Imagine if you will the fading in and out of restless melody... a beat from old stereo turn table stuck in repeat-peat-peat... Josie needed not imagine...
"The bell rang, by door of mind sang, reflection of when, less bright than then." Josie poised qualm laden pen. The bell of door rang.
From desk Josie rose to the bell of call, passed from, "The scene of the crime," as she called her writers desk of late; passed thru dining room, thru the room of living, opened door of the great outside. Josie squinted into early east light. "No one, here?" Josie rubbed eyes, the consequence of the write most of the night. Thru yawn she sighed, "Time to go to bed," closed the door of the great outside.
But instead of bed, called the qualm laden pen. Josie lay not, but sat, and she wrote, "Awash in waves of pout, sinking in unworthy sea of doubt..." The bell of door rang.
From desk Josie rose to the bell of call, passed from, "O' Sea of Doubt," as she contemplated so naming poem; passed thru dining room, thru the room of living, opened door of the great outside. Josie looked and in the east light upon porch railing hopped hope. "A sparrow, here?" Josie eyes smiled an almost rewrite in the morning light. But thru corner of lips a dip she sighed, "So cute, yet so alone," closed the door of the great outside.
But instead of bed, called the qualm laden pen. Josie lay not, but sat, and she wrote, "O' raging sea of doubt, to Jesus' shore spit me out..." The bell of door rang.
From desk Josie rose to the bell of call, passed thru, "Foam of sea upon the sand," described her feet washed in living water, as she passed thru dining room, thru room of living, opened door of the great outside. Josie eyes floated with light a breeze twixt wisteria leaves. "The family, here?" Blue eyes wide, Josie saw the nest; Pa Pa and under Ma Ma wings three babys blessed. Thru lips Josie breathed sweet sigh, "A sparrow, not alone." And Josie no longer closed the door of the great outside.
Get out of the rut of doubt... with Jesus the door of the great outside... to God and His creation...
1) Door of the great outside: John 10:7&9 KJ, Jesus speaking, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." See also: the beautiful Psalm 23 with Psalm 24:1.
2) Josie in Hebrew and French means: May Jehovah Add... addition to family...
3) Psalm 84:3 says that even the sparrow and swallow are welcome to come and nest and raise their young in the Temple of God. How happy are those singing to the Lord in his house.
4) Luke 12:6-7, Jesus says that You are of more value than many sparrows.
5) The time is near... Psalm 102:7 KJ, "I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top." Note: watch in Hebrew = sleepless lookout.
6) No time to waste... For in Matthew 24:27-31 KJ, because he loves us, Jesus warns, "For as the lightning comes out of the east..." Please read this all... God help us... be ready...
7) It's now or never... For as in the days of Noah's ark and the flood ... Matthew 24:37-39
...Heaven would not be heaven, if evil were let in...
...Jesus is the only way to be forgiven...
...The only way of salvation...
...Call upon Him now...
...Jesus...
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Thursday, February 23, 2017
KNEAD
"You sure are rough on it, Grammie." Jen Jen giggled. "Let me try! Let me try!" Doe eyes wide, flour powdered palms on floral apron, like sun lit daisy a dance in end of spring breeze, Jen Jen swayed to AM radio polka-eeze.
Next flour dusted counter top, with back of wrist Grammie dabbed forehead perspiration, took step aside. A step filled by grandchild Jen Jen, who with back of wrist dabbed forehead perspiration.
"A kolache just is not a kolache unless kneaded." Grammie smiled like a persimmon eatin' possum.
"But why, Grammie?" Jen Jen doe eyed wondered. "Oooh, it's so soft, yet heavy." Jen Jen partly answered own question.
"Cause the quality of the kolache lies in the texture of the dough." Grammie wiped hands on apron.
"How, Grammie?" Jen Jen kneaded dough like a kitten kneading milk.
"Kolaches is kind a like people. The warmth we put in is the warmth we get out." As grace of life she did impart, Grammie loved watching her little shadow happily knead dough. "Remember the list of ingredients: 3 packages dry yeast with 1/2 cup warm water, 1 tsp sugar; and 2 sticks butter with 3/4 cup of sugar, 3 egg yolks, 2 3/4 cups scalded milk, a tad over 7 cups flour and 3 tsp salt?"
"Like duh, I remember ever word you've ever said." Jen Jen kneaded merrily away.
"Lord help me, I hope not." Grammie chuckled.
"Every word, Grammie." Jen Jen tee-hee-ed.
"Getting back to the ingredients." Grammie looked to heaven for that help.
"Yeah, that's all good quality stuff." Jen Jen plowed a tad ahead of Grammie furrow of thought. "We get out what we put in. I would have no kolache dough to knead, had we not used the right stuff. And it takes effort." Jen Jen kind a trailed off into rhythm of kneading.
"That's right! A kolache just is not a kolache un..." Grammie almost finished refinished sentence.
"Unless kneaded." Jen Jen sneezed, kneaded and flour dusted her own pug nose with back of hand.
"Bless you," Grammie reflex responded, but rolled eyes and added, "good thing we will bake out all those Jen Jen germs later in the oven."
Jen Jen just giggled, rubbed nose again.
"Sooo, how did we get here... to the kneading part?" Grammie schoolmarm prodded.
"Well duh," Jen Jen kept on kneading, "first, in a tall glass we dessolved the 3 packets of yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water and sprinkled on top the tsp sugar, then set it aside to proof. While that was bubbling, we then in a large bowl creamed the 2 sticks butter with 3/4 cup cup sugar, then added 3 egg yolks, 3 tsp salt and mixed well." Jen Jen took a breath. "Then, like double duh, we added in the yeast sugar water and put the electric mixer to work, slowly mixing all that good stuff together."
"You amaze me. Grammie wishes she had your smarts." Grammie twern't a kidding.
"Yeah, like triple duh." Jen Jen bobbled head, sighed. "Oh, but we were not kneading dough yet! Then it was add the milk and gradually add in the remaining flour as much as could be mixed with a wooden spoon. Until, we be kneading this dough by hand on flour dusted counter top, til smooth and elastic, just like as in now."
"There is a difference between being smart and being a smarty pants, little sneezy duh girl!" Grammie side eyed smiled.
"Yeah, that's true. But you love me anyway." Jen Jen giggled, added, "Duh! Or as in this case: Dough!" She giggled again.
Grammie hugged her smirking shadow, asked, "So, like what's next?"
"Well this is the part where you usually make some analogy, like following a recipe in the kitchen is like following the Bible in real life, if you want to do it right." Jen Jen wide eye grinned. "So the recipe says we place the dough in a butter coated bowl, flip it to coat the other side, then cover with cheese cloth and let rise somewhere between an hour and an hour and a half."
"While that analogy is rising, we have time for some sweet tea sippin' in the swing outback." Grammie invited; under arm hugged that sweet little shadow again.
Under the oak, the kolache creating two kept swing in sync with the breeze rustling leaves, until Jen Jen ground heels in turf. "What is Cooter cat doing? Is he about to eat one of Grammie's chickens?"
Grammie chuckled. "Old black and white Cooter?" She chuckled again. "Those chickens are his sheep. Years ago in this very swing I sat Cooter in my lap, pointed to the chickens at my feet, and told him these are Grammie's babies. Watch over and protect them, I told him. Cooter has been faithful in his duties ever since."
"But he is crouching, as in cat attack?" Jen Jen still invisioned Cooter with mouth full of feathers.
"No," Grammie smiled, "Cooter is lying down like a border collie tending his sheep. But yes, he is ready to attack, attack any predator that messes with his chickens. Just last fall Grammie walked out kitchen door and wondered why all the chickens were clustered close behind Cooter's butt."
"You said butt." Jen Jen snickered like a cartoon hound.
"Yes, they had clustered in a bunch behind Cooter, who ready to pounce stared straight ahead." Grammie looked into Jen Jen rapt doe brown eyes.
"What did Cooter see?" Jen Jen wiggled in seat.
"A huge evil stray gray, he was, an enormous tom cat with brain a itching for a poultry lyching." Grammie paused her story of paws, loved making her smarty pants duh girl squirm.
"What happened?" Jen Jen slapped swing seat with both hands, shook shoulders, huffed. "Did Cooter fight the evil stray gray? Was he hurt? What happened!"
"Grammie screamed!" Grammie did not try to hide sideways lips a smirk.
"Tell me. Tell me!" Jen Jen whined.
"Paw Paw heard me. Came running out back door with broom in hand." Grammie took sweet ice tea sip.
"Did Paw Paw swat the evil stray gray?"
"Didn't get a swing. When he ran out kitchen door it spooked the stray gray. Cooter tore out after him hot on his tail. Paw Paw couldn't swing the broom for fear of hitting Cooter. So here they went, the three of them, one right after the other, running cross pasture toward the creek." Grammie took breath.
"Breathe later Grammie! What happened?" Jen Jen blurted.
"Do you want me to finish this story or not, smarty pants? Grammie feigned irk.
"Gotta love me." Jen Jen snuggled under Grammie arm. Gave her like the best doe eyed look ever.
"You little twerp, God bless, I do love you." Grammie hugged Jen Jen. "I remember like it was tomorrow forever, when you were a baby, how when you spilled milk or potted in drawers, you'd point that cute little baby finger straight at pug nose and offer the most precious excuse, 'Bebe-Bebe! Bebe?'"
"But you digress, Grammie. Evil stray gray, Cooter, Paw Paw, broom, chasing?" Jen Jen reminded.
"Oh, lucky for old Paw Paw the creek wasn't far or he'd a had a heart attack. That stray gray ran down to the creek bank and made mighty leap, but the opposing bank was just too far. Paw Paw said he would have splashed smack dab down in the middle accept fer..."
"Did he swat the stray gray? Did Paw Paw swat the stray gray in mid air?"
"Never got the chance. The stray gray landed square on the snout of a seventeen feet long dirty gray-green gator. City folks don't understand such is life on the ranch an every day struggle twixt the the eater and the eaten. At times even the eater gets eaten."
"That's really gross, Grammie. But chickens were saved; justice was done." Jen Jen tittered twixt the icky and profound. "Tee-hee-ed," her way back to smirk city.
Approximately one hour twenty-nine minutes, fifty nine seconds, 33.3 nano-seconds, and somewhat of a tad later, the tea sipping two rejoined kitchen.
"Time to punch some dough!" Grammie might a been a tad too enthusiastic.
"You sure got a violent streak, Grammie." Jen Jen laughed. "What did that dough ever do to you?"
"Made me to buy bloomers two sizes bigger." Grammie snickered.
Too much information!" Jen Jen arched left brow in Grammie direction. "How bout we administer some justice and punch down that dough. Although I am wondering why?"
"Remember we placed it in this greased bowl to let it rise. But kolaches at this stage require a deflated dough. So punch that dough little duh girl."
Jen Jen let out a few tennis serve grunts, aced the dough punching, more like dough squishing.
"Now we turn out our deflated dough onto lightly floured counter top," Grammie demonstrated, "then we pinch off egg sized pieces and using the palms of our hands roll them into balls, and then indent each one with thumb to make the heart of the kolache," Jen Jen copied Grammie, "and then we place each one on our butter coated baking pan."
A tad latter, "Mission accomplished!" Jen Jen, like lunar landing astronaut, said.
"Not quite, now my precious grandchild brushes dough tops with melted butter, then we cover again and let rise for about an hour."
"Sure is a whole lotta risin' goin' on," Jen Jen sang.
"That is one sad Elvis impression." Grammie chuckled like the cluckle of henhouse hen.
"So Grammie, time for more swing, sweet tea and a story?" Jen Jen wiggled like puppy dog tail.
"Hey, are we going to make kolaches or what?"
"There's more?" Jen Jen arched that left brow, raised right corner of lips, pointed her finger at own pug nose. "Bebe - Bebe!" Made excuse for break.
"No time to give up when the finish line, the poppy seed filling, is in sight." Grammie encouraged.
"I'm just a tired widdle girl." Jen Jen morphed doe eyes wide into liquid pools of soul.
"Kolaches done done in my little helper?" Grammie nearly caved, hugged her, kissed her forehead.
"Yeah, but I think I might be more hungry than tired. So what do we do with this bag of poopy seed?" Jen Jen tee-hee-ed.
"Poppy seed, not poopy seed, you little scamp!" Grammie giggled. Hugged Jen Jen gain.
"No time for hugging, Grammie. My tummy is growling. The recipe says we need 1 1/2 cup poppy seeds, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups milk, 1 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp butter. Let's do it!"
So they did: combine the poppy seeds, milk and sugar and cook till early thickening; then added the butter, then the dissolved in a bit of water flour. Grammie and Jen Jen took turns stirring as needed for near 30 minutes.
"Done?" Jen Jen sighed, hoped.
"Will be as soon as it cools a bit." Grammie sat it aside.
Jen Jen retrieved and set up Paw Paws desk fan from his study to expedite cooling.
"Smart girl." Grammie complemented.
"Starved girl." Jen Jen tummy g-r-r-r-gled.
In a tad of a while Grammie lifted cheese cloth, unveiled risen kolaches. "Ah the heart of the kolache needs filling. Just like all us little kolaches need Jesus."
"You fill my heart Grammie, but I may have to ask Jesus to feed me." Jen Jen almost was not kidding.
"You fill the hearts while Grammie prepares the posypka topping and we will get to the oven sooner." Grammie turned on the oven to preheat to 425 degrees.
While filling kolache hearts with poppy seed filling, Jen Jen kept learning eye on the Grammie-a-nator in fast forward.
"Let's see, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, heaping tsp cinnamon, 2 tbsp butter, mix till resembling coarse meal. Viola, posypka!" Grammie eyes grew wide. "Oops, one little thingy."
"Let's bake 'em!" Jen Jen was one hungry critter.
"Just one more little thingy." Grammie smirked.
"Noooo! No more one little thingies! Bake 'em. Please bake 'em." Jen Jen wound down as if from lack of energy.
"But we must baptize the kolache poppy seed heart with posypka. Takes just a sec." Grammie sprinkled with zest, while Jen Jen clutching baking pan danced impatient polka. The sec Grammie ran out of posypka, Jen Jen almost got open oven door to pop kolaches laden pan in, when...
"Needs 20 minutes rising." Grammie apologetically explained, "The sugar in the posypka reactivates the yeast."
Jen Jen froze, eyes crossed, along with her legs.
"Are you ok?"
"Sweet tea on the swing!" Jen Jen sat down baking pan, hopped like a roo round kitchen corner to loo.
After the river rapids of time whizzed by, Jen Jen had barely re-entered kitchen, when pug nose went to twitchin' and she spied on kitchen table, "Oh yeah, freshly nuked leftover Czech goulash, praha heaven. Thank you Grammie. You are the best Grammie like ever."
"Maybe this will elevate Grammie to sainthood." Grammie glowed, as she sat down tall glass of cold milk on kitchen table; while gathering memories to savor forever.
In a tad less than a while Jen Jen had scarfed down the praha and, "Mm-mmm good," ed thru milk mustache, when...
Grammie interrupted, "Got time to pop these kolaches in the oven?"
"Does a wild grandchild pee in the loo?" Jen Jen hopped from seat.
"You scampered over here like a gerbil to cheese." Grammie smile sighed mixture of amusement and pure love.
In both hands Jen Jen grasped kolache laden baking sheet, Grammie opened oven. Jen Jen sat in baking sheet. Grammie gently closed door.
"How long?" Jen Jen still had that hungry squirrel drooling over an acorn look.
"At 425 preheated degrees, about 12 to 15 minutes till we polka down the Posypka Road to Kolache Land." Grammie teased.
Jen Jen groaned, took her arm, "Duh, your metaphors have slapped your similes silly, Grammie."
14 minutes, 53 seconds later, Jen Jen opened oven, released intoxicating fresh baked kolache aroma, Oven mitten clad Grammie reached in, pulled out, "Just a little bit of the promised land." She proclaimed. Jen Jen brushed on melted butter, then the mouth watering waiting to semi-cooling began.
