Nothing Much

In light of complaints that people are tired of looking at my "More Snow" blog, I am posting a new one, even though I don't have much to say. It's just one of those phases in my life that's not really conducive to blogging.

At any rate, we did have some wonderful spring-like weather this past weekend, and it lifted my spirits. Now it's cold and dreary again, but at least that good dose of sunshine we had will help me get through it.

I've got several projects going on and have been keeping busy. I may write more on some of those later.

I've been called to jury duty next month and am trying to get out of it. Two of my three part-time jobs won't pay me, and it would be a big financial strain for me to miss two weeks of work.

So, that's about it. Now at least you know I'm still alive and kickin'. Hopefully I'll have more to blog about soon.

More Snow

I've had enough. We haven't really had too much snow in the past few years, but we seem to be making up for it this year. I am usually seeing signs of spring by now (warmer weather, daffodils popping up, etc.), but this year . . . snow. And more snow. I'm missing lots of work (for me, no work = no $), and our upcoming band concert had to be cancelled because we've now missed 2-1/2 practices (that "1/2" meant I had to drive home in a surprise snowstorm last Monday night, which nearly pushed me over the edge).

I'm sure in a few weeks spring will be here and I'll have forgotten all about it, but it's not soon enough for me.

Okay, enough whining. I'll try to cheer up before I blog again. I'll bet a good dose of warm sunshine would help . . .

Nash's Update

Hi, it's me, Nash, again, just giving you an update on my previous post.

I'm doing a little better with scratching on doors. Well at least, sometimes I remember. When I don't, my mom makes me "sit" until she opens the door. It's just so exciting to think about what endless possibilities await me on the other side! My daddy is going to paint the doors I have scratched up soon, though, so they don't want me to mess them up again. I'm really going to try!

My mom has been working with me on heeling too, rather than yanking on my leash. I seem to get it, at least when she reminds me, but sometimes I see another dog or something else interesting and I forget all about heeling. It's hard; it really is!

As for my bunny-sister Heidi, I don't know what happened to her. One day she was there, and the next day she was gone! I keep looking around for her. I looked all over the downstairs. She just isn't there. I guess that will make it easier for me to keep my resolutions, at least the ones related to her. Poor Heidi. I should have been nicer to her. I hope that wherever she is, she is okay.

So that's my update. I'm going to keep trying to be a good boy. My parents know that I'm just a fun-loving sort of guy, and they don't want to squelch that completely, but they do want me to behave. They've just got to be patient with me while I try to remember all this stuff they want me to do.

RIP Heidi

Our bunny died in the night last night. It wasn't a huge surprise. She had been acting sickly for a month or so, and last night she took an obvious turn for the worse. Don and I loved on her and prayed over her, that if it was her time to go, that she would die peacefully, so it was kind of a relief that she didn't linger on.

Do animals go to heaven? I like to believe that all of the pets I have loved in my lifetime will be at the gate to greet me when I get there, but the Bible isn't really clear on the issue. Heidi had some sort of little spirit that was her life, her personality, that inhabited her body only yesterday but has now left it. Where did it go?

Animals aren't made in the image of God as people are, and they obviously don't have the capacity to understand their sin and accept Jesus, but Isaiah 65:17-25 does refer to them being there in the new heaven and new earth.

It's one of those things I will probably never know for sure in this life, so I just have to let God handle it.

I am sad, though certainly not as sad as I would be if I lost one of my dogs. A bunny just doesn't have the bond with humans that dogs do. Nonetheless, she was a part of our lives for 3 1/2 years, and we will miss her.

The Help

This bestselling book is set in Jackson, Mississippi, in the early 1960's. "The help" refers to black maids who work for white families and how they are treated. It is a work of fiction but is supposedly historically accurate.

There were a lot of things in here that surprised me. I was born in Tennessee in the mid-60's and have unfortunately known some who look down on black people, but nothing like this book refers to. They are almost treated as less than human. Assuming this book is accurate, it seemed that, other than not being in the bondage of slavery, very little had changed in the 100 years since the Civil War. Did Martin Luther King make all the difference?

I don't know. I only know that I hope I have never possessed one shred of the arrogant spirit that is seen in many of the white characters in the book. I hope I never look down on anyone the way black people are looked down upon in this story. And I hope that the progress in racial relations that has been made since the 60's will continue. God made everyone and loves us all, and He commands us to do the same.

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28

This book was interesting and captivating. Though the treatment of black people shocked me, the personalities of the characters and the relationships are very realistic. At times it is funny, at others sad. I found myself cheering the "good guys" on, wanting to see the mean ones go down in defeat. Though there is a bit of bad language, it is for the most part fairly clean. I would recommend this as a good read, both in an educational and an entertaining sense.

A College Nightmare

I had another one last night. This one wasn't as bad as some, but it was definitely one of those. My college nightmares.

Does anyone else have these? Don says he does. I have them fairly regularly. You dream you are back at college in some disastrous situation: it's the first day of a semester, and you can't find your class; it's exam time, and you haven't been to class all semester; you forgot to wear pants to class . . . the list goes on. In the one last night, I was moving back into the dorm with my roommate, but everything in the room was all out of place. I've had several before along that line too.

Was college that stressful that I'm still having nighmares about it on a regular basis over 20 years later? I don't remember being THAT stressed at the time, but maybe I was too young to recognize stress for what it was.

I wonder if they'll ever stop. I wonder if I'll ever be able to resolve my college experiences within myself. Any psychiatrists out there who might be able to shed some light on this?

An Unlikely Favorite

You would likely NEVER guess what I consider to be one of my favorite stores. Alright, alright, I know the suspense is killing you, so I'll just go ahead and tell you: Tractor Supply Company.

Now, why in the world would a store with a name like that appeal to me? I don't even own a tractor.

It's about WAY more than tractors. They have all sorts of pet items (food, cages, medicines, litter, toys, etc.), yard and garden supplies, tools, and, as Don discovered last week, a part for his gun that he couldn't find anywhere else in town. They even have some farming-related toys and casual clothes and shoes.

The prices are very reasonable too. Maybe not quite as cheap as Wal-Mart, but the selection is much better for the categories they specialize in. It is considerably cheaper than other pet and garden specialty stores I have compared it to.

It's a fun place to browse. The staff is very helpful and friendly. We have one just a few minutes from our house. I'm learning more and more that this is a good place to check if I need something in one of the above categories.

So check it out sometime. Even if you don't own a tractor.

Happy Birthday Abbie

Happy birthday to my niece Abbie, born on Super Bowl Sunday 6 years ago! I'm so glad you're a part of my life! ( :