Many will say that my choices of Love, Life, and Laughter, aren’t really jobs. Some will say that my answers are more emotions instead of careers. Well, let’s think on that for a moment…
Take love, for instance! If you’re the one pursuing love from another, I bet you’d argue that money comes into play! Don’t get me started on the average cost of a wedding! As a woman, I’ll be the first to admit that if money were no matter, my wedding would be over the top! Just sayin.
After Love comes Life…
Children have to be some of the most expensive things on the planet, aside from a space shuttle, maybe. There are hospital bills, college funds, and 18+ years of financial responsibility. I haven’t even begun to touch on the cost of feeding said passel of hungry mouths, nor have I had a chance to expound on the amount of cleaning, teaching, disciplining and raising up of those little beans.
This is where the Laughter arrives! How many can say that their careers bring them joy, like holding one’s baby for the first time, or watching their prodigy butcher a musical piece of Mozart at a piano recital. Both activities bring forth joy and laughter that cannot be bought with gold or silver!
The careers of Loving, Living, and Laughing are quite far away from being free, nor inexpensive, but oh so worth it! I’ve given over 35 years to loving, living, and laughing. I sacrificed the money, time, energy, emotions, blood, sweat, and tears to fulfill those three careers, with few regrets… and none of them were my loved ones!
I don’t often like to see into my own childhood memories, as they are precarious at best. But for you, my friends, I have courageously looked through the curtains of the past that most often obscure my view. I have learned that we must take the good with the bad, as far as memories go. Haven’t we all had to make peace with our past, in order to walk forward towards a better future?
This particular memory arose out of the oddest sort of recollection. My husband brought home a watermelon the other day, and that sounds normal so far, as I am sure this behavior occurs within homes across the globe, nearly every day. Things played out typically for us, just like most, until the moment my eyes came to rest on the label stuck to the side of the watermelon. On the sticker were the words, “Grown in Hermiston Oregon”. I do not often come across the name of my childhood home, and the last place I would have expected it to be, was on a piece of fruit.
For several moments, a cacophony of strange emotions floated briefly across my heart. When I encounter these things, I usually set them aside to process on their own… I have learned not to rush into things willy nilly. In this way, I dismissed the strange feelings and carried on with my day. For several days I truly forgot about the sticker.
Yesterday, as I was working on a story about two squirrels, a memory popped into my head, and the squirrels were momentarily replaced with the memory of a cat.
I had forgotten about this cat for many years… until yesterday! In the past I would have slammed the door on this part of my childhood immediately, as it has always brought an overwhelming fear. I have learned in time, that I can view my past without fear or shame, but rather, with clarity and grace; both of which are great navigators, along the pathways of our hearts.
I do not generally slam these doors anymore, as I walk a better path now… a healing path. While I will look at my memories, I have not ever written down a good one where my father was in the same story. This morning was different for the first time. In this memory will be the first written work I have ever done, where my dad is going to get his moment, but not like you’re thinking. And another surprise I have for you is that you’re going to laugh and walk away very happy. Let me show you…
His name was Leroy! We named him after that song, Bad Bad Leroy Brown! From birth, this cat was crazy about me, and at the same time he was mean as they come… he stole my 7-year-old heart. Another thing about this cat… he hated my dad!
This was not a passing fancy, a tiny dislike, or even a mild aversion to the man… Leroy was always planning the old man’s demise, I think. This cat would destroy my dads’ things, and only his. Leroy would intentionally pee on his clothes or in his boots, and every day from the moment my dad came home, the cat would stalk him and seek to bite him at every opportunity. Guess where Leroy slept at night… hehe… with me! At one time, my dad got so mad at the cat, he shot him! Leroy disappeared into the woods… but he lived! And he came home! My dad was so mad, but a little scared too, I think. He left the cat be, and pretended he didn’t care either way.
