BABIES, PUPPIES, AND ICE CREAM

More than anything in life…I love babies...

Puppies…

And ice cream.



Much has been going on…Hmmm…the busy-ness of Summer.

Summer Fair...Strawberry Festival...Farmers’ Market...A divorce in the family...A split-up in the family...A summer cabin wedding...The start of my vintage group...A daughter’s move out of state...Puppy adoptions...And...Finding a friend after 22 long years.

Though I have LONG way to go…The older I get, the more I am able to enjoy our seasons…The more I am able to go with the flow of the Earth.

Thus, this Summer time of year, though infested with all manner of bug and spider, I am relishing in the delights and amusements thereof. At the very start of this summer stage, DD and I decidedly proclaimed that we would partake of the various offerings around our fair city…Enjoy and fulfill our time. We got out our calendars and, with the time table of events that our local gazette prints out, marked the dates and times of things that we wanted to attend.



The summer Famers’ Market is always such fun…Hutterites with their bounties of homemade noodles, baked bread, and garden produce are neatly arrayed. Bing cherries, blackberries, raspberries and the like are all hocked by their various venders. The streets are a maze of people, dogs, and children milling about with the excitement of the fresh goodness that the market offers.





DD #2 again moves to Salt Lake, making this her third time to venture to this fair city and again plant some roots. Wishing that they would have stayed in town…Nonetheless, we all wander where wandering will take us.

A nephew left today for a four-month-long expedition along the Appalachian trail…He and his dog and little else. A time of introspection…A life-changing journey, I am sure.



Twenty years of marriage comes to an end. I am--generally speaking--against divorce…In this case of despotism; however, I am quite glad to see it come to an end. My dear loved one may now find some peace.

And then... Yet another split, which entails much hurt, as it involves small children who once again won’t understand…Who once again will wonder why. Please pray for them.



On the site of beautiful artist’s cabin, a Summer wedding is held…Amongst the pines two are wed…With prayers for a God-centered marriage that will withstand the sometimes offensive surroundings through which we all must travel. Some lovely pictures will follow in a later post.

At long last, I have found a soul mate or two who share in my love of vintage. The Northwest often does not offer much in the way of history, re-enactments, or the like. We are starting out small with great hopes of budding into a flourishing company of active vintagers.



Off and on for 22 years I have searched and inquired about a childhood friend. She seemed to have evaporated for none of us could discover her where abouts. At long last, I was able to make online contact with her. How fun it will be to catch up after these decades of absence. How exciting it is…a small glimpse of what it will be like…Reuniting with loved ones beyond the veil.



And then…A very long tale condensed into abridgement…For more than one reason…I have had…My entire life…A canine companion.

Again, for reasons more than one…It has been these past five plus years…That I have had to go without. Still a remote distance off…The hope of a new pup with which to share my life.

Quite unexpectedly…Most likely by the hand of my Father…A new little guy has blessed my life once again. What a happy—albeit challenging—time this is.

I have…For the most part…Always had pure-bread dogs. I have…For the most part…Always had German Shepherds. These little guys…My husband’s and mine…Are rescue dogs. DH’s pup is a little Red Heeler/Terrier mix…My little man is German Shepherd/Heeler.

Not our customary large breeds…Not whole-heartedly relishing in the terrier breed’s yapping and hyperactivity. The latter will be a challenge. Nonetheless, my canine training certification and experience will once again be able to be put to use.

Middle-of-the-night potty breaks…Freshly-planted flowers and garden plots that are mowed down…Kitties that are having to share their kingdom…And puppy-proofing our house is a small price to pay for once again having my canine companion…A protector…A friend.



One hot Summer day not so long ago, I received a beautiful little message on my phone that went something like this…

“Maa-ma”, it said, “We wondered if you would like to go do somping like get a tweet or some I cweam with us. Ok, that’s all. Bye!”

Oh, what a blessing that was! My grandbabies wanted me to come with them on this sweltering day to share an ice cream cone. It had to have been near 100 as I drove home, and the thought of this temptation would not be ignored!

As we sat there enjoying our bit of coolness on this sun burnt day, I thought what a blessing it was to have these little people in my life. Gooey faces dripping with sweets…Sticky hands…Loving words.



Not unlike puppies, these little blessings from God…Love unconditionally…And…if we will let them…fill up our lives with joys untold.

More than anything in life…I love babies...



Puppies…



And ice cream.