Good-bye, Boots - From Sue

Well the time finally came to say goodbye to Boots. I arrived home this afternoon to take him to the vet and he couldn't stand up and his feet and legs were cold. He was one strong critter and withstood more than his share of adversity. From being turned out into the outdoors by his previous owner to arriving in Elli Beck's back yard, then living the winter in her garage, all the while prowling the neighborhood getting into fights and most likely making babies. Then he moved on to being quarantined for Rabies for 6 months and thankfully Becks had a garage he could live in, to coming to live with Bill and I in 1995. The vet figured he was about 3 then, and he lived the life of Reilly in my house and if you have the good fortune of being my pet....well just ask Graham, he'll tell you.

Boots then moved on to having cancer in his mouth and skin at the same time, right around the time I had some surgery or another, who knows what. So we were running I-95 North for him to appointments and surgery at Penn, then running south I-95 for me to Christiana Care. All in all there were three surgeries. Then finally it was diabetes and shots 2 times a day. He was a trooper, and a great bed partner. If he wasn't gently snoring, it was purring and in the middle of the night it would sound like the Mormon Tabernacle choir.

He went peacefully. Mom (Sue) is a mess and she'll miss him terribly.

From Sue.

Ah, there's just too much death lately, but onward we must go on. Pray for all those who loved Boots, who gave him a good life, and who will miss him so.

He will join Babs and all our other animal friends who have passed on in the playing fields of the Lord.

Five Troops Killed In 24 Hours

From the AP:

Five American troops were killed within 24 hours in southern Afghanistan, where Taliban militants have conducted an unrelenting campaign of bombings and attacks against U.S. and NATO forces.

This has been the deadliest year of the war for international forces and the Obama administration is debating whether to add still more troops to the 21,000-strong influx that began pouring into the country over the summer.
....

The U.S. is on track to have 68,000 troops in Afghanistan by the end of 2009, but the Pentagon said McChrystal would ask this week for as many as 40,000 new forces. Some question the wisdom of sending more troops to support a government facing allegations of widespread fraud in last month's disputed vote.
....

In a report to the White House, McChrystal argued that military commanders need to be less preoccupied with protecting their troops and send them out into Afghan communities more. He acknowledged this "could expose military personnel and civilians to greater risk in the near term," but said the payoff in terms of forging ties with the Afghan people would be worth it.

"Accepting some risk in the short term will ultimately save lives in the long run," he wrote.

I hope that Obama realizes that he is taking ownership of the war in Afghanistan.

According to Operation Enduring Freedom the total number of US troop deaths in Afghanistan is at 848. Total number of coalition fatalities stands at 1415.

Countries which have lost wars in Afghanistan in the last couple of hundred years: Britain twice in the 19th century, the Soviet Union in the 20th century. What is the end game in this war?

More troops equal more casualties for the coalition and for the Afghans.

Pray for peace in Afghanistan.

H/T to TPM.

Watch Joe Biden Hit It Out Of The Ballpark

Well, maybe not quite a home run, but pretty damned good. What I wonder about the folks on Medicare who don't want others to have what they have, is don't they have family members who are hurting or have been hurt by our dysfunctional health care mess? Or is it that they don't give a shit about anyone but themselves? Or is it ignorance? Honestly, I don't get it.

Geaux, Joe!

The Talking Dog

A guy is driving around the back woods of North Carolina and sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house: 'TALKING DOG FOR SALE'

The man rings the bell and the owner of the house appears, telling him the dog is in the backyard. They both walk around to the backyard, and a nice looking Labrador retriever is sitting there, under a tree.

'Mind if I check him out?' the prospective buyer asks.

'Go right ahead,' answers the owner.

The man walks up to the dog tentatively. 'You talk?' he asks.

'Yep,' the lab replies.

After the man recovers from the shock of hearing a talking dog, he says, 'So, what's your story?'

The dog looks up and says, 'Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA. In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. It was pretty funny to be doing that, but in reality I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running. But the jetting around tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger, so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals. Then I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired.'

The guy is amazed. He asks the owner what he wants for the dog.

'Ten dollars,' the guy says.

'Ten dollars? Are you nuts? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?'

'Because he's a liar. He never did any of that.'

UPDATE: Oh, woe, woe, woe is me! I forgot to give Doug credit for sending me the joke. I wouldn't want y'all to think that I made it up. By the same token, I wouldn't want y'all to think that Doug made it up, either.

Scenes From A "Wedding"

 

The Happy Pair - Susan and Erika

Pre-service introduction - Susan: 

Thank you all for coming to celebrate with us today! I hope you are not expecting a wedding, (though we have ‘borrowed’ some of the conventions of a wedding service and wedding breakfast!) When we signed our Civil Partnership last November we were not allowed to offer our new relationship to God and we felt this to be a very significant lack. We were also unable to invite as many friends and family members as we wished, so we resolved to hold a big party to remedy this deficiency.

 

Susan, Davis, and Erika

Davis' prayer:

Dear God, as we celebrate a year of loving union, we bring to You Susan and Erika, two people you’ve destined to become one. We are not perfect, nor did our love come about perfectly. Yet, through our imperfections, You have allowed Erika and Susan, to see each other’s true hearts and true spirits. Through you dear God, Erika and Susan have found their perfect love.
....

It is that joy they celebrate today in this holy place in the company of loving, supportive and accepting friends and family who have stood beside them through barren and bliss. But their union cannot be complete without Your blessing, because it is through knowing a loving God who accepts them as they are that it is made inviolate. Susan and Erika seek your blessing as their shield against any challenge or strife that may befall them.

