"The dog likes you better than it does me," my husband complained. It was true, he was stuck to me like glue, it seemed. Even when the grandchildren played with him, he preferred me.
"What shall we name him, Mimi?" they asked. I thought a minute, then noticing a white spot on his back near his tail, I suggested we name him "Spot." They called him that all day, and the next time they were over they yelled, "Here, Spot!"
"I'm sorry, but his name has been changed to "Tramp," I told them. Howard hadn't liked "Spot" for him. He said it sounded like a first-grade reader (from our generation.)
Later that afternoon when our daughter-in-law picked up the children, they told her about his new name. "Tramp," she said, "Lady and the Tramp. Mimi is the lady and Tramp is the dog!" We laughed, and I told her that had occurred to me earlier when Howard had suggested it, since the dog was so possessive of me.
It soon became obvious that Tramp wasn't house trained, and after several accidents, I decreed he had to be an outside pet most of the time. Howard checked the backyard fence and deemed it dog proof. He kept getting out and my husband kept finding the escape route, declaring each time, "I found where he is getting out and I fixed it." Secure at last, I thought, when a day had gone by with no escape.
We found him running around outside the fence when we got home from town today, and when Howard headed to the garage and I went to put away purchases I reminded him to keep an eye on the dog. Coming in later, he said he didn't know where he was. We called and called, but he has gone missing.
Well, we tried. We even bought a dog collar and doggie shampoo, but a tramp is a tramp. Maybe he's made his way to his former home. At least I hope so. After I reported finding him the other day, I saw the animal control truck in our neighborhood.
Like the old story of a snake who persuaded a boy to put him inside his shirt, promising not to bite him, then when it did, the serpent said, "You knew I was a snake when you picked me up."--an illustration of the dangers of flirting with sin.
Although the thought of Tramp gaily trotting around being fed by this one or that one is amusing, life isn't a Disney movie. The man with the net stalks the streets. Better to be safe than sorry, little Tramp. Another spiritual lesson?
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
God's Gifts
"I saw a hummingbird awhile ago," my husband casually remarked as we sat at breakfast on our porch.
"You did?" I exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me?" We had just been saying in a conversation the day before that the latest issue of his favorite magazine, Birds and Blooms, was devoted almost exclusively to hummingbirds. "And we never even see them!" I had lamented.
A few minutes later, I caught a glimpse of an unfamiliar dog darting uncertainly toward the house, but I didn't mention it until I saw it again. When I pointed it out to Howard, he went outside. The small dog had no collar and seemed quite young. A little skittish at first, soon it was tentatively allowing us to pet it. "Do you think it's lost?" I wondered.
We let the little dog, a black-and-white terrier mix, come onto the porch. I got it some water, which he lapped up in no time. He looked thin, so later I fed him some dry dog food left by our "grand-dog" and he gobbled it up. Today I called the animal shelter to see if a dog by that description had been reported missing. I left my phone number just in case, although no one had inquired.
It looks like we've got that dog that Howard always wanted! Two surprises in one day! In a store later that morning, I saw some sidewalk chalk and decided to give it to our granddaughters as a surprise when we picked them up after school. I set it on the wicker table on the front porch so they would see it as soon as they came in. That surprise was usurped by the bigger surprise of the dog! They were jubilant and unbelieving when they opened the screen door and he jumped out.
"CHALK!?!" my granddaughter cried out in joy when I handed the plastic carton to her. My front patio was shortly transformed into brilliant works of art by her and her six-year-old sister. A multi-colored rainbow, a lopsided likeness of the dog, misspelled words and designs in vivid hues covered the concrete surface. Oh well, it was supposed to rain, so it would probably not last long, I thought.
Sure enough, it came a gully-washer while we were at mid-week church, and the patio is clean as a whistle! No trace of chalk remains, washed away by last night's rain. Just like the sins of the repentant sinner, I thought, for whom the sky is brighter and the colors more vivid, like the iridescent chalk or the brilliance of hummingbirds on the wing. What a nice surprise!
