Category: Blog

Every evening my husband and I have devotions in our living room. When my husband comes from the bedroom into the living room with the devotional material in his hand, our dog, Frank, grabs his rawhide donut and plops down on the floor in front of us. He never misses a night. He would probably suffer withdrawal if we missed a night.

However, like many church goers, his attention span isn’t the best. He chews on the donut awhile, and then he stretches out and goes to sleep. (There used to be a gentleman in our home church congregation that did that–not the chewing of the donut or stretching out, but his chin rested on his chest as he dozed off.)

But Frank is faithful in his attendance and that counts for something! He also sings a little when I play a hymn. Whether that can have an ecclesiastical explanation or discomfort in his ears, we may have to guess.

Mornings find me taking Frank, my dog, out for his walk. As the door closes behind us, it is a signal for other animals to join. Our lady cat named Marble wraps around my legs until I scratch her head briefly, then she falls in. Our black cat, named Hal (short for Halloween because that’s when he showed up at our house as an abandoned kitten} ignores me but walks closely to his beloved friend, Frank. Hal has an abbreviated tail. Where he lost part of it is a mystery, but he survived the embarrassment and joins our parade.

Off the three of us go on the familiar morning path. We aren’t alone for long. Every morning a catbird provides aerial surveillance, swooping down on the cats. He particularly dislikes Marble.

I’ve never attributed cats with many ‘smarts’, but Marble shelters at my legs until we pass the tree growing in the catbird’s territory. So far, the bird hasn’t tried to get into my hair. Then one morning, the catbird no longer bothered us. Marble has been seen eating feathered food, but I’d rather think that the catbird’s eggs hatched, her babies no longer nesting, and the need for protecting her tree no longer necessary.

Our butler is our Cavalier King Charles named Frank. Whenever there’s a knock or bell at our door, he tears out for the door at top speed, barking all the way.

We have a new red-headed neighbor who came to visit. He tapped at the front, sending Frank rushing to answer the call. I followed him, and there was no one there. He heard a knock at our back door and quickly changed directions.

By now I was curious and went out on the porch to welcome our shy visitor. There, perched at the edge of our roof, was our new neighbor–a red-headed woodpecker, hammering away at our wooden trim board.

Now, after a couple of weeks, Franks ignores him. I guess he has decided the distinctive rat-a-tat-tat no longer requires his welcome.

Cyberspace or face-to-face,

Rules are just the same.

Don’t do or say the thing

That’s sure to bring you shame.

It’s such a feeling of accomplishment when I receive the first copy of my latest book. I breathe a sigh of relief and slide my copy into the bookshelf to nestle among its brothers and sisters. It’s out there now in the world. I hope it goes forth and makes a name for itself!

It’s a different feeling when someone who purchases their copy of your book sends you a picture of it in its new home. It’s a thrill! Then the questions come: Will they like it? Will the sequel fulfill their expectations? Will the book be in good condition? Are any pages stuck together?

Here she is. She looks expectant, not negative. I think I’ll get a good review. Ahh!