Dog Week = Dog Treats (for want of a better word).
Last week I mentioned a very awkward moment whilst walking the dogs. If you've seen the commercial series regarding embarrassing moments you may have seen the one where the gal runs into a friend and while they are talking Friend A realizes she's swinging a bag of dog poo around. Ours is a touch worse.
Lily has this amusing habit of grabbing mouthfuls of grass while we walk. We didn't think she was getting much, more that she was mouthing the fun fox-tail type of weeds. Turns out she was apparently getting more fiber than she knew what to do with. We discovered this when she took her "daily constitutional" in the strip of grass along the trail.
We had picked a fairly busy time to walk with cars whizzing by on their way home from work or headed out to dinner. Usually the "daily moments" don't take long and the evidence is bagged neatly before any passersby can lose the appetite.
But not at that moment.
Seems like the weed fiber decided to make a statement or take a stand if you can follow my drift. Just then, as Lily danced around trying to figure out what was going on down south, and 22 attempted to "help" things along with the plastic bag, a co-worker of 22's pulled up on her bike.
Yes. This was an awkward moment. What do you say? The situation is pretty self-explanatory. If you ride into a moment like this, do you offer to "help?" Small talk it pretty limited, let me tell you.
You'll be happy to know that all ended well.
Yo folks. This book is sitting in a pile in my bedroom. What can I say? I can't read em quick enough. But the blog tour is this week...National Dog Week and Nora has read it and, well, I'm hijacking her review. (Actually, I believe borrowing is the best PC term.)
So, here's the book review and details. Thanks, Nora.Stray Affections
By Charlene Ann Baumbich
Published by WaterBrook Press
ISBN#978-0-307-44471-4
308 Pages
Back Cover: Cassandra Higgins, daycare provider and mother to four little boys, is at a Collectors’ Convention when she’s utterly charmed by a one-of-a-kind snow globe containing figures of three dogs and a little with hair the color of her own.
She can’t resist buying the beautiful globe, and it begins to spark long-dormant memories for Cassandra, of her beloved grandpa, the stray she rescued as a child, and the painful roots strangling her relationship with her mother,” Bad Betty” Kamrowski. When a strange—flurrious, as Cassandra deems it—moment happens with the remarkable snow globe, Cassandra and the people she loves are swirling into a tumultuous yet grace-filled journey. Stray Affections invites you to experience the laughter and the healing of second chances.
REVIEW: ….”Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness. Let the bones which Thou hast broken rejoice,” Charlene starts her book out quoting Psalm 51:6-8 and begins to bring some of that scripture to life inside the pages of this book.
This story is nestled in the middle of a quaint town where you discover friends and their families you’ll just adore. I loved how Carlene shows the funny, honest and serious side of family relationships and how they can work together. I believe it’s only by the grace of God that we can bloom and grow where we are planted. It takes courage to face your fears and let God have his way in your life, and in the lives of the people you are in relationship with.
The main character Cassandra heads out to a Collectors’ Convention alone. Her best friend Margaret cancels at the last minute. Her husband Ken encourages her to go anyway. He’s got the kids, she needs take a break from lifes routine; go out and have fun. Little did she know how that little trip would change her life? Are we ever ready for when God intercedes on our behalf to put us on the path He would have us be on? Letting go and letting God be in control is not something any of us feel comfortable doing. Cassandra soon learns this on her trip.
Will Ken and Cassandra trust God to work all things out for His glory and their good? You’ll want to read this story and join in the mystery and fun as the author weaves a tale of healing, unconditional love, and second chances. You’ll want to read Charlene Ann Baumbich’s Dearest Dorothy series, with quirky, close-knot Midwestern small-town feel characters you’ll grow fond of just like the ones in this book.
Nora St. Laurent... Finding Hope Through Fiction
Book Club Servant Leader
If you are a big Donald Miller fan you are probably in for a treat. Here is my review of: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life.
Review:
Donald Miller writes about what he knows. And what he knows best are his experiences, his thoughts and his life.
What makes Miller's thoughts, experiences and life out of the ordinary and compelling enough to plunk down the plastic or click "add to cart" is the way that Miller shapes and shares those thoughts, experiences and life.
Every one of us has had rough stuff happen, or been able to say "No fair!" or thrown our own pity party. Right? Miller takes it a step beyond and puts his tough things through his thought digestive system and analyzes what he finds like a scientist might catalog cell details. And what Miller's data reveals is, at worst, thought-provoking and at best life shaping. With simplistic language, self-deprecating anecdotes and brutal honesty, Miller lays out his struggles, his beliefs, even his neuroses for all to learn from, critique and even mock. In my opinion, this makes him a bit of a hero. Most of us spend our lives trying to cover up who we fear we might actually be under the layers of make-up, education, designer clothing or even scathing wit.
I have not completely read Blue Like Jazz. I've read portions and based on what I did read purchased copies of his works and given them away, so I can't compare Blue to Million Miles. I can tell you that there is an up and down faith struggle portrayed on the pages of Million Miles and Miller's father issues play a part in the unfolding drama, both familiar territory. But I believe the virgin landscape for Miller might be the refining struggles caused by the success of Blue and the expectations that came from becoming a New York Times Bestseller. Miller shares his struggle and the subsequent growth in a series of mini-stories that shaped him into a very different man.
