Lady and the Tramp--OR Maddie and Ted

To save space I will write in some short incomplete sentences.

Well, there is this cute little dog Maddie. Little Maddie came into, what is referred to in many different ways, but we will just say it is a condition where little puppies are able to be created. O.K. so the Momma of our house (Sharlene) leaves for Chicago when this condition begins. Then the Dad of the house (Me) gets back home.

The Backyard fence has been "under construction" for several months. It is not perfect but it has kept little Miss "able to conceived" contained. Well, one afternoon Dad goes home to take Maddie on a ride to Great Bend. The backyard is empty. No Maddie! (I may give more details of what goes on between this moment in time and the next paragraph, but just not now)

About 10 minutes later Maddie is located running with a big yellow or golden lab. I grab her and get her into the car. He tries to get in too. He is not welcome.

Well about a week goes by. Last Sunday morning Maddie and I are coming back from our walk and ride and who is walking around our house? The big yellow, golden lab. (The Tramp) I carry Maddie into the house. We go out to go to church. He (The Tramp) is lying on the front porch. We come home from church, he is still on the front porch. We go for a ride in the afternoon. He is on the front porch when we leave and ON THE BACK PORCH WHEN WE GET HOME!! There is another story about him digging in. (Which may come later) But I think he had worked the gate open. Mandie and Josh's dog did that. Anyway- - He had to go out side the fence. Then he tried to chew the gate open. Oh, I may not have mentioned Maddie may still have smelled good.

Sunday night he spends the night under the evergreen bush. He wants to go on a walk with Maddie (and me) Monday morning, but does not get to. He stays at our house all day. I take Sharlene to Dr. in Holdrege. We get home late in the evening - he is still there.

Well, he is a beautiful dog. He has a very sweet face. He is gentle. He is very calm. He was helping me unload the van last night and I told him, "I can't call you Tramp. You are too pretty. I will call you Ted." He stared at me and seemed to understand. I also thought, he seems so smart. I will ask him to sit. "Sit" I said. Sit he did. He sat down, leaned back, brought up his front paws and said, Look at me!. I think he then said, "Can I stay?"

So he is kind of growing on me. I find out through Hollie at work who his owner might be. I go home at 5:30 to get Sharlene's mail and when I come home from the Post Office he is not there. I was getting kind of sad feeling. I look across the street and coming from the courthouse is Ted. He makes is across the street with his tail a waggin'. He is glad to see me too!

Don't get ahead of yourself folks. As I was getting more things out of the car someone pulled up in front of the house. They were not Ted's owner, but they knew him. They knew his name was really Joe. Hollie had told me that too. They knew he was a real sweet dog. They were going to have supper with Ted's owner at the Horsehoe. Ted's owner did not want him. They thought they might.

Well, Sharlene and I went to a school program last night. When we left my Ted was wagging his tail and standing in the front yard. When we came back he was gone. He did not greet Maddie and I at 6:00 this morning at walk time, so I guess he is really gone. Yes, I kind of miss him.

I did get his picture. He was sure a sweet dog. I learned a few things from Ted. First to listen to my wife. She did not think the fence was the greatest. Secondly, determined dogs can do about anything. She told me that too. (Especially when there is a female in that certain condition). A person can fall in love with a dog, and even other people, in a very short period of time. And once again, appreciate and treasure time you have with others, no matter how small it may seem. And appreciate the things we have.

I am glad I got a picture.

Softly and Tenderly

A few months ago I told my girls about my Dad's voice getting softer. Not too many years ago and as long before that as I can remember, my Dad's booming bass voice filled the church building when we sang. He knew the notes to sing and sing out he did. Many loved to sing songs with a bass lead and hear him sing. The song s"Our God, He is Alive" and "Lead me gently home father" are examples. Over the past few months before he passed away that voice grew fainter. On the last Wednesday night he came to church I noticed how faintly I could hear that voice. The harmony was so nice.

Today I led singing. I don't think anymore that God cares too much about the sounds we make nearly as much as the fact that the melody comes from our heart. The music is beautiful when sang as written, but God wants the song from our hearts no matter how it sounds. Well, our numbers were kind of sparce this morning and there was a lot of singing from the heart going on. Whenever I used to lead a song that I was not too sure about I sometimes thought, "That big ole bass voice of my Dad will cover my musical mistakes as well as my just plain insecurity." and it did. Dad could help with the tempo, he could make it sound like there were more people than there were really in the room. I do not think that his voice was overpowering, just full. This morning I was having a hard time leading the songs. I was wishing I could hear that bass. -- even just the thin, faint bass, to help carry me through. - But it was not there. I long to hear the big bass, but I would just really love to hear anything.

There have been times when we would have visitors come and some would say to the visitors, "I sure enjoyed hearing your bass voice." Their voices were fine. They did a great job. But the voice that I heard then, and every time the door was open for services was my Dad's.

We lost Dad about six weeks ago. His life ended while he was sitting at his office. I think, and I have told many of you this, that there is only one place that he would rather have been other than his office when his time came and that is sitting and participating at church.

I will not be able to hear that voice any longer, but the message he gave about the importance of attendance will not be forgotten.

Grandpa?--Yes, Grandpa!!!!!!!!

O.K. The other day one of the sweet ladies that I work with said to me, "Well, Bob, are you getting excited about being a Grandpa?" I told her, "Boy, that makes me feel old. Grandpas are old." I thought to myself, "Am I old?"

I guess I have been missing the point. One of my 3 beautiful daughters, Jacqueline, just had a baby. That alone makes her a beautiful baby. Now there will be a little one that will walk up to me one day and say, "Come on, Grandpa, lets go for a ride! Or, Grandpa, can you come to my recital? Or I will say to the 24 year old mother sitting next to me at a school program, "That's my Granddaughter, the one in the middle with the big smile." I will get to hold a little girl's hand again. So soft, tender and full of love.

Thank you Lord, for the blessing of my wife. Thank you for the blessing of our three beautiful (inside and out) daughters. Thank you for the blessing of the three young men who are part of their lives and thank you for this little granddaughter Chloe Mae.