The Turtle

She stared at me with her great big eyes, and then it stared at me, too.  With a rope between them, I wondered who had hold of whom?   All these years I had seen only an angel dragging a turtle along, but today... well, today I saw something different:  the angel isn't the patient one.  It is the turtle that is the patient one, and he's the one with the rope around his neck.  He's roped to that cute little lady, and he patiently goes along with "whatever".  Oh, my!  What he has to put up with would astound you and crack the shell on your back:   if you had one!

So today, I am pondering what I do to others, the ones that are tied to me.  I'm not so sure it's a pretty picture, but what is beautiful is their patience.  Blessed... I am so blessed.

Patience: the will or ability to wait or endure without complaint.
                a spiritual gift,  fruit of The Spirit

^"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
                                  ~  Holy Bible, Galatians 5:22-23, New International Version

Walking, Standing Together

@Copyright 2011, 2012 Cindy Lou Hodges All Rights Reserved.

The Turtle

She stared at me with her great big eyes, and then it stared at me, too.  With a rope between them, I wondered who had hold of whom?   All these years I had seen only an angel dragging a turtle along, but today... well, today I saw something different:  the angel isn't the patient one.  It is the turtle that is the patient one, and he's the one with the rope around his neck.  He's roped to that cute little lady, and he patiently goes along with "whatever".  Oh, my!  What he has to put up with would astound you and crack the shell on your back:   if you had one!

So today, I am pondering what I do to others, the ones that are tied to me.  I'm not so sure it's a pretty picture, but what is beautiful is their patience.  Blessed... I am so blessed.

Patience: the will or ability to wait or endure without complaint.
                a spiritual gift,  fruit of The Spirit

^"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
                                  ~  Holy Bible, Galatians 5:22-23, New International Version

Walking, Standing Together

@Copyright 2011, 2012 Cindy Lou Hodges All Rights Reserved.

Dear Dimple: Twisties

Dear Dimple Dilemma,

Where have all the twisties gone?  You know, those little three inch wire things covered with paper?  Whenever I am at the grocery store, bagging my fruits & vegetables, I reach for a twistie, but the container is empty!  So, I move on down the aisle to another roll of plastic bags to get a twistie, but there aren't any there either!  Then, when I am at home, toasting a piece of bread or two... I reach for the twistie that I just took off the loaf of bread... but, it's gone!  I can't find it anywhere!

So, tell me... What on earth happens to all the twisties?  Is it just me or are there "twistie thieves" out among us?

Sincerely,
Cindy Lou


Dear Cindy Lou,

Rest assured, dear, that you are not the only one that has twistie troubles.  Why, I, too, suffer with the same stressful situation.  However, there have been a few times that I hit the jackpot at the grocery store and happened upon full cups of white, or yellow, or black, or green or even gold twisties.  When that happens, it is time to take action.

Do as I do... go to the store early in the day.  Your chances of finding a full cup are greater in the morning; Monday morning, Tuesday morning, Wednesday... as many days as it takes to find them.   When you do finally see the prized trophies, grab all you can, and cram them into your purse.  Did I mention you should take your biggest purse with you?  Or, if that bothers your conscious, you can wrap not just one twistie, but several twisties around your filled produce bag.  If you use a dozen twisties, you can turn them into a pretty little flower.  :)


Now, for your situation at home, gremlins or ghosts take the twistie as soon as you take your eyes & hands off of it.  They, too, suffer with a shortage of twisties.  So, for Pete's sake... smarten up and don't ever turn loose of your twistie!   That's the golden rule of the kitchen.... twisties are like gold in your pocket!  But, if that fails, and you just can't keep track of that one twistie, try duct tape.  It now comes in a rainbow of colors, and you can even color coordinate with your kitchen!

And finally, if none of the above suggestions work for you, come on over to my house.  I have outsmarted the conniving, little twistie thieves, and  I just happen to have some white ones, some yellow ones, some black ones, some green ones and even some gold ones.... Yep... I have a cupboard full!

Lovingly,
Dimple Dilemma


@Copyright 2011, Cindy Lou Hodges All Rights Reserved.

Car Wash Blues

Today I got the car washed.
'Twas a big, big job

'cause it was really dirty.

It had caked-on blobs...

Blobs of greasy, grimy dirt

and lots and lots of mud.
Boy, was that car dirty
with the slush and slime and crud...

Crud from all the city streets,

the ones they're working on
with the trenchers and the asphalt.
Oh, when will they be gone?

Gone to other streets in town

so someone else can sob,

Cindy Lou

"Today I got the car washed...

'Twas a big, big job!"


@Copyright 1988, Cindy Lou Hodges All Rights Reserved.

