Fall nips the air

I love dog metaphors, don't you? I never tire of watching my dogs; they ground me. But they also tie me down. Today I found myself thinking, as I watched Romy lie on the sun porch watching the neighborhood go by (she's getting used to who lives where and rarely barks unless the dreaded mailman appears on the porch or another dog dare walk by her house), when you're gone, I'm going to travel. It's a good thing she can't read my mind. She'd probably bite me.

It's a beautiful day; it never got above 70 or so and a few leaves are beginning to turn. The squirrels are ignoring my generous feeder and running around like tweakers picking up acorns. Today I put out tulips and iris and put a few tulips in pots to force blooms indoors. I love flowers. Daffodils are usually the first to peek up in the spring, so no doubt I'll plant a few of them, as well. They always cheer me up on those gray March days when it's still colder than dry ice and gloomy to boot.

I picked up a newcomer fresh out of prison and took her to a noon meeting. The meeting was great; the topic was "God as we understand God." Because the AA program was based on biblical principals (see www.dickb-blog.com for an awesome look at AA history), it's truly the Grace of God, or as one priest who was in attendance at today's meeting said "the Holy Spirit" that gave Bill W. and the old-timers the insight to put "God as we understand him" in our steps rather than a Christian-based God. They knew there might be that one knucklehead that just would not be able to swallow the concept of a Christian God, the atheist who would let the God concept drive him away. This simple concept has probably helped more people recover than anything else, because not only can we choose our own loving Higher Power, it has allowed our Fellowships to spread throughout the world.

Last night I was listening to Bill Maher, a devoted atheist, who is usually hilarious and often very insightful, if not a bit outrageous. He commented on the outrage in the Muslim community from the Pope's careless statement about Mohammad. Maher said, quite rightly, that it simply amazes him that the Muslims are listening to anything the pope has to say, because even Catholics ignore the pope's comments. "Don't use birth control? Are you kidding?" Or "Eliminate the death penalty? Hell, no, burn him!"

Maher's right, I think. Many, many Catholics love and honor the pope, especially the late John Paul II, but they pretty much ignore the Pope's mandates. I know from first-hand experience, having been raised in an Irish-Catholic home. It's much like what they tell us in the Fellowship as newcomers: "Take what you want and leave the rest." Maybe that's why the Kennedy's have been able to be such staunch Catholics. Not that I'm knocking Catholics, as I heard one guy say in a meeting, "I'm not judging; I'm just reporting."

After the meeting I pulled wallpaper all afternoon. Then it was the 1000th trip to Loews to buy more stuff for the house, this time hardware for the kitchen sink. I could spend hours in Loews looking at stuff, sinks and fixtures and ceiling fans and think about my dream house I hope to build some day.

I am tired and sore and not looking forward to tomorrow, because there's still much more wallpaper where today's wallpaper came from. It's late and I am at the tail end of a good crime book, so I'm heading south. Until tomorrow, may your Higher Power as you understand him bless and keep you.