Happy Easter

Do not weep at the foot of the cross for long.

The crux of the matter is not hanging there,
cannot be hung there.

Try as you may to shut that body down
and slay its prophecies,
the living and the dead, mother and child, the best of friends,
cannot ultimately be separated by
jealousy, betrayal, cowardice, or death.

The open heart is the cross of light,
arms outstretched to bless
embrace
enfold.

It matters more, is more scandalous,
than any splinter of wood
broken bones
or thorny crown.

The crux of the matter is the love of the mother,
the life of the father,
the hands of the child
extending beyond self
to the familiar and the strange.

It is the heart burst open
not by the thrust of a sword
but by the breadth of the embrace,
stretched to include all.

The heart so opened,
this spring of life beyond time
never dries.

It spills forth blood and water,
love and mercy
free and effervescent~
spreads laughter, releases prisoners,
heals the sick, and raises the dead
to life.

This heart of service, is a storehouse
of treasure.

It is the leverage for rolling away the stone,
and filling the grave with light.

Walk forth then, stride away
from this hill of broken bones,
leave behind your dread and sorrow,
and cry for joy
instead.

(From Beyond the Leaving, Gil Hedley 2011)

Grab Bag No-hop Hop to It:

A workout designed with no jumping…

Credit to Back On Pointe

Grab Bag Concussion App:

Brain bruises (concussions) have received a good deal of attention lately, due in large part to the tragic suicides of a few football players who were likely suffering devastating cognitive changes resulting from multiple concussions.

TBIs (traumatic brain injuries) account for an incredible 1.6 to 3.8 million sports injuries every year. Add to that the countless concussions occurring among U.S. soldiers, and we have a seriously large issue that needs to be addressed.

With nearly 90% of concussions going undetected, and therefore untreated, a team of scientists at Notre Dame set out to improve that statistic. Success! They have developed a tablet-based testing system that can be administered on site, according to Sciencedaily.com.

The “app” captures the voice of an individual before participating in any high-risk activity. If a suspected concussion occurs, the app captures the voice of the individual again and analyzes the speech pattern comparisons for signs of a potential concussion, immediately, in real time.

In a separate article in the NY Times, it appears the NFL will provide all 32 teams with independent  neurological consultants at each game who will be using a different app with an iPad starting this next season. That app coalesces numerous test results on balance, awareness and concentration.

Who knows what’s next… maybe our iPads “beam” us to the nearest hospital?

Grab Bag Snap-a-Day:

Today is the first day of the rest of….. your life in photos!

Shuttercal is a cool website which encourages you to snap and upload a picture every day, building a visual history of memories. What a great way to journal.

Give it  try… your descendants will love it!

Grab Bag Juggle-tease:

I think this took a bit of practice….

Thanks to Stina H. for sending this in.

Grab Bag Brain Game:

Test your memory for a series of decisions you must make and recall. A good work out!

MEMORY LANE

Grab Bag Funny Stuff:

These plumbers have discovered the fashion strategy of diversion: