Advent Theory

Due to the economy, we could not afford to go on a real vacation this year.  Instead, we planned many day trips locally for both the children and the parents to enjoy.  There is plenty to keep busy with locally.  We went to many local parks, including a wonderful sprayground which is this huge playground made of all water rides.  The kids truly enjoyed.  We also visited the ducks at out local lake and fed them our leftover bread.  Most of our trips were wholesome and entertaining for everyone.

Although the weather outside was quite dreary, I began my day with a little bit of homemade sunshine.  My 2 children and I began with making fresh, homemade eggs, specifically scrambled eggs.   A good nutritious meal always starts the day off right.  Then we did a couple of floor puzzles, including a curious george puzzle and an elmo one.  My son insisted on leaving them on the floor while he went to playgroup.  God forbid I should touch them I am not sure he will forgive me.  That is what I did in my day so far.

There was a time when dog collars were just simple leather straps meant to be put around the neck of a dog for keeping it under control. Times have changed and we have changed. Dog attires have also changed. Now dog collars are no longer built only for control. They are used for identification, fashion, or other purposes like medical information. Dog collars come in different shapes, types, colors and designs. There are many manufacturers who make beautiful pieces of dog collars and there are dog owners who feel pride in displaying these beautiful dog collars on their dogs. These dog collars are generally made with leather which can be hard or soft and dyed with a single or mix of colors to make them attractive. Some dog collars bear small attachments where name and address of dogs can be written for identification. Dog collars used for police dogs carry additional information like dog department, emergency number of trainer, grade, specialty, medical information. These dog collars use leathers of different varieties and are also made as per customer likings. Some dog owners like to have gold designs or gold plated names embossed on them. It is true that by looking at the dog collar one can immediately find out the dog’s worthiness and also about its owner.

When I moved into my house, I jokingly called my swimming pool my “cement pond” like the Clampetts did on the old television show “The Beverly Hillbillies.”  Many days I now call it my cement pond for real.  Little did I know how challenging it can be to keep a pool in Texas. First, there’s the summer heat.  Algae love heat.  With appropriate heat and not enough chlorine, pools can turn a vibrant green.  All in all, it’s fairly simple to add a little chemical to the pool every so often. But then, there are the droughts and the incredible shifting soil in my area.  I learned of the challenges of keeping the pool from leaking, which is important to keep the pump running in order to cycle the chlorine in order to… well, you probably get the picture.  Now I call it my cement pond just because laughter keeps me sane while I balance all the nuances of my folly.