Long Hollow

Not again! Dang dogs (and birds!) and "Johnny Baby" revisited

I knew it. I could see it on their faces yesterday when we tried to get them into the van. 

Yep, it's true. They love Ginger more than me.

Or at least Ginger's yard. Or dogs. Or driveway.

Something up there is irresistible to my dogs - worth the trek through the valley and up the hill.

Maybe Max is in love?

At any rate, Ginger called this afternoon to let me know my dogs were hanging out at her house again.

(How embarrassing! I feel so rejected!) 

I had to take off work and head back up there in the old mini-van (the only vehicle we have they'll both fit into. I'm glad we haven't sold it yet. I'd hate to have to squeeze them into my Elantra!)

I let Max know my cut in pay this week was coming out of his allowance. No more expensive joint-therapy food and supplements for him, if this is the thanks I get!

(Not really. Totally empty threat. But don't tell him that.)

Once we were back on our dirt road, within a hundred yards of our house, I made them get out and walk. I'm not sure what that taught them, but it made me feel better for some reason. (I used to do that with the kids when they were younger and fighting or just being rowdy and not listening in the van - once we were on the dirt road, out they'd go! hehehe)

My point with the dogs was, I didn't want them to think they could walk up there to Ginger's, have a good time, and then expect a cushy ride home from me. Oh, no! You only get a cushy ride for the dangerous sections, and then, out you go! Take that and don't forget it!

Dang dogs.

So guess what we did with them this afternoon?

Yeah, that's right. We took them for a long walk. It was a gorgeous afternoon - how could we not take them for a walk?

Dang dogs.

Now Tom has some work ahead of him. Either string up one of those electric fences in a small area and put one of those shock collars on Belle (I worry about putting one on Max with his heart issues) or build two runs in the woods. They'd have to be sturdy for these two dogs, anchored in concrete a mile deep! And do they even make harnesses large enough for Max?

Dang dogs. Like we don't have enough projects around here...

While Tom's working on that, I'm going to be busy stalking birds.

Spring is moving into the Hollow even as we speak, and the birds are all atwitter about it. But they're all atwitter from a distance, and they're irritatingly camera shy. Even when they're fifty yards away and up in the tops of the willows - so far away I know whatever shot I take isn't going to be clear and sharp but I want to try anyway - at the first movement of my camera, SWOOSH, they're off in beautiful synchronized flight. 

I think they're taunting me.

But the game is on. The stakes have risen higher, because Jillsy has a new challenge this month - bird photography. And she has sweetened the deal by promising "a little something" from her - most likely some of her beautiful cards.

And that's why I'll be stalking birds while Tom figures out how to corral our adventurous puppies.

If you want to play along on "Tweets Around the World", click the image below for the details. I'm also posting it in my sidebar for future reference (so I can see how I'm doing!) and adding the blog hop Linky to the bottom of this post.

 

While I'm rambling, I need to give a shout-out Happy Birthday to my youngest brother-in-law, John. His birthday was actually last week, but that's how it is these days, behind on everything. (Tom just made his happy birthday call. We are birds of a procrastinating feather, that's for sure...)

So happy birthday, John! (Click HERE to see my really good "Happy Birthday, John" post from last year. He's an amazing guy, a Phoenix policeman who coaxed a confession out of a murderer, so if you missed it last year, you really should read it. I used to be so good at these things...)

My Cup of Tea

Growing up in Texas, my memories of tea don't involve delicate cups and saucers, but instead revolve around Mama's fresh brewed sweet tea, served ice cold in tall jelly glasses.

The only thing I drank hot from a cup was coffee or hot chocolate, and any knowledge of "tea time" came from one of my favorite scenes in "Mary Poppins", when Julie Andrews pours while teetering around Uncle Albert's floating table (If you don't know what the heck I'm talking about, do yourself a favor and watch the clip at the bottom of this post.) 

Anyway, despite my inexperience, I've always had a weakness for vintage china and teapots: the delicate artwork, the originality, the shapes. And thanks to friends and relatives, I've accumulated a wonderful collection. I have music box teapots, silver teapots, and novelty teapots, china sets handed down from grandmothers, and (bless her!) Tom's mom's collection of teacups. Or, at least I think they're tea cups. How can you tell the difference between tea cups and coffee cups? Oh, well, they're pretty and unusual and that's all that matters to me.

Here are a few others, treasured heirlooms, not because they're worth anything monetarily (they probably aren't!) but because of their connections to people I love...

my wedding china, and yes, I've used it...

