Challenge #32 - The Knots Prayer

My 40-Lenten challenges will soon be ending.  Ironically, this morning I received an email-forward that is perfect to pass along, especially on a Sunday.

THE KNOTS PRAYER

Please untie the knots

that are in my mind,

my heart and my life.

Remove the have nots, the can nots and the do nots

that I have in my mind.

Erase the will nots,

may nots,

might nots that may find

a home in my heart.

Release me from the could nots,

would nots and

should nots that obstruct my life.

And most of all,

Dear God,

I ask that you remove from my mind,

my heart and my life all of the 'am nots'

that I have allowed to hold me back,

especially the thought

that I am not good enough.

Amen.

Challenge #31 - Love Bouquets

Lake Superior is a glorious sight in the morning.  A couple of years back we camped in a bayside campground, and the morning sun transformed the lake into a sea of sparkling diamonds.  We took our lawn chairs out, our coffee, and watched the morning miracle unfold.

  One morning in particular, we were eating a local baker's recommended pecan rolls.  A little girl, about 3, was walking beside our campsite with her Grampa.  They stopped to talk a bit, and we learned that the little girl was born in Israel and now lives in South Africa, as her parents are in the Peace Corps.  Her Grampa told us that the way we see white-tail deer along our roadsides, the little girl sees zebras along the roadsides of South Africa.  The little girl's name was Irene.  She was picking yellow blossoms off wild plants and handing them to her Grampa, who was patiently holding the short stems for her until it became obvious she was picking more than he was able to hold.  So, I went in our camper and gave them a blue plastic glass to use as a vase for her bouquet of flowers.  Grampa told little Irene to say thank you.

The love that the Grampa had for that little girl dripped like syrup.  The little girl adored Grampa, as well.  The two of them were simply out for an early morning walk along Lake Superior, picking pretty flowers, and savoring their time together. 

The two of them touched me so much that they found their way into my daily journal.  There's a compelling kind of beauty that exists in this world of ours, and it has nothing to do with bright sunshine and glittering lakes.
 
I'd be willing to bet that little Irene will always remember how her Grampa held her flowers and took the time to go for a walk with her.  It's all about spending time together.  The simplest outing can have the greatest impact. Little children gravitate to those who give of themselves.  They want to feel more of that kind of love, foster that love, and take it back home with them. 

When I think about it, maybe all of us have invisible vases where we keep the bouquets of love we've gathered during our lifetime.  Invisible flower gardens.  Hmmmmm.  That's pretty cool, isn't it?

Challenge #30 - Staying Ahead of the Game

Maxine tries.  We all try.  Do we see results?  Not much of the time.  Anyway, that's the way it is for me.

There's another way to look at our endless trying.  What would we be like if we'd never have tried?  Erase all of our attempts to be the best we can be, and there may be someone different looking at us in the mirror.

In 2001, I was in Maine with two dear friends.  We were eating freshly caught Maine lobster at the home of my one friend's uncle.  Besides getting lessons on how to disassemble and eat a whole lobster, I learned some Maine sayings that I was quick to write down in my notebook so I wouldn't forget them.

One, "Little taps will kill the devil."

Two, "I may shake, rattle, and roll, and bounce,

but I'm still movin', and that's all that counts."

Three, "Sometimes the bear eats you--

Sometimes you eat the bear."

So, I guess I'll continue with my little taps.  Trying in small increments.  Maybe I won't ever see drastic results, but hopefully I can maintain a status quo.  We humans are so quick to see what I call our "freckles"......we compare ourselves to others, forgetting about the unalterable gene structure that makes us who we are.  We tend to zero in on what we think is wrong with us.  Pshaw to that!  We should rather zero in on all that is right with us and hold that in our mind vision.  It is absolutely possible to destroy our beautiful lives by dwelling and fretting about things that are influenced totally by the movies, the media, and the beauty magazines. Peer pressure is one of the enemies of our society.  It ensnares us in our adolescence and keeps us trapped until we reach my age, and then we see it for what it really is.  Gobbledegook. 

Challenge #29: Tongue Twisting Fun

Mr. See owned a saw.

And, Mr. Soar owned a seesaw.

Now, See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw

Before Soar saw See, Which made Soar sore.

