A nice little gift I received

My dear inlaws just returned home from a camping trip and wouldn't you know they brought me a lovely little gift.





When I first saw it I smiled and almost got choked up because of how I interpreted the use of the word "Siren".

See I was an English major once upon a time and I read all kinds of Greek Mythology in my studies. So I know about the Sirens. Do you know about them?

They were women, possibly half birds, half godesses who sat on rocky islands singing. They were irresistable to the sailors who passed by both because of their beauty and their voices. So much so that, if I recall correctly, The Odyssey talks about the sailors plugging their ears and putting blinders on their eyes so they would be able to withstand the temptation of these Sirens.

yup. That sounds like me.

(Let's just pause here for a moment while the people who know me in real life now take some time to find a paper towel to wipe up the coffee they spewed all over their keyboard while laughing at that description having ANYTHING to do with me.)


But in all truthfulness, I remember reading about them, even when I was in Highschool, and thinking I'd love to be them. I suppose I'm not so thrilled about the "following their song and being swayed by the Sirens could lead you to a shipwreck on the rocks of their island where you will possibly be cannabalized by the Sirens" bit, but the ravishingly beautiful, mesmerizing singing part I liked quite a bit.

So that is how I first took the play on words on this dear plaque. I am my husband's siren. He is irresitably drawn to me. That sounds like one of the 5 points of Calvinism, don't you think. That would be a fun post: the Five Points of Barbara-ism...I'll work on that.

But I digress: as my father-in-law began chuckling at my reaction to the perceived sentiment, I realized that perhaps it was much more in lines with this image:

Pro 21:9 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

What's that? you didn't get it the first time? Don't worry it gets repeated a few verses later:

Pro 25:24 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

Or how about:

Pro 27:15 A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike;

So now I'm thinking maybe he meant that I am my husband's "siren"...you know that loud annoying thing that gets your attention and points out to you everything you are doing wrong....

Betcha none of you spit out your coffee laughing this time!

Except my father-in-law likes me, and I like him. And as far as I know he had no problem with his son marrying me....of course I was on my best behaviour in those days. hmmmmm.

This does remind me of a time when my dear friend Jake lovingly called me "that woman in Proverbs". Let me back up:

This was in the days when my husband Chris and I had just started dating, and he and Jake and I were leading the youth group at our church. Jake and I were both students at Western and I had a break when he was supposed to be in a math class. Every day I sat at the coffee shop (Lucy's, if it is still called that) where he would walk by on his way to class. As he would walk by I would call him over to say hi and then say "Why don't you skip class and join me for a Tim Horton's coffee? You are so smart. You can miss one class. I'll even buy for you. We can plan which memory verses we want the youth to work on this Wednesday. Come on, I'm bored and lonely. Hang out with me."

And one day, as he succumbed as he sometimes did, he said "You know, you are like that woman in Proverbs." And I, with tears brimming and joy overflowing in my heart, replied, "Really! The Proverbs 31 lady? That is just who I am trying to be so that I can be a good wife to Chris some day!"

"No", he said. "Like the harlot of Proverbs 7 calling innocent men away from their life of good intention and causing them to fall into a life of waste and despair".

Anywhoooo, I will hang my lovely plague with great pleasure in my home. It is adorable and it will remind me to try to look pretty, sing nicely, and keep my mouth shut alot more often.

Thanks Mom and Dad! I love it! :-)