Will ye go, to Sherwood, go?

Oh, the springing time is coming,
And the trees soon shall be blooming,
And the wild forest rhymes
Grow among the wintered weather.

Will you go, to Sherwood, will you go?
And we'll all be together
To build a place to love
All around these walls of cedar,
Will you go, to Sherwood, go?

I will build my love a home
By yon dragon-wrap’t fountain,
And all around the water,
I'll pile flowers from the mountain.

(Chorus)

If my true world will nae have me,
I will surely find another
To spin wild forest rhymes
All around these walls of cedar,

(Chorus)

Oh, the springing time is coming,
And the trees soon shall be blooming,
And the wild forest rhymes
Grow among the wintered weather.

(Chorus)

Will I be alone?

Will I be alone, when they roll back the stone?
Will there be someone to wait with me,
Someone I’ve always known?

When the Son walked beside me,
When he sat there by my side,
I found myself looking around,
For someone else to find.

A guide to stand along with me
To show me how to live
But no one else came thru that light
A guiding hand to give.

Will I be alone, when they roll back the stone?
Will there be someone to wait with me,
Someone I’ve always known?

I thought He was there to help me
To welcome one who knew
The way to Heaven’s glory
When my earthly life is through.

But no one else stepped forward
Though into the glow I stared
Not knowing that the One I sought
Was seated with me there

Will I be alone, when they roll back the stone?
Will there be someone to wait with me,
Someone I’ve always known?

And many’s the years later on
When it occurred to me
That when the Son revealed Himself
I was too blind to see

So have I squandered that He gave
Too destined by the world
To take His hand & call Him Lord
Before the gates of pearl?

Will I be alone, when they roll back the stone?
Will there be someone to wait with me,
Someone I’ve always known?

A Canyon, Far Too Wide

And now you stand so near,
But seem lifetimes away,
The time we never had
In moments, torn away.

So here, I wait for you
My soul in aching need,
To hold you in my arms,
And feel you, loving me.

Will God give me the time
To show you all my love,
Or is He reaching down
To take me, from above?

I know we can't be We,
Til others' paths are walked
And I cannot pretend
I am not reeling, rocked.

But this I tell your eyes,
All sparkling, burning blue
That my girl, my love,
I always have loved you.

So here I stand, beside
The chasm of our wait
To trust our God above
To bless our love, our fate.

To taste your kisses sweet,
Then taste the lonely tears
Of too many times apart
And the passage of my years

My girl, I promise to
Give you everything I know
To make you happy, girl,
Til the moment that I go.

When I lie awake, these nights
I see you, lying there,
I ache to touch your face,
And just caress your hair.

No, patience isn't mine
Perhaps it ne'er will be
But promises, I make
To hold your love, for me...

When Thunder rolls, across my soul

When thunder rolls across my soul I feel it in my bones
They rattle & quake & make me awake
And remind me that I live…

When thunder starts within my heart
With the roaring flood of my crimsoned blood
It reminds me that I live…

When thunder is flung straight thru my lungs
As an icy breeze, it brings me to my knees
And reminds me that I live.

When thunder finds itself upon my mind
Warm as a storm in summer’s dusk,
It reminds me that I live.

When thunder shears across my ears
And lightning flies ‘cross my brightening eyes
It remind me that I live.

When thunder rains within my brain
And I stand proud ‘neath a darkling cloud
It reminds me that I live

As welcome as new dawned day,
Be it clouded or hot, blue-skied or not,
You remind me why I live.

And I wish that you stood with me, too.
As long as I live, you have all I can give.
You remind me why I love.

In Senses Bold

In senses bold, taking life in

Does my mind wander aimless,

Tracking traces of my heart

Upon the doorsteps of those I love

Welcome in, they call

And I sometimes step over

The piles of my regrets

To accept a warm embrace

But knowing my stay within is short

I cast my eye upon the door

Regrets piled higher than before

Blocking my path to evermore.

So out I climb, the effort grows

Til I can no longer face the mound

Of lost possibilities, & missteps

And my journey turns aside.

