Shrugging it Off

 Who chewed up this computer power cord?

 Was it you?!  Of course not.

You there, with the two chew toys right beside you, was it you!?  I think we've found the culprit.

Which leads us to today's good thing.  This is a good thing specific to my life -- and specific to this particular time in my life.

Last night we discovered that the new puppy had chewed up Ally's computer power cord.  The power cord was spanked and told that it was a bad power cord and Pepper was given a "good chew" as a substitute.  As we went to bed, Jeff heaved a big sigh and noted that there was $100 down the drain.  And that was it.

I thought to myself, "Thank God, we can cover that loss without stressing out."  No one likes to have to pay $100 they don't have to pay, but it wasn't a crisis in our house like it might have been in some houses.

This morning when I was thinking, a memory floated back to me of a trip we took to King's Island amusement park when the girls were little.  We were on the tram going into the park with a bunch of other eager kids and their parents. A little birthday girl about six years old and her dad were near us.  She was squirmy with excitement and I remember her dad impressing on her that he had promised to take her to King's Island for her birthday and that he was fulfilling that promise.  It wasn't hard to guess that there were a lot of promises in this girl's life that he hadn't fulfilled.

A little of the joy drained out of my day when I thought of our season passes and that my daughters had been to the park so often that it was almost a bore.  This little girl had never been and her dad was so proud to be able to give her this treat.

I like to think that we would be the same people if we were in different circumstances.  We would simply make different choices and have different joys.  Instead of looking forward to a trip to Japan this fall, we would look forward to a trip to Gatlinburg or a camping trip -- like my family did when I was a child.  Instead of dining at Jo An's and Robert's Table, it would be a treat to bring home KFC or eat out at Frisch's.

But that's probably not true.  When money is tight, there is an added stress to life.  There is pain when you have to say "no, we can't afford that," to your kids.

Of course, not all of my daughters' dreams were fulfilled.  We never got that pony and I never furnished the outdoor fort with electricity and running water.  But, overall, we've been able to say "yes" to most things.

I hope no one thinks that I'm boasting in a back-handed way.  It's just the opposite. I recognize that I'm not entitled to this standard of living and I'm grateful for it.

And it was a blessing to be able to shrug last night and know that we could buy a new computer cord without economizing somewhere else.  Maybe the real blessing is in recognizing what a blessing that is.

Abundance in the Aisles

Today's good thing is the grocery store.  Last night I went to Meijers and got some groceries for the week.  Everyone at home was in the mood for fruit, so I bought some peaches, mangoes, a papaya, bananas, plums, avocados, grapes, and apricots.  What an abundance of fresh fruits from all over the world!!!  We have a selection available to us that no previous generation has ever had.

In addition, I was able to purchase all the ingredients necessary to make sushi -- the seaweed binder, the special rice, the rice vinegar, everything -- right there in the store.  So now Kate and I can put to use what we learned at our sushi making class last Saturday.

Kate's sushi

My sushi

When I was in graduate school, I had a good friend who was Latvian.  She had been raised in America, but her grandparents were still living in Latvia under Soviet rule.  When her grandmother came to visit one year at Thanksgiving time, my friend told the story that they ran out to a convenience store to get some butter and the store was out.  It was Thanksgiving and a lot of supplies were running low.  The grandmother was triumphant and seized on this as an indication that there were shortages in America, just like in Latvia.  They could never convince her that all they had to do was go to a different store to find some butter.

We're very lucky to live in a country and a time when so much is available to us.  So, grocery stores are a good thing.

My meditation this morning was so interrupted it was almost comical.  I settled down with Pepper in my lap and Sam on the floor beside me.  After about two minutes Sam was suddenly alerted to one of his phantoms.  He doesn't hear very well at all anymore, but sometimes he starts barking for no discernible reason.  He can't hear us telling him to hush, so he continues until he feels the danger has abated.  He got Pepper all riled up and she went to the door and rang her bell.  [We're teaching her to ring a little bell on a string hanging from the door knob when she wants to go out.  So, of course, when she rings the bell we're highly motivated to open the door and reinforce that behavior.]  They both went out to deal with the impending doom.  After about six minutes, they were back, wanting to come in.  I guess their mission was successful.  I let them both in.  Well, it turned out that Pepper was coming in just to see what Sam was doing and she started ringing her bell to go out again.  I ignored it twice and then figured I'd better open the door for her.  I got to meditate for a few minutes and she started scratching at the door to come in again just about the time the meditation timer bell began to ring.  So much for peace and serenity!!!

