Christmas Present/Site Changes

VIDEO!!! I get to work with video!!! I got a videobus for Christmas, so now I'm able to take my home movies and record them onto my hard drive. I've been wanting to do this for so long!

Yes, the web themes are gone. I'm really just interested in making stationery/background tiles. Web themes are not easy to design. I'm finding that the more I learn, the harder it becomes. I can always make one as a special request because at least then I'll have an idea of what the recipient wants and can go from there. I do not plan to charge money for my designs, but I do want name credit for my work.

After two months, I have finally updated the recipes page. I am also planning to reorganize and reformat the page to make finding the websites easier.

Misc: FP2000, Moving Graphics, Former Web Site

I'm finally getting used to Front Page. I've learned how to do frames, hover buttons, and page transition special effects. I especially like the hover buttons because I can customize them without having to create a graphic for them.

I've revamped my free graphics page and split the web themes and stationery into two separate pages, both accessible from the index page. I'm feeling a little cross-eyed, but I think y'all will like the menu layout of the stationery page. Remember what they say about never knowing just how much stuff you have until you move? Well, it applies to web graphics as well when you're moving them around to new locations and/or pages. Whew!!

I've found out that my old "planet_xanadu" account with Tripod was finally deleted. I was wondering how long it was going to take them.

Family Reunion

I attended my first family reunion in ten years. I really enjoyed myself, but I think the location of this year's reunion made all the difference in the world. Convenience can make or break a get-together. We had it at the Okefenokee Swamp Park this year. During the previous 20 years, we had it at the Georgia Lions Camp for the Blind.

Recipe Messageboards/Independence Day Page

Hmmm ... where to start? Among job stress, family health (including my own), and obligations to another website, I just haven't had the time or inclination to update this one. I have updated the recipe referral page with a lot of new Caribbean recipe links. I actually found a message board in which people post recipes. I'm now considering starting one here. What do y'all think? E-mail me and let me know.

For the 4th of July, I did create a celebration page using the fireworks java from The Anfy Team. I never got around to posting a link to it from the home page. However, if you'd like to look at it, click here. You will need to use your back button to come back to this page.

The Return of Soapbox

Soapbox is back! It's been gone for a year, but I'm finally bringing it back. My old topics are posted (less the ones that no longer apply), and I'm writing some more to be posted soon. Oh, and let me go ahead and answer these questions now: No, I'm not posting my old soapbox about the Comet Zone cursors. No, I was not threatened by the company; they were actually quite friendly and helpful. I don't use them on my website because they just don't fit in with my web site decor. No, I do not have their software downloaded on my computer so I can view them on other websites. If you want them, get them. If you don't want them, don't get them. People are making too much of a big deal about them. Can we drop this subject now?

The Move Is Complete

Well, the move has been done. It was a lot of work, having to go into each web page and change the links and e-mail address codes. It was worth it! Visitors to the pages formerly on Tripod will be redirected to the corresponding new pages. I've been trying to e-mail webringmasters and other organizations that I am a member of to let them know of my new URL and e-mail address.

I have retired my old guestbook from HTML Gear. Bravenet has a couple of guestbook features that HTML Gear does not have.

I won't be adding any more web themes for quite a while, unless I get some inspiration or if someone asks me to do a special design for him/her. I am going to be adding more stationery for downloading. I've already added four new sections: scenery, rosebuds, animals, and sailboats. As for the original three: angels, crosses, and Jesus, I will be redoing most of them since I learned how to use masks (the fuzzy edged special effect).

I'm thinking of adding an Aquazone page (I love Aquazone!). Fish are about all I can handle right now. I've managed to breed 2 Leopard Catfish and 12 Angelfish. My Rummy-nosed Tetras laid 20 eggs, but 12 of them died within 3 hours, so they're saved in a file until I can figure out what to do with them.

