To this day, everytime I remember back on this show, I can remember the lyrics to the insurance add that ran during the commercials… Mutual of Omaha… people… you can count on when the goings tough…
I would spend every Sunday evening watching this show, as it played right before the Wonderful World of Disney. My parents would finish watching their line up of the Lawrence Welk show, and Hee Haw… finally relinquishing the entertainment box to the small humans. Back in the day, most families only had one television in the house.
Marlin Perkins was such a wildlife superhero to this little girl! I wanted to grow up to be a National Geographic journalist. I would spend most of my free time pretending I was out on that African safari, making friends with the baby Giraffes I saw onscreen…
Or I pretended to find wild baby Cheetah cubs, carrying my poor cat around in a blanket in the middle of summer… til he got hot and escaped my clutches…
Sometimes, our kids say the darndest things. Yes, I know that phrase has been widely used, but I am still going to use it though. If we think about it, the blatant truth of all the things our kids say, would be a catastrophe if we grown ups said them out loud. I guess this memory is the closest example I can give to prove my point.
Out of the mouths of our tiny human replicas, come some of the most jarring, yet accurate truths! While it can sometimes be embarrassing and/or even upsetting, we cannot fault the little truth detectors. As they have no clue regarding protocol or appropriateness of word usage, they are innocent of any malice. Just unadulterated truths that we grown ups learned how to keep zipped up.
Our small protégé are also emulating many of our own beliefs and attitudes, whether we wish to admit this or not. Monkey see monkey do, and our kids often reflect our behavior. But they often reflect to a greater extent, when they blurt out things we have said in the past. We were unaware they were mentally recording us. Childhood also does not come with a full understanding of what, or why grown-ups say and do the things they do.
While talking with my brother-in-law the other day, I was reminded of a funny situation back when his girls were little ones. When my husband and I were first together, he took me to visit his brother and family. It was wonderful to spend time with them, and I instantly fell in love with their daughters. These two girls were so sweet, and very bright for their young age, so I was enthralled.
On one of the mornings of our stay, we all sat around the breakfast table visiting and talking about this and that. When my husband mentioned that I was a photographer, the girls got all excited and asked to see my pictures. I pulled out my laptop and loaded up a file of my recent pictures, taken along our journey across the states to visit them. Somehow, I had a picture in the file of a woman I had done some work with recently. The girls were watching me scroll through the file, and when the picture of the woman appeared, the oldest of the two girls made two consecutive statements, one right after the other… without even a moment’s hesitation.
The first comment could possibly be classed as a reaction verses a statement… she exclaimed, “Oh My!”… and right on the heels of that, she declared, “She’s Hideous”!
I am not sure what was funnier… watching the girls mom turn three shades of red, and immediately try to correct the child, or my brother-in-law almost choking on his food, while laughing hysterically. I wish to point out some very important things to note here. One thing to note here, is that the woman did indeed have a unique look about her, and another note was that the child looked at her parents with some confusion… the tiny truthteller had simply called it like she saw it. She was not being mean, but rather, trying to describe what she saw on the screen. It did not help that my husband was laughing just as hard as his brother, and I was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down my face.
Those girls were probably so confused by the grown-ups, they had no idea what to even say sorry about, or if it was ok to laugh with us or not. At the time, I sucked it up and sided with their mom, as I understood the ramifications if the outburst was not squelched then and there. They could have ended up getting kicked out of daycare for being cheeky. On the other hand, they were not my responsibility in the morality and respect departments, that job belonged to the parents. I found it absolutely Haylarious!
I will end this memory with two observations. One of which, is the fact that the child new without a doubt, what hideous meant and she used it properly. When I was small, my older sister blurted out in the grocery store check out, “John, you are so illegitimate”! He was trying to read the cover of the magazine on the rack, and she thought to say illiterate. The second observation I have made all these years later, looking fondly upon those two girls all grown up. Not only did they turn out to be very bright and beautiful woman, both have their mothers sensibilities as well as their fathers sense of humor… guess which parent they heard the word Hideous from… I wonder.
There is a certain place, in the hours of before dawn, in which I thrive. The RV is silent, aside from the sound of the coffee maker brewing its magic. The smell permeates the whole area surrounding my computer, where I do my writing. If you look out the window behind the sink, you can just see the soft early morning light breaking through the curtains of night.
There are no sounds of cars driving by, dogs barking, or any sounds of daily activity. It is a time that most are probably in the shower, getting dressed, and enjoying their morning quiet also. Sometimes I like to walk along the river during this time, simply for the cool morning air mixing with the steam rising from my coffee thermos. The most beautiful sounds come from the woods this early… from the water passing by, to the chittering sounds of the woodland creatures within the undergrowth.
I guess it is considered pre dawn… that time where the hourglass of Daytime/Nighttime is being overturned, and beginning to pour out its time all over again.
Fresh starts, fresh adventures, and fresh purpose… I journey forth into the here and now of whatever the day will present.
Speaking of fresh… here is a fresh start to a healthy day…
Habakkak 2:3 says, “For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens until the end – it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”
As I considered all the changes occurring, as we move into the fall season, it seems fitting to consider things spiritually, with a similar mindset. God is not idle, nor does he wish me to be, for there are things to be done before His return. My relationship with God is in a constant state of changing, growing, and moving forward in His purpose, just like the seasons.
