Waiting the Arrival

Well today the sun was high above and the temperature was in the high 60’s. A great day to begin my Spring cleaning, outside that is. The bird houses all need washing out so they can welcome the new families in and allow them a comfort abode for their offspring.

I have had baby birds, in numerous nests, for the last three years while here at the house. They are so downy and adorable and I just love to watch the mom swoop into the nest to warm her eggs or to feed the impatient babies.

There has only been one causality that I am aware of, and it is still very upsetting for me to remember the incident. I know Marley is very sorry for he did not know what he was doing. All four of my fur-children love to sit at the window and watch with amazement as they fly back and forth from the neighboring trees to the birdhouses and to the feeders. While outside, they run enthusiastically towards the feeding flocks and I laugh as the flock vanishes to the tree limbs prior to their arrival. I suppose the fur-children take after me, or am I imitating them, in my love for the birds and their antics and beauty?

Well, to the back yard I go once again, as I have only a third of the flower beds cleaned of the debris of the last fall of the colored leaves. As I am writing the feed is flying from the feeders as the afternoon snack time has arrived.

Remember, only God loves you more than your Dog.

“My Life, Uncut and Unedited”

The storm has passed and today the four baby birds in our birdhouse are rejoicing as they wait for momma bird to bring them breakfast in bed. Below their home the fragrant flowers are all standing at attention waving up to the big blue sky in all their glorious colors. Today is a great day; I will make sure it is.

There are so many clichés out in the written world, “life is like a box of chocolate”, “when at first you don’t succeed…”, only the good die young”, “when the world gives you lemons…” and so on. I used to think that life was what was given to you, that it just happened. I was wrong, very wrong.

My life was at one time so horrific with black clouds filling my every scene, I cried through the entire production when others were not looking at me on stage. I was a drifter in my own mind wondering from place to place looking for the escape hatch. I found it one day, it was labeled courage.

I embraced my new found courage and walked out of the scenes that had me in harms way, the fights, the anger, the hate. I looked at myself and realized I was all I had and I was going to make it to the big stage one day, people would know me, respect me, and love me.

I left behind every bit of despair and wondered through the streets not yet knowing where my next gig would be, when I might eat again, even where I might sleep. It didn’t matter as it once did, I had courage now and it was all I needed to keep me walking straight ahead and not looking back.

I did make it one day, many years and many struggles later. It was to say the least, glorious! I found my soul mate, I found my talent, and I found that God never forgot who I was and where I was, I was the one that needed the reminder. I did not belong where I once came from, it was a mistake of epic proportions and although I cannot erase the events completely from my memories, I know they are there only to remind me of how far I have come. I overcame hell on earth to be where I am today and I know now life is not just “what happens” it is all about what you make of it, today, tomorrow, and the day after. I control my life. I not only play the staring role, I am the writer, the director, and the producer of this original screen place called, “My Life, Uncut and Unedited” and as of today, my four dogs will tell you, I am wagging my tail to a happy beat day after day.

If you are not happy, make a change and get happy for we only have precious little time here on earth, make it worth the trip.

Dogs are nice and humans, well not so nice

I have determined once again that dogs rule superior than humans on the likeability scale of friends. I had what I thought was a friend, not a close one by any means, but a friend that hubby and I interacted with in a social club. This person wrote a few unkind, very unkind, things concerning me and then even had the audacity to proclaim that hubby has eared the right to “wings” for having to put up with me. Pure putrid cast upon me and my dignity, and yet I am still walking tall as I know who I am, and what I am, and it is not in the manner I was distastefully betrayed.

I am not flawless, never have I claimed to be, and for that matter I am usually pretty tough on myself, but yet this has once again validated my way of thinking…why do people find it necessary to be cruel and cause others to experience hurt; even going so far as to calling them unscrupulous? Is this done maybe just to turn the knife just a smidgen deeper as if to inflict the worst pain with words they can summon to vocalize? What kind of person can be this insensitive to another? A dog would never consider such actions, they just want to always make you feel good and be happy in their presence and treat you with decency, well as much as a dog can.

So please, if you are that unhappy with yourself, don’t use your own pain as encouragement to inflict heartless pain on others. If we all would look deep into our dogs eyes we would see there is not one ounce of hatred, cruelty, or revenge and then maybe we could someday be as noble as they are, and one day we humans can walk the planet together in peace with our own kind.

