That is Not Your Toilet Paper ~ and Other Sounds of Home

You never know what you will hear in my house.  Laughter is heard often, music, and then something like “That is not your toilet paper.”  The last is spoken to the puppy who thinks that toilet paper looks like a party streamer on a cardboard roll.   A home can hold many different sounds; kitchen sounds of meals being prepared and shared, favorite games and television shows, pets, getting ready to leave for the day, and coming home.  Getting along sounds and disagreement sounds. 

There are sounds that should never find themselves in a home, the sounds of terror, abuse, and infliction of harm.  We will be participating in a pay-it-forward project June 8 to help a place that changes the sounds from harm to home for young boys, the Miracles Can Happen Boys Ranch.  Whether the harm is from familial hurts or self-inflicted, this is a place where boys are taken into a loving home and brought up with a sense of worth and Christian values. 

What is a pay-it-forward project?  Well, seed money is received to go toward something that will help raise additional funds.  Then, the monies raised are donated to the boys ranch.  My mom was so excited when this opportunity came up, and went up with the idea of a concert where donations are taken for the ranch. 

Now that the date and time and location are set, all that is left is the music, right?  Well, there is a little more to it than that – and I’ll keep adding some updates from time to time here.  In the meanwhile, check out the flyer, add the event to your calendar, and we hope to see you there. 

Life

    It has been a busy weekend, with plants, tree frogs tad poles, mustangs with eagle feathers, and little baby robins fledglings.  The robins we have been watching for the last few weeks took their chances and left the nest.  It is amazing to me how these little lives can know how to fly after being alive and out of their shells less than a month!  Their eyes aren’t even open for about five days.  To know that they are now out there, and on their own is very exciting.  As much as miss seeing those little feathered faces with wide open mouths as I stand at the kitchen sink, it is a thrill to see some adolescent robin fly from limb to limb. 

    The precious state of life, fragile in baby birds or little tadpoles was demonstrated this weekend.  A trip to a friend’s house led me to spend some time happily taking pictures of various animals, including tree frog eggs and tadpoles.  These tiny dots would become the little fish like creatures, and then on to become tree frogs.  Surrounded by these little creatures, chicks, hens, and beautiful plants, it was a gently vibrant place where life was flourishing. 

    I think we may take life for granted some days, get used to what is around us and forget it’s miraculous nature in just being present.  I mean, think of the variety of those frogs, birds, and plants.  They are so diverse that it boggles the imagination.  

Snowflakes

 I am ready for snow.  I know quite a few people who would groan and argue, vigorously declaring that snow should either be reserved for Christmas Eve through New Years Day.  But, I love snow!  Now, let me put my disclaimer in that I am not a fan of ice, slush, sleet, or the yellow snow…. just the clean white snow, made of mounds and mounds of snowflakes.

Each flake is unique, that is what people have said for quite a while.  I guess that that is a fact which I have accepted without a lot of thought before. Pausing now to ponder that raw fact, the enormity of it hits.  Ever snowflake falling is different?  The statistics say that there are about 500,000 different snowflakes in each square foot of snow.  That is billions of snow flakes in very short order.  Incredible! 

Now – adding an extra layer, here is an added dimension of amazement!  God knows about each individual snowflake.  He can keep them all straight, knows the differences, and how many total fall each year.  Incredible isn’t it?

So, I’m ready for snow – it’s a miracle of unique creation that we are rewarded to witness each year.