Frank's Favorite Shade of Christmas Gray

    During a quick pick-up-a-few-groceries stop today I grabbed a bag of tennis balls for Frank for Christmas.  Yes, even the pets get a little something.
    I set the bag containing the beloved toys, in his favorite shade of gray, on the counter to keep them out of his sight until I could put them in the attic (and now I've given away my present hiding spot...).
    On my way upstairs I paused and set the bag down to gather a couple other things that needed to go up. When I turned around there was Frank alerting me of the presence of the balls. It was as if he was thinking "There they are, all this time! (He loses them like it's his job.) Could you get them out of that mesh trap please?"
    I would have been heartless to put them all away.  Seriously, look at that face. Plus, he would have whined until Christmas at the door he saw them last go through. So I took one out for him.  It made me truly joyful to see him so happy.
    He has been treasuring that ball all evening and bounces the spit laden wonder toward you with pride. (Sidenote:  I just heard it bounce down the stairs).
    I got to thinking how God loves to bless us too, how pleased it makes Him to see us happy.  Yet, He knows the perfect time to take the gift out of the attic (...and how to perfectly hide it from us).  Sometimes when we get the gift it seems way overdue , but He knew it was right on time.
    This Christmastime I find myself grateful for God's infinite wisdom, and that it included a way for me to get to Him.  More than any gift ever, and more than ever, I treasure this.

   

Untangle the Wind Chimes

    I really wanted more to laugh about, but some days are harder that way.
    I could have used an Apples-to-Apples family game moment, like the time Trevor chose glazed donut to go with spineless and WON. I'm not sure exactly why it was so funny at the time, but it was and we still laugh about it.
    I would have enjoyed something like when the kitten Zelda chased the dog Frank's ball alongside him and hopped like she was a cross between Tigger and a kangaroo. That was hysterical!
    But some days are harder.
     I just had to get away for awhile so I went for a drive.  I spent a lot of time thinking, and talking to God (thankfully, unlike me, He accepts yelling as talking). I sat at one of my best friend's grave for awhile and straightened up the wind-blown flowers and adornments. I noticed that the chimes were caught up so I freed them.  Immediately the soft wind chimes soothed me, like they had the handful of other times I had ventured out there to that beautiful hillside.
    I got to thinking how God moves a lot like the wind, gentle and unnoticed at times, until you untangle the wind chimes.

Porch Pumpkin Patch

    Sometime in August, after weeks of busy work schedules by day (and sometimes night) and a bathroom tiling project by night (and into wee morning some days), I walked down my front porch steps and took a deep breath.
    It struck me how neglected my landscaping was, I mean, there were massive broad-leaf weeds taking over the grounds. A closer look revealed that the 'weeds' were actually pumpkin plants that last year's rotted pumpkin display had inadvertently provided.
    I thought about ripping out the vines since there wasn't much growing on them yet. But then I thought, "Why not? Something is alive and thriving, let it grow." 
    Now there are three large volunteer pumpkins pushing the red, barely visible mums around.
    I started thinking how many things volunteer themselves right into my life, and end up being a bright, beautiful addition to my days. What I really love is that God knew it was coming all along.

Zelda the Warrior Kitty

I began holding my breath for a few seconds as I prepared to run by a dead animal along side the road.  Just as I passed, it turned it's tiny face up and looked at me.  I'm not sure who was more startled, the kitten or me. But this skinny little thing was so happy to see me.  I was still recovering from jumping back when she playfully rolled on her back on the road and started rubbing her soft little self affectionately against my ankles.  

She wanted to stay on the side of the road with the bean field as her refuge when cars came by.  I knew I couldn't leave her here to be hit or starve to death.  I had to take her home.  Besides, she looks just like Bruce!

My run was suddenly over as I attempted to carry her with little success.  She followed me, if you call weaving back and forth between my feet, following.  So, I called Dexter who had passed me a few minutes earlier on the way home from his run.  The first thing he said was "Did you find that kitten?"

"Come pick us up. She can live in the woods or something." I recall saying, trying to figure out a way to justify another cat in our lives.

Thankfully this cat is fit for the outdoors. She makes herself a force to be reckoned with, spitting, hissing, and puffing up in all her glory at the dogs.  I decided she needed a warrior princess name, and after some help from Mitch and Wes, I settled on Zelda.  She  is the opposite of our indoor princess, Eva, who lays down in fear like a snack for her predators.

