Bits and Pieces of My Life

Ah, time for the monthly update of my life. Everything has been so crazy lately that I haven’t been able to give proper attention to my blogs and my writing has suffered a bit too. I hope that in a couple of weeks that things might slow down… or maybe it won’t.

For the last two months or so, we have been feuding with are neighbors. We were actually quite close to them and if you had told me a year ago that we’d be up in arms, I wouldn’t have believed you. It began when the neighbor girls took in this German shepherd pup named Zooey. At first they treated it decently, but then they stumbled upon another puppy and Zooey was pushed aside. They stuck Zooey out in the backyard, in a pin, when it was like 90 degrees out. The poor thing knocked over her water dish, so her food; water and feces ran together. They ignored her and would make her stay out there for hours on end, at night too. When the girls went back to their dad’s house, their mother and stepfather left Zooey out on the front porch and rarely let her inside. Whenever someone on the block would leave in their car, she would chase after and risk being hit. Our house is just too full, or else we would have been more than willing to take her in. My family and I were going to take her to the humane shelter, thinking that she would be better off there than with these people. Then Zooey just disappeared, so we can only assume that they dumped her somewhere. When the girls came back from their dad’s, they were told that she had been stolen.

Since then we have withdrawn our friendship from them. I know that I am nobody’s judge, because I certainly make plenty of mistakes. I can put up with just about anything; loud music, parties, stolen parking places, shout-fests, foul lanuage, etc… but animal abuse is unacceptable. God may have given us dominion over the animal kingdom, but with that comes accountability. As God governs over us and shows us compassion, we must govern over the animals and show them compassion. Am I right?

Well, within the last two weeks, the neighbor girls have acquired two new little dogs. This is not counting that they already have a permanent family pet, a pit bull named Dallas. Dallas is constantly pushed aside and ignored. The poor thing adores this family (why, I have no idea), because it is the only real family he has ever known. Anyway, the two little dogs… one of them was shoved out in backyard at night (in that same pin), until my sister called the police complaining about the howls and cries. It was our only way to ensure that the animals would be brought inside. After two police visits, the dog was allowed inside. Now both little dogs are kept in a laundry room off by themselves and only taken out (like toys) when the girls feel in the mood to play with them. Last night the owner of the apartment visited and the little dogs were once more exiled to the backyard. A thunderstorm hit and they were naturally frightened. This time, however, my sister took pictures and called animal control. No results. Then this morning I called them and they actually came out.

Whether it makes a difference or not, I don’t know. What is sad to say is that no one else in the neighborhood seems to care.

Today in the mail I received a jury duty summons. Naturally I’m nervous, because I have never done it before. I don’t mind doing it; it’s a civic duty and a privilege, but still I am worried. I have chronic anxiety attacks. I’ve been doing well as of late, but I fear that this might be more than I can handle. Or maybe it’s the precise challenge that I need. If you all could pray for me, I’d be appreciative.

Tomorrow the movie “The Help” premieres. I want to see it so badly, but the movie theater is just so expensive these days, we can’t justify going. Alas, I must wait until it comes out on DVD. ::frowny face:: Oh well. I actually read the book (I rarely read recently published fiction anymore) and loved it. The author, Kathryn Stockett’s story is so inspiring. She was rejected sixty-some times before she found an agent. That is some definite perseverance. I surf the net scrounging for information on her and the book, and the new book that she is working on. Her current WIP is set in the south during the Great Depression. I hope that she continues and doesn’t do what Harper Lee did and disappear. If only there were more authors out there like Harper Lee and Kathryn Stockett.

I have been slowly, but surely revising my novella. Last week I didn’t do any writing, but today for some reason I felt like I could. The cobwebs of my mind have been brushed away and I can now function creatively.

All for now.