Respecting Our Elders

Another dog post. So sorry it's not a recipe. But here at the Haney Place, we truly believe that our creator gave us dogs for a purpose - our dogs teach us everythig we ever need to know. A lot of us had a good laugh at Tuffy, after he got shaved for the summer. Tuff's a real old boy, and the hair plus the undercoat were weighing him down in the heat. So he got shaved. More here

http://thehaneyplace.blogspot.com/2011/05/tuffy-bless-his-heart-hopefully-hes-bit.html

So anyway, we really do need to respect those who have gone before us, done the work, fought the battles, learned the lessons, and just lived the life. And even when they need a blankie to keep them warm on a June Saturday, that's ok too. We'll fold that blankie just right for them, because it's the right thing to do. Elsa is learning this. She's a shy dog, but also an alpha. But she's learning the respect, the order, the way it is. Why can't we all be more like our dogs???

Spring, or Lack Thereof!

I drove this morning to see my daughter give a reading at MCLA in North Adams, Massachusetts.  Of course, given the fact that she is my own flesh and blood, I was in awe of the beauty, the cuteness, the wonder of her.  The fact that she looks like me has NOTHING to do with it!  All kidding aside, she is a very gifted writer, which is a good thing, since that is her major and desired field.

At any rate, I checked this blog for a post proclaiming Spring last year.  I know this winter has seemed endless to those of us in Upstate NY...sometimes our perspective is narrow.  I didn't think that was the case this year.  We really are enjoying (NOT enjoying) an extended winter this year.  Nothing has opened here...everything is still asleep.  Dormant, I believe, is the word for the stuff trying to exist outside.  Also the stuff (ourselves included) trying to exist inside.  But it wasn't this way last year at this time.  By witness:  http://thehaneyplace.blogspot.com/2010/04/its-really-spring.html

At any rate, let's stay like my daughter.  Let's keep the creation coming...the beauty of the human spirit does not depend on the season.  Not if it's REALLY within us...

I was gonna...

I was gonna post about being sick.  I was gonna post about lyme disease.  I was gonna post about how folks with long term or chronic lyme disease go through stuff.  I was gonna post about how I am only at work about 60% right now, and that's pushing it, because even when I am, there I'm not even really there mentally, and I'm beginning to worry about my financial future (God told me to shut up about that today), and I was gonna.....I was gonna....

So anyway, I AM gonna post about something real pretty I saw in my yard today and it was one of the blessings in my day today.  You know, if you live in Upstate NY, that winter has been hanging on and it's downright depressing, even if you're not feeling sick from something.  But THIS.....this is a word from the Lord.  It's a blessing, it has the scent of God on it, it is what it is, never mind anything else.  It is hope, it is beauty.  It just is.

Phillipians 4:8 says "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."



http://www.flickr.com/photos/thehaneyplace/sets/72157626241411203/show/

Veteran's Day -- Not a Memory - A Beginning!

We've all been gung-ho today about supporting our military -- those who serve today and those who served before.  And that is exactly as it should be.

But where will we be tomorrow?  I'm challenging you, my friends.  I know we've reached almost 2,000 independent readers of this blog.  Something I never dreamed could happen.   Wow -- are 2,000 folks seriously interested in the goings and comings of ordinary middle-aged, middle-income Americans?  Apparently, they are, and we are humbled at the thought of it.

At any rate -- It's awesome to set aside a day to love and remember our military.  But I'm proposing that we need to remember them EVERY SINGLE DAY.  After all, they are taking care of us, every single day.  Their spouses and children are sacrificing and living without them every single day for our benefit.  And I heard today that a father in China was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for speaking against the tainted milk that caused his daughter to be ill.  Think it can't happen here?  Think again!!! 

http://behindthewall.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/11/10/5442474-im-innocent-roars-chinese-dad-at-sentencing-

All I'm saying is that who here in the USA would even worry about speaking out against something that hurt our child or loved one?  We would be yakking our heads off, and that's for sure.  Taking your freedom of speech for granted????  Stop it!!! Stop and thank a veteran, thank an enlisted person.  Seriously.  Here today, gone tomorrow.  If we don't hold them up, who should?  I ask you????



Now go to soldiers angels (.org) and sign up.  Do something real.  You feel it today, you'll carry it throughout the year.  You'll thank us!!!  And you'll end up thanking the real ones who have made a difference in your lives.

What I'm Thankful For - Via Joradn

I'm telling you right now, close the browser window and walk away if you are tender hearted.