"You did?" I exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me?" We had just been saying in a conversation the day before that the latest issue of his favorite magazine, Birds and Blooms, was devoted almost exclusively to hummingbirds. "And we never even see them!" I had lamented.
A few minutes later, I caught a glimpse of an unfamiliar dog darting uncertainly toward the house, but I didn't mention it until I saw it again. When I pointed it out to Howard, he went outside. The small dog had no collar and seemed quite young. A little skittish at first, soon it was tentatively allowing us to pet it. "Do you think it's lost?" I wondered.
We let the little dog, a black-and-white terrier mix, come onto the porch. I got it some water, which he lapped up in no time. He looked thin, so later I fed him some dry dog food left by our "grand-dog" and he gobbled it up. Today I called the animal shelter to see if a dog by that description had been reported missing. I left my phone number just in case, although no one had inquired.
It looks like we've got that dog that Howard always wanted! Two surprises in one day! In a store later that morning, I saw some sidewalk chalk and decided to give it to our granddaughters as a surprise when we picked them up after school. I set it on the wicker table on the front porch so they would see it as soon as they came in. That surprise was usurped by the bigger surprise of the dog! They were jubilant and unbelieving when they opened the screen door and he jumped out.
"CHALK!?!" my granddaughter cried out in joy when I handed the plastic carton to her. My front patio was shortly transformed into brilliant works of art by her and her six-year-old sister. A multi-colored rainbow, a lopsided likeness of the dog, misspelled words and designs in vivid hues covered the concrete surface. Oh well, it was supposed to rain, so it would probably not last long, I thought.
Sure enough, it came a gully-washer while we were at mid-week church, and the patio is clean as a whistle! No trace of chalk remains, washed away by last night's rain. Just like the sins of the repentant sinner, I thought, for whom the sky is brighter and the colors more vivid, like the iridescent chalk or the brilliance of hummingbirds on the wing. What a nice surprise!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Living the Life
"Today was the best day I ever had!" Howard announced at the Bible study last night. Knowing that my husband speaks in superlatives, I wasn't too surprised, but only a little embarassed when he told about our having breakfast on the porch and a picnic for lunch. "My wife has our porch fixed up like a little piece of heaven, and our picnic on the green grass by the pond watching the geese was wonderful!" he finished. Well, the weather was gorgeous, so who could blame him for seeing everything in a favorable light. I am blessed that he has the gift of appreciation.
Just as we had finished the worship songs and the leader was about to present his lesson, a man spoke up. "Before you get started, I would like to tell you about a vision of the Lord I had," the normally non-talkative member said. He went on to tell about how the Lord appeared to him in a church worship service. "It was just his head and shoulders," explained, "but I could see Him so clearly! He was an ordinary-looking man, but he was--beautiful! He was so alive and full of life and love just brimming over in Him!"
When he had finished, another quiet-spoken man, who had uttered maybe two sentences over the several times he has been present, began to tell of a time he saw Jesus. He had been alone with his wife away, lying on the bed counting how many times his heart had skipped. Finally, he drifted off and saw Jesus in white, flowing garments, but his face was blurred.
The next day he went to the doctor who told him if he didn't give up his 3-pack-a-day cigarette habit, he would die. The man thought maybe he had a near-death experience when he saw Jesus and he never smoked again. "Maybe that's how He would have looked if it had been clear," he said to the first speaker.
A talkative woman then told how the Lord was using her. "I had planned a lesson the other day, but He changed it completely," she said. "I didn't say one thing I had planned to say, but only what God told me to say. That is the way I live my life, just doing what He tells me to do!"
The host concluded the remarks by telling how he saw a change in a man he was counselling. "He came up to me and said he had gone to church Sunday and went forward at the altar call," he said. "This is how we are to live our Christian life: recognizing Jesus and letting Him shine forth in our lives, by giving of ourselves to others."
