A Fun Double-Dare

 Have you noticed that we’re having sunshine one day in a row. But I’ll take it. My pleasant personality comes out on a sunny day while the “other” one shows up when we have several dreary. 

Yesterday was exactly nine months since my son passed. I was thinking about him all day and before I knew it, I had written a story about him. I couldn’t read the final copy with tears in my eyes. 

But, as I've often noted, God always seems to provide a good experience to ease the pain of a bad memory. And so... I became as excited as a child when the snow started coming down and covering everything.

I’ve always liked snow. After all my kids were gone and I didn’t have an excuse for playing in the snow, I used to stand at the window watching it come down and wonder if I’d be deemed a crazy old woman by my neighbors if they saw me making snow angels by myself. 😃

Then one night, I was talking to a friend on the phone - telling her what I just told  you and she double-dared me to ignore the neighbors and go out the next morning and make snow angels.

Well, I could never resist a dare, a double-dare at that, so I got up the next morning and put on my warm clothes: sweat pants, two jackets, socks, boots and gloves - kinda looked like a linebacker.

When I told Mr. H. I needed him to go with me to take a picture so I could prove to Sherry that I did it, he looked at me like he wondered who I was and what I’d done with his wife. But, with a little prodding, he went. However, after one picture, he said, C’mon, let’s go in now.

Disappointed that I didn’t get to stay out longer, I followed him into the house like a stray dog.

But I had been a child rolling around in the snow for an exhilarating few minutes —

And I had my picture!

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Time Changes Things

My 21 year old kitty, Liza Jane, named after my paternal grandmother, has been sick. After my last Yorkie died, I swore I’d never get another pet, because it hurts too much to lose them, but if we live long enough, we learn never to say, “never.”

 Nevertheless, time changes things. And us.

 One day, my daughter came home from her job at the veterinary hospital all upset about the unpleasant fate of a beautiful cat that had been in her charge for days. An animal lover, she already had 3 boxers and a cat and felt that she couldn’t take on anymore.

 However, she had something else in mind.

 “Mother,” she said. “You’ve just GOT to rescue this beautiful cat we have at the hospital! A woman left her with us for a week and then called and told my boss to do whatever she wanted with her because she didn’t want her back!”

 “I can’t take a cat, honey,” I told her. “You know your dad doesn’t like cats!”

 “But you have to save her life,” daughter said. “My boss is sending her to be euthanized tomorrow. She’s a beautiful cat, about 5 years old. Please, just go see her in the morning.”

 “Okay, but I’m not  promising anything.”

 Well, I'm sure you know the rest of the story. She’s been with us for 16 years. Funny thing, she came right in and decided Mr. H. was her “person.” No matter how much he discouraged it, she wanted to lie on the arm of his recliner watching TV with him.

 It didn’t take long, though, for her to figure out that her food was coming from my hand and that I was the one giving her all the affection. She still likes him, but she is definitely MY BABY!

 Anyway, she’s ailing and we dread the day when  she’s no longer with us. She came to us at a time when all our kids were leaving and sort of made the empty nest seem a little less empty. God is good!  He knows just what we need and when we need it, doesn’t He?

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