Tuesday, September 15, 2015

The Last Step is a Dozy or Dooozy

I think over the years the cartoons I watched and loved as a child, Bugs Bunny etc, have scripted many an awkward moment and yesterday was not an exception. I had gone to Lowe's to pick up a few things and wandered through the garden dept. They have lots of trees and shrubs to be planted in the fall if so desired. As I contemplated what we could put along the property line in the backyard I came across wheat straw. Just what we needed to put in the corner part of the yard where the trees make it difficult for grass to grow, so thus the wheat straw covers the red dirt and makes for a better look. It comes in bales, so I bought two. Well, my plan of cutting the twine that held it together and spreading it over the area from the deck didn't work as planned since most of the wheat straw fell in a huge clump right by the deck. I carried what I had left in my hands and started down the stairs off the deck, but since I couldn't really see the steps I misjudged. There really was still a step to go and before I knew it I was falling. Old volleyball instincts kicked in and I landed in the best position possible. First thing I thought of after checking that everything was in working condition, I remembered the old Daffy Duck line, "watch that last step, it's a dozy." I figured while I was down there on the ground to distribute the wheat straw a little better then realized I should take it easy. Thus, I still have a bale to go. I did go down to the road to pick up the garbage can. And with that chore done, I rested for a bit and tried to work on homework. I have gotten so used to Community Bible Study style in homework that I am having a little difficulty keeping focused on the questions since there is so much reading in between the questions. I may resort to my old ways of hearing the teaching time but not doing homework. My ADD kicked in big time but I will give it a go again today.

So with all the cool temps it just seemed like Taco Soup weather. I picked up all the ingredients because you know I do not keep a stocked pantry. While checking out the bagger guy asked if I was making chili. Nope, taco soup. Neither he nor the checker out lady had ever heard of taco soup. It turned out pretty good for the first taco soup of the season. Love the fragrance of it in the house when it is simmering and feeling the cool breeze through the windows...that's what it is all about on cool nights.

I finished reading The Nazi Officers Wife last week. It is kind of out of my reading genre of the south but in context with my viewing of the American Hero Channel. It is the true story of a Jewish woman's survival of the Holocaust. One thing she said has not left my mind, but she talked about the lack of kindness during those times and when a kindness was extended, it was amplified in the noticing and not ever taken for granted.  Years later she read of the leaders fears of compassion being extended toward the Jews and trying to take every opportunity or feeling away so that people would be complacent and apathetic to kindness but strong in blind unity that the government was taking care of them, thus they could excuse, in their minds, the spin and propaganda that the Jewish people were the source of the country's problem. In her experiences and as she survives, she remembers the kindness extended to her and tries to extend those kindnesses back to those who helped her. I don't know but kindness many times is in short supply these days, probably most days. It's not the "topic or theme" of the church right now...telling our stories seems to be the fad. I'm just thankful we got past the Starbucks theme of church thinking and actions. Hopefully, kindness will make a comeback and not only kindness extended to those in other cities but to those in our own congregations.

The day awaits and I am already behind. I woke up in the middle of the night and decided to scrap the original plans for the day which involved a trip into Asheville. The day may hold a return to the backyard with the remaining wheat straw or it might not. I do know the day holds doing some laundry.

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