One eye on kolaches, the other tending clean-up, Jen Jen and Grammie polka-ed from flour dusted mess to sparkling kitchen land, while sharing tasty tid bits of family history:
"You know it took your Mommy nine months to bake her little kolache in tummy oven."
"Duh, and she stirred in a whole lotta sugar to make me." Jen Jen was in mid tee-hee, when...
Screen door abruptly swung open, cap wearing head stuck in, "My kolache radar never fails."
"If you mean by radar that big old Paw Paw snoozola of yours." Jen Jen squealed, ran into his arms, knocked cap off his head, squeezed till Paw Paw eyes near popped out.
Jen Jen blessed his nose with kisses, hopped down, grabbed kolache in each hand, gave one to Paw Paw, one to Grammie, hopped back, grabbed two more and... took starving scarf out of each one. Poppy seed and posypka squished out mouth, ran down her chin.
Grammie praised, "Serving Paw Paw and me first; Jen Jen, you are so preciously unselfish."
"I'm no sailfish!" Jen Jen tee-hee-ed right into nother delicious kolache double bite.
"Did you see?" Paw Paw lovingly kneaded Grammie shoulder and neck.
"The kolache in each hand." Grammie felt it too.
"Think the Lord is telling us to tell her?" Paw Paw tad more than wondered.
"Tell me what?" Jen Jen took nother double bite.
Grammie and Paw Paw into each others eyes looked; took turn of tee-hee all their own.
"What?" Jen Jen mumbled thru mouthful of poppy seed posypka sweet kolache heart.
Grammie patted flour dusted apron over swollen tummy, gave blessed answer, "You may be getting a new aunt or uncle soon."
"Maybe one of each," Paw Paw eyes beamed.
As Jen Jen's kolache munching slowed, so grew her doe eyes wide... into liquid pools of soul... Jen Jen hugged her Grammie, said, "I thought you were just getting fat!" The giggling ensued.
"Lord help us all," Grammie laughed for joy, looked to heaven, "thank you Jesus."
The sweet heart of pillow soft supple dough... the kolache filled with fruit...
So should we be all... kneaded by the Creator... filled with Jesus...
Where did the inspiration for this little story come from? In the Bible, the adventures of 100 year Abraham and 90 year old wife Sarah are totally true and like totally awesome. Why would Sarah knead meal to cake? Why would she laugh within her heart? Were they at advanced age to have a son named Isaac, whose name meant laughter? And why? And why, O'My!!! Will you read and also laugh within your heart: Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-5...
And why, O'MY!!! 2000 years later a certain descendant of Abraham and Sarah would be blessed with child. That young lady was and is Mary, whose name in Hebrew means: Wished For Child... Thank you Jesus...
...No thing is too difficult for the LORD...
Next flour dusted counter top, with back of wrist Grammie dabbed forehead perspiration, took step aside. A step filled by grandchild Jen Jen, who with back of wrist dabbed forehead perspiration.
"A kolache just is not a kolache unless kneaded." Grammie smiled like a persimmon eatin' possum.
"But why, Grammie?" Jen Jen doe eyed wondered. "Oooh, it's so soft, yet heavy." Jen Jen partly answered own question.
"Cause the quality of the kolache lies in the texture of the dough." Grammie wiped hands on apron.
"How, Grammie?" Jen Jen kneaded dough like a kitten kneading milk.
"Kolaches is kind a like people. The warmth we put in is the warmth we get out." As grace of life she did impart, Grammie loved watching her little shadow happily knead dough. "Remember the list of ingredients: 3 packages dry yeast with 1/2 cup warm water, 1 tsp sugar; and 2 sticks butter with 3/4 cup of sugar, 3 egg yolks, 2 3/4 cups scalded milk, a tad over 7 cups flour and 3 tsp salt?"
"Like duh, I remember ever word you've ever said." Jen Jen kneaded merrily away.
"Lord help me, I hope not." Grammie chuckled.
"Every word, Grammie." Jen Jen tee-hee-ed.
"Getting back to the ingredients." Grammie looked to heaven for that help.
"Yeah, that's all good quality stuff." Jen Jen plowed a tad ahead of Grammie furrow of thought. "We get out what we put in. I would have no kolache dough to knead, had we not used the right stuff. And it takes effort." Jen Jen kind a trailed off into rhythm of kneading.
"That's right! A kolache just is not a kolache un..." Grammie almost finished refinished sentence.
"Unless kneaded." Jen Jen sneezed, kneaded and flour dusted her own pug nose with back of hand.
"Bless you," Grammie reflex responded, but rolled eyes and added, "good thing we will bake out all those Jen Jen germs later in the oven."
Jen Jen just giggled, rubbed nose again.
"Sooo, how did we get here... to the kneading part?" Grammie schoolmarm prodded.
"Well duh," Jen Jen kept on kneading, "first, in a tall glass we dessolved the 3 packets of yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water and sprinkled on top the tsp sugar, then set it aside to proof. While that was bubbling, we then in a large bowl creamed the 2 sticks butter with 3/4 cup cup sugar, then added 3 egg yolks, 3 tsp salt and mixed well." Jen Jen took a breath. "Then, like double duh, we added in the yeast sugar water and put the electric mixer to work, slowly mixing all that good stuff together."
"You amaze me. Grammie wishes she had your smarts." Grammie twern't a kidding.
"Yeah, like triple duh." Jen Jen bobbled head, sighed. "Oh, but we were not kneading dough yet! Then it was add the milk and gradually add in the remaining flour as much as could be mixed with a wooden spoon. Until, we be kneading this dough by hand on flour dusted counter top, til smooth and elastic, just like as in now."
"There is a difference between being smart and being a smarty pants, little sneezy duh girl!" Grammie side eyed smiled.
"Yeah, that's true. But you love me anyway." Jen Jen giggled, added, "Duh! Or as in this case: Dough!" She giggled again.
Grammie hugged her smirking shadow, asked, "So, like what's next?"
"Well this is the part where you usually make some analogy, like following a recipe in the kitchen is like following the Bible in real life, if you want to do it right." Jen Jen wide eye grinned. "So the recipe says we place the dough in a butter coated bowl, flip it to coat the other side, then cover with cheese cloth and let rise somewhere between an hour and an hour and a half."
"While that analogy is rising, we have time for some sweet tea sippin' in the swing outback." Grammie invited; under arm hugged that sweet little shadow again.
Under the oak, the kolache creating two kept swing in sync with the breeze rustling leaves, until Jen Jen ground heels in turf. "What is Cooter cat doing? Is he about to eat one of Grammie's chickens?"
Grammie chuckled. "Old black and white Cooter?" She chuckled again. "Those chickens are his sheep. Years ago in this very swing I sat Cooter in my lap, pointed to the chickens at my feet, and told him these are Grammie's babies. Watch over and protect them, I told him. Cooter has been faithful in his duties ever since."
"But he is crouching, as in cat attack?" Jen Jen still invisioned Cooter with mouth full of feathers.
"No," Grammie smiled, "Cooter is lying down like a border collie tending his sheep. But yes, he is ready to attack, attack any predator that messes with his chickens. Just last fall Grammie walked out kitchen door and wondered why all the chickens were clustered close behind Cooter's butt."
"You said butt." Jen Jen snickered like a cartoon hound.
"Yes, they had clustered in a bunch behind Cooter, who ready to pounce stared straight ahead." Grammie looked into Jen Jen rapt doe brown eyes.
"What did Cooter see?" Jen Jen wiggled in seat.
"A huge evil stray gray, he was, an enormous tom cat with brain a itching for a poultry lyching." Grammie paused her story of paws, loved making her smarty pants duh girl squirm.
"What happened?" Jen Jen slapped swing seat with both hands, shook shoulders, huffed. "Did Cooter fight the evil stray gray? Was he hurt? What happened!"
"Grammie screamed!" Grammie did not try to hide sideways lips a smirk.
"Tell me. Tell me!" Jen Jen whined.
"Paw Paw heard me. Came running out back door with broom in hand." Grammie took sweet ice tea sip.
"Did Paw Paw swat the evil stray gray?"
"Didn't get a swing. When he ran out kitchen door it spooked the stray gray. Cooter tore out after him hot on his tail. Paw Paw couldn't swing the broom for fear of hitting Cooter. So here they went, the three of them, one right after the other, running cross pasture toward the creek." Grammie took breath.
"Breathe later Grammie! What happened?" Jen Jen blurted.
"Do you want me to finish this story or not, smarty pants? Grammie feigned irk.
"Gotta love me." Jen Jen snuggled under Grammie arm. Gave her like the best doe eyed look ever.
"You little twerp, God bless, I do love you." Grammie hugged Jen Jen. "I remember like it was tomorrow forever, when you were a baby, how when you spilled milk or potted in drawers, you'd point that cute little baby finger straight at pug nose and offer the most precious excuse, 'Bebe-Bebe! Bebe?'"
"But you digress, Grammie. Evil stray gray, Cooter, Paw Paw, broom, chasing?" Jen Jen reminded.
"Oh, lucky for old Paw Paw the creek wasn't far or he'd a had a heart attack. That stray gray ran down to the creek bank and made mighty leap, but the opposing bank was just too far. Paw Paw said he would have splashed smack dab down in the middle accept fer..."
"Did he swat the stray gray? Did Paw Paw swat the stray gray in mid air?"
"Never got the chance. The stray gray landed square on the snout of a seventeen feet long dirty gray-green gator. City folks don't understand such is life on the ranch an every day struggle twixt the the eater and the eaten. At times even the eater gets eaten."
"That's really gross, Grammie. But chickens were saved; justice was done." Jen Jen tittered twixt the icky and profound. "Tee-hee-ed," her way back to smirk city.
Approximately one hour twenty-nine minutes, fifty nine seconds, 33.3 nano-seconds, and somewhat of a tad later, the tea sipping two rejoined kitchen.
"Time to punch some dough!" Grammie might a been a tad too enthusiastic.
"You sure got a violent streak, Grammie." Jen Jen laughed. "What did that dough ever do to you?"
"Made me to buy bloomers two sizes bigger." Grammie snickered.
Too much information!" Jen Jen arched left brow in Grammie direction. "How bout we administer some justice and punch down that dough. Although I am wondering why?"
"Remember we placed it in this greased bowl to let it rise. But kolaches at this stage require a deflated dough. So punch that dough little duh girl."
Jen Jen let out a few tennis serve grunts, aced the dough punching, more like dough squishing.
"Now we turn out our deflated dough onto lightly floured counter top," Grammie demonstrated, "then we pinch off egg sized pieces and using the palms of our hands roll them into balls, and then indent each one with thumb to make the heart of the kolache," Jen Jen copied Grammie, "and then we place each one on our butter coated baking pan."
A tad latter, "Mission accomplished!" Jen Jen, like lunar landing astronaut, said.
"Not quite, now my precious grandchild brushes dough tops with melted butter, then we cover again and let rise for about an hour."
"Sure is a whole lotta risin' goin' on," Jen Jen sang.
"That is one sad Elvis impression." Grammie chuckled like the cluckle of henhouse hen.
"So Grammie, time for more swing, sweet tea and a story?" Jen Jen wiggled like puppy dog tail.
"Hey, are we going to make kolaches or what?"
"There's more?" Jen Jen arched that left brow, raised right corner of lips, pointed her finger at own pug nose. "Bebe - Bebe!" Made excuse for break.
"No time to give up when the finish line, the poppy seed filling, is in sight." Grammie encouraged.
"I'm just a tired widdle girl." Jen Jen morphed doe eyes wide into liquid pools of soul.
"Kolaches done done in my little helper?" Grammie nearly caved, hugged her, kissed her forehead.
"Yeah, but I think I might be more hungry than tired. So what do we do with this bag of poopy seed?" Jen Jen tee-hee-ed.
"Poppy seed, not poopy seed, you little scamp!" Grammie giggled. Hugged Jen Jen gain.
"No time for hugging, Grammie. My tummy is growling. The recipe says we need 1 1/2 cup poppy seeds, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups milk, 1 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp butter. Let's do it!"
So they did: combine the poppy seeds, milk and sugar and cook till early thickening; then added the butter, then the dissolved in a bit of water flour. Grammie and Jen Jen took turns stirring as needed for near 30 minutes.
"Done?" Jen Jen sighed, hoped.
"Will be as soon as it cools a bit." Grammie sat it aside.
Jen Jen retrieved and set up Paw Paws desk fan from his study to expedite cooling.
"Smart girl." Grammie complemented.
"Starved girl." Jen Jen tummy g-r-r-r-gled.
In a tad of a while Grammie lifted cheese cloth, unveiled risen kolaches. "Ah the heart of the kolache needs filling. Just like all us little kolaches need Jesus."
"You fill my heart Grammie, but I may have to ask Jesus to feed me." Jen Jen almost was not kidding.
"You fill the hearts while Grammie prepares the posypka topping and we will get to the oven sooner." Grammie turned on the oven to preheat to 425 degrees.
While filling kolache hearts with poppy seed filling, Jen Jen kept learning eye on the Grammie-a-nator in fast forward.
"Let's see, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, heaping tsp cinnamon, 2 tbsp butter, mix till resembling coarse meal. Viola, posypka!" Grammie eyes grew wide. "Oops, one little thingy."
"Let's bake 'em!" Jen Jen was one hungry critter.
"Just one more little thingy." Grammie smirked.
"Noooo! No more one little thingies! Bake 'em. Please bake 'em." Jen Jen wound down as if from lack of energy.
"But we must baptize the kolache poppy seed heart with posypka. Takes just a sec." Grammie sprinkled with zest, while Jen Jen clutching baking pan danced impatient polka. The sec Grammie ran out of posypka, Jen Jen almost got open oven door to pop kolaches laden pan in, when...
"Needs 20 minutes rising." Grammie apologetically explained, "The sugar in the posypka reactivates the yeast."
Jen Jen froze, eyes crossed, along with her legs.
"Are you ok?"
"Sweet tea on the swing!" Jen Jen sat down baking pan, hopped like a roo round kitchen corner to loo.
After the river rapids of time whizzed by, Jen Jen had barely re-entered kitchen, when pug nose went to twitchin' and she spied on kitchen table, "Oh yeah, freshly nuked leftover Czech goulash, praha heaven. Thank you Grammie. You are the best Grammie like ever."
"Maybe this will elevate Grammie to sainthood." Grammie glowed, as she sat down tall glass of cold milk on kitchen table; while gathering memories to savor forever.
In a tad less than a while Jen Jen had scarfed down the praha and, "Mm-mmm good," ed thru milk mustache, when...
Grammie interrupted, "Got time to pop these kolaches in the oven?"
"Does a wild grandchild pee in the loo?" Jen Jen hopped from seat.
"You scampered over here like a gerbil to cheese." Grammie smile sighed mixture of amusement and pure love.
In both hands Jen Jen grasped kolache laden baking sheet, Grammie opened oven. Jen Jen sat in baking sheet. Grammie gently closed door.
"How long?" Jen Jen still had that hungry squirrel drooling over an acorn look.
"At 425 preheated degrees, about 12 to 15 minutes till we polka down the Posypka Road to Kolache Land." Grammie teased.
Jen Jen groaned, took her arm, "Duh, your metaphors have slapped your similes silly, Grammie."
14 minutes, 53 seconds later, Jen Jen opened oven, released intoxicating fresh baked kolache aroma, Oven mitten clad Grammie reached in, pulled out, "Just a little bit of the promised land." She proclaimed. Jen Jen brushed on melted butter, then the mouth watering waiting to semi-cooling began.
One eye on kolaches, the other tending clean-up, Jen Jen and Grammie polka-ed from flour dusted mess to sparkling kitchen land, while sharing tasty tid bits of family history:
"You know it took your Mommy nine months to bake her little kolache in tummy oven."
