DEW FOR DUST

            "Well, is it official?" Thru dew of steam on bath mirror, Austin suburbanite Brooke Nineve searched reflection. With thumb and forefinger she parted wrinkles in left corner of eye, dared, "Watch the crows feet run." She let go; wrinkles recoiled like a snake bent on striking youth itself. "Yep, my smile lines are now officially crows feet." An involuntary, "Hymmmph," escaped her lips, sort a trailed off in a downward spiral.

            Meanwhile back at the ranch, Kelby Tahl slapped warm water on whiskers and lathered up. As he opened medicine cabinet, his reflection slid to and off mirror edge. He retrieved the safety razor within, closed the mirror, began morning ritual. Third stroke in stopped short; razor in hand lowered. "Well, how bout that," Kelby sputtered thru foam on lips, spattered lather on mirror. He turned head a tad, wrought a too wide open right eye right up to mirror; pondered, "Just when 'did' that crow step foot in my corner of eye land?" Kelby smiled, the crow's-foot grew deeper. "Such is wisdom, paid for in the currency of youth." His eyes relaxed, yet smiled the wider.

            Brooke and Kelby had dated for a while, well longer than a while, more than a few years while. But one of the things they had never done together was a picnic, and Kelby never before had shared a certain hiding place on his hill country ranch. So this special morning was separate spent, a cookin' country picnic fare, signature entrees to later share. Secret entrees for neither told other what they did prepare, so kept surprise up in the air.

            A few hours later Brooke made the seventeen mile trip thru winding hills and lowland dales, till pulling up near ranch house front door step, where Kelby was a loading up his utility vehicle name of A-Lamb-A-Tote, as proclaimed on rear tail gate.

            "Never have I ever seen a man's four wheel drive toy covered in such an idyllic scene." Brooke drew breath, added, "Those deer by the stream under the cypress look like I could pet them." She asked, "Who painted it for you?"

            "Well," Kelby blushed just a little, confessed, "one day my left hand kind a asked right hand what's up?"

            "What kind of man are you, Kelby Tahl?" Brooke gave him a peck on cheek.

            His blush grew deeper, and he kept in his heart the thought, "Wait till she sees what's on the driver's side..."

            And so it was that no sooner than gear and an old guitar were stowed aboard the ol' A-Lamb-A-Tote, the trip to promised picnic land began. And so be it along the way, a pungent odor, escaping one particular picnic basket bay, tingled olfactory nerve stimulation, induced drooling mechanism, of one Brooke Nineve. "I have never smelled anything quite like the 'whatever' you have cooked up in that basket." She hugged Kelby's arm tight. "Maybe we could sample just a bite along the way?"

            Kelby smiled, "Am I the most blessed old cowhand in Texas or what? Got my pretty gal on my arm, and riding thru God's country to picnic heaven."

            "Kelby Tahl," Brooke cut loose a healthy, "Hymph," nipped his arm with pearly teeth, and with accusing eye rendered protest, "I have not forgotten your lips are a master of the old deflected by the reflected game." She squirmed a bit in seat, but did not let go his arm, did a little reflecting of her own. "But I did like that you said I'm pretty... and your gal." Her smile grew, but as it did the mirror of earlier morning gave the corner of her left eye a crow's-foot pinch, deflated that smile to near sniffle. "It was sweet of you to say, but the mirror tells me otherwise."

            The eyes of Kelby just smiled. He kept on a drivin', breathed, "You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you? You, dearest Brooke, who scents the breeze of my dreams with the flower of strawberry blonde hair, with freckles of marigold on nose that match the ones on the nape of your sweet neck, and those pink rose lips... But even if you had not these any at all, you'd still be beautiful to me."

            Brooke hugged his arm all the snugger, "And just why is that, Mr. Kelby? Tell me more." So returned pink rose smile.

            "Because the mirror of the face is temporary; but the mirror of the soul is forever. Because in due time the dew is as the dew of herbs, that wakes the dust... Whether old or whether dead in the dust, the dew from heaven wakes all to eternity, both the just and the unjust, to blessed place or to accursed other. Because at the crossroad of every life stands the cross. Because the cross is the crossroad of life. And you, little Brooke, have babbled many a dew time... the living water of Jesus."

            "Wow, ask a guy a question! You got all kinds a cowboy of the cosmos there for a minute." Brooke giggled, but confessed, "But I do love Jesus." She smiled.

            "Well, speaking of brooks, we are here and I'm about as hungry as you are." Kelby brought A-Lamb-A-Tote to a halt atop the rock over looking the brook. He fished, "Feel like getting your toes wet?"

            "You are such a kidder." Brooke giggled like a tickled little girl.