A Phoenix from the Ashes

It seems like I'm focusing on plants recently, but today's good thing is that I finally got some cuttings of Mom's Zephirine Drouhin rose to root.  A couple of years before she died, I got Mom a climbing Zephirine Drouhin rose.  It's an heirloom rose, with a strong scent and bright pink blooms.  It's other advantages are that it's  nearly thornless and will even grow in the shade.  

I've been wanting one for my yard and even ordered one that I promptly killed.  Early this spring, I took cuttings of Mom's rose and none of them rooted. I think they dried out.  I tried again a few weeks ago and put all the cuttings in their pots into two big plastic bags.  They all seemed to die -- the leaves mostly fell off and looked moldy -- but when I went to throw them out yesterday, lo and behold, two of the stems had rooted and were sending up new leaves.  

There's no guarantee that I won't kill them in the next few weeks, but at least they've gotten this far -- so they must be tough.  

Yesterday, I finally finished putting together the raised garden box that I've been wanting all spring.  It's a little late for planting this year, but I still plan to set out a few things if any are available in the garden stores at this late date. Well, the box is done:  4 ft. x 8 ft. and 12 inches high, but I still have 800 pounds of top soil in the back of my van to move into the box!    So, I'm not exactly finished .... 

Great Oaks and Little Acorns

Today's good thing is this little Burr Oak seedling that I got from my Dad's yard.  He has a majestic Burr Oak in his back yard -- the trunk is seriously about 3 feet in diameter.  Mom put one of those tree "faces" on it, with eyes and a nose and mouth that you tack onto the bark.  It looks like the type of tree that ought to have a face.

Anyway, Dad has seedlings from this tree coming up all over his yard as a result of the squirrels burying the acorns.  When I was down there a couple of weeks ago, he dug one up for me and I brought it home with the acorn still attached at the bottom.  I potted it and I've been keeping it watered and it's sprouted eight new leaves.

Over the past couple of days, I've watched the tiny buds grow and then, suddenly, unfurl into leaves. It happens so fast and they grow so much, you almost feel like you could watch it happen if you could just sit still long enough.

Overall, my thumb is pretty much brown.   I do my best, but the chances of this little seedling actually growing into a magnificent oak like my Dad's are pretty slim.  Maybe that's okay though if I enjoy it to the fullest today.  Maybe its purpose will have been fulfilled.

A Life of Love

Today's good thing is that Sam seems to be hanging on pretty well.  He's still eating -- probably a little less each day -- and he's still getting around okay.  His backbone seems to be bonier and more protruding than it used to be.  He doesn't seem to be in a lot of pain -- just a little slower every day.  He's enough himself that I can be in denial about his ever leaving us.

I'm careful to watch for any signs that he's in pain.  I've started giving him a pain killer every night so he'll sleep well while the rest of us are asleep and can't be with him.

Particularly with the new puppy around, we've been lavishing him with attention and making sure the puppy knows that she's nowhere close to being the top dog around here.  In general, he just ignores her.

He's been such a good dog and faithful companion.  He's been a source of unconditional love for the whole family for 13 years.  Not to be maudlin, but -- rather than lesser creatures -- I sometimes wonder if dogs aren't superior beings, maybe angels, in disguise.  They lighten the load wherever they are with love and humor.  Unlike people, they're able to live in the present moment all the time.

I'm very thankful for Sam and all the good years we've had together.  I hope to see him again in another world.

Anyone who hasn't seen this, needs to:
http://www.toilette-humor.com/funny_religious_humor/the_dueling_churches.shtml

Armchair Power: Make It So, Number One.

Today's good thing is online shopping.  When I was growing up, stores had very limited hours.  Banks had even more limited hours.  If you needed a wedding gift, you had to ask around to find out what the couple needed, have the money on hand, make a trip out to the store, wrap the gift, and make another trip to the post office to mail it.  And, even then, you didn't know if the gift was duplicated by someone else.  

This morning I was able to sit in my chair, watching Spongebob, and view my niece's entire wedding registry.  I could even see which gifts she had already received.  I was able to pick something I thought she and her fiance would enjoy and send it, gift-wrapped, directly to her.  All without leaving my chair.

I love the Internet.  

Yummmmm

Today's good thing is Reese's Puffs cereal.  I love the stuff.  I know, I know, it's a disgustingly sweet cereal and adults should know better, but it's really not THAT bad for you.  Read the label.  I usually eat some for breakfast and another bowl for a snack before bed.  In fact, when I go on trips I usually bring some with me.   Somehow the sweet chocolate and slightly salty peanut butter and the crunch are perfectly satisfying.  

So between my sweet cereal and my Spongebob addiction, I'm about five.  Don't let it bother you.