Today I Choose to Reject the Idol of Problems

14 Sep

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

 

 

 

Wow! As I began my morning devotions with Jesus Always, the very first sentence blew my socks off.

“A long-term problem can become an idol.”

How can this be? According to the author, an ongoing difficulty can occupy my thoughts until it reaches idolatrous proportions.

Have I found my mind obsessing on problems? Yes!  But 1 Peter 5:6-7 offers the solution.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand that he may lift you up in due time. Cast ALL your anxiety on him because he cares for YOU. “(emphasis mine.

 

PS: My friends and fellow bloggers are having lunch together today. I can’t wait!  We only get together once or twice a year.

 

 

I'm a winnerAfter my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience.  Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites,  Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix

In addition to blogging, I work as the publicist/marketer/ amateur editor and general  “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books  where we frequently host the best in up and coming authors.

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Memory Lane Road Trip~Part 11

12 Sep

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

 

 

Day 11 – Friday 4/27/2018

 

After a great complimentary breakfast at the motel this morning, I headed east on I-40 to visit the Fire Museum of Memphis located just as I crossed the Mississippi River in west Memphis, TN.  This museum is located in the 1910 Fire House No.1, where they display several beautifully restored early 1900s fire engines.  Other fire station artifacts and memorabilia displayed in the museum, tell the story of the Memphis Fire Department as far back as the late 1800s.

 

 

As I headed for my next museum, I passed a Historical Marker relating the story of the Memphis slave trade. I parked so I could get out to read about the history and get some photos.  I was not aware that Memphis was, in around 1855, considered a regional hub for the slave trade.  This turned out to be the exact corner where Nathan Forrest established his slave auction block (circle) in 1854.

 

 

He continued his lucrative business there (owner of some 3000 slaves himself) until 1860 when he moved his auction center one block north.  When Tennessee seceded from the Union in June of 1861, Forrest joined the Confederate Army.  Distinguishing himself during the Civil War, General Forrest left the Army at the end of the war in 1865.  Wikipedia states that in 1866 Forrest joined the KKK, and was later voted the first “Grand Wizard” of the KKK in 1867.

 

Now I headed a few blocks south to visit the Cotton Museum located in the Cotton Exchange building, at #65 Union Avenue there in Memphis.  This museum tells the story of how the cotton industry influenced the lives and economic growth of the area in and around Memphis from the mid-1800s.

 

 

The Memphis Cotton Exchange was founded in1874 to handle the growing cotton market in the area.  Once established, the Memphis Cotton Exchange was connected with the New York and New Orleans Cotton Exchanges to regulate standards for the buying and pricing of cotton in the Memphis area and the mid-south.

 

 

It was only another few blocks south to visit the Memphis Rock ‘N’ Soul Museum.  I never did find that museum in the maze of “Jazz Joints” there on Beale Street.  They all advertised to be the original source, location, and very best of Memphis “Jazz”/”Blues”/”Soul” music.

 

 

Then there was the “Orpheum Theater”, that advertised to have the very best entertainment in town.   They had listings for all kinds of modern day performers that I had never heard of.   And of course, Elvis is still a big name anywhere you go in Memphis.

 

 

The Orpheum Theater was built on this corner in 1928, to replace the original “Grand Opera House” of 1890.  That structure had burned down in 1923.  They had their own “Walk of Fame” on their sidewalks, around the theater, that included some of the big names in the entertainment business down thru the years.

 

 

About three miles south of Beale Street I visited the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, there in Memphis.  I didn’t know until I got home and Googled the Stax Museum, that the building is actually a “replica” of the old Capital Theater, which Stax Records (1957-1976) used as their recording studio.  Known as one of America’s original promoters of Southern Soul music, this is where many early artists cut their famous record albums.  Stax also released many gospel, jazz, and blues recordings from this studio over the years.

 

 

Now I headed north, back toward downtown, to visit the Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum.  This museum is housed in a small 1849 clapboard house built by Jacob Burkle, who was at the time, a well-known livestock trader.   The museum is filled with exhibits and artifacts that tell the story of the system known as the “underground railroad” in this part of Tennessee during the mid-1850s.