Had Soar seen See's saw

Before See sawed Soar's seesaw,

See's saw would not have sawed

Soar's seesaw.

So See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw.

But it was sad to see Soar so sore

just because See's saw sawed

Soar's seesaw.
****

Ned Nott was shot and Sam Shott was not.

So it is better to be Shott than Nott.

Some say Nott was not shot.

But Shott says he shot Nott.

Either the shot Shott shot at Nott was not shot,

Or Nott was shot.

If the shot Shott shot shot Nott, Nott was shot.

But if the shot Shott shot shot Shott,

Then Shott was shot, not Nott.

However, the shot Shott shot shot not Shott, but Nott.

****

A tree-toad loved a she-toad

Who lived up in a tree.

He was a two-toed tree-toad,

But a three-toed toad was she.

The two-toed tree-toad tried to win

The three-toed she-toad's heart,

For the two-toed tree-toad loved the ground

That the three-toed tree-toad trod.

but the two-toed tree-toad tried in vain;

He couldn't please her whim.

From her tree-toad bower,

With her three-toed power,

The she-toad vetoed him.

Challenge #28: Human Commonality

Poetry speaks to my soul, and some poems whisper softly to my soul.  One such poem is "A Little Girl's Dreams."  The words so eloquently take me back to kidhood when my days were spontaneous and carefree and every small natural wonder was mine.  I shall always be amazed by human commonality.  One person can author a poem that perfectly reflects another person's thoughts and feelings.  We're all so uniquely different on the outside, yet miraculously the same on the inside.

A Little Girl's Dreams

(by Angie Olson)

Dreams keep running through my mind

Reflecting memories of long ago.

Made in a land of fairy tales,

A place my heart longs for so.

Cut off from the rest of the world

With streams, and meadows to roam,
Viewed from a little girl's eyes,
A place that would always be home.

A place where berries grew wild

where rabbits and squirrels were seen

Where a racoon could be a friend
And deer played down by the stream.
A world where imagination made all come true

And a little girl could be a queen

Where daydreams were spun like cobwebs

But a world where everything wasn't what it seemed.

For every little girl has to grow up

And daydreams shatter in your hand,

You find the home you thought was your own

Is nothing but a simple piece of land.

The flowers don't seem to bloom so bright,

And fairy tales no longer come true,

For it is seen now through grownup eyes,

No longer the world that you knew.

But still.....Somewhere in the back of my mind

That place will always remain

From all those memories long ago

To beckon me back time and again.

 

Challenge #27: Caring for our Faithful Ones

Last night our estate increased in value......by $20.  Yup, my betting buddy let me pick my team, and I chose Connecticut.  My reason for choosing Connecticut was strictly geographical preference.

This morning at 10 o'clock, our fuzzy one is going to the doggie beauty salon to get her winter fur cut off.  This is not an ordinary pet-grooming experience.  The fuzzy one doesn't like anyone messing with her body, so it's easier and safer if her veterinarian gives her a shot that puts her to sleep during the grooming.  My husband will stay for the grooming, to provide reassurance to the fuzzy one and to assist the groomer. Besides getting groomed, she will get her annual physical and update on shots. She has a small wart on her left lower eye lid, and that will be taken off while she's under sedation.

Pets are little people, too, and I feel absolutely sick when I hear that the state of our economy is affecting pet care.  People don't have the money to spend on their pets, so as a result, the animals are suffering neglect.  There's got to be a way to work some of these things out so no one ends up on the short end of the stick.  After all, why did Noah build the Ark in the first place!

Isn't it grand having spurts of spring the last days?  Yesterday we went to pay our respects to a grieving family, and we took back roads to get to where they live.  Hillsides are greening up, and the trout in the streams are teasing us.  Can't wait for the "who can catch a bigger fish" battles to begin. 

I haven't bought my fishing license yet, nor my trout stamp.  Must do that one of these first days so I'm ready when the whistle blows.  We bake trout on the grill, we fry trout in the skillet, and we even smoke trout in our smokehouse.  Fishing isn't only about the catching, it's about providing sustenance and promoting togetherness, as well.

The sun is casting shadows on the floor and on the furniture.  Another life lesson displays itself......without the sun, everything is a shadow. 

