What’s the Story in Dalamory

Spending a lot of time with a new puppy, showing it the house rules etc, has meant that some of my prayer routines have been a bit disturbed. I am reminded about Brother Lawrence and his life of prayer in and through the ordinary tasks of life.  His book The Pracise of the Presence of God is an all time classic.

There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and more delightful than that of a continual walk with God; those only can comprehend it, who practise and experience it. Yet I do not advise you to do it from that motive, it is not pleasure that we ought to seek in this exercise; but let us do it from the motive of love, and because God would have us so walk.

My Sacred Space reader tells me that today is the feast day of St Thomas Aquinas. In looking him up online I am reminded that he thought heretics should be put to death and would be forever separated from God. He also believed that women were intellectually inferior to men and should therefore be subject to them. He further believed that physical “correction” of children and slaves was necessary. No wonder then that modern theologians and philosophers have difficulty in reconciling his position, though to be fair, to even attempt to understand him we have to try to enter into the mindset of 13th century Europe.

However…….it does beg the question, what use are feast days for people who may have had sincere views when in fact they were so downright bigoted? Still – Butler’s Lives of the Saints tells us that in 1272 he was celebrating Mass when he received a revelation that affected him so much that he wrote nothing more. He is supposed to have said “The end of my labours is come. All that I have written appears to be as so much straw after the things that have been revealed to me.”

Aha! He came to God’s senses after all.

     Cute or what?

Five rolls of chicken wire arrived by carrier today. Now the problem is how to persuade Him Behind the Wheel that it is a worthwhile use of his time to Colditz the garden. We have thought of one problem: the cat likes to dive across the garden and zip through the existing square-link country fencing…….  Let’s hope he slows down before he is brought up short.

Oh dear……..and he is only just starting to talk to us again.

There is a downside to having roe deer sleeping in the garden – deer poo. Guess which puppy likes to eat it?

Thus, I spent a pleasant half-hour this afternoon picking the stuff up. I did wear disposable rubber gloves, unlike the Two Hairy Bikers…… On their programme this week they mixed alcohol with animal poo pellets and practised spitting at their motorcycle helmets. Yuk!

Oh no – I have turned into Woman with a cold. I may even be more miserable than Man with a cold. And it is such a beautiful bright crisp sunny day. All I can do is look – sniffle and snuffle and hope for an improvement soon.

Misty had her first outing to the vet yesterday – trauma trauma to get the first of her vaccinations. Thereafter, it was to Son No 3 for an introduction and visit. This is her rucsac for the journey. All I can say is that is just like going out with a toddler and remembering to pack everything “just in case”.

Incidentally, I am writing this whilst the sleeping cairn is curled up in her bed with her favourite toy. Ssshhhhh!

The problem of needing to take exercise has been solved.
Her name is Misty and she is an 8-week old cairn terrier.

Serves me right for making mock of Him Behind the Wheel with a cold. I have caught it as a sore throat. Mind you, I think I have given it back to himself as he now is Man with a Sore Throat. Brave friends came to stay over the weekend and helped to keep the blues at bay.

An excellent thought for a Sunday. Friends certainly make a difference.

A search on ebay reveals that there are 2985 cardiovascular exercisers for sale.

But none near Dalamory.