"Duh, and she stirred in a whole lotta sugar to make me." Jen Jen was in mid tee-hee, when...
Screen door abruptly swung open, cap wearing head stuck in, "My kolache radar never fails."
"If you mean by radar that big old Paw Paw snoozola of yours." Jen Jen squealed, ran into his arms, knocked cap off his head, squeezed till Paw Paw eyes near popped out.
Jen Jen blessed his nose with kisses, hopped down, grabbed kolache in each hand, gave one to Paw Paw, one to Grammie, hopped back, grabbed two more and... took starving scarf out of each one. Poppy seed and posypka squished out mouth, ran down her chin.
Grammie praised, "Serving Paw Paw and me first; Jen Jen, you are so preciously unselfish."
"I'm no sailfish!" Jen Jen tee-hee-ed right into nother delicious kolache double bite.
"Did you see?" Paw Paw lovingly kneaded Grammie shoulder and neck.
"The kolache in each hand." Grammie felt it too.
"Think the Lord is telling us to tell her?" Paw Paw tad more than wondered.
"Tell me what?" Jen Jen took nother double bite.
Grammie and Paw Paw into each others eyes looked; took turn of tee-hee all their own.
"What?" Jen Jen mumbled thru mouthful of poppy seed posypka sweet kolache heart.
Grammie patted flour dusted apron over swollen tummy, gave blessed answer, "You may be getting a new aunt or uncle soon."
"Maybe one of each," Paw Paw eyes beamed.
As Jen Jen's kolache munching slowed, so grew her doe eyes wide... into liquid pools of soul... Jen Jen hugged her Grammie, said, "I thought you were just getting fat!" The giggling ensued.
"Lord help us all," Grammie laughed for joy, looked to heaven, "thank you Jesus."
The sweet heart of pillow soft supple dough... the kolache filled with fruit...
So should we be all... kneaded by the Creator... filled with Jesus...
Where did the inspiration for this little story come from? In the Bible, the adventures of 100 year Abraham and 90 year old wife Sarah are totally true and like totally awesome. Why would Sarah knead meal to cake? Why would she laugh within her heart? Were they at advanced age to have a son named Isaac, whose name meant laughter? And why? And why, O'My!!! Will you read and also laugh within your heart: Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-5...
And why, O'MY!!! 2000 years later a certain descendant of Abraham and Sarah would be blessed with child. That young lady was and is Mary, whose name in Hebrew means: Wished For Child... Thank you Jesus...
...No thing is too difficult for the LORD...
Thursday, January 19, 2017
JUST PEACHY... TASTE AND SEE
"Grilled on the hot seat, frozen by cold shoulder, odd how hot and cold add seasoning to season?" Peche dug spoon in bowl, dug deeper into wife's irritation, took nother bite.
"You got peach juice running down your chin! I just sliced those up for the cobbler!" Georgia Perzik huffed, mumbled lament, "It 'was' marinating with cinnamon and nutmeg." From cupboard she retrieved flour, sat it beside milk on counter top.
"But it tastes so good," Peche grinned as he munched away. Heating up the wife in the kitchen was such fun. My how he loved her petite yet plush Cornish hen figure, as she flounced fain ire.
"Peche, you are a sneaky peach cobbler filling pilferer!" Georgia puffed at pony tail escaped strand of auburn. She tried not to smile at husband's most recent shenanigan.
"But I am the Peche," the near golden skin and too blond spiked hair of the Peche glowed in the sunlight framed by kitchen window. He offered, "I tell you what. The Peche will re-prepare the peaches. You just tell me what to do and we do together."
Atonement for bad behavior should be' so easy," Georgia no longer hid smile, "but you are forgiven." And blessing clung to her thoughts as she commanded, "So okay, real simple, slice up about four cups of those up river peaches that Jana and Daryll dropped off after church. Then stir in a tad more than a dash or two of cinnamon, and a dash of nutmeg. It needs to sit for a bit." Her smile grew. "Think you can handle that Mr. Peach Poacher?"
"Chef Peche to the rescue." The Peche sidled up next wife, planted peach sticky kiss to the prize freckles of Georgia neck.
"Get away," Georgia giggled, gave him elbow. "Save some of that energy for later this evening when Jana and Daryll bring their hand cranked ice cream maker. I want this peach cobbler nice and hot to melt that homemade ice cream topping."
"But," Peche tried snuggling closer. Again elbow nudged ribs
"Focus, old man! Those peaches are not going to re-prepare themselves." Georgia smiled, gave the Peche peck on cheek.
"Ahh, the Georgia peach peck, as in I love you but... work to be done." Peche sighed, from the basket next counter retrieved fresh orchard peaches, added, "Yet, so sweet is the work."
"Meanwhile back at the ranch, er lavender ranch that is." Georgia rebooted, took pause, gazed thru kitchen window oer lavender field to the Pedernales River below; and thought out loud, "Thank you, Jesus." And so refreshed, in mixing bowl she then added, "Let's see: 1 cup sugar... 1/4 tsp salt... 1 tsp baking powder... 3/4 cup flour... stir it up... and now beat in 3/4 cup of milk till all the lumpy lumps be gone."
"My beautiful wife bout ready for these peaches?" Peche held forth tad over four cups bowl of re-prepared peaches.
"Aah, my favorite lump of all is one swift peach slicing machine." Georgia finished batter beating.
"Ready for the Peche to stir in for you these-a 'so sweet-a' sliced peaches?" A tad over eager Peche again asked, grasped wooden spoon, readied for action.
"Give me that bowl." Georgia snatched it from him in the nick of premature mixing. "Step away from the batter, lump boy." She commanded, then sat bowl on counter top. "First we pull from the oven," she turned, opened oven door, "this two quart casserole dish with 1/4 pound melted butter in its belly. Then... then we without stirring pour in the batter... a reminder: without stirring... then we spoon on the fresh sliced peaches over the top of the batter... and note: this too is a no stir zone. Then all we got to do is put it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until the top is light to medium brown..."
The door bell rang... the wine enjoyed... the homemade french vanilla ice cream hand churned... and my oh my in the sweet by and by, that ice cream topped hot peach cobbler. But before they supped, with hands joined, guests Jana and Daryll with hosts Georgia and the Peche stood at back porch railing; eyes set upon golden sunset oer the Pedernales River; as they sang thanks giving: "O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed are they that trust in him." Psalm 34:8
Slow down... enjoy life... praise the One who giveth it... Father, Son, Holy Spirit...
Note: In the Texas Hill Country lie the scenic rapids and falls of the Pedernales. More than a tad are the peach orchards, wineries and lavender ranches that line river bank. I think of it as: The Heart of God's Country.
Our characters take a bow:
Georgia - a Georgia peach transplanted to Texas
The Peche - French for peach
Last name Perzik - Dutch for peach
Jana and Daryll - the neighbor peach orchard wranglers... Read their story, "Every Peach Has Its Pit" August 2015 in the menu at pawpawcorner.blogspot.com or just click the title top left of page...
May God bless ya'll peaches, everyone... in Jesus precious name...
"You got peach juice running down your chin! I just sliced those up for the cobbler!" Georgia Perzik huffed, mumbled lament, "It 'was' marinating with cinnamon and nutmeg." From cupboard she retrieved flour, sat it beside milk on counter top.
"But it tastes so good," Peche grinned as he munched away. Heating up the wife in the kitchen was such fun. My how he loved her petite yet plush Cornish hen figure, as she flounced fain ire.
"Peche, you are a sneaky peach cobbler filling pilferer!" Georgia puffed at pony tail escaped strand of auburn. She tried not to smile at husband's most recent shenanigan.
"But I am the Peche," the near golden skin and too blond spiked hair of the Peche glowed in the sunlight framed by kitchen window. He offered, "I tell you what. The Peche will re-prepare the peaches. You just tell me what to do and we do together."
Atonement for bad behavior should be' so easy," Georgia no longer hid smile, "but you are forgiven." And blessing clung to her thoughts as she commanded, "So okay, real simple, slice up about four cups of those up river peaches that Jana and Daryll dropped off after church. Then stir in a tad more than a dash or two of cinnamon, and a dash of nutmeg. It needs to sit for a bit." Her smile grew. "Think you can handle that Mr. Peach Poacher?"
"Chef Peche to the rescue." The Peche sidled up next wife, planted peach sticky kiss to the prize freckles of Georgia neck.
"Get away," Georgia giggled, gave him elbow. "Save some of that energy for later this evening when Jana and Daryll bring their hand cranked ice cream maker. I want this peach cobbler nice and hot to melt that homemade ice cream topping."
"But," Peche tried snuggling closer. Again elbow nudged ribs
"Focus, old man! Those peaches are not going to re-prepare themselves." Georgia smiled, gave the Peche peck on cheek.
"Ahh, the Georgia peach peck, as in I love you but... work to be done." Peche sighed, from the basket next counter retrieved fresh orchard peaches, added, "Yet, so sweet is the work."
"Meanwhile back at the ranch, er lavender ranch that is." Georgia rebooted, took pause, gazed thru kitchen window oer lavender field to the Pedernales River below; and thought out loud, "Thank you, Jesus." And so refreshed, in mixing bowl she then added, "Let's see: 1 cup sugar... 1/4 tsp salt... 1 tsp baking powder... 3/4 cup flour... stir it up... and now beat in 3/4 cup of milk till all the lumpy lumps be gone."
"My beautiful wife bout ready for these peaches?" Peche held forth tad over four cups bowl of re-prepared peaches.
"Aah, my favorite lump of all is one swift peach slicing machine." Georgia finished batter beating.
"Ready for the Peche to stir in for you these-a 'so sweet-a' sliced peaches?" A tad over eager Peche again asked, grasped wooden spoon, readied for action.
"Give me that bowl." Georgia snatched it from him in the nick of premature mixing. "Step away from the batter, lump boy." She commanded, then sat bowl on counter top. "First we pull from the oven," she turned, opened oven door, "this two quart casserole dish with 1/4 pound melted butter in its belly. Then... then we without stirring pour in the batter... a reminder: without stirring... then we spoon on the fresh sliced peaches over the top of the batter... and note: this too is a no stir zone. Then all we got to do is put it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until the top is light to medium brown..."
The door bell rang... the wine enjoyed... the homemade french vanilla ice cream hand churned... and my oh my in the sweet by and by, that ice cream topped hot peach cobbler. But before they supped, with hands joined, guests Jana and Daryll with hosts Georgia and the Peche stood at back porch railing; eyes set upon golden sunset oer the Pedernales River; as they sang thanks giving: "O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed are they that trust in him." Psalm 34:8
Slow down... enjoy life... praise the One who giveth it... Father, Son, Holy Spirit...
Note: In the Texas Hill Country lie the scenic rapids and falls of the Pedernales. More than a tad are the peach orchards, wineries and lavender ranches that line river bank. I think of it as: The Heart of God's Country.
Our characters take a bow:
Georgia - a Georgia peach transplanted to Texas
The Peche - French for peach
Last name Perzik - Dutch for peach
Jana and Daryll - the neighbor peach orchard wranglers... Read their story, "Every Peach Has Its Pit" August 2015 in the menu at pawpawcorner.blogspot.com or just click the title top left of page...
May God bless ya'll peaches, everyone... in Jesus precious name...
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
COMA BOB
Coma Bob and the Cosmic Donut
"Well, Coma Bob," soft lips caressed ear, "next time maybe, just maybeee you might listen to me."
Arc of lightning charred brain. Acrid ash, pile of once gray matter, puffed remnant smoke. Bitter sweet sap gagged deep the back of his throat. From toes to nose Bob spasmed, tried to wretch. Nothing came up. Nothing. He struggled to pull out tube from nose, pull out the IV from vein, but arms were tethered. "Where?" he choked out. "What?" he begged. And then past worse the question bled, "Who am I?" he tried to wretch again.
"Well, coma Bob," soft lips echo caressed ear, "next time maybe, just maybeee you might listen to me."
Strangely soothing, that sweet reverberating I told you so, slowed Bob's spinning brain. His eyes opened to halo of light entangled in the tangled strawberry blond hair of the angel there. A chiding nightingale, whose melody sang gentle, yet harsh, "Likely as not a smidge of a tad is not a lot, yet comeupance bought."
"Likely as not a smidge of a tad is not a lot, never hurt nobody," Bob repeated his spin on the phrase that he had uttered only, when was it, just before stuffing nother maple glazed donut past already maple glazed lips. His memory rippled aftershock. That tangled hair angel seemed bit more familiar there.
That angel glared down at him, chastened with sweet almost song, "Yes Bobby, your name is Bobby, Bobby Lee the donut pig, who almost grew wings and flew from Cosmic Donut Land right into Bobby Lee cemetery.
"Fraulein Heather?" Bob squirmed under the sheets, mustered sideways grin. "I should a knowed. Nobody bites butt better than my fraulein."
"That's Frau Heather to you. Do not call me girlfriend. I am your loving wife. Got it!" One miffed, yet relieved, hefty Frau Heather with cherry pursed lips puffed at stray strand of hair.
"But you are my best friend," Bob lathered on the sweet cream butter.
"Sometimes I want to pinch your head off, Bobby Lee," Heather sniffled. "and the next time you pig out on three baker's dozen maple glazed donuts in a row and wash it down with that third chocolate malt, I will, I swear I will." Water fall trickled down cheeks of Heather.
"Now, now Heath, a smidge of a tad ain't all that bad. Just cause I got ate up in the sugar feeding frenzy don't mean I'll eat over a near baker's dozen next time." Bob semi-promised.
"Near baker's dozen?" Heather wiped tears with back of wrist before the growl revved up. "Bobby Lee, you do that, and you die on me, I swear I will kill you!"
"You are a hoot, Heather," the not so long ago in coma Bob smirked. "In fact from now on I'm calling you Hoot Heather."
"Hoot Heather? I may just kill you now." Heather arched left eyebrow, nodded, embraced strangulation urge. "You do know your arms are still tethered." Heather crazy smiled that too toothy smile, fang punctuated. She reached over, scooted call button a fraction of a tad not near enough for Bob fingers to tap. She climbed aboard bed, straddled him. Her hands stood on finger tips on his wrists. They began a walkin', walkin' up his forearms, fingernails leaving indentation trail.
And Hoot Heather did sing, "La la la, la la tee da, your Cosmic Donut Land is way out of hand..."
"Where's the cheese, extra sugar please." Bob gasped, "Wha wha wha, what was that?"
"Would you like pizza with that cheese, coffee with that sugar?" Heather fingers sashayed past Bobby Lee elbow pits.
"Sweet Frau Heather, you be a scarin' me." Bob tried kicking free, but his legs were tethered too.
"La la la, la la tee da, coma Bob dream awash in waves of macchiato cream, lapping tan sugar beaches of Cosmic Donut Land... capital city Sugar Topia, where there is no mopia... Cosmic, O' Cosmic Donut Land to thee we scream more sugar, heavy on that sap of maple... C. D. Land where no donut tis bland... O' Cosmic, O' Cosmic Donut Land..." Icy Heather eyes blew blue cool. Her fingers danced past Bobby Lee shoulders, wrapped around his neck.
"That tickle... a-eck-eck-eck... Hea...yo...chockin-gggg...mm..." Bobby Lee sugar and cream brain spiraled down drain.
"One boa constrictor hug for one rat neck!" Heather squeezed.
Mind spinning near eternal ether of dream... Bob heard familiar echo...
"Well coma Bob," soft lips caressed his ear, "next time maybe, just maybeee you might listen to me."
Strangely soothing that sweet reverberating voice of I told you so slowed Coma Bob's spinning brain. His eyes opened to halo of light entangled in the tangled strawberry blond hair of the angel there. A chiding nightingale whose melody sang gentle, yet harsh, "Likely as not a smidge of a tad is not a lot, yet comeupance bought."
(Reader aside: A pretentiously irritating The End??? NOPE, my editor wife and that Great Author of us all in His heavens commanded no leaving Bob in an endless loop of coma nightmare.) So...
