The MI-5

1) “An oracle: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi.” (This is the book I’m currently reading.) Answer: This actually is the book of Malachi! I try to read five chapters in the Bible every morning. I start at the front, and read to the end. Once I get to the end, I start over. Someone mentioned that when they did that sort of reading, they picked a new translation each time. So, I’ve decided to do that! I read the King James, and am working on the New International now. I start Mark tonight! (I also sometimes read in the evening.)

2) “THE ‘Red Death’ had long devastated the country.” (One of my favorite short stories.) Answer: “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe. I figured some of you would at least be able to guess that one. I’m a huge Poe fan, and “Masque” is high on my list of favorites. I made a blog template with that theme, and produced a Reader’s Theater piece based on it.

3) “My grandmother, in her own way, shines like a beacon down the stormy American past.” (A favorite book I read over and over. Most of you probably haven’t read it.) Answer: This is “Revenge of the Lawn” by Richard Brautigan. I think my English teacher Roz Costa introduced me to him. He’s one of my favorites. I own all his works I can reasonably afford. The only things I don’t have are the outrageously expensive out-of-print stuff. The rest of it I’ve read.

4) “He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days know without taking a fish.” (This one you’ve probably all read, and should be an easy guess. This is a book I want to re-read.) Answer: “The Old Man and the Sea” by Hemingway. I figured this would be an easy guess too. I didn’t read this in high school, but it’s frequently required reading. Last week I mentioned I wanted to re-read it. I did–this week!

5) “When you ask why I dwell here docile among the far green hills, I laugh in my heart. My heart is happy.” (I’d guess none of you have ever read this book; I read it rather frequently.) Answer: The Jade Flute: Chinese Poems  in Prose.”  It’s out of print. It’s everything about me, in poems: it’s romantic, wistful, and melancholy. See if this sounds like something I might like…

To His Dead Lover

“The swishing sound of silk is still. The dust gathers on marble floors. The room is hollow, cold and silent. Leaves have drifted against the doors.

Longing for that lost sweet girl, I wonder how to lull my aching heart to rest.”

Take five different books, and type in the first line of each
book. You can pick a book you just read, a book you are reading, and a book
you want to read. You can use fiction, non-fiction, poetry, textbooks,
whatever. If you want to create your own similarities among the five books,
you can. However, you can pick any random five books you want, whether you
have read them or not. DO NOT post the name of the book, nor the author.
Only list the first line. Over the next week, visit the blog of each MI-5’er. Make yourself post a comment. It can be any comment, with one exception: DO NOT TRY TO GUESS THE BOOK OR THE AUTHOR. This is to the keep the “surprise” for those of us who like to guess. You may indicate that you’ve read the book, that based upon the first line you’d like (or not like) to read the book, or you can
indicate that you know the book (just don’t name the book or author). Next Thursday or Friday, each MI-5’er should add the title and the author to
their original entry.

1) “An oracle: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi.” (This is the book I’m currently reading.)

2) “THE ‘Red Death’ had long devastated the country.” (One of my favorite short stories.)

3) “My grandmother, in her own way, shines like a beacon down the stormy American past.” (A favorite book I read over and over. Most of you probably haven’t read it.)

4) “He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days know without taking a fish.” (This one you’ve probably all read, and should be an easy guess. This is a book I want to re-read.)

5) “When you ask why I dwell here docile among the far green hills, I laugh in my heart. My heart is happy.” (I’d guess none of you have ever read this book; I read it rather frequently.)

OK, rememeber: If you know the answer, DON’T mention the name or author in your comments! Next week, I’ll reveal who is what. By my guesstimate, though, you’ll be able to get three out of the five I posted.

This fiver is inspired by a bowl of my beloved wife’s Chinese Chicken Noodle soup. Your answers need not be related to food.

1) Chicken. We Americans eat lots of chicken, yet we’ve bred them to have little flavor. What’s something you do in your life that you do even though it has little flavor? That is, what is something you continue to do, though you receive little fulfillment for it? Take out the trash. Floss my teeth. Work on websites.

2) Noodles. Who invented them, the Chinese or the Italians? Tell us about your cultural heritage. Of what decent are you? I’m mostly an amalgam of UK, with mostly English/Scottish. There’s some French in there, and supposedly some American Indian somewhere along the line. The name Batty is supposed to be Welsh, but a genealogist once told me that many Scots, especially in the lowlands, took on Welsh names. Elwell and Maker are English names, and Cavenor is Scotch. Yattaw is on the French side of things.