            "Well, there comes a time," Kelby put on his best sage, gray templed, cosmic look, repeated, "comes a time when all must pass over to the other side of the river, or brook as it be." He tried to stall the smile tugging at corner of lips.

            "So we really are crossing the water?" Brooke sighed, yet with hazel eyes of trust looked up into sage face.

            Boots off, jeans rolled up, guitar strapped to back, baskets dangling from left arm and hand, and Brooke hanging on to right arm, Kelby took first step into cool water. Brooke stepped in, giggled, "It tickles, feels so good after wearing those hot old boots." The clear ankle deep water rushed over smooth stone, and in between, "School girl toes!" She squeaked.

            "School girl toes?" Kelby smiled. He loved to hear Brooke's little squeak.

            "Yeah, in Austin after grade school during the summer, me and my best friend Bernie used to wade in the stream behind our house, let the minnows and baby bass nibble our toes. Ohh, what is that?" She squeaked again.

            "That little fellow inspecting your toes is your native rainbow trout. He is as colorful as he is right on cue, isn't he? One of God's little planned coincidences, no doubt. Thank you Lord above." And Kelby knew this to be a day of sweet reckoning.

            "Sunrise blue and pink with speckles, beautiful." Brooke admired the little swimmer.

            "Just don't get too distracted," Kelby gently warned. "The arch we are on top of is only about seven feet wide."

            "Arch?" Brooke puzzled.

            "Yep, we are crossing right in the middle of a limestone arch. Ankle deep here, but on both sides six feet deep. The water passes over and under it. So do not slip." The seriousness of his face betrayed the gentleness of his voice.

            If I go, we both go, Kelby Tahl." Brooke held tight to right arm.

            "Just a few more steps to the shade of that cypress." Kelby stood in water edge, made sure Brooke's first step on stream bank secure, then stepped up himself.

            Shortly the blanket was spread, the baskets and guitar laid out. two in love sat down, and the hunger astirred Brooke reached for Kelby's basket, reeking mystery aroma. His and hers hands met on basket handle.

            "Uh-aah, you open your basket first," Kelby teased.

            "No way," Brooke crinkled up freckles of nose and forehead. "That smell has been driving me crazy. I am so hungry, I almost gnawed off your arm on the way up here." She pulled basket to her and wrapped arms round it.

            "Give it up." Kelby tugged basket and the attached Brooke to him, planted full kiss on pink lips.

            Brooke's grasp loosened. Kelby gently picked up basket, sat it out of her reach. He gathered Brooke to his side, under arm. Her lips blushed, longed for more..." Open your basket first," He coaxed.

            Brooke fluttered lashes, narrowed hazel eyes, and through askew blushed lips muttered, "Deflected by the reflected 'again'! Kelby Tahl, you are a bad, bad almost ex-boyfriend." She tried sneak attack around his waist to snag that basket handle. Kelby scooted it just out of reach, to which Brooke registered a Richter Scale seismic, "Hymmmph!"

            "Your basket first," Like a flea in the fur, Kelby pestered away.

            "One of these days, Mr. Tahl." She scooted away, folded arms for a sec, then reached out and retrieved her picnic basket, sat it between them, fumed, "Since it means more to you than me, here." With the palm of her hand she tried to hide the smile cracking faux pas miffed mug. Her giggle revealed...

            "I love your natural born sweet marigold nature." Kelby kissed her temple, nuzzled nose in strawberry blonde hair.

            "Sweet distraction... again." Brooke leaned a tad closer.

            Kelby opened basket lid, "Let's see, fruit, nut and veggie salad," he took breath, "tossed in sweet raspberry vinaigrette, creamed peas, and your famous sour cream mashed tatters. Girl friend, done good!" Kelby bumped shoulder into hers.

            "Open your cotton pickin' basket!" Brooke fumed, like heat escaping lava.

            "Eh, what basket would that be?" Kelby treaded on volcanic ground.

            "The stinking picnic basket right behind you, stinky man." Brooke pouted.

            Kelby knew just how far to stretch Brooke's tolerance, before she stretched his neck, sat her basket away, replaced it with his.

            For a few seconds Brooke refused to budge folded arms, but her freckled nose began to twitch with waft of thick aroma. "Ohhh," she opened basket, opened tin foil, "buttermilk biscuits? Yummy, but that's not what I smell." She popped open foil covering ceramic dish, the smell rose up, tickled her nose, forced her to dive forefinger into, "Gravy?" She tasted, she grabbed a biscuit and dipped, she bit and she ate. She dipped biscuit again. "It's got a reddish tint?" She took nother scrumptious bite.

            "Red-eye gravy, an old southern recipe," Kelby volunteered.