"I love you, Heather," Bobby Lee coughed out ploy for self preservation.
In fit of joy that angel there, that frau named Heather, halted the choking of Bobby Lee, and hugged and kissed, and squeezed and squished his face tight to ample bosom.
Bobby Lee, tethered to bed and all, grasped at gasp, but alas, smothered in love, he breathed his last.
(Reader aside: The End??? Over ruled again! No killing old Coma Bob. OK already!)
Bobby Lee arms would have flailed to escape smothering embrace had his arms not been to bed tethered. But he did manage to turn face aside, half whisper, half choke out, "You are smothering me," then sneak in air a while... while...
"Now I do not want to sound too preachy," Heather preachily said, "because no one can nag you to good health, be it physical or spiritual. But even a tad of a smidge of sin, leads to more sin, kinda like that one more than a baker's three dozen maple glazed donuts. And like filling one grave with dirt from another grave, so is that maladjusted justification: a smidge of a tad is not a lot. Too much is never enough, Bobby Lee. The cult of sugar tis tasty poison. For sweet is the drink of more, till it grows to unforgiving sea, where awash in waves of sensation, feelings numb, beauty fades, and love drowns. So put down that baker's three dozen maple glazed donuts, shun that second and third chocolate malt, sheath that cell phone, kiss a loved one, hug a neighbor. But first in morning waking and last at rest of night, thank our Heavenly Father for your life, and even for me, your wife. Love God and love one another as Jesus commanded. For there is only one way out of the nightmare coma loop of sin... His name is Jesus..."
Quote Bobby Lee, "There is more to life than sugar, please forgive your child, Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus."
"Praise the LORD," quote the nightingale angel there.
Last aside to the reader: Well I guess by now you know I did not like the character Coma Bob very much, probably because he reminds me of me. For artistic flavor I really did want to leave him in an endless nightmare coma loop; over ruled. Then in rebellion I wanted to kill him off. But unlike that self of so called humanity, our LORD would that all come to salvation, even those la-la-ing thru Cosmic Donut Land. God's love is pretty grand... John 3:16 KJV, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that who so ever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Like to read a whale of a true story? The book of "Jonah" in the Bible is only three action packed pages long. Tells of an obstinate, rebellious, self-righteous little man, who would rather be thrown from ship into raging sea than deliver ...God's only eight word message to save a wicked city... That is the book of Jonah in the B-I-B-L-E.
"Well, Coma Bob," soft lips caressed ear, "next time maybe, just maybeee you might listen to me."
Arc of lightning charred brain. Acrid ash, pile of once gray matter, puffed remnant smoke. Bitter sweet sap gagged deep the back of his throat. From toes to nose Bob spasmed, tried to wretch. Nothing came up. Nothing. He struggled to pull out tube from nose, pull out the IV from vein, but arms were tethered. "Where?" he choked out. "What?" he begged. And then past worse the question bled, "Who am I?" he tried to wretch again.
"Well, coma Bob," soft lips echo caressed ear, "next time maybe, just maybeee you might listen to me."
Strangely soothing, that sweet reverberating I told you so, slowed Bob's spinning brain. His eyes opened to halo of light entangled in the tangled strawberry blond hair of the angel there. A chiding nightingale, whose melody sang gentle, yet harsh, "Likely as not a smidge of a tad is not a lot, yet comeupance bought."
"Likely as not a smidge of a tad is not a lot, never hurt nobody," Bob repeated his spin on the phrase that he had uttered only, when was it, just before stuffing nother maple glazed donut past already maple glazed lips. His memory rippled aftershock. That tangled hair angel seemed bit more familiar there.
That angel glared down at him, chastened with sweet almost song, "Yes Bobby, your name is Bobby, Bobby Lee the donut pig, who almost grew wings and flew from Cosmic Donut Land right into Bobby Lee cemetery.
"Fraulein Heather?" Bob squirmed under the sheets, mustered sideways grin. "I should a knowed. Nobody bites butt better than my fraulein."
"That's Frau Heather to you. Do not call me girlfriend. I am your loving wife. Got it!" One miffed, yet relieved, hefty Frau Heather with cherry pursed lips puffed at stray strand of hair.
"But you are my best friend," Bob lathered on the sweet cream butter.
"Sometimes I want to pinch your head off, Bobby Lee," Heather sniffled. "and the next time you pig out on three baker's dozen maple glazed donuts in a row and wash it down with that third chocolate malt, I will, I swear I will." Water fall trickled down cheeks of Heather.
"Now, now Heath, a smidge of a tad ain't all that bad. Just cause I got ate up in the sugar feeding frenzy don't mean I'll eat over a near baker's dozen next time." Bob semi-promised.
"Near baker's dozen?" Heather wiped tears with back of wrist before the growl revved up. "Bobby Lee, you do that, and you die on me, I swear I will kill you!"
"You are a hoot, Heather," the not so long ago in coma Bob smirked. "In fact from now on I'm calling you Hoot Heather."
"Hoot Heather? I may just kill you now." Heather arched left eyebrow, nodded, embraced strangulation urge. "You do know your arms are still tethered." Heather crazy smiled that too toothy smile, fang punctuated. She reached over, scooted call button a fraction of a tad not near enough for Bob fingers to tap. She climbed aboard bed, straddled him. Her hands stood on finger tips on his wrists. They began a walkin', walkin' up his forearms, fingernails leaving indentation trail.
And Hoot Heather did sing, "La la la, la la tee da, your Cosmic Donut Land is way out of hand..."
"Where's the cheese, extra sugar please." Bob gasped, "Wha wha wha, what was that?"
"Would you like pizza with that cheese, coffee with that sugar?" Heather fingers sashayed past Bobby Lee elbow pits.
"Sweet Frau Heather, you be a scarin' me." Bob tried kicking free, but his legs were tethered too.
"La la la, la la tee da, coma Bob dream awash in waves of macchiato cream, lapping tan sugar beaches of Cosmic Donut Land... capital city Sugar Topia, where there is no mopia... Cosmic, O' Cosmic Donut Land to thee we scream more sugar, heavy on that sap of maple... C. D. Land where no donut tis bland... O' Cosmic, O' Cosmic Donut Land..." Icy Heather eyes blew blue cool. Her fingers danced past Bobby Lee shoulders, wrapped around his neck.
"That tickle... a-eck-eck-eck... Hea...yo...chockin-gggg...mm..." Bobby Lee sugar and cream brain spiraled down drain.
"One boa constrictor hug for one rat neck!" Heather squeezed.
Mind spinning near eternal ether of dream... Bob heard familiar echo...
"Well coma Bob," soft lips caressed his ear, "next time maybe, just maybeee you might listen to me."
Strangely soothing that sweet reverberating voice of I told you so slowed Coma Bob's spinning brain. His eyes opened to halo of light entangled in the tangled strawberry blond hair of the angel there. A chiding nightingale whose melody sang gentle, yet harsh, "Likely as not a smidge of a tad is not a lot, yet comeupance bought."
(Reader aside: A pretentiously irritating The End??? NOPE, my editor wife and that Great Author of us all in His heavens commanded no leaving Bob in an endless loop of coma nightmare.) So...
"I love you, Heather," Bobby Lee coughed out ploy for self preservation.
In fit of joy that angel there, that frau named Heather, halted the choking of Bobby Lee, and hugged and kissed, and squeezed and squished his face tight to ample bosom.
Bobby Lee, tethered to bed and all, grasped at gasp, but alas, smothered in love, he breathed his last.
(Reader aside: The End??? Over ruled again! No killing old Coma Bob. OK already!)
Bobby Lee arms would have flailed to escape smothering embrace had his arms not been to bed tethered. But he did manage to turn face aside, half whisper, half choke out, "You are smothering me," then sneak in air a while... while...
"Now I do not want to sound too preachy," Heather preachily said, "because no one can nag you to good health, be it physical or spiritual. But even a tad of a smidge of sin, leads to more sin, kinda like that one more than a baker's three dozen maple glazed donuts. And like filling one grave with dirt from another grave, so is that maladjusted justification: a smidge of a tad is not a lot. Too much is never enough, Bobby Lee. The cult of sugar tis tasty poison. For sweet is the drink of more, till it grows to unforgiving sea, where awash in waves of sensation, feelings numb, beauty fades, and love drowns. So put down that baker's three dozen maple glazed donuts, shun that second and third chocolate malt, sheath that cell phone, kiss a loved one, hug a neighbor. But first in morning waking and last at rest of night, thank our Heavenly Father for your life, and even for me, your wife. Love God and love one another as Jesus commanded. For there is only one way out of the nightmare coma loop of sin... His name is Jesus..."
Quote Bobby Lee, "There is more to life than sugar, please forgive your child, Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus."
"Praise the LORD," quote the nightingale angel there.
Last aside to the reader: Well I guess by now you know I did not like the character Coma Bob very much, probably because he reminds me of me. For artistic flavor I really did want to leave him in an endless nightmare coma loop; over ruled. Then in rebellion I wanted to kill him off. But unlike that self of so called humanity, our LORD would that all come to salvation, even those la-la-ing thru Cosmic Donut Land. God's love is pretty grand... John 3:16 KJV, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that who so ever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Like to read a whale of a true story? The book of "Jonah" in the Bible is only three action packed pages long. Tells of an obstinate, rebellious, self-righteous little man, who would rather be thrown from ship into raging sea than deliver ...God's only eight word message to save a wicked city... That is the book of Jonah in the B-I-B-L-E.
Saturday, December 31, 2016
BEADY EYED MIDNIGHT
Half past beady eyed midnight, in the pale moon light, mist kissed tendrils of twig epitaph, cast gnarled finger shadows down fallen leaf path. White and silent running shoes beat in tune with ear bud blues; while rushing was the brushing of red shorts over dark leotard, as she passed by tombstone in the church graveyard. And her pale pony tail swished, as she sincerely wished for an oasis of peace to still her storm of insomnia sea.
And all the way along the way, the windows to her soul saw hungry eyes in the bushes; made the skin of her flesh crawl in chill will rushes...
"At what point exactly did I decide this fix for insomnia to be good?" Cheryl past puff rued in mid huff. "This jog half past beady eyed midnight, in the pale moon light, just might fix me for good."
And down the fallen leaf path green eyes aglow, as if in the know, hissed out and spat, "Meee-rrr-owww," a no pass warning to get back and scat, before the attack.
Cheryl ran faster. Put black cat behind her. And as her heart fluttered, she between breaths muttered, "Scared the pee, right outta me!"
And did her skin crawl, as still the more she saw, predator eyes gawking, at the prey they were stalking. Til too late to stop in the cloaking mist, dead ahead loomed hulking figure hooded dressed. And Cheryl's white shoes in unison screeched, as, "Jesus save me!" She beseeched.
Into his arms she slipped. Into terror she slid. And he held her tight, yet calmed her fright. "Young lady, tis a bit too late at night, to from insomnia take flight." And he said, as he took gently her right arm, "Come, calm your alarm. You have past the eyes of yon graveyard. You are now near the house of the Lord."
And the hooded figure guided her up the fallen leaf path, soon lit thru stained glass windows the mist by pure light bath. And the hooded figure said, as he pulled back cowl, "So are the windows of His church... windows of the soul."
Looking up into his bearded face, Cheryl wondered was this the case, "Are you Jesus?"
And he smiled, and he said, "Thank you, I do try, but I too was just like you, in the dark letting predator eyes run me down... when the eyes I was running from were my own."
And the pastor opened the door... welcomed in another soul to Jesus' shore...
Psalm 17:8 KJ: "Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings."
John 8:12... the light of the world, Jesus... clothes us... Isaiah 61:10
Mark 4:35-41... Jesus stills the storm... brings safe to shore...
There are over 500 verses about the eyes in the Holy Bible...
Looking out or looking in... the eyes are windows to the soul...
The eyes are wired directly to the brain, what we seek and see physically, affects us spiritually...
What we seek and see spiritually, affects us physically...
Others see us...
God sees all... and will guide our sight, if we just ask Him in the name of His son... Jesus...
Psalm 119:105 KJ: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light to my path."
John 1:1-4 with John 8:12 KJ explains exactly who the Word and the light and the life are... Jesus...
Eyes too wide open... like focus... Genesis 3:4-5 KJ (This lie appealed to self ego and led to sweat and toil under the sun and death.)
Seek and see... focus on God thru Jesus... have abundant life... John 10:10-11
Thank you Mel...
And all the way along the way, the windows to her soul saw hungry eyes in the bushes; made the skin of her flesh crawl in chill will rushes...
"At what point exactly did I decide this fix for insomnia to be good?" Cheryl past puff rued in mid huff. "This jog half past beady eyed midnight, in the pale moon light, just might fix me for good."
And down the fallen leaf path green eyes aglow, as if in the know, hissed out and spat, "Meee-rrr-owww," a no pass warning to get back and scat, before the attack.
Cheryl ran faster. Put black cat behind her. And as her heart fluttered, she between breaths muttered, "Scared the pee, right outta me!"
And did her skin crawl, as still the more she saw, predator eyes gawking, at the prey they were stalking. Til too late to stop in the cloaking mist, dead ahead loomed hulking figure hooded dressed. And Cheryl's white shoes in unison screeched, as, "Jesus save me!" She beseeched.
Into his arms she slipped. Into terror she slid. And he held her tight, yet calmed her fright. "Young lady, tis a bit too late at night, to from insomnia take flight." And he said, as he took gently her right arm, "Come, calm your alarm. You have past the eyes of yon graveyard. You are now near the house of the Lord."
And the hooded figure guided her up the fallen leaf path, soon lit thru stained glass windows the mist by pure light bath. And the hooded figure said, as he pulled back cowl, "So are the windows of His church... windows of the soul."
Looking up into his bearded face, Cheryl wondered was this the case, "Are you Jesus?"
And he smiled, and he said, "Thank you, I do try, but I too was just like you, in the dark letting predator eyes run me down... when the eyes I was running from were my own."
And the pastor opened the door... welcomed in another soul to Jesus' shore...
Psalm 17:8 KJ: "Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings."
John 8:12... the light of the world, Jesus... clothes us... Isaiah 61:10
Mark 4:35-41... Jesus stills the storm... brings safe to shore...
There are over 500 verses about the eyes in the Holy Bible...
Looking out or looking in... the eyes are windows to the soul...
The eyes are wired directly to the brain, what we seek and see physically, affects us spiritually...
What we seek and see spiritually, affects us physically...
Others see us...
God sees all... and will guide our sight, if we just ask Him in the name of His son... Jesus...
Psalm 119:105 KJ: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light to my path."
John 1:1-4 with John 8:12 KJ explains exactly who the Word and the light and the life are... Jesus...
Eyes too wide open... like focus... Genesis 3:4-5 KJ (This lie appealed to self ego and led to sweat and toil under the sun and death.)
Seek and see... focus on God thru Jesus... have abundant life... John 10:10-11
Thank you Mel...
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
FIGGY MINT
"Perhaps," Tizzie Snit spit, "we might-a should-a ought-a thought a little harder before the consequences set in." Her spit ran dry.
Once upon a faithless cloudy day, tres primas Tizzie Snit, Hissie Fit and Naggie Pit, well off they went to pick up trio plus one compliment. Thus did once upon a time morph once too often at the curb of Dirge Drive and Lane Lament, where Tizzie parked pink bismuth Cat-o-lac and where Misty Drizzle fell next Hissie behind driver seat in back. And as off they went, the question loomed just how long before... off they went.
"Hi Misty," Tizzie, Hissie and Naggie in unison gave uncharacteristic welcome to new found cousin.
"You are late. What took you so long?" Misty drizzled.
"What in blue blazes!" Tizzie's knee jerk temper was caught by the firm hand of Naggie squeezing that spasmodic knee.
"What Tizzie means," Naggie interjected, "is we stopped to get some brewskies. Want one?"