The testimony of the man who'd seen only the bust of Jesus reminded me that He was indeed full of life and vitality. We had sung a song that had the words, "Oh Lord God of Israel there is no god like you in the heavens...there is no god like you in the earth... which showeth mercy and keepeth covenant...unto the servants that walk before Him with all of their hearts." Like the lady who said she only does what God tells her to do! And Howard had previously said that the Lord had awakened in him a greater spirit of giving.
Maybe it was the best day he had ever had!
Just as we had finished the worship songs and the leader was about to present his lesson, a man spoke up. "Before you get started, I would like to tell you about a vision of the Lord I had," the normally non-talkative member said. He went on to tell about how the Lord appeared to him in a church worship service. "It was just his head and shoulders," explained, "but I could see Him so clearly! He was an ordinary-looking man, but he was--beautiful! He was so alive and full of life and love just brimming over in Him!"
When he had finished, another quiet-spoken man, who had uttered maybe two sentences over the several times he has been present, began to tell of a time he saw Jesus. He had been alone with his wife away, lying on the bed counting how many times his heart had skipped. Finally, he drifted off and saw Jesus in white, flowing garments, but his face was blurred.
The next day he went to the doctor who told him if he didn't give up his 3-pack-a-day cigarette habit, he would die. The man thought maybe he had a near-death experience when he saw Jesus and he never smoked again. "Maybe that's how He would have looked if it had been clear," he said to the first speaker.
A talkative woman then told how the Lord was using her. "I had planned a lesson the other day, but He changed it completely," she said. "I didn't say one thing I had planned to say, but only what God told me to say. That is the way I live my life, just doing what He tells me to do!"
The host concluded the remarks by telling how he saw a change in a man he was counselling. "He came up to me and said he had gone to church Sunday and went forward at the altar call," he said. "This is how we are to live our Christian life: recognizing Jesus and letting Him shine forth in our lives, by giving of ourselves to others."
The testimony of the man who'd seen only the bust of Jesus reminded me that He was indeed full of life and vitality. We had sung a song that had the words, "Oh Lord God of Israel there is no god like you in the heavens...there is no god like you in the earth... which showeth mercy and keepeth covenant...unto the servants that walk before Him with all of their hearts." Like the lady who said she only does what God tells her to do! And Howard had previously said that the Lord had awakened in him a greater spirit of giving.
Maybe it was the best day he had ever had!
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Rats!!
"Today Anne-Marie asked if we were having rats for dinner," my son put on Facebook. It turned out he had mentioned earlier that they might have "wraps" for supper.
Upon reading his post, a friend remarked that 6-year-old Anne-Marie had told her on a park outing that morning that they were having rats for supper! She realized my granddaughter had misunderstood, of course, and joked with her about it.
It made me think of a story of an earlier day and time that my dad used to tell. When he was only two years old, his father abandoned the family, leaving my grandmother with 5 children to raise alone. Besides the economic struggle, she became seriously ill and had to resort to placing the three older children--my dad and his brother, who were probably 9 and 10 years old by this time, and a young teen sister--in an orphanage.
The teen-aged sister, a beautiful girl, was adopted by a wealthy couple. (The man eventually divorced his wife and married her, although she was unhappy and the marriage didn't last.) Meanwhile, my dad and his brother ran away from the orphanage and cooked a rat once and ate it!
He said one day they knocked on a door wanting food and pretended to be deaf and mute, rubbing their stomachs and motioning that they were hungry. The housewife who answered the door turned to the younger boy and said, "What about you, honey? Are you deaf and dumb, too?" to which he answered, "Yes, ma'am." Shades of Tom Sawyer!
When I opened my Bible today, the selected reading was I Samuel 5:1-7:17, dealing with the ark of God being captured by the Philistines. Everywhere the ark was placed in enemy territory, it brought destruction on the people. At one point the people were plagued with rats and tumors. In the notes in one of my Bibles, it said that the rats probably brought the bubonic plague, of which one of the symptoms is tumors in the lymph nodes.
