He's Afraid of the Books

Just days after Frank chewed up my last new box of books, another book came out. Recently I figured out that I make about $10 an hour writing if a story is accepted, so my reward is really in seeing it in print and getting the box with a newly released book inside. It's like Christmas! So, I was relieved to be around when Heavenly Humor for the Teacher's Soul arrived to intercept Frank. He sniffed the box and I told him "no". He looked down in shame. When I tried to take a picture of him with the box he didn't chew he ran from it! It's just possible that he is learning.

Here's info on the book if you want to take a look (or you can get one from me for $5)
http://www.amazon.com/Heavenly-Humor-Teachers-Soul-Inspirational/dp/1616264578

My New Book Arrived and...

I've been waiting for my new book to arrive, couldn't wait to open that box and devour the story I wrote about my friend Kim Lee. As you can see Frank beat me to it - quite literally. But you know, after I picked up the package strewn across the front yard, and beat the dog, I could still read the story. If you would like to buy the copy with a chunk of the spine missing, that one costs more. The book is Heavenly XOXO for Women, here is one place you can preorder (release July 1). http://www.buy.com/prod/heavenly-xoxo-for-women/q/loc/106/219495284.html

PS- How do you inform delivery services not to leave boxes where dogs will eat them?

Caution! Needs to be Under Construction

The pool deck slopes here and there. There are hidden weak spots where you least expect them (be careful!). The carpet that was once sturdy and a sweet blue, is thinning, fading, and worn through to the sagging spots. The integrity of the deck structure has been compromised from years of changing seasons and a few winters that seemed to have no end, not to mention the rough treatment of people not always thinking. The liner, holding the very thing a pool is for, has not delivered what was promised (some people you do business with are not who they say they are). A lot of self-repair and obvious patching has had to occur. The filter basket is so fractured that the skimmer pulls it down into itself. Plumbing issues are at least an annual thing. The filter is tired of taking in the continual dirt and back washing it all out again, thank God for the waste mode when things are really bad after the long winter. The motor's casing is covered in rust on top of rust, but it keeps on ticking. This pool is old. I actually made signs for the deck to protect visitors from injury (umm yeah...in case you wondered what those pictures were).

But, the water is finally a nice shade of blue. I can't quite see the bottom clearly but it is really refreshing to enjoy the water.

All this has me thinking that my wreckage of a pool is much like life (read it one more time). Broken, repaired, getting tired, getting fixed, and overall, worth it.

Thank God.

Things Will Never be the Same

I am not sure what I like better about this car, the bungee straps, or the fact that holes had to be drilled in the hood to use bungee straps.

One thing is for sure though, I'll miss this car in the fleet. There's so much to miss. Where do I begin? I mean, it was great how you couldn't lock the car because the door keys would not work, so to lock something up you had to put it in the trunk and lock the glove compartment where the trunk button is. And of course if you did happen to lock the doors the AAA lock out service was just a call away (on speed dial).

I loved the mystery squeak in the back of the car, and the muffler pipe held up barely by a coat hanger. These features announced Mitch's arrival home long before he entered the long driveway.

The gas mileage and longevity of the '94 will be truly missed. When a run-in with a deer delivered the Topaz's last blow it was decided that we would help her make it to 300,000. With only 500 more miles to go, a plan was devised.

Enter, bungee straps, and a power drill to keep the hood from blowing open onto the windshield again. Her previous drivers, Trevor and Mitch, were instructed regarding the plan to take her on every short run trip possible.

Yesterday she reached her 300,000 mile destination. Today she was taken in as a donor, where she will give every usable part to Wes' '94 teal Topaz. She WILL live on, maybe not in all her dull white painted glory, but certainly through her radio, her door handles (not the locks), her glove box door, ignition, and tires. It will be beautiful.

But today we say goodbye, sort of. We'll see her again but it will never be the same.

UFO Sighting

There were a lot of calls yesterday for UFO sightings around here.

"Something very powerful is in the sky! There, see it? In between the crack in those clouds!"

Turns out it was just the sun deciding to make an appearance.

Just the sun? Did I say just the sun?

Seriously, the sun has been in hiding for so much of the spring, not to mention the very long winter, that this is a pretty big deal.

The atmosphere was so gray, in so many ways. To encourage myself I would think of how the sun is still always shining behind those thick clouds, but it doesn't make me any warmer.

Today, I feel like a different person with this bright UFO around. It's been hanging around all day!

Suddenly, there is warmth, brightness, hope. And I can't help but think that if I did not know the depth of dark gray days, I could not possibly appreciate this day as much as I do.

Happy sunshine northwest Ohio!

Photo of Lake Erie by TrevorLeePhotography.com

Deadly Duo and Easter

The four-legged crew pictured here is now known around here as the deadly duo. Bruce scales the heights of the counters and piano top to bat things around and then swats them down to the floor level where Frank awaits his newest play toys.

Toys can be anything really, mouth guards, coins, books, a bright pink ink pen (especially bright on white linoleum), and various plastic items. Today it was a food glazing brush that was drying in the sink tray. A few days ago it was the...turtle.

THAT was a sad day. Bernie the turtle (aka Weekend at Bernie's) did not fair so well with Frank's play.

When we found him upside down, tightly inside his injured shell, we put him in water right away to try to revive him. When he didn't respond we set him on his rock halfway out of water in a sort of hopeful/state of denial.

A couple hours later I found him in the water moving his legs a bit. I was so excited, I texted the boys with the news and renamed him Lazarus. It's possible that the cat knocked him in the water and he was moving with the water looking alive, but, either way, he didn't end up making it. We were all very sad.

We call the dog and cat duo, Murderer and Accessory, but really, they're just...not thinking or incapable of such. Our punishment will not help them. They don't understand. They need good instruction and mostly grace.

This morning, Easter morning, during some songs at church it occurred to me that me and my sin/my stuff, are the deadly duo that put Christ on the cross. The reason that He did what He did. Granted, I was born into this state, and I too, am often not thinking or incapable of recognizing some things. I was and am regularly in need of good instruction and mostly grace.

SO refreshing to realize that I am offered that grace freely.

Easter is really more like New Year's Day.

The Sprinkles of Spring

Thankfully, dreary days like these bring with them the promise of future flowers, like those popping up outside my kitchen window. Today I was admiring them along with some pansies I planted last weekend. Just at that moment one of the dogs walked up and peed right there. It's sprinkling everywhere.

On this rainy day I thought I would share a post I wrote for whatavisit. com a little while back. It sure fits today in Ohio! The last sentence is cut off in the layout...it's supposed to say "...how nice it was not to worry about leaving them sit at the table. I knocked on the window to wave at friends standing where I would be in a moment, to wait with others under the awnings for the crosswalk light. BG is a really warm town, even on a rainy day." Nothing like spoiling the ending! :)

The full rainy day story is at www.whatavisit.com/buzz. Happy spring!

Photo above from www.etwagnerphotography.blogspot.com Nice pics Lizzy!