In my walk there have been seasons of spring, with new fresh changes everywhere. I have experienced the heat of summer within my life, as well as the harsh cold of winter… somewhat like the strengthening of metal takes both fire and ice. Spiritually, the fall season brings times of deep study, snuggled under blankets while the winds and rain cleanse away the hot dust of summertime. It is somewhat a time to reflect on my growth to date; not for measuring my steps, but to be thankful in recognizing His faithfulness, going both before and behind as I walk.
I had an epiphany… I think when David said that God goes both behind and before us, maybe he meant that if we are following Him, even if we don’t do things the best, He covers our iniquity with grace… i.e. no more shame for this girl.
Ok, so I am not preacher material… for goodness sakes, I don’t know what I am doing most of the time, but I kind of think this is the way God wants me… moldable and movable; ready to change and fit into whatever situation or season He deems necessary.
With that said, in keeping with my fake it til you make it attitude towards the coming of fall, I give you a short video of my river path for your viewing pleasure. There is not much sound, but that’s why I walk this trail… blessedly quiet!
In the category of pasta, I can make a fantastical Fettuccini Alfredo with artichoke hearts, chicken, and mushroom. Throw in a loaf of french bread in there and it is sublime!
In the category of breakfast, I make the worlds most delectable Quiche biscuits… filled with cream cheese, sharp cheddar and either ham or even shrimp. I cannot give you all the ingredients or it won’t be my secret anymore.
Photo by u0130clal u00c7apou011flu Cinal on Pexels.com
In the category of appetizers, I am a sucker for Caprese Salad! Either that or Ceviche!
Last but not least is the dessert category, and there is one thing I make that is considered my pride and joy! My Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter cookies… my Secret Secret Recipe! I like to make them really big, so one cookie can fit your whole hand. I put oodles of chocolate chips in, and I won’t say any more about the ingredients… you know what spies say about when you learn too much of their secrets. If I told you my secret, you might just have to … disappear……….
Go ahead, have one… I made plenty! I wouldn’t ever think of telling you about those cookies without offering you one. And yes, I left you some milk. These things are so ooey gooey and thick that you will definitely need the drink to wash em down. Happy Sunday!
There are those days… you know… we all have them… those days where everything in our life seems to be so overwhelming and out of our control. I will not say that I live with anything worse than another soul. Let’s just say that sometimes I get bombarded with the totality of our circumstances, and it causes a bit of an emotional stagger to my step. I can sometimes feel so encumbered with the weight of life’s realities, I seem to have no strength to move, let alone breath through the pain.
Here is where today’s Note to Self #2 helps out:
“I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13
Notice how it does not say anywhere in there about things being easy, nor does it say He will remove it from our cup… it simply reminds me, that if He thinks I am able to carry on, walking through the pain I am experiencing, then He will sustain me through it! For me, fully walking with God has cost me both friends and family… some by my own folly and others by my getting up and walking on without shame any longer.
If Jesus was willing to take what was handed him by the world, and still lay down his own life to fulfill the will of His Father… and to save US… then I can stand! Not just stand, but walk forward in faith!
Forgiveness will be my Banner, and His Grace will be the very breath I exhale, each and every moment… until He comes for us!
It just so happens to be early morning on my Saturday, so the last thing I got excited about, ended up being my morning cup of jo.
I am a coffee monster… I’ve had a cup of coffee in my hand for nearly 50 years. My uncle Leo got me hooked! The funny man intrigued me, as he dabbed drops of Tobasco sauce into the swirling black liquid. He put that sauce on absolutely everything. I remember very little of the man, but the coffee creation will be there forever.
From then until today I have been like a Dr. Seuss story when it comes to how I love coffee…
I love it in the morning and I love at night
I love it Black and I love it white
Give it to me hot or give it to me cold
You can’t say you have never been told
I will drink it with toast or maybe some cake
No matter the direction, my coffee I will take…
Lucky for you, I will stop rhyming… it is hurting my brain. No worries. Coffee can fix it! Here, try it for yourself…
I know it is still hot outside and we’re not there yet… but I do not care! As a walker of trails, and also a lover of nature, this heat has been preventing me from fully enjoying either.
This is the Northwest for crying out loud! One of the things I have always loved about this region, is the areas mild weather and wonderful breezes, blowing in off the Puget Sound.
It seems like over the last few years, the summers have gone rogue here… long stretches of sweltering heat, humidity that is much higher than I like, and next to no breezes to bring cooling air.
While I have no aspirations or dreams of designing anything for the future, in the real world that is, I do have a good bit of experience in building imaginary cities, animal houses, and really good armor.
It is Friday everyone, and it’s sprinkling outside… tap tap tapping on the roof of our RV. I think my boycott of the summer heat is working! The rains have finally blessed me with a cool early morning walk.
Even though I have no idea for a city of the future, at least not one that any of you want to hear me go on about, I can still be useful to you guys and WordPress. If you are ever in need of a Gorilla Habitat, an upgraded Concession stand, or maybe a specialist in breeding Great Dragons, I got you covered!
Before I take off on my rainy walk along the river, here is Brekkers for everybody… please remember to eat the blueberries, as they are full of antioxidants …
Journey With Me! 