An Airport Oasis

If you travel a lot, as I do, you long for peace in the midst of the chaos. Travel today, regardless of the mode, is way too stressful. By the time you reach a destination, you can be so exhausted it's hard to appreciate that you're FINALLY off the plane or out of the car or off the train. So I'm always looking for ways to relax in transit. And boy howdy, did I find a great one!

I fly through the Denver aiport a lot. During one especially long layover there, God gave me a gift. He nudged me to wander to the upper level of concourse B, where I happened upon a wonderful photographer's gallery called Images of Nature. The artist, Thomas Mengelsen (www.mangelsen.com--tried to make this a link but blogger isn't cooperating!) is a nature photographer, and just walking into his gallery makes you feel as though you've left the hectic and frustrating world of commercial flights behind and have found an oasis of beauty and rest. The staff there are warm and welcoming, and don't mind at all if you've just come in to sit in one of the comfy chairs and soak in the beauty of Mangelsen's work.

So if you're ever in the Denver airport, give yourself a real treat and visit Images of Nature. And to whet your appetite, here are a few samples of his work.

May beauty surround you today.

Karen

Get Wild!

I found a cool thing while surfing the web tonight: Live Webcams at the SanDiego Zoo! You can watch the polar bears, apes, elephants, and pandas in real time. It's a blast, especially when the animals are active.

So give it a try.

I can hardly wait 'til they put on in the tiger enclosure!

Karen

Game Time!

Hey there! I found a great site with really fun games: Animal Planet Games!

I had a blast playing the frisbee game, though I'm nowhere as good at catching them as my dad's German shepherd, Kodi. Then there's the game where you get to mix parts from all kinds of breeds. I made a Basscollmationhuahua! Can you figure out the breeds in there? Not only that, but my beautiful Basscollmationhuahua was a angel (complete with wings) and had the coolest funky glasses, cowboy boots, and bubble pipe. Now THAT'S something you wont' see at Westminster!

From the pet match games to the pet detective adventure, this page is full of animal fun. So check it out. And have a blast!

Karen

I'm Being Stalked!

It was a dark and stormy night. The rain pelted my window, and even through the darkness I could see the storm clouds roiling, churning...moving across the night sky like some undulating viper. I sat in the dim light of my office, staring at my computer screen, alone except for the characters playing out their lives in my head.

That's when I felt it. Something flicked the back of my hair.

Considering how short my hair is, I knew whatever was behind me was close. Veerrryyy close. Slowly I turned--and found myself staring into a pair of gleaming eyes. Malevolent eyes. Eyes that warned me not to move another fraction of an inch...

...without scratching those fuzzy ears.

It's official. I have an office cat. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm an animal person. LOVE animals. But this is my brother's Kamikaze cat who used to hide under things and shoot out razor claws to slice my ankle as I walked by. The cat I've threatened on a number of occasions with "Can you say 'drop kick'??" NOT the kind of cat I wanted hovering over me. But lately, for reasons known only to cats and the mystics of old, Garfield has decided he likes me. So much so that he spends a good portion of his day stalking me. And when he's not doing that, he's jumping up and walking across my keyboard, or racing crazy circles around my office, or--his favorite pastime of late--scrambling up the back of my chair and perching there, a kind of breathing, tail-twitching head rest while I work (though weather it's to be near me or to watch out the window where the birds are dipping in the bird bath is anyone's guess).

And I have to admit it, I like it. I like that the cat's adopted me. And that he's decided his spot is on the back of my chair. Makes me grin when I feel the end of that twitching tail tweaking at my ear, or the soft nudge of his head when he wants a scratch, or the gentle touch of a paw when he just wants me to remember he's there. And when he deigns to jump up into my lap, I pet him with respect, ever aware of those muscles and the warning they give off when he tenses. Too much. Stop or pay the price. And yet for all of that, when Garfield's claws are sheathed, he's a pretty nice cat.

Kind of reminds me of God. That gentle presence, reminding us we're not alone. That nudge when we need it, that twitch in our hearts when we're about to take a path we shouldn't, the warning that comes with enough time to head off trouble if we'll just pay attention. And if we don't? Well, you know what Scripture says: "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31). (There is one place, though, where my comparison fails. Garfield is a nice cat when his claws are sheathed, but God is always good. My actions don't change His goodness. Thank heaven.)