Writers will discover that this book will help put Robert McKee's epic "Story" into easy to grasp segments, and at times Million Miles almost reads like a writing how-to. Very conservative or fault-finding Christians will probably be able to find a few statements that rattle the God-box and possibly cause them to make strong statements. Strugglers who are looking for hope and who are sick and tired of being sick and tired may find something of value to grasp onto and to use as inspiration to write a better story for themselves. I will be buying several copies of this title for many people who will benefit from Miller's experiences and unique ability to digest and regurgitate profound and simplistic truth.
Hmm. It's Friday. My brain is a little crusty after a long day at work. I feel a touch lazy and not at all creative. What shall I post? ARGH! The pressure. Argh.
No! WAIT! I've got it.
Tomorrow is national talk like a pirate day!
Now, I suffer from a bit of tongue over-exuberance and/or loafing. This can make for some creative words and sounds. This seems like a bad problem to have when attempting to talk pirate. Let me demonstrate with a little skit.
Black Forehead: (The first cousin to Blue Beard. Black Forehead began his career as a galley rat and learned the art of barbecuing the hard way. Never, never, never have open flames on roiling seas.) "ARGH, Missy! I'll take a keg of grog on the double or into the sea with ye!" (Followed by the sound of his large spoon arm replacement whacking the poop deck rail.) (The spoon arm was earned during the veggie garnishing lesson well learned. Never, never, never carve a swan during a squall.)
ME: inhale/swallow/gulp...cough. cough. cough. cough, which when forced through an unhappy windpipe sounds like "ARgh! Argh! Argh! Stuff it!" to a pirate with a powerful thirst.
This scenario ends with poor me at the wrong end of pirate implements and very wet.
Save yourself some embarrassment and possibly even limbs.
Alternative Pirate Celebration Styles:
1) Mute pirate. Simply respond with appropriate facial expressions backed with enthusiasm. Does the situation call for arghing and growling, pull out the mean pirate face. If all else fails carry a thermos of grog.
2) Shadow pirate. Lurk. Hide and respond only as the other, braver land-lubbers respond. Eventually you'll be invited to go on a raid. Pirates love yes men.
3) Drunken pirate. You may want to stay off the grog but you can still pretend to be under the influence. The worst thing that will happen, should you inadvertently offend a pirate friend, is a toss in the drink. Just make sure you can swim before employing this technique.
Happy National Talk Like a Pirate Day. I'm hoping this public service announcement will save at least an eye or two. ARGH!
If you want a hilarious "parenting" book, check out the link via the book cover.
Commercials are teeny-tiny movies. When I feel particularly distracted, commercials are kind of "it" for me and all my attention span will embrace. Most leave me feeling blah and bored and send me scurrying out of the room. But then there are the classic ones that stick with me. Usually those are the ones that make me laugh.
I don't always remember the sponsor or the product behind the commercial which may completely make the whole endeavor a moot thang. But, oh well.
That said. I used to tear up at Folgers and Hallmark commercials. You know where the college kid arrived home and woke his mama up with a pot of coffee...that got me. And, well, the Hallmark don't really need further expounding.
A recent commercial series shows awkward moments. A person leaning over a fence and picking a flower just as the gardener stands up and catches the perp. My favorite is the two women who meet up and hug and chat, and then both come to the realization that one of them holds a bag of dog poop.
Ha.
Well, that one hit a bit close to home yesterday. Or it went way beyond. But I'm going to save it. Next week is national "I Love Dogs" or somesuch week. So, to be continued.
I've never seen a purple cow.
I never hope to see one.
But I can tell you here and now...
I'd rather see one than an albino squirrel.
Yeah, so it doesn't rhyme. What do you expect at 6:18 a.m. sans coffee? A blogger acquaintance is having a contest. You could blip over, 
CLICK HERE , play her albino squirrel game and win a can of nuts and a $15 Amazon gift card. Click the squirrel if that's more fun for you.
Hey, there are way dumsel (dedicated to EER - hopefully you just spewed that high-calorie food/drink...or even better shot it out your nose...don't thank me...it's what I do.)ways to spend your computer time, right?
Note to self: (and any others who may benefit).
Sometimes items that are in the dollar bin are there for, shall I be blunt, hmmm, the lack of quality of said item.
i.e. (forgive me X-ta, this is a granddog post)some plastic bags are superior to others.
Plastic bags are a necessary part of walking the dogs. For the more delicate readers and those who may be eating, this is because dogs who walk sometimes relax enough to do their business along the trail. If one chose not to clean up that business and everyone else refused to do so, too, then the trail walk would no longer be pleasant. Trust me.
So yesterday on our walk, as per usual, 22 grabbed her plastic bags. This time she grabbed the bags from the dollar bin.
And as per usual, the dogs did their business. I have the enviable position of watching over the dogs while she scoops. (her dogs, her business) During the first swoop and scoop she muttered and then growled. "Yuck!!! I got some on me." And then as she scooped the second business byproduct she shrieked and held up the bag that had become kind of a funnel. The whole bottom had ripped out in the scoop attempt and she grabbed the stuff with her bare hand.
Repeat after me....Ewww!
