We've had a good weekend so far. Jim and Joshua went down to help Jim's dad at the lake-house. I will be writing about that verrrrry soon because where there's Mammaw Jack and Papaw Genie...there's a story!
Jim and Joshua came home yesterday after lunch, and we all settled in for a nice "game" day. I wrote about that here.
Holly and Aaron are taking a few days of vacation because Holly has a week off from nursing school. We are keeping their dog for them. We love Marley, we do...but we are "outside-dog" people. Mainly because I'm allergic to dogs, and also...we are just used to our Labs. We can leave them outside in pretty much all kinds of weather and they are FINE.
Not Holly's half-a-dog. He has to be inside (most of the time) and he is spoiled rotten. You know, only child and all. Altho, one of my sisters-in-law, who IS an only child, once told me, "not all only children are lonely." Which, has nothing whatsoever to do with Marley being spoiled, so I don't know why I even wrote it. Saw-reeeee.
And, my Dad was an only child, and he most definitely was NOT spoiled.
Marley, however, is an only child-dog, and he most definitely IS spoiled.
He has to sleep in the bed (YOUR bed, not his), or under the bed (YOUR bed, not his). He wants to go outside...and come back in...and go back out...and come back in. And he has trained his "parents" to jump up and cater to his every whim at the drop of a hat. He also has to have his food done a certain way. He likes his dry dog food mixed with a little water. And it can't be the dog food that we feed OUR dogs. OH NOOOO...our dog food "gives Marley gas."
Well, God forbid.
So they bring his food with him. The last time we kept him, Jim was in the kitchen and I asked him if he would feed Marley and he said, "yes." I said, "his food is in that special baggie." Jim said, "oooookay," and put some in Marley's bowl. Then, I said, "you have to add a little water to it and swoosh it around."
It's at this point where Jim's voice got a little louder and a little higher, and he said, "I think it goes without saying that I WILL NOT BE SWOOSHING ANYTHING AROUND. FOR A DOG. If he's hungry enough, he'll eat it the way I fix it."
About 3 minutes later, I heard him running water and looked up to see him adding a little water to the food. Uh-huh. That's what I thought.
We don't mind keeping him at all, it just requires a little bit of thought. We can't leave him in the house and go to Kroger or anything. He would pee on everything just cuz. So, we try to work it out. No biggie. I just told Holly that I expect equal time, including the 5 years Marley lived at our house before she and Aaron got married, with any and all future grandchildren. Day.for.day. And then some.
This morning, we had SS and church. Holly and I typically sing in the choir for both services. We go to SS a little late every week after the early service, and then we go sit with our family in the late service, after we sing.
This week, our music minister was sick on Wednesday and so another guy led the rehearsal. Our regular music guy got better and asked that we come extra early this morning. Our choir special had drama that went along with it, and he wanted us to do a run-thru so that we wouldn't be distracted by seeing it for the first time.
Good thing, because one of the teens from the drama team was dressed like a "death-eater," (Joshua's words) and if they had sprung that on me first thing this morning, there would've been no way I could've gotten thru the song.
This Sunday was also Holly's first time to sing on Praise Team. And I know it's not about who sings out front. There are many ways to serve and this is no more important that someone who is watching the children in the nursery. It's just that it meant something...to me. When she walked out, the grin on Joshua's face...well, I can't even tell you. I had to look away because I thought I was going to cry. Oh, to have that kind of love from someone. He loves her SO MUCH. He pretty much grinned the whole time.
Until the death-eater and "satan" came out.
My Mom was a singer, and she had a beautiful voice. She sang in school, in pageants, and in church when she was growing up.
My whole life, I remember her singing in front of the church. At one church, she even led the music for a time. At her last church, she formed a women's ensemble, which she both directed and sang in (grammar police need not comment...I know I messed that sentence UP). She also made a record. Now, you'll never find it anywhere...she wasn't THAT well-known...but it was a dream of hers, and I am so thankful she got that opportunity. I loved hearing her sing.
My personal beliefs are that people in Heaven don't get to "look down on us." I just don't believe it. I mean, if there's "no tears, no death, no sorrow, no pain" in Heaven, how could they bear to look down at life on earth?
But I just know that if there was a way for her to see...if there was a way for her to know...seeing Holly on stage this morning would've made her so very happy.
"I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise God to my last breath!" Psalm 104:33
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