The face of a troubled dog . . .

It is more like a dog in trouble! She got the chance she has been waiting for and when I went out to dump the bucket of water from mopping the kitchen floor, Chick ran out after me and the race was on. She was after a cat! I yelled for back up and my daughter and son came running. Chick thought this was going to be a delightful outing and avoided all contact with us. She was busy trying to climb a tree because she saw a cat up in it. Suddenly, a light seemed to go on in her very small, doggy brain and she figured there must be cats in every tree. Unfortunately, we live on a long street . . . lined with trees. My son is running after her. My daughter has an open can of her favorite food and is limping along behind them as she ran out without any shoes. I went home to get the car but, first, had to turn the stove off, find my keys, grab my license, and lock the doors.

I got about three blocks down the street and spotted the three of them by the side of the road. Chick looked resigned to having been caught. We lured her into the van with the can of food and drove home. We thwarted her chances of another escape by closing the garage door and then pushing her out into the backyard. She did not get the rest of the can of food. She took a long drink of water and is currently gazing in the sliding door wondering where that delicious can of dog food could have ended up. Every time I pass the door, I look at her sternly and say, "Bad dog!" She looks back with, "What?"

My daughter mentioned that she really wanted to take a walk but the weather was overcast with threats of rain. She should be careful about what she wishes for as she got her walk with no sweater, no shoes, and no leash for the dog!

I've run into the second quote in real life all too often!

"The supreme irony of life is that hardly anyone gets out of it alive."
-- Robert Heinlein

"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength."
-- Eric Hoffer

"She was a woman who, between courses, could be graceful with her elbows on the table."
-- Henry James

"The author of the Iliad is either Homer or, if not Homer, somebody else of the same name."
-- Aldous Huxley

Words to take to heart . . .

Against criticism a man can neither protest nor defend himself; he must act in spite of it, and then it will gradually yield to him.

- Johann von Goethe

Thinking about Valentine's Day . . .

Lent begins after Valentine's Day so I get to go all out in making some heart-shaped cookies for neighbors and friends without tempting them away from any planned sacrifices during Lent. My husband wants either a chcolate torte cake or brownies with apricot filling and chocolate glaze . . . possibly both! My son just found a forgotten box of cookies from Christmas in the freezer so he will be happy with any treat since he has some to see him through to Valentine's Day!

I freed up my time for extra baking, too. I have just three more appliques to sew on my quilt order and I'm done! I do have another one to make for a birthday gift but have six weeks until I need it.

Naturally, I'm thinking about heart-shaped sugar cookies with pink glaze and sprinkles. I don't often get time to fuss with cookies so am looking forward to an afternoon of baking and decorating holiday cookies. Anyone have a favorite recipe or idea to share, I'll be happy to post it here.

Our prospective cats are getting more bold but still won't let us pat them. The most skittish one raced ito the house, this morning. I didn't see that Stubby had gotten past me until I started to close the door and saw him in the middle of the living room. His fur was standing on end and his eyes were huge as he saw the door of escape closing and he wasn't on the right side for leaving easily!

Last night, the Siamese stray wandered into the house and didn't want to go past us to get out the front door. Howl raced over to the glass sliding door only to be met with the dog on the other side of it. No growling or barking, however! They just tried to stare each other down.

The day begins and my time at the computer is over for now. The promised rain didn't appear but the overcast skies still hold some promise of it later today.

Let's get our oil from dictators!

http://conservatives4palin.com/2012/01/video-canadian-talk-show-host-destroys-obama-over-keystone-decision.html

It is still amazing that our president would turn down a job-ready proposition from Canada with could provide us with oil from a friendly nation. Shouldn't we support countries that have our welfare in mind, too? If this is how we treat our friends . . . Interesting note in this talk that during his campaign for the 2008 election, the president said that if he is elected, he will have us free of foreign oil within ten years. Uh, he had a chance to do it in less than four and he turned it down.

If one is going to take the global warming side, don't they realize that shipping oil by sea produces a huge carbon footprint with more chances of oil spills than a transcontinental pipeline? Let's see . . . purchase oil from a friendly neighbor, put people to work immediately, lower the cost of fuel . . . yeah, it is a great idea to turn down this opportunity.

Something to remember after listening to the news!

“Let nothing trouble you. Let nothing frighten you. Everything passes. God never changes. Patience obtains all. Whoever has God wants for nothing. God alone is enough.” ~St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila)