Verb: that's what's happening

Jan of the RevGals writes:

Jennifer recommended this book, which I got because I always value Jennifer's reading suggestions. The author of Life is a Verb, Patti Digh worked her book around these topics concerning life as a verb:

• Say yes.
• Be generous.
• Speak up.
• Love more.
• Trust yourself.
• Slow down.

As I read and pondered about living more intentionally, I also have wondered what this Friday Five should be. This book has been the jumping off point for this Friday.

1. What awakens you to the present moment?

The pups are good at it--Linus has a special beagley "rowl," combined with a grin, that says "Get out of your head! Let's play!" Lucy hops up on the couch and curls her warm little body against me, as if to say, "Pet me, please. Mmmmm." It's great--they insist, in their delightfully individual ways, upon being heard, upon bringing me back into "now."

2. What are 5 things you see out your window right now?

Beautiful trees, a cardinal's nest, the neighbor kid on his way down the street, heavy clouds, a squirrel just managing to cross the street without being run over.

3. Which verbs describe your experience of God?

Open, offer, receive, trust, try, love.

4. From the book on p. 197:
Who were you when you were 13? Where did that kid go?

13? Oh, yuck. What a horrible year. I was studious, lonely, and insecure. My family was having trouble and I didn't yet know who I was. That kid is mostly grown up; she peeks around a corner from time to time, but her suffering has been eased.

5. From the book on p. 88:
If your work were the answer to a question, what would the question be?

Assuming we're talking about music here--what's the closest thing to play in your life? What absorbs you?

Bonus idea for you here or on your own--from the book on p. 149:
"Go outside. Walk slowly forward. Open your hand and let something fall into it from the sky. It might be an idea, it might be an object. Name it. Set it aside. Walk forward. Open your hand and let something fall into it from the sky. Name it. Set it aside. Repeat. . . ."

Raindrop. Ummm...another raindrop. :-)

Best retriever EVER

Wonder if I could get Linus & Lucy to do this...instead of, say, the not-quite-dead rabbit they slipped into the kitchen last night.

Yech.



see more dog and puppy pictures

Friday five: Holy Week-a-thon

Sally of the RevGals writes:

Holy Week is almost upon us, I suspect that ordained or not, other revgal/pals calendars look a bit like mine, FULL, FULL, FULL.....

Jesus was great at teaching us to take time out, even in that last week, right up to Maundy Thursday he withdrew, John's gospel tells us he hid! He hid not because he was afraid, but because he knew that he needed physical, mental and spiritual strength to get through...

So, faced with a busy week:

1. What restores you physically?

Sleep. Quiet time. Good food. A brisk walk around one of the many lakes in town.

2. What strengthens you emotionally/mentally?

Time with Beloved. Poetry. Music (of which there will, thankfully, be a lot). Rubbing a puppy belly.

3. What encourages you spiritually?

Prayer. Music (see what my friend Mags has to say about this; it's wonderful!). Poetry. Walking in the woods or by the shore (though I usually can't manage that during Holy Week!).

4. Share a favorite poem or piece of music from the coming week.

This is a favorite hymn of mine because the plaintive melody is so well matched with the text. I'm an especial fan of the Carolyn Jennings's arrangement for SSA voices and cello, but her colleague (and my teacher...actually, both of them were in grad school) John Ferguson's arrangement is great, too. Here he is, accompanying it at the organ:



5.There may be many services for you to attend/ lead over the next week, which one are you most looking forward to and why? If there aren't do you have a favorite day in Holy week if so which one is it?

I'm a Maundy Thursday fan. It's intimate and honest, and it calls us into relationship with God and with one another in a refreshing way. Our service this year will be candlelit, in the round, with the bread and wine passed hand to hand instead of lining up for it. Simple Taize refrains by the congregation, and I'm going to sing this hymn that Bonhoeffer wrote in prison:

By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered,
and confidently waiting come what may,
we know that God is with us night and morning,
and never fails to greet us each new day.

Yet is this heart by its old foe tormented
still evil days bring burdens hard to bear;
oh, give our frightened souls the sure salvation
for which, O Lord, You taught us to prepare.

And when this cup You give is filled to brimming
with bitter suffering, hard to understand,
we take it thankfully and without trembling,
out of so good and so beloved a hand.

Yet when again in this same world You give us
the joy we had, the brightness of Your Sun,
we shall remember all the days we lived through,
and our whole life shall then be Yours alone.

Soup is good fooooood...

So, Linus (see sidebar for photo) had a difficult weekend, where matters of gastroenterology are concerned. Let's just say it was...ummm...messy, and leave it at that. Some friends at church recommended chicken broth and rice for a couple of days, to settle his tummy. We gave it a try.