So as I hug tightly my husband and my four fur-children, I am securing the love of humanity within my own walls and pray someday others realize that their hateful, vile, horrid words do bite as hard as fangs.

Random thoughts

God closed a door on me

But opened a new window

I walk on up closer

And view through the pane

Of the glass upon my face.

I must not even think to complain

For He gave me this new view,

To look and see what I can see

And change that for which I can

I see so much before me

And the things that I must do

Come with me said my guide,

And keep an open heart and mind

 

To all my friends that need a helping hand and for all the love I have received from my human and animal friends God has bestowed upon me, the door never closes without another opening.

Who is the Dog?

The dog is compassionate, selfless and generous; an immense contributor in our lives. We as dog moms and dads seem to be of our own breed as well, we seem to have less hatred in our hearts and thoughts, we have a kind nature about us, we seem to smile more and can see the hurt in others. We offer encouragement to all that need it just as we are encouraged by our adored dogs to get up and exercise even when we’d rather lie on the couch.

Dogs don’t shrug off responsibility and they always have time for you; be it a big sloppy kiss to wipe away a tear while leaning in to offer their fluffy shoulder to cry on, they sit patiently and tilt their heads from side to side as we explain to them our problems of the day and they wag their tail as if to say,” no problem, I got it and we are all going to be just fine.” God gave to them such a massive heart to be our saving grace here on Earth; for with this heart, they continually sooth our worries from a infinite fountain of common wisdom somehow provided to them for such use with us humans.

Our dogs know us better than we know ourselves it seems, they watch us, worry about us, teach us, and always love us. They may not always show you all their secrets, but they most certainly know all yours. God bless the dogs and all they bring to enrich our lives.

The moving saga

Well it has been some since I have been able to post but I have made an effort to keep up with everyone’s blogs whenever possible.

We sold our “old” home and are set to move into the new one in two weeks! I am very excited and yet sad to be leaving a home that has been full of love and nurture for six years.

I have spent these last few, four maybe, picking out counter tops, paint colors, curio bathroom unit, kitchen cabinets, kitchen faucets, lighting fixtures (still have not found that foyer chandelier), new toilet seats, new towels for the now three bathrooms we have, and buying items such as a Shark floor cleaner and a Dyson vacuum to keep the new house clean.

The dogs have not had much of my time I must confess, the new fence at the new house does not go up until next week therefore they have had to stay at home during the day while I work, and then for a few extra hours in the evenings when I go to the new house and most of the day on the weekends. I miss spending down time and play time with them as much as they miss being with me. But in two weeks we will be all done with the renovations on our only eight year old home (LOL I had to change it to make it mine) and we will all be living and spending more time together.

One goal is to walk each night with the dogs, I most certainly need the exercise and they just love to walk with me and enjoy the new scents and surroundings of the outside. The other goal is to be sure as I finish, who am I kidding, to be sure when I pack I give much to Goodwill! Heaven knows I have not looked, nor missed, many items that are still in boxes from when we moved down here from RI in 2000.

Well, I must run to the new house and I promise to be back “full-time” in just a few shorts weeks.

As a side note, the picture on top is how I feel about all the packing I still have left to do!

Dear Dogs and Cats:

The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:
TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:


(1) They live here. You don't.

(2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'-niture.

(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.

(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they

(1) eat less,

(2) don't ask for money all the time,

(3) are easier to train,

(4) normally come when called,

(5) never ask to drive the car,

(6) don't hang out with drug-using people;

(7) don't smoke or drink,

(8) don't want to wear your clothes,

(9) don't have to buy the latest fashions,

(10) don't need a gazillion dollars for college and

(11) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children ..

If dogs were teachers...

...you would learn stuff like.....

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

When it's in your best interest, practice obedience.
Let others know when they've invaded your territory.

Take naps. Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout... run right back and make friends.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle gently.

And finally, never trust anyone until you sniff his butt.

Okay, this last one is a bit hard for me to follow, so I think I will alter it by looking into the person's eyes to see if there is kindness or something I don't like or trust.

Christmas Tree

It seems as if has been forever since I wrote here,okay it has been a whole week, but that is why I put the “Blogging without Obligation” on my site. I read a man’s blog that said something to the effect of “after reading so many peoples blogs that started out with, I am sorry I haven’t written in so long but…” he decided to create the blogging without obligation sign for us all to have, because blogging is not work and should be fun and we should not feel pressure to write each day. I have been keeping up with my reading of blogs, but have been getting up early with a nasty cold, getting the dogs outside, getting myself prepared for work, working OT all week, and getting to bed early trying to combat this cold I have so I not only did not have the energy to write, I didn’t have the time. Now as I sit here with time…I have no idea what to say…LOL.

