Marsha's Blog

Well, here we are at the three-week before Easter mark.  If you're like me, it’s a time when things seem to be moving more quickly than normal.  Around my house, there’s a sense of changing seasons, and the work that needs to be done as we’ll be going into winter soon, but unlike you folks in the northern hemisphere, that doesn’t mean putting up the storm shutters and tuning up the snow blower … more like exchanging the short-sleeved shirts in the closet for long sleeves and packing away the snake discouragers from around the trash bins and water taps.  The snakes are still around, but they move a lot slower when the temperature drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.  Some of my friends at this time of year are talking about “Lent” and what they’re planning to give up for it. In a way, it’s reminiscent of New Years and the lists of resolutions we like to make in January.  I grew up in a Baptist home that eschewed any and everything that hinted of “Catholicism"....

The other day Tony was sitting in the living room with our oldest grandchild.  This was a rare experience, as he hardly ever stops moving, and Tony was thinking about how to capitalise on the moment. Maybe a little “Man to Man” talk he thought.   The Wise One versus the Young Accolade. But Grandson, who as a new 16 yr old,  feels pretty confident, and spoke up first. “Gigi”, he asked (This is not the French Gigi but the Japanese endearment for ‘grandpa’), “What’s it feel like to be old?” Tony sure didn’t see that one coming. Granted, he mused to himself, the question comes up often, but usually in the middle of the night, and not with anyone else present in the room. After a moment of reflection, Tony felt like he had something to say.  “Well, I miss the physical part of me. I’m in this recliner because it takes too much effort to go outside and play basketball with you ………. I’d like to, but it hurts.” While he pondered that, he thought suddenly, “Oh no! I don’t...

I heard some interesting news this last week.  While they’re having unseasonal snow in New York, I hear that New Zealanders are having blizzards of their own (Global Warming, I guess). Anyway, a shepherd was herding his flock of sheep when a midsummer avalanche hit without warning and buried him.  It was only a little slide so no one really got too fussed, but at the end of the day when the shepherd didn’t come home, they got worried.  The search began.   48 hours later they found him, comatose and barely alive. Fortunately, he did survive, and made a full recovery Now here's the interesting part. They found him only because noticed his little flock of sheep were huddled together, standing in the slide area.  Now I think you can see the sermon coming. Sheep are well known, for, uh ......... not much, really.  They do tend to follow well, and since they have no defensive features to speak of, they make, uhm… really great prey. They don't have a 'rescue'...