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Quietus, Hiatus, and Other Us’s
Since returning from our trip home to Texas, I’ve been poleaxed with a deep lethargy, augmented in no small part by the weather. The warmer climes of the Lone Star State were a lovely but too-brief respite from the chill we’ve had since we returned to the farm. This morning it was in the teens and neither of us really warmed up all day, even with the heat pump running constantly (a pox on the house of whatever maladroit conceived of the idea of a “heat” pump….probably an ancestor of whoever designed the modern cars, washing machines, etc.). I’ll observe yet again that the difference between the cold months and…
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Merry Christmas
Mrs. Orr and I want to wish each of you, those who are kind enough to visit this little blog, a very Merry Christmas. And God bless us, everyone. ~ S.K. Orr
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Bless The Beasts
Last night while my wife and I were relaxing, I watched the spotted twins romp. The ever-sleeping Dixee paid them no heed, continuing to slumber in her little bed by my wife’s chair, undisturbed in her deafness and warm in her sweater. It’s never a sure bet as to which dog will start the donnybrook. When Jinx does it, he usually sits above Bluebelle and growls at her, a rising wail that concludes with three or four sharp barks. While he’s barking at his sister, he’s looking around at us to see if we’re watching. Then he moves to Bluebelle and starts gnawing on a leg or snapping at her…
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Fourth Sunday in Advent
I was thinking today about the year when we didn’t think we’d have a Christmas. We saw my daddy between two and four times a year. One of those visits was always between Thanksgiving and Christmas. He would show up and slam his truck door loud enough for us to hear it, and my sister and I would run outside to greet him. He would stand there, fists on hips, that devious, smiling, lean, dishonest devil of a father, laughing that completely delighted laugh of his, his weather-bronzed face split by an enigmatic smile, and scoop us up in his arms and swing us around as he loped to the…
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First Sunday in Advent
How the winds howled today. We lost power briefly, and the little artificial Christmas tree on the front porch was knocked down, and the leaves hissed across the metal roof and over the beaten grass in their swirling and liquid patterns, but it seems to have calmed down now, after sunset. The weather was relatively warm, about 60F, for which we were grateful. Mrs. Orr finished decorating the interior of the house, so we’ll enjoy the coziness for a month, until Boxing Day, when the itch to pull it all down and store it all away will overtake us. I read some Catholic blogs and I know that traditional…
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Gratitude
I want to express my thanks to all of you who have reached out to me after my request. Though no clear path has yet been revealed to me, I am strengthened by the show of friendship and concern. Most of all, I am grateful for the prayers. This is no trite statement; my belief in the power and efficacy of prayer is central to all that I am and all that I do, even when I am unfaithful and inconstant. *** Last Sunday was the last Sunday of the Church year, and this coming Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent, marks the beginning of the Church year for Anno…
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Merry Christmas
Several inches of snow, amongst which the Spotted Menace has streaked and slid all day long….a warm home, a beautiful and loving wife, friend and family who have written, texted, and called to wish us a Merry Christmas…the presence of birds outside at the feeders…the glow of the tree and the lights…the aroma of roasting turkey and pumpkin pie and dressing and green bean casserole and potatoes and all the other side dishes…wine in the glass and cheese on the plate….a beautiful and peaceful and blessed day. I wish the same for all of you, my readers,who mean so much to me. Thank you for visiting here regularly, and for…
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White Christmas Eve
Our family Christmas party last night was a rousing success. It was so good to have everyone here, our usually quiet home transformed into a place of light and love and boisterous good fun. We were very pleased at Jinx’s behavior at his first large family gathering. He was calm and friendly,even when little boys were firing off toy machine guns a few feet from him. Sprawled in the floor and sporting his Yuletide bandanna, Jinx was an island of quiet in a tempest of child-noise. We awoke to rain this morning, and it grew steadily more intense throughout the day. By the time Jinx and I took our afternoon…
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Between Solstice And Celebration
I didn’t plan to stay away from this blog for so long, but life sort of ganged up on me there… We’ve been preparing for the grandkids’ visit. Once again, I am amazed at the number of things that need cleaning, stowing away, and rearranging. And in the midst of all the preparations, we’ve had repairmen and contractors and electricians here to do some much-needed work. For the past few years, my wife and I have been torn about whether to stay here in the mountains or to return to Texas. We’ve back-and-forthed ourselves to the point of exhaustion, covering all the pros and cons, exploring as many options and…
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We Command You To Have a Merry Christmas
Over at The Thinking Housewife, Laura Wood has posted a lively and encouraging message about this year’s Christmas celebrations. Read and heed. ~ S.K. Orr