FRIDAY FIVE - ANIMAL EDITION

So the challenge for us this week is to write about animals. OK and I know this is two days late.
pent Friday cleaning house and Sat. running errands and prepping for Sunday, but here we go anyway:

1. Tell us about an animal you know: perhaps one of your pets, or the pet of a friend or family member, or the cat that hangs around the church.

           Our greyhound, Renoir, is our 5th grey. He has the softest coat of any grey we've ever had. He is white with brindle patches and the white is kind of diffused next to his brindle patches which is how he got the name Renoir. It was also the only name he reacted to! He is the laziest grey ever. Mostly content to lay in his bed. He never runs laps or plays with toys. He does like food and is always in the kitchen when I am checking things out and always interested in getting a tidbit. He is a good, but quiet grey and has a serious nature, but very loveable!
      

1. What’s your favorite real animal? Walking stick bug? Penguin? T-Rex? Echidna?

              That would be dogs! Although I like otters a lot too.

1. What’s your favorite fantasy/mythological animal? Unicorns? Hippogryphs?

            That would be a Pegasus - a flying horse. Always thought they were cool.

1. What’s your favorite fictional animal – Scooby Doo? Garfield the Cat? Grape Ape?

            Probably Lassie - a smart dog that could find its way home, loyal, trustworthy and good.

1. What animal best represents who you are today, and why? Is it an animal that exhibits fierceness? Or one that’s loyal?

               My animal totem has most often come up as a turtle. Slow, steady, determined,
               with a bit of a hard shell but soft on the inside. Able to navigate land and water.
               Will stick its neck out at times and can disappear into its shell. There are other
               attributes, but I can't remember them.

Obviously, since all the questions are numbered one, I had some trouble with this one.

A NEW YEAR

Yes, a new year! I survived Christmas and New Year's. I had two services Christmas Eve and finally arrived home at 11:45 pm where LH greeted me with brie and champagne! Traffic was a bit heavier this year due to the mild weather.
  Christmas was a lazy laidback and quiet day.
  On Saturday I promptly got sick and gave up my dinner.
  On Sunday, I cleaned two bathrooms and napped for an hour. I did other preparations and rested in between. I was totally wrung out. My niece and her intended arrived and we spent 40 minutes introducing the dogs to one another. Since they came a bit later, appetizers were dispensed with and I made chicken curry, couscous and spinach au gratin. Brownies were served for dessert. I really wasn't all that with it.  They opened gifts and played a couple rounds of Jenga and then off to bed.
   On Monday, I was starving at 6 am, so I got up at 6:45am and ate some breakfast and had coffee. I really couldn't wait for the others. On Sunday all I had was a piece of bread, and some curry chicken, a spoonful of spinach, and a spoonful of couscous. I was also feeling a bit better. I made multigrain blueberry pancakes for the company and LH. LH slept in while my niece and J came down. Had great discussion about the upcoming wedding in May.
   They left near noon while I had a vet appointment at 12:15 which I made that morning since Jazz had a lump in his cheek and wouldn't let me touch it on Sunday. He had an abcessed  tooth and on Tues early morning, I took him to vet hospital for a dental. They took most of his molars and he's healed up now.
   On Sunday I received word on the death of a parishioner and the funeral was 12-31. Most of the day was spent at church. When I got home, I made brownies for dessert on NYD and mixed meatballs for our midnight snack. (There's also champagne and panettone)
   On New Year's Day, I made eggs benedict for LH and I, although he poached his own eggs when he finally came downstairs. I cleaned bathrooms again and prepped for my SIL's who came to
celebrate New Year's Day with us. We enjoyed a lovely afternoon, snacking, talking, trying to Skype which didn't work out, opening gifts and having a ham dinner.
   On Monday, Jan 4th I had a meeting and didn't get home til 10 pm. A meeting on Wed. evening and was home by 8:30 pm.
   It has been non-stop, except for a few hours here and there to nap and recharge.
  My star word for this year is:JOY!
    I was hoping for a more complex word. I have always had joy in my life. But perhaps, in these
months, I haven't felt it like I should. So perhaps, God, in God's great wisdom gave me this word to help me reclaim the joy in my life - lately it's been all about duty and responsibility. So I will look
for those things that bring joy to my soul, laugh more, and just savor the joy of the Lord.
   In the meanwhile: Lent is coming. I have put together a Giving Calendar, working on the church
women's retreat (Feb.5 & 6), and trying to work up Ash Wednesday. Then I need to work on a
sermon for the every Wednesday round -robin preaching at 5 different Lutheran churches. 1 sermon preached 5 times in 5 different churches. And two of those churches have a noon and evening service and we are to do both. Ughhh...and then there's Holy Week and Easter to plan and prep.
   I get tired just thinking about it all. JOY!
   Perhaps, summer will ease things somewhat. One can hope and dream.