Q: What was with the fasting? 7 days without food why??
A: Ever get the feeling that God wants you to do something, and you don't really know why, but you know you better do it because if you didn't do it, you'd be disobeying Him? Yeah, my fast was kinda like that. I didn't have a clear purpose for starting except that sense of following Him and trusting that if He wanted me to do it, there must be a good reason (or several). So, I began on a Monday morning, not having prepared at all ahead of time really. And I spent the next 7 days subsisting on a diet of water, juice, prayer, and Scripture. Honestly it was one of the best things I've ever done, and I hope to fast more (and longer) in the future. The sense of peace in my spirit at the end of that week was something I'll never forget.
Q: You have a pet turtle? Do tell!
A: Yes, we have a pet turtle. He has recently been christened Bogie, as mentioned in the last post. The name is a tribute to Humphrey Bogart and the movie African Queen, and it's also a nod to the fact that this species of desert tortoise is indigenous to Africa. So there you go... Here's a lovely portrait of Bogie and me in the backyard. He's a bit shy, but he does tolerate the cats pretty well and will even let me pet his head now. By turtle standards, that's practically gregarious.
Backstory: Remember the giant turtle my uncle found on the road a few months ago? Bogie is the same species, just a lot younger. He's only 3 years old and 8 inches long, as opposed to the mammoth 60-pounder my uncle rescued. That big brother, whom I named Michelangelo (alternatively dubbed "Hot Pocket" by my deranged microwave-pastry-loving cousin), was without a home for several weeks, living in my uncle's garage, until we finally found a local herpetologist who adopted him and took him to live in his expansive basement turtle habitat, where Michelangelo is now living it up with other Sulcatta tortoises. Anyway, when this expert came to retrieve Michelangelo, he brought along Bogie in case we were interested in keeping this "smaller version" for a pet. How could I say no? My hubby, on the other hand, needed some convincing. Now, however, he loves the little fella as much as I do. (Note that I didn't say "as much as me" since that turtle-trumps-wife love would indicate a misplaced ranking of affection, not to mention a subtle grammatical error. And the editor in me never sleeps...)
So that's how we got our new pet turtle. Bogie now resides in a turtle habitat in our spare bedroom. He is a desert (not water) tortoise, meaning he would sink like a rock and drown if placed underwater. We keep the habitat full of rocks and sand, which he likes to burrow into. Several times a week (I'm told they only need to eat twice a week, if that), we take him out in the yard to graze on grass, clover, weeds, and whatever else his surprisingly flexible neck can reach. The local feral cats also like watching him, though I think they're kinda freaked out by the moving, grass-eating rock...
A: That would be G. A. McKevett's series about private investigator Savannah Reid. I ordered literally a dozen off my new favorite book website (http://www.thriftbooks.com/), which probably deserved its own post one of these days. Dirt cheap and free shipping! A bibliophile's paradise!
McKevett's dark, ironic sense of humor is very similar to mine, so we got along swimmingly on that account. Plus the characters are earthy, the dialogue snappy, and the murders (although sometimes a bit too grisly for my taste) are realistic but solvable—if you pay attention, that is. I've actually only read a couple of the books so far, but I can definitely say I'm a fan. (*Disclaimer: She does use some strong language at times, so it's not a series I'd recommend for kids or young teens.) Plus, the titles are all funny and food-based. The first one I read was called Death by Chocolate, if that gives you any idea. I'm sure the rest of the summer will find me plowing through more of these delicious escapist novels... probably whilst nursing a cool diet Pepsi and tanning in a lounge chair on my freshly painted balcony.
That's all for now. Feel free to comment below with more request for updates. I'll be posting more in depth about the fast at some point, but if you have any other requests, let me know!
Oh, one more thing... (RIP Peter Falk)
I'll be out of town this weekend celebrating my *gulp* first anniversary with my husband. Which means we've been married for a full 12 months. Which means we are officially not "newlyweds" anymore. When did that happen?? Yikes. Also, YAY! for my soul mate and hubby and best friend (who puts up with a lot of neurotic behavior and spoils me with random hugs and assorted (frequently edible) gifts and loves me enough to not begrudge me internet time to write this post!). Be forewarned, there will be a lot of that type of thing over the next few posts. Hope you don't mind hearing me gush about him because, well, (he deserves it, and) the next few entries will probably be more of the same as I reflect on where I was at this time a year ago... a nervous wreck preparing for my wedding day. Why, it seems like just yesterday. Ah, where did the time go...