One day Leroy did something that set my dad off, and he loaded the cat up and drove him across the county, dumping him at a friend’s barn. We were devastated by the loss of our Leroy, and for some unknown reason, this was one of the few times my mom ever displayed her emotions. She went off!! By the time she got done yelling, my dad was sheepishly driving down the driveway with an empty cat box on the passenger seat. My mom made him go all the way back down the road and retrieve our cat from that barn! When that old station wagon pulled back into the yard, we all came running out of the house in excitement. The first thing we saw as the car door swung open, was our cat Leroy climbing slowly and leisurely from my dad’s lap. The next few moments are some of the most precious memories I hold of my dad with my cat…
The man looked like he had been attacked by a weed wacker! He was covered in cat scratches and bite marks, and Leroy peed and poo’ed all over his lap. My dad barely got the cat inside the box he had brought along, and Leroy broke free as soon as the car ride home began. Our station wagon never smelled the same after this escapade, by the way. That cat kicked my dad’s hind end for the full 20-minute ride from that barn. This twelve-pound feline lived up to his name that day. Let me tell you…
Loosely written from the Lyrics of the song,
He was my Bad Bad Leroy Brown
Maddest cat in the whole darn town
Badder than that ole shotgun
Meaner than that Junkyard hog (I would never insult a dog)!
What I wouldn’t give to have been an observer in another car, or even walking on the side of the road, as that station wagon drove by. There is for sure someone out there, who witnessed my small hero, scratching the life out of my dad all the way home! It is very true what they say, that many times great heroes come in small packages!
That Cat Ruled!!!!
***No animals were harmed in the making of this episode, and each of the stunt cats were given their wages in delicious fishy treats, as well as, numerous bags of fresh catnip!***
I was conceived in wickedness, born in the midst of evil, and have been a wanderer all my 56 years of existence.
No one claims me, my bloodline, nor my destiny!
I was cursed with death before I took my first breath.
The me that was born into that life held no value, to anyone, aside for the men who helped themselves to that which was not theirs to take. My mother was so consumed with her own trauma and grief that she failed to protect any of her children, eventually dying of severe Dementia before I was able to tell her that I understood.
Perhaps this question would have been more valuable, were I to have the memories and life lessons handed down from a healthy, normal background and cultural heritage. But, I don’t. Therefore, this prompt might be considered a waste of time to answer.
By grace, mercy, providence, and purpose, you don’t have to accept the prompt response of the me that died, some time ago, in fact.
This is the me that was brought from death to life, and who stands before you now…
I know who I am
I am a child of God
The kingdom of heaven is my culture, my eternal heritage
I am born again
Chosen
Set apart
Written in the Book of Life
Bought
Paid for
I am free…
You better not forget your cookies! I worked all morning on them…
Apparently, Eustace has such a nice voice that he’s been asked to make the morning announcements for them. Well, at least til December, anyways. After last year’s success, the company has permanently installed him as their Christmas Camel!
I did have to have a long conversation with him, regarding how long it took him to get back into shape after his candy cane infusions, remember?
The poor camel was downright hateful, there for a while. We would like for this season to go a bit easier. Eustace assured me that they’ve ordered him an outfit for this year. I guess the insurance company had a fit when they got the bills for all rehab. I don’t blame them, do you?
Perhaps that’s the purpose of offering Eustace some differing jobs, other than the eating kinds. We’re probably fortunate they didn’t ask him to be their stand in fire extinguisher, what with all the water he carries in his humps…
Once, there was time when a girl could eat whatever she wanted, with reckless abandon. She wasn’t tied down to just any old brand. And she never had to worry over what brands she chose to associate.
There was a time when she loved to celebrate with her closest associate, Mr. Folgers…
Alas, those days are gone.
There were the days of joyful indulgences with her most frequent of associates… you may know them. Folks used to call them the Tillamook Gang, but to me, they were my friends. I think I miss Cheddar the most, as she was most often in the kitchen…
Well, as I mentioned at the beginning of this, you are like those you associate with! Unfortunately, they weren’t the best influence, so I had to give them up.
Now, after learning to let go of that which is a bad influence, I cleaned up my kitchen and now have a new circle of brands to hang out with… the healthier kind!
At first, it wasn’t so easy. Meeting new brands that behaved far differently than my old brands was difficult for a time. Strange names and unusual characteristics made me feel very self-conscious and intimidated, not to mention a bit scared. Change is never easy, but for the sake of healthy associations with brands… it had to be done!
