Saturday, February 6, 2010

msnbc.com: Obama: Im not walking away from health reform

msnbc.com: Obama: Im not walking away from health reform

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

WOO HOO! At Long Last -- I've Found Walter and Karen Dobbs!

WOO HOO!

I am so excited, I'm about to bust!

Cindy McDonald (formerly from Cle Elum) thought she might know where Karen and Walter Dobbs were these days, and she was RIGHT!  I just called them a few minutes ago and gave them a brief, 3-minute overview of the last 40 years, and we're going to get together sometime soon.

He's the teacher who INSISTED that I send my story about meeting DeForest Kelley to De himself -- and even though I balked, I did it so I wouldn't risk getting "written up" for disobeying my teacher!  IT WAS WALTER H DOBBS WHO GOT MY WHOLE DeFOREST KELLEY STORY ROLLING -- and he didn't know anything at all about the follow-up and how it led to my being De's personal assistant and caregiver at the end of his life.  He wanted to know the name of my book!  Gadzooks, I told him he was IN IT and that I have been looking for him for YEARS!

Gadzooks, I am almost hyperventilating, I'm so jazzed about this! I can't wait to tell you "the rest of the story" when we get together again...

God is good all the time!

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Potty Time -- HILARIOUS!!!!

Sorry for the ALL CAPS. The Story came to me this way.
A LITTLE THREE YEAR OLD BOY NAMED BILLY IS SITTING ON THE TOILET. HIS MOTHER THINKS HE HAS BEEN IN THERE TOO LONG, SO SHE GOES IN TO SEE WHAT'S UP.

THE LITTLE BOY IS SITTING ON THE TOILET READING A BOOK. ABOUT EVERY 10 SECONDS OR SO HE PUTS THE BOOK DOWN, GRIPS ONTO TO THE TOILET SEAT WITH HIS LEFT HAND AND HITS HIMSELF ON TOP OF THE HEAD WITH HIS RIGHT HAND.


HIS MOTHER SAYS: "BILLY, ARE YOU ALL RIGHT? YOU'VE BEEN IN HERE FOR A WHILE."


BILLY SAYS:  "I'M FINE, MOMMY.. I JUST HAVEN'T GONE 'POOPIE' YET."


MOTHER SAYS: "OK, YOU CAN STAY HERE A FEW MORE MINUTES. BUT WHY ARE YOU HITTING YOURSELF ON THE HEAD?"


BILLY SAYS: "WORKS FOR KETCHUP."

Friday, January 29, 2010

Pray for Star!

Star, the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog that I brought back home from the veterinarian yesterday, isn't eating -- hasn't eaten all day. She seems hungry (looks interested, will take a bit and then drop it) but she won't swallow anything. Giving her pills has been a real trial; luckily she's a sweet dog and doesn't hold a grudge or get angry when I pill her - she just clamps her jaws shut and I have to sneak in through her back teeth to deliver the two pills that she gets every 12 hours.

I called her vet this afternoon and gave him an update. She's fine otherwise -- she wags, walks, loves to have her tummy rubbed and her neck scratched. You wouldn't know she doesn't feel well except that she won't eat. The vet said it may be the antibiotics making her feel that way. I may end up taking her back tomorrow on my way home if she doesn't eat or drink anything by noon.  I'll ask her "mom" about that tonight or tomorrow when she calls.

The vet said he spotted something on the x-ray that could be problematic if it isn't just an irritated area, so he may have to look further if she doesn't feel better and eat soon.

She's an adorable, wonderful critter. I hope everything works out for her...

Thank You To the Kind Soul Working at the Dead Letter Post Office!

Thanks to Cathy Strote for sending this to me. GET OUT A HANKY before you read on!



Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could, so she dictated these words:



Dear God,


Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.


I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.


Love,
Meredith


We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.


Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:


Dear Meredith,


Abbey arrived safely in heaven.


Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.


Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.


Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.


I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.


By the way, I'm easy to find. I am wherever there is love.


Love,
God

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I'm still in tears and I've read this three times! Forward it on to those you love who love little children, critters and God. They'll thank you for it!

