Getting Ready for the family Christmas

Kathleen decided that she wanted the Christmas tree up. Thinking the kittens would not stay out of the tree, she had been adamant earlier in NOT putting it up. Her fears were realized! As she tried to put the tree together, both kittens were running in circles around her, trying to get past her to climb the tree with the pretty little light bulbs. We are now trying to keep them out of the tree, but with limited success. I've found both of them, a number of times, lying over the branches, in what looked like total comfort, in the high branches of the tree!

Kat and Andy went and bought them both little Christmas costumes to wear for Christmas. The little green elf suit, with bells on its toes, went on Little Black. The red santy elf suit went on SuperFuzz. SuperFuzz immediately pulled her hat off and took off with it. Then Little Black took off running, and, when his bells started jingling, he ran even faster trying to escape them. Super Fuzz is now in hot pursuit of the bells and Andy in hot pursuit of both of them, trying to catch them before they ruined their costumes! What a comedy! Their little suits are now safely tucked away until the gathering at the tree for the Christmas celebration.

Every year do you fear not having gotten the present that will make your child happy? How many years have I overdone it, spending enormously huge amounts of money on toys that soon end up broken or not played with? I shudder to think of all the wasted money on unwanted "stuff." As I get older, and see the end of the dollar, the giving becomes critical. Giving gifts that last, that have value, or add value to the family, or the home, has become the criteria.

The children all have their own families and I know their kids will have their trees stuffed with pretty presents and lots of new toys. It amazes me that their moms and dads seem to know exactly what pleases their children! However, from Grandma the grandchildren all will get a picture book, put together on the computer, of the times they have spent together. The years are slipping by quickly, as I watch the babies all starting to grow up, and the good times from the past fading away forgotten. With little time left for the organizing, composing, printing and mailing--its now time to get it done!!

Looking back, I see the fun of the Christmas tree and the giving, but one of my favorite rituals is the cards given and received. This one special time everyone stops, and together, we all recognize and worship, Jesus, our Savior, born as a child, in Bethlehem.

I long for that time when we all will live with the Lord and know His peace. God is good.

Pets In Heaven?

Late last summer I went out to start the riding lawn mower. From the corner of my eye I saw something fly out the side of the mower. I turned off the mower and looked. There was Little Black. She had disappeared on us last spring and now here she was, hidden away in the bags of the mower! Then came another sound--muffled little "mews." I tried to identify what direction they were coming from, but couldn't tell. Then the story unfolded. I walked to the back of the rider and opened the lid. There in one of the tubs was a passel of little kittens. Eyes open and meowing for their Mom. I was stunned!!

I moved the little kittens to the shelter we had for the cats in the back. Little Black was not use to being around us, so she backed off. After I left, she came back to the mower and began looking for her kittens. I went back around the house and picked up the sqwakiest one and took him to the front. When she heard him, she came running. She was very happy in her "home."

Little Black was a fantastic mama cat. She kept those little kittens in line. At night she would settle them all down and then go off for mice, even though there was cat food available. When they got up where they could fall out of their shelter, she would make a noise and they would all run back to her. She loved her kittens and we loved her.

One morning I went out to pick up the newspaper. There in the middle of the road was a black spot. I wondered what it was, then my heart stopped and I rushed over. It was Little Black. She was laid out and she looked like she was dead, but she was still warm. I carried her to the house and called Kathleen. We put her in the garage on some tarps. I left to get to an appointment and returned before noon. We found a pretty white box and I put a warm blanket in it. Then we set her in it. She was cooling down, but until the body is cold, we won't say she is dead. We knew she was. Finally she was stiff and cold. We went and buried her.

Kathleen, in the meantime, had brought all her kittens into the house. They were way too little to fend for themselves and too little to give away. They all could drink warmed up milk and a couple would eat canned cat food. The days were not cold yet, so the dogs didn't need to come in. They got the front entry.

My bedroom window faces the front of the house and drive that goes out to the road. I awoke the next morning and opened my eyes and I saw Little Black in the window. It was as though she was peaking through, but yet her head (and neck?) was completely visible, and I could see through her to the curtains behind her. Her head was the width of the window, but for some reason did not seem out of proportion. She was looking for something and I knew she was checking on her kittens. Then the next instant she was gone.

When I was a kid my cat died. I no longer remember how, but I do remember praying for her. I kept her in my prayers for ages. Now, I wonder if there is a place in the new world to come for our pets.

We know God loves His creation and made provisions for all to be taken care of when He created the world.

In Leviticus, God tells us we are not to eat animals that go on their paws:

Leviticus 11:27 And whatever goes on its paws, among all kinds of animals that
go on all fours, those are unclean to you.

The angels that are at the throne of God have the face of a lion, calf, man and eagle:

Revelation 4:6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in
the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures
full of eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a
lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had
a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8
The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around
and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “ Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”

Certainly, if animals are represented in heaven, in the spirit of an angel, it would give hope that our animals, themselves, would be in the new world.

God shows that He has respect for the mother and its young:

Exodus 23:19 The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the
house of the LORD your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s
milk.

God provided for the animals:

Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you
will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is
not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of
the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by
worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

In the last thousand years the animals will know peace:

Isaiah 11:6 “ The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young
goat, The calf and the young lion and the
fatling together; And a little child shall
lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall
graze; Their young ones shall lie down
together; And the lion shall eat straw like
the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play by
the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall
put his hand in the viper’s den. 9 They
shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge
of the LORD

And also:

Isaiah 65: 24 “ It shall come to pass That before they call, I will
answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat
straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent’s
food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy
mountain,” Says the LORD.

All things are in the hand of God. He has promised us great and awesome things in the world to come, if we are His children. He is Just, Righteous and Merciful and He knows even the heart of one little black cat who loved her kittens. I will trust in His judgment.

Recipe Book to be updated

Today another batch of scones came out of the oven. A great treat -- a scone with a glass of iced tea! (mmmm-- Not too sweet and not too bready.)

This time I added another cup of flour to the recipe. Before, I always had to put lots of flour in the dusting, when rolling out the dough, as it was so sticky! Also, 3/4 cup corn meal was added instead of 1/2 cup, as that was all that was left in the container. It turned out very good. Just right for the recipe book. Thanks, Anita, for turning me on to scones!!

The outside temps dropped down to 12 F, so I brought the dogs in. Besides a treat, I gave Sam a new squeeky toy to play with. I threw it in their area and it rolled up next to the fence. Little Fuzz, the one who charges without thinking, immediately ran up to play with it, sticking her paw through the squares. Then, she backed up when she saw Sam. Sam is now standing as a sentinel, waiting, watching, and not moving, knowing that Super Fuzz will again try to paw that ball.

You can see the straw, on the rug, just brought in by the dogs. Their dog houses are filled with warm straw. Each stalk, insulates against the cold. The dead air space in the empty hollow tubes create a barrier, as the straw meshes together, one stalk against another. Since Beamer is losing his hair (The vets cannot explain it or stop it.) I try to bring them in if there is no sunshine and the temps drop below freezing. His store-bought coat and vest does protect him, but not all of him can be covered.

So, as we catch the edge of another winter storm, I'll have a break, with tea and scone, and then start on that recipe book, that I have procrastinated the updating of. Everything sounds like fun when you plan it, but I guess there are a lot of lazy bones in me that don't want to get started!!