Animals

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December 2, 2012

The nature of things with a Grendel dog and a Karma kitty.

Posted by Grendel's Mother under Animals, God, holiday, Uncategorized | Tags: , , |
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Stereotypes tend to have a kernel of truth, although certainly we can say there are always exceptions to the rule. But regardless, the differences in us is what makes life wonderful.

This morning my pastor spoke about the importance of being present in people’s lives. Giving our time and focus to our loved ones and to the individuals we interact with can make a huge difference in their lives, how they behave for the next day or minute, and choices they and we ultimately make. One of the names Jesus is called is Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” His presence in us affects us every minute. When He came to us that Christmas so long ago He brought with Him hope for all of us.

So I’m going to try to go against my nature—which is to run away from strangers, hurry through life, and constantly be looking toward the future—by slowing down a bit in my interactions, whether they are with a store clerk, a friend who’s chatting during the day, or a child who is taking a bit too long to tell a story. I’m going to try to be in the present, give my “presence” to others, and appreciate the differences in all of us.

I want to share a very funny video that showcases the basic nature of dogs and cats and their interactions with us. Why? Because life is good in a house that enjoys the eccentricities of both the Grendel dog and the Karma queen. They need my attention and my presence. And it shows how we can live in harmony with all types of personalities.

During this Christmas season, I wish you love from friends and family and the pure joy that comes from having the presence of Jesus in your heart. And I hope that you will enjoy the differences in the people that surround you throughout your day.

 

 

November 13, 2012

Should it stay or should it go now.

Posted by Grendel's Mother under Animals, Camp, Friends, Uncategorized | Tags: , |
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The great thing about a personal blog is you can write what you want and how you want. After being passively-aggressively told by a certain person who shall be nameless but who can barely spell that my writing wasn’t compelling enough, I thought I’d give myself a boost and catch up on the ol’ Grendel’s mom blog. There have been so many interesting things happening in the world and funny jokes to share, but oddly enough I’m sitting here with nothing to write about. Hmmm, let’s see what’s been going on…

I went to a fantastic B2B marketing conference in Boston. I’m writing blog posts at work about all the new technology and trends out there. The kitty wanted to come—she got herself all cleaned up and was packing herself in there but alas, she had to stay at home.

 

Iz cleanin the coat before packing it!

My beach house managed to survive Sandy. One of God’s continuous blessings is that our house is in this bubble of safety—it’s kind of like the opposite of the Bermuda triangle. Maybe we should call it the Bethany Rhomboid. I have an Aunt named Sandy. The similarities are striking and I was imagining her sons, whom she lovingly refers to as “little shit” and “pagan,” teasing her relentlessly as the news media talked nonstop of the impending doom from Frankenstorm. Of course my heart and prayers go out to the people who were devastated by the storm and don’t get me wrong, I am very grateful for my blessings and luck.

What else. Well, my brother’s birthday (and mine) came and went and that was kind of sad. However, it was Halloween and the plethora of Luigi, princess, and spiderman costumes were enough to bring smiles throughout the evening. I even won a contest at work for best pumpkin.

Turkey pumpkin

But now in the Virginia Crowe household, it’s time for a purge. Whenever I get to the point where I feel I’m bursting at the seams (yes I am trying to work out, but in this instance I mean my house), and I start thinking about how I need to buy some storage item or furniture to contain the mess, I know it’s time for a purge. So I’ve been going through all the closets, drawers, and shelves and tossing. Eight trash bags so far to the dump (those floppy discs, VCR tapes, manuals for appliances long gone, and Internet for Dummy’s books have worn out their welcome). In addition to the trash and recycling, I’ve got another huge pile for a yard sale I’m sure will never happen. If anyone wants a fish tank, wet suit, new lampshade, baby scale, giant teddy bear, or a VCR, come on over.

Bear can go. Cat stays.

It’s also been fun going through all the letters and photos I keep. The art work from my nieces when they were little, the young me—thinner, with longer eyelashes and tight skin—forever captured on film, the diary of a kid who was a boy-crazy and a stupid brat (that would be an even younger me), and notes from loved ones were a delight to go through. That pile was kept for the next purge when I need another reminder of what’s important to hold on to. So while the beautiful leaves on my street have to go each year…

…good friends stick around!

My neighbor John and “mini me” Carter.

With that I say adieu. To you and you and you. To all my friends—I will be scanning some of those old photos and letters and posting them on facebook for the benefit of me getting to laugh at you 20 or so years later. Oh what the heck, here are a few…

 

March 7, 2012

Always be Batman.

Posted by Grendel's Mother under Animals, social media | Tags: , , , |
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Years ago when asked what she would like to name her new little brother, my niece thought for a half second and with all deadly seriousness replied, “Batman.”

Unfortunately my brother decided not to go in that direction. Man, that would have been fun. Crazy people are what makes life interesting. We’re just not that far gone—yet.

I did a blog post for my company a few months back about selecting a name for your brand (or in some cases, your child’s brand). I thought it would garner some conversation when I mentioned that I had found some research that said some parents were actually naming their kids “Like,” “Facebook,” and ah hem, “Batman.” I made a little fun of those people and frankly if you’re going to do that you deserve to be mocked.

I’m in the process now of thinking up new names for the fish I just bought. Note, animal names can be as creative as “Grendel” or as plain as—but yet still lovable—”Joe.” Maybe this time instead of naming them after loser ex-boyfriends (those fish died as a result of my inexperience as an ichthyologist, not because I was torturing them), I will name them something strong, something legendary. And yes, I know what ichthyologist means, I just don’t know what chemicals the fish needed to survive the murky waters of my new tank. Anyway, these new fish look pretty hardy. Maybe I’ll name them after characters in the Icelandic sagas. Or maybe not. Those guys were kind of jerks.

If you would like to offer some suggestions, please do. In the meantime, take a look at Pinterst for some great ideas to share and get hooked like the rest of us. (I just saw this on Pinterest and it made me laugh at the memory of what could have been for our little nephew.)

 

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