Landsflicka

          Take a moment to appreciate this little fur ball of cuteness. This is Mosi: she loves eggnog, crumpled up paper, and attacking your feet. She is the most adorable, cuddly, and mischievous kitten you may ever be acquainted with, so protect your feet and check under the furniture.
          Mosi showed up on my doorstep about a month ago. (Actually, she was curled up in Retta's dog house waiting to be picked up and loved on.) I carried her into the house and the following conversation ensued....
Mom: Oh my.
Me: Yes. It is cute isn't it.
Mom: .........
Mom: Bring it in and feed it.
           Ever since then, life has seldom been dull. Retta is thrilled to have a playmate, except for the times Mosi grapples her butt like a cougar and bites it. The two will chase each other around the basement, tearing up the carpet and generally creating a ruckus. After an especially rousing chase, there is the routine "drinking-out-of-the-Christmas-tree-stand" and "fighting-over-Laurel's-bed."

  
          Sometimes, I pretend that having such rambunctious companions is annoying. After all, they both beg for milk out of my cereal bowl, terrorize the parakeets and constantly demand attention. But in all honesty, Mosi and Retta keep my life in a wonderful state of happy and unexpected.
Every evening when I come home from work, they pile onto the couch with me and sleep peacefully, offering what animals give the best: companionship.
I'm looking forward to many adventures with my pets. Hopefully neither one of them kills the other first.

           A candle is lit in each window, there is a furry kitten in my lap and hot cocoa at my elbow. Everything in this picturesque scene is perfect --- except the dismal lack of snow. (All of my friends left for Florida this Christmas, but they didn't have to. There is tropical, 65 degree warmth here in Missouri.)
These days my life has consisted of the following:
Reading.
Two weeks ago my friend lent me the "Book Thief" by Markus Zusak..... and oh how INTERESTING it is! Every evening I curl up in bed with the thick black volume to absorb more of the captivating story. Mosi joins me -- licking me on the nose and begging for eggnog. 
The book started out like this:

          Thanksgiving happened a long time ago.... (Wait, was it only last week? oh my.) It feels like a lifetime has gone by since then; those turkey dinners and laughter-filled evenings are memories of the past. However, I am still in complete awe of the overabundant blessings in my life-- my mind is still focused on thanksgiving.

         Firstly, I have a network of family and friends like no other. Of course that sounds cliché -- everyone says they are thankful for friends and family. But honest to goodness. I love the people surrounding me. They are joyful, inspiring individuals and I don't know where in creation I would be without them. Our family gatherings are loud and exciting: there are usually little kids running about with their energetic chatter, theological debates, spontaneous music sessions, and the like. We are not perfect, but we are family---tied together with the endurable bonds of loyalty and love.


          There are times in my life when I start to freak out about finances and start scheming various get-rich-quick strategies, but I have to remember that God has always provided. He provided me with a clean functional car after my accident. He dropped a free piano into my lap -- (a beautiful upright with wood carving!). I was even gifted with a furry, grey kitten yesterday morning when it showed up on my doorstep. I have never gone hungry, and my living space is comfortable and warm....  Life is pretty okay I guess :)

     
          Recently, I stumbled across David's song of thanksgiving in 2 Samuel chapter 22. After reading it, I found that it pretty much covered everything -- from praising God, to destroying enemies, to words of thankfulness. The song struck a chord with me, so I will share a sample of it with you: