11/29/15: Thankful Thoughts
What a fine November it’s been! We’ve a lot to be thankful for this year. For example:
Joe and I bought our 1870s Saginaw farmhouse in 1978, and raised our children here. The property extends to nearly three acres, and there are tall trees scattered about that add interest and shade. But, for all that time, there’s been no garage. Every awful winter we’ve chipped and chopped and hacked away ice and snow from our cars, and practically frozen to death every time. The money we saved by not indulging went to worthy projects, but still...
From now on, Michigan winters will be much easier to bear. We have a brand-new, beautifully constructed wood-frame two-car garage capable of hosting our GMC van and Joe’s car, and it was built in just two weeks for $13,500. The design is dead simple. There are no windows, no insulation- just simple lighting inside, plus one large garage door that can be opened remotely. Construction finished yesterday, in time for the season’s first serious snowfall. Now we can open the big garage door from the living room with our remote control, and then start Joe’s car from inside our home. By the time he leaves for the office it’s warm and toasty. What Luxury!
Speaking of comfortable, this bright, freezing Thanksgiving Saturday afternoon I took Bryn for a long after-dinner walk in residential Saginaw, not far from a family member’s home, where we’d gathered to polish off Thanksgiving leftovers and watch the Michigan State-Ohio State football game.
She moved erratically along, reading the news at various lampposts, when suddenly we both stopped to gape. Across the street a huge Newfoundland dog moved slowly along the sidewalk, connected to his owner by a stout leash. But he had a peculiar profile that baffled Bryn. That dog looks bumpy, Boss...
Indeed! Because there, nestled comfortably atop his huge head, sat a tiny marmalade cat. It looked around curiously: then, perhaps noticing our astonishment, sat up and began to clean itself. Each feline leg, stretched way out, was thoroughly licked.
Whisker cleaning followed. The huge Newfoundland, unconcerned about the cat’s busy toilet atop his big, furry noggin, continued to amble along.
Purrrrr...Time for a more extensive stretch, thought the kitty. She walked down the Newfoundland’s neck to the middle of his broad doggie back and stopped to extend each dainty leg and yawn, while never once losing her balance.
We kept up with them from the other side of the street, fascinated by the spectacle. Their owner chuckled. “Little Candy’s always ready for second-hand exercise. She lets Bruno do the work while she enjoys the sights. Who’d object to free tours, anyway?”
Finished with its ablutions the little creature wound into a ball again atop Bruno’s fluffy head and settled down to take in the world.
Popeyed Bryn had never seen a kitten up close: I was thankful we hadn’t missed this comical delight.
Speaking of young, my niece and her husband are expecting their son, who will make his grand entrance in April. The 3-D ultrasound pictures, science’s latest demonstration of how far technology has advanced, are astounding! The little guy, snug in his watery home, is sound asleep. The portraits of him are so vividly clear it seems the child might open his eyes, smile and reach out to us.
What a bloomin’ miracle!
And now- after twenty-four hours of gloom, rain, wind and cold, the sun is out and blue sky is brightening everything, reminding me that life is more about wonder than woe.
What a fine November it’s been! We’ve a lot to be thankful for this year. For example:
Joe and I bought our 1870s Saginaw farmhouse in 1978, and raised our children here. The property extends to nearly three acres, and there are tall trees scattered about that add interest and shade. But, for all that time, there’s been no garage. Every awful winter we’ve chipped and chopped and hacked away ice and snow from our cars, and practically frozen to death every time. The money we saved by not indulging went to worthy projects, but still...
From now on, Michigan winters will be much easier to bear. We have a brand-new, beautifully constructed wood-frame two-car garage capable of hosting our GMC van and Joe’s car, and it was built in just two weeks for $13,500. The design is dead simple. There are no windows, no insulation- just simple lighting inside, plus one large garage door that can be opened remotely. Construction finished yesterday, in time for the season’s first serious snowfall. Now we can open the big garage door from the living room with our remote control, and then start Joe’s car from inside our home. By the time he leaves for the office it’s warm and toasty. What Luxury!
Speaking of comfortable, this bright, freezing Thanksgiving Saturday afternoon I took Bryn for a long after-dinner walk in residential Saginaw, not far from a family member’s home, where we’d gathered to polish off Thanksgiving leftovers and watch the Michigan State-Ohio State football game.
She moved erratically along, reading the news at various lampposts, when suddenly we both stopped to gape. Across the street a huge Newfoundland dog moved slowly along the sidewalk, connected to his owner by a stout leash. But he had a peculiar profile that baffled Bryn. That dog looks bumpy, Boss...
Indeed! Because there, nestled comfortably atop his huge head, sat a tiny marmalade cat. It looked around curiously: then, perhaps noticing our astonishment, sat up and began to clean itself. Each feline leg, stretched way out, was thoroughly licked.
Whisker cleaning followed. The huge Newfoundland, unconcerned about the cat’s busy toilet atop his big, furry noggin, continued to amble along.
Purrrrr...Time for a more extensive stretch, thought the kitty. She walked down the Newfoundland’s neck to the middle of his broad doggie back and stopped to extend each dainty leg and yawn, while never once losing her balance.
We kept up with them from the other side of the street, fascinated by the spectacle. Their owner chuckled. “Little Candy’s always ready for second-hand exercise. She lets Bruno do the work while she enjoys the sights. Who’d object to free tours, anyway?”
Finished with its ablutions the little creature wound into a ball again atop Bruno’s fluffy head and settled down to take in the world.
Popeyed Bryn had never seen a kitten up close: I was thankful we hadn’t missed this comical delight.
Speaking of young, my niece and her husband are expecting their son, who will make his grand entrance in April. The 3-D ultrasound pictures, science’s latest demonstration of how far technology has advanced, are astounding! The little guy, snug in his watery home, is sound asleep. The portraits of him are so vividly clear it seems the child might open his eyes, smile and reach out to us.
What a bloomin’ miracle!
And now- after twenty-four hours of gloom, rain, wind and cold, the sun is out and blue sky is brightening everything, reminding me that life is more about wonder than woe.