 

Erika's Girls

They're beautiful, aren't they?

 

Susan Speechifying

After the Service - Susan:

Last November we signed our civil partnership to seal our relationship. We could become legally partnered but we could not ask our God for his blessing in public. Our church is still in debate about the place of same-sex relationships in the sight of God.
This, as many of you are already aware, is the political strand of our story.

So, today I’m here to give my great heartfelt thanks to the many people who have walked alongside us on our journey.  I am not here to complain. I am here to say that I am the luckiest person on this planet! I had a wonderful first relationship which sustained me for many years and enabled me to grow and develop. I have two wonderful children and now two wonderful grandsons and another grandchild soon to be with us we hope! I have had the privilege of being a friend to Erika for the last thirteen years and of getting to know and love Maria and Anna as they have grown up. And I am so deeply blessed by the love that Erika and I share, that I can only thank God for his ability to give us gifts far greater than we could ever dare ask for ourselves!



Speaks For Itself

Much love and many blessings to you, Erika and Susan. May you and your families share many happy years together.

PS: Thank you, Susan and Erika, for giving me the privilege of sharing your joyful day with my readers.

Episcopal Diocese Of Albany - Deanery Meeting

Openly Episcopal shares an account of a deanery meeting conducted by Bishop William Love in the Diocese of Albany.

For those of you who will attend a later deanery meeting, and for those who are interested in the bishop's thoughts, I took extensive notes, which I am happy to share with you here. If you were there, feel free to add your own corrections or observations.

The deanery meeting can't have been a pleasant experience for those, like Openly Episcopal, who wish to remain part of the Episcopal Church.

"The whole Convention got of on a bad foot," [Bishop Love] said, because at the first gathering the Presiding Bishop "got right into it and omitted the opening prayer." Then the PB went on to say that the great Western heresy is the idea that we can be saved individually, apart from the Church. "The specific verbal form of words" that she used "was an issue that caused great problems." He said that the statement "flew in the face of Holy Scripture, Romans 10:9," which "would seem to contradict what the Presiding Bishop said in her statement."

After several parishioners spoke of their desire to remain in the Episcopal Church:

...Bishop Love interjected, seemingly at random, that "to the best of my knowledge, there is no scientific evidence to prove a particular genetic makeup to explain homosexual orientation."

I'm shaking my head. Read the entire post by OE. Read Bishop Love's comments on Satan at work in the church today. Read his words on the Archbishop of Canterbury's encouragement to dioceses to sign on to the Anglican Covenant independently of the national church.

Thank you Openly Episcopal for your report on the Diocese of Albany deanery meeting.

Pray for Bishop Love and the priests and laity of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany.

UPDATE: Here's the link to the Albany Via Media website, a group of:

Episcopalians striving for a middle way of diversity and tolerance in the Diocese of Albany, NY

Good-bye Sweet Babs

May flights of doggie angels woof thee to thy rest.

Babs moved on. She had eaten nothing today, so now was the time. May she have a grand welcome by friends in the land where the grass is always green and there's always room to run and play and a comfortable spot for a good nap. And maybe even a beach. Her joints will be sound again and fit for running.

My son dug her grave earlier. Her body will rest in their back yard under the grape vine.

My brother-in-law sent me the old picture below of our dog, Ginger, who lived with us when we were children and teenagers. We sometimes dressed her in baby clothes, and she didn't mind. Babs will meet up with Ginger and won't they have a grand time sharing stories! Ginger was a good dog, too. When I was feeling really sad, I'd go sit on the back steps and pet Ginger and we'd love each other until I'd feel better.




"The Dog" by Ogden Nash

The truth I do not stretch or shove
When I state that the dog is full of love.
I've also found, by actual test,
A wet dog is the lovingest.



Babs

Picture at the head of the post courtesy MadPriest. Thank you, MP, for the sweet tribute to Sweet Babs .

Inner Peace

Diana, our one-eyed family dog

If you can start the day without caffeine,

If you can get going without pep pills,

If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,

If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,


...Then You Are Probably The Family Dog!


Posted in January from Doug, with a recent reminder from Susan S. I thought this was an appropriate time for a repeat.

" THE INDWELLING PRESENCE" - Richard Rohr

The word “prayer” has often been trivialized by making it into a way of getting what you want. But here I use “prayer” as the umbrella word for any interior journeys or practices that allow you to experience faith, hope, and love within yourself. It is not a technique for getting things, a pious exercise that somehow makes God happy, or a requirement for entry into heaven. It is much more like practicing heaven now.

From The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See (p.22-23)

Daily Meditations

(Sick?) British Humor

The train was quite crowded, and a U. S. Marine walked the entire length looking for a seat, but the only seat left was taken by a well dressed, middle-aged, French woman's poodle.

The war-weary Marine asked, 'Ma'am, may I have that seat?'

The French woman just sniffed and said to no one in particular 'Americans are so rude. My little Fifi is using that seat.'

The Marine walked the entire train again, but the only seat left was under that dog.

'Please, ma'am. May I sit down? I'm very tired.'

She snorted, 'Not only are you Americans rude, you are also arrogant!'

This time the Marine didn't say a word; he just picked up the little dog, tossed it out the train window, and sat down.

The woman shrieked, 'Someone must defend my honour! this American should
be put in his place!'

An English gentleman sitting nearby spoke up, 'I say, old boy, you Americans seem to have a penchant for doing the wrong thing. You hold the fork in the wrong hand. You drive your cars on the wrong side of the road. And now, sir, you seem to have thrown the wrong bitch out the window.'

Don't blame me. Blame Erika.