But as much as I admire them, this is what I prefer for my coffee... it's pretty, but the important thing is, it's BIG!

Here are few other things on my Cup of Tea list besides tea cups, teapots and coffee:

• time with friends and family (especially Tom and the kids!)
• dancing
• the beach (all seasons, all weather, all times of the day or night)
• reading and writing
• rocking on my porch, watching the birds
• walking the dogs
• watching movies
• scratching things off of my to-do list...

...and that's what I'm planning to do today. In fact, I'll probably fit all of the above in today, except for the beach. But maybe I can slip down to the lake for a bit - that should be on my list, too, anyway.

So, tell me ... what's on your Cup of Tea list?

Oh, I almost forgot this one ... as promised, here's the laughing/tea scene from "Mary Poppins" - it's definitely on my Cup of Tea list! If you can watch this without at least one chuckle ... well, I'd be very disappointed in you, and we might not even be friends anymore! So just don't tell me - I'd hate to lose you.

 

This is my contribution to Jillsy Girl's Prompt Me! (Did you guess the prompt is "My Cup of Tea"?) Jump on the Blog Hop Below, or just click on the images to see the other contributions.

 

Bloom, Waiting

The trio of crape myrtles at the top of our walk are bare, just bunches of naked gray branches with nary a leaf, much less the beautiful pink blossoms they flaunted last summer.

And yet I know somewhere inside those gray-brown forlorn branches, new buds are waiting. They are biding their time, waiting for the perfect conditions, to make another grand entrance.

That's how I feel these days, like a bare crape myrtle, in between seasons.  

Something is there, waiting to bloom. I don't know what color it will be, what shape it will take, but I'm eager to see it. Restless.

I hope it doesn't take too long.

This post is my contribution to Jillsy's Prompt Me! Wednesday - this week's prompt is "Blossom". You have until Tuesday to join in the Blog Hop!

A Treasured Gift

I decided to be prompt with this week's post for Prompt Me! Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Jillsy Girl, although even as I'm typing this, I have no idea what my post will ultimately say.

Don't get me wrong... I've been pondering this one for several days already. What stumps me is trying to decide what to set on the pedestal as "A Treasured Gift"? Should it be a thing or an ideal?

I fear I'm in danger of overthinking this one...

There's the gift of friendship, both human and animal. I was reminded of the preciousness of friendship this past week by the loss of a friend, and that's what I had originally planned to focus on for this post. I even found several quotes to go with it... 

"Friendship is a treasured gift,
and every time I talk to you I feel as if I'm getting richer and richer." 
~ unknown

"Among Life's precious jewels,  
Genuine and rare,  
The one that we call friendship  
Has worth beyond compare." 
~ author unknown

"Real friendship is a rare and precious gift, strong,  
stable, yet fragile, and never to be taken for granted." 
~GAgirl 

But I wasn't satisfied. So here I am still typing...

The gift of my blue drumsticks come to mind, not because of the drumsticks, but because of my sister, Brenda. Truly a gift. And writing the post about her brought back so many wonderful memories of our shared history. My family and those memories are for sure treasured gifts.

Then there are the drums themselves - Tom surprised me with them on one of our anniversaries. Definitely one of the most romantic gifts he's ever given me, and I treasure them as a reminder of his thoughtfulness as much as for the joy they bring me. 

Heck, Tom is a gift. I believe God put him in my path... He knew just what I needed. But if we're talking of gifts from God, how could I, as a Christian, not mention the ultimate gift of eternal life, thanks to the sacrifice by his son, Jesus?

Or the gift of faith that will sustain me even if a time comes when I have nothing else left - no friends, family, drums, blue drumsticks, or even my memory.

(See? I'm all over the place with this. Totally overthinking it, I know.)

And of course, my children! Such precious gifts, each one of them.

But what about these others? 

• Learning to read
• Trust
• Freedom to pursue my passions
• Time
• Breathing
• Sunshine
• Each day and whatever it brings

Ah, that's it!

My most treasured gift is... ...this moment right now.

Fleeting, precious, not to be taken for granted, no matter how ordinary it seems.

Or extraordinary.

Because each one is extraordinary in its own way, isn't it? Each one filled with bits of every other gift we've ever received.

What comes to your mind when you think of "A Treasured Gift"?

 

 

To see other contributions to this week's Prompt Me! Wednesday (or to add your own)

CLICK HERE!

Nests, Webs, and Blue Drumsticks

These arrived on our doorstep a few days ago...

I have no idea who sent them. Tom says it wasn't him ... he thought I ordered them for myself.

