Hooray

Well it has been three years since I have seen snow come down like this.  A rare event in the south, snow in December, has happened in Jackson!  I feel like a true southern girl being so excited by so little snow!  Thirteen years in Michigan left me a little jaded with snow and ice, but I think that is over!

 My lovely father died three minutes into Monday morning.  It has been a difficult week to say the least.  Healing, loving hands, hearts and friends have been everywhere.  The funeral was Friday in Cleveland, MS.  We had all made our way back to Jackson by Saturday.  Duff, Anja, Meredith, Daniel, Ben, James, Jim and I all went to Chapel Hill Saturday night.  It was lovely to walk in the woods, have a bonfire, and just  sit with these wonderful people; family who knew and loved Dad-some as grandfather, some as friend.  We will all miss him and are blessed to have had him.  My mom, who has loved him longer than their 63 years of marriage said it so completely about his death.  "I am just not ready".  It is true 63 years of living with and loving that man just was not enough for her and my 54 years have not been enough for me.  Dad we miss you.

We did this in January

We did this in January and burned it today.  Not all that we knocked down but a large pile of it!  It was a beautiful day today.  The fire burned beautifully and the hot dogs we roasted were yummy.  Hooray for wooded property!

my new hero

This is a picture of Spanky.  He is a fabulous dog.  I personally own a small, black, fluffy ankle biter named Dexter.  This is actually Meredith's dog whom I have bonded with since she left for Wheaton.  Dex and I have been out for walks and no less than three times Spanks has gotten between us and aggressive dogs.  The only one I was really worried about was the last.  A large black lab mix charged out of his electronic fence and proceeded to place his large jaws around Dexter's small neck, when I tried to intervene, (I must say I have experience with dogs and am comfortable dealing with them) this dog went berserk.  I really thought I would not get out without injury and I wasn't sure I could get Dexter out at all...then along came Spanky.   He charged in between Dexter and monster dog, totally wowed monster dog with his sheer huge ugliness, and escorted Dexter and I away from M.D.  This bulldog kept himself between us and this dog all the way home!   Needless to say he was well rewarded with hot dogs and hugs.  He now comes to visit most mornings, sometimes shoving open our back door and coming on into the bedroom to say Hi!   He is always welcome and will always be my hero!

Comment to Hilary

I was reading your blog with interest.  The comment on Russian novels caught me.  No longer a mind which is only academic - rather one which has gone with  sorrowful heart through death with friend, grief over people who hurt our dear loves, distress over sickness and debility in one formerly strong and vigorous ... ( For me even simple t.v. car chase scenes  can be hard to take --knowing Lori who was broadsided by a careless driver, years in recovery and still in pain.)  The life of Christ teaches that on this earth the bad guy often wins and destruction has its way.  Grief, the pain which cannot make it right.  The wrong which cannot be escaped.  Christ wept, we weep. Not overcome with evil but overcoming evil with good.   Sometimes working through the things which are actually happening is all we can do.  When we read or watch t.v., a diversion from the sadness is what our emotions need, not an emersion in another set of characters and the pain of their lives.  So enjoy your respites and when the mind is ready, it will approach those novels with an expanded and hard won comprehension, my dear, lovely niece.

P.S.  I really was sick Saturday night!  When I got home my temp. was 101 !

Pearce and his grammy GG

Pearce perceived his grammy G's heart and is here expounding on world peace.  She of course is delighted and amazed, as were we all.

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