Scooby Doo has come to play!

His name isn't really Scooby Doo, his name is Junior. He's a black lab that lives two doors down. Nope, not in Jenny's direction, but Hanna and Daniel's friend Shea's dog. Well, her step-dad's dog. They've gone on vacation and asked us to take care of the big dope. He's every bit as big as Callie, but much more goofy. I equate him to Scooby Doo. I couldn't help but think how lonely he must get down there, by himself all day, so I've started going to get him in the evenings and bringing him down to my house to play with my dogs. They get along well, as long as we don't let him inside. First he's just too crazy to come in my house, and second, Annie gets very aggressive with him in the house. She apparently doesn't like him inside. Callie only expressed her opinion when he jumped up on my arm, when we were outside. She gave him a big bark, which seemed to communicate to him, "Get off my mom!" I never really truly appreciated how well my dogs are trained, until trying to walk a dog as big as Callie that isn't well trained. I do not like a large dog jerking me down the sidewalk. If I had more time, and it wasn't quite so hot, Junior and I would have some one on one time, and I'd educate the big dope on the appropriate way to behave on a leash!

Today, after our usual church outing, John and I and the kids went to our sister church's service in Keystone Heights. Our Pastor and my brother in law Mike are serving there as their Pastor and Staff Minister. They needed someone to look at the lights in their fellowship hall, and somehow John's name came up. Since I played during our church service this morning, and we didn't have time to drop off my viola before going to Keystone, I asked Pastor if he thought they would mind if I also played down there. They were very welcoming to the idea. I'm not sure if the gentleman that John was working with knew his mother from past, or if he's just a friendly guy, but when we walked in, he threw his arms around her and greeted her. "Hey Judy, it's so great to see you!" I thought, okay, he's a Lutheran from the area, she most likely knows him. Then he came in my direction, "Hi, it's so great to have you join us, and play for us!" He also wrapped his arms around me, and gave me a big hug. I introduced myself, since he was so welcoming, and he explained that Pastor had told them I'd intended to play. After the church service, my children were carrying a ziplock bag filled with blueberries. There was an elderly, german lady giving blueberries to everyone. Daniel was soon out on the playground, and was yelling at a little boy on the swingset with him, "Don't eat my blueberries!!!" I explained to him, those were the boy's, ours were with my purse. This boy's grandfather then joined us, and thanked me again for playing, once he and John were done in the fellowship hall discussing what needs to happen with the lights in there. Roger Buz, began telling me how he's been playing violin, and learning to fiddle. It is his lifetime dream to one day be able to repair violins. He then started telling me proudly about his daughter, who "fiddles" and plays in a country band, often touring with none other than Allison Kraus. He told me how his daughter writes all her songs, and his favorite being, "Dancing on Daddy's feet", and a few others, and that she writes the music, and plays the fiddle, and sings the songs. Of course, he then told me to walk with him to his truck, where he pulled out a new copy of her latest cd. She is currently living in Nashville, TN, and hosting a show on RFD TV. We got into conversation about fiddling, and the dances at O'leno, which he was quite familiar with, then he told me about the Fiddlin Association gatherings, and then said, we should get together and fiddle. I explained that I believe fiddling is completely different, but something I'd love to learn to do. To which he suggested, we should set a date, and get together, and the kids could come out to his property and swim in the lake, and we could make a "play date" out of it! I'm looking forward to future visits out to Keystone Heights, and getting to know Roger Buz, and our other Lutheran brothers and sisters not so far away!