Lapinbizarre And Becky

Their story told by Lapinbizarre:

Three or four weeks back I noticed a particularly sad case on an English Pointer rescue site I check from time to time. Becky, an eight-year-old hunting dog, had been worked out by her last owner and dumped, lame and barely able to walk, at a dog pound. Fortunately for her she was located by Dogs Hope, a rescue group. Judith, her rescuer and a fellow-librarian, wrote, "Such a love. Becky just came. She was taken to the shelter because she couldn't keep up with the hunt. Her back legs are in very bad shape and it is clear that each step is painful. I'm hoping that she can take pain medication, as she is crippled in both back legs - front legs don't look too good either. She is devastated by losing the only home she ever knew, even if it wasn't the best home."

That last sentence touched me so much, that I contacted Judith. Dogs Hope doesn't ship, but it's in North Carolina, about three hours north of here. We agreed that when Becky had recovered her strength sufficiently, I would drive up there and she and I would check one another out. Things worked out well and I brought her back to Columbia last Saturday. She's a delightful, intelligent dog. Physically her condition has improved amazingly. She's mobile once more and this morning, for the first time, was pulling me as we walked. While she's clearly been physically neglected, she shows no obvious scars, as my other two "rescue" dogs do, one more than ten years after I adopted her, of physical or psychological abuse.

She's a demon for getting into things. Like the garbage. "No" is not in her vocabulary - one reason I do not believe she has been physically or verbally abused. I was greeted this morning by a couple of hundred or so plastic grocery bags, bagged for recycling, all laboriously unpacked and spread wall to wall across the kitchen floor. Very pleased indeed with herself!

A beautiful story with a happy ending, no? And Lapinbizarre, aka Roger, is a lovely man.

What kind of owner dumps a working dog, when it can no longer work? Why not give her a comfortable retirement? Thanks to our friend Lapin, she has that now.

Here's the link to the website of Dogs Hope.

Please Pray For Kirstin

Kirstin at Barefoot and Laughing is undergoing surgery today to remove a melanoma from her ear. Pray that lesser surgery is sufficient to remove the tumor and that "All manner of things shall be well."

Almighty God our heavenly Father, graciously comfort your
servant Kirstin in her suffering, and bless the means made use of
for her cure. Fill her heart with confidence that, though at times she may be afraid, she yet may put her trust in you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Kirstin says:

How to be with me, in the next while

I don’t know whether I’m going to be admitted. I don’t know what the surgeon’s going to want to do, beyond the excision of (on?) my ear. (I don’t even know if he has jury duty tomorrow.) I don’t know what kind of lymph involvement I do or don’t have. I really, really, really don’t want a neck dissection.

From Susan S.:

Also, Kirstin.... I dropped off at the hospital 30 minutes ago. I wait for someone to call and tell me when to come to pick her up. The actual surgery is scheduled for 1:00pm PDT.

UPDATE: from Susan S.:

Kirstin has been back from the hospital since about 7:00pm DST. She had some nausea, but otherwise is ok. She has gone to bed and will not get up until tomorrow, I think. In any case, they nipped her ear thingy off and I think she thinks they biopsied a lymph node. She will tell you more when she feels like it.

Thanks be to God! And thank you, Susan for the report.

Please Pray For Jack, Sr.

From Jack at The World of Doorman-Priest:

There may be sporadic posts......

....as Dad is in hospital! Seventy eight and now with no appendix and a perforated bowel. So prayers for Jack snr. please and for Daphne, left rather adrift and anxious, but with sense of humour intact!

UPDATE from Doorman-Priest: Thanks all. He appears to be a bit perkier and has gone from his own room to a room with three other chaps, which I take to be a good sign. He now also has a radio, so is in touch with the world again.

Pray For Lambeth

MadPriest reminds us to pray for Lambeth. Here is the official prayer from the Lambeth Conference website:

Pour down upon us, O God, the gifts of your Holy Spirit, that those who prepare for the Lambeth Conference may be filled with wisdom and understanding. May they know at work within them that creative energy and vision which belong to our humanity, made in your image and redeemed by your love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I confess that I don't have great hope that good will come out of the Lambeth Conference, but perhaps I shall be pleasantly surprised. However, I will join in with all my heart to pray for the bishops and the conference, that God's perfect will may be done, keeping in mind the following passage:

The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.
John 3:8

Come, Holy Spirit!

Lindy Has A New Blog Home

Lindy, the guardian of the Rowan, the dog of renown pictured above, the Rowan that we all know and love, has a new blog name and location, Still Fruity. She has all sorts of interesting and amusing add-ons on her sidebar. It's an amazing place. Check it out.