 

 

Next I headed east a few miles to visit the “Pink Palace Museum” located adjacent to the Memphis Lake and Chickasaw Garden Park. This turned out to be a huge “Family of Museums” that included a museum, displaying artifacts and memorabilia related to the history of the Memphis area, a Giant CTI 3-D theater, and the Sharpe Planetarium.  Since I wanted to get to my next museum before they closed, I opted not to spend the time in this “Museum.”

 

 

Now I headed for the Elvis Presley Auto Museum (at least that’s where I thought I was going) located in the Bluebird Estates area of Memphis.  The Internet listing indicated the Auto Museum was a separate museum.  Having never been to Graceland, I thought I could view Elvis’s cars and airplanes separately.  Silly me!  Of course all the collections are together, and everyone just HAS to go thru his mansion. So I ended up paying for the whole works, when I only wanted to see the autos and airplanes.  What a scam!

 

 

His 30+ cars, motorcycles, boats, and off-road vehicle collection is impressive, but really not worth the price I had to pay for admission (including getting to see his famous pink Cadillac).  And I had often wondered where all the Convair 990 aircraft ended up.  I have to admit the Elvis mansion is beautiful, and his family lived in opulent splendor.  But here again, what do you expect of people who have more money than they know what to do with?

 

After I finished with that impressive attraction, I ask Greta to take me to the motel, there in Memphis, so I could relax and enjoy my leftover Mexican Dinner from Papito’s Mexican Grill.  Yummm!

 

—–To Be Continued—–

 

 

 

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 61 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

 

Bill

 

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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Here Kitty Kitty Episode Five

10 Sep

My Take

DiVoran Lites

 

Author, Poet and Artist

 

 

This morning I was in the kitchen and Thea started scratching on the rug in the family room instead of on the scratching pad. She’s been doing so well with the pad, but apparently,she forgot it for a moment. Earlier, she went to the pad and scratched and then looked up at me ready for the single treat she getsfor scratching there. I laid the treat on the pad and she ate it. With her eyes and a little murr (meow-purr)she asked for more without having to use the pad again. No. So she went back to scratching and got her treatlegitimately. Cats seem to take a long time to train, so I am thrilled when she shows she’s been watching and listening.

When I heard her scratching on the carpet in the family room which is connected with the kitchen, I said, “NO.” Startled, she collapsed onto her side with one of her paws in the air still scrabbling. She was so startled, I decided that yelling wasn’t the best way.

 

Photo by DiVoran

 

We can’t sleep with cats, we don’t even sleep with each other. We’ve reached the age where sleeping can be difficult sometimes. The first night we let Thea sleep in the converted garage we call the studio, Bill scattered a few treats around the room so she would have something to do and feel more at home. The next morning most of the treats were gone, and the half-fullbag that Bill had hidden under a towel had been sliced and diced. She didn’t quite get to the treats, but we then knew to put the bag away next time.

One or the other of us has been to Petco once a week for food, litter box filler, and treats. I went one day to buy a couple of toys and a small cat tree. While I was there, I met a friend from Book Chat and her daughter and granddaughter. They have a new kitten to add to a mother cat and a grandmother cat. You see, it was this way: the sweet child with the short bob apprenticed at the SPCA for several weeks during the summer and naturally, she fell in love with a kitten, and her dear mother, who loves the animals as much as she does allowedher to adopt it.

 

Photo credit Unsplash

 

Leaving Thea for a minute…don’tworry, she’s right here on the couch in my office sleeping to the sound of computer keys…I will comment on the apprentice programs for children.

We were at Chick Fila last week and four or five 7-11 aged children followed a small woman in a red Chick Fila happily waiting for her to tell them what to do. That was the first time I knew children were getting work training in the summertime. It’s wonderful. Most children are capable of learning a great deal in that way. Oh, how I would have loved either job: animals or a café. Oh well, come to think of it, those were the jobs I had as a child and very satisfying they were, too.

I just picked up Thea and walked through the house with her. She looked up and asked a couple of times with her little murrs what we were doing. Told her were just stretching our legs. She’s back on the couch again, sleeping as though she had never been interrupted.

 

Fred Remembers~Part 3

9 Sep

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

In late 1946, my Dad was transferred to a military facility near Naples, Italy, and while we were waiting to go ourselves, Mom and us four kids were staying with Dad’s mom in Ocean View, New Jersey.

 

The Wills family, before Charles left for Italy

When it came time for us to go, we were fortunate to be able to fly over, and as I recall, we left on or about the first of February, 1947.  We flew out of La Guardia, on Long Island.

Kitty and the four children, ready to fly to Italy

We flew from there up to Gander, in Newfoundland, and it was snowing when we landed there, and while they were de-icing the plane, they decided we needed to spend the night there so they could finish de-icing the plane.  They put us up, I guess, some place near the airport.  The next morning we flew out of Gander and went across the pond to Shannon, Ireland.  When we got there, it was snowing again, so we had to stay overnight again, at Shannon, and the next morning it was good enough weather so that we flew off.  We were supposed to fly to Paris, then on to Rome, which was our final destination.  However, I had gone to sleep during flight, and somehow it woke me up with everyone screaming and hollering, and it was obvious we were where we were to be going.  I said, “what’s all the fuss – are we in Paris?”  They said, “no, we flew over Paris because it was flogged in, and we were on to Rome.”  So we were finally there.  This was about the second or third of February, 1947.

I remember when we actually landed in the airport in Rome, that it was kind of a noisy landing, which was unusual for most airports.  It turns out that the main airport had still not been repaired, since it was soon after World War II, obviously, and so we actually landed on what they called, PSP, which is pierced steel plates.  They had laid that down and that was the landing strip.

 

 

By Royal Air Force official photographer, Trievnor J (Fg Off) – http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib//54/media-54531/large.jpgThis is photograph C 5894 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24448640

I also remember they took us almost immediately to one of the nice hotels in Rome, which had been taken over by the U.S. military, and I think we stayed there for a while before we moved to our quarters, which was in the big apartment-type complex in Caserta, which is near Naples.  I remember the apartment there was heated with one pot-bellied stove, which was in the middle of one of the rooms.  I don’t even remember which room it was, but I remember that pot-bellied stove was the only heat we had in the apartment.  I also remember we could look out our room, which was on the second or third floor, and we could see the courtyard, which was where I and my friends used to play.

 

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

JUDYJudy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years
Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing.
Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.
After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.
She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins.
She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Help me God, my life is a mess!

8 Sep

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

 

Help me God, my life is a mess!

 

 

Reblogged September 8, 2018

“I didn’t know any better,” I whispered to my friend seated beside me. We took turns around the table sharing silly stories about our younger days.

And when I told a few details about how, in my twenties, I belly danced for exercise, some giggled. Others gasped in surprise.

Although I never danced in public, my body sure liked the shape it was in. All those moves and shimmies toned up the muscles.

But years came and went, the body lost its youthful look, and shimmies went out the window.

Now, as a ministry leader, remembering that belly dancing episode, regret, embarrassment and a tinge of shame try to barge in. They try but don’t quite make it because I know women in the Bible who also did some not-so-honorable things. And to our surprise, they received God’s redeeming love anyway.

I’m quoting Joseph Prince’s description of these women:

Four women are mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus (see Matthew 1:1–16). Interestingly, they are not Sarah, Rebekah, Leah or Rachel, wives of the patriarchs of the Old Testament. Instead, they are Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba, women who had morally questionable backgrounds.

Tamar resorted to deception and prostitution to produce children through her father-in-law. Yet, it was from her line, the tribe of Judah, that the Messiah came (see Genesis 38).

Rahab was a Gentile and a prostitute in Jericho, who became a believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see Joshua 2:1–21). She also became the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth (see Ruth 4:13).

Ruth was morally upright. But as a Moabitess, she was a Gentile and therefore considered unclean. Yet, she became the grandmother of David (see Ruth 4:13–17), whom the Jews regard as their greatest king.

