Amber waves of grain

Saturday afternoon in Wisconsin. What a gift to have a day like today to enjoy all of the beauty of nature. 

My ducks are not all in a row

Eventually we all have to face it.

Tonight I had a hard conversation with one of my dearest friends. She has made the difficult decision to put down her dog. He is very ill, and it is for the best, but that doesn't make it any less painful. Her dog, Romeo, is still young, maybe 5 years old. He still has bounce in his step, and a wag in his tail. She is going to take him to the vet on Saturday to end his suffering. Her plan is to take him to the dog park for one last run, then take him to McDonalds for a cheeseburger, his very favorite people food. Just thinking about it turns my eyes to water. I am so sorry for her, and for him. He is a good dog. He has a good parent, who knows that it would be selfish to let him suffer anymore.

I know that my cat, Iggy, will soon be looking to me to be unselfish. Just the thought of it scares me. He is old, and gentle, and loving. He still has a purr in his tummy, and enough energy to jump up on the table, where he doesn't belong. I know that he on the decline though. He eats like a starving maniac. He is bald on top. He doesn't want to go outside and eat grass anymore. He sleeps 23 hours a day. He limps. Okay, he has always had the limp, but it looks pathetic now that he is old.

Iggy is my dream cat. I wished for a cat like him when I was a little girl. He has bright blue eyes, and is pure white. He has good manners. He likes people, dogs, and kids. He even rides well in a car. I can honestly say that he was my idea of the perfect cat. I don't want to say goodbye to him. I will probably never have another cat.

Tonight I will think of Romeo, and his mom, my dear friend. I will put them in my prayers. I pray that his last days on this earth are filled with joy. I pray for my friend, too, who is courageous enough to do right by him.

My summer reading list

As usual I am searching for a good book. One that will change my perspective, and maybe enhance my life after I have finished it. While looking through my bookshelf I found a book I purchased this winter, in fact two copies of the same book. Yup, I must really be drawn to it to have purchased two copies, although I have to say it happens too often. I see it on the shelf of the bookstore, I pick it up and I decide that it will raise my consciousness, and I must have it.

The only problem with deep, meaningful books, is that they are hard to read at the beach. They are not always page turners. I usually end up reading trashy novels in the car, at the beach, on my lunch break, and at night before I go to sleep. This, sad to say, is the extent of my reading time, and I waste it on things with amusing titles and pictures that attract me.

Okay, back to the book I bought two copies of. I have to say that the only thing attractive about the cover is the Oprah's book club insignia on the right hand side. Oprah does recommend good reading material, she hasn't steered me wrong yet. The book is titled A New Earth, Awakening to your life's purpose by Eckhart Tolle.

If you have ever read this blog before you know that I have struggled with that for a while now. So when I picked up this book, and read the back cover I was drawn in. It explains that attachment to the ego leads to dysfunction and transcending that leads to balance. Good stuff, right?

I finished yet another quick superficial read last night and went in search of a book on the bookshelf. I picked it up, and started it. WOW! It is amazing, and I am looking forward to dusting it off the bed side table for many a night. It is just one of those books that you have to read each sentence more than once to get. I am not saying that it is dry or over my head, I am saying that with each sentence it provokes thought, and I must pause and think. This book will not be a one day read, that I know for sure.

Will I stay faithful to it until I finish? Probably not! I will plow my way through other fiction, as I savor this nonfiction gem. I intend to digest this book slowly. It may be the only book on my summer reading list that I will come away a better person for reading. At least I hope to.