Within me, I wonder as I wander,

What lies there, awaiting dawn

To pounce upon my consciousness

And skew the path to my redemption

Alone I walk, my hands so ache

For another hand to clasp ‘pon mine

And walk with me, wearing my coat

Amidst the winds of destiny’s chill

Stay warm, companion, mind me not

For cold is my companion, too

The dusting snow clings to my boots

To walk with me until the dawn

In darkness, stride, one step to next

The mocking stars gift me no light

No destination do I seek, now,

For it matters not now where I lie

In senses bold, I take life in,

And send it out, keeping none

Tracking traces of my heart

Past the doors of those I love.

Ashes on the Wind

Dear Ones, We held the memorial for our beloved Regina on Saturday, June 7. It was a wonderful time, the weather was hot but not stifling, & the fellowship was loving & healing & fun.

We had 25 in attendance, bio & non-bio family, & great friends. Several who wanted to be there were unable, & we celebrated for them in their absence. Bud cooked meat, as is his solution to everything (happily!), & apparently I asked everyone that was coming to bring bread & plates… Think I’ll open a new eBay store called Paper Plates R Us!

We ate, visited, loved, cried, & enjoyed each other all afternoon. Regina’s youngest daughter CJ (Blond Bombshell#4) & her beautiful son Levi had a blowout on the highway, had to wait for assistance & then buy a tire, but they persevered & arrived in plenty of time before the ceremony began. Thanks to our Father the Creator for keeping them safe! CJ was very gracious, we enjoyed photos of her dear granddaughters, & it was a great blessing to see her again after a very long estrangement. We talked quite a bit, it was so wonderful to have her in my arms again, my beloved’s flesh & blood, with her lovely, piercing ice blue eyes & that dazzling smile I remember so well. I pray that she received some healing there, & I appreciate the strength that it took to participate in the service for her Mother, 1 day after laying her beloved Mother in Law Regina to rest. Did I mention that I love her very much, & owe her a deep debt of gratitude for introducing me to this astounding family so many years ago?

When it came time for ceremony, several folks took Regina’s collection of canes & walking sticks, Bud carried my staff that I carved years ago, & they formed 2 lines in the drive. Wearing the ceremonial garb Regina had made for me, I carried my darlin’s ashes between them & called them to begin. They proceeded down the drive, stopped at the end & raised her canes to form an arch thru which I bore her to a clearing. They formed a circle & the rest joined in to complete it. I spoke of why we were there, to fulfill her final wish & to celebrate her life, then told all that we would proceed around the circle so that anyone that wanted to share could do so. I held her ashes, & as we began, the songbirds started to sing out behind us, so clear & lovely a song to celebrate this holy time. Our son Myke was first, spoke of her & played his cedar Kiowa flute, then we moved around the circle. Some spoke, some did not, some were too overcome to speak their hearts; Laura (BBD#3) was the last, & read a powerful poem that she had published a few years ago. When it came to me, I spoke of the ones who could not attend, of the remarkable life I had been granted thru this family, & that although I was alone in the Lodge now, I realize that I will never be alone as I am surrounded by love.

I then read Genesis 3:19 – In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread til thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Then I read The Committal
“Everyone the Father gives to me will come to me;
I will never turn away anyone who believes in me.
He who raised Jesus Christ from the dead
will also give new life to our mortal bodies
through his indwelling Spirit.
My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices;
my body also shall rest in hope.
You will show me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy,
and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life
through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty
God our beloved Regina, and we commit her body to the ground; & the wind,
earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless
her and keep her, the Lord make his face to shine upon him
and be gracious to her, the Lord lift up his countenance upon
her and give him peace. Amen. “

I told the congregation that I would then fulfill her final wish, & that anyone who wanted to walk with us was welcome, & anyone that wanted to participate in the scattering could do so. I began in the gardens she loved so much, then proceeded around the house. When we reached the back, the flock of ravens she loved began to call from the tall pines, & serenaded us as we rounded the house. When we got back to the starting spot, I stated: “My circle is complete: anyone who wishes to scatter her, please do so. Three of the grandkids stepped forward, as well as Bud. Then our son Myke & I walked to the screen room, scattered more there, then up the drive & around the two wolf sentries near the road. We returned to the start point, I stated, “It is finished – her final wish has been fulfilled. Now, let us celebrate life.”

