It’s that time of year! What would October be without pumpkin puns and pumpkin spice memes? So I shall endeavor to fulfill my duty and make my contribution to this festive occasion.
Of course, my favorite use for pumpkin spice is in an actual slice of good old fashioned pumpkin pie. Can’t beat it. I think I’ll have some right now.
With all the craziness going on these days, I could use a humor break. Luckily, I’ll admit I’m a sucker for good puns … and even some bad ones. I figure it must be the company I keep. Yes, I have that kind of friends and relatives.
Pretty early in our marriage, I discovered that my husband and his cousins could hold an entire conversation that consisted of nothing but one pun after another. The first time I met them, one of the cousins warned me, “Don’t groan. It just encourages them.” Instead, she instructed me, just say “Oh.”
Some of my friends are nearly as bad. My animal-loving friends share some pretty doggone cat-astrophic puns. My more nerdy friends like to serve up mathematical pi. On a different note … my musician friends like puns as much as my in-laws do. Even church friends can’t seem to resist puntificating.
Sometimes I may tell one or another of them, “Get thee to a punnery!” But mostly, I’m surrounded. So I figure if you can’t beat ’em, might as well join ’em.
After seeing the last pair of offerings on this post, I suspect even Jesus himself might say, “Oh.”
As I try to stay on track with my healthy eating plan, I keep hoping I’ll discover how to make this decadent chocolate confection with cauliflower.
Alas! I have yet to find the recipe.
But I have found some other dishes that are almost guaranteed to make resisting temptation easier. Can I turn down these offerings and stay off the naughty list? No problem!
When it comes to gardening, I always start out the year with good intentions.
Seed catalogs offer such enticing possibilities, I begin to envision landscaping around my house that rivals the most gorgeous Japanese garden or Thomas Kinkade painting.
As soon as the first shoots appear in the spring, I visit the nurseries, where I encounter flat after flat of seedlings that all seem to shout in unison: “Take me home! Take me home!”
Once I get a carload of them home, my eyes widen as I realize I actually need to find a place for each one. Oh my.
I tell myself, “God’s work, my hands,” get down on my hands and knees, and start digging in the dirt.
Then the @#$#@ weeds arrive! I belong to several local Facebook gardening groups, and we’re forever sharing tips on how to outsmart those little suckers. None of us ever quite succeeds, but that doesn’t stop us from trying, even those of us committed to not using chemicals in our yards.
But when I gaze upon all my lovely flower beds on a summer morning or slice up that first vine-ripened tomato for lunch, that’s when I decide the results are well worth all the hours of toil.
One could say my relationship with gardening resembles my love-hate relationship with writing. The process may be agonizing, but when I’m finished with a plot, I love having done it.
So to all my fellow gardeners, here is a baker’s dozen of my favorite gardening memes.
This Lenten season, I’ve committed to doubling down on healthy eating and exercise.
Four weeks in, I’m actually doing fairly well and have even managed to drop a few pounds. But that’s not to say it’s been easy.
So I appreciate the abundance of memes that express empathy for my struggle, and can’t resist sharing some of them. Enjoy.
Cat memes are fun any time of the year, but there’s something special about cats and Christmas ornaments …
At our house, we somewhat solve the problem of cats vs. holiday decor by placing our little tree up on a table in our sunroom and tying the ornaments to the tree. But it’s still possible to find a stray cat toy (oops, I mean ornament) on the floor from time to time.
Cats will be cats, after all. And even at their orneriest, they still love having a lap to sit on.
Every year in August, we get to celebrate International Cat Day – established in 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare to promote caring for and protecting the rights of our feline friends.
But if you ask my little Champie Cat, he would say we should make the whole month of August Cat Month. Or better yet, make every day of the year Cat Day.
Of course, several of my Facebook and blogger friends used the occasion last week to share photos of their own adorable fur babies.
Then there were the inevitable cat memes. Tons of them. And there’s always room in my day for more cat memes, because … well, who can resist the indignant look on a little cat’s face when he discovers a possum stealing his food?