The Store

Yesterday I shopped.
Yesterday I bought
shiny, bright and blingy things
and boldly printed tops.

Oh, they were so pretty.
They made me feel so good.
Then when at home and all alone
I thought that "Yes, I should..."

Model them and check them out
and try them on to see
which one of them I should wear first,
which one was best for me.

But something weird had happened.
It still confuses me:
Neither one was half the fun,
and both were quite UGG-LY.

No matter how I tugged or pulled
or beautifully accessorized,
those tops were bad.  It made me sad,
and then I realized...

The tags were there, were still intact.
I still had my receipt.
I didn't have to keep them.
This was no defeat.

So, back I'd go, with bag in hand
and a smile upon my face.
For now I get to shop again.
Gee, I love this place!

And once again when tomorrow comes,
when the dawn presents its day,
awakenings may happen.
Perhaps you'll hear me say...

"Yesterday I shopped.
Yesterday I bought
shiny, bright and blingy things
and boldly printed tops."

And, the beat goes on because some of us keep doing our part...

Sincerely a true story,
Cindy Lou


@Copyright 2011, Cindy Lou Hodges All Rights Reserved.

The Piano Lesson

The piano movers are coming tomorrow, at noon.  They are coming to move my beloved Kawai from one room to another, and I can honestly say that I am greatly relieved that this is finally happening!  It's going to end up right back where it was about a year and a half ago:  in the living room, right in front of the big mirror, visible from the front door entrance, smack dab in the center of the house.  It's moving back to its original place, and something inside of me finds great comfort in that.  It's as if a loved one who has been away for a very long time, has now come back home to stay.

It seems like such a long time ago that I initially hired the movers to come, and at the time it seemed a logical change.  But, once I saw my piano set in place in the other room, stuck in the corner, I knew I had done the wrong thing.  Because the money had to be paid and the decision had been made, my brain, as well as my husband, told me to live with the situation for awhile.  "Oh, you'll get used to it," he said, "give it time".  Others said they liked it because now the den was a "music room", and it looked like a studio.  I thought maybe they were right, and I was too emotionally involved with a piece of furniture.

So, I "gave it time", but I never did get used to it.  Never.  It always felt wrong:  kind of like a shirt with a scratchy tag in its neck, or a coffee cup with a burr on the lip edge.  It just never felt right, and I had no one to blame but myself:  it was my own doing, a "doing" with regrets.

Here it is about eighteen months later, and I can boldly say that I am older and much wiser, and that I have done my time.  Guess you can say that I paid my penance.  It's time to set things straight, and get my life back in order.  Yes, I have to pay the movers, again... but, that's okay.  I consider it money well spent.  It's people like me who help people like them pay their bills.  And, it's people like them who help people like me get their lives back in order.  That's how it works, isn't it?  I help them:  they help me.  We need each other. 

Well, this is not your typical piano lesson, is it?  But, it is a lesson well learned.  There is no place like home sweet home, even for pianos.  My baby is coming back home, and when I pay for its ticket, I'm gonna' breathe a sigh of satisfaction and sweet content.  You know, sometimes, I am just a lot of trouble for myself, not to mention those around me.  Yes, I have just completed a circle, another circle in my life:  my piano, too.  The good news is that now, we both have each other where we belong, plus we both have a couple of new friends.

If you ever need good piano movers, call me.  Most likely I'll be sitting on the bench, in the living room, right in front of the big mirror, visible from the front door entrance, smack dab in the center of the house with a great, big smile on my face. 

Going in circles and wondering, "Why?",
Your friend...

Cindy Lou

p.s. Where it was...

Where it is now... after its journey.... home, sweet home!

@Copyright 2010, Cindy Lou Hodges All Rights Reserved.

The Sugar Attack

"Oh, please, something be in the pantry."  Slam went the door.  "Oh, please... maybe in this cupboard?"  Slam-bang went that door.  "Gosh, there better be something in here...  Somethinggg!"  Groceries toppled off the shelves as I ransacked the freezer.  Frozen layers of forgotten possibilities tumbled to my feet, but even amidst all that jumble of food, there was nothing sweet to eat!

No cookies.  No cake.  No ice cream.  No pie.
Nothin' that's sweet.  Oh, no.  Oh, my!
Off to the bakery.  Off to the store.
Off to the drive-through.  Off through the door.

Out in a flurry, a scurry to find
the thrill for these taste buds, the gooey kind.
My gut is a cravin' something that's sweet.
Can't stop til I find it, can't stop til I eat...

Cookies or cake, ice cream or pie.
Out of my way.  I have pop tarts to buy!
Sugar Pops, donuts, things on a stick,
lemon drops, fudge plops.  Show me them, quick!