We held to each other, gave our offerings of tears, & enjoyed company & fellowship until 11pm. Bud made funnel cakes, Myke made Navajo frybread, we played with the new kittens; truly, I could not have asked for a more loving & healing time. I was overcome with the sheer intensity of the love that these souls had for my beloved darlin’; the tender care they shared with me, & the joy of a reunion with CJ & Levi after far too long apart. May the Father our Creator bless & keep all them who loved her, may His arms wrap them in an embrace of Holy love & healing, may he rain down blessings upon them throughout all their days.

May the road rise to meet your feet,
The sun shine warmly upon your face,
The rain fall softly on your fields,
The wind be always at your back,
And until we meet again, may the Good Lord hold you in the palm of His Hand.

God bless you all: I love you, truly.

For Fear...

Whence love first burst upon my breast,
In stunned surprise, I saw it there,
Too tender to take within my hands,
For fear to lose, or drive away

But love, it took itself to me,
Regarding not my spirit's trial,
And wrap't it's heart around my soul,
To bide til time stole it away

Yet deepest within my aching heart,
Bode love from echoes of eras past,
'Gainst all hope, to kindle anew,
That which I knew as lost to me.

Now I feel that I have again,
Driven away that which He gave,
Too tender to take within my hands,
For fear to lose, or drive away.

For fear to lose...again.

Tears of the Whippoorwill

Tears of the Whippoorwill

Do you hear that lonesome whippoorwill
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is whining low
I’m so lonesome I could cry

Have you ever seen a night so long
When time goes crawling by
The moon just went behind a cloud
To hide its face and cry

Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves begin to die
That means he’s lost the will to live
I’m so lonesome I could cry

The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
I’m so lonesome I could cry

Hank Williams Sr. told my stepdad “Pops”, his drinking buddy, to listen for this song that he would write for him about being a lonesome soldier. Soon after, this song appeared, with its’ evocative, plaintive wail, an ode to love, loss, & emptiness.

I have always loved this song, even before Pops came on the scene. As a child, I was constantly lonely, craving something, someone who would love me, who could even in a small way understand me. Aunt Helen was the nearest to this, but she married & I was without love for many years.

Fortunately, I came to know a wonderful, amazing family of Blond Bombshells that saved me & changed my life forever. Here I found & married my beloved darlin’ WolfWife, & she loved me for 36 years. BBD#3 has been in my life pretty consistently: BBD #4 has been out of it since 1991, the other two for even longer. I place that blame squarely on my sagging shoulders: I understand. I took their Mother away, & they feel it was not my place to do so. I broke hearts, I severed ties of blood, I took love & tore it apart & left it gasping in my wake. I remember rage, I remember sharpness of tooth & tongue, I remember my evil nature rending that family as I imposed my will upon those I loved. I did not understand that I was Wolf then, ravenous for life enough to fill my empty gullet the only way I knew how, as the only emotions I understood were rage & bloodlust. I hear the bitterness, I curse this empathy that condemns me to feel the pain that I have inflicted upon them. No, I am not without sin, & I cast the stones upon myself.

Now, my darlin’ is gone from me, gone Home to the Creator with whom she will live for eternity, in joy, without pain or worry or burden. I know that time is not part of her existence, & I know that my life is mine to change so that I could be with her again in Heaven. I am also pragmatic & self-aware enough to know that I have not earned that ending, & probably never will. Perhaps the Father will allow me to see her once again from afar, a glimpse, a whisper of her soul as I am cast to my damnation. I do not presume to think that I know His will, but His salvation is too high a reward for me to delude myself that I could ever claim it. One wispy glance of her thru the veil of my destruction will be enough.

And so, it leaves me here for whatever time is left me: here, in this world of grief & pain & terror. Surrounded by family & friends & caring co-workers, I am lifted up to the point that I am afraid that I am not even grieving properly for my darlin’. Fleeting moments of pseudo-functionality are bookended by crashing lows & spurts of abject despair & longing. The absence of human touch is devastatingly familiar, as it was my life until I met my WolfWife. I did not wish to endure it then: it is no more attractive to me now.

I stood at the bank of the river-filled lake outside my office yesterday, watching the dark & rippling waters lapping their loads of trash & detritus against the bank, & I felt as if I belonged within the oily flotsam. I thought, “One step, just one little step forward, & I can join her, in 5 minutes. One step & 5 minutes…not a long journey at all…” However, since I know that no joy awaits me in that eternal infernal sleep, what does it matter when I begin my damnation? So here I am, laying down lines like Ol’ Hank, except that my napkin is a keyboard, & I am sober. Robins are rare in these lands, but my darlin’ & I have heard a whippoorwill at WolfLodge: now I can hear the sound of his tears splashing thru the pines, too many to bear, & too few to drown within.