Louisiana Legislators Cut Programs

Back to my own little plot of ground. The members of the Louisiana House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations voted to cut the budget submitted by Governor Bobby Jindal.

From the Advocate:

Lawmakers slashed Gov. Bobby Jindal’s $30 billion state government spending plan by $120 million Sunday.

Most of the cuts in House Bill 1 — the budget legislation for the state spending year that begins July 1 — were to the Medicaid program and public colleges and universities.

For example, lawmakers trimmed $52 million in payments to private doctors and others who treat the poor.

Of course, the poor with no voice and little power for advocacy come first in the cuts. And public education in Louisiana has such a sterling reputation for excellence, that we can surely afford to cut allocations to the universities.

Legislators recommended the cuts in answer to a push by so-called fiscal conservatives to rein in the growth of state government.
....

Another $2.5 million was whittled away from a pre-kindergarten program for 4-year-old students.

Sigh....

These cuts come in the face of a large budget surplus from royalties from the increase in the price of oil. I'm having a hard time finding an exact figure for the size of the surplus, but one estimate was $800 million. Now, the citizens of Louisiana deserve some of that money back in in the form of tax cuts, but in the cause of fiscal conservatism, it's not right to target health care for the poor and education to take the first hits - or so it seems to me.

UPDATE: Meanwhile there's a bill in the Senate to triple the salaries of the legislators.

"The English" - Bad News, Good News

Themethatisme on his blog, Conscientisation:

The English

Nothing "so fascinating, beautiful and culturally diverse yet as insular, self-important and irritating as England."
..so saith the writers of the 'Rough Guide' series for world travellers. I am delighted. "England is an irritating and insular country full of overweight, binge-drinking, reality TV addicts, a new guide warns tourists." they go on to say.

Unfortunately they also say some pleasant things too. Unlike several other commentators...

The English think soap is civilisation - Heinrich von Trietschke

Britain is the only country in the world where being 'too clever by half' is an insult. - A.A.Gill

The English have an extraordinary ability for flying into a great calm. - Alexander Woolcott ....

There's more, but the more is "over there" at his blog. As for his blog handle and the title of his blog, I know he chose them deliberately so that they'd be difficult to type. You have to actually THINK while you're typing them, especially with the added complication of the craaaazy English spelling.

A New Son - Grandson For Johnieb

johnieb sez:
....

O/T, but family related, it appears my new grandson's birthday will be today; my daughter's water broke last night and the pains are five minutes apart as of 0630 Phoenix time. I request all your prayers and good wishes.

Prayers and good wishes coming right up, Johnieb.

UPDATE: From Johnieb: Daughter just called from Phoenix, , sounding like an old hand, with the new baby crying in the background. Both are fine; he was born about two hours ago: 4:30 Phoenix time.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. 7 lbs. 8.4 oz, 19 inches and something, but the due date was the 25th.

What Is Peace?

“Peace is not the product of terror or fear. Peace is not the silence of cemeteries. Peace is not the silent result of violent repression. Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution of all to the good of all. Peace is dynamism. Peace is generosity. It is right and it is a duty.” - Oscar Romero, January 7, 1978

San Romero de América, Pastor y Mártir Nuestro
by Pedro Casaldáliga

...Y supiste beber el doble cáliz del Altar y del Pueblo,
con una sola mano consagrada al servicio.
América Latina ya te ha puesto en su gloria de Bernini
en la espuma aureola de sus mares,
en el dosel airado de los Andes alertos,
en la canción de todos sus caminos,
en el calvario nuevo de todas sus prisiones,
de todas sus trincheras,
de todos sus altares. . .
¡En el ara segura del corazón insomne de sus hijos!

San Romero de América, pastor y mártir nuestro:
¡nadie hará callar tu última homilía!


...And you knew how to drink from the double chalice of the Altar and of the People,
with one single hand devoted to service.
Latin America has already laid you in its glory of Bernini
in the foamy halo of its seas,
in the angry canopy of the alert Andes,
in the song of all its streets,
in the new calvary of all its prisons,
of all its trenches,
of all its altars. . . .
In the secure altar of the sleepless heart of its children!

San Romero of America, our shepherd and martyr:
nobody will silence your last homily!

Picture from Wiki.

Excerpt and translation of the poem from Monthly Review.

Heavy Lifting

Scene from the period during which George and Laura led a cadre of volunteers and rebuilt New Orleans.