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And remember: God DOES answer knee-mail! So kneel and talk to Him. You'll feel love and will usually be able to discern either "Yes," "No," or "Not right now" when you ask Him for something, if you ask in the right spirit... "not my will, but thine, be done..."

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

G'Day!

I'm still out in the sticks (halfway between Tacoma and Eatonville, WA -- closer to Eatonville than Tacoma) critter and house-sitting for friends.  They have two horses and six dogs (three large, three small), but one of the dogs (a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog) is in the doggie hospital and has been for two days, so I haven't seen her yet this time. I may be able to pick her up today if she's feeling better. She may also get a bad diagnosis and have to be put to sleep, so we're praying for the best outcome for her. She got sick fast, so hopefully she "just" has an infection of some kind; if not, she may have pancreatic cancer.  And she's eight -- old for such a large breed  -- so the owners probably won't put her through heroic efforts if the diagnosis is dire...  She's a delightful critter and her best buddy (same breed, about the same age) would miss her terribly (in fact, I can tell he misses her right now) so we're all hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

My $2K project is on-hold for right now... so I'm actually getting a bit of a vacation this week, which is a good thing because I don't think I've taken a single day off in months. (When you work from home, it's hard to stay away, especially when you love what you do!)  I'm de-pressurizing a bit, which feels nice.

Just because I'm out in the sticks doesn't mean I'm living rustically. This is a beautiful home and spread.  I love vaulted ceilings and skylights --  I have neither at home -- so coming out here feels almost like visiting a resort. It's very nice here.

Oddly enough, I lived just a mile from here (as the crow flies) from 1978 - 1981 and again from 1985 to 1989. I've been meaning to drive by the old place while out here, but since it's farther up the road, I haven't done it yet. And it's also 800 feet off a main road, so I would have to actually access the long driveway for no earthly legitimate reason, so that's MOSTLY why I haven't driven by.  I think the new owners tore down the chalet and built something else, so it would probably make me sad to see it now. I prefer my memories to reality in this case. Same with De and Carolyn's house. I doubt I would ever drive by to see the monstrosity that replaced it, because I loved their home so much. It was as unpretentious as could be. You can still see it, inside and out, from one of my older blogs, if you want to hunt for it.  It was within the first year of my starting this blog, I'm pretty sure...

And speaking of De and Carolyn...

I've heard back from Amie Flanagan. She sent me some of the feedback from last week's KSU Radio interview. She received over 800 comments on the show and wants to do it again sometime.  Here are two of them:

Wayne from TX writes:

Just got done listening to your interview with Kristine M. Smith! I love that show! She gave great insight into the Man behind the Hypo.


I loved her readings, especally the one about being invited to have  sit down drinks with them. That comment about finding the balance between [treating De like the Pope and coming across like] Odie. LMAO!


When Molly and I went to that convention in 2007 , if you look at all the pics of me, I have an Odie-like grin on. LOL. I was unabashedly drooling. lol


And that second reading was very , very touching about [De]speaking to her mother who was undergoing cancer treatment and about how he put on his best McCoy authority-type face and voice and told her she was going to be just fine, all the while knowing that he was terminal with cancer himself .

I have always enjoyed Mr. Kelley as an actor in TOS and the films later because he made each line he spoke feel so incredibly genuiwine and real , that even if he was working on a pointed -eared alien such as Spock , you could feel his compassion and bed side manner shine through even if with the next breath he was calling him a pointed eared hobgoblin. lol


Thank you for endevouring to get this wonderful woman on your show! i thoroughly enjoyed it! *hugs*


And PAULA from MASS writes:


Thanks for sharing. I have her first book. Besides JDL, De Forest Kelley was one of the most amazing of the Trek heroes I also had a chance to meet. I've met quite a few of the actors who played roles in Trek and I have to say that these two are the ones who stand out as the most 'real' in how they treat their fans. As important as they seem to us, they leave the impression that 'you' are as important to them, if only just a fan, but more than that they treated me like I was a person who mattered. Great interview. I need to listen again, when I'm more awake. What a lucky lady to have known him so well.