I’m so lonesome, I could…die

Why I love my wife!

I just figured it was a good time to go ahead & try, at least, to count the ways...

35 years, & more in love every day.
She GETS me.
She adores me - (really!)Surprising as that may seem.
She is kindhearted.
She is patient (see 35 yrs above).
I can tell her moods & health by the color of those stunning baby blues.
She has a healing touch, even before the Reiki training.
She is a world-class cook.
She is tough when she has to be.
She's as defenseless as a howitzer.
She is a polio survivor.
She is a 2-time cancer survivor.
She is a been-married-to-Wolf survivor.
She is goofy.
She calls her delicate wonderful hands "stubby mitts"
She suffers thru all my Ernest & Mr. Bean videos.
She sits thru all those hours of pro rasslin' I watch every week.
She's better informed than I am (even tho I work at a newspaper!)
I find her just staring at me in that way that makes me feel so fine!
She is gorgeous in my eyes even though not in hers (when I state it, she reminds me how blind I am - but I do not need eyes to see her beauty).
We grew up the same, surrounded by hatred, violence, & sneering disdain, so we KNOW.
She considers me a gift from God, & I know she is the same for me.
She never gives up, never gives up, never gives up!
She wants me to buy the tools I need even when I'm too cheap.
She doesn't mind that I am NOT a plumber.
She gives me great input about choker designs.
She is amazed at what I can build, even tho it may not be perfect.
She comes outside to watch me work, just to be close to me. Recently did this even tho the walk took a lot out of her, to watch me build a brick pedestal for one of our wolf statues.
She lets me wait on her, even when she feels it should be the other way around.
When she was hurt so badly recently, she insisted that it would be a temporary situation. It was, & she is walking pretty well now!
When she was mostly paralyzed by polio, she operated diaper pins with her teeth!
She very rarely used disposable diapers on our son – taught me to fold cloth ones like a pro!
After one of my back injuries, she threw me on her back & dragged me to bed, when I couldn’t walk on my own.
She stayed up all night with our infant son when he had this breathing-is-sooo- overrated phase.
She’s 4’ 11 ¾”, but we let her claim 5’.
Claims not to be an animal lover, but loves it when the cats jump up & snuggle.
Misses the squirrels that used to hang out around the lodge, & gets as excited as I do when the deer come by.
Used to be a crack shot, great hunter, could light & put out matches with her .22
Grandkids love her as much as I do
Has sung at Carnegie Hall, the White House, the Ryman Auditorium, & as backup for Hank Williams. (my stepdad's ol' drinkin' buddy)
Her head fits perfectly on my shoulder
My arm fits perfectly around her waist
She doesn’t mind me pushing her around (in her wheelchair)
She keeps telling me I need to order more beads, or to go to Tandy Leather…
She didn’t mind when I brought in 3 truckloads of free cedar lumber (Yes, I’m using it!)
She didn’t mind when I brought in a trailer load of free brick pavers (Yes, I’m using it!)
Keeps the TV on the country music channel because our birds bitch if she doesn’t
She is thrifty except when it comes to me.
She never complained about having to eat my cooking for 7 weeks.
She loves my coffee & can’t wait for the weekend when I cook a couple pots.
She brags about my mondo eggs that I make mebbe twice a year
She sings to me
She loves to hear me sing
She shares my Steelers addiction
She chides me for not pursuing my lil’ acting career or my radio fetish
She RARELY wears makeup, so I can see how beautiful she really is
She shares our ministry
The hypocrisy in Religion does not diminish her FAITH
She has a rockin’ knife collection
She knows how to use a machete
Every time I leave, she tells me to be careful
She never minds when I call her
She taught me & trained my voice for an operatic competition (tied for 1st with a roaring chest cold)
She used to bake bread for hungry reservation families in S. Dakota
An elderly chief at our flea market booth in Austin recognized her immediately from all those yrs ago
She can order those coconut cookies from the ancient woman at the flea market who speaks no English even tho she speaks no Spanish (while our son, a fluent Espanoler, has a tough time w/her).
