Last night I went to a Christmas boat parade with a friend.  It was fun to be out and not be in charge.  She'd been to the parade several times before and knew all of the ins and outs, making the evening very pleasurable.  I'd forgotten how much I enjoy being a follower when it comes to going somewhere new.



It's nice to go back and look at older pictures.  This isn't one of my best, but it's a fun reminder of all that's good and beautiful in my little corner of the world.  These actually grew in my backyard one year!  I had a bundle of them, and they made me very happy.  This year I'm leaving my bulbs to chance, hoping that I've got enough daffodils and freesia(which don't need to be refrigerated) in the ground to poke their pretty heads up some time after Christmas.  In the meantime I've got more navel oranges on my little tree than I know what to do with.  They're almost ripe, and none too early, as the tree's branches are dangerously sagging under their weight.  I can hardly wait to sample them, as this will be the first crop I've ever had.  What fun!

Renewal



This past weekend Jed and I went camping in the desert.  Well, not really camping ... RVing.  We had electricity and running water supplied to my little vacation home on wheels, which meant that we were warm, well-fed, and clean.  (At least I was -- Jed liked to hang out in the dirt.)  This picture was the view from our "yard".  Not too shabby.

Whenever I go away like that I marvel at what it does to my soul.  It can often be quite a chore to get everything organized to leave, but once we're packed up and hit the road I feel like I'm leaving all the cares of my "real" world behind, if only for 48 hours.  

My neighbor came over this evening with two 7 week-old kittens in tow.  She's been playing host to a feral cat who had a litter of three, and now they're almost ready for new homes.  One's an orange and white tabby (little boy) and the other's a little female tuxedo.  The tux is all spit and vinegar while the orange is as sweet as he can be.

She offered me first pick of the two, and oh my gosh! it was tempting.  But with 2 adults who have finally found their courage around Jed I just couldn't bring myself to upset the newly-found harmony between my four-legged roomies.  I brought the little male in & sat with him on the stairs while Jed danced all around, beside himself with excitement and a bit of anxiety thrown in (he's been thwacked by Mr. Smudge on several occasions & has a decent respect for all things feline).  The little kitty did pretty well, considering he was outweighed by about 75 pounds.  Just a few hisses and one loud, protesting meow.  Otherwise I think he knew that Jed wouldn't hurt him.  Neither of the 2 resident cats showed their furry faces -- too much comotion for them.  But I daresay that their reception wouldn't have been nearly as pleasant as Jed's. 

So, for today my resolve held strong.  I gave my neighbor the business card of a kitten rescue group and told her that I'd pray for her.  It's late for kittens, and someone is bound to be looking for a Christmas gift. 

I know what I'd like for Christmas, but that's a whole other story ...



I wish I could be like Jed, without a care in the world.  Dogs know how to relax, to let the past be the past and not worry about the future.  

Well, here I am again and it's the day before Thanksgiving.  I have so many things to be thankful for, but the greatest joy in my life is laying on the floor on his bed beside me.  His name is Jed.  He is the only soul in my life who provides me with unconditional love and companionship.  There's nobody in the world who will ever greet me with such love and excitement as he does whenever I walk through the door.  There's nobody who will protect me from dangers seen and unseen like he does.  And there's nobody else but him who will dance out the door with me, even if it's just to walk to the mailbox.