Paradise Found

We are now officially living on "our half-acre of Paradise".  No, really, that is the name of the town we moved to last week, and we did buy a house on a half-acre lot.

I'll bet some of you thought I was kidding when I wrote about our half-acre of Paradise a few blogs back.

The town welcome sign says:  May you find Paradise to be all the name implies.

Yes, it is rustic.  So much so that it does not even have a Wal-Mart.  It is only a little mountain village.  It has no Red Lobster, but it has the ComeBack Diner.  It has no Olive Garden, but it has Annie's Country Kitchen. It does, however, have the Paradise Symphony which is playing next Saturday evening. How I wish I could attend.

If only I could, or rather if only the *LOC had time to show me how to get the pictures I have taken of our new surroundings onto this blog, I would be glad to share the view with you.  But alas, he is buried up to his neck in his office.  Poor man found a stapler and a pen yesterday and I could hear his "whoop" of elation all the way down the hall. (*Lovable Old Coot)

If that sounds a bit odd, you must remember that others helped us move; and when you do not pack and label and unload your own stuff, well, it can be a challenge finding things.  You may run across an egg timer, but hunt in vain for an entire box full of silverware.

The LOC gave Holly (she is an "only dog" and knows it) a bath yesterday in our handy-dandy new laundry room sink.  But then realized he had no idea where her brushes were - so she had to just air-dry and now she will have Lhaso-tangles until we can either: a) find the brushes or, b) get her to the groomer.  We have an appointment for her, but they could not fit her in until next week.  Holly is not best pleased.

The movers got a kick out of her "attitude" - basically she runs the household - and one of them commented with amusement, "But she pulls it off."  She does, indeed, and woe be to those of us with only two legs who try to interfere. A princess of the realm knows her prerogatives.

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Breaking news: (but no pictures at eleven, until I can get some instruction on that USB port/import/thingie)

A friend stayed with my son at his house the other night, so that I could go spend a night in our new home.  Oh joy!  As we sat in the living room with the patio door open late in the evening, I could hear the frogs and crickets chirping and singing away.  It was the most peaceful sound in the world and I smiled all the way to my toes.  I cannot remember the last time I could hear that sound at night.  In the city where we lived for the past twenty years, "night sounds" ran to sirens and helicopters circling overhead.

Next, I had the pleasure of waking up in my own bed for the first time in months, and the view from our master bedroom window ... well, words fail me, and that does not happen too often.

The sun breaking through the pine forest right outside our window.  Deer wandering around next door. Pinch me, I must be dreaming.

And then to top it all off, we received a call from the doctor's office telling us that ALL K.'s lab tests came back with good improvement this week!  Thankful, thankful, thankful ! 
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God is good - when we know it, when we forget it;
when we believe it and when we doubt it;
when we hope for it, when we lose hope;
when we succeed, when we fail;
when we laugh, when we cry;
when we love, when we fail to love;
when we remember to thank him and when we forget to thank him - God is good all the time.  All the time, God is good.

My understanding, or lack thereof, has no influence upon his goodness.  His goodness, however, has every influence upon my understanding.

God bless you, until next time ... your friend in Paradise - Marsha