Bikers think she’s great
She took NO CRAP from my drunken bio-family
Her Grandmother died in her arms when she was 14: she had already learned a lifetime of knowledge from her.
Come to think of it, she takes NO CRAP from anybody…except occasionally lil' ol’ me
She calls me FireFace.
She still loves my almost-waist-length mane
She used to play connect-the-dots with my freckles
She doesn’t mind that I have destroyed my wedding ring numerous times – more concerned with my fingers surviving
When her assistant was trapped under the front wheel of a Suburban, the crowd around was unable to get the truck off her. With my best Wolf growl I dove into the wheel well, grabbed the rim & suspension, & heaved the truck into the air. My dainty wife with a hearty “Oh, s**t!” grabbed the woman’s jeans & yanked. Her hands tore right thru the denim. She let out an equally hearty “Damn it!”, grabbed belt & bra, & whipped that looney out like she was on ball bearings! I set it down, she’s yelling for me to get out, I say it’s still in gear, & we’re on a hill: she leaps into the big truck & hits the emergency brake & slams it into park so that I can ease out. Didn’t even make me go to the hospital even tho my back was split open from right shoulder to left hip.
She loves to have supper ready when I get home, & to serve me at the table
When she hears the lids “set” on the canning jars she laughs with joy
She loves to garden with me
She pours my iced tea first, as do I hers
She loves fires in the fireplace in winter
She enjoys an occasional glass of wine, or a sip of my monthly beer; she mentions how proud she is that we can have booze in the house & not get drunk as my bio-family does.
She bakes wonderful breads & indulges my addiction to pie. MMMMmmm, pIIIIIeeee..
She asks me for menu ideas & then cooks what I want
She teaches stuff to our birds
She bought me an animated turtle that looks like Diana Ross – dances & sings “You Can’t Hurry Love!”
She oft compares me to her 1st husband, & tells me I win every time.
She thanks me that she can just be “her” around me – says she never had that before
She loves my hands
I realize she can still kick my butt
When I am in pain, she knows it
She gives me Reiki treatment while I sleep if she knows I am hurting
She lets me keep the bedroom cool & piles on her own blankets, so I can sleep better.
She orders her shrimp when she wants it, knowing I can’t stand the stuff – makes sure I get my oysters when I want.
She hates liver as much as I do
She’ll make me pierogies even though she doesn’t care for them
She tries really hard to recreate foods from my Hunky childhood even though my descriptions/recollections are pretty poor
She indulges my passion for deep frying turkeys, which she doesn’t like that much.
She likes my homemade soymilk ice cream experiments
She loves to hang out on the swing or one of our gliders with me
She loves our screened deck & is going to put up with the wheelchair ramp, even tho she’d rather step up on her own.
She puts up with me bringing her a wildflower, or a particularly cool leaf, or something unexpected from the woods or the garden.
She sees what I see in nature.
She once did a Reiki treatment on a lifeless hummingbird that our hunting mama cat dropped in her lap. After a while it fluttered its wings, lifted off, turned & chirped at her, & left. She still tears up about that one!
She did a Reiki treatment on a frozen stiff newborn kitten that my wacky cat birthed on January 31st. She had them on our concrete carport slab, & this one wedged itself in next to my chimney. My son extracted it & called for Mom. After a while it stirred, she kept it from Mama til it was squirming quite well, & it became the most active of the litter. We call her “Dead Cat”. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
She loves venison
She makes these hearty soup that are so thick I call them “Stewp”
She loves limburger & onion sammiches
She doesn’t mind when I eat my “stinky cheese” (Bleu or gorgonzola)
She called my stepdad “Pops”
Her hair just SHINES!
She once sat up all night sewing fake fur into my jacket & cap & pockets because I had to walk several miles to catch the bus for work.