Bathsheba committed adultery with David (see 2 Samuel 11:4). Later, she gave birth to King Solomon (see 2 Samuel 12:24), from whose royal line Jesus descended.

Naughty, naughty gals by some standards. And although society could have pushed them to the side, God didn’t. He saw beyond their activities and bad choices.

But did these gals know what God was up to? Probably not. Instead, they possibly followed their nightly routine, fed their camels, parked them outside their tents, crawled inside and rather than sleep, they tossed and turned, crying out, “Help me God, my life is a mess.”

But God didn’t change the mess itself. Instead, He used them. He had a place for them, even with their tainted past and not-so-pure character. He had designed something big with a divine scenario.

Not only that, but God by using them, had one more purpose: to send you and me a message, loud and clear: even if we’re the kind of women who feel we don’t do enough right, but too much wrong. If we try too hard, or not try enough. If we achieve high goals, or procrastinate instead. If we had foolish ways while we were young, and even more foolish ones as we get older.

God has a plan.

None of that matters because God has a plan. His design includes a bigger picture and a greater purpose. And even when He doesn’t get us out of the mess, He watches how we navigate through it.

And, although, with teary eyes while focusing on the sorry details of our misfortune, He’s at work. He’s putting the pieces together according to His blueprint, guiding each step to make something powerfully beautiful.

In fact, the more we head down the dirty path, the more we need to turn to Him. He will transform the mess into a message to the world that He can use the weak, the fallen and the wrong-side-of-the-tracks kind of gal.

Need more proof? If He can use me, blind and less-than-capable, He can use anyone for His purpose, for His plans and for His pleasure.

Let’s Pray

Father, thank you for giving me a calm heart even when you don’t remove the mess in my life. I find peace because you erase from your memory the mistakes I made, the wrong paths I followed and the flaws that are ever-present. I ask that you use me in spite of it all. In Jesus’ name, amen.

How will your outlook change, knowing God can use you right where you are?

I’d love your comments. And if you like this message, I’d be so grateful if you shared it.

Janet

______________________________________

Did you know I wrote a book filled with words of encouragement, uplifting thoughts and illustrations of real-life triumph to empower you? Its title, Trials of Today, Treasures for Tomorrow: Overcoming Adversities in Life. You can get it HERE.

CLICK HERE for a one-minute inspirational video.

Looking for a speaker for your upcoming event? A great speaker makes the difference between a so-so event and one that shines with impact. I invite you to view one of my two-minute videos HERE.

Please share: Feel free to share Janet’s posts with your friends.

 

Janet Eckles Perez

Some say she should be the last person to be dancing. Her life is summarized in this 3-minute video: http://bit.ly/1a8wGJR

Janet Perez Eckles’ story of triumph is marked by her work as an international speaker, #1 best-selling author, radio host, personal success coach and master interpreter. Although blind since 31, her passion is to help you see the best of life.

www.janetperezeckles.com

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Keep Your Eyes On The One Who Is Invisible

7 Sep

Louise GIbson

From the Heart

 

Photo by Mark Daynes on Unsplash

 

 

As a child, who did you go to for answers?
As a teenager, who was your “go to” friend?
As an adult, do you have a mentor who helps you
find answers you seek?
You can engage the wisest person in the universe
as your councilor to the end.

 

(Without council, plans go awry,
but in the multitude of councilors.
they are established. Proverbs 15:22)

 

Move in the direction of life, not fear.
Stand on the promises of God, our Savior.
He promised to always be near.

 

If you are feeling “in the dark”,
look up to “The Light.”
Keep your eyes on the one who is invisible.
He will guide you safely through the night.

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Back in Florida

6 Sep

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

 

Fall is in the air. Mornings on our porch in the North Carolina mountains have been a delight, softly cool with entertainment provided by battling hummingbirds, and hungry cardinals and finches. Then the time arrived to return to Florida to spend time with family and friends. We usually return to Florida later in September but Mercy Me was performing at EPCOT on September 4th as part of the Food and Wine Festival, and we wanted to attend.

On Tuesday we drove from our home on the coast, to Orlando. Let me tell you, fall has not arrived in Florida!  Fortunately there was a breeze which made the temperature less oppressive.

