Alison Hodgson

Expert on the etiquette of perilous times.

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“I couldn’t see when I was two.”  Eden said.

“Really, ” I said, “I had no idea you were blind.”
“I wasn’t blind!  I couldn’t see, cept when I was three, four and five.  Rennie couldn’t either.  Could you see when you were a baby?”
I said I could.
“That is the most amazingest thing I’ve ever heard!”

https://alisonhodgson.com/2008/04/464/

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It’s shaping to be a busy week, but good.

Last week was hard.  The black dog was biting me and I’m not referring to Jackie Boy, but the black dog of depression.  Actual dogs can be put in kennels.  This black dog settles over me like a shroud.  
One day I was having a seriously rough time and wrote an e-mail to a group of friends.  I let them know how I was, which was pretty bleak.  My tendency is to try and work things out alone or to confide in Paul and my siblings, especially Torey, but I decided to let this group know that I was struggling.  At the end of the e-mail I said I was going to  go find Eden and dance with her since I know that praising God is a way out of the darkness.  I put the e-mail in my draft folder because I didn’t know if I really wanted to send it, then I did a little work on the computer.
I don’t know how long it took me to notice that Eden had come to me and was stretched out at the foot of my bed.  She lay in the sun, a foot propped up on her other knee and she was singing. She sang the song that she and Lydia danced to on Easter morning.  She didn’t know all the lyrics, but her voice was soft and sweet.  “The Godhead three in one…the beginning and the end, the beginning and the end.  How great is our God, how great is our God.  Sing with me.  How great, how GREAT is our God!”
I set my computer aside and embraced Eden and kissed her face.  I thanked her for singing and told her that she comforted me, that she helped carry me to God.
“It’s all thanks to Miss Jeannie,”  she said, referring to her dance teacher, “she taught me how to worship God and now I can teach other people.”
I work so hard to be a good provider for my children and yet I am becoming more and more aware that they are God’s provision for me.

https://alisonhodgson.com/2008/04/468/

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Tonight Eden and I were reading a story wherein the two characters were pumpkin farmers.  Skunk was saving his pumpkins to make pie,  but Badger planned to sell his.  “I like money better than pie,”  he said.

“I like pie better than money,”  Eden said without missing a beat, “because pie is yummy.”
That’s my girl.

https://alisonhodgson.com/2008/04/470/

Never say die

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I don’t think the Mactography is ever going to go away, my friends.  And why should it?

I was checking my e-mail and beside me was this adorable kid sweetly eating her sandwich.  I turned my laptop and took her picture.  She decided it would be better if she was sitting on my lap.

I was happy with the first picture and closed photo booth when I noticed this pose.  You can’t shut down that sort of beauty, not when capture is at hand.

She started to tweak her hair, when Jackie decided to do a little counter shopping.
I knew we needed one more with that hair.  She agreed.  Aren’t you glad?  Yes, I am still wearing my pajamas when it’s pushing noon.  I torked my back this morning and the giant, red Ibuprofen is just now kicking in.  Thankfully, I had already worked out and walked the dog with Paul.  Most of school we did on my bed, but we did it.  

Career Talk

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Tonight while I was tucking Eden into bed the subject of her future work came up.  Old time readers of the blog, might recall that Eden’s first career goal was to be a “Sample Lady at Meijer” (I’d link to it, but I’m tired.) which we all agreed would suit her to a T.  Now she wants to be a “Dog Vet.”  Although I am feeling for future Meijer shoppers, I think this is a good choice too.  

“And I will put bows on the dogs’ ears,” she said, “but just the girl dogs.”
“Oh, so you’re going to be a sort of canine stylist?”
She nodded, “And the boy dogs will get sweaters.” ( In the interest of full disclosure she mentioned a certain type of sweater, but I forgot what.  It was distinctly masculine.) “The girl dogs will get sweaters too, but their’s will be Hannah Montana and High School Musical.”
“Wow!”  I said and then pulled her in for a hug.  “You are going to be a great Dog Vet/Canine Stylist.”
She looked at me for a moment, “I’ll have to look for penises, to figure out if they’re girl dogs or boy dogs.”
“Of course you will.”  I agreed.