pollen and hay dust and dust mites and feathers and lots of other things that people are allergic to. I suggested we take him to the doctor in town, but Stretch just said it was a little summer cold and that heâd get over it, like he knows everything there is to know about health. Anyway, Iâve been trying to keep things extra-clean just in case it is allergies.
Sheryl said that I was nice to have around in the house because Iâm so helpful, which was a nice compliment, I thought. Especially since I can see that sheâs not what I would call the worldâs greatest housekeeper. Like she doesnât mind if people wear their shoes in the house and only dusts the tops of things once in a great, great while. But Iâm going to try to keep helping her because I can see that she gets almost no help from June Bug, who hates to be in the house at all and doesnât think a thing of hanging out in the smelly horse barn for hours and then coming in the house and sitting on the couch or covering up with a clean blanket. Itâs like she doesnât even consider that she smells and that sheâs spreading that smell to everything! She can be really dense sometimes. So I try to help Sheryl, whoâs been extra-tired lately, too. She probably is anemic since she doesnât eat much meat these days and acts like sheâs going to gag if she sees a chicken cutlet or ground beef. Everyone around here is so dramatic.
Anyway, instead of spreading my hair around the vegetable plants, Sheryl said it was too nice and took it to her church, St. Anthonyâs Catholic church, in town because they partner up with the beauty salon to donate to Locks of Love. Isnât it strange that Sherylâs a religious person? I didnât even know that because itâs not like she goes to church or anything. When I asked her about it, Sheryl said sheâs a Christmas and Easter kind of Catholic, that she only goes along with the parts of the religion she likes, such as sharing with the poor.
Sheryl: Catholics donât advertise their religion too much. (She says it in a way that makes me think that she thinks that I might advertise my religion a little too much, which I definitely do not!)
Me: (I get a little defensive.) Donât Catholics think that fornication is a sin?
Sheryl: (Her cheeks turn red, probably from anger, which is one of the seven deadly sins, or maybe from embarrassment.) Why, yes, Penny. They do. But I personally believe that some of the rules donât reflect modern culture. What if we all had to live by the cultural practices of biblical times. Would you want that?
Me: How do you know thatâs not just an excuse to sin? (I stay quiet after that to let the power of my words sink in with her.)
Sheryl: One good thing about Catholics is that they are generally harder on themselves than they are on other people.
Me: Whatâs that supposed to mean?
Sheryl: They judge themselves before they judge others. They turn their abhorrence for sin inward instead of outward. In my opinion, having personal guilt is way better than being righteously indignant toward everyone elseâs sins.
Sometimes Iâm amazed at the words Sheryl knows. Like, if you look at her, you would never guess that she was smart enough to know the word righteously or indignant , much less use them together! Anyway, I plan to dictionary.com that phrase the next time Iâm at the library.
Love,
Penny
Chapter 11
Percy and Violence
A FTER MY morning chicken-training session, Iâm on the riding lawn mower when I drive over some walnuts and one shoots out the grass-blower part and almost hits Pauly, whoâs trying to capture caterpillars or something over by this big tree. He doesnât even notice.
âLook out, you crazy idiot!â I yell at him.
He doesnât even turn aroundâjust keeps scraping at tree bark with a big glass jar I saw him stealing out of the cupboards earlier this
Sheryl said that I was nice to have around in the house because Iâm so helpful, which was a nice compliment, I thought. Especially since I can see that sheâs not what I would call the worldâs greatest housekeeper. Like she doesnât mind if people wear their shoes in the house and only dusts the tops of things once in a great, great while. But Iâm going to try to keep helping her because I can see that she gets almost no help from June Bug, who hates to be in the house at all and doesnât think a thing of hanging out in the smelly horse barn for hours and then coming in the house and sitting on the couch or covering up with a clean blanket. Itâs like she doesnât even consider that she smells and that sheâs spreading that smell to everything! She can be really dense sometimes. So I try to help Sheryl, whoâs been extra-tired lately, too. She probably is anemic since she doesnât eat much meat these days and acts like sheâs going to gag if she sees a chicken cutlet or ground beef. Everyone around here is so dramatic.
Anyway, instead of spreading my hair around the vegetable plants, Sheryl said it was too nice and took it to her church, St. Anthonyâs Catholic church, in town because they partner up with the beauty salon to donate to Locks of Love. Isnât it strange that Sherylâs a religious person? I didnât even know that because itâs not like she goes to church or anything. When I asked her about it, Sheryl said sheâs a Christmas and Easter kind of Catholic, that she only goes along with the parts of the religion she likes, such as sharing with the poor.
Sheryl: Catholics donât advertise their religion too much. (She says it in a way that makes me think that she thinks that I might advertise my religion a little too much, which I definitely do not!)
Me: (I get a little defensive.) Donât Catholics think that fornication is a sin?
Sheryl: (Her cheeks turn red, probably from anger, which is one of the seven deadly sins, or maybe from embarrassment.) Why, yes, Penny. They do. But I personally believe that some of the rules donât reflect modern culture. What if we all had to live by the cultural practices of biblical times. Would you want that?
Me: How do you know thatâs not just an excuse to sin? (I stay quiet after that to let the power of my words sink in with her.)
Sheryl: One good thing about Catholics is that they are generally harder on themselves than they are on other people.
Me: Whatâs that supposed to mean?
Sheryl: They judge themselves before they judge others. They turn their abhorrence for sin inward instead of outward. In my opinion, having personal guilt is way better than being righteously indignant toward everyone elseâs sins.
Sometimes Iâm amazed at the words Sheryl knows. Like, if you look at her, you would never guess that she was smart enough to know the word righteously or indignant , much less use them together! Anyway, I plan to dictionary.com that phrase the next time Iâm at the library.
Love,
Penny
Chapter 11
Percy and Violence
A FTER MY morning chicken-training session, Iâm on the riding lawn mower when I drive over some walnuts and one shoots out the grass-blower part and almost hits Pauly, whoâs trying to capture caterpillars or something over by this big tree. He doesnât even notice.
âLook out, you crazy idiot!â I yell at him.
He doesnât even turn aroundâjust keeps scraping at tree bark with a big glass jar I saw him stealing out of the cupboards earlier this
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