Now that I’ve taken the time to get more familiar with her, Chiquita has become a very loyal brand, faithfully supplying me with a better association with potassium, and the like…
Chiquita was so genuinely helpful and giving, she actually introduced me to the Foster Farm Girls…
You know, associating with them has done wonders for my health, seriously!
There is, however, one brand that has been my friend since my earliest days. My mother actually introduced me to them, first. I was only about five years old, when my mother bought me an Easy-Bake Oven. I’d never made cookies before. I’d only ever seen my mother do it, but she was now handing over the spatula, so to speak!
I was placed upon a stool that had been stacked with several Yellow Page telephone books. Before me sat my brand new oven, all the little trays, sprays, spoons, and such. But the world turned on it’s axis, when my mother handed me a large bowl filled with cookie dough! It wasn’t just any cookie do, however, but the original recipe from Nestle Toll House Morsels package… that was all it took!
From that little oven, came some of the best cookies I’ve ever tasted! Now, perhaps it was the sugar rush that kicked in, or even the bit of caffeine from the chocolate chips, hitting the bloodstream. The point is, I was hooked… not just on cookies, but on the Toll House brand!
I’ve had occasion to use other brands, but I always come back to Toll House! Whenever I see their packages, I’m immediately transported back to my childhood days… the good ones, though they be few. Thank you, Toll House!
I bet you guys are glad I kept this brand. I wouldn’t serve you anything less than wonderful… hugs
I wanted to say “Eat, Pray, Love” but Julia Roberts already took that one. No fair!
Well, I can still tell you that I could be eating more, as I just got off the phone with my nutritionist, and she’s concerned that I’m not eating enough calories.
And, I can attest that we all should be doing more praying, of late.
Also, there is never enough love to go around, these days.
Now do you see why I wanted to use that title so badly? It was just perfect, but I’m not one to steal from another, so Julia wins this time.
Hmmmmm… I could have used Shake, Rattle, and Roll, possibly. Then there’s Live, Love, and Laugh, or maybe even Take a Walk on the Wild Side, but they just don’t sound the same, you know?
Happy Monday, everyone! It’s me, Lilly! Now that we’re all home from our summertime travels, I’ve started some online courses to teach me how a true journalist studies and writes. I want to be writer, you see, just like you. If I’m to become a better colonist, I mean columnist, I have to start somewhere. So Mee-maw says I can do my practicing here, on Mondays… well, at least for now.
Thankfully, I love to read, because there’s a great big world of words out there to learn. I do alright for the most part, but sometimes, it gets quite confusing for such a tiny brain. But I’ve been told that it’s not my size that counts, but how well I use my brain. I’m learning the art of reading, one page at a time.
Let me tell you about the morning I’ve had, thus far, in my reading and writing adventures…
Have you ever been reading a thing, and suddenly notice that a particular word you’ve read seems like it might be spelled wrong? You read it once more, and then again. You keep going back to look at the word, because you’re certain they meant something different.
So, what do we do when this occurs? Any reader worth their salt would never presume to know more than the original author. That’s bad form, I think. The right thing to do when encountering a wordage dilemma, is to grab a dictionary, encyclopedia, or thesaurus, if necessary.
Sometime, during this last weekend, I came across the word endued while reading scripture. My brain began arguing that the word should have been embued, imbued, or even endured. Strange, I know. It was like giving a mouse a cookie, that word! Or an ant…
Off to Google, I went, but that was more of a rabbit hole than I was prepared for. Not only couldn’t I find the passage I’d just read it from, but when I asked the computer where to find that word in scripture, it never gave me any verses that were near the place I’d been reading.
Anyways, I ended up spending nearly an hour this morning, just comparing spellings, translations, and the definitions that were attached to them, just so that I could understand which meant what!
Imbue means to saturate, instill, or inspire something with a quality, emotion, or belief, like a sponge soaking up water. Endue (or endued) means to provide or endow someone with a quality or ability, like a person being endowed with rights. Embue is an obsolete and incorrect form of imbue and should not be used.
Here’s a breakdown of each word:
Imbue
Meaning: To deeply affect or permeate something, often with an emotion, quality, or color, as if soaking it throughout.