I swear when I said "will someone send me some blue drumsticks?" I never expected anyone to actually do it! From now on, I know to be careful what I say on here!

But to you, my Mystery Friend, right now I say thank you very much! They are beautiful, as you can see - a rich, royal blue - and when I'm banging away with them, I'll remember you!

...whoever you are...

(I hope you come out from hiding so I can thank you personally.)

 I had another sweet surprise this week - Hilary of The Smitten Image recognized Winter's Breath on my Confessions blog as a "Post of the Week". Each Wednesday she highlights several blog posts in different categories on her blog, and I am truly honored that she chose one of mine! 

I urge you to click on the badge below to see all of her choices from this past Wednesday - better yet, once there, click on the links you find there for some wonderful reading.

Thank you again, Hilary!

And speaking of Wednesdays (sort of), all week I've been pondering this quote... 

It's Jillsy's latest prompt for Prompt Me Wednesday. (Fortunately, we have a week to ponder and post.)

This quote has been in the back of my mind as events of the week unfolded, trying to figure out what it means to me.

I've pondered the drumsticks, the Post of the Week award, and especially my friend Carl's passing in relation to these words, and this is what came from all my pondering...

Like birds, humans have nests, cozy homes for our families. Like spiders, humans toil to gather food and produce beautiful works of art. But unlike birds and spiders, humans have a larger network beyond the nest and web - a support system for those times when our loved ones leave us alone in our nest, or when we're no longer able to gather food for ourselves or our passion for our art has been lost.

The bird a nest, the spider a web...

Man friendship. 

Our shelter, our safety net, our inspiration.

What does the quote mean to you?

Share in a comment or link up your own blog post below (you have till Tuesday!) Next week's prompt is "A Treasured Gift".

 

 

On Secrets

Can you keep a secret?

I can. 

I don't always like it ... Secrets can be heavy, weighing on your mind, sometimes your heart, especially when someone asks you to help them carry a secret full of pain, but then forgets to let you know when everything is fine and dandy again so you can toss it aside like they already did a week ago or so ("oops, didn't I tell you?") while you've been left carrying this festering thing that's growing larger and getting heavier by the minute as it feeds on your concern and worry about them...

Ahem. Sorry. What I learned from that experience was that it's okay to tell Tom about things that weigh on my heart so heavily ...    

But, oh man, if I weren't such a sealed vault, the stories I could tell! Talk about a top blog and bestselling memoir!

However, I've read blog posts and memoirs that made me cringe in embarrassment for the (ex?)friends and family members of the author. Sure, it made for exciting, titillating reading, but at what price?

I'd rather risk obscurity as a writer than hurt (or lose) my family and friends by sharing stories that also belong to them and that they aren't as keen on sharing.

I'm pretty much an open book - but I realize I'm kind of weird that way.

But even if we're 'open books' about our own lives, we're still full of secrets, aren't we? If we're married, have children, belong to a family, have friends ... if we've shared experiences or opened our hearts to others, or allowed others to open their hearts to us ... we have a collection that's sacred and valuable, and the care we give to that collection is an indication of our character.

I'm walking a fine line as I write my great-great grandfather's story, a story that at one time was a family secret, so secret that my grandmother and her siblings were only aware of scandalous bits and pieces.

But it was his story, after all; he chose to tell it all those years ago, and now it's part of the public domain. But I still feel protective of it, as if it were still a family secret, and so I'm driven to fill in the gaps, to make sure the points he was trying to make in the telling are what get heard before anyone else gets their hands on it and twists them around. I can feel my grandmother and her mother, her father, her grandmother and grandfather and aunts and uncles, all keeping an eye on what I write. I can feel the weight of the secrets and the responsibility of what to share and what to keep in the vault.

It's pretty heavy. But the good thing is I'm not carrying it alone - I have other family members who help carry the weight of those secrets, and who will help me decide what stays in the vault.

And that's why I don't mind when others share their secrets with me, and why I'm so grateful for the friends I have who I know will seal up anything I share with them in confidence in their vaults. It lightens the loads. And that's what friends and family are for, isn't it?

"My whole silence is full of prayer."

~Thomas Merton

 

 

 

This is my contribution to the very first ever Prompt Me! Wednesday, hosted by Jillsy, where (in her words) "...one prompt produces free flowing expression from blog to blog... any medium is excepted - words, music, photography, or anything your creativity stirs up! However the prompt moves you, go with it! There will be no wrongs or rights... "

Click on the badge below to go to Jillsy's blog and find out how to join in the fun or to see the other contributions.