Best get to my day.  The fuzzy one has no idea what's ahead for her.  It's the two of us adults who are fretting about her having to go through this.  As soon as the visit to the doggie salon is over and little missy has her new fur-do, then I'll take over with the doting, cuddling and smothering her with the slobbery t.l.c.

It's called dividing the love!

Challenge #26: The Two Lumberjacks

Two lumberjacks were in a tree-cutting contest.  Both were strong and determined, hoping to win the prize.  But one was hardworking and ambitious, chopping down every tree in his path at the fastest pace possible, while the other appeared to be a little more laid back, methodically felling trees and pacing himself.

The go-getter worked all day, skipping his lunch break, expecting that his superior effort would be rewarded.  His opponent, however, took an hour-long lunch; then resumed his steady pace.

In the end, the eager beaver was dismayed to lose to his "lazier" competition.  Thinking he deserved to win after his hard work, he finally approached his opponent and said, "I just don't understand.  I worked longer and harder than you, and went hungry to get ahead.  You took a break, and yet you still won.  It just doesn't seem fair.  Where did I go wrong?"

The winner responded, "While I was taking my lunch break, I was sharpening my axe."

(Harvey MacKay)

Challenge #25: The Triple Filter Test

In ancient Greece, Socrates had the reputation for holding knowledge in high esteem.  One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"

"Hold on a minute," Socrates replied.  "Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say.  That's why I call it the Triple Filter Test.  The first filter is Truth.  Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

"Well, no," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and ......"

"All right," said Socrates.  "So you don't really know if it's true or not.  Now, let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness.  Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?"

"Umm, no, on the contrary ......"

"So, Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about my friend, but you're not certain it's true.  You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left--the filter of Usefulness.  Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"

"No, not really."

"Well, concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"

(Source unknown)

Challenge #24: Appreciate Our Resources

Kids now days are incredibly fortunate to have computers and the World Wide Web......not for things like facebook, twitter, and email....but as valuable tools for Learning. 

The reason I say this is because of the way I struggled with math.  My head was not wired for it.  Poor daddy sat with me by the kitchen table trying to get me to understand 'story problems.'  His gentle frustration showed, yet he never once made me feel dumb because my brain couldn't understand.  He was the type of guy who would sit patiently with me, explain and re-explain, until his explanations sort of made a little sense to me.  I remember feeling so sorry for him that I'd tell him I understood, when I really didn't.   

Now, there are websites where kids can have fun with math, for instance http://www.funbrain.com/, www.playkidsgames.com/mathGames.htm, and http://www.mathplayground.com/.  Catholic grade school didn't afford us kids "fun" venues for learning our arithmetic, as it was called back then.  We were either good at our numbers and praised, or we faltered and lagged behind with no special help or outside resources whatsoever. 

My final word on math is simple and concise.  Mickey Mouse and I think with the same side of our brains.  Both of us are tickled pink to be able to count to 20 without taking our shoes off!

Challenge #23: Be On Your Toes

There oughta be a "bad-word beeper" on my blog dashboard, cuz you'd be hearing 'em this morning!

I live with a prankster.  It was literally seconds after I came to my senses this morning that I was told, "Boy, it's really snowing outside."  My ladylike response, of course, was, "You gotta be shittin' me."  Then he innocently says, "Either that or it's April 1st."

Phuque!

The worst part is that I have to be nice to the guy today because we're heading for his second 90-minute dental appointment.  What kind of wife would hold a grudge and be nasty to a husband with a numbed mouth!  (hmmmmmm....maybe I'll have to re-think this a little bit.)

Okay, I got that off my chest.  Now, let's get down to the real nuts and bolts of my day thus far......and, that is the priceless element to any human relationship......humor.  I can snit and snart all I want about getting fooled so early in the day, but I love it and, of course, this puts the ball in my court.  Don't think for a hot second that my wheels won't be spinning.  I shall bide my time and strike when he least expects it. 

Do you want to know what he did to me one Sunday morning after we first got married?  I was walking around downstairs in a short red neglige' when he grabbed me, tossed me out on the front porch, and locked the door.  He had waited until church was over and a steady stream of cars was driving by our house.  There I stood, looking like a matador's cape flopping around out there in broad daylight, while he was in the house laughing his ass off.  I ran around to the back door, but the wise bird managed to have that locked, too.

Oh, yes, my friends, he's a little jokester, all right!