Belly Up
Belly Up to The Bar
What does that even mean and where did it come from? Doesn’t matter.
The source of old sayings is often ambiguous. With me, old sayings are opportunities to misuse the language. Most times, old sayings are like math problems. Totally confusing for me and totally baffling to my listeners. I can never get them straight. Smart as a tack was one of my favorite lines. I never can to this day remember what a tack analogy is or what is to be smart. So I continue to say things wrong. People have to ignore what I’m saying or get the general gist of my meaning from context clues.
At our house, we don’t use the bar very much unless the table is covered with an art project which can’t be moved until it is dried. Or when we have the grandkids over, or someone is here playing pool. The other time the bar gets a work out is party time when it is laden with food.
Sadly, I have a new reason to belly up to the bar. Literally!
The home health physical therapist, Alise, has me doing innumerable exercises to recoup from hip surgery. Holding on for dear life while I do knee bends – not deep knee bends, I don’t want to press my luck – has made me not a fan of the bar. The only distraction has been my collection of object lesson tchotchkes.
The little birds remind me of the verses about God’s care for even the smallest of creatures, and I pray God sees and cares for my weakness at this time. Though I hope He doesn’t listen too much to my complaining!
The salt in an old shaker of Ronald’s mama reminds me to be salt to a perishing world. The light globe with the top that holds fragrance reminds me to be a light to that same world and a sweet fragrance to God in all I do.
Tiny vials of mustard seed prompt me to have faith that blossoms and grows as does that tiny seed. The communion cups pastor brought back from Israel encourage me to meditate on God’s Truth and pray for His strength and wisdom to be attributes in my life.
The geodes help me know that God sees the inside of my heart and doesn’t look on the outward person. And I tell you what. That’s a good thing! I swear I’ve aged 30 years through this process! My stress stripes between my eyes have deepened so far, I’m sure any day they’ll be tracking through my skull and into my brain!!!
Anyway. Whatever belly up to the bar meant back in the day, for me it means another torture session. Oops! I mean therapy session.
Blessings to all and please ignore my grumpy rants and complaints!!!
Kara Beth
