John and Abby

Abby, our foundling dog, had a difficult beginning in her life.  She was abused and then abandoned with her brother in November at the age of four months.  I do not understand how someone could do that to a baby dog. 

Anyway, Abby has issues with tall men.  We've learned to tell our taller guests to sit down in the rocking chair that is right next to the front door  so that Abby can see them without having a panic attack.  She barks like the world is coming to an end and growls after she finishes barking.  It tends to be intimidating to our friends.  Some people love us enough that they visit anyway.

When John visited in April, Abby growled at him all the way to the end of his visit.  Surprisingly, and happily, he came back this week.  Abby accepts him much better, but please watch the sequence of her state of alertness in these pictures.

John is slowly winning her over.  It will be a wondrous day when she greets him at the door in a happy way.

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi

Cold Fronts

This week, we have had two cold fronts come through.  In both cases, the clouds at the front of the front looked unusual to me - and I've seen a lot of cold fronts in my day.

Here are a couple of photos from Sunday's cold front:

The flying object in the third picture is not unidentified.  Les was throwing a ball for Buddy to fetch.

Here are a couple of pictures of the front we drove under going home from Kentucky on Thursday:

Farther under the front was a very unsettled area with lowering clouds.  I was glad when we came out the backside of this front.

Perhaps it will frost this weekend.  I had predicted the 4th or 5th of October based on the first thunderstorm in spring.  It will be pretty close.

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kentucky Sister

My husband, brother, and I went to visit our Kentucky sister yesterday.  I got to spend a little time with Ivy, my newest niece, and her daughter Trinity.  Trinity is inches away from turning two.  Here are a couple of the pictures of the day.

Our family has a certain sense of humor that we understand and that makes us laugh.  Not everyone gets it.  Just be forewarned about the next picture.  Our family would laugh.  I was helping with a Flat Stanley project for a friend's daughter.  Put those together and you get this:

We had a wonderful time.

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi

Do You Suppose...?

A patron asked me about something called huck weaving or Swedish weaving.  I had never heard of it, but I gamely tried to find her some kind of information on the subject.  Well, I got curious and dug a little bit. 

With Swedish weaving, you can take a piece of monk's cloth, some yarn, and a yarn needle and turn a plain piece of white cloth into a piece of artwork.  The designs can be quite intricate and beautiful.  The process is simple.

Since I don't have a piece of monk's cloth handy, I pulled out a piece of afghan weaving mesh that I've had since before I got married.  Maybe I'll get it finished yet. 

I suddenly have so much to do that I've caught myself asking the Lord, "Will we be able to do crafts in heaven?  Will we give each other gifts?  Am I learning all of these things at once so I will know what to do when I get there?"

My favorite scent of Yankee Candle is no longer in production, so I might take up candle making once I run out of the ones I have.  What's next?

I hope I can do some of this stuff in heaven.  I sure don't have time to do it all now!

"If we had but world enough and time..."

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi

Ten Years Later

It's been said that our generation remembers where they were and what they were doing when three events happened: the assassination of President Kennedy, the explosion of the Challenger, and the attack on the World Trade Center.

I remember.  I remember how everyone suddenly became neighbors, no matter where we lived in the country.  I remember how everyone looked to God for at least a short time.  I remember flags springing up on cars and homes.  I remember the death and the heroism, and the families and friends who lost someone.  It seemed like everyone in the country at least knew someone who died.

I remember.  We must never forget.

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi

Feeding Sheep

Yesterday Pastor told us a story during the sermon which captured my fancy.  See what you think of it.

A woman and her elderly mother started coming to our church for three months and then asked to become members.  The mother said that she had learned more about the Bible in three months than she had in 48 years at her old church.

Not too long afterwards, their previous pastor found out that they had transferred their membership and paid them a visit. He told them they were making a huge mistake gong to that church and the pastor didn't teach the truth.

When our pastor found out about the visit, he called the other pastor.  He said, "I hear you visited with these two ladies."

"Yes."

"I heard you told them I don't teach the truth."

"Yes."

"Have you ever attended one of my church services?"

"No.

"Have you ever heard one of my sermons?"

"No."

"Have you ever listened to a CD of one of my sermons?"

"No."

"Then how do you know that I don't teach the truth?"

"Well... You shouldn't steal other church's sheep!"

Our pastor said, "I don't steal sheep.  I plant grass.  If they get fed better here than they do in your church, that's your fault, not mine."

That's why I attend there.  The grass is excellent, juicy, and fresh every week.

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi

There's Something about September

Yesterday it was hot.  The last few days it's been in the neighborhood of a hundred degrees.  Today it is cooler, the cold front having come through last night.

Every year, there is a point at which I start planning ahead.  Today I bought enough honey from a friend of ours "to last through the winter".  From here until snow, I will put things by "to last through winter". 

I can still find robins if I look for them.  The trees haven't starting turning in earnest yet.  The grass is green, and there is no promise that the weather will stay cool, but I am planning for winter.

Maybe that's because we lived 8 miles out in the country when I was young and we kept a pretty well stocked pantry and big freezer.  There was no promise that the snow plows would get to our road inside of three days should we get a big snow. 

Maybe it's because I am the daughter of a farm boy and the child of Depression babies.  The Great Depression shaped the outlook of the children who lived through those years.  Some of them still won't throw things away, because they might find a use for it.  They learned to reuse, repurpose, invent, and make do with things today's children don't look at twice.  Anyone who thinks the previous generations didn't have "green" motivations hasn't spent any time with their grand- and great-grandparents.  Those people were the thriftiest, least wasteful people in the last century and a half.

We could take a lesson from the Depression babies. Here are my mother's three rules for buying anything:
1. Do you need it? 2. Can you get along without it? 3. Can you afford it?

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi

Awakened Brain

Maybe it's because I've started to study again.  Maybe it's because the fall is upon us and I don't have so much outside stuff to do.  But I have a class or two on my future study list.  One is on Children's Literature (In college, we called it Kiddy Lit.) under the category of library studies.  The other is an ungraded online class about writing for children. 

I enjoy Children's Literature classes because it gives me a good excuse to read children's books.  Not that I need much encouragement in that department, but I also find out which books are considered classics, hot topics, and current works of excellence.

The second one is taught by an executive editor from Scholastic.  As much as I understand that it is more of a generic class.  The critiques as very mild and are not likely to be much help in shaping a manuscript for market.  But I am intrigued to find out what an editor says the current trends are and what advice I might glean from one who chooses books.

I do remember asking God to help me find some new dreams.  It feels good to have new goals.  Some of the old ones were wearing a little thin.

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi