Selah

In a circle
on a beautiful fall day
letting go
and helping the wonderful dog trying to sleep on the grass behind us
ease out of this world
filled with as much love and music
as we could give her.

Selah, Bana, Selah.
Posted by: jlseagull - http://slowmover.wordpress.com

I sat on the grass with Puppy laying by me. She loves the outdoors, and we could tell she was happy being outside, next to me, laying in the grass, listening to the sounds around her. Her ears would perk up, and she would look in the direction of whatever was catching her attention at that moment. She was serene.

Puppy is dying. I know the time is coming. But not today. She's not ready to go. My husband and I talked it through as we watched her enjoy the cool breeze and sunshine. We debated - is today the day?

My family trickled in, one by one. Puppy wagged her tail with greetings of love, and soaked in all the pets, hugs, and kisses that were bestowed on her. She made them laugh. Is today the day?

After taking into thought her pain level and mobility, she will spend a little more time with us.

I found this song, and the post fit today so perfectly - A song for a Dying Dog on a Beautiful Fall Day. Read it, and you will understand. It ends with Selah, Bana, Selah. Bana is his friend's dying dog's name.

Found repeatedly in the Psalms, although the exact meaning of the Hebrew word "Selah" is lost, it is believed to mean "we should 'measure' or value carefully what has just been said". So, to me, this song is saying to value the life of this dog, and to look at the happiness and love that she has given unselfishly. http://www.mountainretreatorg.net/faq/selah.html

So, for today, Puppy is content. The medicine is keeping the pain to a minimum. We will need to help her get around, but she is not suffering greatly. We can wait a little longer before letting go, using this time to reflect upon the love that this precious dog has given to us, and is still giving to us, and trust that she will tell us when it is time to say goodbye.

Selah, Puppy, Selah.

Gardening

I have not posted a lot lately because most of my time has been spent working, taking care of the apartments, taking care of Puppy, and gardening. One new discovery I made - a natural way to ward off those June Bugs that love my green bean plants and raspberries.

Fill up a bucket about 1/4 of the way with soapy water (dish soap). Hand catch as many of the June Bugs as you can, and put them into the bucket of water. They will drown. Keep the bucket next to the plants. The other June Bugs pick up on the odor of the dead ones, and will wander elsewhere. You can keep hand picking the bugs and putting them in the bucket if you would like.

As for my bean plants, the June Bugs are down to a minimum, so this hint I found really seems to be working. Now, I have to deal with the spider mites on the plants. This I know how to take care of, and will share it with you at a later time.

Does anyone know how to keep the varmints from knocking down and eating all my corn?? I'll share, but I want to at least enjoy a little of it!

Aunt Janet's Famous Sayings

Well, as many of you can guess, I don't tolerate belittling people. Along with "There's a nice way to say everything, and a way to say everything nice", I'm also known to say "Don't say that! If you say it again, I'll smack you in the head." And all the younger ones know that if they dare say it again, they will get a quick smack on the head. Name calling hurts, and there is no need for it. And, for those I defend, you are very welcome.

I love you all, and you will get a smack if you do this! So, you are intelligent. Find a nice way to say it! (Oh - Puppy just told the cats this. She defends everyone in the family, and will not tolerate fighting of any kind.)

Selah, my friend, Selah,
Aunt Janet

Trust and Betrayal

Trust is like a vase.. once it's broken, though you can fix it,

the vase will never be same again.

Author Unknown

There are times when, in my heart, I know something is amiss, something is just not right. My mom calls it a woman's intuition. My friend calls it being overly sensitive or a keen to what is happening around me, and thus being able to see something is not right. I think it's God saying "Knock, knock. This isn't what I want it to be. Be aware."

I tend to trust people and their sincerity. Instead of having a person earn their trustworthiness, I tend to trust them until they prove me wrong. Sometimes it's very apparent when this happens. They do or say something that makes you distrust them immediately - a lie, a word of advice from a loved one, or broken promises.

Sometimes it's subtle. It's looking at what's around me, putting together the pieces, and realizing that someone is not doing right by me. It's that knocking. At times, I hide from the realization, not wanting to believe that the person is doing something to hurt me. Other times, I just know in my gut.

I am not talking about minor hurts. A friend not keeping a date or sharing a secret, a spouse forgetting to take care of a matter that they said they would, a child forgetting to call, a colleague telling a white lie... I'm talking about deception, continuing neglect, behavior that hurts you, and gives the other person an unfair or manipulative advantage, whether it be for pure selfishness, neglect, or betrayal. Since I tend to be trusting, people mistake it for being naive or imperceptive. They think they can get a fast one past me, that I'll never notice, and I'll just go along.

My mom told me to trust these feelings. God gave them to me to protect me from hurts, but it's up to me to decide to ignore the knocking or respond to it. If I don't respond to it, more hurt is likely to follow. If I do respond, either verbally or silently, I am standing up for the truth, what is right, and a chance for healing. As the Word has said, the response should be given with love, patience, and fairly, not intending to hurt the deceiver, but to stop the behavior. Does it really matter if they know you have knowledge of their lack of trustworthiness?

Is God knocking on your heart? If He's knocking, remember, respond as He would want you to respond.

Recipe

These pickles are easy to make and ready in no time, and they last a long time in the fridge. I usually make bunches, knowing my family will steal a jar or two.

Bread & Butter Pickles - Ready to Eat

Mix:
7 cups thinly sliced cucumbers
1 cup thinly sliced green peppers
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 tsp. celery seed
2 tsp. salt

Let stand until juice forms. Do Not Drain.

Mix:
2 cups sugar
1 cup vinegar

Pour over cucumber mixture. Keep refrigerated.

Aunt Janet's Famous Sayings

When describing someone, the word stupid is not allowed to be said in my house. Everyone who has tried, will know "No one is stupid. They may be ignorant of the facts, or they may have done something that was not right, but they are not stupid."