Okay last week we decorated the outside of the house with Christmas lights and wreaths and garland on the porch and we put the Christmas tree up in the family room. All week I have turned the hundreds of tiny white lights on and that is all the tree currently has for decorations; again lack of energy and time to even think about decorating it. I am one of those extremely persnickety people when it comes to my Christmas tree. The tree itself has to be perfect, the lights must be perfectly placed to cover the entire tree, the ornaments must all be of the same color scheme, the placement of the bows-sometimes over fifty tiny red ones must be meticulously placed on the end of the branch, garland if used must be placed evenly spaced around the tree with each “dip” exactly the same size of the one before it, and I have to have my birds and branches as well. Okay so yes, I am a fanatic about it, and I love to see my finished product each year, so I really must take (make) the time to work on it this weekend as we are hosting a Chritmas party next Saturday night!

I have a party tonight and a party tomorrow and I am still fighting this cold that has it grasps on me (keeping the "Puffs" manufactures in business...their stock should be okay this week!) but I am determined to get the tree finished by Sunday night! As for the dogs, this week they chewed the stuffing out of a really nice throw pillow and when I walked in the door it was as if it had snowed in the living room…there was white “puff” everywhere. I was so exhausted from work and so sick with this cold I didn’t have the strength to question them on who did it. I just re-stuffed the pillow like the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz and placed in a safe place until I can sew the seam. So all in all not a bad week in the realm of life as a whole, so we continue on with today and see what magic the day holds.

Colored Leaves

Today is a glorious day! Brock woke me up at 5:30 this morning, that is one hour later than “normal” wake up time. I started the coffee and waited until three cups were brewed and took it outside with the dogs. By allowing only three of the twelve cups to brew before taking my java means my mug will be full of dark and incredibly strong caffeinated bliss.

The frost was upon the browning grass; as fall moves in each and every day now the once lush and green grass is turning more of a golden yellow with splashes of tan and brown.
As I gazed around outside this crisp morning, it was clearly evident that fall was ending its magnificent display of nature’s palate of what was one of the greatest color performances we have seen in the nine years we have been in SC. What once was spectacular color poking from every branch, on every tree, was now reduced to tan, brown and yellow speckled brittle leaves upon our lawn.

Watching the dogs this morning reminded me of when I was a small child, raking a pile of leaves (okay so my dad really raked them) and then running, jumping and sliding into the massive pile. Hubby had blown the leaves off the patio and from around the sunroom into just such a pile at the side of the house yesterday after work. The dogs ran right for it, no hesitation, as if they had been dreaming of doing it all night and were just waiting patiently for me to open the back door so they could jump in. They were running, barking, tails a wagging and having a splendid time without a care in the world.

I was almost tempted to join the joviality, but what with the frost on the ground, and the darkness still upon us in anticipation of the morning sunrise, and the fact that I still had yet to finish my first cup of Joe, I sat silently with a huge smile on my face watching the children folic in merriment knowing they would be a mess after play and I would be wiping and brushing their coats, but hey, kids will be kids, even mine, the ones that have four paws.

Cube

There are ice cubes, Rubik Cubes, DNA cubes, storage cubes, and I am sure many more that I just cannot think of at the moment, but for right now there is only one cube on my mind…my work cube. I have been here for just a few hours and how I feel as if the world has vanished; the green grass and the scent of the flowers and the colors of the leaves cannot be seen from this cube I am entrapped in, the bird’s songs are not heard, the wind is nowhere to be felt upon my face, the sun and clouds are no longer visible when I look up as the sky is completely missing, replaced by dingy fluorescent lighting. I miss the smell of the air when I take a deep breath, I miss the dogs frolicking in the yard while I sit and get pleasure from their fun as they go round and round, playing and jumping and then lapping at the water within the bowl tired from their romp and then finally they would lay upon the earth and rest with the butterflies fluttering by and the sun falling upon their fur coats. To be at home again with all the wonderers of nature and life with the dogs would be the ultimate life of luxury for this simple soul now banished to this cube for eight hours a day, five days a week, longing for the sun and the barking and just the experience of viewing natures wonders any time of day; any day of the week, day after day. The mortgage is due every month, the car needs gas, the groceries need to be purchased, and yet…those lazy days of bliss are what I miss.

