Listening to Lessons and Carols

Different town, different house, different sofa, different dog . . .  

Same blessed WORD.

2009

2014

My First Book

Back in August our beagle died. Ever since then I have been meaning to write a remembrance post about the nine years she was with us. It never got done, but this month, with Christmas approaching, I decided one of the best gifts I could give my son was a repository of photographic memories of his dog. I am not a scrapbooker (I am SO not a scrapbooker) so instead settled on a photo book. Below is the result. What do you know? After all these years, I am finally a book author.




 

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The Blink of an Eye

Yesterday my eldest child went back to college. He is a sophomore now! He came home in May and was here for three months and now summer is over. Where did it go?

The day before yesterday that eldest child's dog died. We got her for his 11th birthday. She was here, a part of our family, for 9 years, and now she isn't anymore and never will be again.

I remember a day when my oldest was only 9 and our previous dog died. She had been part of our family for 15 years and my husband's life for 2 years before that. It seems like yesterday that he got her. It has been 11 years since we touched her.

This past Sunday my husband played his last services at our former church. He began as Cantor there in January of 2000, almost 13 years ago, and now that time is done.

My youngest child is about to turn 9. He is the age my oldest was when our first dog died. I know there is going to come a day when I wake up to kiss him goodbye for his first day of college and return to an empty house (or maybe a house with another 9-year-old dog). I know it's going to come in the blink of an eye and so I try to cherish this time. And yet I don't know how. What does it mean to "cherish" one's days? It seems the best I can manage is to live them.

Besides, "cherishing time"--whatever that means--doesn't make it stop. I could wrap each day in a velvet-covered box and tie it with a satin bow and yet time would still do what time does, munching my row of pretty gift boxes like so many dots in a Pac-Man game. And once they're munched, they're munched, and before you know it, the game is over.

Wordless Wednesday

"Banana Bread"

Insomnia Slayers

My insomnia has been a little better of late. I have started taking melatonin most nights before bed, and it seems to be helping. Maybe it's a placebo effect--I don't know. Whatever it is, I'll take it!

Last night I went to bed around 10:30. Earlier, when I tucked Evan in, I could tell he was having his own bedtime anxiety. He is accustomed to having our dog Shiloh in his room at night, but since Trevor got home from college Shiloh's loyalties have been divided. Last night she was in her big boy's room. I asked Evan if he wanted me to get Shiloh to come in his room and he said no, he wanted her to stay with Trevor. He asked, "If I have trouble sleeping, can I come in your room?" and I said yes.

Around 11:00, just as I had fallen asleep, here came Evan. He asked if he could put his sleeping bag on the floor next to our bed and we said yes. The move accomplished, we all settled back in. Then, around 11:30, just as I was once again drifting off, I felt a hand on my arm. Guess who? I was rather vocal about my frustration at being awakened yet again.

So hubby took over, walking Evan back to his own room. They stayed there talking for a while, during which time I, of course, could not get back to sleep. When my husband returned he said he had had a talk with Evan about Mommy's insomnia and need for sleep and had tried to impress upon him that when you love someone, you put the other's needs before your own. His words seemed to have an impact because he told me that Evan had said, "I would risk my life for Mommy." (sniff)

This morning as soon as Evan woke up he came to me to say he was sorry for giving me "amnosia." :-) (I guess that's a combination of insomnia, amnesia, and nausea.) Of course I forgave him and said he didn't cause my "amnosia" but that Mommy has trouble sleeping and when I do finally get to sleep I need to be left to sleep. He said that he would try not to wake me up anymore and then added, "Daddy and I would risk our lives for you. We would do it together."

I am so very blessed.

This Old House

It's a beautiful day in Chicagoland! It finally cleared up (and dried up and warmed up) enough for me to take a picture for a house update. Note the airborne beagle! LOL! (She took off running after something just as I snapped the photo, and my new camera was actually capable of capturing the moment without blurring.)

As a reminder, here's what the back of our house used to look like:

We are finally nearing the end of our home repair project. The photo shows the finished patio and doggy door and grass growth beginning on the reseeded areas. There are still a few things remaining to be done inside, including some painting and staining and moving of a wall in our laundry room to bring the house up to code (inspection revealed inadequate access to our electrical panel). But the end is definitely in sight. We are enjoying having a watertight house, not to mention our new bookshelves. And Shiloh has learned to use her doggy door like a pro! No more being summoned to let her in and out all day long! It has been a long winter, but the result is so worth it. Soon that new patio will sport a new grill and some flower pots. In time, maybe even some new patio furniture. Let us know when to expect you for some slabs and cold beers and backyard croquet (we have room for that now)!

A Beagle's Life

"I know they're there! Why can't I get at them?"

Make sure you check out the 50 to 60 second mark for several four-legged pounces.

Bunny Hunting from Cheryl on Vimeo.

Listening to Lessons and Carols, Dec. 24, 2009

O Christmas Tree

Done!



Can you find the beagle hiding in the picture?