Origin: From the Latin imbuere, meaning “to dye, wet, or moisten”. Examples:
“A feeling of optimism imbues her works”.
“The new leader was imbued with the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi”.
Endue (and Endued)
Meaning: To give qualities or abilities to someone or something. The past participle, endued, means to have been provided with these qualities.
Origin: Influenced by the Latin induere, meaning “to put on”.
Examples:
“The workers were endued with the spirit of camaraderie”.
“They were endued with the rights of a citizen”.
Embue
Meaning: An obsolete form of imbue.
Usage: This word is no longer in common use and should be avoided. Stick to the modern form, imbue.
So, what have I hopefully learned, here?
Well, aside from the cheeky response about not using the spelling embue, I do think I may have learned the difference between endue and imbue. I believe that one means the feeling, and the other means the actual quality, itself. Now, I said that I believe it to mean this, but the jury is still out. If I were you, I wouldn’t put all your money on me.
Besides, I sometimes feel like those literary rabbit holes are more trouble than their words… I mean worth!
Honestly, some of the biggest obstacles in my life have been those of my own making, due to my overthinking brain! Making mountains out of mole hills, and the like. I’m not exactly sure when, or even who I heard say this old adage. But, I know with certainty that it has to come from somewhere in the archives of my existence.
Maybe my mother said it. Or, perhaps it came from a teacher in school… who knows. Somehow, though, it has stuck with me all my life. Did it help me back then? No!
In fact, it has taken most of my many years of life to practice the old adage, and I still don’t get it right all the time. Here’s another good one… Old habits die hard, as they say.
Being in my mid 50’s, it’s taken a substantial amount of highs and lows, up’s and downs, and a boatload of endurance runs to really help this advice sink in to my stubborn brain. To give credit where credit is due, I think that “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” was probably the catalyst that began to disrupt my late night overthinker’s anonymous group that met in my head most nights.
Currently, I only make random guest appearances, for the sake of the group, of course. Like I said, I’m not there yet, but gimme time.
I awoke this morning, to questions that don’t seem to have satisfactory answers, as far as deciding on what to write for my normal Friday post. I’m going to be fully honest when I say that Barnyard Business episodes may not be the right fit for WordPress.
While my heart wants to continue with the stories, the response on WP has not been what I’d anticipated. Now, don’t go getting your feelings hurt or anything, because I’m certainly not blaming any of you.
The imaginative stories I come up with are really meant for children, and let’s face it, there aren’t any little ones knocking on my WP door. If folks are reading any of them to their children, I’ve never had any comments or such that might reflect someone’s interest.
I published a children’s book, but it was mainly for testing the waters. I think I’ve sold one copy, but I wasn’t surprised. My books are meant for children’s hands, not in the form of a futuristic Etch a Scetch!
This will be my third Christmas spread that I’ll be putting together, and as you already know, nobody ever seems to show up for the party. You can be butt hurt about this statement, or you can simply accept it as truth. You all have busy lives, I get it! Plus, the bottom line for this site is to reach hearts, not collect back pats and overly wordy accolades… it’s not about me!
Unfortunately, I have a tendency to make it more about me than about sharing the Gospel. Maybe it wasn’t my primary reason back when I started… but it is now, more than ever! I try not to overdo it, but let’s face it… that’s what the cookies are for, right?
As I am the president of my own Overthinkers Anonymous Club, it’s important that I make no rash decisions about a thing. Prayer comes first, then looking at said thing objectively, follows. After that, I write my thoughts down, usually here on WordPress. Any following steps come into play, once I receive your feedback. You may or may not even realize how important you are, in terms of what I write, how I write it, and when I publish said thing.
You are my family, and your thoughts matter to me, especially when it comes to what I put on this website. Why? Because you are important to me… very important!
I really would appreciate your feedback, as to whether or not I continue with any of my children themes, here on WordPress. It may be a situation where I simply journal on WP, but pull all of my main character episodes to a different venue. My desire is to write that which is useful for your edification, inspiration, encouragement and overall blessings. If it needs changing, so be it! I love you enough that I’ll write however I must, if God can use it to reach your hearts!
Journey With Me! 