Rambling Prose

Just a few random thoughts:

If we have our own homes in Heaven, on the New Earth, I wonder what mine will look like. I love my little house now. Of course, if I'd had more money, it would have been bigger, but the changes would not have been huge.

I guess I would like the same house, only clean all the time.

We got babies! The Eastern Blue Birds  have finally busted from their shells, and are chirping like mad. It's keeping Mama and Papa very, very busy. They look exhausted.

My mother is reading my book, "Out on a Limb of the Family Tree" again. I was flattered. But then she told me she'd run out of anything else to read...

I got a perm today. My 'real' hair is so straight you could plumb a house with it. It is also very fine. So without  a perm it sticks to my head like a cap. If you are Daughter's age, that's attractive. If you are my age, it is sad.

So right now I look like a demented fuzzball and smell strange and damp. But it will get better, I promise.(I hear you ask, well, how could it get any worse? I know, right?)

Why is some joker calling me two or three times a day, letting it ring three times and hanging up? If you answer before then, there is no one there. The caller i.d. says, "Out of Area". Duh. I figure it's a computer calling me, raising prank phone calls to a new height. But if it just happens to be you, knock it off, will ya?

Two of my favorite authors are Stephen King and Jodi Picoult. Both of them have made a grave error, though. I've gone on their websites and let them know, too. I'm sure they were overwhelmed with thankfulness. Both of them have had southern characters in a book, and both of those characters have said something to the effect of, "Ya'll just don't understand." Now this is said when it is a one on one conversation. Makes me grit my teeth. I explained very politely that the word ya'll (or y'all) is used only when speaking to two or more, not when addressing one person.

I bet I get a thank you note from both of them. ADDED NOTE: Jodi Picoult did respond to me. She said she didn't do her due diligent research on Southern speak. I thanked her for responding. I appreciate it!
But you'd think with all the money they spend on researching their books - nuclear physics, courtroom scenes, aliens, hospital procedures, etc., they could spend a quarter and call somebody down here and ask a simple question.

I would never attempt to have a character from New Jersey or Maine or any Yankee place in one of my books without an OFFICIAL consultant.

Sunday I was sitting in church and crossed my legs. I noticed the sole of  my shoe didn't look like the shoes I thought I had on. I put my foot back down on the floor, slid off my shoe....and discovered I had on my bedroom shoes. Now, to give me credit, they look like dockers on top. And that's the shoes I thought I had on. Funny thing is, as I was looking at my shoes, I noticed Husband's feet. His socks were not only different colors, they were each a different pattern.

Well, I guess that's all for now. The phone is ringing. I'm sure it's Out of Area again.

Stop it, okay?

No One Can Talk to a Horse, of Course, That is of Course, Unless the Horse is the Famous Mr. Ed!

The other day I shared with you the wonderful experience of watching all the deer at play.

It got me to thinking about animals in general, how they are now, and how they must have been before the fall of mankind.

The relationship must have been vastly different. As any of you with pets can attest, they seem to have more of who they are trapped inside them.

Apparently the first animal that was killed was done by God Himself when He did so to cover Adam and Eve after they sinned.

Symbolism of what was to come, that blood sacrifice was the first of many until Christ Himself became the final one.

And it appears that we did not eat animals, nor they each other, until after the flood.

Best I can tell, the only killing of animals before then was for sacrifice. And maybe they continued to kill them for covering, I don’t know.

But it seems Noah certainly had a way with animals, and the animals seemed to hold no animosity toward each other.

And it is after the flood that God tells man he can eat animals. (Genesis 9:3) It’s as though over the years, the bond became weaker and weaker.

I know things will be quite different on the New Earth and in the New Heaven. I am excited to see what kind of relationship we will have with our four legged friends.

We know it will be peaceable. They will be peaceable toward one another. The Bible tells us as much.  The wolf and the lamb will feed together, the lion will eat straw like an ox, they will neither harm nor destroy…the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together.

Will they talk? I want them to! After all, the Bible says that God opened Balaam’s donkey’s mouth, allowing her to speak her feelings. She saw things in the spiritual realm the man could not.

What would you do if your ass spoke to you?

Balaam didn't seem to be the least surprised that his spoke to him.

 There are living creatures who never stop praising God right this very minute. The original word for them is ‘zoon’ which is usually translated in other Biblical scripture as the word animal. But because it sounds so strange to say animals are praising God 24/7, most translators of the Bible settled for the word creatures.

Anyway, I am guessing we will all be vegetarians in Heaven. But I am also guessing it will be food delicious beyond our wildest imaginations.

And to think: Me, the biggest lover of a T-bone steak, won’t even mind.

In fact, I’m looking forward to it.

Fear of Being Alone

If you've never had a recital or a speech to give or an award to win or a book signing, you may not know that fear of arriving and no one else arriving just for you.

I know, in reality, some of my friends and family are coming to the book signings. They called or messaged me to tell me so.

I'll never forget my first book signing. when I arrived,the book store owner told me not to feel badly if only four or five people showed up, that was the average for a book signing. I remember thinking, "What? Stay here two hours for four people? And sell one or two books? Why!??"

I wasn't being over confident or smug, I was being naive. Write and they will come...that's what I thought.

But I was also very blessed that day and had seventy something people show up, much to the delight of the bookstore folk.

Every book signing I've had has been wonderful. Whether 25 or 75 show up, it is such a joyful occasion. I get to see people I seldom see, and it's sorta like a party. Laughing, and talking and hugging and stuff. The only downside is my hand hurts very badly in the middle of the night.

The first book signing I had was very close to going to Heaven, I think. In the sense that there were buddies from first grade, work buddies I hadn't seen in fifteen years, people I went to church with way back when and then all the current people in my life. I was constantly saying, "Remember me talking about so and so?" And when they'd nod yes, I'd say, "Well, come meet them, they are right over here!"

What a delightful day!

I believe when we get to Heaven we'll see people from the dim past and recent past and be joyful in our reunions with them.

But back to my point: fear of being alone. If you can find it in your little ole hearts to come to one (or both, come to both!) of my book signings, I'd appreciate it more than you'll ever know. Buy one book, all three, some old ones or not even one if you just don't have the budget for it. Signing my guest book is free.

I'll even supply the pen!