frivolous friday

A thief in Paris planned to steal some paintings from the Louvre.


After careful planning, he got past security, stole the paintings and made it safely to his van. However, he was captured only two blocks away when his van ran out of gas.

When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such an obvious error, he replied,

'Monsieur that is the reason I stole the paintings.

I had no Monet

to buy Degas

to make the Van Gogh.



Do you have De Gaulle to link this?



I posted it because I have nothing Toulouse.

(Thanks for this one, Joe.)

travel

Riverboat

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Thursday Challenge

Next Week: GAMES (Sports, Board Games, Card Games, Video Games, Practice,...)

book review: Reverend Mother's Daughter by Mary Haskett

Title: Reverend Mother's Daughter
Author: Mary Haskett
Publisher: Believe Books, 2007
Genre: Memoir
ISBN: 0978742818

“I don’t want the family to know about you.” These painful words spoken to Mary Haskett by her 91-year-old half-sister draw us into Reverend Mother’s Daughter. The book then goes back in time to tell the riveting tale of how Mary came to this point.

Mary was born in 1934 after her 40-year-old mother had a liaison with a young west African student. Reverend Mother, an Anglican nun, takes Mary into the Sisters of Mercy priory shortly after birth when her parents refuse to acknowledge her. Here she becomes only the first resident of Reverend Mother’s home for children, and is raised under the firm but caring hands of the sisters.

Mary’s first-person account of World War II as seen through the eyes of a child is fascinating. Using her incredible memory for details and her well-honed story teller’s instincts she takes us back to the day the children pack all their things and travel from London to Torquay to escape the German bombs.

We feel her wonder at seeing the sea for the first time, experience the terror of bath night when Ada is in charge, and identify with her confusion when Gardener Grimshaw invites her into his shed for more than peaches. Most of the time we live in the childhood world of games, play and sweet friendships, though the treatment she receives from some adults and children because of her race and orphan status is a damning expose of the attitudes and prejudices of the day.

After the war is over it’s back to London and then off to nursing school. Here Mary’s zest for life comes through as she gets her first taste of independence. Soon she meets the charming Mario and we join her in the thrill of first love, only to plummet to the despair of betrayal and the loneliness of living as a newcomer in Canada. Finally we’re treated to the pinch-me wonderment of mature love.

Mary’s coming to faith during one of the valleys in her life is the turning point of the story. Suddenly she sees her past in a new way. As she works through old hurts she gains wisdom and finds new usefulness. Even the rebuff of her half-sister that begins the story proves to be a step along the path to wholeness. Through it all she credits God, working through the loving care of Reverend Mother and others, for her happy productive life.

The beautiful cover photo of Mary as a child and the 22-page section of photos in the middle of the book bring the characters to life.

Reverend Mother’s Daughter will make you laugh, cry and feel outrage, relief, sympathy and admiration. It’s a story covered with the fingerprints of God’s grace. When you’re done I can almost guarantee you’ll want to pass your copy around to all your friends.

Janet Epp Buckingham doesn't get it

In a recent column "Abolish human rights commission? Not so fast" Janet Epp Buckingham - a lawyer who frequently represents Christians in court - says:

Some people are using the mere fact that the commissions are considering the complaints to argue that they should be abolished. That is like saying that the courts should be shut down just because someone has sued me! Sure, it is a pain and can be costly if you hire a lawyer to defend you. But that is what happens in a country where you have laws and courts. You may have to defend yourself against someone whose claim has little merit. Everyone deserves their day in court.

She doesn't get it. Human Rights Commissions are not there to enforce the law. There are defamation, libel, slander laws and hate crime laws controlling criminal speech in Canada. Such cases are dealt with in courts of law. The complaints people bring to HRCs are about activities and speech which are entirely legal but which hurt feelings and are perceived as insults. The function of HRCs becomes one of controlling thought (and its expression) and making political incorrectness a punishable offense.

And punished you will be, whether you're found guilty or not. Because, on top of the fines levied by the HRC if found guilty, the defendant must pay all lawyer bills while the complainant gets his/hers paid by the government no matter how the case ends up.

