I live with a crazy cat. Right now he is jumping on the back of my chair and swinging on the throw that is draped there. I was a little worried about him this weekend because he looked so skinny and tired.

He came in the house on Saturday moving so slow and lifelessly. He found a new hiding place in my closet and didn't come out for hours. When I tried to pet him, he snapped at my fingers like it hurt him. He was coughing like he had a hairball. I just knew he was really sick. Even my daughter thought he look sick. I got him some hairball medicine and was just about to make an appointment with the vet.

Today I have decided that he is just crazy. To begin with, he refuses to take his medicine. The tube says it tastes like seafood, but undoubtably, not the type of seafood he likes. I tried to mix it with his food and he ate every bite except the one with the medicine in it. Then he keeps attacting the bag of food so that I would give him some more. I was thinking that if I didn't fill up his bowl, he would get hungry and finish the last part with the medicine, but he is too smart for that. He just decided to howl until I give in and give him some more. So I cooked an egg and mixed the medicine in that. No, that didn't work either. He just got mad at me turned over the 20 pound bag of dog food all over the floor.

To get my attention, he jumped up and pulled down the artwork from the grandkids I have on the frig and then he ran into the living room, ran across my lap, jumped on the chair, to the couch, then the side table, to another chair, and back on the couch. Then he jumped up on the shelves above the TV, walked across the mantle, and is sitting on the shelf watching the fish in the aquarium. I think he was just hot Saturday and nothing is wrong with this cat.

My "Frog"

Last night I did something I am not proud of. I posted a catty comment in the forum of a group that I am a member. I have been trying to curb my negative streak and last night I lost.

A week ago our pastor gave a message about living with the” frog’s in our lives. He read the scriptures in Exodus 8:9-10 where Moses asked Pharaoh when he wanted the frogs gone from Egypt and Pharaoh answered “Tomorrow”. Why would anyone ask for the frogs to leave the next day instead of now? I have prayed that the “frogs” of cattiness in my life to be gone now, but they keep creeping, or hopping, back.
It is like an addiction in my life. This world is so in tune with the negative and there is very little good news. Listen to the news and if there is a positive story it is the last minute of the show. I do like that CBS nightly news always ends with a positive story. But then the local news comes on and all the good is gone in a deluge of negativity.

But that doesn’t give me the right to let that pessimism into my life. It is hard to break the habit, and it is a habit. They say that you can make something a habit by doing the same thing for 21 days. I wonder how long it takes to break a habit. If it is 21 days, then I have 20 and half days to go.

Grandchildren

There is something so fun about being with children. We went to the zoo with a group from the church and had a wonderful time. Just watching a child get excited and listening to them laugh just lifts my spirits. And when that child is one of my grandchildren, it makes it so much better. Young children don't worry about the things we are so concerned about. They don't care if their hair is not right or if their clothes are not the latest fashion. They don’t care about what their friends think of them. They just enjoy life. It is such a shame that as we get older and we lose that joy of the moment. It seems that children are losing that joy so early in their life now days. We push them to grow up, and we don’t realize that we are taking away that innocent joy in their lives. One reason that I think we all enjoy our grandchildren so much is it gives us a chance to reclaim that carefree feeling. So put on the funny hat and skip around the park. If you have a grandchild beside you everyone thinks you are just having a good time. Life will catch up to your children so fast, let them be babies as long as you can and enjoy the fun.

Quietness

I woke up early this morning. The house is quiet and still, my husband is still asleep and even the dog is not up yet. It is so peaceful. The day will start soon with all the jobs that need finishing, the cleaning that I don't want to do, the phone ringing, and the TV giving the news. But now it is calm. Sometimes we get so busy that we forget the joy of quiet. No one talking, no one pulling for your attention, it is just quiet. It somehow renews my spirit to sit here and feel the restfulness of the silence. It is a brand new day, it may be a happy day or it could bring sadness, but for right now it is full of promise and the hush of tranquility.

We are setting our schedule of shows for the year. We will add more as we go along, but these are the ones that we know we will be doing this year.

Webster Parish Trade Days April 30, May 1, 2 Minden, LA
Fleur de Lis May 29 Natchitoches, LA
Sunflower Festival June 5 Gilliam, LA
Peach Festival June 25, 26, 27 Ruston, LA
Hot Springs Arts & Crafts October 1, 2, 3 Hot Springs, AR
Louisiana Pecan Festival November 5, 6, 7 Colfax, LA
Fleur de Lis Christmas November 27 Natchitoches, LA

We will be looking for a show to do in August and September. I am taking off for July because I have a event at my church that will take all my time. I love doing the shows because it gives me a chance to talk to my customers face to face.

Sunday Dinner

Everyone is home today and the house is full. We have all just come from church and it seems a little 1950ish. But this is what my family is all about. There is something so comforting about sitting down together and sharing a meal of roast and potatoes with all the fixings and banana pudding for dessert. We all talk, sometimes all at the same time. Valon says the prayer while Riley sings "Jingle Bells" at the top of his lungs. We laugh at things the kids have done, get a little catty about an outfit we all saw someone wear, and argue about the latest political ideas on the news. Vivy never wants to eat and plays with her food, while the babies both try to grab everyone's plates. We have to have two desserts because some love bananas in their Banana Pudding and some hate bananas but love the pudding and cookies. But this is Sunday Dinner at Nana's house and everyone gets what they like. It may seem a little old fashion, but this is what family time means to me.

Very First Blog Post

This week has been up and down. Vivy, my granddaughter has been visiting and that is always fun, playing outside, fixing countless cups of chocolate milk, watching "Buz and Woody" over and over, and waking up at all hours of the night. She is my darling, but she can sure tire me out.

Also, a very dear lady in our church passed away on Thursday. She had been so sick and frail. I really believe that she is in a better place, but she will be missed.

This morning there was a terrible house fire that killed a two year old and sent two other children to the burn unit. I heard it on the news early this morning. Then my mother called and told me that one of the children was a daughter of one of my cousins.

Amid all the laughter of my granddaughter in the house there has been sadness. Life is full of good and bad times. We just have to cherish the good and live through the bad. If you listen, the laughter is louder than the sadness.