"Oh now that's just peachy." Misty moaned. "I'm in a car full of drunks headed to Buy It All Mall. We will probably crash and burn before getting there. Worse yet, I could have walked to the mall and already been there. But no-o-o, I had to wait on you clowns, and now, because we are late, my chances of snagging a Baby Haggie Dragon for my niece are next to dodo land."
In front seat Tizzie and Naggie gave each other eyes in corner side glance.
Next Misty in rear seat, Hissie's left eyebrow arched near borderline red hair.
"Brewskies!" Misty groaned. "What's the matter, life too tuff for you sissies, so you gotta drown your toad faces in frog pee?"
Hissie's arched brow developed time bomb tic.
"We are here!"Naggie nicked the tic. "Buy It All Mall!" She squealed; more than relieved the trip was a short one.
However, the search for a parking spot was not a short one, nor was the walk from back of parking lot. But the complaints of Misty, well the complaints of Misty rained longer yet; sort a summed up with one last sprinkle of fiery threat, "Late, late, late, there better be a Baby Haggie Dragon left for my niece!"
Tizzie and Naggie flanked a red faced Hissie on both sides. Firmly interlocking their arms with hers, they half dragged her, kept her from jerking round to fling lightning bolt into Misty cloud.
Once in the Buy It All Mall, twas not one Baby Haggie Dragon in lair to be found. Only the lonesome sales ad remained taped mid shelf: "Babby Haggie Dragon - evoke glowing ember poop with just one magical poo peck poke - only $66.o6."
"If you stupid sots had been on time, I'd a had my niece that dragon. You ignorant," expletives interrupted.
"Oh no," Tizzie and Naggie near same time, yet too late pled, "Hissie don't!"
In both hands Hissie snatched Misty's dark long hair, hissed, "You acid dripping punk!"
"Snake face Hissie!" Misty snatched red hair not her own.
Hissing and spiting, Hissie and Misty tumbled to the floor, snatching, scratching and gnawing. Indeed twas there no lack of cat fight attack rolling down the Baby Haggie Dragon aisle of the Buy It All Mall. Till the entangled two rolled into main aisle stack of 60 inch smart TVs, knocking them sliding across the floor. That mini cat-tasrophe gave no pause at all to their cat claw paws, as they scratched, rolled, and romped cross top most of them all, rendering them smart TVs, not so smart at all.
"That's it Hissie! Sink them fangs into her ornery hide." Tizzie roared.
Two steps behind Tizzie, Naggie made things so much not better by screaming the curse, "What kind of stupid jerk morons are you!"
Twas then the serious dual throat choking began, as ring side jeers broke out from the gathering mall crowd. Just as the mutual choking the life out of each other two, turned a lighter shade of blue, the hero thru jeering crowd stepped thru: the rumored to exist and for sure all elusive Buy It All Mall sales assistant... whose pin on name tag read... Figgy Mint...
And there Figgy stood, above the haggard two, who by now turned from lighter shade of blue to deep ocean hue. Thus, at the feet of Mr. Figgy lay the now detangled gasping for air two.
"Baby Haggie Dragon seekers, I presume." Figgy shook head.
"You," Misty choked out, "you got one?"
"Baby Haggie Dragon, hm-hmm-hmmm." Figgy shook head the more.
"I was here first," Hissie gasped out.
"No, I was," one after another of the mall crowd avowed tout.
"But these clowns made me late," Misty drizzled.
"Well maam, and the rest of you folks, you do not know just how well off you are." Figgy nod affirmed. "Seems you all received reprieve from cute fluffy Baby Haggie Dragon's spell of hell." Figgy looked down at Misty. "Had you not been late, your loved one for whom that toy was meant just might have kept a for real dragon fate."
Figgy looked up, peered all around thru crowd no longer loud. He looked back down at Misty and at Hissie, and said, "You see it is not just you but every shopper in here who is late. For this very morning it was as if... unseen hands held Buy It All Mall doors clamped tight. No one got in till we received the recall notice; which is the reason for the bare shelves. Seems when the poo peck belly button of Baby Haggie Dragon is pushed, it produces more than advertised, not just glowing poop, but for real embers, red pulsing balls of fire that have set homes and loved ones aflame. So thank God... you are late."
"I could have been responsible for burning up my niece and her whole family." Misty grasped only a bit of eternal flame.
"Yes, we all need to be careful about what we bring into our homes," Figgy, a sweet kind of guy in a dietary fiber kind of a way, sighed, "for not all that is cute and fluffy is harmless. Even that 'old deceiving dragon', Satan, the prince of darkness, masquerades as an angel of light; prowls the earth seeking whom he might devour, and drag with him into eternal flame. Yet, so many are here to purchase, even fight to possess and bring a symbol of evil into their homes."
"Toys, games, music, movies... what have we done?" Naggie spoke lament of most all, at the Buy It All Mall.
In this gift giving Christmas season, please be careful to honor the true light of life, Jesus... not the opposition...
John 8:12; Genesis chapter 3; 2nd Corinthians 11:14 NIV; 1st Peter 5:8; Revelation 20:1-2
Once upon a faithless cloudy day, tres primas Tizzie Snit, Hissie Fit and Naggie Pit, well off they went to pick up trio plus one compliment. Thus did once upon a time morph once too often at the curb of Dirge Drive and Lane Lament, where Tizzie parked pink bismuth Cat-o-lac and where Misty Drizzle fell next Hissie behind driver seat in back. And as off they went, the question loomed just how long before... off they went.
"Hi Misty," Tizzie, Hissie and Naggie in unison gave uncharacteristic welcome to new found cousin.
"You are late. What took you so long?" Misty drizzled.
"What in blue blazes!" Tizzie's knee jerk temper was caught by the firm hand of Naggie squeezing that spasmodic knee.
"What Tizzie means," Naggie interjected, "is we stopped to get some brewskies. Want one?"
"Oh now that's just peachy." Misty moaned. "I'm in a car full of drunks headed to Buy It All Mall. We will probably crash and burn before getting there. Worse yet, I could have walked to the mall and already been there. But no-o-o, I had to wait on you clowns, and now, because we are late, my chances of snagging a Baby Haggie Dragon for my niece are next to dodo land."
In front seat Tizzie and Naggie gave each other eyes in corner side glance.
Next Misty in rear seat, Hissie's left eyebrow arched near borderline red hair.
"Brewskies!" Misty groaned. "What's the matter, life too tuff for you sissies, so you gotta drown your toad faces in frog pee?"
Hissie's arched brow developed time bomb tic.
"We are here!"Naggie nicked the tic. "Buy It All Mall!" She squealed; more than relieved the trip was a short one.
However, the search for a parking spot was not a short one, nor was the walk from back of parking lot. But the complaints of Misty, well the complaints of Misty rained longer yet; sort a summed up with one last sprinkle of fiery threat, "Late, late, late, there better be a Baby Haggie Dragon left for my niece!"
Tizzie and Naggie flanked a red faced Hissie on both sides. Firmly interlocking their arms with hers, they half dragged her, kept her from jerking round to fling lightning bolt into Misty cloud.
Once in the Buy It All Mall, twas not one Baby Haggie Dragon in lair to be found. Only the lonesome sales ad remained taped mid shelf: "Babby Haggie Dragon - evoke glowing ember poop with just one magical poo peck poke - only $66.o6."
"If you stupid sots had been on time, I'd a had my niece that dragon. You ignorant," expletives interrupted.
"Oh no," Tizzie and Naggie near same time, yet too late pled, "Hissie don't!"
In both hands Hissie snatched Misty's dark long hair, hissed, "You acid dripping punk!"
"Snake face Hissie!" Misty snatched red hair not her own.
Hissing and spiting, Hissie and Misty tumbled to the floor, snatching, scratching and gnawing. Indeed twas there no lack of cat fight attack rolling down the Baby Haggie Dragon aisle of the Buy It All Mall. Till the entangled two rolled into main aisle stack of 60 inch smart TVs, knocking them sliding across the floor. That mini cat-tasrophe gave no pause at all to their cat claw paws, as they scratched, rolled, and romped cross top most of them all, rendering them smart TVs, not so smart at all.
"That's it Hissie! Sink them fangs into her ornery hide." Tizzie roared.
Two steps behind Tizzie, Naggie made things so much not better by screaming the curse, "What kind of stupid jerk morons are you!"
Twas then the serious dual throat choking began, as ring side jeers broke out from the gathering mall crowd. Just as the mutual choking the life out of each other two, turned a lighter shade of blue, the hero thru jeering crowd stepped thru: the rumored to exist and for sure all elusive Buy It All Mall sales assistant... whose pin on name tag read... Figgy Mint...
And there Figgy stood, above the haggard two, who by now turned from lighter shade of blue to deep ocean hue. Thus, at the feet of Mr. Figgy lay the now detangled gasping for air two.
"Baby Haggie Dragon seekers, I presume." Figgy shook head.
"You," Misty choked out, "you got one?"
"Baby Haggie Dragon, hm-hmm-hmmm." Figgy shook head the more.
"I was here first," Hissie gasped out.
"No, I was," one after another of the mall crowd avowed tout.
"But these clowns made me late," Misty drizzled.
"Well maam, and the rest of you folks, you do not know just how well off you are." Figgy nod affirmed. "Seems you all received reprieve from cute fluffy Baby Haggie Dragon's spell of hell." Figgy looked down at Misty. "Had you not been late, your loved one for whom that toy was meant just might have kept a for real dragon fate."
Figgy looked up, peered all around thru crowd no longer loud. He looked back down at Misty and at Hissie, and said, "You see it is not just you but every shopper in here who is late. For this very morning it was as if... unseen hands held Buy It All Mall doors clamped tight. No one got in till we received the recall notice; which is the reason for the bare shelves. Seems when the poo peck belly button of Baby Haggie Dragon is pushed, it produces more than advertised, not just glowing poop, but for real embers, red pulsing balls of fire that have set homes and loved ones aflame. So thank God... you are late."
"I could have been responsible for burning up my niece and her whole family." Misty grasped only a bit of eternal flame.
"Yes, we all need to be careful about what we bring into our homes," Figgy, a sweet kind of guy in a dietary fiber kind of a way, sighed, "for not all that is cute and fluffy is harmless. Even that 'old deceiving dragon', Satan, the prince of darkness, masquerades as an angel of light; prowls the earth seeking whom he might devour, and drag with him into eternal flame. Yet, so many are here to purchase, even fight to possess and bring a symbol of evil into their homes."
"Toys, games, music, movies... what have we done?" Naggie spoke lament of most all, at the Buy It All Mall.
In this gift giving Christmas season, please be careful to honor the true light of life, Jesus... not the opposition...
John 8:12; Genesis chapter 3; 2nd Corinthians 11:14 NIV; 1st Peter 5:8; Revelation 20:1-2
Saturday, October 29, 2016
LOOSE GRAVEL
"Cream cheese, Hersch," from front porch, Toni Jo hollered, "two eight ounce tubs please, don't forget."
"I am a cream cheese man on a mission!" Hersch shouted back. The motivation of fresh baked pear cake topped with cream cheese icing burned his brain. With saliva glands in high gear, the Hersch jumped into wild Mustang. He spun out in the loose gravel of driveway, spewed volley of rock on a mission of its own. And so it was that rear window and right tail light of Toni Jo's pride and joy four wheel drive pickup truck suffered Hersch's loose gravel exuberance.
As Hersch burned rubber in all four gears down near town country road, a tad overly taut Toni Jo shuck the tawny locks of her head, stoically said, "That is the second time this month. I just got my truck out of the body shop. The Hersch just might not get' any pear cake." Tony Jo smiled, added, "It's a tuff job, but somebody has gotta love that pudgy receding hair line little geek."
Toni Jo, being a little bit of country n-all, fit right in that west Texas Alpine town. But her husband, Herschel B. Ward, well Toni Jo often thought, yet never out loud said, "The only thing keeping my Hersch from being a ward of the state is the Lord blessed him with me. How can a man be a PhD of Philosophy at the university and a PhD of knuckle headedness at the same time? Must be the thin air of Alpine."
So Tony Jo did, what Toni Jo did most Saturdays. She returned to kitchen kingdom. For Toni Jo baked, not just for her and her Herschel, but baked for family and friends, baked for the ill and the home bound, baked for Sunday morning church and just about any worthy charitable function. Indeed, the whole town of Alpine appreciated her God given culinary gift and humble servant heart. Not uncommon were the most every day hugs of previous baked goods recipients in the chance meetings of side walk or food market aisle or Toni Jo's Judo Dojo downtown.
"Let's see," Toni Jo mulled pear cake recipe, "time to get started. Combine a little less than 2 cups of sugar, 2 sticks of this good old Alpine Dairy melted butter, and half cup vegetable oil." She gave it a stir. "Now add 3 eggs. Stir it a bit. Stir it a bit more. Beat the devil out of it. This would be so much easier had Hersch not knocked my mixer off kitchen counter yesterday." Yet Toni Jo smiled at the sound of his name.
Meanwhile, Herschel had reached the end of the road stop sign, just as an Alpine Dairy 18 wheeler topped the hill of what locals called Last Breath Highway. So there the Hersch waited what could possibly be better said than un-patiently agitated, where end of the road loose gravel met intersection with Last Breath Highway.
"Now, combine in a separate bowl 3 cups of flour, about one and a half tsp baking soda, with half tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice." Toni Jo stirred it together, sighed, "Now all I gotta do is alternately stir this mixture into the first with my pre-grated 3 cups of pears. Next we stir in 1 cup grated coconut and 1 cup chopped pecans."
"That load of moo-moo juice is slower than the cold chocolate syrup to pour in it. I have plenty of time to beat it." And Herschel would have had plenty of that afore mentioned time had not the down hill momentum of Last Breath Highway propelled moo-moo-milk 18 wheeler ever faster; and had not the rear tires of wild Mustang went a spinning in the end of the road loose gravel. About that somewhat less than plenty of time, Herschel decided to put his PhD of Philosophy to good use. He screamed, "Crap! I'm gonna die!"
"Now, all I gotta do is coax this delicious lumpy goo from mixing bowl into two floured 9 x 5 loaf pans." Enraptured in happy baker glow, Toni Jo began to flow, "Thank you, Father above..." A faint ripple of danger disturbed her flow of glow, her praise of song, made her cock head a tad. But then, oh then, she glowed with adore, opened lips and sang the more, "Thank you Father above, in Jesus name..."
As milk truck bumper near kissed Mustang butt, the Stang's rear tires suddenly caught hold, smoked and set pavement aflame. And as Herschel felt the the G-force astronauts feel at blastoff, he philosophized, "Squashed back in padded seat is much better than stink bug squished on 18 wheeler windshield."
"Time to slide these babies in the oven," Toni Jo slid in one pear cake laden loaf pan, rose the other to nose, breathed in sweet spicy aroma from one end of pan to the other. "Now that is pear cake fixin' to happen. Nutmeg, cinnamon, coconut, allspice and pear, hmm-hmm, no one will miss one little lick," and she did.
As the milk truck shrank in rear view mirror, and Herschel sped down Last Breath Highway, a certain cocky philosophy re-grew. "Death can't catch the Hersch! No death for me!" But then again little did the Hersch know... the real loose gravel lay just ahead, right past Holy Smoke BBQ in the parking lot of the local Last Chance Mart.
"One hour or so at 350 degrees ought to do it," Toni Joe closed oven door, "and the way Herschel farts around it'll be at least that long before the cream cheese arrives for the icing. Lord please help him not to be so easily distracted. Help my Hersch to find You as central focus."
A tad more than too fast lead foot propelled the Stang into freshly graveled Last Chance Mart parking lot. Hershel stomped the brakes. The Stang slid sideways, then backwards, buried itself up to the axle in loose gravel. "Man on a cream cheese mission!" Herschel squealed, not thinking even once how close he had come to wrecking the van full of kids and mom trying to exit parking lot. He tried to open car door, but deep loose gravel held it fast. He tried to pull forward, but rear wheels only spun, dug the Stang in deeper. Herschel climbed out car window. Fell head first into loose gravel.