            "Red-eye gravy, oh my," Brooke dipped biscuit, chewed anew. "Rich, smoky, salty and meaty delicious, but what kind of meat?" With mouth full, twixt chewing, she asked.

            "Critters," Kelby smiled.

            Red-eye gravy stop sign halted munching. "What kind of critters?" Brooke's munching cautiously resumed.

            "Well ya just sort a start with some wild boar smoked ham, fry it up in pan, take it out and add left over thick coffee to the drippins' and scrappins', and whisk in butter and bouillion cube." Kelby divulged recipe.

            "So the meat is ham?" Brooke took nother bite.

            "Naw, I ate that for breakfast, while I fried up the rabbit and squirrel."

            "So I am eating rodents," Brooke did not stop eating.

            "And duck and others of avian persuasion," Kelby nodded matter of factly.

           "Other persuasion?" Brooke was too food enraptured to care.

            "Yep, it's all fried, then thrown into the red-eye gravy, and the longer it simmers the tenderer it gets," Kelby basked in his culinary skills, then realized, "Hey, are you going to eat it all?"

            "It's," Brooke hugged basket to her, dipped second biscuit into red-eye gravy, "it's your own fault." She took healthy bite, with mouth full mumbled, "Starve a girl half to death in the middle of nowhere, trick her at every turn, like there is really rabbit and squirrel in this gravy; then ya stuff her with the gravy, make life interesting, and..." She dipped biscuit, brought it almost to her lips, but then redirected it dripping gravy to Kelby's mouth, "And you share your recipe of life with me." Love and tasty red-eye gravy had soothed away the crow's-feet from her blue-green eyes.

            And they supped... And Kelby burped, "Not bad manners, just good gravy." He laughed.

            "Yeah, like that joke never gets old." Brooke poked elbow in his ribs, let out a little burpette of her own, giggled.

            "You know what this means, don't you?" Kelby looked down into sweet blue-green eyes.

            "Fraid so," Brooke reached back, retrieved old guitar, plunked it down in her lap, strummed a bit til in tune with the dancing water of the brook, then in the voice of an angel began to sing:

                                       Drink of living water
                                       Fresh from the Lord above
                                       Blessed by the breath of the Dove      
                                       And filled with Jesus love

                                       Drink of living water
                                       Panteth like the deer
                                       For streamlets cool and clear
                                       The dancing waters hear

            Brooke slowed the guitar pickin', let its song drift along with the water of the brook. And so did the deer appear, by the water so very near. And Brooke remembered the painting of the deer by the water, under the cypress decorating the passenger side of ol' A-Lamb-A-Tote. So her gaze ambled there to the other side of the stream, where upon the rock she now saw the other side of four wheel drive. The painting was the same except by the stream, under the cypress, on a picnic blanket sat a young woman playing a guitar in harmony with the living water of the brook. And beside her... kneeling on one knee was a man... And Brooke began to cry...

            And the crow's-foot in the corner of Kelby's eye land grew deep... as he relaxed, yet smiled the wider... on bended knee...
      
The deer by the brook: Psalm 42:1-2 KJ

 
The dust of passage echos message... beware or rejoice... the dew is coming...

The dew of herbs: Deuteronomy 32:2-4  KJ

The dew of herbs and the dust: Genesis 2:7 KJ and "Isaiah 26:19 KJ" (All of Isaiah chapter 26)

The just and unjust: Please read Matthew 5:45 and understand because God loves all, he sent the light and the rain from heaven, Jesus; and gives opportunity to accept his son Jesus as savior. So must we also love all and share Jesus.  

The Rock and His water: Deuteronomy 32:4 KJ; Numbers 20:8 KJ with 1st Corinthians 10:4 KJ and John 4:13-14 KJ

The deer by the brook: Psalm 42:1-2 KJ

Brooke Nineve... the brook and the lady of the lake

Marigold... flower of herb named in honor of Mary Mother of Jesus

Kelby Tahl... the place by the fountain spring and the dew

Sage... a medicinal herb mint... food flavoring... sound wisdom

Red-eye gravy: southern recipe embracing the gift of life...

Jesus... Son of God... our savior... the dew and the rain from heaven... the living water

Ezekiel 34:26 KJ... His season;  Numbers 20:8 KJ... His water

John 3:16 KJ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, '+that whosoever believeth in him+' should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Blessed place... or accursed other... eternity...

JOSIE AND THE SPARROW

                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...


                       

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...      


         


         

           



           


                       

         
         

                                           

          

         

         

             

    

                   

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...                  

          


         

                 

                   

               

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. 

          

                           

                         

                                     

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...

   

                             

                   

                       
                           

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                          
               

                           

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...


      
                                                                               

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.        

         

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


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