And that's another dodgy thing -- predicting how the case will end up. These commissions are arbitrary. If you're dragged in front of one, even your lawyer can't guarantee which way your case will go. It's up to the commission, made up of bureaucrats and lay people and who knows who else to decide if the complaint is worthy. And on the basis of what? The depth your opponent's outrage? Your seeming lack of contrition? The color of your socks? It sure isn't on the basis of the law.

On the other hand the Canadian Association of Journalists does get it:

CAJ urges changes to human rights laws

OTTAWA, Feb. 22 /CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists is calling on federal and provincial governments to amend human rights legislation to stop a pattern of disturbing attacks on freedom of speech.

Two recent cases spotlight the dangers of allowing state-backed agencies to censor speech based on subjective perceptions of offensiveness - MacLean's magazine, which is facing complaints in two provinces and nationally for an article by syndicated columnist Mark Steyn, and Ezra Levant, the former publisher of the Western Standard who is now before the Alberta Human Rights Commission for his decision to publish the Danish cartoons of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

"Human rights commissions were never intended to act as a form of thought police," said CAJ President Mary Agnes Welch. "But now they're being used to chill freedom of expression on matters that are well beyond accepted Criminal Code restrictions on free speech."

Read entire

Denyse O'Leary, author of By Design or by Chance? and The Spiritual Brain,gets it too.

So does Ray Wiseman.

views along the Fort-to-Fort

We're having some beautiful walking weather. On Saturday we walked the Edge Farm Trail from Derby Reach campsite to the first Fort Langley site. It's part of the Fort-to-Fort Trail that follows the Fraser River and Bedford Channel all the way into the town of Fort Langley.

Here is the view looking across the river to Maple Ridge. The log booms are particularly big right now. (Click on pictures to enlarge)


Looking to the south, we got this view of Mount Baker (stateside).

curling!

What a fabulous week of curling we've just come through -- the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Regina. The game tonight between the first and second-ranked teams (Alberta skipped by Shannon Kleibrink versus Ontario skipped by Sherry Middaugh) had shot-making I've rarely seen in women's curling. (How about 115 lb. Amy Nixon, Alberta's third, who heaved a granite bullet into a house with about five rocks frozen around the button and blew the whole thing apart. Who says the women can't throw the big weight?) The Alberta rink won, but it came down to the last rock of an extra end.



The morning and afternoon games, both won by Jennifer Jones of Manitoba (who at one point was one loss away from even making it into the round robin) were also great.

The big disappointment of the week was Team Canada. The girls from Kelowna just weren't their old selves. They struggled all week (were actually painful to watch) and didn't make it into the finals.

There are two games left in the tournament. Sherri Middaugh (the loser of this evening's match) plays Jennifer Jones tomorrow. Then on Sunday is the final with Shannon Kleibrink playing the winner of tomorrow's match.

I get so little done on curling weeks it's disgusting. It's the one sport I love to follow, and I indulge myself. We have one more week of it in March, when the big annual men's curling tournament, the Brier, happens in Winnipeg.

(And I see that the Scotties are coming to Victoria next February. I'm determined get to one of those big bonspiels in person one of these years -- maybe next...)

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Update: Jennifer Jones stole the end of the very exciting 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts story Sunday afternoon. Read about it here.

signs of spring!

On our walk Thursday...

pussy willows,

the first rhododendrons blooming (they're always pink),

crocuses,

and the sun didn't set till after dinner!

winter

Coquihalla Crawl

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Thursday Challenge

Next Week: TRAVEL (Vacations, Tourist Attractions, Vehicles, Cars, Bikes, Flying, Cruises,...)

book review: Symphony of Secrets by Sharon Hinck

Title: Symphony of Secrets
Author: Sharon Hinck
Publisher: Bethany House, 2008
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
ISBN: 0764202820

Amy Johnson has finally landed her dream job as a flutist with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. But will she last? Will the orchestra even survive? As one mishap after another threatens to scuttle the orchestra’s season, not to speak of its future, Amy’s sleuthing instincts kick in.

Of course it’s hard to solve a mystery when you’re on call as a cheerleading Mom. Though Clara didn’t warn her that pompoms and bouncy routines were even on the agenda, now that she’s made the squad, what’s a single mom to do? Never mind that the cheerleading community feels as alien to Amy as a drum score and Clara is squandering her own musical talent, maybe this stint will give Amy a chance to prove to Clara that she isn’t a total dud as a mother.

