Rabid Fun

John Cowart's Daily Journal: A befuddled ordinary Christian looks for spiritual realities in day to day living.


Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Gone To the Dogs In A Rust-colored Shirt

Ginny’s office sent her out of town to a conference yesterday. It’s the first time in decades we’ve been separated over night so I’m worried about how she will get along without me.

I’m afraid she might really like it!

What with her being gone and my own blahs and internal worries, I pulled a rust-colored shirt out of the closet and wore it all day without giving it a thought—till my e-friend at Sherri at Matter Of Fact notified me that she posted a link to He Did Not Want To Go, a story I wrote years ago about St. Patrick of Ireland. It’s the third chapter in my book Strangers On The Earth and Sherri, an Irish enthusiast, had asked me about using it several weeks ago.

Since the beginning of the month Sherri worked hard proving green postings on her blog leading up to St. Patrick’s Day. She included receipts, photos, jokes, limericks, and all sorts of other features leading up to her grand celebration of Irish blessings in her post yesterday.

But I blew it.

I had altogether forgotten yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day.

And, for Heaven’s sake, my youngest daughter is named after St. Patrick!

There’s an author’s note at the end of the story explaining how she came to be named, and how I came to write it while laying under a bed.

I do have a green shirt in the back of the closet, a green shirt with shamrocks on it, but I just plain forgot about St. Patrick’s Day and wore my rust colored one all day.

In Ireland do they still burn people for heresy?

St Patrick himself would have understood my recent spiritual blahs; in his book Confessions, he wrote, “I was an illiterate slave, as ignorant as one who neglects to provide for his future. And I am certain of this: that although I was as a dumb stone lying squashed in the mud, the Mighty and Merciful God came, dug me out and set me on top of the wall. Therefore, I praise Him and ought to render Him something for His wonderful benefits to me both now and in eternity”.

I like his image of “a dumb stone lying squashed in the mud”; it matches my current blahs. Were we to meet, he and I would have a lot to talk about.

Carol, a member of our Neighborhood Crime Watch group, phoned yesterday to talk about some situations in our area. In the course of our conversation she asked me about posting a photo of her dogs on my site.

Glad to. Here they are:


Not that these dogs are pampered but—yes, Carol does push them around in a baby stroller lest their dainty paws touch the ground.

Several years ago Carol bought a copy of my novel, Glog. She’s the only person on our block, that I know of, to buy a copy. I think that book is my best,. but Carol didn’t like it. Said it was too gory when the dinosaur ate the school kids.

But, no problem. When anyone who actually buys one of my books wants a photo of her dogs posted on my site, darn right I’ll post it… Isn’t that how Stephen King sells so many of his novels?

You know, that might be a fun promotional gimmick.

Tell you what, buy any one of my books (there are about 20 that I’ve written or edited in my on-line book catalogue) and e-mail me a photo of your dog at bluefishbooks@ gmail.com and I’ll post a photo of your dog on my site too. Please tell me the title of the book and the date you ordered so I can coordinate, and I’ll post your dog’s picture.

Not that I’m desperate to sell books or anything—and this is a crazy spur-of-the-moment idea—but what harm can it do?

Sounds like fun to me.

O, yes, make the photos either jpeg or gif because I don’t know how to post other kinds of photos or videos… Let’s see, I’m making this up as I type… Ok, I’ll post a photo fo your cat if you do not have a dog… but I draw the line at aardvarks … or children, what with the world being what it is, I don’t think it wise to post identifiable photos of children on line, do you?

What else? Ok, a time limit. What do you say to trying this for a month? Have April 18th as a cut off date? Or should it just stay open-ended?

What about downloaded books to read on your computer screen—why not? Downloaded books at bluefishbooks.info are cheaper than print-on-demand paperbacks but why shouldn’t cheap books count too?

That’s about all I can think of … Not that my thinking is all that sharp recently…

O crap!

Not only did I forget about wearing my green shirt yesterday, but I also just remembered that Dave’s Diner was offering a special on corned beef and cabbage. I’d told the gang there I’d come have lunch with them. Yes, I’d intended to go up to Dave’s for lunch—but I forgot.

