I have been too weary in heart to write, for much you have heard before and much is shaming to me. But I did want to share two moments of the past few days: one which brought a smile and one which gave me pause.

The Smile: As you may have guessed, I like Sugarland. When they were up for CMT awards last year, they posted these silly videos on You Tube that were tongue-in-check campaigning. When I am having a particularly bad day, I will watch the first one and then the second, chuckling my way through them. Somehow, in some way, I want to work in "You smelling what I'm cooking?" into a conversation! Then there is the rather shameless plug for votes. At 1:24 minute mark of the second one they talk about how they need to do a movie because the movie videos are what win (that and having good hair blowing!). Well, they have taken the first step in that movie by posting the Sugarland Movie Trailer. Too Funny! I think what I like most about Jennifer and Kristian is that there is absolutlely no pretense about them. They laugh and poke each other on stage, sharing a private moment of musical joy despite the fact that everyone's watching them. They are silly enough to post those videos and put out a fake movie trailer. To live in your bliss must be just about the best thing on earth...that and having someone who will blow on your hair!

The Pause: I took Kashi in for acupuncture treatement last Friday evening. The function in his leg is rather poor and it is not clear if the pain is better or if he has learned to live with it. His muscle has atrophied and there appears to be significant nerve damage. So, when his vet suggested acupuncture, I was not opposed. An emergency came up, which left Kashi and I waiting on the benches for an hour. I didn't mind because I cried my way home from work and had not really stopped. In fact, I sobbed my way through the first half hour of his appointment before I could pull myself together. His vet, a most magnificent woman, ignored my tears until I could speak and then she listened and listened. She had several words of encouragement and a few of pragmatism. Then she had a question that gave me pause. She is reading this book and said that while it didn't quite match what I was facing and knew that our faiths were somewhat different, it did bring a question to mind. If our lives are the utterances of God, what do you want yours to say in this situation?