FORTY DAYS

It has been over eight months since my last blog. I think it's interesting that the name of that blog was "Eight is Enough". So, I guess going eight months without blogging is enough, as well. I've been going through some minor health issues which have made blogging difficult to impossible. But, I'm going to try again to get this rolling again.

To update you on my current circumstances, I am still in Scott County with a busy, working husband who is away some due to his job. I am here in the country on a big hill with four dogs . As the rest of the central Kentucky area has experienced, we have had lots of snow of late. Currently, there's about eight inches of snow out there. Mark and I enjoy the wildlife of the area, so we make sure there is food out for the critters. Birds, squirrels, chipmunk and deer are frequent visitors to our back woods.

A week ago, my dogs alerted me to a hole in hollow tree just off the side of the driveway at the bottom of the hill. I stealthily peeked into the hole and saw lots of leaves inside. I eventually also noticed black and white fur under the leaves. The fur was going up and down, as this little critter, was breathing deeply while in slumber. As I only know of very few critters who are black and white, I quickly ruled out the possibility of either a zebra or a penguin being asleep in the hollow tree. I stepped back quickly and quietly as to not wake the sleeping skunk. Over the next week we would see him occassionally and I had to start taking the dogs out two at a time on their leashes for potty breaks to avoid what turned out to be the inevitable. So, last Monday, after coming home from town, I let the dogs out after surveying the yard for Stinky's presence. I guess I missed seeing him on the other side of the driveway, but the dogs didn't miss him. They all four ran and surrounded him. It was a fiasco, with four little white furballs barking at the little skunk who did a sprinkler impression in the middle of the fray, covering the ground and the little noses in range with his stench. It seemed like forever before I could get all four away from Stinky and into our new garage. The rest of the day involved a lot of tomato juice, shampoo, soaking wet dogs, baby powder scented grooming spray, lots of towels and a lot of laundry. Thank God, we survived the ordeal.

Enough about dogs. Today is Ash Wednesday. Easter can't be too far away. I've decided, at this time, to get out one of my favorite books, The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren, and read it during the next forty days. It has forty short chapters and is a wonderful way to learn about what God's plan for our life is. It helped me years ago, and I know it will help me again.

I hope you make the most of these next forty days of lent. I want to experience the most meaningful Easter ever, as I hope to with each passing year. May you have a safe wonderful day. luv, Susan ps, avoid those little black and white critters.