Lion and Lamb xmas chat 2013-2024

Lion and Lamb 2013

A Christmas card with an artist’s lovely rendition of two animals laying down. We see a sleeping lion, his massive head resting on a paw, and in front, an alert lamb looking right at the viewer, with his small black front hooves in the foreground.

Inside, in small print in the corner: “And peace will reign in the kingdom-

the lion will lie down with the lamb.”

Large message: May the miracle of Christmas fill your heart with hope and peace.”

My addition with the card:

2013:

From the Lion:

My doctor was stern. “Your cholesterol is off the chart. If you don’t make some serious dietary changes, you won’t be king of your pride much longer.”

I’d heard about the vegan thing, but now it was time to give it a try. Fruits? Veggies? Grains? Oh well, it might be worth it if I can still be the big cheese with my extended family. I quickly found that ketchup improves veggies, and maple syrup on brown rice is close to yummy.

Perks? You bet! I have new friends now. The lamb dude is a barrel of laughs, and a damned good chess player, too. Sorry the artist caught me napping, but my good health has definitely improved my family life and I’m finding that naps are key to my day. Like I tell them, every nap is a good nap! My little buddy is guarding me, and promises to wake me when it’s time to go to the Farmer’s Market. Peace is groovy, can you dig it?

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Lion and Lamb 2014

From the Lamb:

I’m here with my buddy, just hanging out while he naps. We heard that we’re in a book, some example of how things will be so peaceful when humans behave themselves that even the lion and the lamb will lay down together. Whatever. We just know that we enjoy each other’s company and look forward to our next cool idea of stuff to do together.

We played scrabble a few days ago, wow, it was so fun! It was touch and go with the score, he’s got quite a firm grasp on his spelling, I only challenged him once and I was wrong! Ouch! But listen to this – he put down a good word, it covered the triple word square and the last letter was an S. His score zoomed up, I thought I was a goner. I pondered and squirmed, while he drummed his claws on the table. I was really stuck. But that S was open, what to do? With my tiny hooves I put down U X O R I O U - - finishing on his S! Used my seven letters, got the X on the triple letter square, double word too, and went ahead of him on the score sheet! The game ended in a tie, we laughed for hours and considered that we were both winners. He said his wife will remind him of that word often. Life is good, hope yours is too!

Lion and Lamb 2015

Notes from the lamb: Peace? Hope? Really? They said it couldn’t be done. But mix in a miracle, and lion and I are friends. Yeah, he went vegan, and is in better health now. As for me, getting rid of the fear factor was difficult, but look what I’ve gained. An interesting buddy to share all kinds of fun with, like chess, cards, scrabble, baseball, movies, books, music, good beer :( oh, don’t get your undies in a bundle! We share 2 different classy beers while playing chess, critique and journal all pertinent info. I’m an old lamb :), and our family histories give us endless topics of conversation. We have a new collaboration, I’ll let him tell you about it.

News from the lion: We’re writing a book. My history, his history, and how an unexpected turn of events put us together, that’s the miracle part. Finding a literary agent, that’s the hope part. Lamb and I are all about different critters not only finding friendship, but spreading the peace vibe. Sure beats the alternative of being the bully or the victim, eh? And believe us, miracles do happen. Stay alert for yours!

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Lion and Lamb 2016

Again with the sleeping! Lion is all about his naps, and how cool that I get to be his protector while he sleeps. His pride is ok with our friendship, but other lions aren’t and would kick his ass and have me for lunch if they could. And the humans running around like nutjob trophy hunters. Ugh. So I’m on duty. Baaaaa!

Yesterday we had a big party, tons of fun. Some of my sheep buddies showed up and we did this jumping leaping spinning thing and Lion laughed so hard grass came out of his nose! That made everybody laugh until our sides hurt.

Wise Owl told us that we’re the perfect example of altruism, we’ll google it. Later we watched a gorgeous sunset as thousands of Sandhill Cranes came to roost.

We’re all dialed in with this peace plan, hope you are, too!

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Lion and Lamb 2017

2017 Note from the lamb:

Yep, I’m smiling again, while my big buddy naps. We just finished a new version of an old song, fun to sing loud!

Amazing Peace, how sweet the word,

that saved a wretch like me,

I once was lost, but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas Peace that taught my heart to fear,

And Peace my fears relieved,

How precious did that Peace appear,

The hour I first believed.

My God has promised Peace to me,

Her word my hope assures,

Peace will my shield and portion be,

As long as life endures.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares

I have already come,

‘Twas Peace that brought me save thus far,

And Peace will lead me home.

When we’ve been home 10,000 years,

Bright shining with the sun,

We’ve no less days to sing Peace praise

Than when we’d first begun.

Kalamazoo, how sweet the town,

That saved a wretch like me,

I once was lost, but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our gratitude to John Newton, who wrote

“Amazing Grace.” He’d approve!

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Lion and Lamb 2018

2018 Note from the lamb:

Lion and Lamb 2019

Notes from Lion: Yep, that’s me snoozing, how I love my naps. Now that my diet has changed, munching grass, berries, and nuts is a test because I need to eat a few times a day. Former me ate a couple times a month, I was into the catch and kill thing. This change has been interesting, and much more calm! That whole stalk, chase, kill thing was hard on my cardio vascular system, and oh, don’t even ask about the stuff I ate. Talk about a killer diet… I’m healthy now, much happier, too. And bonus – new friends! This little buddy, Lamb, is one, we laugh and find ways to enjoy our time together. Cards, chess, scrabble, dancing, jumping contests, paper scissors rock, even a ½ marathon—damn it, he beat me! It’s always fun to make plans for our next fun. Hope you are having fun! Schedule it!

