Ken Griffey Jr retires from Mariners, baseball

An era comes to a close, as Ken Griffey Jr has announced his retirement on June 2, 2010, right before a game against the Twins. Griffey caught just about everyone off guard with the announcement. It seems he had been wrestling with the decision after beginning off a disappointing 2010 season, and it appears he is heading off to the sunset rather than become a token of nostalgia. He retires a living legend. As the fifth all time home run hitter, he is in rarefied air as a player.

Article Resource: Ken Griffey Jr retires from Mariners, baseball

A career for the history books is closed as Ken Griffey Jr retires

There aren't numerous sportsmen who are held in the esteem Ken Griffey Jr is. It is about as easy to separate Ken Griffey Jr and also the Seattle Mariners as it is to separate Joe Namath and the Jets. He made his debut in 1989 for the Seattle Mariners, and he and Ken Griffey Sr are the only father-son combination to play Major League Baseball on the exact same team to date. He proved worth the investment of easy cash loans, as he was a prolific player on both sides of the ball. He won the Golden Glove from the American League 10 times and hit nearly 400 home runs in his original stint with Seattle.</p>

The Kid leaves the Emerald City

hekla eruption, Eyjafjalajokull , ash cloud, volcano, bmw, X5, X6BMW production in US halted by Volcanic ash cloudThe recent volcanic activity of Eyjafjalajokull has filled the skies around Iceland and Europe with a tremendous ash cloud that could halt production of BMW automobiles at the company's U.S. factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina, reports AutoNews.com. If trans-Atlantic flights continue to be delayed for two additional days, says BMW spokesman Mathias Schmidt, the German automaker could be to supply the necessary transmissions to assemble X5 and X6 sport utility cars.

Last night I was raised to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason.  I now know where the Ark of the Covenent, the Holy Grail and the Templar Treasure are all hidden! 

Seriously though, it was a magical and impressive evening.  The work was done by the local Shrine Degree Team and was very moving and elaborate.  I thank them all for making my evening so special.

I was now hoping I could take a breather and put all this ritual work behind me and watch the newer brothers squirm a bit for a change but I have been told that I will likely be tapped to handle some of the charges for future rituals since I "...did so well with my memory work..." hehehe.   I am such a sucker.  Seriously though I look forward to taking a more active role in my Lodge.  I know how much more meaningful the ritual can be when delivered by skilled practitioners.

Last week was my first lodge meeting where nothing special was happening.  Strange as it may seem, I've only been a member for 4 months and the first 3 had either my initiation, visit from DDGM, or my being passed.  This last meeting was just a plain old meeting dealing with our normal business.

I was curious how long the meeting would last and what it encompassed.  It was certainly a bit more relaxed than my previous meetings but protocol was still adhered to of course.

One thing that left me wondering however was whether as a FC if I had a true voice in lodge or if I was expected to watch and learn.  In particular, an issue came up that involved spending some lodge money. I won't get into detail but the expense seemed dictated to us and I wasn't at all in favor of it.  When it came time to vote on the issue, one other brother raised the same concern I had and it opened a discussion and an acceptable resolution to the issue.

The question I left with was "should I or could I have spoken up about my concern?  Is an FC allowed to do so?  Would the bretheren look down on this 'uppity' FC who is possibly rocking the boat?".

I guess it will be a moot point when I get raised next month.

Tonight, I will be passed to the Fellow Craft degree. (I hope!) 

After much preparation and two practice sessions with all the participants, it would seem that I am ready to be passed to the 2nd degree.  I'm nervous.  I'm anxious.  I'm excited.

This work I have done with several members of the lodge has brought me closer to them and closer to the feeling of belonging I was seeking when I first turned to Masonry.

These are great guys who never turned me down when I needed help.  Encouraged me all the way and seem to show genuine excitement to having helped me attain the next level.

What were strangers just a few short months ago, I now call Brothers and feel a real kinship to them.   I look forward to being there for them when the time comes.

It is our annual DDGM visit as well so the night promisses to be full of pomp and ceremony.  I had better not blow it!

I have finally received my Masonic Signet ring!  I searched long and far for just the right ring.  Something I would be proud to wear and would tell the world that I am a proud Mason.  I also wanted something I could hand down to the family in later years.

My searching led me through some rather gaudy rings...some questionable quality...and some out-right rip-offs.  Finally I came upon a company in England who custom designs signet rings for family crests and the sort.  They had a section on Masonic/Templar rings and there I found many many beautiful designs and each design was fully customizable based on your needs and if you didn't find anything that worked for you, they could customize something based on your concept or drawing though I'm sure that price would be quite hefty.  (Anytime they say "call for a quote", you know you're going to pay through the nose).