If you are still reading, brace yourself.  My daughter has a dog.  The dog's name is Joradan.  She's my granddaugger.  My first "grandchild".  Actually, I take much of the credit for potty training this little lady.  And I am not a racist, but Jordan has behaved so.  She really does respond violently to black folks!  Can't say why -- especially since she is jet black herself.  But on more than one occasion she has been a real jacka$$ to black folks.  There is simply no explanation.  This means nothing other than stating Jordan's fleshly self.

(Jordan is the one on the left, God love her...)

But back to the story.  Stephanie rescued Jordan (with my entire blessing) several years ago, while Stephanie was still a high school student and living under my roof.  She lived with us all a short time, then Stephanie went off on her own and took dear Jordan (my granddaugher) with her.  They have been inseparable ever since.

Lately, Jordan's behavior has been erratic, to say the least.  Stef took her to the vet, and the answer is that Jordan's mammary growths (cancer) have spread to her lungs and to her brain.  The vet gave Stef a life expectancy today of  2 weeks to 2 months - the end of November at best.

So ok, we love Jordan.  We have been loving Jordan.  She is our dear one, our sweet heart.  We hate to lose her -- we don't know if we can handle being without her.  I am concerned about how Stephanie will handle being without her.  At least for a while, till the hurt is less new and raw.

But today's x-ray told us something else.  Someone (we think we know who) had shot Jordan with bb's.  Seriously.  It's in there, on the x-ray.  Someone shot her for sport.  A cocker spaniel.  Man's best friend.  An angel.  A 20 pound wonder.  Someone shot her.  On purpose.

Words fail me.

Words fail me.

So.....deep breath.....

Jordan is a wonder of joy, energy, curiosity, willfulness, you name it.  She, like most dogs, lives in the moment.  Stephanie has given her love and care and joy for years now.  Jordan and Stephanie are like ying and yang.  They complete each other.  Stephanie will no doubt be at a huge loss when Jordan passes.  But at least she has a bit of time to prepare herself.

And Stephanie is like Jordan -- full of love and zest and life -- she will be fine -- after a while.

But what about the one who had to shoot a dog?  What about that?  What kind of life is a dog-shooter living?  Could they know God?  Do they know God?  Again -- words fail me!

Dear Heavenly Father -- thank you SO MUCH for the love and mercy you shower upon us each and every day.  THANK YOU for your grace and for showing us goodness and plenty and bounty in this earthly life every day that we wake up and our feet touch the floor.  THANK YOU for our families and our friends and for your total acceptance of us just as we are -- not worthy of you and yet, you love us.  Dear Father -- PLEASE touch the heart of the person who did this -- wherever they were in their earthly walk back then, Father -- please show them your grace and mercy and show them the love of your salvation, through Christ Jesus, Amen!

Thank you Lord.

And this is why I praise God tonight.

I told you not to read........

What I'm Thankful For -- A Good Dog!!!

All my life I've had a good dog (whether or not my mother thought they were good dogs).  A good dog will guard you and your property, and put a serious hurt on a threat to either.  Now, I'm not talking about pit bulls, or trained attack dogs, I'm just talking about a good dog.  Any breed, doesn't matter.  Small, medium, or large.  Pure breed or mixed.  It really doesn't matter.  I believe with all of my heart that any dog could be an awesome guard dog - the only prerequisite is that they love you to pieces.  Which is impossible to avoid if you just love them to pieces first.  But wait a minute - mirror image - God loved us to pieces before we were born -- do we love Him to pieces?  How often?  Seriously???  I'm thinking the dogs have us all beat here on this one...but I digress....

So....I'm talking tonight about being THANKFUL for the knowledge of what a good dog means to me.  A good dog is the image of what every Christian ought to aspire to.  Obedient - cheerful - and a servant till their dying day.  I can't even imagine being more faithful to my Lord than my good dogs have been to me.  They are a life lesson from God, not to mention a blessing in that they are the best friend you could ever know.

All that being said -- I observed Mr. Tuffy in Theo's old space, looking very much like Theo did in the few months preceding his decease.  I looked at Tuffy, and his look said "I am SO TRYING to be your best dog, but Heaven help me, I am just soooooooooooooooooooooooo tired".  God love him, he is.  And he was and is still the best faithful servant anyone ever had the privilege of knowing.  And a life lesson, to boot.  Thank you Lord, for the blessing of a good dog!!!

October 9, 2010 -- What I'm Thankful For

I think that, aside from what I'm doing and cooking and whatever, I need to focus on what I'm thankful for.  It's REALLY easy to bitch and moan and complain.  There is no end to that.  But every day, henceforth, I'm going to think about what I'm thankful for and dwell upon that.

