Monday, August 16, 2010

Puppy Love and Good Gifts


New puppies are the best! This little guy was a surprise arrival on Saturday when friends called to say they'd decided they couldn't take the pup they had booked and wondered if we wanted him. He was ready to come home that very day. We were more than happy to rearrange our afternoon, not to mention our lives, for him.

New Pup (short legged Jack Russell Terrier) is still nameless, though we're fond of Tremper Shortman, in honor of Westmont's legendary Old Testament professor, Tremper Longman. It's a compliment in every way as we adore our dogs and Dr. Longman is also well loved. In the mean time, we'll just keep calling him Puppy. Right now Puppy is sleeping on my empty suede boots under the desk.

Speaking of names, we used to have 2 Jack Russells named Harvey and Bristol. Also had one named C. Pete and another named Zero.

I was pondering a list of lovely things that have happened lately, Puppy's arrival being the culmination of them. I was thinking about how each thing was a gift from God and I was feeling very thankful. Quite distinctly I heard God's response: "Well, you know I speak your love language."

Very well, apparently! :-)

7 comments:

Lisa McKay said...

Awwwww.... puppies. So adorable. And Heather's growing up big time! She's looking very beautiful.

lisa said...

I know it! Heather suddenly looks very grown up to me too.

Carla said...

So cute! xx

Sue said...

I agree ...adorable, beautiful, and grown up! Happy to think of Heather holding her little puppy! :)

Marsha said...

I chanced upon your blog after composing an entry for my anti-blog (see below, and go to the end; you'll like it, I hope). I have changed my mind about the puppy pictures, but just this once.

And thank you for the poem.

Impulsive anti-blog:
I think I need to start a blog, a sort of anti-blog to counterbalance the preponderance of blogs that feature close-up pictures of slightly crazed-looking children, blogs whose titles contain the word "musings" or "family" or "me," and blogs that suddenty erupt in quasi-religious or heavy metal music without warning. Also, blogs with "just" in the title or subtitle. Or "random."

There is a wonderful, empty antiblog already in existence that is a breath of fresh air (trite? Yes.). I couldn't find anything else on Google, so there is a niche to be filled.

I just want a place to present my unpleasant, reactive, judgmental, catty side so that I won't bottle it up and eventually make myself unpopular when I get Alzheimer's and start spouting all the nasty, negative things that I think of and censor in daily life (word is that people who are mean in earlier life get nicer with dementia, and people who are "so nice" finally let the ugly out).

I may be getting the hang of it, since I've lately been noticing lots of things that I unreasonably resent in blogland: people who start an entry with "Yes, I'm still here" or an apology for not writing more often or and exclamation of how long it's been since . . . I'm also well and truly sick of cat pictures, most dog pictures, almost all pet pictures, above-the-heading references to our lord and savior and the author's own humble desire to serve (whatever the denomination), with the implication that if that service is acceptable then the author will be sitting pretty when those less eager will be twisting in the wind and wishing we too had striven to be a polished cornerstone of heaven (no rough diamonds there, I'll bet - polish is all).

I'm not crazy about gravel or flies or wind at the wrong time, but I suppose that's a bit beyond the scope of this discussion. I still don't like them, though.

Children's cute sayings also need to be removed. They are never, never, as cute as their parents think they are. Most of them are just dumb. Embarrassingly so.

I do rather like the quotations at the tops of some of the blogs, though, even the Bible verses when they aren't weirdly cryptic (approved workers are not ashamed - what the hell does that mean?) or cringing and servile and vaguely slimy.

Generally, the garden blogs are okay, and the pictures alone are usually a real pleasure.

And I like how, after countless depressingly spelled, predictable, overly bright blah-blah-blah blogs about the "adventures of the whateverthehelltheirnameis" family as they take a trip to the local fast food joint and their kids do what kids usually do, you stumble on something like this:

FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2010
Stars

It's just that I wasn't expecting it
in my gauzy mesh tent
with the warm breeze blowing through

I wasn't thinking of anything but
you know, rolling over in the night
finding a new comfy spot

But I happened to open my eyes
and, oh!

The thin black lace of tangled thorn tree
held back a vibrant sky
so heavy and bright it startled me

Breathless and suddenly awake
All I could feel was
Thank you

lisa said...

Marsha, thanks for your thoughts. I'm really pleased that you like the poem. Makes me really happy. Thanks. And thanks for the pardon on the puppy pic ;-)

Marilyn said...

Hi nice reading your ppost