 

 

I can’t remember the last time that we were at EPCOT during the Food and Wine Festival. It must have been quite a while as the different food booths showcasing  international cuisine were once small structures. Now they are charmingly decorated buildings about the size of a Tiny house.

 

 

I enjoy the landscaping at Disney and often get ideas for mixing different flowering plants. I was impressed this year with their widespread use of coleus. They tend to wilt in extreme heat and theirs were perky as if they had been fresher watered. It may be that Disney uses coleus every year, but I avoid theme parks during the warm months.

 

 

The Food and Wine Festival offers free (after you pay for admission, of course) concerts each night of the festival in an outdoor theatre. We had great seats and since I don’t attend concerts often, I was fascinated with all the colored lights.

 

The music was fantastic and we enjoyed every minute of it. Mercy Me’s songs speak to the heart. The performance was energetic and humorous While the band was setting up for the next song, the lead singer, Bart Millard came forward and sang Because He LIves, acapulco, then gave a big grin and said “I wanted to be able to say I sang that at EPCOT.

After the concert we met up with a friend for supper and spent a pleasant hour catching up and trying to talk him into visiting us in the mountains. Even with the less than cool temperatures, we had a wonderful time sharing my favorite 3 Fs- Fun, Food and Fellowship. I will have to wait for my final favorite F until we return to the mountains-Fall

 

A full listing of the groups playing this year can be found HERE

The Isaiah 53 Project blog shared an interesting post about one of Mercy Me’s  hit songs,  I Can Only Imagine. You may have seen the movie.

If you enjoyed it, you could vote for it in the E People’s Choice Award by clicking HERE

https://thei535project.wordpress.com/2018/09/05/shock-jocks-play-christian-song-as-a-joke-then-something-unexpected-happens/comment-page-1/#comment-34504

 

 

 

I'm a winnerAfter my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience.  Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites,  Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix

In addition to blogging, I work as the publicist/marketer/ amateur editor and general  “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books  where we frequently host the best in up and coming authors.

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Memory Lane Road Trip~Part 10

5 Sep

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

 

Day 10 – Thursday 4/26/2018

 

This morning I headed north on I-40 to visit the Arkansas Air & Military Museum, located at Drake Field just south of Fayetteville, AR.  This is a good size museum, filled with aviation and military artifacts and memorabilia.  Their nicely restored aircraft date from the Golden Age of Aviation to the jet age.   They have several aircraft displayed outside that could use a little TLC.  The museum also has military artifacts and memorabilia from WW2 thru current conflicts and restored military equipment of all types.

 

 

Now I headed southeast on SR-23 & I-40 to visit the Museum of Automobiles located in Morrilton, AR. Once I got off I-40 and headed south to find the museum, I thought Greta had lost her satellite contact.  The roads got smaller and the forest around me got denser and darker, and I just knew we were lost.  Then as I rounded a bend in the road, Greta announced, “Arriving at your destination on the right.”  Well, what do you know; she knew where she was all the time.

 

 

This turned out to be an amazing museum, out in the middle of nowhere.  The museum has around 50+ beautifully restored automobiles dating from 1904 to 1967, six motorcycles dating from 1913 and a large license plate collection. There were also antique arcade machines, antique player pianos, and an antique gun collection, all beautifully restored and in working condition.

 

 

We really did get lost as we tried to find our way back to civilization.  Greta was so confused that I had to turn her off, and stop to ask directions, once I came across a small general store.  Then we were on our way southeast, on I-40 again, to visit the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum located in North Littlerock, AR.  This “museum” turned out to be a WW2 tugboat, the Hoga (YT-146), and a WW2 submarine, the USS Razorback (SS-394), which gives visitors an idea of what it would be like to live and work on a submarine during WW2.

 

 

There were also two memorials to submariners: one for the USS Snook (SS-279) and one for the USS Scorpion (SSN-589).  This is all outdoors and situated at the North Shore Riverwalk Park there on the Arkansas River.

