Dear Reader:

Meet my grand-dogs…Tigger and his kissing cousin Khaleesi, along with her brothers Atticus and Pip…and of course Poogan or Poogie as we call her…a large dog who thinks she is a puppy too. (Emulating my “human” grandchildren…I have two girl grand-dogs and three boy grand-dogs.)  If you are like me…you have probably picked up on the popular trend of this generation of young couples and/or parents….they all seem to start out with a dog.

I wonder if it is for practice or something….but the dog or dogs come first…and then finally the children. It is rare to find a young person without a dog (perhaps a cat)…at least a pet. I hardly remember anybody in our generation having a dog when we were single or newly married….they usually came after the children…different generations…different cultural patterns.

I do love the grand-dogs…they each have their own personalities and are very affectionate. Of course they still come second behind the grandchildren for me…though after babysitting sometimes I wonder why? They are much easier to entertain…a treat and they are happy. 🙂 Just kidding my adorable little Dingle-lings!

I saw an article that broached the topic of the increased popularity in household pets today. It implied…they are cheaper than seeing a psychiatrist weekly. Pets love unconditionally…are always happy to see you come home…never judge and only want love in return…no ulterior motives in their relationships.

I saw this humorous tidbit from a spiritual funny joke website yesterday and it did make me chuckle…so true.

HOW ENLIGHTENED ARE YOU?

IF….

If you can live without caffeine,

If you can be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist complaining,

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can ignore a friend’s limited education and never correct him or her,

If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,

If you can face the world without lies and deceit,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

If you can honestly say that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed, color, religion, gender preference, or politics,

—Then you have almost reached the same level of spiritual development as your dog!

* * * * *********************************************

Brooke let us know over the weekend that she and her husband got another cat…a male this time named Oreo. After the painful emotional loss of their last cat they had decided no more pets…but Brooke’s husband was sad without one…so they went to the animal shelter and returned with Oreo. Brooke said the house has already brightened up again since the new addition arrived.

Saturday was a busy day in my backyard….the amazing J.D. Hitton, friend of my neighbor Luke, came and finished securing the stairs and deck to the apartment over the garage. Then he and Luke put a new floor in the tree house…so now the grandchildren can play up there….Sh! Top Secret! We will have the unveiling in May for a special occasion! Chelsey climbed up and tested it out for everyone…what a cute model.

The rains are supposed to come this week…still with about a 5″ rain deficit…we can  certainly use it which is why I was so happy to get the construction finished in time and get all my plantings done.

The garden is like a big Santa Claus these days…every day…much like Christmas… something new has opened…another gift from God. I plant each flower, bush or tree…but God makes them grow. Come with me and see the newest surprises…

On the way to the mailbox I passed the bottle tree and wild honeysuckle is growing in the bushes…it smells so good getting the mail each day! I, also, have my first Morning Glory bloom since planting the vine earlier this spring.

I also saw my first long-leaf sun flower bloom yesterday….and a blooming “chair.”

My lantana (alongside my zinnias) is now blooming and spreading in the barrel out front while Mollie and Eloise are both beauty blooming with love!

Yesterday I bumped into Michele Jones, at the end of Sunday School, who, after reading yesterday’s blog, (Just Passing Through) asked me if I had heard the song Temporary Home by country singer Carrie Underwood. She said she thought I would like it; the blog post immediately made her think of the song.

So I found it and played it…watched the video…and had tears rolling down my face. It is a perfect match for Sunday’s blog story.

So beautiful….music, lyrics, and video. Here is a link if you would like to hear it.

Carrie Underwood – Temporary Home – YouTube

So until tomorrow…Let us remember to thank God for our pets who bring us a taste of what unconditional love is about for all God’s children.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh