TooraLooraLoora TooraLooraLie TooraLooraLoora It’s an Irish Lullaby!
(Sing with me!)
Sing along!
Here’s to the wearing of the green!
Over in Killarney…
And here in Ennis, MT
Love my little Irish gnome!
Meanwhile in Maryland, Laina & Katy really get into the spirit!
Hope your day was a fun one, too.
Oh, and by the way, here’s an update on our new pup, Kenny, the 7 month old Boston terror!
He’s settling in well! Learning each other’s language. Tough at first. Much better now!
Yay!
Did I show you this earlier? It was his playday with Livvy. So good for them both!
Life is good in this neck of the woods- in spite of waking up to more snow this morning! Are you as ready for springtime as I am?
I miss all that color! Come springtime, come!
Yes, the snow wet the green shoots where crocus & daffodil are trying to pop up. Hang in there, flowers! The sun WILL shine soon!
Have faith! Spring is on its way!
Meantime, sing along…
Nothing like a good ole Irish jig!
Love,
JanBeek
Yup, that’s me! Several decades ago… But today I am wearing that same green jacket! Do you have “old clothes” that are too good to throw away? Hah! Kinda like me…
“We cannot escape the frustrations of this life. It is wise to lean on the Lord for help and guidance…”
Message from When God Thinks of You, He Smiles, a book of 365 devotions from Broadstreet Publishing. I received this as a gift last week from my “dear bonus daughter,” Elaina. Each page has a scripture, a commentary, and ends with a prayer. Boy Howdy, I needed this one today!
“Don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you. I will support you with my right hand that saves you.”
Isaiah 41:10 (NCV)
Ah yes, reach your hand out. Touch me. Assure me. Encourage me! I am frustrated and need to remember no one is promised a seamless life. But the strange thing is: I invited this frustration into my life!!
What was I thinking? The dead of a Montana winter is not the time… not the time to get a new puppy who has not been crate-trained, let alone house-trained!
Oh, I can be all smiles when he’s in my lap and feeling lovable and wanting to be cuddled! But, believe me, Kenny is a 6 1/2 month old 12 pound ball of energy who has decided his crate is his bathroom and our floor is his toilet – – Help!
My devotional today said, “Prayer gives us strength when trials… come our way.” Believe me, I have prayed at length about this pup! The devotional said, “When you struggle, it doesn’t mean your faith is lacking. Even when you faithfully follow God… life can still be rocky.”
I need to put this pup struggle in perspective! It’s not life or death. We will survive. Count your blessings, Jan, because he is smart and will learn… and you are smarter and can teach! Be patient!
I may have told you earlier that my friend, Terry, sent me this book: “How Dogs Think.” The cover photo looks just like Kenny must have looked at 2 or 3 months… and the subtitle of the book is: “Inside the Canine Mind.” It’s a TIME special edition. Surely this will have some good advice to add to all the things my friends are saying… and Isaiah said it, too: “I will make you strong and help you…”
The prayer at the bottom of the devotional today was: “Gracious One, thank you for the faithfulness of your love… I don’t want to spend my life worrying or full of fear. Empower me and encourage me when I struggle.” Amen!
It is three lines of 14-16 syllables each, for a total of 44-46 syllables.
Here is my news in a Sijo:
Our six-month Boston puppy, Kenny, arrived on Saturday He is not house trained, nor crate trained, so don’t turn your back But he’s so cute, cuddly and loveable that we’ll keep him!
Only once have we seen his ears straight up!
No, this is not him. He’d never tolerate a hat! But ain’t she cute? We love Boston Terriers!!
He loves that chew toy… and stretches out full length to get it! That’s a long body for a six-month old! He already weighs nearly 12 pounds. Gonna be a big boy!
Oh, he’s squirming… Time to take him out. But it’s snowing and ccccold! Oh Kenny, I don’t want to go out either! But we better. See ya later.
Today’ Guideposts devotional compared the two animals and explained why Lions are King.
Sometimes I don’t relate to either of those cats! This morning I felt more like a monkey! 🐵 Sitting around waiting for our new Boston puppy to arrive – selecting toys and a dog bed & blankets! “Kenny” should arrive around Feb. 6 or 7!!Named Kennedy by his Missouri breeder, we’ll call him “Kenny.”What animal are you identifying with today?
Using the prompts from @sanctifiedart, I am enjoying the opportunity to share the “Words for the Beginning” each day with you during this Advent season.