So today -- the main thing is this -- the day.  Just the day.  It was an exquisite October day.  In the 60s, clear, brightly blue, with the reds, oranges and yellows of the fall mixed into the background.  Gorgeous.  Thank you so much, dear Lord!  After a week of dark and grey and rain -- your Glory!!!

At any rate, it was a real toss-up today.  I could have been thankful for my kind, industrous, insightful, ingenious husband, who expertly trimmed my mother's new kitchen window that he installed last week.  I don't know, but I think the beauty of God's day cleared and influenced his thinking, so I think the day trumps his awesome, wonderful, loving work.

I also could have been thankful for the wonderful, marvelous, gluten-free (and therefore safe!) meal we had at 99 restaurant after the work was done, courtesy of Nonnie, and my tummy is still full now at 9:15 p.m.  Thank you Lord for your many blessings!!!

I could also be thankful for the mother who adopted me as a little homeless waif, so many years ago, and did the job of raising this challenge of a strong willed child into adulthood, and hopefully, today, I am a part of the answer, not a part of the problem, due to the strength, intelligence and love of a woman who found herself responsible for me due to Divine intervention, in answer to her youthful prayers.  Thank you, and HAPPY 86th BIRTHDAY, dearest of Nonnies.  (HUGE smiles here from me).

At any rate, I am taking a vow to abstain from reading the news (and if you know my life, you know what a sacrifice this is) and spend my mental energy of each day on what I have to be thankful for that day.  Maybe I should change the name of this blog to "The Thankfulness Blog".  Just sayin'.....

One of my heroes!!!

Here is one of my heroes - SGT Dirk-Georg Oehl

A wonderful young man -- married -- father of two precious little souls.  On his third deployment.  New to this country as a LEGAL immigrant -- practically the only life he has known since coming to the US has been military service.  Lots of folks wouldn't DREAM of inconveniencing themselves for the military, but I digress.  His dream and goal is to be an Army Chaplain.  He knows and loves our Lord Jesus Christ.  I know he will be a blessing to many!!!  In so many ways, he reminds me of my dear father...  I know I will keep this family in my prayers - will you????

Sister Agnes

As I run around this place on the Lord's Day, trying to bring peace to all who enter here -- I feel a bit disheveled more often than not.  Things aren't what they ought to be, and sometimes, quite frankly, I don't even care.

It brings to mind a dear sister in the Lord, Sister Agnes, who ran her home in much the same way.  I'm pretty sure she was spread way thinner than I am now.  Her home was, oftentimes, in disarray.  But if you visited there, you felt the hospitality of the Lord, and you were welcomed and never judged.  Especially if you were a raggedy, dirty little child.  Dear Agnes never saw that dirty child.  She only saw that dear creation of her Lord, made for a purpose.  She really was blessed.

I remember thinking, in my foolish youthful mind, that I wouldn't want to run my home in such a way.  So, when we judge, the dear Lord gives us a measure of understanding. 

He judges us by who we are, by our faith, by how we love him, by our service, not how others judge us.  So I'm taking comfort in the fact that I know that folks are blessed when they come here.  They keep coming back in droves.  And friends, that's not me.  It's not my home.  It's nothing here.  I strongly suspect my dear Sister Agnes had some of the same thoughts running through her head as well.

It's God's love.  It's peace.  It's real joy.

I'll leave you with this...because it's what I'm listening to right now...

He's Going to Haiti

We have been troubled here at the Haney Place as much as anyone else by the tragedy unfolding in Haiti.  We were encouraged today to learn that Anthony will be leaving for Haiti imminently, as early as tomorrow, as part of the US Military response.  Our prayers go with him.  We know he goes with God.

News of world events is bleak these days.  There is so much loss, so much suffering.  Wars, and rumors of wars.  Pestilence.  We won't continue.

In these days that try men's souls, let us focus on what is good, what is positive.  We offer two thoughts:

"In the best of times, our days are numbered anyway.  And so it would be a crime against nature for any generation to take the world crisis so solemnly that it put off enjoying those things for which we were designed in the first place:  the opportunity to do good work, to fall in love, to enjoy friends, to hit a ball, and to bounce a baby."
     - Alistair Cook

And more importantly, God's word, which seems to be so much more relevant in this day:

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
     - Philippians 4:8

It's not that God is giving us an "out".  It's just that He understands there is just so much pain that the human spirit can handle.  He is encouraging us to concentrate on His creation, His beauty, His love.  If we truly walk with him, even in these days, there can be a perfect peace.  We can be productive, positive, respondent, at any time.  We can be a part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
     Philippians 4:7