Toni Jo settled back into easy chair. Wafting aroma tickled her nose. "Pear cake heaven is just a breath away," she sang. In mid aroma sniff, the cell phone rang.
"I'm stuck," Hersch let fling.
"Stuck as in you do not know what you went to the store for?" Toni Jo truly wondered.
"Stuck in loose gravel at the Last Chance," Herschel mumbled.
"You are mumbling. Herschel are you picking your nose? You always pick your nose when you are nervous."
"No," Herschel mumbled, was near up to second digit deep.
"Get that finger out of there! People are going to see you," Toni Jo commanded.
Yes Maam," Herschel obeyed.
"I will be there in a minute, sweetie," Toni Jo comforted, hung up, did some off phone mumbling of her own. "I am supposed to be his wife, not his momma. But I should pray, not murmur, not grumble, but ask for forgiveness and pray for my husband." Toni Jo sat still. And she did.
"Looks like you might need some help there, Herschel," offered a bewhiskered Big Mike.
"Yeah, if they had packed the gravel down properly, I would not be' stuck," Herschel complained.
"Well maybe," Big Mike raised right eyebrow, "but what do you say we get you pulled out. I'll hook up a chain to my truck. When you get back in the car, put it in neutral and let me ease you out."
"Trust in the Lord," Toni Jo thought. "I will be back before the pear cake is done."
Chain in place, Big Mike eased out the slack, began to pull the Stang and the Hersch out of loose gravel. And no sooner than, "No problem," passed Big Mike lips, and all seemed so well; that well morphed into well of hell.
Whether it was loose concentration, or easy distraction, or impatient agitation, or most likely chronic humanistic philosophy dodo bird flu; the Hersch dropped Stang tranny in gear and hit the gas. The Stang fishtailed and slid. Spinning tires spewed loose gravel thru front window of Last Chance Mart, and into the tail lights and rear back glass of near every hapless vehicle parked in the lot.
Meanwhile, on the way down Last Breath Highway, Toni Jo prayed, "Lord, knowing my Herschel like I do, please don't let things get out of hand before I get there."
In a really mean meanwhile, the Stang crashed into the rear of Big Mike's brand new pickup. Twas then Big Mike swung open truck door. Sparks from the flint neath his size 18 boots alit, as loose gravel they hit. And with every boot stomp more sparks flew, as the madman's brow grew ill brew. With one mighty paw Big Mike from car the Hersch he withdrew.
Toni Jo arrived to see Last Chance Mart mob in the mood for a lynching party. Not so nice things were a bein' said bout her Hersch. And Big Mike, well Big Mike held fast the left shoulder of Herschel, while aiming massive fist at bulls eye nose.
Toni Jo lept out truck just in time to hear Herschel once again put his humanistic philosophy to no good use, "Oh crap! I'm gonna die!" He screamed. winced, closed his eyes.
Toni Jo was about to Toni Jo Dojo Judo the Big Mike, when...
Big Mike gave relenting, "Grrr," and his face with light began to stir. "Oh Lord," Big Mike's fist transformed to massive slap readed hand, "just one little smack?" Big Mike pled. But then he said, "Herschel, if all you got is a PhD in humanism, then oh crap, you are gonna to die."
Herschel opened one eye.
Big Mike gave Herschel one big bear hug, whispered in his ear, "You need Jesus."
Like a deer caught in headlights, eyes wide open, Herschel repeated the name, "Jesus," and he 'not at all' flippantly repented, "No more, no more loose gravel for me."
Toni Jo dojo judo-ed her way right into that hug, sighed, "From fool... to cool."
And it came to pass, cream cheese icing adorned pear cake heaven. The Last Chance Mart had donated that cream cheese and ice cream too for 'evening celebration'; where partied: store manage, employees and patrons, and one local pastor by the name of Big Mike... For they and Toni Jo and the Hersch had found the way home...
Too oft ism morphs idol... worship not man... but the Creator of him...
If your wheels of life are a-spin in loose gravel... you need Jesus... the only path to God the Father... John 14:6; John 3:16
To better understand:
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet - Matthew 22:1-14
Isaiah 61:10
Revelation 19:7-9
And many awesome more...
Oh, and Herschel in Hebrew means deer... Psalm 42:1-2
Oh, and Fresh Pear Cake Recipe by beloved neighbor: Minnie Powell...
"I am a cream cheese man on a mission!" Hersch shouted back. The motivation of fresh baked pear cake topped with cream cheese icing burned his brain. With saliva glands in high gear, the Hersch jumped into wild Mustang. He spun out in the loose gravel of driveway, spewed volley of rock on a mission of its own. And so it was that rear window and right tail light of Toni Jo's pride and joy four wheel drive pickup truck suffered Hersch's loose gravel exuberance.
As Hersch burned rubber in all four gears down near town country road, a tad overly taut Toni Jo shuck the tawny locks of her head, stoically said, "That is the second time this month. I just got my truck out of the body shop. The Hersch just might not get' any pear cake." Tony Jo smiled, added, "It's a tuff job, but somebody has gotta love that pudgy receding hair line little geek."
Toni Jo, being a little bit of country n-all, fit right in that west Texas Alpine town. But her husband, Herschel B. Ward, well Toni Jo often thought, yet never out loud said, "The only thing keeping my Hersch from being a ward of the state is the Lord blessed him with me. How can a man be a PhD of Philosophy at the university and a PhD of knuckle headedness at the same time? Must be the thin air of Alpine."
So Tony Jo did, what Toni Jo did most Saturdays. She returned to kitchen kingdom. For Toni Jo baked, not just for her and her Herschel, but baked for family and friends, baked for the ill and the home bound, baked for Sunday morning church and just about any worthy charitable function. Indeed, the whole town of Alpine appreciated her God given culinary gift and humble servant heart. Not uncommon were the most every day hugs of previous baked goods recipients in the chance meetings of side walk or food market aisle or Toni Jo's Judo Dojo downtown.
"Let's see," Toni Jo mulled pear cake recipe, "time to get started. Combine a little less than 2 cups of sugar, 2 sticks of this good old Alpine Dairy melted butter, and half cup vegetable oil." She gave it a stir. "Now add 3 eggs. Stir it a bit. Stir it a bit more. Beat the devil out of it. This would be so much easier had Hersch not knocked my mixer off kitchen counter yesterday." Yet Toni Jo smiled at the sound of his name.
Meanwhile, Herschel had reached the end of the road stop sign, just as an Alpine Dairy 18 wheeler topped the hill of what locals called Last Breath Highway. So there the Hersch waited what could possibly be better said than un-patiently agitated, where end of the road loose gravel met intersection with Last Breath Highway.
"Now, combine in a separate bowl 3 cups of flour, about one and a half tsp baking soda, with half tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice." Toni Jo stirred it together, sighed, "Now all I gotta do is alternately stir this mixture into the first with my pre-grated 3 cups of pears. Next we stir in 1 cup grated coconut and 1 cup chopped pecans."
"That load of moo-moo juice is slower than the cold chocolate syrup to pour in it. I have plenty of time to beat it." And Herschel would have had plenty of that afore mentioned time had not the down hill momentum of Last Breath Highway propelled moo-moo-milk 18 wheeler ever faster; and had not the rear tires of wild Mustang went a spinning in the end of the road loose gravel. About that somewhat less than plenty of time, Herschel decided to put his PhD of Philosophy to good use. He screamed, "Crap! I'm gonna die!"
"Now, all I gotta do is coax this delicious lumpy goo from mixing bowl into two floured 9 x 5 loaf pans." Enraptured in happy baker glow, Toni Jo began to flow, "Thank you, Father above..." A faint ripple of danger disturbed her flow of glow, her praise of song, made her cock head a tad. But then, oh then, she glowed with adore, opened lips and sang the more, "Thank you Father above, in Jesus name..."
As milk truck bumper near kissed Mustang butt, the Stang's rear tires suddenly caught hold, smoked and set pavement aflame. And as Herschel felt the the G-force astronauts feel at blastoff, he philosophized, "Squashed back in padded seat is much better than stink bug squished on 18 wheeler windshield."
"Time to slide these babies in the oven," Toni Jo slid in one pear cake laden loaf pan, rose the other to nose, breathed in sweet spicy aroma from one end of pan to the other. "Now that is pear cake fixin' to happen. Nutmeg, cinnamon, coconut, allspice and pear, hmm-hmm, no one will miss one little lick," and she did.
As the milk truck shrank in rear view mirror, and Herschel sped down Last Breath Highway, a certain cocky philosophy re-grew. "Death can't catch the Hersch! No death for me!" But then again little did the Hersch know... the real loose gravel lay just ahead, right past Holy Smoke BBQ in the parking lot of the local Last Chance Mart.
"One hour or so at 350 degrees ought to do it," Toni Joe closed oven door, "and the way Herschel farts around it'll be at least that long before the cream cheese arrives for the icing. Lord please help him not to be so easily distracted. Help my Hersch to find You as central focus."
A tad more than too fast lead foot propelled the Stang into freshly graveled Last Chance Mart parking lot. Hershel stomped the brakes. The Stang slid sideways, then backwards, buried itself up to the axle in loose gravel. "Man on a cream cheese mission!" Herschel squealed, not thinking even once how close he had come to wrecking the van full of kids and mom trying to exit parking lot. He tried to open car door, but deep loose gravel held it fast. He tried to pull forward, but rear wheels only spun, dug the Stang in deeper. Herschel climbed out car window. Fell head first into loose gravel.
Toni Jo settled back into easy chair. Wafting aroma tickled her nose. "Pear cake heaven is just a breath away," she sang. In mid aroma sniff, the cell phone rang.
"I'm stuck," Hersch let fling.
"Stuck as in you do not know what you went to the store for?" Toni Jo truly wondered.
"Stuck in loose gravel at the Last Chance," Herschel mumbled.
"You are mumbling. Herschel are you picking your nose? You always pick your nose when you are nervous."
"No," Herschel mumbled, was near up to second digit deep.
"Get that finger out of there! People are going to see you," Toni Jo commanded.
Yes Maam," Herschel obeyed.
"I will be there in a minute, sweetie," Toni Jo comforted, hung up, did some off phone mumbling of her own. "I am supposed to be his wife, not his momma. But I should pray, not murmur, not grumble, but ask for forgiveness and pray for my husband." Toni Jo sat still. And she did.
"Looks like you might need some help there, Herschel," offered a bewhiskered Big Mike.
"Yeah, if they had packed the gravel down properly, I would not be' stuck," Herschel complained.
"Well maybe," Big Mike raised right eyebrow, "but what do you say we get you pulled out. I'll hook up a chain to my truck. When you get back in the car, put it in neutral and let me ease you out."
"Trust in the Lord," Toni Jo thought. "I will be back before the pear cake is done."
Chain in place, Big Mike eased out the slack, began to pull the Stang and the Hersch out of loose gravel. And no sooner than, "No problem," passed Big Mike lips, and all seemed so well; that well morphed into well of hell.
Whether it was loose concentration, or easy distraction, or impatient agitation, or most likely chronic humanistic philosophy dodo bird flu; the Hersch dropped Stang tranny in gear and hit the gas. The Stang fishtailed and slid. Spinning tires spewed loose gravel thru front window of Last Chance Mart, and into the tail lights and rear back glass of near every hapless vehicle parked in the lot.
Meanwhile, on the way down Last Breath Highway, Toni Jo prayed, "Lord, knowing my Herschel like I do, please don't let things get out of hand before I get there."
In a really mean meanwhile, the Stang crashed into the rear of Big Mike's brand new pickup. Twas then Big Mike swung open truck door. Sparks from the flint neath his size 18 boots alit, as loose gravel they hit. And with every boot stomp more sparks flew, as the madman's brow grew ill brew. With one mighty paw Big Mike from car the Hersch he withdrew.
Toni Jo arrived to see Last Chance Mart mob in the mood for a lynching party. Not so nice things were a bein' said bout her Hersch. And Big Mike, well Big Mike held fast the left shoulder of Herschel, while aiming massive fist at bulls eye nose.
Toni Jo lept out truck just in time to hear Herschel once again put his humanistic philosophy to no good use, "Oh crap! I'm gonna die!" He screamed. winced, closed his eyes.
Toni Jo was about to Toni Jo Dojo Judo the Big Mike, when...
Big Mike gave relenting, "Grrr," and his face with light began to stir. "Oh Lord," Big Mike's fist transformed to massive slap readed hand, "just one little smack?" Big Mike pled. But then he said, "Herschel, if all you got is a PhD in humanism, then oh crap, you are gonna to die."
Herschel opened one eye.
Big Mike gave Herschel one big bear hug, whispered in his ear, "You need Jesus."
Like a deer caught in headlights, eyes wide open, Herschel repeated the name, "Jesus," and he 'not at all' flippantly repented, "No more, no more loose gravel for me."
Toni Jo dojo judo-ed her way right into that hug, sighed, "From fool... to cool."
And it came to pass, cream cheese icing adorned pear cake heaven. The Last Chance Mart had donated that cream cheese and ice cream too for 'evening celebration'; where partied: store manage, employees and patrons, and one local pastor by the name of Big Mike... For they and Toni Jo and the Hersch had found the way home...
Too oft ism morphs idol... worship not man... but the Creator of him...
If your wheels of life are a-spin in loose gravel... you need Jesus... the only path to God the Father... John 14:6; John 3:16
To better understand:
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet - Matthew 22:1-14
Isaiah 61:10
Revelation 19:7-9
And many awesome more...
Oh, and Herschel in Hebrew means deer... Psalm 42:1-2
Oh, and Fresh Pear Cake Recipe by beloved neighbor: Minnie Powell...
Sunday, October 9, 2016
ECHO KISS
By too far near echo kiss, by shadow scented sigh, so is the present often cast by passion from the past... even in the sweet fall air of Arbor Cafe'...
"Taylor, please try to grasp," slow to speak, Kyle measured each word, "Taylor, you are beyond beautiful, but," Kyle took breath, could not finish sentence, drank in the smooth Calabrese olive skin of her perfect oval face.
"But?" Taylor slightly turned, tilted side of pretty face, with lithe fingers swept light brown, almost blond hair behind ear, exposed graceful neck.
Kyle near stopped breathing, croaked, "But it is too soon for me to feel feelings."
"Too soon to feel feelings? Kyle, you are my best bud. Do you not remember helping me through the toughest three years of my life, after my Tommie, my precious husband passed away?"
"Exactly," Kyle nodded, "best friends, and I do not want that to change."
Taylor narrowed olive eyes, "If I were not a Christian lady, I'd say what the hell is wrong with you, Kyle? That woman you were married to was no wife. She ran off with your divorce lawyer to Piedmont, of all places, over five years ago. The woman is diabolical. She is not coming back, Kyle. And yes, I said hell, because it is hell's intention to chain you to the past. I pray the shackle be broken, your eyes be open."
The widened eyes of eavesdropping Arbor Cafe' patrons cast those 'oops, this is going to get good look' at one another; while Kyle, well Kyle just sat there flustered amid Taylor allure and Taylor truth and ex-wife of aghast past.
Taylor propped both elbows on petite cafe' table. With palms under chin and fingers framing face, invited, "Kyle, the time is now. Do not let these lips go unattended." Taylor moved palms to table top, leaned forward. puckered up, waited.
Like the flag at half mast, Kyle's eyelids lowered, betrayed heart still tied to lingering echo, and he said, more bled, "Sweet Taylor, you are precious to me; but the kiss... carries risk."
Taylor lips passed from pucker to tremble, breathed, "Kiss me... and keep your friend forever..." A purest tear welled, fell... from light of olive eye.
With palm Kyle cupped her face. With thumb he caressed that tear neath olive eye, and he near cried, said, "Forever be our light, like the oil of lamp pierces night..."
"...And guide our blessed exodus from chains of the past, dear Jesus." Taylor breathed no shadow, but fresh scented sigh.
And as friends' lips found each other... shadow of echo kiss ebbed away... in the oil of olive light...
Are you too far near... the distant past of echo kiss...
Ask Jesus into your heart... and find the light...
Isaiah 42:6-7; Exodus 27:20-21: John 8:1-2 & 8:12 (the meaning of this little story)
From slavery to promised land... read the true and fascinating book of Exodus in the Holy Bible. You will be blessed.
"Taylor, please try to grasp," slow to speak, Kyle measured each word, "Taylor, you are beyond beautiful, but," Kyle took breath, could not finish sentence, drank in the smooth Calabrese olive skin of her perfect oval face.
"But?" Taylor slightly turned, tilted side of pretty face, with lithe fingers swept light brown, almost blond hair behind ear, exposed graceful neck.
Kyle near stopped breathing, croaked, "But it is too soon for me to feel feelings."
"Too soon to feel feelings? Kyle, you are my best bud. Do you not remember helping me through the toughest three years of my life, after my Tommie, my precious husband passed away?"
"Exactly," Kyle nodded, "best friends, and I do not want that to change."
Taylor narrowed olive eyes, "If I were not a Christian lady, I'd say what the hell is wrong with you, Kyle? That woman you were married to was no wife. She ran off with your divorce lawyer to Piedmont, of all places, over five years ago. The woman is diabolical. She is not coming back, Kyle. And yes, I said hell, because it is hell's intention to chain you to the past. I pray the shackle be broken, your eyes be open."
The widened eyes of eavesdropping Arbor Cafe' patrons cast those 'oops, this is going to get good look' at one another; while Kyle, well Kyle just sat there flustered amid Taylor allure and Taylor truth and ex-wife of aghast past.
Taylor propped both elbows on petite cafe' table. With palms under chin and fingers framing face, invited, "Kyle, the time is now. Do not let these lips go unattended." Taylor moved palms to table top, leaned forward. puckered up, waited.
Like the flag at half mast, Kyle's eyelids lowered, betrayed heart still tied to lingering echo, and he said, more bled, "Sweet Taylor, you are precious to me; but the kiss... carries risk."
Taylor lips passed from pucker to tremble, breathed, "Kiss me... and keep your friend forever..." A purest tear welled, fell... from light of olive eye.
With palm Kyle cupped her face. With thumb he caressed that tear neath olive eye, and he near cried, said, "Forever be our light, like the oil of lamp pierces night..."
"...And guide our blessed exodus from chains of the past, dear Jesus." Taylor breathed no shadow, but fresh scented sigh.
And as friends' lips found each other... shadow of echo kiss ebbed away... in the oil of olive light...
Are you too far near... the distant past of echo kiss...
Ask Jesus into your heart... and find the light...
Isaiah 42:6-7; Exodus 27:20-21: John 8:1-2 & 8:12 (the meaning of this little story)
From slavery to promised land... read the true and fascinating book of Exodus in the Holy Bible. You will be blessed.
Friday, September 9, 2016
THE FALLS
"Love is precious," pale lips puffed sigh of wist into cold, cold mist. She pulled back scarlet hood, revealed foam of sea blue eyes, feathery raven hair, freckled flesh so fair. "I will not live without my Kiefer," burned the air.
"Naked I came into the world," Posey shuffled bare feet cross icy rock, "and naked I go." Scarlet parka slipped from shoulders. She stepped nearer railing. And there Posey stood, blue eyes astare over The Falls into that void of near frozen mist, mist that painted her skin blue hue, made her husband's boxers and t-shirt cling wet to flesh.
"The path taken... leads to destination. Deceitful above all things, so this heart reaps deserved end. No dream this nightmare drop neath tombstone outcrop. No apter name than The Falls for final leap into destiny deep. No longer my beloved Kiefer will I betray. Take care of him Lord, I pray," Posey whispers froze in air. In both hands she gripped hard cold metal railing. She crawled over... to go to the other side. Her feet touched, slipped on narrow ice covered ledge...
No petal of Posey did fall. For she hung over The Falls by white knuckles, palms welded frozen to metal railing. She vainly fought to open hands. Something more than death was wrong. She turned head. Her right shoulder lay twisted behind her out of socket. She whimpered, shivered, turned head to other side. The bone of left wrist had broken thru skin; mist mixed blood down arm bled. Posey closed her eyes and near quiet pled, "Oh dear Jesus, take me home..."
And foam of sea blue eyes topped waves of dream, as her mind washed ashore eyes wide open... home in bed... From behind Kiefers arms gathered her in, softly spoke in Posey ear, "Naked I came into this world from my mother's womb, and naked I will go; the LORD giveth and the LORD taketh away; blessed be the name of the LORD." Kiefer kissed that ear, breathed,"For are we not the clay of the Potter? And yes, the human heart is deceitful above all things, but the heart of Jesus is pure."
Her bosom spasmed, pale lips whispered, "What, how..." She grabbed right shoulder. It was not out of socket, not in pain, free of ache, free to be free. Before her face she raised left hand and wrist; no broken bone pierced her skin. "A dream, only a dream?" Posey wondered.
"Ever beautiful," Kiefer breathed, took her hand, repeated, "ever beautiful," his hand moved, caressed her arm to shoulder, "ever precious," from back of her neck he swept dark hair, "so blessed with grace your nape of neck."
"Kiefer, how, how can you love me, when...?" Dew dropped from eyes of Posey.
"When I know?" Kiefer kissed that freckled nape of neck, "I know mercy, for I have received mercy." He snuggled closer. "I know forgiveness, for I have been forgiven." His nose nestled in Posey petals behind her ear. "I know love, the very grace of peace, for... I know Jesus."
She wiggled closer to husband, hugged tight the loving arms that held her; and as her grace full neck turned, that her lips met his, Posey was reminded what not to do anymore... by The Falls damp mist upon the boxers and t-shirt she wore...
Note: I prayed and prayed, then this little parable poured forth, along with the name Posey. After writing "The Falls," I looked up the name Posey, found it to be a variant of Posy from the Greek Desposyni, meaning "belonging to the Lord" and used as a sacred name for the relatives of Jesus. So are all who ask Christ Jesus into their hearts. (Galatians 3:26)
Grace to the nape of the neck: Proverbs 3:3 & 22 with Isaiah 8:8 with Matthew 11:28-30(the yoke of Jesus' grace) and Luke 15:20 in Jesus' parable of The Prodigal Son.
+++Set Free: John 8:1-12, 32+++
Giveth and taketh away: Job 1:21 KJ
The Potter: Isaiah 64:8; Genesis 2:6-7
.
"Naked I came into the world," Posey shuffled bare feet cross icy rock, "and naked I go." Scarlet parka slipped from shoulders. She stepped nearer railing. And there Posey stood, blue eyes astare over The Falls into that void of near frozen mist, mist that painted her skin blue hue, made her husband's boxers and t-shirt cling wet to flesh.
"The path taken... leads to destination. Deceitful above all things, so this heart reaps deserved end. No dream this nightmare drop neath tombstone outcrop. No apter name than The Falls for final leap into destiny deep. No longer my beloved Kiefer will I betray. Take care of him Lord, I pray," Posey whispers froze in air. In both hands she gripped hard cold metal railing. She crawled over... to go to the other side. Her feet touched, slipped on narrow ice covered ledge...
No petal of Posey did fall. For she hung over The Falls by white knuckles, palms welded frozen to metal railing. She vainly fought to open hands. Something more than death was wrong. She turned head. Her right shoulder lay twisted behind her out of socket. She whimpered, shivered, turned head to other side. The bone of left wrist had broken thru skin; mist mixed blood down arm bled. Posey closed her eyes and near quiet pled, "Oh dear Jesus, take me home..."
And foam of sea blue eyes topped waves of dream, as her mind washed ashore eyes wide open... home in bed... From behind Kiefers arms gathered her in, softly spoke in Posey ear, "Naked I came into this world from my mother's womb, and naked I will go; the LORD giveth and the LORD taketh away; blessed be the name of the LORD." Kiefer kissed that ear, breathed,"For are we not the clay of the Potter? And yes, the human heart is deceitful above all things, but the heart of Jesus is pure."
Her bosom spasmed, pale lips whispered, "What, how..." She grabbed right shoulder. It was not out of socket, not in pain, free of ache, free to be free. Before her face she raised left hand and wrist; no broken bone pierced her skin. "A dream, only a dream?" Posey wondered.
"Ever beautiful," Kiefer breathed, took her hand, repeated, "ever beautiful," his hand moved, caressed her arm to shoulder, "ever precious," from back of her neck he swept dark hair, "so blessed with grace your nape of neck."
"Kiefer, how, how can you love me, when...?" Dew dropped from eyes of Posey.
"When I know?" Kiefer kissed that freckled nape of neck, "I know mercy, for I have received mercy." He snuggled closer. "I know forgiveness, for I have been forgiven." His nose nestled in Posey petals behind her ear. "I know love, the very grace of peace, for... I know Jesus."
She wiggled closer to husband, hugged tight the loving arms that held her; and as her grace full neck turned, that her lips met his, Posey was reminded what not to do anymore... by The Falls damp mist upon the boxers and t-shirt she wore...
Note: I prayed and prayed, then this little parable poured forth, along with the name Posey. After writing "The Falls," I looked up the name Posey, found it to be a variant of Posy from the Greek Desposyni, meaning "belonging to the Lord" and used as a sacred name for the relatives of Jesus. So are all who ask Christ Jesus into their hearts. (Galatians 3:26)
Grace to the nape of the neck: Proverbs 3:3 & 22 with Isaiah 8:8 with Matthew 11:28-30(the yoke of Jesus' grace) and Luke 15:20 in Jesus' parable of The Prodigal Son.
+++Set Free: John 8:1-12, 32+++
Giveth and taketh away: Job 1:21 KJ
The Potter: Isaiah 64:8; Genesis 2:6-7
.
Sunday, June 26, 2016
STEW GONE WRONG
"If I have to do just one more," like butter in summer suffering meltdown on the Stew Gone Wrong Saloon parking lot, KJLU reporter Creme Brulee sizzled, "do just one more, just one more dive of a diner interview; I am forsaking Fort Worth, retiring to New Orleans, and changing my name to Creme Fraiche."
Too late frantic waving of camera crew alerted Creme to live on air status.
"Or to Mud, just call me Mud Slide. No doubt this is viral bound," quake of Creme rumbled aftershock, then switched gears, tried to salvage ruins with loony toon smile. "Only funnin' folks, KJLU reporter Creme Brulee here and I cannot wait to meet home town celebrity Bad Stewie, owner and head cook of the historic old west, bullet riddled, Stew Gone Wrong Saloon." Camera a follow, her shoes crunched gravel as she walked past parking lot front row of pickup trucks, old clunkers and bookoodles of motorcycles. Creme turned head, beckoned with hand, "Come, follow if you dare..."
And there Creme stood, face to face with iron clad brace, a riveted iron cross, upon an old saloon's crusty old door. She reached out, grasped handle of palm shined brass, opened door to guts of past, the Stew Gone Wrong Saloon.
Stepping thru threshold, Creme stepped right in that name called Mud, "Oh boy!" She cringed at what she feared to be her very own, spitten on, image. For there she was live and in person on 120 inch full color TV.
But what was this, instead of lynching party, diner patrons tried to play nice, many struggled to stifle, even hide snickers with hand over mouth; for after all, most had been there, that place called foot in mouth. But then jarringly and suddenly...
Thru swinging kitchen doors a paw waving, bear sized Bad Stewie bounded out, cued crowd to shout, "Howdy Miss Creme!!"
Bad Stewie grabbed her up, bestowed his signature bear hug, near squeezed the sauce right out of Creme. "Let not too far... turn too late..." Stewie whispered in Creme's ear. He kissed that ear.
Creme's legs near gave out. Stewie held her fast, kept her from falling, said, "Need a chair Miss Creme? You seem a tad frazzled." And yes, her blond hair was a bit frazzled, as her eyes melted into his.
Some of the diner crowd gave wink, amid a united sigh.
The camera guy, er gal, Lisa, whispered, "Now this is live TV. Good stuff!" She thumbs upped crew tech behind her.
Was it embarrassment, was it the bear hug squeeze, or maybe the kiss on ear; just what was it that left Creme, a seasoned reporter, a master communicator, and one hot chick to boot... left her without words?
"Are you okay, Miss Creme?" Stewie feared he'd squeezed a tad too hard, maybe even broke her.
"I'm," Creme near lost grip on microphone, as she rested palms gainst Bad Stewie teddy bear chest, "I'm... its just your hair took me off guard." Her lips lied, but her green eyes hid not her heart. "Why did you dye it all those colors?" She steered diversion, even managed segue to interview.
"Well," Bad Stewie with gentle paw to the small of her back ushered Creme's tail feathers into bar stool nest. He plopped down on stool beside her, "well, the hair is like for real."
"What? You are kidding me, right? No young man has splotchy black, gray, green, firey red and purple natural hair." She reached out, combed it thru fingers. "Its so soft." She whispered.
Big Bad Stewie blushed. "I didn't say natural." Stewie smiled, "I said for real quite unatural."
"But is not your hair one of the reasons why locals and the media call you Bad Stewie?" She pried.
"That and here at the Stew Gone Wrong Saloon, we make the best rabid hasenpfeffer in Texas." Stewie gave his diner and cuisine plug.
"Okay, hype guy, the stew is good, but what about the hair?" Creme sensed personal interest hook.
The hair is sort a personal,"Stewie stalled, yet sighed, "but near all here already know I was just a kid when I caught that evil upon my head. Doctors thought it a rare fungus, probably from the Holsteins I milked every morning on the ranch. Anyhow, no medicine they had at the time cured it, so they decided radiation the answer."
"They used radiation on your head? How horrible!" Creme lay hand on his massive forearm, added, "Sort a puts one's own petty rumblings in perspective."
"Yeah, I'm a bit older than you might think. Back then the docs tended to use radiation a rad too much. I still remember my hair falling out by the roots, the kids at school teasing, my violent retaliation, and then," Stewie sighed, gave shoulder shrug, smiled wide, "then it grew back out... rainbow colored."
"They hurt you." Concern flooded green eyes.
"Had head aches for years, then one day the Lord just made them disappear." Stewie nodded matter of factly, tilted head face upward, and gave a big ol', "Thank you Father God, in Jesus name."
"The LORD," many at diner tables repeated, some amened, many more nodded.
"That was unexpected." Wondering set astir, Creme took notice of amening patrons. The camera followed her eyes, panned the crowd of old and of young, of dads, moms and children, of Fort Worth cowboys, warehouse and railroad crew workers, and bookoodles of leather clad tattooed bikers, and... "Oh my,"Creme near gasped, "a table full of lawyers and paralegals, and is that an agent of the IRS?" But then she, and camera, and all of live TV watching saw the crosses round necks and studded in silver on black leather jackets; saw the Jesus T-shirts, and even... even was it... did they all wear the light...
"But this is an old saloon." Creme understood not. "These people are all, well, all from the rough side of the tracks. How can this be?"
"Not all that's added... is a plus," Stewie spoke heart. "Ever since the Eve of sin, Adam and the rest of us, we all got our minuses. But as recorded in Mark 2:17, when Jesus was criticized for attending a dinner party full of disreputable folks at a tax collectors home, he told his critics that he came not for those who think themselves righteous, but for those who know they are sinners; for those who are healthy have no need of a physician, but those who are sick do. And so it is that thru Jesus... God's grace... our past of day... is cast ago away... When we love Jesus, the Son of God, we love his Father, and we become God's children also. So are... the once rough crowd forgiven and blessed."
And Creme Brulee, a once tad too driven professional reporter, lay her head gainst a once bad Stewie's bear of a chest. And she confessed, as she wept, the name of the one and the only true Word... "Jesus."
