The new Veggie Tale movie is wonderful !

The new Veggie Tale movie is wonderful ! THE PIRATES WHO DON'T DO ANYTHING

Now I can't wait until it comes out on dvd so we can see how it was made, and what the creative authors were thinking at the time.

If I'm not mistaken, the concept for the movie started with a silly song. One silly song regularly appeared in each Veggie Tale dvd. In fact, the silly song about the hairbrush is probably my family's introduction to the whole Veggie Tale idea.

Our firstborn, a teenager at the time, as I recall---and his recall is better, so I stand to be corrected, and that is okay by me...our firstborn came home singing, "oh, where is my hairbrush..." and introduced us to the first veggie tales on vhs tape. (and songs on cassette).

With each vhs tape, and then each dvd, their graphics got better and better. Some were spoofs of well-known stories and movies, and thus entertaining to the adults in the room. I bought the dvds for my nephews, but we enjoyed each new release with anticipation. My nephews found some of the Veggie Tales too scary, so we got to watch the milder Lyle the Friendly Viking over and over on rainy days when babysitting. And as our high school mascot was a Viking---that Veggie Tale was very precious in all its songs and products.

The plush toys of Bob and Larry and Junior Asparagus sit on our shelves. If second born doesn't take them or want them when he leaves, they may get saved for grandchild.

But, back to the amazing movie. Veggie Tales taught spiritual lessons without having to quote Scripture, and without even mentioning God. It brought tears to my eyes, the idea of a king that has promised to come back and set everything right. They pull it off in such a precious way. The little girl character in the movie is so brave. And our heros unlikely heros. And the movie plants the idea that God's Invisible Hand is at work in every detail of our lives.

Thank You, Lord for putting such a desire and talent in these writers and producers--in the whole Veggie Tale family. Please use this movie to get Your Word out. And train up the next generation of Pirates who don't do anything. Help us do what is right. And whatever it takes, get us ready to spend eternity with You.

Oppossums

I finally saw a possum in action.

We were sitting here last Saturday night, and there was a spotlight south of us lighting the power lines and I saw a possum walk along the phone lines. The big, heavy cables run along the back fence line that divides our back yard from the neighbor's back yard. My dear husband corrects me that the top lines are power, and the lower heavy-duty cables are phone. Birds often perch on the five lines like musical notes.

Years ago, I caught a possum red-handed in the garage feasting on cat food. So, I purchased a possum trap from our feed and seed store, and we bait the trap with cat food in the back yard and transport possums to a new kingdom near the Trinity. We asked the local animal control what they do with possums turned in, and found out they release them at the nearest park---but, we just could not do that to our friends who live near the park. We bungee the cage type trap to the back of the pick-up truck and haul them five or six miles north to the wildlife preserve near the river.

I guess its time to bait the trap again. These possums are bigger than cats, and I don't want them to tangle with neighbor cats. Possums are one ugly creature. And stink !!!!!!!!!!!! Whew. The first time we used the trap, no where on the box did it advise putting down newspaper nor putting the trap outside. A stressed, newly captured possum poops, and possum poop is STINKY !! Found out the hard way.

I lost count of how many possums we have hauled to their new possum kingdom. One day I asked the animal control folks how many babies a momma possum has, and he said sixteen. Yikes.

Wacky Texas Weather

While the rest of the country suffers storms of sensational proportions, here in Texas, we have slept with the windows open for the last three days. It got up to 77 degrees inside yesterday while we played Scrabble.

I love having the windows open. But, the pollen count has skyrocketed with the balmy winds from the south. Mountain cedar pollen is our curse in the winter months. Why the Mountain cedar trees can't get it done in August when our windows are shut tight and the AC going, I don't know. I started sneezing and the drainage and eyes scratchy, so I closed up the house, changed the furnace/AC filter, and turned on the AC. I don't remember ever running the AC in January. And as long as I take a shower and wash the pollen out of my hair and change the pillow cases, I should not have to take the sleepy-groggy inducing allergy medication. Benedryl. But, we fifty-something women multi-task: we can sneeze and pee at the same time. (I read that on a blog somewhere, it is not original).

Maybe it will rain and wash the pollen out of the air...