Jack's Rabbit

Under the category of, It's Always Something...

Jack Sparrow, the Bunny Hunter

Jack went hunting this afternoon and brought home his trophy. A baby rabbit! Ohhh yeah!

I'm writing at the kitchen table during this hot summer to avoid paying a Big Gulp-of-an electric bill. Thank goodness I saw the blur running around my yard. I went out to find Jack with the rabbit in his mouth. And it was alive. Jack is Peaches' son, and while tame he isn't touchy-feely with me, so I knew he'd bolt over the fence if I moved to grab him. Instead, I stood over him, hands on hips, and told him "NO!" It worked. He dropped it, and it zipped under the sweet potato vines. Jack went after it. Nick went after it. I went after it, all for different reasons. I'm sure we made quite a sight, the four of us running in circles around my tiny fenced yard with me shouting, "NO!"

Meanwhile, Chauncie did cartwheels on the sidelines like a cheerleader. I'm pretty sure she wasn't rooting for me.

Go ahead and laugh, but Nick still has
 what it takes

Eventually I told Jack to leave. That's when Nicholas executed a flying tackle. And caught the rabbit. I have to admit, for a 14 year old cat, he impressed me. But only for a second.  He stood with his mouthful of baby bunny, his eyes glittering as though he had surprised himself. I let him have his moment of glory. He's been with me long enough to know all I'd let him keep was the memory. I said drop it, and he did.

I think by now the rabbit understood if it moved, it was dead meat--literally. I was able to sweep it up and hold it. It could feel its heart pounding against my fingers. Poor baby! Such tiny ears! I stood there with visions of pet bunny dancing in my head. I've never held a rabbit, so of course I thought about keeping it. I'd want to adopt a wolverine if it let me hold it.

I took it inside, away from the cats. I felt it relax after a few minutes and it actually looked up at me. This was a new experience for both of us, holding and being held.  Finally, I put it in a cat carrier with a carrot, still kinda sorta thinking...maybe.... Too bad we had sold that fish aquarium. What kind of bedding would it need? Would I have to get it shots? What kind of food? Carrots of course, but what else? If it got out of its cage, there would be total mayhem with six cats in the house. Thank god we sold that old guinea pig cage at the last yard sale, otherwise...

Then I saw it gnawing, not the carrot, but the cage bars. It had teeth! Visions of Bunnicula!

 Yeah, it had to go. So, before I change my mind, I walked the carrier to my neighbor's property along the woods, tipped it and the bunny fell out. It was missing fur in the spot where it had been mauled, but otherwise appeared unhurt. And off it hopped.

Sigh! That was a close call!

Head of the Household

When everyone on earth was dead and waiting to enter Paradise , God appeared and said, 'I want the men to make two lines. One line for the men who were true heads of their household, and the other line for the men who were dominated by their women. I want all the women to report to St. Peter.'

Soon, the women were gone and there were two lines of men. The line of the men who were dominated by their wives was 100 miles long and in the line of men who truly were heads of their household, there was only one man.

God said, 'You men should be ashamed of yourselves, I created you to be the head of your household! 'You have been disobedient and have not fulfilled your purpose! 'Of all of you, only one obeyed. Learn from him.' God turned to the one man, 'How did you manage to be the only one in this line?'

The man replied, 'My wife told me to stand here.'

The Things We Often Take for Granted

Lisa Beamer is the wife of Todd Beamer who said 'Let's Roll!' and helped take down the plane over Pennsylvania that was heading for Washington, DC back on 9/11. When she was on Good Morning, America, she said it's the little things that she misses most about Todd, such as hearing the garage door open as he came home, and her children running to meet him. She's now the mom of a beautiful little girl, Mary.

 Lisa recalled this story:

“I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband died suddenly of a heart attack. About a week after his death, she shared some of her insight with a classroom of students. As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she moved a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down there.

With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said, 'Class is over, I would like to share with all of you, a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important. Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic experience will end. It can be taken away at any moment.

Perhaps this is the power's way of telling us that we must make the most out of every single day. Her eyes, beginning to water, she went on, 'So I would like you all to make me a promise. From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice.

It doesn't have to be something you see, it could be a scent, perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone's house, or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way the morning light catches one autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground. Please look for these things, and cherish them. For, although it may sound trite to some, these things are the "stuff" of life. The little things we are put here on earth to enjoy. The things we often take for granted.

The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and filed out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester. Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all overlook.

Take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour today. Go barefoot. Or walk on the beach at sunset. There is always something to notice in God's beautiful creation. Stop off on the way home tonight to get a double dip ice cream cone. For as we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn't do.”

GOD'S ROSEBUD

A new minister
was walking with an older,
more seasoned minister
in the garden one day.

Feeling a bit insecure
about what God
had for him to do,
he was asking the older preacher
for some advice.

The older preacher
walked up to a rosebush
and handed the young preacher
a rosebud and told him
to open it
without tearing off any petals.

The young preacher
looked in disbelief
at the older preacher
and was trying to figure out
what a rosebud
could possibly have to do
with his wanting to know
the will of God
for his life and ministry.

But because of his great respect
for the older preacher,
he proceeded to try to unfold the rose,
while keeping every petal intact.

It wasn't long
before he realized
how impossible
this was to do.

Noticing the younger preacher's inability
to unfold the rosebud
without tearing it,
the older preacher
began to recite
the following poem...


"It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of God's design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine."

"The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I.
GOD opens this flower so easily,
But in my hands they die."

"If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of God's design,
Then how can I have the wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?"

"So I'll trust in God for leading
Each moment of my day.
I will look to God for guidance
In each step of the way."

"The path that lies before me,
Only my Lord knows.
I'll trust God to unfold the moments,
Just as He unfolds the rose."