"Grace to the neck... the gift of light to the soul... Jesus..." said the saved from the bad, Stuart B. Bruin, as he hugged her and with gentle paw patted the nape of the neck of Creme Brulee... three little pats at a time...
And the diners at tables let out a collective sigh of pure joy, punctuated with an amen blessing here and there...
And Lisa the cameraman, er camera lady, smiled, then said, "Now that's what I call live TV. Good stuff!" She thumbs upped to heaven.
John 8:12 KJ: Jesus, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 1:1-14)
That most important decision of any life... might better make it now... for the never too late... tread not a moment too soon...
(This has been but a humble parable pointing to Biblical teaching. The true stories of the Holy Bible are infinitely more awesome. Crack one open. Let your life be awesome.) (For a true story bout stew in the Bible see Jacob & Esau in Genesis.)
Stew Gone Wrong? What to do? 2nd Chronicles 7:14...
Too late frantic waving of camera crew alerted Creme to live on air status.
"Or to Mud, just call me Mud Slide. No doubt this is viral bound," quake of Creme rumbled aftershock, then switched gears, tried to salvage ruins with loony toon smile. "Only funnin' folks, KJLU reporter Creme Brulee here and I cannot wait to meet home town celebrity Bad Stewie, owner and head cook of the historic old west, bullet riddled, Stew Gone Wrong Saloon." Camera a follow, her shoes crunched gravel as she walked past parking lot front row of pickup trucks, old clunkers and bookoodles of motorcycles. Creme turned head, beckoned with hand, "Come, follow if you dare..."
And there Creme stood, face to face with iron clad brace, a riveted iron cross, upon an old saloon's crusty old door. She reached out, grasped handle of palm shined brass, opened door to guts of past, the Stew Gone Wrong Saloon.
Stepping thru threshold, Creme stepped right in that name called Mud, "Oh boy!" She cringed at what she feared to be her very own, spitten on, image. For there she was live and in person on 120 inch full color TV.
But what was this, instead of lynching party, diner patrons tried to play nice, many struggled to stifle, even hide snickers with hand over mouth; for after all, most had been there, that place called foot in mouth. But then jarringly and suddenly...
Thru swinging kitchen doors a paw waving, bear sized Bad Stewie bounded out, cued crowd to shout, "Howdy Miss Creme!!"
Bad Stewie grabbed her up, bestowed his signature bear hug, near squeezed the sauce right out of Creme. "Let not too far... turn too late..." Stewie whispered in Creme's ear. He kissed that ear.
Creme's legs near gave out. Stewie held her fast, kept her from falling, said, "Need a chair Miss Creme? You seem a tad frazzled." And yes, her blond hair was a bit frazzled, as her eyes melted into his.
Some of the diner crowd gave wink, amid a united sigh.
The camera guy, er gal, Lisa, whispered, "Now this is live TV. Good stuff!" She thumbs upped crew tech behind her.
Was it embarrassment, was it the bear hug squeeze, or maybe the kiss on ear; just what was it that left Creme, a seasoned reporter, a master communicator, and one hot chick to boot... left her without words?
"Are you okay, Miss Creme?" Stewie feared he'd squeezed a tad too hard, maybe even broke her.
"I'm," Creme near lost grip on microphone, as she rested palms gainst Bad Stewie teddy bear chest, "I'm... its just your hair took me off guard." Her lips lied, but her green eyes hid not her heart. "Why did you dye it all those colors?" She steered diversion, even managed segue to interview.
"Well," Bad Stewie with gentle paw to the small of her back ushered Creme's tail feathers into bar stool nest. He plopped down on stool beside her, "well, the hair is like for real."
"What? You are kidding me, right? No young man has splotchy black, gray, green, firey red and purple natural hair." She reached out, combed it thru fingers. "Its so soft." She whispered.
Big Bad Stewie blushed. "I didn't say natural." Stewie smiled, "I said for real quite unatural."
"But is not your hair one of the reasons why locals and the media call you Bad Stewie?" She pried.
"That and here at the Stew Gone Wrong Saloon, we make the best rabid hasenpfeffer in Texas." Stewie gave his diner and cuisine plug.
"Okay, hype guy, the stew is good, but what about the hair?" Creme sensed personal interest hook.
The hair is sort a personal,"Stewie stalled, yet sighed, "but near all here already know I was just a kid when I caught that evil upon my head. Doctors thought it a rare fungus, probably from the Holsteins I milked every morning on the ranch. Anyhow, no medicine they had at the time cured it, so they decided radiation the answer."
"They used radiation on your head? How horrible!" Creme lay hand on his massive forearm, added, "Sort a puts one's own petty rumblings in perspective."
"Yeah, I'm a bit older than you might think. Back then the docs tended to use radiation a rad too much. I still remember my hair falling out by the roots, the kids at school teasing, my violent retaliation, and then," Stewie sighed, gave shoulder shrug, smiled wide, "then it grew back out... rainbow colored."
"They hurt you." Concern flooded green eyes.
"Had head aches for years, then one day the Lord just made them disappear." Stewie nodded matter of factly, tilted head face upward, and gave a big ol', "Thank you Father God, in Jesus name."
"The LORD," many at diner tables repeated, some amened, many more nodded.
"That was unexpected." Wondering set astir, Creme took notice of amening patrons. The camera followed her eyes, panned the crowd of old and of young, of dads, moms and children, of Fort Worth cowboys, warehouse and railroad crew workers, and bookoodles of leather clad tattooed bikers, and... "Oh my,"Creme near gasped, "a table full of lawyers and paralegals, and is that an agent of the IRS?" But then she, and camera, and all of live TV watching saw the crosses round necks and studded in silver on black leather jackets; saw the Jesus T-shirts, and even... even was it... did they all wear the light...
"But this is an old saloon." Creme understood not. "These people are all, well, all from the rough side of the tracks. How can this be?"
"Not all that's added... is a plus," Stewie spoke heart. "Ever since the Eve of sin, Adam and the rest of us, we all got our minuses. But as recorded in Mark 2:17, when Jesus was criticized for attending a dinner party full of disreputable folks at a tax collectors home, he told his critics that he came not for those who think themselves righteous, but for those who know they are sinners; for those who are healthy have no need of a physician, but those who are sick do. And so it is that thru Jesus... God's grace... our past of day... is cast ago away... When we love Jesus, the Son of God, we love his Father, and we become God's children also. So are... the once rough crowd forgiven and blessed."
And Creme Brulee, a once tad too driven professional reporter, lay her head gainst a once bad Stewie's bear of a chest. And she confessed, as she wept, the name of the one and the only true Word... "Jesus."
"Grace to the neck... the gift of light to the soul... Jesus..." said the saved from the bad, Stuart B. Bruin, as he hugged her and with gentle paw patted the nape of the neck of Creme Brulee... three little pats at a time...
And the diners at tables let out a collective sigh of pure joy, punctuated with an amen blessing here and there...
And Lisa the cameraman, er camera lady, smiled, then said, "Now that's what I call live TV. Good stuff!" She thumbs upped to heaven.
John 8:12 KJ: Jesus, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 1:1-14)
That most important decision of any life... might better make it now... for the never too late... tread not a moment too soon...
(This has been but a humble parable pointing to Biblical teaching. The true stories of the Holy Bible are infinitely more awesome. Crack one open. Let your life be awesome.) (For a true story bout stew in the Bible see Jacob & Esau in Genesis.)
Stew Gone Wrong? What to do? 2nd Chronicles 7:14...
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
EVERY PIE HAS ITS CRUST
"Kneading dough is no piece of cake." With full lips a pout, Terra Eskew puffed at scrunchie escaped dark hair.
"That's," Smitten Kitchens laugh swished her palomino pony tail, "that's because cake be doughless. I think to bake the cake takes, like, batter?"
"Exactly," Terra agreed, "doughless, unlike making pie crust, like we are doughing," Terra chuckled at her little play on words, but added, "Just how did we inherit the unofficial family title of Thanksgiving pie makers?" With back of hand Terra dabbed at the salty dew of labor on her nose, but succeeded only in covering her freckles in white flour.
As she prepared apple filling, Smitten smiled, contemplated not telling Terra, but, "You look so cute with snow capped nose."
"What?" Terra's brown eyes crossed, fought to focus on tip of nose. "So you are saying my nose is like a snow capped mountain?"
Smitten giggle vibrated her far more than a tad baby bump gainst counter. "Hold still, silly," Smitten took a break from carving apples. Her green eyes a sparkle reflected, told the tale of care, the red and white checkered apron borne by right hand, as she reached up to dab flour from Terra nose.
"That's my Smitten, been keeping your too tall gal pal's nose clean since third grade." Terra pounded dough.
"Little rough on the dough aren't we there, Terra?" Smitten knew. She was not supposed to know, but she knew that Terra look, that dough of guilt, that forbidden apple pie that ate at the heart of Terra. Thus Smitten with slip of lip swept up the past, "From the floor of the mind... stir wisps of dust... whispers of time..." That breath, oh how it breathed Smitten heart; yet she sucked air back in thru teeth, bit that lowered lip, too late to retrieve words born.
Terra mirrored Smitten bite of lower lip, then whispered, "The slip of the tongue is seldom silk, nor without season." She sprinkled white flour over dough, rubbed flour on rolling pin, and rolled not so merrily along.
"Nobody's perfect." To bowl of carved apples, Smitten added smidgen of allspice, yet now the herb of rub.
Trembling lip the quiet of Terra betrayed.
"Sorry." Wrinkled brow of Smitten winced.
After a tad more quiet, Terra ceased rolling of sour dough. "So you know," she whispered.
Twas Smitten turn to weigh the quiet, a quiet that echoed off rue mountain.
"We didn't plan it." Terra closed shades of eyes. "It," she took breath, opened eyes, and with those full pout lips sighed, "it just happened."
"Yeah," thru apron Smitten rubbed pregnant tummy, "stuff happens."
"I am so sorry," Terra put her hand over Smitten's on her swollen tummy.
"I am sorry too." Smitten stared out kitchen window into the garden beyond.
"Please," Terra fought lump in throat, "forgive me?" Terra cried. She hugged her precious friend, patted Smitten hand atop Smitten's ripe tummy. "At least you and Bill made up after our combined stupidity."
Smitten hesitated, then as if they played a game of their youth, she put her hand atop Terra's hand, that was atop her hand on her rounded tummy, then said, "About this," Smitten pressed Terra's hand from atop hers directly to pregnant tummy, "I hate to one up you, but, when the smitten smite back, revenge is stupider to the nth degree."
"You and my Ted?" Terra blinked, squished tears down cheek.
"High fidelity infidelity sort a amps up the heartache, doesn't it." Smitten stared all the more out kitchen window into the garden.
"Every pie has its crust..." Terra cried. Her eyes followed Smitten's thru kitchen window, thru tears she asked, "Is forgiveness out there... in the garden?"
"In the garden I see the well of grace... the living water... his name is Jesus..." Smitten cried...
And so it came to pass... in the garden... they prayed...
That very evening... baby Grace was born...
Our characters take a bow:
Terra Eskew: the earth, the world askew.
Smitten: When the smitten smite back... consequences swell...
Every Pie Has Its Crust: since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit...
Yet read in the totally true and infinitely awesomer Holy Bible:
John 4:5-42, The adulteress at the endless well of grace... Jesus...
John 8:1-11, The woman about to be stoned for adultery... Jesus tells her accusers: "Let ye without sin cast the first stone..."
Luke 23:34, Nailed to the cross, Jesus prayed for us all, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." So must we forgive also...
The most important decision of any life:
Romans 3:23 KJ; "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."
Romans 5:8 KJ; "But God comendeth his love toward us, in that, while we yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 6:23 KJ; "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 10:9 KJ; "That if thou shalt confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
... ... ... You are loved ... ... ...
"That's," Smitten Kitchens laugh swished her palomino pony tail, "that's because cake be doughless. I think to bake the cake takes, like, batter?"
"Exactly," Terra agreed, "doughless, unlike making pie crust, like we are doughing," Terra chuckled at her little play on words, but added, "Just how did we inherit the unofficial family title of Thanksgiving pie makers?" With back of hand Terra dabbed at the salty dew of labor on her nose, but succeeded only in covering her freckles in white flour.
As she prepared apple filling, Smitten smiled, contemplated not telling Terra, but, "You look so cute with snow capped nose."
"What?" Terra's brown eyes crossed, fought to focus on tip of nose. "So you are saying my nose is like a snow capped mountain?"
Smitten giggle vibrated her far more than a tad baby bump gainst counter. "Hold still, silly," Smitten took a break from carving apples. Her green eyes a sparkle reflected, told the tale of care, the red and white checkered apron borne by right hand, as she reached up to dab flour from Terra nose.
"That's my Smitten, been keeping your too tall gal pal's nose clean since third grade." Terra pounded dough.
"Little rough on the dough aren't we there, Terra?" Smitten knew. She was not supposed to know, but she knew that Terra look, that dough of guilt, that forbidden apple pie that ate at the heart of Terra. Thus Smitten with slip of lip swept up the past, "From the floor of the mind... stir wisps of dust... whispers of time..." That breath, oh how it breathed Smitten heart; yet she sucked air back in thru teeth, bit that lowered lip, too late to retrieve words born.
Terra mirrored Smitten bite of lower lip, then whispered, "The slip of the tongue is seldom silk, nor without season." She sprinkled white flour over dough, rubbed flour on rolling pin, and rolled not so merrily along.
"Nobody's perfect." To bowl of carved apples, Smitten added smidgen of allspice, yet now the herb of rub.
Trembling lip the quiet of Terra betrayed.
"Sorry." Wrinkled brow of Smitten winced.
After a tad more quiet, Terra ceased rolling of sour dough. "So you know," she whispered.
Twas Smitten turn to weigh the quiet, a quiet that echoed off rue mountain.
"We didn't plan it." Terra closed shades of eyes. "It," she took breath, opened eyes, and with those full pout lips sighed, "it just happened."
"Yeah," thru apron Smitten rubbed pregnant tummy, "stuff happens."
"I am so sorry," Terra put her hand over Smitten's on her swollen tummy.
"I am sorry too." Smitten stared out kitchen window into the garden beyond.
"Please," Terra fought lump in throat, "forgive me?" Terra cried. She hugged her precious friend, patted Smitten hand atop Smitten's ripe tummy. "At least you and Bill made up after our combined stupidity."
Smitten hesitated, then as if they played a game of their youth, she put her hand atop Terra's hand, that was atop her hand on her rounded tummy, then said, "About this," Smitten pressed Terra's hand from atop hers directly to pregnant tummy, "I hate to one up you, but, when the smitten smite back, revenge is stupider to the nth degree."
"You and my Ted?" Terra blinked, squished tears down cheek.
"High fidelity infidelity sort a amps up the heartache, doesn't it." Smitten stared all the more out kitchen window into the garden.
"Every pie has its crust..." Terra cried. Her eyes followed Smitten's thru kitchen window, thru tears she asked, "Is forgiveness out there... in the garden?"
"In the garden I see the well of grace... the living water... his name is Jesus..." Smitten cried...
And so it came to pass... in the garden... they prayed...
That very evening... baby Grace was born...
Our characters take a bow:
Terra Eskew: the earth, the world askew.
Smitten: When the smitten smite back... consequences swell...
Every Pie Has Its Crust: since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit...
Yet read in the totally true and infinitely awesomer Holy Bible:
John 4:5-42, The adulteress at the endless well of grace... Jesus...
John 8:1-11, The woman about to be stoned for adultery... Jesus tells her accusers: "Let ye without sin cast the first stone..."
Luke 23:34, Nailed to the cross, Jesus prayed for us all, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." So must we forgive also...
The most important decision of any life:
Romans 3:23 KJ; "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."
Romans 5:8 KJ; "But God comendeth his love toward us, in that, while we yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 6:23 KJ; "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 10:9 KJ; "That if thou shalt confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
... ... ... You are loved ... ... ...
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