Beyond the Concrete

Did you ever just sit outside and watch the clouds go by and then watch as the white puff slowly disappears and fades as a gentle breeze moves it along to intermingle with the blue sky? Did you ever watch a butterfly as it glides through the air fluttering from here to there displaying its magnificent wings of multi-color as if there is not a care in the world? How many times have you stood outside on a quiet morning and just listened to the songs and melody of the neighborhood birds as they make their morning flights to the feeders for breakfast? Have you ever seen a shooting star or looked up into the night sky and gazed at the full moon and saw all the dimensions it beholds, or a sunset over the ocean blue?

How often do we take the time to see what nature has in full miraculous display each and every day for us to behold? I have recently had some time off due to a back injury and have had the luxury to see and hear these truly amazing sights that nature prepares for us each day. As I head back into the full time work a day world tomorrow I hope that I remember the times I took those precious tranquil few minutes to enjoy the world around me, to see past all the concrete buildings, or the traffic on the highway with the loud radios blaring and horns honking, or the even the dishes piled in the sink after preparing dinner. Although these are a reality of our lives, they are man made, and can take a toll on us if we allow them to, that is why God created a world of pure pleasure filled with treasure abound from nature. Take time each day to see the world in it’s natural beauty beyond the concrete and human noise and watch a sunrise without worry of how soon you have to be at work, gaze at the hummingbird floating in the air retracting the sugar from the flowers, even just take a moment and embrace the feeling of your beloved pet sleeping soundly with his head upon your lap. Life is to be lived and enjoyed and each day we should put aside a small slice of our time and savor a little wonder of nature and serenity.

Chew Toy in Red

Well the time has come for me to return to work next week. I am happy that I still have a job to return to, but at the same time sad I will be gone all day away from my “babies”.
Since I have been home (5 months now) Otis has not gone to doggie day care, Marley has not been in his crate, and we have the newest edition Brock. They are all wonderful and for the most part behaved and well mannered, but when mom is away the children like to play. I am very apprehensive as one of my fur-children, Otis, suffers from separation anxiety, Marley was crate trained from the day we adopted him, and Brock I am not sure about as he has only been here about 9 weeks and I only crated him a few days.

When I am gone for appointments I have left the three of them to mind after themselves and have the run of the house. So far there has only been a minor thing when I have gotten home, but just like watching NASCAR run at Talladega, you are biting your nails waiting on the big one. We had one of those a few years back and I am not sure my husband could handle another one

A few years back (before Marley and Brock) we kept Otis in the garage while we were out of the house, and in the garage to keep him company was a radio, a fan to keep him cool and a bone and chew toy. What we never could have imagined happened one day when we left him there for only about an hour and went to the store. When I walked into the garage through the side door, the fan was still oscillating from side, Otis was there wagging his tail happy I was home.

But I felt something cold in my bones, I just stood there not really seeing or hearing what was happening; my brain just could not focus on what I was seeing. I felt as if I was in a dream and all was blurred and moving in slow motion. I saw snow floating in the air, snow??? It was May in SC, there is no snow in SC even in December. I went to Otis and saw he had some blood on his mouth, I was scared and for all the wrong reasons. I moved to the front of the garage where the door to the house is and there it was...the snow machine. My husband’s corvette was parked in the garage and was under a car cover for dust protection, trust me when I say dust was not the car’s immediate danger, Otis was. Otis must have been bored or having an anxiety attack and so he proceed to chew the fiberglass bumper of this beautiful car. The snow was what was left of the car cover.

It was then I jumped into protection mode of my own, protection of Otis from the car’s owner who was just turning the door knob of the side door into the garage. I instantly ran to the door and tried to lock it, but Lennie, confused, pushed harder and the door opened. I ran back to the front of the garage and hit the button on the wall that opens the bay door and yelled, “Run Otis run!!!” Otis did not hesitate; he ran across the street and sat on my neighbor’s front step just quivering. I tried to calm my husband, but we need to be real here how would you have reacted if your corvette had just become the largest chew toy?

Many years later, and a call to the insurance company, we now laugh of that day and Otis has been very happy in a cage free doggie daycare. But times are tough and the daycare is no longer an option due to the cost, so back to where I began, wondering when that “big one” will strike again and what will be the new chew toy of choice?