Instead, I ordered Chinese food, General Tso’s Chicken.

But that’s ok, I think.

General Tso … General Tso… Tso…Mmmmmm…

Sounds like a grand old Irish name to me.



Please, visit my website for more www.cowart.info and feel free to look over and buy one of my books www.bluefishbooks.info
posted by John Cowart @ 3:54 AM

7 Comments:

At 4:37 AM, Blogger Felisol said...

Dear John C,
Hopefully is your wife back and have dragged you up from the dogs, or put you in a bigger pram.

It is a sad world where one cannot post a picture of ones children on the blog. (By the way, I never post pictures on anyone without permission, except for cats and dogs).

My first time in Ireland I bought a copy of St. Patrick's breast plate (just a smal outtake)
I think the reding of the text would warm the old Saint's heart more than the wearing of the gren
(But you do know that the Irish were punished for rebellion for the wearing green ?)

Any way, Here's to you,
Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ in the poop [deck],
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I think this old prayer says a lot.
Go grab a can of Guinness and slainte to good, ol' Ireland.
From Felisol

 
At 8:28 AM, Blogger Amrita said...

If you buy my dog I will post pictures of your books on my blog.LOL
Just kidding...no way am I selling Sheeba.

Happy belated St Pat 's Day

 
At 11:05 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

DON'T BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF!

I think the protestants in Ireland actually wear orange on that day, so you were pretty close.

Thanks again for allowing me to share your wonderfully written story.

You must really have a close relationship with your wife, and that's a very redeeming quality.

Forgiven.

 
At 11:30 AM, Blogger John Cowart said...

Hi Amrita,
No Deal.

I can't afford to pay shipping charges to bring Sheeba from India. Besides, we don't have room for your beautiful Sheeba to hunt at our house.

But, since you already have a copy of my book on prayer, I'd like to post your July photo of Sheeba hunting a mongoose on my blog tomorrow.

And, to the nine anonymous firemen who bought Heroes All, I'll post a photo of Lucky, the puppy you guys rescued from the Humane Society Fire last year when over 200 other dogs died in the blaze.

Oh yes, Amrita, I'd be honored for you to post a picture of my book on your blog.

This is fun.

 
At 11:36 AM, Blogger Amrita said...

Sure John. I will defintely post a picture of your books on my blog and also a link Bluefish books.

This is fun!

And I wouldn 't part with my Sheeba. I 'd die without her. Besides she would get very fat eating all the rich American food.LOL

 
At 6:25 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

YES I DO WALK MY DOGS IN THEIR STROLLER. I HAVE TO WALK WITH A CANE SO HOLDING ONTO THE STROLLER HELPS ME AS WELL AS GIVING MY LITTLE DARLINGS A RIDE. WE WENT TO STOCKTON PARK TODAY FOR A WALK AND A SIT ON A BENCH. THE WEE ONES HAD A GRAND TIME BECAUSE EVERYONE HAD TO STOP AND SAY "HI" TO THEM. THEY AREN'T SPOILT, ROTTEN OR PAMPERED, THEY ARE JUST SMALL CHILDREN IN FUR COATS. MY ONLY WISH IS THAT I WAS HALF THE PERSON MY DOGS THINK I AM.

 
At 8:39 PM, Blogger Carol Douglass said...

John, It's not that I didn't like your book "Glog", it was well written but it scared the stuffing out of me. Then when you said Glog was a lot like you and your wife, Ginny, agreed I got a bit shaken. I sort of wondered why their are fewer children in the neighborhood. But in all seriousness, John, You are a wonderful person and a great author, but Glog you are not. I would like everyone's opinion on that statement. Now, if all of you out there want to read a real good book try reading "Crackers & Carpetbaggers". Moments in the History of Jacksonville, Florida. I'm not from here so I learned a lot about Jacksonville. I'm one of those damn Yankees that came down here, got sand in my shoes and stayed. Keep up the great work John, I know many people enjoy your web site and your blog.

 

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