• faith,  friendship,  grief

    “V”ictory

    Becky became “Aunt Becky” to Hershey, who my husband and I adopted, at a humane society fundraiser. She loved animals! Photo © Diane Weidenbenner Thursday, April 25, around 11:45 p.m., my good friend lost her battle against lymphoma. She was a very special person, as most people who knew her will tell you. She was a blessing and incredible friend to me both at work and in my personal life. Her name was Becky and she was a Christian. She’d been diagnosed with aggressive non-Hodgkins lymphoma in January (after successfully beating another type of lymphoma last year.) I am grateful that she is no longer sufffering, no longer in pain.…

  • communication,  friendship,  tweet

    From pony express to cell phones – tweet!

    Trends come and go and, if you wait long enough, they circle back around. It’s been true for bell-bottom pants, hairstyles and wool pea coats and it’s now true for the U.S. mail! I had to chuckle at a recent reTweet I received, highlighting “Letters in the Mail” service by The Rumpus. An introductory paragraph explains: “Almost every week you’ll receive a letter, in the mail. … Think of it as the letters you used to get from your creative friends, before this whole internet/email thing.” To clarify, one letter is written and signed and then copied and sent to all who subscribe. And, some of the letter writers will…

  • cats,  life after 50,  pets

    Lessons I have learned from Raja, the Kroger kitten

    Enjoy life to the fullest. Race around joyfully at unexpected times and play with imaginary (or real) airborne objects. People will wonder what you’ve been up to. Eat, play, nap and repeat. Include others whenever possible (except when visiting the litterbox). Sunny spots on the floor are warm as are the places recently vacated by others. Pay attention to the small things in life. This includes spots on the wall, people’s toes, hair, eyeglasses and strings hanging down from just about anything. Pens, pencils, drinking straws, mascara tubes, jewelry, etc., make wonderful hockey pucks and increase one’s dexterity. Cleanliness is next to Godliness. After each meal, it’s best to wash…

  • cats,  pet rescue,  pets

    I got my cat at Kroger’s grocery store

    When we can’t get to our locally owned grocery store, my husband and I shop at Kroger’s in north Terre Haute. Kroger’s offers you a discount on gasoline, based on your monthly in-store grocery purchases. We’ve been known to save 30 or 40 cents per gallon, easy. This summer a Sister of Providence that I work with told me she saw a black and white kitten at Kroger’s gas pumps the previous night. She talked to it as she filled her tank but it became frightened and ran under a wooden pallet piled high with wood for sale. She told us this story at a meeting because she knows that…

  • Christian living,  friendship,  transplant

    Do unto others …

    Sunset on Brookville Lake, Liberty, Ind. What if we — Met resistance with kindness … Countered hatred with love … Lifted each other up instead of undermining each other? Gave support instead of criticism … Offered assistance instead of condemnation … Encouraged one another instead of judging one another? Made the first move instead of waiting … Apologized instead of demanding the same … Tabled our anger for timely reflection? Prayed to God instead of complaining … Thanked God for the good instead of holding on to the bad … Trusted God with the future instead of fearing the past? These thoughts have been on my mind lately and reflect…

  • cats,  Christian,  faith,  friendship,  life after 50,  pets,  writing

    Help me reach my goal …

    I’d like to write at least one blog a week in 2011. As you can see, I’m starting this goal a little late – it’s March already. To spur me on, I’m asking for friends to visit my blog and click “follow me” on the top right-side menu. You can sign in using your Google, Twitter or Yahoo account. You’ll be notified when (and if) I write a new blog post. So, in essence, you’re keeping me honest and motivated to complete my goal. In return for your faithful following, I will try and give you a chuckle or laugh at an interesting anecdote or happening in our meager lives…