A "???" Dog Night!

The cold weather came and stayed this week! The weather man said that the temps today were 40 degrees colder than they were exactly a week ago (it was 85!!). I've resisted turning on the heat because it's admitting that the warm days are gone and winter is just around the corner. This is a hard time of the year for me. I think it may be because of our days in Alaska. When the weather was like this there, the clouds kept the mountains hidden from view. Everyone waited for them to clear. When they did, it was like curtains opening on a stage and everyone would see for the first time, the mountains tops with snow on them. In Alaska they call this "termination dust" because the first snow meant that the miners would lose their jobs and be "terminated." Seeing this was always a bit depressing for me because it was an unmistakable sign that winter was there...I think this is why I hold it off as long as I can and try not to turn on the heat. Last night the temp in the house was 59. I still didn't want to turn on the heat--We were just going to go to bed, right??!! I figured we could just throw on another blanket, and it would be okay. At around 2 o'clock in the morning, I woke up and there were 3 dogs in bed with us, and the cat--I got comfortable and fell back to sleep. Sleep didn't last long because a little bit later Sheba who never gets on the bed was there trying to find a place next to us. She usually sleeps on the floor next to the wall, so I'm sure she was cold--But I just couldn't agree to one more dog in bed with us, so I let Sheba stay and made someone "volunteer" to get off--That was hard to do because it was so very toasty and comfy for all of us! I gave in this morning and turned on the heat and made chili.

God & Dog by WJ Francisco

I saw this and just loved it--The video and the poem are so sweet and the simple message was a good reminder to me of how blessed we are to have dogs and all animals as part of our lives!

GoD & DoG

(WJ Francisco)

I look up and I see God,

I look down and see my dog.

Simple spelling G- O- D,
Same word backwards, D- O- G.
They would stay with me all day.

I'm the one who walks away.

But both of them just wait for me.

And dance at my return with glee.

Both love me no matter what.

Divine God and canine mutt.

I take it hard each time I fail.

But God forgives, Dog wags his tail.

God thought up and made the dog,
Dog reflects a part of God.

I've seen love from both sides now,
it's everywhere, amen, bow wow.

I look up and I see God,

I look down and see my dog.

And in my human frailty,

I can't match their love for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17edn_RZoY

I'm sucha Grasshopper!!

The last few weeks the story of the “Grasshopper and the Ant” keeps tumbling around in my head. I remember the story not because I read it in a book, but because I saw the Disney cartoon. In the cartoon, the grasshopper fiddles, sings, and eats the leaves off trees while the queen of the ants warn him that he'd better prepare for winter too. But the grasshopper continues fiddling and singing. When winter finally comes, the grasshopper becomes almost frozen from the cold. He can no longer play his fiddle. In desperation, he knocks at the tree where the ants live and begs them to let him in. The queen ant gives her “I told you so” speech and ends with “Take your fiddle...” and after the long pause she says “and play!” So in the end, the grasshopper earns the warmth and food of the ants by playing his fiddle. I am reminded of this story because I am like the grasshopper in the story. I am never prepared for winter. I always put off things until the last minute. And, if things don't get done, it's usually okay; I'll do it another time. Because after all, isn't time what there is so much of? However, the older I get, and living here in "the country" I'm finding that there doesn't seem to be the time there once was. And with winter quickly approaching I know I need to focus and get things done in order to be prepared...But my grasshopper ways are really hard to overcome, especially when it's so nice outside and the dogs want me to play!