My Take
DiVoran Lites
I hear the cardinal's, "Tu-tu-tu." I know exactly what he'll do. He calls his mate; they build a nest, she lays the eggs, and there they rest. I hear the chuck-will's widow sing. I know her song is praising Spring. I listen to her in the night, And all my fright takes off in flight. I listen to the dove's soft sound and sense that peace is all around. I'll listen to what God will say to me through birds (and you) today.
From the Heart
Louise Gibson
Don't allow yourself to be intimidatedby the talents of others.God created you to be unique!He gave you special gifts of your own-You are far more talented than you thinkWe are all actors on the stage of life.Study the script, my friend.Notice that even the brevity of partsdoesn't determine the end!Do your best to honor the Lord-serve honestly and be fervent.In the end you'll hear the Master's words,"Welcome to the joy of the Lord,good and faithful servant"Quote by the Rev. Oliver G. Green:"Use what talents you have-the woods would have little musicif no birds sang their songexcept those who sang best."
From the Heart
Louise Gibson
If you have compassion for the homeless, and charity is on your mind- You are enrolled in God's army, called "The Army of the Kind".To an animal lover a homeless animal is a cause of great concern. All animals need our loving care, our affection they want to earn.At the moment, I feel like a recruiter- Won't you please "step up to the plate?" Do your best to fill a need, my friend, before it is too late.Join the army of people who care- Open your heart to the homeless everywhere. A kitten's purr will touch your soul Let rescuing God's creatures be your goal. Animal facts: Cats have overtaken dogs as the Number One pet in the United States. Cats do a better job of lowering stress and blood pressure-and purring may have a lot to do with that. All from a simple stroke of a feline fur.
My Take
DiVoran Lites
Noah, Noah, whither go-a?
Did you want to build that boat,
Take in kangaroos and horses,
Settle with a longhaired goat?
Who sleeps in your bed between you?
Who crows when the sun shines through?
Noah, Noah, soon the water
Will evaporate like dew.
See the rainbow in the sky there,
Red, blue, green—oh, every hue,
It means God will take care of us.
He’ll make all things fresh and new.
From the Heart
Louise Gibson
These days, pampered felines enjoy the food,
accommodations and medical care money can buy.
But none can match the record for longevity achieved by “Grandpa”
No matter how hard they try.
He lived to the slightly overripe age of thirty-four years,
Two months, and four hours-
Earning him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records
And worldwide gifts of cards and flowers.
The Story
Grandpa’s life was as strange as it was long. A rare hairless sphinx, he was taken to the Humane Society of Travis County (Texas) on January 16, 1970 by a good Samaritan who found him running loose near a busy intersection. Jake Perry, a plumber, almost immediately adopted him, part-time cat show enthusiast, and feline rescuer. Figuring such an unusual cat must have a worried owner somewhere; he put up posters about him around town. Months later he received a call from a Frenchwoman, who in December, 1969 had come to the United States to visit her daughter. While there her cat, Pierre, had escaped through an unlatched screen door, never to be seen again.
By that time Perry had owned the male sphinx, whom he had renamed Grandpa Rexs Allen, for quite a while. Nevertheless he agreed to let the woman have a look at him. After confirming that it was indeed her cat, she graciously allowed his benefactor to keep him. She even handed over his pedigree papers, which stated that he was born early on the morning of February 1, 1964 in Paris.
A few years later, Perry started entering Grandpa in shows sponsored by the International Cat Association under the “household pet” category. To his great surprise, he feline who was already into his second decade and thus considered old, earned the rank of supreme grand master, the highest possible reward for pets in his division.
As his age reached the high twenties, Grandpa’s fame grew. Each year for his birthday, he got a vanilla cake topped with tuna and broccoli icing. Not surprisingly, he was generally the only one to partake. The rest of his unusual diet, however, would have passed muster with most human diners. Breakfast consisted of Egg Beaters, chopped bacon, broccoli or asparagus, and coffee. (Yes, coffee!!) He also enjoyed either jelly or mayonnaise smeared on his food: he would choose which one every morning by putting his paw on the jar he preferred, (too cute!)
Fortified by lots of vegetables, Grandpa persisted into his early thirties, which is roughly 150 in cat years. Finally, on April 1, 1998, he gave up the ghost after a long bout with pneumonia. After an elaborate funeral, inside a tiny, laced-lined coffin, he was interred in his owner’s backyard pet cemetery, which already contained about two dozen cats. Roughly four hundred fans from around the world sent cards, flowers, and other mementos.
His final honor was, of necessity, posthumous. The 2000 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records duly recognized the wizened French expatriot as the oldest cat who ever lived.. His record just barely squeezes out the previous record holder, an English cat named Ma who survived for thirty-four years and one day, it just goes to show that in longevity, as in any other endeavor, persistence is key.
I heard that today is National Poetry Day and decided that since Old Things R New is blessed with not one but two wonderful poets, I would like to honor them. How do you honor a poet? Well I could try my hand at a poem but my efforts would fall far short of their skills so I decided to ask them to each honor us with one of their poems~Onisha
Happy Poetry Day
♥OUR POETS ♥
SOMEWHERE
Somewhere there’s a place for me-
A place I have a need to be..
A new plateau, a goal to meet-
Purpose, direction, without defeat.
Oh, God, give me strength
to greet each day-
with a cheerful countenance-
Don’t let me sway.
Please let me focus
on the issues of life
That bring joy to others,
that relieve their strife.
To have victory over
the enemy called “Fear”-
The energy and stamina to persevere.
And Lord, if any little word of mine
can help another soul-
Help me find that little word
to meet that needed goal.
Louise Gibson
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Free Verse Poem
“Get in the box,” I said.
“I don’t fit!” He screamed.
“You must become
Rhythm, rhyme, formal verse.”
“I won’t!”
I picked him up by his scrawny neck,
Stuffed him in and closed the box.
He suffocated, poor little free verse poem.
Rest in peace.
DiVoran Lites
Old Things R New 