I slept very briefly this morning, an hour at most. I don't know what woke me but I do know that it was some sort of sound that I heard. When I arrived on the second floor I could hear the distant cry(more like a whimper)of Cocoa. She is the tiniest of our 6 fur kids. Why do we have 6 Chihuahuas? That is an amazing tale comprising a step daughter that has never been able to remain out of prison for very long. She is 45 now and has spent 25 years either in jail, on probation, in prison, or on parole; in other words her adult life has been supervised by the laws which govern the land. She just doesn't do well when left to her own devices. That being said we rushed off to Michigan a few years ago after the U.S. Marshals apprehended her in a failed attempt to avoid prosecution for felonies committed in South Dakota. Our task in driving 2,200 miles was to rescue her two dogs which were going to be put down. We gave her Twinkie to replace her need for a companion when she got out of prison several years ago. Twinkie is just a sweet lovable cross breed with some cocker and some poodle and maybe a smattering of something else for grins. When she fled South Dakota the kid took with her a puppy given her by a boy friend. That one's name is Ellie Mae and she is the mother of three of the little ones we raised after the daughter was imprisoned once again. Life has a way of being humorous even at the worst of times. Some times it does take longer to see the funny side, but it's always there if we look hard enough. God's presence in our lives is kind of like that also. The movement of God's Spirit on our hearts and the promptings that follow are all part of living in accordance with His will for our lives. I keep on enjoying life and praising the Lord for each new day. Even when the day begins too early like this one there is a reason I am up and moving. If for no other reason then to take care of one of our fur kids that needs attention. Deep yawns coming now and I know I am going to sleep peacefully. Maybe I'm getting nervous about the daughter getting off parole in a couple of years. She does not do well if she isn't supervised and her mother doesn't do well when she is worrying, which in turn means that there are going to be some sleepless nights at our house. Far too many times when we thought and prayed that things might be going well for her the phone has begun to ring bringing sad news. Then the journey through time begins once more. It's not just the miles, it's all the baggage that accompanies the life style choices. I worked in the South Dakota State Penitentiary for 8 very long years. I'm not suggesting that I understand the criminal mind, but I do have insight gained from experience. This night we shall all rest easy. My honey and I always slept better when the wayward daughter was incarcerated. Then we at least knew where she was and that there was not a lot of trouble likely to occur - Bwahahahahahaha - trouble just seems to plague some folks. Got a son like that too!!!