So, in the interest of extending the celebration of kitties for a few more days, here are several of my favorite memes.
As for the last meme in this post? Yep, I’m one of those people. Anytime I leave the house, I tell my sweet Champie that I love him and I let him know when I’ll be back.
My husband and I finally seem to be turning a corner. I hope!!
Slowly but surely, my Sweetie Petey continues to make progress in his recovery from the complicated cancer surgery he had in April and the three months of chemo he had prior to the surgery. He’s eating better and starting to move around with a little less difficulty, thanks to regular visits from the physical and occupational therapists sent to our house by our fabulous home health care team.
As for me, the exercise portion of my cardiac rehab program continues to remind me that I need to get into much better shape. I’ve discovered muscle groups where I’d forgotten I have muscle groups. Ouch. I’m getting some pretty good nutritional advice as well, and educational sessions on how to live with a heart condition.
We’ve both greatly appreciated all the many prayers we’ve gotten as we travel through this uncharted and often frightening and frustrating territory. ❤ Do keep the prayers coming. ❤
Meanwhile, Facebook friends have been cheering us up with some truly awful puns. I must share!
Okay. We’ll get back to our healthy eating and exercise program. Cheers!
In recent blog posts, my husband Pete has shared how he keeps going through the trying times we’ve been having lately (links HERE and HERE and HERE).
Thus inspired, I decided to share a few of my own sources of strength and comfort as we progress through chemotherapy for Pete and cardiac rehab for me, grieve the loss of precious loved ones and emerge from a seemingly never-ending pandemic.
For as long as I can remember, my number one “go-to” Biblical passage in times of trouble has been the 23rd Psalm. I must confess I have a special place in my heart for the King James version, because that’s the version I memorized as a child.
Psalm 34:4 is a reminder to replace fear with trust – or at least try to, anyway. Pete and I have been working on the trust issue, both with God and with doctors, but I’ll be honest. Trust is hard!
Even though the words “fear not” appear countless times in the Bible, anyone who’s been through a truly scary time will agree these words are more easily said than put into practice. When my brain is running a mile a minute, offering up one worst-case scenario after another, Luke 12:25 asks the right question.
Another favorite, when I’m feeling discouraged and exhausted, is Jeremiah 29:11. I really want to think something good will eventually come from all that we have endured recently.
In the meantime, Psalm 46:1-3 promises that no matter how bad things get, God has our backs. Fortunately, so do several “angels” God has put in our lives – those wonderful folks who have sent us cards, letters and meals and prayed for us.
Sometimes there’s nothing more wonderful than an uneventful day. No distressing symptoms. No rides to the emergency room in the back of an ambulance. No test results with nasty surprises. Just laundry, vacuuming, groceries and other soothingly routine activities. I never thought I’d learn to appreciate plain, ordinary days so much. When God treats me to one of these days lately, Psalm 118:24 comes to mind.
I first learned the Serenity Prayer when I began my 12-Step recovery journey in the 1990s. For at least 30 years now, it has been my “go-to” prayer whenever I’m under any kind of stress. I can repeat this 100 times a day if I need to. Sometimes I need to repeat it at least that many times!
The “Prayer of Good Courage” was written in 1941 by Anglican priest Eric Milner-White, and is a favorite at Holden Village, a Christian retreat center in Washington state. It has become a favorite for Pete and I as well, especially during times when we’re finding it hard to trust where God might be leading us next.
The meme below was posted by a Facebook friend while her husband was in the hospital for several weeks and the whole town was praying fervently for his survival. (He did survive, thanks be to God!) This couple’s courage during their horrendous ordeal has been an inspiration for everyone who knows them, including us.
Finally, just when I need a positive message the most, look what’s appeared in my yard to bring me that message! I’ve always thought of nature as “God’s other book,” and I adore my snowdrops. They tell me this long hard season is coming to an end, and warm sunnier days are on their way. As for the chemo and cardiac rehab, we will get through this!
When all else fails, Psalm 46:10 reminds me who’s in charge.
Seriously Seeking Answers 