Like my mother always said, "It takes all kinds."
Like my boys always say, "Your turning into a cat lady."
I like the "takes all kinds" line here.  Besides, I think of myself as more of a zookeeper (though one of the hermit crabs did die this week and I signed an exotic animal paper for that one, am I in trouble?).

I'm really glad God seems to think it takes all kinds, and that He let's me be a zookeeper.

Put the Sandals On

    We arrived in Florida for the Disney Duals wrestling tournament just after the tropical storms from Hurricane what's-her-name left the area.  It was good timing and gave us cooler than usual weather there while avoiding the crazy heat wave Ohio was having.
     Sometimes I can get a bad attitude when I spend vacation days on wrestling.  OK, usually I get a bad attitude.  But I decided to just try to make the very best of everything I could. My first decision, beyond flying to meet the team, came at the rental car desk in Orlando.  "Would you like to upgrade to a Mustang?" 

My rental w/ Sky Coaster (white A structure) in background.

      Then on the first night, with a little encouragement and funding from my husband, Dave, I rode the 300 foot high sky coaster swing with my son Wes. You know, the kind that harnesses you in, hoists you up with pulleys, and let's you free fall, then swing?  It is crazy, scary, and I had a blast! 
     I spent time in the sun a little each day, swam in the pool, and read a thriller novel all week, which I've never done before.
     Wrestling matches were exciting and the kids were great to be around.
     One day in between wrestling Dexter had to run out to the team van to get his phone.  He said, "Did you notice my shoe situation?"  Now, I had.  It was hilarious!  He didn't want to put on his street shoes in between matches, and Dave offered his sandals to make it quicker.  Dexter improvised and just put the sandals on over his wrestling shoes.
     It made me think how much better off I am when I too, improvise and adapt.  And even though my flights coming and going were very late and came with rude people and unpleasant moments, I could say that in the end... I put the sandals on.  

   
    

Toileted

     Judging by recent blog photos only, some may think I'm a...cat lady.  But no worries, after this entry I will be a toilet lady.

      Let me begin with how we were toileted. This is a new movement that one-ups the age-old toilet papering prank. Here's how it went:  I was awakened at 1 a.m. by my door bell.  None too happy, I shuffled to the door in fear of a police officer with bad news standing there.  But alas, lucky me!  I was greeted by an old broken toilet sitting on my porch (with thankfully only decaying leaves in the bowl).  What good news...but still none to happy, I had to rest in the fact that around here, people actually only do these kinds of things if they like you.  Odd, if not twisted, I know.

     Later in the day, and completely unrelated (except for the toilet part) I laughed when our little kitten, Eva,  heard a toilet flush next to her.  She skittered sideways and looked up at it in awe, with great wonder on her sweet little face.  I tried to think of it from the perspective of a tiny creature new to the world. I'm sure she conjured up images of amazing things happening in that massive alabaster rock face.  "It's so beautiful, so wondrous!"  Of course she was quite wrong, but so so are my reactions and thought processes to things I can't comprehend. Some things are just beyond me.  Thankfully, not the toilet.

Eva hissed at the wind one day, to which Trevor responded, "the world can be confusing."

I enjoy laughing at these everyday things, but even better, I'm grateful for a God who can help me make sense of some of the confusing...toilets in my life, and trust Him with the rest.

Photo of Eva courtesy of Trevor Lee Photography   http://tmleephotography.blogspot.com/

Mouse Poop on the Cake & Breathing

   The tent we borrowed for Dexter's graduation party began to blow away soon after the gathering started. Ten or so people hung on to it, myself in a dress, all of us problem solving together to disassemble the tent before the wind wildly did it for us. It was kind of fun actually, and the tent was unscathed.
     This happened right after a board carrying sawdust and mouse poop fell onto the cake.  It had been hiding under a wrestling banner waiting for just the right moment. I was really rattled by its perfect timing.  Guests were arriving and suddenly there was mouse poop on the cake?!
     Some dear friends helped fix it all, but just in case, I hope you ate from the front of the cake.  OK, so there was a little sawdust stuck to the frosting in the 95 degree heat.  But, like sweet Julia pointed out, "It's no more than what we inhale."
     I was suddenly relieved by her comment.  She was right.  And it got me thinking that there are a lot of messes in life where I just need to clean up what I can and then just breathe.  And not worry about breathing.
     When the party was all over that day, my mom opened up the basement door where we had kept Bruce all day.  He lay there on his back waiting, as if to say, "It's about time, where have you been all day?"

     Oh, we were just breathing.

    
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