 

 

While visiting my cousin Milton in Arlington, he had mentioned another relative contact in Little Rock.  I gave him a call while I was there in the Little Rock area.  He told me one of his sons was into genealogy, and had a lot of information on the Lites family tree.  He couldn’t meet me today, but I made arrangements to contact him again after he had had a chance to talk to his son.  I was thrilled to come across another relative (no matter how distant) who might help me track down our roots.

 

 

Now I headed northeast a few miles, on US-167, to visit the Arkansas Military History Museum located in Jacksonville, AR.  This is a small museum with displays and exhibits that include memorabilia and artifacts related to the military influence, in and around the Jacksonville, Arkansas area from Civil War days up to the present time.

 

 

Next I wanted to check out the Little Rock Air Force Base Museum, which was just a few miles north of the Jacksonville Museum of Military History, but was informed at the gate that their museum was not open to the public.  So I took a couple photos of their C-130 Gate Guard and headed for the motel there in Jacksonville.

 

 

After I got checked in at the motel, I ask the clerk for restaurant recommendations and she said her favorite was Papito’s Mexican Grill.  That sounded good to me, so I gave Greta the address and said, “Go Girl.”  I had a Papito’s Special Dinner, which included one each: Chalupa, Taco, Tamale, Enchilada, and Chili Relleno with rice and beans.  Of course you’re right!  I couldn’t eat all of that at one sitting, but I had planned to take half back to the motel for tomorrow’s dinner.

 

 

 

—–To Be Continued—–

 

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Today I Choose to Hope and Wait

4 Sep

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

 

 

 

Did you notice the word yet? It caught my attention for sure.

 

 

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Here Kitty Kitty, Episode Four

3 Sep

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Photos by DiVoran Lites

 

When we brought Thea home from the SPCA, she was hyper-alert to her new surroundings. It didn’t take her long to hide, but I thought I knew all the cat hiding places. Finally,I found her in a dining room chair fast asleep. She didn’t come out for about five hours. I figured that having been a recent mother caring for kittens, and being in an entirely new place before we got her she was exhausted. For several days she had no desire to eat, drink, or do any of the things eating and drinking are connected with. I worried as if I were the new mother, not her.

 

 

The next task for Thea was to taste a biteof every house plant we had on the back porch shelf. Before she got to a raggedy old poinsettia however, I threw it into the yard trash barrel. Then I cut back the pothos that grew down to the porch floor and started up the French door, because I thought it might be poisonous. I’d never had a cat that was interested in vegetation before, but my neighbor who once hada hobby of taking in stray cats told me I could provide Thea clover if I had any growing. I did and I moved it onto the porch. By now she has her own leaf garden which consistsof clover, catnip, and cat grass.

We’re teaching her to stay off the kitchen counter by crackling a piece of aluminum. I wouldn’t care if she got on the bathroomcounter or even on the porch table (if we weren’t dining outside). I’m not sure she was actually in a home before even though she is two years old.

I got down on the floor to pet her, but when I looked around, she had sprung into my chair. I laughingly told Bill about it, then I looked at her and her expression was so clear. Did I do something wrong?She’s as polite as she can be and she’s trying to please.

That has worked. I bought her a new scratch pad and started getting down and rubbing my own fingernails on it. My nails became quite smooth, and soon Thea picked up the habit. We bought her a cat tree and she can scratch there.

 

 

Bill’s sister, Judy, and her husband, Fred came for a visit on Sunday evening. Thea rubbed their feet, then got on the couch with firstone and then the other to purr and be petted. She included Bill and methen came around the circle tending to each of it a secondand third time. She worked so hard at being a good hostessshe had to take a little nap between the second and third time. She is gaining strength and energy every day, but she is still a champion sleeper and a sweet loving member of the family.

At first, Thea resisted being picked up, but I do love to carry a warm, relaxed creature in my arms, so I picked her up at various times and let her down almost immediately. Eventually, she enjoyed the things she could see from an aerialview.

 

Angel Wings

 

We’re settling in. Two more visitors came and each one fell in love with her. I’m sure it’s true that people live longer when they have a pet to care for. Thea has already become happily energizing, and inspirational to us.

 

Author, Poet and Artist

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

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