After a first, tentative slurp, he looked up at me with an expression on his face that seemed to say,

Do you mean to tell me that,
the whole time I've lived with you,
you've given me regular water,
when chicken-flavored water was available?
Are you nuts?

Scarf, scarf--it was gone in seconds. And it cleared up the (ahem) problem, too.

Repentance

Linus has a habit that I'd like to help him correct. It bugs me. It interrupts my sleep regularly. The four of us (Beloved, me, Linus & Lucy) sleep in a queen-sized bed. For a long time, they slept in a kennel next to the bed, but they sleep longer if they're with us, and besides--what's sweeter than a just-waking-up puppy, first thing in the morning?

Except.

For the last week or so, Linus has not been willing to go to bed when we do. We've had a schedule change during the week, and he's not used to it yet. So we're running the pups around in the evening to tire 'em out, and we've commanded him to "lay down" (which he's just learning) and to "stay," (which he knows how to do). To no avail. He jumps off the bed and goes to sleep on the floor.

Which means that, sometime in the wee hours, he realizes that he's away from his pack, and starts popping up around the edges of the bed like a prairie dog.

Can I come up? I'm lonely!

Which means that one of us has to get up and help him onto our very tall bed, where he contentedly sleeps the rest of the night. I don't go back to sleep as quickly as he does.

I was sort of grumping around the house this morning when it hit me: he's ME. And luckily for me, God manages more grace in this situation than I do. I always get warmly welcomed back when I assert my independence like a 7-month-old puppy.

Not the first time Linus has taught me something! I'm going to shoot for "gracious" tonight. :-)

Ordinary miracles

It's Monday morning, and I'm mellow and happy. I had an actual Sabbath yesterday (after a wild-but-good, musicky Rally/Welcome Sunday) at church.

42 years old, and I may just have figured out that I need a day or two to get comparatively quiet...watch the pups romp in the yard, read a bit, eat a really nice meal, make a little music, curl up with Beloved and the pups and just enjoy the fact that we're all together, healthy, sheltered, fed. Ordinary miracles--when I get quiet enough to notice their abundance, it's impossible not to be incredibly grateful to be alive.

I hope that you're drenched in blessing today, too. :-)

We caved.

We let the pups into the Big Bed last night. Lucy was in heaven. Linus wanted his space. Jury's still out for Beloved, but I think it's not insignificant that we were allowed to sleep all the way to the ringing alarm this morning, for the first time since the pups arrived!

And it was sweet. :-)

The great escape

So. We have smart dogs. Perhaps they're smarter than we are.

Envision the four of us at S&J's cabin, which is absolutely lovely (he loves to build, she loves to decorate--it's really something!). Know also that Beloved and I are hyper-vigilant about the pups not messing it up via tiny teeth or even tinier bladders.

Finally, Beloved and I are in SUCH need of a getaway; it's been a busy, somewhat stressful summer, and we really need some quiet time.

Oh, and sleep. Did I mention sleep?

First night there, we've put Linus & Lucy's yellow and blue nylon travel kennel in the living room, outfitted it with chew toys and got them into it. We're in the bedroom, discussing whether or not to close the bedroom door (I think it'll comfort them to be able to hear us; Beloved wants not to hear THEM, just for the sake of one good night's sleep.) We close the door.

In the morning, we open the door to be greeted by a flurry of wagging tails. They've escaped. They're pleased with themselves and excited to see us.

It's cute. And there's no damage (alleluia).

Night two: we're ready for 'em. There are two zipper tabs that close the kennel. We've hooked them together with a paper clip. We're pleased with our problem-solving.

Let the tooth-brushing begin!

Five minutes later, there's the tailwagging thing again. In the bedroom, next to our bed. Really can't help but laugh. They're grinning.

Smart puppies. Tired mamas let them into the Big Bed for the duration of the trip. Much sweetness, but it's continually amazing to me just how much room a small animal can commandeer in a people-sized bed.

How do they DO that?

We got played. :-)

This little piggy was a present...

from MR, my lovely (and talented) co-worker and friend. It cries "wee wee wee" all over the house, as Linus & Lucy love this thing. Funniest moment thus far was first thing this morning, when they had to take it into the back yard with them--neither pup would relinquish its hold on Piggy, not even while they were trying to negotiate the back steps. And a Great, Bouncing Kerfuffle ensued.

Puppies. :-)

Anyway, here are their first ecstatic moments with Piggy. Lucy's dialogue is in blue, Linus's in red (matching their collars):

Wow--how cool is THIS?!?!