Welcome to Sharon Hinck’s latest mom lit, Symphony of Secrets, an allegro-paced movement in the life of quirky musician Amy, her 15-year-old daughter Clara and the friends and fellow musicians who inhabit their world.

As usual, Hinck’s characters are a treat. The story is told in first person by Amy, whom we quickly come to sympathize with and feel as protective toward as we do our own slightly misfit friends. Clara is believable in her teenage moodiness, the way she morphs into someone her mom hardly recognizes when around her friends, and her overall adolescent enthusiasm, energy and smarts. I also enjoyed the other members of Amy’s orchestra: dour Sarah, joke-cracking Leonard, egotistical Stefan and attractive conductor Peter. As someone who has been a member of several musical ensembles myself, the group dynamic and interactions of the musicians in rehearsals and concerts rang true. Similarly, I could relate to how out of her element Amy felt when she was with the cheerleading moms as they plotted fundraising, sewed costumes, baked for sales and cheered from the stands. Hinck has obviously been there.

In Symphony of Secrets Hinck is, as in earlier books, in fine and funny form. Full of clever comparisons and savvy humor, her writing is always a pleasure to read:

“Clara laughed—music as sweet as the triplets in a Pachelbel toccata…”

“Being one step closer to my dream made my nerves knot up like bad macramé…”

“Tuesday night I followed Clara into the school library and realized I had entered Stepford on steroids…”

Another nice stylistic touch is the hint of things to come given by a musical term and definition at the top of each chapter. For example, heading Chapter 14 is “Dissonance: 1. Inharmonious or harsh sound; discord; cacophony. 2. An unresolved, discordant musical chord or interval.” What follows is, not unexpectedly, another humiliation for the orchestra.

But all the hijinks and cleverness only veil the serious and tender undertones of this tale. For who of us hasn’t wondered if the dream we’ve secretly hung onto all these years will ever come to pass? Is there a parent around who feels that they haven’t blown it more often than not? Hinck makes good use of the story to explore themes of personal fulfillment, parenting and establishing a relationship with God. In this last area, she treads lightly but honestly as Amy continues to question the faith of her friend Lena but at the end seems prepared to test the answers Lena and Clara are giving her.

One of Symphony of Secrets’ cover endorsements says, “It’s official – if the book says Sharon Hinck on the spine, I’m buying it.” I’m beginning to feel the same way. This lively tune of a tale may just win you over as well.

she is available

Last week when I was in Lethbridge, I met some of the other guests of Passionate Women. One was Evelyn Hinds from Texas. She told us her story.

Some years ago when she was working as a docent in a museum, she was scheduled to do a training presentation. Her supervisor suggested that rather than prepare a lecture or talk, she dress up as a historic character and present her information in that way. The skit she prepared revived within her the interest in acting she'd had since high school and proved to be a big hit.

Driving home from the presentation with a friend from church and still excited about how well the performance had gone, she said, "Who knew that I would be good at that? Who can I be for church?"

When she arrived home she went straight to her book case and got out her favorite devotional Each New Day. "I'll be Corrie ten Boom*." she declared.

That was a turning point in Evelyn's life. Her portrayal of Corrie didn't end with the skit she wrote and performed for the women of her church. Invitations began to come in for her to do the Corrie ten Boom act in other churches, at women's meetings, conferences and on the radio.

Over the years she has spent a lot of time making her performance as realistic and authentic as possible. She has met with everyone she could find who knew Corrie before she died. She visited the ten Boom home and museum in Holland. She took speech training from Florence Littauer to strengthen her presentation. Last year she heeded Ms. Littauer's encouragement and wrote The Weaving -- the story of her life and how the ministry Corrie ten Boom Live came about.

In the GodTube video below, she performs just over 3 minutes of her 45-minute Corrie ten Boom presentation.




What I love about Evelyn and her story is how it illustrates God using a woman who told Him she is available -- and in a way that is beautifully customized to her temperament, training, interests and talents. I wonder what would happen if you and I told Him the same thing.

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*Wondering who Corrie ten Boom was? Here's the story of Corrie and ten Boom family in brief.

snowdrops!

Air Canada anyone?

Well, I'm back from my little adventure.

The flights out on Tuesday went without a hitch and I arrived in Lethbridge right on time, was met at the airport, driven to my hotel and I checked in. Later my hostess sent a cab to pick me up for dinner, where I met Maralee, the women who are helping her with the show as well as several other 'passionate women' who were also being interviewed.

Wednesday morning we woke to a snowstorm. Several people were late coming in to the studio and we heard from one guest as she was driving in from Airdrie that she'd been on the road for four hours (a trip that normally takes two) and was still a good distance away.

The recording session on Wednesday morning went well -- I think, I hope, I pray ... The interview seemed to be over before it even got started.

The lady driving from Airdrie did finally arrive shortly before noon. Then around noon the storm began to peter out. I boarded the prop plane for the half-hour flight from Lethbridge to Calgary in late afternoon sunshine. It was 15 minutes late leaving but I was reassured that my connecting flight to Vancouver was 20 minutes late out of Calgary so I should have no trouble making my connection home to Vancouver Wednesday night.


One little thing bothered me, though. When I picked up my boarding passes in Lethbridge. The Calgary to Vancouver flight had no seat number, but a GTE where the seat number normally is. "You'll get your seat assigned at the desk," the Air Canada agent told me. Not knowing the implications of that, I enjoyed the half-hour flight, peering out the window (every passenger has a window seat as there are only about 20 passengers aboard this prop plane with single seats along both sides) and taking photos of the interesting formations below.


When I got to Calgary I went straight to an Air Canada service desk where a harried agent informed me that my lack of assigned seat on the boarding pass meant that I was on standby.

How could that be, I asked, seeing as how I'd confirmed my flight weeks ago.

They'd canceled several earlier flights due to weather, she told me, and they customarily oversell flights. This day with people showing up for flights and others trying to rebook canceled ones, they hadn't kept enough seats for people whose flights were confirmed. Thus I might be out of luck getting on my flight.

This meant sitting and waiting in the lounge area until the flight was called. And sure enough, the long and short of it was, I never got on, along with quite a few other very unhappy people. I'm sure I don't need to describe the consternation, tension and less than gracious talk this missing of flights caused ("We will NEVER fly Air Canada again." "We've flown all over the world and never had something like this happen to us before," and on and on). The agent who worked the desk amazed me in the way she kept her cool. She did a great job of soothing nerves, as much as they could be soothed, and keeping feathers from getting even more ruffled.

Since the remaining flights out of Calgary were also full and many of the passengers left behind had more pressing needs to nab any standby spots on them than I did, I took Air Canada's offer of a hotel for the night -- this of course after I was rebooked on a flight for this morning and had another boarding pass (this time with assigned seat number - in Executive Class no less) clutched in my hot little hand.

And so it was that when I should have been winging over the Rocky Mountains, I was instead in the back of a Black-Top cab conversing with the Somalian driver as we wound our way into downtown Calgary.


Air Canada treated me well. They provided me with taxi vouchers to and from the airport, a beautiful room on the 22nd floor of the Delta Bow Valley along with vouchers for dinner and breakfast.


And I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed this unexpected detour. After getting a delicious mushroom and artichoke pizza at the Elements Restaurant I went up to my room, plugged my ipod into the dock of the clock radio and fell asleep to all my favorite praise and worship songs. I took this evening in a posh hotel as a Valentine treat from the Lord.


I did eventually get home this morning but even that wasn't hitchless. When I got to the posted lounge at 6:15 a.m. to wait for my flight to be called, a different flight was showing on the monitor. Of course that resulted in more confusion. Mechanical problems with our plane, was the problem they said. At one time they threatened to push back our scheduled 7:00 a.m. departure to 11:00 a.m. (lots more angst and grumbling and threats to never using Air Canada again). However, they did get us off the ground about 45 minutes late and we even got into Vancouver in time for some people to make their connecting flights.

I made my connection too. He took me home to a bouquet of beautiful golden-peach roses for Valentine's Day. Thanks love!

food

Window treats

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Thursday Challenge

Next Week: WINTER (Cold, Frost, Ice, Icicles, Snow, Shove

do grand-dogs count?

I haven't owned a dog for many years. In fact, I've only ever owned one. It was when I was a teacher in the northern BC community of Hazelton many years ago. The summer between the two years I taught there a friend's dog had a litter of puppies. I volunteered to adopt one of these mongrels and at about six weeks old I took one home and named him Ruggles.

He was ever so cute as a pup and I loved him to pieces. He lived with us (another teacher and me) for the year and soon grew out of puppyhood, to become a smiling, exuberant and very disobedient dog (I had about as much success training him to sit, come and stay as I had in keeping a quiet, controlled classroom).

When I went home to the farm in Saskatchewan that summer, I took him with me. There he joined at least two other dogs -- old farm dog Toby, a stocky, black shorted-haired don't-know-the-breed, and my brother's red Irish setter Penny. I'm afraid Ruggles was at the bottom of the pecking order and not a welcome addition. Very soon he took to roaming.

He stayed at the farm when I left for Europe in August of that year. In October I picked up my mail from an American Express office and remember reading the letter from home in a Bern, Switzerland coffee shop. It not only delivered the news that my dad had been diagnosed with cancer but also that Ruggles had gone missing. They thought he had probably been mistaken by a neighboring farmer for a chicken-raiding coyote -- and you know what becomes of chicken-raiding coyotes. What a depressing day!



I've never owned another dog since then and neither have we had one as a family pet. The closest we've come is lately with our grand-dog Rupert. The kids bring him over when they come from Kamloops and we babysit him when they go out to visit friends. He is a beautiful black Lab, now a little over a year old and pretty well full-grown. However, he thinks he's still a puppy and is always trying to get up on our laps to cuddle. He enjoys the taste of body butter, loves new doggy toys and having his tummy rubbed.

For lots more doggy tales and information on how you can add yours to the "Dog Days of February" collection, go to Rebecca Writes who is featuring all things canine this month.

the week ahead

I have an interesting week ahead of me. One of the things on my to-do list is fly to Lethbridge to be interviewed by my friend Maralee for Passionate Women, the TV show she hosts. The interview subject is my children's devotional blog.

Maralee, who was formerly the children's pastor at our church, has had a heart for kids for a long time. She is a ventriloquist and with puppets Butch, Suzi and many others has put together several series of video shows for kids called Maralee Dawn and Friends.

From the minute I told her I was working on the kids' devotional project, she has been one of my biggest encouragers. I felt hugely honored when she asked me to be on Passionate Women. It is taped at the Miracle Channel in Lethbridge (Canada's only Christian TV channel). My taping is scheduled for Wednesday morning (Feb. 13th) - so if you think of it, please pray for me.

Passionate Women airs on the Miracle Channel as well as a variety of faith-based channels in the U.S.

"the good life"

"Often we seem bent on ensuring that the next generation will have a better life than did the preceding generations - the ability to live "the good life." But we define that life as the presence of comfort and security combined with the absence of hardship and disappointment. Well-intentioned parents often try to buy experiences and environments that foster a soft and satisfying lifestyle for their progeny.

In contrast, a biblical understanding of "the good life" is one that provides exploits and opportunities in order to experience, obey and serve God and other people. The existence of difficulties, failures and even persecution are not so much indicators of failure as they are events that build character and test our resolve to know, love and serve God. If life is primarily about our participation in a spiritual battle, then we must expect to encounter trials and pitfalls. The route to significance and success, therefore, demands that we develop the moral and spiritual foundations that permit us to lead holy and servantlike lifestyles."

- George Barna, Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions

book review: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson

Title: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
Author: Andrew Peterson
Publisher: Waterbrook Press, 2008
Genre: Children, Fantasy
ISBN: 1400073849

It is night and in the distance Janner Igiby hears the sound of the Black Carriage. Will it turn into the lane of Igiby Cottage? Is it coming for him? The frightening words of a Skree nursery rhyme sing-song in his head:

“Lo, beyond the River Blapp
The Carriage comes, the Carriage Black…”

Welcome to the Igiby Cottage and Andrew Peterson’s fantasy novel On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness – a tale of danger, mystery, imagination, and humor.

The Igiby cottage, just outside the village of Glipwood in the land of Skree, is the home of 12-year-old Janner, 11-year-old Tink and their little sister Leeli who live there with their mother Nia and ex-pirate grandfather Podo.

