Lola

I recently met a turtle. A painted turtle. I've named her Lola.
Since meeting Lola, I've learned that the painted turtle (Latin name: Chrysemys picta) is the only species in the genus Chrysemys; it is the official reptile of Colorado and Michigan; and the incubation period of its eggs is approximately 72 days.
Now, Lola decided to lay her eggs on our property and my reaction was: "How appropriate! What a wonderful place for the beginning of new life!"
You see, we own almost 15 acres on the western border of Vermont, where my husband has created an outdoor sanctuary for prayer and healing called, "The House of Angels". It's a beautiful one-acre clearing where anyone can enjoy nature, pray for healing and basically contemplate the existance and amazingness of God, our Creator. A place where you can worship Him freely. An unalienable right, actually.
Unalienable rights. Sound familiar? It should . . . it comes from the second paragraph of our Declaration of Independence, where our amazing founding fathers wrote, "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Such compelling words. Set forth by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.
Such a wonderful philosophy for a fledgling government . . . a fledgling government that has created the most powerful country in the world. A country where one is free to pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. A country where we are free to worship as set forth in the very first Amendment to the Constitution. An amendment, I must say, that is written very succinctly and cannot be misunderstood by anyone with an honest understanding of the English language. (Which begs the question: Where the "h" do our judges come from?" But I digress.
Lola reminds me of our founding fathers. She struggled hard to get up on top of the cliff that holds our twenty-foot wooden cross. They struggled hard, too. Our founding fathers, I mean. They risked their lives. Their liberty. Their pursuit of happiness so that future generations (including us) could pursue our own.
And Lola's eggs? They represent (to me) the birth of our rights, our freedoms, our fortunes, our opportunities as provided by the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.
We are fortunate to live in this country. Lola's struggle to find a safe place to lay her eggs reminded me of that. It reminded me of the picture that evangelist james Robison sent to us showing third world babies wading through filthy water. So I'm feeling blessed to have running water. Clean running water. And, I'm also reminded of the distended stomachs of those babies, who are being guided by their sad, sad mothers. Mothers who cannot find nourishing food for them, let alone a cool refreshing drink. And so, I'm grateful to also have a pantry full of food.
Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. Respect for our Creator. What better way to live? I'm convinced we have so much (here in the USA) because of the wisdom of our founding fathers. Their belief in those unalienable rights. And, of course, the Judeo/Christian principles that they based this amazing country upon.
I'm also grateful that Lola reminded me of these important musings. Grateful to live in the land of the free, where I can meet a turtle on a beautiful, peaceful, spring day in a country where I have food and water, and don't have to worry about crazed suicide bombers. (Yet.) And so, I'm free to count the days to be "blessed event." And when we get close to the end of the 72-day incubation period, I'll be watching for the new life that springs from those eggs that are nestled near the base of the cross.
Come to think of it, I might just invite people over. We'll call it the Blessed Event at the House of Angels. A very special turtle watch that celebrates Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
And Lola? What Lola wants, Lola gets. After exercising her unalienable right to lay her eggs in the perfect spot, she's long gone, pursuing her own happiness, I'm sure.

Johnny Vic's Plymouth Adventures is on its way!

"Johnny Vic's Plymouth Adventures" is finally in the hands of my publisher. With no complications, the proof books will be ready by the end of July and the final printed books will hit the streets in early August! Remember that evil Colonel Klondyke who was searching for the magical metal detector in story number one? Well, he's now got a clever gizmo that will help his minions find it. In Plymouth Adventures, they're about ready to catch up with Johnny Vic. Will they or won't they? You'll find out in August.