Hey--gimme that!

Not a chance, Bub.

I warned you...

BACK OFF, MAN!!!

Let's share the piggy.

What?
I'm having a moment of Pauline angst here.
I do that which I must not do.
We've all been there, right?

There remains one more chewy treat, which we're saving for August, when the national Republican convention comes to town (wink):

Meet Ellie.

Thanks, Auntie MR! You totally rock!

Love and slobbery kisses,
Linus & Lucy

A note from Lucy

Arf! Arf! Awrooo arrrrr arf!

(translation: I'm feeling much better now. Thanks for your kind concern!)

Pupdate

Well.

It's been quite a week: I was in a 3-day class about navigating the U's new financial system (it's my job to process contracts for our writers, designers, proofers, etc., and to handle all of my office's purchasing); my choir had a summer gig; the choral line I'm editing for the local Lutheran publishing house has reached the proofing phase, which always creates a flurry of e-mails and some packages to mail out; I had a church meeting on Tuesday; I'm preaching tomorrow, and then my parents are coming for lunch; finally, we have friends coming for dinner.

And the pups are sick. Hookworms. Eeeeeyew.

Linus seems pretty OK, with the meds they're on; Lucy has had a tough few days. I'll leave it mostly to your imagination, but she got dehydrated enough that the vet gave her subcutaneous fluids on Thursday. She's on a special diet for a few days in addition to the meds, and the vet hasn't ruled out parvo as the cause. We've been in "watch her closely" mode since Thursday, and I'm starting to be less worried today; but for being a tiny bit subdued, she seems almost back to normal. Whew.

Because parvo would suck.

They were good little campers last week! Better than Beloved and I were, I suspect; we were too exhausted. But M and B are patient sorts, and they (along with one of the women in the next campsite over, who seems to be some kind of "dog whisperer") helped to make it work. Thanks be to them. :-) They took pictures of the pups in the lake for the first time (wearing expressions that said "I'm wet. WTF?") and provided "auntie" laps for campfire enjoyment, among many kindnesses.

***Breaking news*** The pups are galloping through the house in tandem, both having grabbed an end of their latest loofa toy. They look like a yoke of tiny oxen. This is Outer Limits Cute.

So. Very little time to blog or to read others' blogs this week, and I've missed it--and have missed my bloggy friends! The pups and Beloved and I are finding our rhythm together, though. As long as I get the sermon written today, and Lucy's OK, all will be well.

So I'm gonna go do that. :-) Peace, friends!

And in the seventh month, they rested

Beloved, the pups and I are going camping for a few days with M and B, who comprise one third of our mishpacha. We try to get out in the woods together at least once a summer, and always have a great time together. We'll walk in the woods and make s'mores and sit around the fire and play games and read and wander into town when it rains. We'll be quiet. We'll enjoy each other's company. We'll rest. And this time, we'll have the fun of taking the pups along.

(They made it through the whole night without getting up again last night, BTW. That's two in a row!)

Thanks be to God for times of rest, for beautiful creation, for the sounds of wind in the trees and waves on the shore, the smell of a campfire, and loved ones to shared it with.


See y'all next week!

They slept through the night.

Thanks be to God
and
thanks be to dogs, too!

Pupku

I am very small.
Pick me up and cuddle me.
How can you resist?

Hello, little one.
You have such expressive eyes!
You may have a treat.

4 a.m. whimper...
you want me to pee on WHAT?
Please take me outside.

Mosquito zone! Be
on alert for bloodsuckers!
There's one on your fur.

Yes, oh, yes, oh, YES,
I'd love to have some breakfast!
WOW—my silver bowl!!!

Handsomely outfitted
in blue nylon, her harness
is her sumo belt.

Linus grabs it, pins
Lucy—grrr, she throws him off!
Splat! He hits the floor.

Sunny afternoon:
pile of puppies fast asleep
in their big back yard.

MOMMY'S HOME! (pant, wag)
Where has she been all this time?
(slobber) We missed you!

Mommies look funny.
Their eyelids are droopy. It's
like they're not sleeping.

4 a.m. whimper...
Seriously. Please...outside?
Woo hoo! Now let's play!

6 a.m. cuddle...
We all could use a wee nap.
What will today bring?

Mommies are happy.
Puppies are fast asleep. Well,
"Sleep when baby sleeps!"

Meet the newest members of the family...

Linus and Lucy!

They're litter mates, part beagle, part terrier...rescue dogs, 20 weeks old. We cuddled them for an hour tonight, and they'll come home on Saturday. :-)