Give Me Your Poor, Your Needy . . .

Apparently, I run a cactus refuge. Twice since I have spoken of my cactus garden, friends have come to me with their struggling cacti, hoping that my care or my yard will give new life to their withering foliage. Maybe their logic is that their plants will have the confidence to thrive knowing they are in a welcoming environment, surrounded by others of their own species. Live on, you desert plants!

In Praise of Not Knowing Everything.

In our daily lives and interactions, Mr. M and I have been noticing more and more men choosing to shave their heads. This trend makes us wonder if this is how the tradition of women shaving their armpits began. First, it was only for a few rebels, and then more and more people started doing it, and now it is almost required of a woman that she shave her armpits. Will it eventually become the norm for all grown men to shave their heads and remain bare headed for the rest of their mortal lives? I know these thoughts are hard to wrap your heads around, but I think you will find a full exploration of this subject fruitful. You could always just look on Google to find the origins of where hair should and shouldn't be depending on your sex, but what's the fun in that? I'd rather use my imagination, and just keep the question in the back of my mind.

A Different Hat

I have taken on the temporary position of being the Public Relations person for my friend's move tomorrow. So I have nothing to do now but wait as offers come pouring in via the computer. At different times in the past two years, I have been a babysitter, patient advocate, chauffeur,canine medicine administrator, amateur academic, and property manager. I know that mothers are all of these things all of the time, but for not being a mother, I am pretty impressed with my skill set, if I do say so myself . . . and I do!

I Should be a Grandmother

I was out back, blissfully enjoying my deserty, Tuscon-themed cactus garden in a vain attempt to escape life's day-to-day stresses and pressures (concerns, worries, and everything else that plagues the modern human person.) I was sitting comfortably on the couch, in the shade, with a cool desert breeze cooling my bare feet as it washed over me. I was reading a mystery book, and thoroughly enjoying the afternoon. Then came the techno. And not just any techno. Whoever was controlling the volume of this techno kept playing with the knobs. Loud and obnoxious, then soft and obnoxious. The pattern kept going. So I was reminded in this way that I don't live in the middle of nowhere, no matter what anyone says.

And if you're looking for me, I'll be on the FRONT patio, enjoying the cool desert breeze and my mystery.

Parole Officer

Of all the hats I've worn, this may be the most unexpected. My only and best furry friend, Rufus, has arthritis. No more jumping on the couch for Rufus. The tough thing is, Mr. M and I have let Rufus enjoy full house privileges since he first came to stay; so he is not used to hearing "no". What this means practically is that we have to make some sort of physical barricade to prevent his furniture-jumping tendencies. So if you were to come to our house, you would notice that our footstool is laying on its side, leaning against the couch in a bold attempt to keep a little dog from getting any lofty ideas. You'd see this pattern repeated with several other cushions. We may be investing in a doggy bed soon.

Some Thoughts On Abortion.

I am pro-life. That doesn't exactly mean that I reject the idea that a woman has the right to choose; I would just add to the statement, a woman has the right to choose not to have sex if she doesn't want to have a baby. I resent the implication that a woman can't control her sexual desires, equating humans to animals. I suppose I would be OK with abortion if I were OK with evolution . . . but I'm not. I believe in the Biblical account of a 7-day creation. I believe that God created each of us, and gave us all the ability to make informed and intelligent choices. We all have the choice to obey God, or to obey our own desires. When we choose to neglect God and obey our own desires, there are always consequences. No one would be put into the position of having to choose to murder their child or let it live if they first chose to deny their immediate fleshly desires.
Ironically, those in the pro-choice camp are not, in reality, pro-choice at all. Their arguments insinuate that women have no choice at all when it comes to sex. That is entirely false, with the exception of rape.
In today's lingo, I am pro-life. More accurately, though, I am pro-choice. I am all for making the right choice.

Friendship, One Aspect

Friendship is, as you can probably see from my blog, is very important to me; always has been. Since my infancy, my mom has always shown me the importance of friends as she brought me along whenever she went to visit friends. Therefore, I am always interested in the dynamics of friendships. Since homosexuality is now considered cool and normal by so many, I am all the more thankful that I've done a good bit of reading on, and thinking about, friendships. Pastor John Piper said that the best way to minister to those struggling with homosexuality is to model healthy, same sex, friendships.

A thought I've had is that a true friend of the same sex will care about me enough to do nothing to jeopardize my marriage. A true friend will value what I value (my marriage) and respect the boundaries I have set for myself. (More accurately, the boundaries God has set for me.) If anyone tries to entice me to overstep those boundaries, or to bring discord into my home in any way, I know that person is no friend.

Perfect Summer Fiction,Updated

Dog On It is the book I am currently enjoying. It is a fast and light read. The book is narrated by a dog, Chet. Chet and his owner, Bernie, run a private investigation company specializing in missing persons. Three days into the book, and I'm on page 146. (Part of those three days consisted of a 5-hour flight, but still . . . the book is a real page turner. Highly readable, a book description I never really understood, because what else do you do with a book? I suppose it would make a good step stool, too, but I would suggest reading it.) The author is Stephen Quinn, I think. You obviously have a computer, so you can double check if you wish.

Happy 4th of June. July.

I recently bought the 2nd book in the Chet and Bernie detective series by Spencer Quinn. The title is Thereby Hangs a Tail. The trip to the bookstore was, as usual, inspirational. There was a book about a father and daughter and books. This brought to my mind a cherished family tradition, the passing on of books. Many books that I have read have gone to my dad once I was finished, and then to my sister once my dad is done with it. Sometimes my dad is the originator of this trickle-down effect, and sometimes it is my sister.

Three Words I've Never Heard

I like to read, and I read a lot. I also listen to news once in a while. I often hear about legalizing things-gay marriage, abortion, etc., and I hear about trying to make those things illegal. But one thing I never hear is illegalize. Seems to me that that particular word should be made legal, or legalized.
I think we've all heard of disgruntled employees. I've never heard of a gruntled employee. Is no one happy with their job?!?
I have often been discombobulated. I have also been combobulated, but I've never heard of anyone else being combobulated. I don't know if we are a discombobulated society who never can combobulate ourselves? I guess I may never know.