Thankfully, due to the grace of God things have progressed beyond the hard times of the past, and knowledge prevents many diseases today. Even the dreaded toxin that causes botulism is now used to take out wrinkles and beautify faces. Now if they would just find something good about rats! But don't worry, sweet Anne-Marie, they won't be served for dinner!
Upon reading his post, a friend remarked that 6-year-old Anne-Marie had told her on a park outing that morning that they were having rats for supper! She realized my granddaughter had misunderstood, of course, and joked with her about it.
It made me think of a story of an earlier day and time that my dad used to tell. When he was only two years old, his father abandoned the family, leaving my grandmother with 5 children to raise alone. Besides the economic struggle, she became seriously ill and had to resort to placing the three older children--my dad and his brother, who were probably 9 and 10 years old by this time, and a young teen sister--in an orphanage.
The teen-aged sister, a beautiful girl, was adopted by a wealthy couple. (The man eventually divorced his wife and married her, although she was unhappy and the marriage didn't last.) Meanwhile, my dad and his brother ran away from the orphanage and cooked a rat once and ate it!
He said one day they knocked on a door wanting food and pretended to be deaf and mute, rubbing their stomachs and motioning that they were hungry. The housewife who answered the door turned to the younger boy and said, "What about you, honey? Are you deaf and dumb, too?" to which he answered, "Yes, ma'am." Shades of Tom Sawyer!
When I opened my Bible today, the selected reading was I Samuel 5:1-7:17, dealing with the ark of God being captured by the Philistines. Everywhere the ark was placed in enemy territory, it brought destruction on the people. At one point the people were plagued with rats and tumors. In the notes in one of my Bibles, it said that the rats probably brought the bubonic plague, of which one of the symptoms is tumors in the lymph nodes.
Thankfully, due to the grace of God things have progressed beyond the hard times of the past, and knowledge prevents many diseases today. Even the dreaded toxin that causes botulism is now used to take out wrinkles and beautify faces. Now if they would just find something good about rats! But don't worry, sweet Anne-Marie, they won't be served for dinner!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Showers of Blessing
"Look at that!" I said to my husband as we passed a local plant nursery outlet. "Did you see the flowers in the watering cans?" They were so cute! Brightly painted watering pots were filled with colorful plantings overflowing and spilling blossoms over the sides. Howard didn't see them, but promised we would stop on the way back.
Of course! It was for Mother's Day! When we stopped later, I pointed to a lovely pink watering can filled with purple flowers. "You could get me that for Mother's Day," I hinted. Then I asked the proprietor how much they were. Wow! $39.95! We decided to think about it, and today Howard told me he was getting me one.
Meanwhile, the thought occurred to me that we have a beautiful watering can at home somewhere. We could paint it, and make one for a fraction of the cost, I reasoned, but I didn't say anything to him, because I hadn't seen the pot for a long time. This morning, after a trip to Lowe's for something for one of his backyard projects, Howard said, "You know we have a watering pot in the garage I could paint."
Back to Lowe's for a can of pink spray paint! Then to the garden department for flowers. I know that girl, I thought, as someone was coming in as we headed to the outdoor display. "Hi," I said, as recognition dawned on me. She responded, and I said, "Delores?" Then she recognized us and laughed, saying she had been to Lowe's the day before, and they had had plants at the back for half-price. She was back to pick some up.
Really? We hurriedly turned our cart around and followed her and soon had our cart filled with amazing bargains, even a pot of flowing purple petunias that would be perfect in our can! Those empty planters at home would look great with the marigolds, petunias and vincas I found. And tiny pots of green and white coleus would be just right in a 4-pot holder I have on the porch.
My thoughtful husband called me into the back yard later, and I couldn't believe how pretty the watering pot turned out, looking sharp and sophisticated with its arched black handle and the coat of stylish pink paint. Not only that, he had spray-painted a smaller water pot in the yellow-green of our wicker table that was absolutely adorable with a heart-shaped cut-out on either side.
