The Cat Castle, Criticism and Recycling

 My brother called Saturday evening and we had a wonderful catch up conversation and dare I say a few laughs. He is in the homestretch of house remodeling and rewiring. Once it is safe to do so, I will go visit him. His house is looking fabulous and his neighbors and town sound like a lot of fun. He made a batch of our mom's banana bread and by the pics looks just like Moms. One thing that is poignant, after years of being busy, staying occupied by stuff and on the go, we both have settled in to our mother's view of contentment. She was a homebody and was quite satisfied with being at home. 

For these days and nights of colder temps I am renaming the garage, The Cat Castle. I offered accommodations and even fixed a new bed from an under the bed storage container and old blankets. It was a hit because everyone fits in that bed and when they want a break from the crowd, the usual blankets are nearby. This morning when I opened the garage door, the wayward cold cats came running in and the castle guests pretty much stay put until they saw treats were being offered. Just got breakfast out to the crew except for Radley. He spent the night in the garage, is well rested and hopefully not on another hunt for a squirrel. Meanwhile in the house, Buddy has discovered the electric blanket and she is very happy with this new knowledge. I was cooking yesterday...please, do not be shocked by this statement, and immensely preoccupied by the preparations. Buddy was doing the whiny meow thing and so I just ignored her. After fixing, eating and storing my lunch, I couldn't find Buddy. Looked in all the usual places, no where to be found. In desperate times one does desperate things, so I began vacuuming to scare her out of her hiding place...nothing. The treacherous task of looking under beds began, then going through my closet. No Buddy. Treats do not entice her anymore, so I resorted to just calling out her name. A little bit of panic set in...but I prayed this prayer that Jesus has answered every time even though it might be taken as out of context. The prayer, Jesus, You came to seek and save that which is lost and Buddy is lost to me. Will you show me where to seek and find? Amen. I went back to the job at hand of folding clothes on top of the bed and as I reached for a sock, I felt Buddy. She was under the covers and even though the electric blanket wasn't on, she was very warm. Last night she was so happy, warm and content which always means, we both get some sleep. 

I often think of a courageous friend, much younger than me, but we always enjoyed a Nordstrom lunch together. Without giving a whole lot of details, she wasn't happy at the place she found herself along with her family. Instead of just hanging around, she began to research other options that would fit the needs of her family. She and her husband found the place where they felt they could serve, contribute and soak in the atmosphere of holy. Over the years we met several times for lunch and I came away frustrated with myself, because I was hanging on, complaining and generally not growing in any area of life. Well, except I did improve my criticism bent, as well as snarky observations. Believe me, those never need to be improved, at least for me. Most days, when I found myself without much to do or think about, I would ponder my lack of action and movement. Didn't do me one bit of good. This morning I saw a quote that said something like this, God shows you the path, you have to move your feet. My feet weren't moving, no they weren't even beautiful, because how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. No good news came from me, in fact in some ways, I was looking for others to be miserable like me, not with me. Moving to North Carolina solved a whole lot of this inside of me. Here, there is always something to be done. Even though I am not all that creative, I feel more creative on the inside. Hindsight tells me, I should have done something differently than what I did. If I was so adamite about my complaints, I should have done something about them, not sulk nor want someone else to do something about my complaints. These thoughts were prompted by this morning from Jeremiah 17

Wisdom from the Lord

5 This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,
    who rely on human strength
    and turn their hearts away from the Lord.
6 They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,
    with no hope for the future.
They will live in the barren wilderness,
    in an uninhabited salty land.

7 “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
    and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
    with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
    or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
    and they never stop producing fruit.

9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
    and desperately wicked.
    Who really knows how bad it is?
10 But I, the Lord, search all hearts
    and examine secret motives.
I give all people their due rewards,
    according to what their actions deserve.”

I do not want to be a stunted shrub, but be a tree with roots that reach deep into the water. Never stop producing fruit even in heat or long months of drought. 

Well, I am sure the bathroom floors are dry now and ready for some polish. I feel like I am also hoarding boxes, good sturdy boxes for the sending of Christmas gifts...I don't need all these boxes and not willing to give the time for them to find a good home. Once I know which ones to use, the rest will be recycled.