I may be putting together a list of programs that will NOT work on Windows XP. I think the public should know these so that they can decide whether or not to get Windows XP, or do as my friend Bill suggested (reformat and partition the hard drive, then install Windows 98). If anyone out there has Windows XP and know of programs that will not work on it, e-mail me at mundlingzone@spamcop.net. By the way, Hasbro Interactive's game Sorry! will not work on my computer, as well as almost all my cooking CDs from Multicomm. I've read that Myst is not XP compatible, also. Quiz Quest (Mind Grind) will play, but it will not be recognized by XP's Task Manager should you try the old "ALT - CTRL - DEL" maneuver. I have to resort to taking out the CD to close the game by encountering an error..

I Took The Plunge! Announcing MUNDLINGZONE.ORG

Okay, so it has been a while since I updated this site. I've had a lot of things going on, and I felt the need to let some things go temporarily.

The biggest news so far is that Tripod is cutting their free accounts from 50MB to 20MB as of April 30. I had deleted some files to get my account under the limit. However, if I'm going to be able to add more web themes and stationeries to this site, I'm going to have to move. I could upgrade by account with Tripod, but if I'm going to pay for web space, I may as well go a step further and get my own domain name too. Therefore, my website is moving to MUNDLINGZONE.ORG as of May 1, 2002.

Now, don't get me wrong! I like Tripod. They have been very good to me. I still recommend them for their free services. You send the staff members e-mail, and they write you back. However, they are making changes to reflect the times, and I feel the need to do so, also.

Oh yes, one more thing! I am fed up with people who think they can collect my website e-mail address and use it to send me advertisements for their businesses. I have signed up with Spam Cop, so my new e-mail address is mundlingzone@spamcop.net. My other yahoo address will be irretrievably closed at the end of May.

Change of Priorities?

Y'all probably have noticed that this site has not been updated much this month. Although I won't go into detail, I will say that my life has had a couple of revelations this month, and I am finding my interests and priorities are changing. This website may be affected by that, but only time will tell.

Bibles

When I was growing up (1970's), there were two versions of the Bible that I was aware of: The KIng James Version and the Americanized Version. Although I tried reading both versions, I had difficulty understanding them. A few years ago, I discovered the New International Version of the Bible. The scripture made more sense to me, and it made me want to read the Bible more. It has opened my eyes to God's Word. It has also aided in my return to my original faith after a period of time in my life when I had rejected Christianity to the point of being anti-Christian.

I had no idea that this latest version of a timeless and sacred reference would be so controversial. There are those who adamantly refuse to acknowledge the New International Version as a legitimate version of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. I have a very good friend who faithfully reads the King James Version and belongs to a church that refuses to have anything to do with the New International Version. We love each other like sisters, but we feel so passionately about the two different versions that we have had to agree to disagree on which version is more "legitimate."

I wrote an e-mail to my sister Pamela a while back, asking her why there were so many different versions of the Bible and which one did she believe to be the most accurate. This was her response:

Did y'all know that in the old days, when Jesus walked in the flesh, there were at least two versions of the scriptures?
(1) Hebrew ... for the scholars
(2) Aramaic ... for real folks

Even though Jewish men were supposed to be able to read Hebrew, there was a version written more poetically and in everyday terms so that everyone could enjoy and have a decent understanding of God's word.

Did y'all know that there were many different English language translations of the scriptures when King James was translated? The scholar's aim was to put scriptures into the language of the day so that everyone could enjoy and have a decent understanding of God's word.

Did y'all know that the Bible talks about the gifts of the Holy Spirit as available to all believers for all times, but most "Christians" don't believe in them and try to say that was only for the first century church. That's not what the Bible says, in any translation.

Those who seek truth will find answers (usually accompanied by more questions). Those who don't want to know the truth will refute all legal, logical, and liturgical evidence.

Keep seeking God's truth!

Thanks Pamela! I needed that!

I guess what it boils down to is that we are to read whatever version we feel most comfortable with, so long as in our hearts and minds we are seeking God's truth.