Just Another Morning at My House

I got up nice and early this morning because it was Bible Study Fellowship day.  I turned on the coffee maker, fed Charleigh-Girl, let her outside, and looked at the clock.  It was 6:32.  Good, because I needed to be at BSF early.  I am assistant secretary for our class, and there was an instructional meeting for those in that position at 9:00.  And, I didn't really know what I was going to wear.  Oh, and I had a leetle bit of last minute touch-up to do on my lesson.

Within a very few minutes I smelled a skunk.  I thought, "Surely not again."  I looked out the back door, and there stood a forlorn looking little C-G with wet, slicked-down hair on her little head, neck, and front legs.  Sure enough, she must have once again tried to befriend a black and white creature.

For several reasons, this was not as bad as the first time the girl tangled with a skunk.  First, this is September.  The weather is good.  The first time it was very cold--maybe even icy.  Second, she was not shaking her head violently like she did the first time.  But that shaking and the strangeness of the odor the first time caused me to...you're not going to believe this...put her in my car and drive her to the 24-hour animal clinic at about 10:30 P.M.  Boy, were we popular in there!  They wanted us to leave, but they made the mistake of telling me her eyes might need washed out if the skunk had sprayed her directly in the face.  So, we waited for a vet.  It was ridiculous how we stunk up the place!  The vet dutifully washed out her eyes and sent me home with a recipe for an odor remover.

This time I knew what to do.  I just didn't have an unopened bottle of hydrogen peroxide, so I had to make an early morning run to CVS looking absolutely stunning.  I mixed up my potion, and she was so good while I rubbed it on her--outside.  At least I didn't have to pick the big lug up and put her in the bathtub!  When we got to the rinsing with a hose, however, she balked.  I had to chase, beg, and bribe to rinse her.  She finally just gave up and lay down in the grass submissively.

I didn't make the 9:00 meeting, but I was on time to the opening assembly!  Of course, I felt like I smelled like a skunk.  But at least my car didn't.  (And my friend Becky told me I didn't either.)  I deodorized my car last time with the same solution I used on Charleigh.  It's a wonder it didn't ruin the leather upholstery.  And it didn't work, so I drove around (alone) for weeks with baking soda in cake pans all around my car.


I'm really getting to be quite good at this.  If it happens again, I think I'll be composed enough to take a picture.  She really was hilariously pitiful looking.  Gotta go and use the potion on the girl again.  She's gonna want to sleep in my bed tonight!

An Unexpected Reason for Gratitude

I am proud to count among my friends a beautiful young mom named Shay Shull.  Shay is Darlene Mitchell's granddaughter.  Darlene told the bridge group about Shay's blog, and I have followed it faithfully ever since.  Her blog actually got me interested in blogging myself.

For 13 years Shay journaled in something called The Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude.  Her mom, Sherry, bought her the first journal while Shay was still in high school.  She never missed a day for those 13 years--not a day!  The journal provides lines for 5 things for which one is thankful each day.  Now these are not intended to be big things like our family or the Bible, but small things like...finding a close parking place at the mall or having a nice Sunday nap.

Well, I just loved this idea.  It was "right down my alley," so I ordered the journal from Amazon.  To say I haven't been quite as faithful to the journal as Shay would be a gross understatement.  I journal for one day and skip five.  Let's just say my journal will be re-usable next year.

Let's also say what brought the journal to mind this morning is highly unusual.  It is coffee.  Yes, this morning I am thankful that God made coffee.  It is the first cool morning after a torturously, miserably hot summer.  It is amazing how many Facebook entries mention coffee drinking in this beautiful, cool weather, including mine.  I said,  "I sat out on the swing and drank my coffee this morning." 

Just think...without coffee we wouldn't have Starbucks!  We would probably be far less social, less perky creatures.  Life without my Keurig?  I don't think so!  

So raise your cup of whatever flavor or unflavor of joe you prefer and toast with me to the coming of fall to Texas!  And be thankful, oh so thankful!