Though things really are cozy and safe enough in the Igiby’s home, the same can’t be said for Glipwood. Indeed, all of the land of Skree is under a shadow. Some years ago the Fangs of Dang – those creatures which would exactly resemble humans if it weren’t for their greenish scales, lizard snouts and fangs jutting from snarling mouths – conquered Skree. Now their menacing presence makes even a trip to Books and Crannies a perilous venture.

This night the Black Carriage never arrives and Janner finally gets back to sleep. He awakens to a much brighter world and the happy thought that this is the best day of the whole year – the Dragon Day Festival.

Festival day in Glipwood goes just fine until sundown when the Glipfolk begin heading for the beach. Then Janner and Tink realize Leeli is missing. In the distance they hear her screams and find her at last in a back alley, cornered by two fangs. This is only the children’s first of many encounters with these evil creatures which escalate finally to where even their snug little cottage is no longer safe.

I love the self-contained universe Peterson has created. It comes complete with its own calendar, plants (totatoes, sugarberries), creatures (toothy cows, horned dogs, ridgerunners), foods (maggot loaf, ratbadger tail salad), folklore, songs, history, even writers (Bahbert Pembrick, Rumpole Bloge and others – with quotes from their writings all footnoted as proof they really do exist).

The characters are colorful. Of the Igiby family we get to know Janner the best as we work with him through his struggles of growing up. Elegant Nia and short-fused Podo are also interesting and complex. Another intriguing player is Peet the Sock Man, who gets his twords all wisted, lives in a surprise-filled treehouse and wears socks on his hands. Of course the fangs are thoroughly evil and as loathsome as a bad smell.

Peterson’s entertaining story-telling style recommends the book as an excellent read-aloud. The book contains several entire songs (Peterson, after all, is a lyricist in his day job), as well as maps and a couple of line drawings to make it an altogether convincing other-world adventure – not to speak of the sly and kid-friendly humor that brings on many a case of titters (booger gruel and snot wax candles indeed!).

But though the story is entertaining, the themes are serious. Good and evil thread through the book. Character development gets front page billing as Janner faces his selfishness, fear and jealousy. The children learn about loyalty, responsibility, respect, courage, forgiveness, and the importance of serving. And there is lots of scope to read a Narnia-style message into the characters and events.

Some of the questions about the world of Aeriwar, the jewels of Anniera, and the Igiby children’s father are answered by the end of book. But the loose ends that are left ensure that readers old and young will eagerly anticipate Book 2 of The Wingfeather Saga. Book 1 – On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness – is due out mid-March.

emotion

Albert

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Thursday Challenge

Next Week: FOOD (Cooking, Ingredients, Vegetables, Fruit, Meat, Dairy, Restaurants,...)

poemifying the missionary life

So the Moon Would Not Be Swallowed is a book of poems by D. S. Martin. They are based on letters his grandparents wrote home when they were missionaries in China from 1923 to 1951.

Sample poems are here and here.

My review of this excellent little book is here.

pod school

This Christmas I finally joined the i-poders (got a very slim and streamlined ipod touch!). Besides loving the portable music, I wanted to own this toy to be able to download messages and teaching. Here are some sites I've found from which you can download sermons, talks, interviews etc.

The podcast page at Oneplace.com is an index of Christian ministry podcasts, including such popular programs as Focus on the Family and Desiring God Radio (John Piper).

Ravi Zacharias's mp3s (Let My People Think) are listed here.

Joyce Meyer's teaching podcasts can be found on this page:

If you enjoy some of the literary stuff on the CBC, their radio broadcasts "Between the Covers," "Writers and Company" and a slew of others are available as podcasts. You can subscribe to them here.

Happy listening (and learning)!

finished!

This is what I've been working on for the past several weeks. I finished putting on the fringe this afternoon. It's for my first grandbaby - due mid-March!



















(And now that I'm in the habit of knitting while I watch TV, I think I'll have to start another project.)

frivolous friday

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

...and today I have one more thing to add to the conglomeration above - an exterior hard-drive which I bought yesterday and must now learn to use so that I can back up my computer, which hasn't crashed to this point, but a faint and steady beep from the CPU the other night had me a little worried.