Having this cat hang around has helped me better understand a poem I've always liked: For My Cat, Jeoffry by poet Christopher Smart. It's long, so I won't quote it all, but I'll leave you with my favorite stanzas:

For I will consider my Cat, Jeoffry,
For he is the servant of the Living God, duly and daily serving Him.
For at first glance of the glory of God in the East he worships in his way...wreathing his body seven times round with elegant quickness.
For he has the subtlety and hissing of a serpent, which in goodness he suppresses.
For he will not do destruction, if he is well-fed, neither will he spit without provocation.
For he purrs in thankfulness, when God tells him he's a good Cat...
For every house is incomplete without him and a blessings is lacking in the spirit...
For he is of the tribe of the Tiger.
For there is nothing sweeter than his peace when at rest.
For there is nothing brisker than his life when in motion...
For though he cannot fly, he is an excellent clamberer.
For his motions upon the face of the earth are more than any quadruped.
For he can treat to all the measures upon the music.
For he can swim for life.
For he can creep.
For all this, will I consider my Cat Jeoffry.

And will I consider, and appreciate, my brother's cat, Garfield.

Peace, all.

Karen

Oh My Achin' Antlers!

I first saw this years ago when an agent accidentally sent it to me. I laughed so hard the other editors working with me came to my office to see what was going on. Needless to say, I sent the agent a thank you note. She was embarrassed, but I told her not to be. I'd needed a laugh that day. And she's one of the few people I never forget. All she has to do is say, "Remember me, I'm the antelope lady..."

If you haven't seen this before, you're in for a treat.

Antelope vs. tree

(By the way, if you're blonde, I didn't title this video...)

Here's to laughter!

Karen

The Wonder of Wolves

As you may or may not know, I have a love for all things wolf. My first novel, Reunion, centered on the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone. I did a lot of research, in part to make sure I depicted the wolves accurately, and in part because it was such fun to be immersed in these amazing, noble animals. Knowing how unwise it is to own a wolf or wolf-hybrid, I have the next best thing: Siberian huskies. In fact, here's my little girl, Dasha, who is all of 7 months old now:
And here, in my first effort to share a video (please let me know if you have any issues with it), Dasha is in action, with a cameo from Kodi (whom you may remember from my novel Kaleidoscope Eyes):

Anyway, I've made it point when possible to visit wolf sanctuaries. So on one of my trips to speak at the Glorieta Christian Writer's Conference in New Mexico, a friend and I took a side trip to visit Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary.

The drive took us to the middle of nowhere, but what we found there was wonderful. We were able to walk through the sanctuary and watch the wolves as they interacted with each other. Yes, they were in enclosures, but it was the closest I've ever been to a wolf. When we came to one enclosure, our guide told us the wolf housed there was Raven, who sometimes honors visitors with a howl. Now, one of my lifetime dreams has been to hear a wolf howl, so you can imagine how excited I was. I lifted my head and did my best howl...and without hesitation Raven followed suit. As did all the wolves and wolf-hybrids throughout the sanctuary! The sound was haunting, chilling, and exhilarating all at once. I closed my eyes and let the symphony wash over me. It is, to this day, one of my most treasured memories.

As you can imagine, I've sponsored a wolf from the sanctuary. The work they're doing there is invaluable. So I encourage you to check out their site. And even consider taking part in what they're doing. All you have to do is look into one of the wolves' eyes to know it's worthwhile.

Peace to you today.

Karen

What's In a Blog?

Blogging is fun, huh? Fun to do, fun to read. I like to visit other blogs, see what folks are thinking and saying, and as I've been doing so, I've wondered what brings visitors back? What keeps people interested and reading?

While I was at Mount Hermon Christian Writers' conference a few months ago, one of the speakers in the track I help lead (the Career Track for published authors) was John Olson. He was talking about something that hit me, square between the eyes. Was it blogging? No, but it made so much sense for the blogging I do that I wanted to jump up and cheer.