Attack, I tell ya... Call the armed guards.
I'm being attacked by my own petard.
T'was just a simple d'sire for dessert,
but that one little desire drove me berserk!

Now, my kitchen's a wreck.  The doors are askew.
The floor is piled high with frozen miscue's
And still there are...
No cookies.  No cake.  No ice cream.  No pie.
And nothin' that's sweet.  Oh, no.  Oh, my!
               --- Cindy Lou Hodges, Copyright 2010

And that's the truth!  Well, sort of...
At the end of my plundering, I did find something nice in my pantry:  a can of cream cheese flavored cake frosting.  Oh, yeh... it was a delicious experience!



@Copyright 2010, Cindy Lou Hodges
All Rights Reserved

Hark!

Bark.  Bark.
Bark, bark, bark.
Hark!  I hear a bark.

Harp.  Harp.
Harp, harp, harp.
Hark!  I hear a harp.

Wouldn't it be nice someday,
since there are barks and harps,
if we could train our ears to hear
the harps instead of barks?
              -- Cindy Lou Hodges, Copyright 1988

Twenty-two years later:  the second verse...

Yak, yak.
Yak, yak, yak.
Yak, I did just yak.

Attack, Attack.
Atack, tack, tack.
Attack, my yak slapped back.  Ouch!

Some lessons take a lifetime to learn, huh? 
Laughing at myself,
Cindy Lou



@Copyright 2010, Cindy Lou Hodges
All Rights Reserved.

Fluff, Fluff!

"Two feather pillows sittin' on the bed.
One turned to the other, and it said:
'Do you ever tire, when the folks retire
and flatten your fluff with their big, fat heads?'"
                                     --Cindy Lou

Ah, the weariness of diligence is my challenge today.  Didn't I do all this yesterday?  The showering, the grooming, the hair, the makeup, the cleaning up after myself?  (Well, okay... I didn't do the cleaning yesterday, but I intended to!)  And, today... it starts all over again.  And, that's just all about ME!  Now it's time to get to the important tasks of devotional time, people time, and responsibility time.  Many issues need to be dealt with today, and many miles need to be traveled.  Loved ones need my assistance. Job duties demand attention, and all the while, distractions lurk in every corner and every shopping center. 

So, I'm wondering, "what makes today different from yesterday?"  Is it:  the people I will encounter? the traffic I must contend with?  the clothes that I wear?  the tasks demanded of me?  the opportunities that await me?  or the surprises that will grip me?  Hmmm... I believe it is all of the above and something more.  It is my attitude, more than anything else:  plain & simple.  It's up to me.

In last night's rehearsal our orchestra director spoke of "excellence", and how we musicians should strive for it in every song we play.  We should not settle for mediocrity, nor should we be satisfied with status quo.  He's right, about many things, and lately I have found myself being grateful for "status quo" & "normalcy".  In this crazy world, familiarity is welcomed.  But, something about his insight slides beyond the boundaries of music and intertwines with everyday living and everyday attitudes. 

Excellence is what we all need today.  It's especially what I need, and what I desire.  I'm tired of compromising quality for quantity and weary of settling for less than my best.  The level of standards that I'm seeking surpasses status quo and causes this worker to aim higher, work harder, and to stay very, very focused.

Now that's a challenge, but, a good choice, don't you think?  If I apply myself, maybe today won't be so ho-hum after all, and maybe my daily tasks will take on new life.  Maybe the people I encounter today will be smarter & brighter than they would have been with my old attitude.  Maybe I can learn something from them, also.  And maybe, when I look into the "new attitude" mirror to freshen my face or comb my hair, I will see beyond the reflection and see something that wasn't there yesterday.  Perhaps I shall see a heart for excellence and the determination to make it happen.  Perhaps I will see even more.  Perhaps I will see another reflection, one of excellence... one that looks just like you!

Guess it's time to get at it again, or as they say, "fluff the pillows", but this time I think I"ll do it right.  I will do it with vim & vigor, zest & gusto... lots & lots of it!  Here goes.... fluff, fluff... fluff, fluff.......FLUFF!!!

Claiming victory with my every "fluff",
Cindy Lou



"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving."  --Colossians 3:23-24  Holy Bible, New International Version


@Copyright 2010, Cindy Lou Hodges
All Rights Reserved

No Time to Play

No time to play today.
No time to stay
ling'ring on the Internet.
Efficiency today!

Can't check my emails
forty times today.
Can't glob on blog spot.
Can't say what I want to say.

Cause there's...
No time to play today.
No time to stay
ling'ring on the Internet...

What a wicked, wicked day!


@Copyright 2010, Cindy Lou Hodges
All Rights Reserved