I'm so glad I followed the impulse to speak to the girl! (Impulse, or the guidance of the Holy Spirit?) For less than the Mother's Day arrangement the nursery was selling, I will have two gorgeous watering pot planters, as well as a hanging basket I can do (we also got potting soil) and several other planters filled with flowers! Thank you, Lord, who gives us the desires of heart and has a heart for mothers!
Of course! It was for Mother's Day! When we stopped later, I pointed to a lovely pink watering can filled with purple flowers. "You could get me that for Mother's Day," I hinted. Then I asked the proprietor how much they were. Wow! $39.95! We decided to think about it, and today Howard told me he was getting me one.
Meanwhile, the thought occurred to me that we have a beautiful watering can at home somewhere. We could paint it, and make one for a fraction of the cost, I reasoned, but I didn't say anything to him, because I hadn't seen the pot for a long time. This morning, after a trip to Lowe's for something for one of his backyard projects, Howard said, "You know we have a watering pot in the garage I could paint."
Back to Lowe's for a can of pink spray paint! Then to the garden department for flowers. I know that girl, I thought, as someone was coming in as we headed to the outdoor display. "Hi," I said, as recognition dawned on me. She responded, and I said, "Delores?" Then she recognized us and laughed, saying she had been to Lowe's the day before, and they had had plants at the back for half-price. She was back to pick some up.
Really? We hurriedly turned our cart around and followed her and soon had our cart filled with amazing bargains, even a pot of flowing purple petunias that would be perfect in our can! Those empty planters at home would look great with the marigolds, petunias and vincas I found. And tiny pots of green and white coleus would be just right in a 4-pot holder I have on the porch.
My thoughtful husband called me into the back yard later, and I couldn't believe how pretty the watering pot turned out, looking sharp and sophisticated with its arched black handle and the coat of stylish pink paint. Not only that, he had spray-painted a smaller water pot in the yellow-green of our wicker table that was absolutely adorable with a heart-shaped cut-out on either side.
I'm so glad I followed the impulse to speak to the girl! (Impulse, or the guidance of the Holy Spirit?) For less than the Mother's Day arrangement the nursery was selling, I will have two gorgeous watering pot planters, as well as a hanging basket I can do (we also got potting soil) and several other planters filled with flowers! Thank you, Lord, who gives us the desires of heart and has a heart for mothers!
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Picture Perfect
Now this is nice, I thought as I was browsing at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago for a wedding shower gift. It was a pre-made wedding scrapbook with lots of nicely framed photo insert spaces and tasteful captions. I liked the black and white motif which added a formal, contemporary touch to the album.
The only thing was, a couple of the plastic page protectors were rumpled and bent. They didn't have any more, so I had the idea to go to the store in Stillwater. They would have a much better selection, I reasoned.
Stillwater's Hobby Lobby had none at all! Back to square one for a gift idea. Then I realized I could order the album online! That would guarantee nobody had thumbed through it and spoiled it. It arrived in plenty of time for the shower protected by bubble wrap in a sturdy mailing carton.
The day I went to get gift wrapping paper, I found the perfect card, black and white also, with a couple holding an umbrella on the front and wishes for showers of good things for their future inside.
"This is from Mimi and Pa-Pa," our grandson announced, looking at the card as he picked up the first present and handed it to his fiancee'. They seemed intrigued by it, and several others exclaimed that they hadn't seen any like it before. They passed it around and I was holding my breath that it wouldn't get smudged, since we'd just had food and cake. I was so glad they liked my gift! Thank you, Lord, for the idea!
The only thing was, a couple of the plastic page protectors were rumpled and bent. They didn't have any more, so I had the idea to go to the store in Stillwater. They would have a much better selection, I reasoned.
Stillwater's Hobby Lobby had none at all! Back to square one for a gift idea. Then I realized I could order the album online! That would guarantee nobody had thumbed through it and spoiled it. It arrived in plenty of time for the shower protected by bubble wrap in a sturdy mailing carton.
The day I went to get gift wrapping paper, I found the perfect card, black and white also, with a couple holding an umbrella on the front and wishes for showers of good things for their future inside.
"This is from Mimi and Pa-Pa," our grandson announced, looking at the card as he picked up the first present and handed it to his fiancee'. They seemed intrigued by it, and several others exclaimed that they hadn't seen any like it before. They passed it around and I was holding my breath that it wouldn't get smudged, since we'd just had food and cake. I was so glad they liked my gift! Thank you, Lord, for the idea!
Monday, May 6, 2013
Bluebird of Happiness
"Mimi, you have a rose on your bush!" my little granddaughter announced excitedly the other day. And I was just as excited as she was! This belated spring has had all of us guessing! But today I saw a second rose, and many buds ready to pop open, so maybe we'll have roses after all.
Another welcome sight that met my eyes today was a bluebird! I had seen what I thought were bluebirds last week, but the birds were darkly silhouetted against the sky, and I couldn't be certain. The first robin is a sure sign of spring, but a bluebird is especially cheering! I guess that's where the phrase "bluebird of happiness" comes from.
"I want you to come and see something," my husband announced when I got into the car the other day. He had been strolling the shops while he waited for me at the hair dresser. "It's a rattan table and chairs!" he exclaimed. He knew I'd been wanting one, having passed up an exorbitantly priced wicker set at an antiques store last fall.
He led me into a used furniture place next door, and I spotted it immediately. Surprisingly, I liked it! It was a small, oval, wicker-topped rattan table that would be perfect for our screened front porch, and at a fraction of the cost of the earlier table! It was a little dull, but nothing a coat of paint wouldn't fix. I found the perfect shade of paint, the yellow-green of new leaves, and the set looks amazing!
It has been too cold to enjoy our porch lately, but this morning when I awoke I could see by the light coming in the window that it was going to be a nice day. I made breakfast and said wistfully, "I wish we could eat on the porch," then, on impulse, I opened the front door and found that, though cool, the temperature was bearable. We had a wonderful breakfast watching the sun climb in the morning sky with a view of the dew-sparkled lawn out front and the green curtain of vines sheltering one end of our arbor.
We enjoyed our breakfast so much that, while Howard lingered over his Bible study out there most of the morning, I made a chicken salad to be eaten for lunch on the porch. We were ravenous after some errands, and al fresco dining was the perfect setting for rest and relaxation, with our rosebush just outside the screen and the bluebird of happiness overhead!
Another welcome sight that met my eyes today was a bluebird! I had seen what I thought were bluebirds last week, but the birds were darkly silhouetted against the sky, and I couldn't be certain. The first robin is a sure sign of spring, but a bluebird is especially cheering! I guess that's where the phrase "bluebird of happiness" comes from.
"I want you to come and see something," my husband announced when I got into the car the other day. He had been strolling the shops while he waited for me at the hair dresser. "It's a rattan table and chairs!" he exclaimed. He knew I'd been wanting one, having passed up an exorbitantly priced wicker set at an antiques store last fall.
He led me into a used furniture place next door, and I spotted it immediately. Surprisingly, I liked it! It was a small, oval, wicker-topped rattan table that would be perfect for our screened front porch, and at a fraction of the cost of the earlier table! It was a little dull, but nothing a coat of paint wouldn't fix. I found the perfect shade of paint, the yellow-green of new leaves, and the set looks amazing!
It has been too cold to enjoy our porch lately, but this morning when I awoke I could see by the light coming in the window that it was going to be a nice day. I made breakfast and said wistfully, "I wish we could eat on the porch," then, on impulse, I opened the front door and found that, though cool, the temperature was bearable. We had a wonderful breakfast watching the sun climb in the morning sky with a view of the dew-sparkled lawn out front and the green curtain of vines sheltering one end of our arbor.
We enjoyed our breakfast so much that, while Howard lingered over his Bible study out there most of the morning, I made a chicken salad to be eaten for lunch on the porch. We were ravenous after some errands, and al fresco dining was the perfect setting for rest and relaxation, with our rosebush just outside the screen and the bluebird of happiness overhead!
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