So here's the scoop: John was talking about the need to be focused on your passions. On the things God has planted within you, made a part of the fabric of who you are. As he talked, I thought about the blogs I visit and why I go back to some and not to others, and I realized it's all about that. Shared passion. So I sat down a little later and made up a list of what my true passions are:

1. The faith journey. Talking and hearing what God's doing in lives today.
2. Animals. Big time. Domestic, wild, those that run, crawl, slither, swim...if it's part of the animal kingdom, I'm drawn to it.
3. Writing and reading, especially fiction. Like the title of my blog says, the power of words, the magic of story.
4. Laughter. If there's one thing my family instilled in me, it's a sense of humor. The ability to see the funny in life and in myself and delight in it.
5. Nature. I love the beauty that surrounds us. The clear evidence of God's creative genius and of his desire to delight us.

So here's what I've decided. I'm going to alternate my blog entries so that they focus on these different passions. Why am I telling you? Because I want to know what you think! Let me know if the blog feels too fractured, or if you like one segment but don't care so much for another. Because this blog is about another of my passions: relationship. With you.

So please let me know what you think.

And to start us off, here's a wonderful little YouTube video I discovered, showing polar bears playing--yes, playing--with some huskies. Now, you all know how much I love Siberian huskies, so when I first saw the listing I thought, "Oh great. Some idiot let his dogs get chomped." But what I saw was absolutely delightful. Admittedly, one bear seems a little too affectionate with the cinnamon husky at the end, but I know this about huskies: if they don't want to play with you, they're gone. These guys are fast and strong and can slip out of the most powerful grip. So it seems the dogs are enjoying the encounter as much as the bears.

Man, I would love to be there and actually see something like this. Reminds me of the Scripture about the lion lying down with the lamb...someday, folks, we will get to see what it's like.

I can't wait.

His peace to you today.

Karen

A New Member of the Ball Household!

Well, we have someone to be thankful for this Thanksgiving holiday! She's little and furry and utterly adorable. And I wanted you to be among the first to meet her. So (drum roll, please) please say hello to Dasha, our new "baby":


Dasha is a 6 1/2 week old Siberian husky who is full of energy and has no trouble whatsoever handling the big doggies all around her. We brought her home Thursday, and are having an absolute blast.

Why another dog, you ask? Simple, on Monday we discovered our beloved Bodhan, who we call Bo, had a tumor. A bad one. In a bad spot. Before I even had time to absorb this news, the vet had Bo in surgery. They removed most of the tumor, but not all. So now it's a wait-and-see proposition. If the tumor reappears, which the vet said it most likely will, it will be time to bid our darlin' boy good-bye. He's just too old, at 14, for repeated surgeries. Way too hard on him. The thought of losing this dear, sweet boy--who just showed up on our doorstep 12 years ago--shattered my heart. So Don and I talked it over and decided it was time to do something we'd been talking about for some time: bring home a puppy so sweet Bo can help us train it. And believe me, he's been doing just that! He's nudging and leading and being as patient as Job with this little firecracker. It's wonderful to watch. And for her part, Dasha (whose name, like Bo's, is Russian and means "God's gift") is giving Bo new energy. He was dancing around playing with her this morning. Just made my heart smile.

Our other puppies, Dad's 95-lb German shepherd and our nutsoid Aussie-terrier mix, Dakota, have warmed right up to little Dasha. We were worried Dakota, who is a shelter dog and has...um..."issues, might be a problem. But as you can see, she's adjusting quite well! So we have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season.

• Bo is still with us. And we'll cherish each day we have with him. Though 12 years doesn't seen anywhere near enough time with this four-legged angel, I realize it's a lot longer than many get with their beloved pets.
  
• Our new little girl has brought great joy to all of us.
• The cycle of life goes on, remind me every day that God is present, He's at work, and we can rest in His care and provision.

I pray this holiday season has been one of blessing for you, too. That you've seen God in the faces and hearts of those around you, that you've felt His love and peace, and that you're reminded, each day, that He is God.

He is in control.

You can rest secure in that truth.

Peace and puppy love to you today.

Karen B.