Dooryard Kittens

Kitties do not pose well!

I have a little corner of ground tucked into my porch that looks like it would be a perfect little herb or flower garden. Every year someone brave gets the idea to put a little clump of something there in that cute little niche. Some years it has been veggies and some years it has been flowers. Year after year the combination of chickens, puppies, and the errant goat has made the little dooryard garden dream die into dust.

I stopped planting anything there years ago. The truth is that in order to get anything to grow around here you have to have an 8 foot high fence to protect it. That hasn't seemed aesthetically appealing to me, to put a tall fence around a tiny pie slice of ground. I watch my hopeful children and on a few occasions, my friends, plant and water to no avail. Nothing grows but mud or dust, depending upon the season...until this year!

This year it has grown a pair of kittens! Our two kittens have decided it is just perfect for their romping and napping. They are the perfect crop for me. They feed and water themselves on top of the old refrigerator and then return to their jobs of being scenic in front of my porch. One is a tabby point Siamese mix with blue eyes, the other is a grey butterfly tabby with no tail and enormous ears. They sleep, they roll and tumble, they groom each other on that little patch of dirt. As much as I have pictured the deep hues of lavender or irises in that spot, the muted colors of kittens are a close second. Besides, flowers don't purr.

I have decided, if life gives you dust...grow kittens!

I hope you all have a beauty day. I hope you have whatever equals kittens in your life to occupy your most disappointing spot of useless ground.

If you have time, please tell me what your kitten equivalent is.

Lawana

Are You Paying it Forward?

The thought of paying forward is a recurring theme in my writing. I have benefited from the benevolence of others my entire life.My parents were known for paying it forward before the phrase was even penned. I went into a local restaurant this weekend and visited with the owner/waitress. She was so excited that a stranger off the freeway had just helped her out.

The lady came into the restaurant just as a large private party was leaving and the lunch hour was beginning. As this stranger waited for her food, she noticed that my friend was having a hard time catching up the dirty tables. Somewhere, she found a cloth and went to work.

My friend was so touched by this rancom act of kindness. I am sure it made her entire day go better. I know she passed a kindness on to me while I was there.

I would like to challenge you today. Make it a goal to commit 3 random acts of kindness. If possible, do these anonymously. Pray and think about what you can do. Ask God to guide you and to show you the people who are in need. Be willing to leave your comfort zone and sacrifice. We are a blessed nation, but there are hurting people interwoven into our lives. Touch someone today. Do something for someone that will make them cry tears of joy or shake their heads in amazement.

Some of you will do your R.A.K.s at work, some outside the grocery store. Perhaps this challenge will take you into the local hospital or nursing home. Maybe you will pay someone's power bill, or paint someone's fingernails. Can you do yardwork for an elderly neighbor, or give away nice detergent to the people at the laundromat? Perhaps it will be closer to home. Maybe a date with a child who has seemed distant, or helping your spouse with the job they have been dreading. The options are endless.

After you have done these things, please share here. Either share anonymously or in some way that won't mess up your gift. Remember, the recipient of your gift could read thisblog. It is a small world. We all could use the encouragement and possibly use your ideas for our own giving in the future.

I am making my list right now. Will you accept the challenge?

Lawana

Thankful

It is quiet in my house this morning. Even the dogs are still sleepy. I am up early thanking the Lord for the safety and  health of my family. We have our challenges, but the Lord makes up the difference. I am so grateful to Him for the life that I get to live, for our adventures, for our faithful and helpful friends and for the crazy quilt that is my family. I can think of things I would change if I had the chance. I would replace the roof on our old house. I would replace the kitchen floor. I would sod the bare areas in the yard. But I wouldn't trade places with anyone else!