05 28 2002 sleeping boy & dog

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Subject: Sleeping boy & dog [Muggins]

Sent: Friday, May 28, 2004 9:43 PM

Subject: Memories

All it takes is some little thing to remind me of something from long ago --twice this happened this week and both were from a group session being led by our lovely activity leader Rosa..Yesterday after exercise we had our Thursday morning worship time, and before the speaker came Rosa had something in her hand, couldn't see what it was, but she said if any of us went to sleep during the worship she would throw that at us. Well as I looked around every one was awake--like me likely thinking she really would and each one wanted to see who got hit. Well, I remembered that night in Hinckley long ago-Pastor Paul had often sort of jokingly said that if any one went to sleep he would throw a song book at that one--Well, that night our boys quartet had sung two songs during the opening part of the service and Pastor Paul had us sit in the front row ready to sing the final song in which he would join us--- well, during the sermon the boy sitting next to me fell asleep. His head really was down --suddenly Pastor Paul picked up the songbook and walking over to just in front of us threw that songbook and hit this boy in the tummy

--Boy did he jump up with a yell.. The whole congregation laughed--Pastor went back to the pulpit and stood there as --really the most surprised person in the room--he said with his head shaking "I can't believe I did that." then to the audience I can't believe I did that. by then the whole congregation was really laughing. Then Pastor Paul said, "I love to see people happy when the service is ended so lets stand, and boys come and join me in the final song. Which we did. memories. Well something else Rosa did yesterday brought a memory for me that was not so laughable --she had some trivia, which we all like--it is fun - and yesterday's was about dogs so began to think of dogs in our home back then. Got to thinking of Rover, my special dog, and then that puppy which we called Muggins" . He was the dumbest puppy we ever had but so fun loving we boys just loved him. But Rover couldn't stand him.--if we took him with us after the cows Rover would get them started toward the barn, but that pup would run up ahead and bark at their heads and turn them around. Well we still kept Muggins until one day mom discovered something was taking the eggs from the nests in the chicken house--mom would find the hens all excited and then there would be broken shells all over the floor. .What was doing that? Then one

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day mom went into the chicken house and there was Muggins eating eggs. Well, that signed his death warrant then and there- Now, who is going to execute him? Dad had an old Stevens 22 gun--little thing, that we never used but he put a shell in it, got a small rope around Muggins neck, and then asked to which of us boys Muggins belonged. Ben said "Not me' Curt said, Not me, Ray said, Not me. So who was left? Me. Dad gave me the gun and one extra shell in case one didn't do it. I tried to get out of it but then came that word You will or else, and we boys knew very well what that "or else" was so I went: Can remember thinking, if I could take him far away so he would be lost, I could run home and all would be well,--but he could run faster than I and would get home before me and there was that "or else" So got to where dad had told me and stopped, Muggins sat down looking up at me--and I pointed that gun at him--one of his most fun games was chasing sticks we would throw--he would run try to catch them then make us chase him to get them back. He sat there looking at me like he was saying "Throw it" I shut my eyes and pulled the trigger, then I ran home--gave dad the gun and I never saw it again--and never wanted to. In later years it was not around so I have a feeling that it was Mom who got rid of it--she hated guns. memories. Art

5/30/2004