the same shoes), it's serving God.

Well, honestly I could go on about this travel agency but I might serve you better if you take a look for yourselves. Read their testimonials which are never solicited. Let your church know, let the mission teams at your church know that there's a company ready to serve the traveling needs and apparently they are available 24/7. Blessings to all.






Missionaries flights for missionaries Christian travel agency