3) Green onions. When I was a kid, I didn’t like onions. Now, I can’t get enough of them. What’s something you used to dislike, but now really like? Other than onions, I can’t really think of much.

4) Carrots. When I was a kid, I couldn’t eat carrots. Now, I can eat them, but I don’t really care for them too much. What’s something you never cared for as a child that you still don’t care for today? Opera.

5) Broth. Without broth, you don’t have soup. What’s the thing that, if you didn’t have it, would make you not be you? I wouldn’t be me without the drums. If someone were to ask me “Who is Bill Batty,” I’d be most likely to respond “I’m a drummer.” And, I’d probably say that before I’d say “I’m a father,” or “I’m a husband.” Now, being a father and a husband is more important to me than being a drummer, but I’ve been a drummer longer.

This MI-5 is inspired by the five meetings I had yesterday.

Meeting 1, the pastor: Tell us an interesting story about you and a playground.
We used to play this game on the playground called “Red Butt.” It was a game we invented. You take a tennis ball, and bounce it off a wall. The other kids try and catch the ball. If they catch it, they throw it back against the wall, and continue. The game really gets fun when someone drops the ball. When they drop the ball, they start running to tag the wall. The other players run to grab the ball, and try to throw it against the wall before the drop-er touches the wall. If the person who dropped the ball get to the wall first, they’re safe. If another person snags the ball, and throws it against the wall before the drop-er gets there, well, here’s what happens. The person who dropped the ball bends over, butt out, head touching the wall. The person who grabbed the ball and hit the wall with it gets a free throw at the persons bum! And since the drop-er is bent over, they can’t see when the ball is going to arrive! It’s really quite fun, and I think I need to put a game together!

Meeting 2, the insurance lady: What typical workplace benefit do you not have currently that you wish you did have?
I currently have life insurance personally, but I’d like to have more. A voluntary group life plan would be nice. (The benefits we do get are very generous.)

Meeting 3, the real estate agent: Relate to us something about an experience buying/selling/renting a home.
Susan and I are in the very beginning stages of selling our current home, and buying something “new.” I’ve only purchased one home before, and never sold one. It’s quite a new experience for me.

Meeting 4, the radio sales rep: What’s your favorite radio station? What’s the genre? Why do you like it?
Since purchasing my XM radio, I really only listen to NPR on FM. There are many stations I like on XM: ’80s on 8, alternative country on 12, bluegrass on 14, clean comedy on 151, and the talk stations 158 and 165. And I like “America Right” on 166. Oh, and I’ve also been listening to “The Catholic Channel” on 117. I like their question and answer shows. I think Protestant talk radio could really use more Q/A shows.

Meeting 5, the dessert loving banker: What’s your favorite dessert? Why?
Oh, that’s tough. Susan’s cheesecake is good, as are her cookies. Mom’s chocolate pie with cooked pudding (not instant) is high on the list. And I really like Pepperidge Farm’s chocolate cake too. Prism Glass’s Italian lemon creme cake has been in my thoughts recently, too.

My beloved wife says “Since it is the week before New Year’s Day I thought we could do some reflecting on the past year.”

1. What one unexpected joy did you discover? I really do like raw oysters. I had had one years ago. It was mostly eaten just so I could say that I had tried one. It basically went down whole. And though I had had other opportunities to try one, I didn’t want to shell (haha!) out $3 to see if I really liked them. At a gig a few months ago, they served oysters on the free raw bar. So I tried one. I took my time, and chewed it thoroughly. It was good. I think, though, that I would much prefer them under better conditions. This one wasn’t very cold, and didn’t have any of its “liquor,” so it was a little dry. Still, it was good.

2. What  two things would you have done differently? Why? Hmm. I think I would’ve stayed on vacation in New Hampshire longer; it seems like we were really rushed. And, I would’ve called my plow people to let them know I would be out late on blizzard night!

3.  What were the three most significant events? My daughter started home school. My wife had surgery (minor). I had the flu, and was out sick for almost a week. (I haven’t been that sick in a long, long time.)

4. What four things did you do that were the most fun? Vacation. Christmas. The staff picnic with the kids. All the times the kids and I played “Jump on the Daddy.”

5. What five things are you most grateful for? Susan, Julia, Matt, Nat, and inumerable blessings God gives me.