Anyhow, I chose the classic square & compases with the G in the center and around the edge I put two latin mottos.  Familia Ante Omnia (Family above all) and Noli Irritare Leones (Do not irritate the lion)

The two have double meanings for me.  I have always believed and have been brought up that Family is the most important thing in life and now that I have joined the brotherhood of Masonry, that has brought a new dimension to that belief. 

The second motto also has two meanings to me.  I have always been the strong quiet type.  I am patient and reserved until the lion within me is awakened at which point, you will wish it hadn't been.  And...it's second meaning was pointed out to me by my wife.  She is a Leo...and we believe in our household that if Mamma ain't happy, nobody's happy...so she insisted I put that motto on to remind me to now irritate her.

Renfrew’s Masons celebrate 150 years -

First local master was Abel Dowswell

Celebrating 150 years. Ontario Masons District Chaplain Gordon Roberts provides an inspiring address during the September 2001 dedication of the Renfrew lodge’s new mosaic pavement. Renfrew Weekender

A few months ago the WM of my lodge asked me to put together an education piece for the lodge, no topic provided of course, but whatever I wish to talk about.  Now Im a bit of a fanatic for the craft, read all I can, take all the work that comes to me and spend countless hours memorizing the work for the oratory must be flawless or as close to as I can get!

For my topic I chose something that could well be an entire book, or certainly a large research paper.  That being said, and as it has turned out for me.  Expressing a concept which is I believe is not conveyable, it rightly gets stuck at the end of the pen!  Now when I give you the title of this paper you will perhaps understand where I am coming from on this.  A page and a half in, getting to the meat of things, and the thoughts and knowledge that are there simple will not come forth!

I've titled the paper, Secrets and Mysteries: Presence and Purpose of Symbols in Masonry.  The first part of the paper was quite easy to get out, as it focuses on asking the necessary questions and setting the concept of the Secrets of the craft. The Mysteries however, are elusive they can not be found literally in the work but in a personal understanding and as such are personal and cause writers block!  The purpose of this post itself is no more than a vain attempt to work that block out!

So how to convey it? How best to describe the eventual understanding that comes with the study and meditation on the work?  I say eventual understanding because that is what it is. The eventual path to wisdom, the elusive and mysterious concept that Solomon was so blessed with.  It can only be gleamed at for short periods of lucidness until it feels we are worthy of its embrace.

....

There, I think that helped.  I can go back to writing the paper and see what flows forth, sometimes the best thing to work out writers block is to write something different about what is blocking you!

Well, the new year is almost upon us.  The new Decade for that matter.

I have been un-expectedly visited by my lodge's Secretary who happens to have been my sponsor when I first petitioned the Lodge.  He happened to be in town on business and stopped in to wish the family good tidings and to drop off some literature and explain my next steps in Freemasonry.  (You think he reads this website and saw my previous blog about being impatient? hehehe) 

Anyway, I'm happy to have the work and look forward to being passed, though I'm nervous about all the memory work.  But my motto in anything I do is "If it's too easy or you're too comfortable with what you're doing, you're not in the right job".  My philosophy is always to get to the next level.  Keep things fresh.  Live on the edge.  Wow...I'm a cliche.  Sorry guys.

Anyway, the plan is to be passed at the February Lodge meeting then MM at the April meeting.  I'm really looking forward to life as a Mason because all my research seems to indicate that there is so much to delve into.  You can get your MM degree and then coast or you can continue your learning and that's exactly what attracted me to Freemasonry.  The constant exploration of knowledge.  It's much like my karate training.  I can get my blackbelt and sit back on my laurels or I can spend my life mastering my craft.

i'm looking forward to the ride.

I once blogged while deployed in Afghanistan so that I didn't have to answer 50 emails asking what life was like on camp...was I scared...was it dangerous...but since returning, I've never been one to blog nor even read other's blogs but we'll give this a try here and see if I continue with it or drop it.

I'm now an EA in a holding pattern.  I have been initiated and welcomed into my new lodge but now what?  I feel a bit abandoned.  I have no idea what the next step is nor if anyone is going to call me or if I just show up at the next meeting. 

Our meetings are monthly so in my mind, that's a long time to do nothing.  I just feel that I should be working on my next degree.  I guess I'm just too new and impatient and I'm sure all will fall into place after my next lodge meeting.  It is the holidays after all and we're all busy with family etc...

One thing keeping me excited and going is the new ring I have ordered from Dexterrings.com .  They make the most detailed family seal rings I have found yet and they have a special secion for Masonic and Templar rings.  I've chosen a classic Square & Compass motif with two Latin mottos around the edge.  The company is great to deal with sending emails back and forth with recommendations about size and placement and when it's all said and done, they send you artwork of the finished product for your approval before making the ring.  I am very anxious to receive it!