There are innumerous more reasons why I love, cherish, & adore this wonderful woman, who is a true gift from the Creator. I pray to be able to extend this list for years to come.

The Process of Family - The Beginning

It may seem otherwise to those who are blessed enough to know all their relations – warts & all – but to me, family is an ever-changing, dynamic thing, more of a process than an entity. My perception of family is a lake into which souls flow, stay varying lengths of time, then flow out again. Some float atop the waves, riding the tempests & foundering in the calms, others dive deep, & most flow out the other end. Some evaporate, a few sink into the depths. And all the while, we are floating in others’ lakes, an unending overlapping sea of transitory human experience.

At the headwaters of my particular stream, (back home, we called ‘em “cricks”), I had 2 siblings, a Mother, an aunt, 2 Grandparents. & asst. drunks. I have searched for years to find my Father, & my 5-6 half-siblings, to no avail. As no trace of this purported parent has ever surfaced, and knowing that my Mum was definitely not a candidate for ’Immaculate Conception II, the Sequel’, I have to accept that I have been misled. Funny that, as Grandma was overly fond of reminding us that the County Orphan’s Home was just down the road & that yes, the “Vacancy” sign was indeed lit! Woo-hoo! One would think that she would be itching to find our lost Pater Familias to rid herself of us. Our sister crossed the pond to Egypt, where she sank. Add her 3 kids & widower to the list of the evaporated ones.

So, how do you build a family when the fish refuse to swim together? You try to become a transitional generation. My son knows the meaning of both love & affection. Other swimmers have joined our little armada, & are closer to us than are our bio-relatives. Here is another incarnation of the Process of Family. The woman I refer to as Mother I met just 10 yrs. ago. Her son – my twin-brother-of-a-different-mother swims deeper in my heart than my sibling bro. It turns out that this Familial Process is the goal, after all. Gather in friends, acquaintances, blood relatives if you must; swim together, & watch carefully for the sharks of dysfunction.

Up Against the Wall, RedHead Fathers!

Well, here we are - smack dab in the middle of September, facing the Gallows of October. As of that fateful month, our jobs require that we achieve 80% of our revenue goals or forfeit all commission pay for the month's labors. In my case that leaves me making less than $8/hour at the tenderly ripe age of 52 years. For 6 months prior to this Doomsday Sword of Damocles, we needed to achieve 60% or go without. My desk has been averaging right around 67%: this month a bit less, & every other desk in our group is doing the same percentage. Of course, some desk have much more revenue in their book of business (much of which used to be MY business) so 'tis not really apples vs. the oranges.
Tack onto this a catastrophic diminution of my driven attitude & my competitive spirit, & the outlook is bleaker than Starbucks' chances of opening a few stores in Darfur.

So what's an Ol' Abbot to do when he is graying without growing earnings? My eBay biz slowed to a crawl & actually shifted into reverse as my fees have outstripped my sales for months now. My sales at etsy.com have been better, but still too few to cover my associated fees. I have revised almost all my photos on etsy, as well as on WolfLodgeTX.com .I am looking into a couple other sites, yessy,com for art , cafepress.com for images on t-shirts, mugs etc., & Elance.com for writing. Now if only I can earn enough for the startup fees to get into them...

Meanwhile I have been busily constructing a dice tower for resale, a castle tower with all the rock work already carved. I carefully hollowed out a niche to inlay an abalone shell only to break the shell after an hour's work. I have another shell, but his particular one was beautiful beyond any I have ever seen. Gonna make lemonade with this lemon as I have wanted to experiment with carving abalone - now I have an excuse! I have several new designs fior these towers ingrained in my brainbucket - oh for time time time!

I have piles of old cedar planks which I have used to surface a 10x12 deck & make a tabletop. A few ideas about that stuff are percolating around also.

My beloved darlin' of 35 years has been having serious health issues. She has taken 3 falls in the past 2 months, the last one incurring a concussion & a particularly nasty head wound. As a polio & cancer survivor, she is adamant that there will be no doctors or EMTs involved. So I am her healer.
Thank the Creator for Reiki & prayer & His healing touch! She has been subjected to my cooking & shopping & laundry "skills" for weeks now. Being unable to travel, I know she is detesting her confinement to the bedroom, & is getting "itchy" these past several days. Perhaps this weekend she can come out to sit in the great room for a while so that our zoo can hang out with her.

Our son is having a tough time with his roomie being unable to work for a while, & then his pay was shorted over 60% this week. Our Blond Bombshell daughter is raising her 4 yr old grandson: now his bio-mother is threatening to take him away.

I am beginning to think we should all change our names to Job! Still, on we slog through the fog of uncertainty, bound by love & leaning upon all the shoulders we can, because we know that the Father's will shall be done, & His rewards are there, somewhere, somewhen...somehow.