Gremlins Strike Again

The gremlins strike again. For those who don't know what a gremlin is, well shame on you for being so young. No what this is acually showing my age as Gremlins is a movie from the 80s about little creatures called mogwai and if they got wet they transform into destructive little monsters called gremlins. A swear that pekingese puppy shown above looks like a mogwai. And if there are mogwai, then the inevitable is that there are gremlins.

Since we've moved in here, we have had endless problems with the sewerage line running along from the kitchen with the cottage feeding in. Countless times, have the plumbers arrive to unblock the drain and today they arrived once again but this time they failed due to the excuse that the pipe has collapsed. Gremlins.

The plumbers left and promised that they are going to send a quotation to repair. I also phoned my building insurance company to see if a collapsed drain is covered but after holding on to elevator music with the message "Please note we currently experiencing high call volumes. Your call will be answered by the next available consultant" for over an hour, I had enough and gave up. What more can go wrong. I need to get this fixed. I need wisdom and a plan of action.

Grumpy Dog

Ria, our tenant got a new Pekingese puppy to replace her little Zoe who sadly died about a month back. Sorry but I didn't catch the new puppy's name. Shame this little fur ball looks so grumpy that it is actually kind of cute so I shall for now call him Grumpy Dog. Shame, I suppose it is not fair for me to call him that, maybe it is still bewildered with the new environment and missing her mommy and siblings. But until I find out her or his name, grumpy dog it is.

Hello Sweetie

Hello Sweetie, oh you are such a pretty girl. River Song at 2 months old has nearly doubled in size since she came home and she can eat, boy can she eat this bundle of German shepherd crossed with a Belgium shepherd. She is not a clumsy puppy anymore and has found her place in our pack.

Desolation of Smaug

While the dragon Smaug lays asleep, the little hobbetsy Princess found the knitting all too irresistible, so she pounced upon a ball of wool with a knitting needle firmly clenched between her teeth.

Ohhh just to roll in this treasure horde is simply so much fun that... shhhh, the dragon awakes...

Uh oh, I think all this fun that little Princess was having has woken up Jade. Now if only Princess can  slip on the ring and lay quietly invisible, the desolator may go back to sleep.

Maybe...

Merville Mattered

This afternoon friends and family gathered to celebrate the life of Merville Le Roux who at the good age of 77 went to join his beloved Val in heaven last week. Here is Merville’s best friend Keith showing photos to Glen while Merville’s dog Waffles keeps looking out for his late owner who has gone home. Nearer. My God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

Now for those who knew Merville would know that he was an interesting and unusual man who was at odds with just about everybody sometime in their life but since he became a Christian over 40 years ago he was unbending in his beliefs to a state of aggravation yet one of the most caring and compassionate man anyone ever knew.

It was quoted at this celebration of his life this afternoon that the level of frustration could not be measured yet all who stood up and recalled memories were choking back the tears. After his anchor, Val, left for heaven, things for Merville fell apart. From the lofty heights of the top of business to being rock bottom but not out as Merville still had God. This unwavering belief in God remained and his never say die kept Merville going and going and going. If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything.

Merville knew how to push your buttons with his long emails and only getting to the point right at the end of his message. So much so that I once threatened to put his email in my spam list just so I wouldn’t get his blunt, annoying emails. I can imagine I will be getting an email from him from heaven. Yet Merville with his big smile had so much empathy for the down and out as he without many worldly possessions went out of his way to help others with no thought about himself or praise from others. He mattered to many people who could not help themselves. You could say that his mantra was if your problems are too big than your God is too small as he left a legacy that everyone mattered.

Previous posts of Merville serving coffee, he was part of the Launch of Metal Cross, and then there is the Merville post which flooded the memories back and I battled to hold back the tears. Merville mattered.