Notes from Lamb: I learned so much being buddies with this big guy. Like don’t ask about his former diet, just don’t. I personally cannot imagine biting into meat. Just give me some open land and I’m happy to graze the day away, enjoying the sun, rain, birds, butterflies, wind, and the landscape vista. By the Grace of God, my big buddy was determined to live without killing anyone again, and I helped him figure out Plan B. That turned out to be the easy part, because I’ve seen his former pride bully him for his choice. I can’t help him with that, but sure admire him for taking their stuff, giving them a strong look over his shoulder as we walk on. The other day he got a most welcome reward: one of the young dudes from his pride approached, and queried him about how to turn to peace. Ever see a lion smile? I have. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Notes from karen.chadwick@gmail.com ~ 2019 has been happy challenges: visit with my granddaughter; giving best massage therapy—45 years—to a few fortunate folks; doing tiny yoga; my group MLK Park Landscape Love continues to honor this world class fine art fiercely beautiful space; writing glimpses of history for my blog; and getting out query letters on the hunt for a literary agent and publisher for a memoir recounting my life and work in New Harmony. New on the blog, are four “Dear Jean” letters, fiction of the factual Industrial Revolution, and now “Dear Jean P.S.,” nonfiction pieces of early American history, good, bad, and ugly as it rolled. A zealot religious group built a whole town in early America, then sold it to zealot secular social engineers. Socialists before socialism, what could go wrong? I lived there for over six years. As you click the blog, thank you, a little counter goes up one, and that’s huge help for the agent hunt, as of today 8626 clicks. I count my lucky stars that my neph, wordsmith Garrett, offers sharp edit eye for the blog, much better read! I thank you, loves, for our shared journey. As I see my age counter going up, ya, me, 73, I tell young folks, “Hope you like surprises!” ~ ~ ~ karen-chadwick.blogspot.com ~ ~ ~

Lion and Lamb 2020

Pre-covid Time:

Ode on Words for Parties (American Edition)

Why do we have so many words for parties, a slew
of them once you start looking: shindig, bash,
meet-and-greets, raves, blowouts, barbecues,
and more tepid functions, receptions, luncheons, and do’s
of all kinds, though, let’s face it, most people have no clue
about how to throw a party, like the friend who was complaining
because her husband wanted to have lots of food at the brunch
they were planning, but she knew people didn’t go
to parties to eat, and Marsha and I had to break it to her
that brunch was the combination of two meals,
so her guests were expecting to eat double, and you can’t believe
the shock on her face, but her husband put out a great spread
and everyone ate and talked, though we’ve all been to those parties
with the bowl of dead chips and the onion dip
that looks like cat vomit on the driveway, actually not that good,
but my sister throws a fabulous party, because she’s a great cook
and has an army of wine bottles that never stops marching,
and her garden is verdant, and she has a pool,
which some people end up in at the end of the night. What
would be the word for that kind of party—Vinocoolpool
Party? And the other one might be a Kittydip Party. And guests!
They can ruin a party, too. Think of the Music Nazis
who make their way through the world with their one-upmanship,
and your collection of Van Morrison and Jimi Hendrix
is so uncool compared with the Mud Stumps and Echo Park,
but only before they caved and became famous
and were no longer cool. Then there are the couples
who are glued at the hip, twins conjoined
by church and state, or the bloviators, or the drunks who can turn
a party into a Godzilla-stomps-Tokyo apocalypse,
like the time the guy with the Ponderosa belt buckle slid chest first
in a dance move and put a gouge three feet long
in my hardwood floor, and I hadn’t even invited him; he was
my hairdresser’s friend. That party was over. I wanted
everyone out of my house. Or what about the people who live

Covd time: Lion & Lamb “We know The Grim Reaper’s new little buddy, covd, is looking for us. He calls his parties Super Spreaders. We chill now & dream of good times ahead. We like this side of the grass.

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in the middle of nowhere, and you know
that on the way home you’ll end up in Hades or a ditch,
if you’re lucky, what would you call those?
Suburban-Hell Parties? Hansel-and-Gretel-Lost-Weekend Parties?
I often try to talk my husband into pulling over
so we don’t crash, but he reminds me that we’re just setting
ourselves up for the serial killers who roam lonesome
highways looking for poets, and what would you call
that concatenation of events? Zodiac-After-Party-Stab-Fest?
Post-Bash-Head-Bash? You can see that when I’m not
going to parties I’m watching too many true-crime shows,
which make you mistrust your fellow human beings
in the most basic way, and yet we continue to throw parties,
which is an interesting choice of verbs, and English
is full of them—throw a party, pitch a fit, pitch a tent, pitch
a no-hitter, pitch in, pitch-black, and that’s what the road
is like now, and I’d give anything to be at that Kittydip Party
two blocks from my house, with the Einstein Brains
blaring on the sound system so I can’t hear the guy talking
about how he prepares petri dishes for his research
or the woman who is describing an airline-ticket fiasco
that wouldn’t even be interesting if it had happened
to me, but I guess that’s life—a continuum between darkness
and mala folla, a Spanish phrase that describes an indifference
so profound it can’t be bothered with scorn,
but I remember one of the best parties ever was a wine tasting
put together by an Australian father and son
and by the end everyone was dancing to “Tutti Frutti”
and screaming drunk and in love with the world and I danced
with a roly-poly lawyer named Booter, whom I never saw
again, and the hangover the next day was a small price to pay
for that crazy mix of Little Richard and Cabernet,
and there was food, yeah, but who remembers what.