Today’s Word is: GOODNESS When I put the prompt in AI, it generated an assortment of blond, blue-eyed, smiling 20-year-old females. I kept asking AI to try again until finally it generated something different. I got this!
Goodness me! That’s not what the word conjures up in my mind. When I think of goodness, I think of the innocence of babies and young children and the unconditional love of our furry friends (maybe that’s what that AI image is depicting).
These are the images that come to my mind when I think of the word GOODNESS.
I also think of the goodness of a meal lovingly prepared and shared generously with friends.
I asked Bob what image comes to mind when he hears the word GOODNESS. His answer surprised me. He said, “Mothers… and the loving environment a good mother creates. THAT’S GOODNESS!”
The goodness a good mother exudes is certainly multiplied when she has the support of her children’s father, too. Loving families RADIATE goodness!
What does the Bible say about goodness?
There is more about the root word, GOOD, than there is about GOODNESS.
So, goodness is a God-like quality in people. It is a purity and innocence in children and animals. It is a gift of delectable taste from a skilled chef. It is a unifying force in a family.
You don’t have to be a 20-something, blue-eyed blond to exhibit goodness!! You are in the land of the living… and goodness is in you and all around you. All you have to do is open your heart to it and exhibit the goodness that is in you!
Aren’t you grateful for that?
What image does the word GOODNESS bring to your mind?
Join me again tomorrow for another Word of the Day.
Love ya, JanBeek
P.S. My maiden name is DeAngeles. It means “Of Angels.” Do you see the angelic goodness in me?
What do you do while the clothes are fluffing in the dryer and you are waiting before taking them out to fold them?
Do you have paper and pens, color crayons and chalk sitting on your table where you’re waiting to fold clothes?
I do.
I love to write Acrostics while waiting in the laundry room for the clothes to fluff so I can fold them wrinkle free.
Here are a few of mine. You can guess the topic knowing these were created within the last four months.
ANTICIPATING OWEN 2/14/24
O ur W onderful E specially N ew
P resent U plifting us: P up!!
Screenshot
POOPY OWEN 3/18/24
P lease O bey, O wen! P oop Y our shit O utside W hen E ver N ecessary!
Please, Lord, help us figure out how to train this puppy to go outside – and to come when called!
OWEN LEO:HE’S LEARNING! 4/20/24
O odles of fun W hen he behaves E ven when he forgets, he N ever ceases to bring joy!
L et us be patient and E ncourage his good behavior. O wen is such a love!
FUTURE PLANS 6/7/24
F irst U p: T rouble erupted U nder our noses R eally sad E vent happened P up Owen died L anding outside the window A ttached to his leash N oose around his neck S uffocated, hung himself.
Where do we go from here? How do we keep living in this empty, vacuous house without Owen? He filled all the empty spaces in our home and hearts. We are devastated. Can’t think future plans right now.
DON’T GET STUCK 6/14/24
D isasters O ccur N ightmares T raumatize G oodness E nters T hrough S ensitive T rusting U nderstanding C aring K indred Spirits
We have been so blessed this week to have the love and hugs, flowers and cards, calls and caring of so many of our family & friends. They have encouraged us to grieve, of course, but “Don’t get stuck.” In Owen’s sweet memory Move On… Laugh again, Love again, Rejoice again, Snuggle again with Another Boston Terrier.
We’re not quite ready yet… But God is helping us heal. Thank you, God’s angels. We love you!
As most of you know, I spent my career in education. I taught all grades K-8 (except 3rd… don’t know why I skipped that one). Children are my passion…. their education, their safety, their equal opportunities. It breaks my heart when I see evidence of neglect or abuse or (heaven forbid) sex trafficking. Children are our most vulnerable humans and they need our protection, for they cannot protect themselves.
My passion for animals is especially poignant right now – – especially after our horrific accident last week when we lost our sweet puppy, Owen. I still can’t stop crying. My heart aches.
He was such a little rascal, but he wrapped himself around our hearts and we miss his company more than words can say. I am passionate about having a pet. Our house feels empty and vacuous without one. Owen filled all the empty corners of our hearts and our home. He brought such joy. How can we go on without a Boston Terrier chewing on our rugs, tugging on our heartstrings, filling our days?
Rest in peace, sweet puppy. You were an object of my affection, the recipient of my passion. Bob & I miss you so much!
My mom always quoted this saying: “It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”
I don’t know its origin, but I certainly believe it.