From Amie (to me) : I have about 800 of them from CA, NM, TX, TN, ME, FL, MI, KS, AK and even South Africa!

Pretty cool! I can live for a week on comments like these...

What else? Hmm...

The weather here is stellar again. We just haven't had a winter this year except for a really-cold snap early on that broke a record number of water pipes across the region. The sun is out, the sky is blue and birds and squirrels are active -- even the daffodils in our front yard are springing up. (Just the stems -- they haven't opened yet.)  We're supposed to get drenched in the next day or so, but then it's supposed to clear up again to spring-like weather.  I'm a little concerned about our forests this year, if this is all the precipitation we're going to be getting over the winter...

Guess that's about it for this time. Take care and stay tuned. 

I miss my puppies!  WAAAHHHHH!!!

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Update: Star (the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog) is going to be fine!  I get to pick her up this afternoon and bring her home!
WOO HOO!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Jesus and Me Up in the Clouds! Last Night's Dream

I had an amazing dream last night. In it, I was suddenly floating upward into the sky lying on a Kris-sized pillow -- one that was warm and supporting me from head to toe (and a little bit more on all sides) with its pristine white softness.

From the time I left the ground 'til I got about 20 feet up I was rightly concerned, thinking, "Gadzooks! Gravity has forsaken me alone and when it comes back, I am a dead duck!"

I quickly figured out that this particular "star trek" had to be a God thing, especially since I began to feel such emotional warmth and peace surrounding me. 

Still...

Being a Terran (translation: earth-dweller) I became a little concerned again as the pillow and I began to drift toward a veritable "city in the sky" of high-voltage electrical wires.  My first inclination was to "scootch down" as I approached them to be sure I didn't come into contact, but the Holy Spirit reminded me, "I brought you up here -- surely you don't believe I'm going to fry you, do you?"  

I smiled at that... and relaxed completely. Yeah. I got that. 

Not long after, what looked like a drone or a probe (I figured from NORAD) came over and buzzed around, apparently trying to figure out the strange apparition, so I got a little concerned again (since I don't look much like Santa Claus or an airliner...)

Apparently, NORAD decided I was a benign apparition and the probe went away. 

I floated around like that for the longest time, just looking down on God's green earth in its many manifestations -- oceans, lakes, mountains, streams -- before I was finally lowered lovingly to the original starting point.

Still dreaming, I was hesitant to tell anyone about my "trip," of course, figuring no one would believe it for an instant, but then Jackie came to me and said she had just had the same experience except that while she was airborne she had been "given"  (spiritually) a song. She sang it to me, sounding eerily like like Whitney Houston.  I told her, "You have to go to church with me and sing this song!  It's fantastic!" (How I wish I could remember its lyrics and melody now that I'm awake!) She looked at me dubiously, like "You and who's army is going to drag me anywhere to admit to this experience?" but I countered her frown with and furrowed brow with, "Jackie, you've been involved in a miracle. You have to share your experience!"

Of course, I knew what she was thinking: "Other people will think I'm nuts if I tell them I was floating around on a giant pillow gathering song lyrics and a melody!" because I, too, was afraid of sharing my own, equally-miraculous (but alas, less creative) "flight."

I'm guessing this dream was a message from my Lord: "I have shared so many miracles with you all your life, and you're keeping most of them to yourself. What are you afraid of?  Nothing can defeat you as long as I have your back."

So today I'm pondering ways in which I have kept miracles, blessings and spiritual visitations to myself in order not to be regarded as "looney tunes."  The list is substantial and it's pathetic.

I'm sharing the first with you now: last night's dream. How do you interpret it?  Do you have other interpretations for it that I may be missing? I sure would love to hear them, if so.

God sure has a way of getting my attention at times. It's why I became a born-again Christian eleven years ago. (No, not because of a dream -- because of an ongoing interaction with the Holy Spirit while I was 100% awake... for several days running.)

How many visitations and experiences have you had that you're keeping under wraps?  Am I the only one?  I'm thinking we ought to write an e-book and "let it all hang out."

After all, that's the primary reason we writers were selected from on high to be passionate about stringing words together:

TO PRAISE HIM!