Spring Cleaning

 What puts you in the mood for spring?

 Is it seeing the first blossoms or butterflies?

 Finding bird nests?

 Do you love blue eggs?

 I'm not sure how it happened but I did housework yesterday.

 I cleaned, organized and decorated a little bit. I worked at it all day. When I quit I had accomplished a good bit and it felt wonderful. Hurry get the camera for proof before it gets messed up again,

 Finally getting the laundry/crafting room done. Now I have no excuse for not making anything.

 I haven't been sleeping well at night. After all this work I figured that I would really sleep well last night.

 Last night we had severe thunder and lightening storms. Ha ha very funny. Actually it is funny so why am I not laughing? Maybe because I am sleepy?

Roads

It seems to me that I don't do much anymore. I haven't taken my camera out for awhile even though the side of the house has been just full of double narcissus blooms and cilantro. I have so much cilantro this year because it never got cold. The second sprouting which usually gets killed by frost never got killed by frost. My inner rabbit comes out when I walk by and just pinch off a little sprig or two or three and just eat it.

I have been sick for a week. It amazes me how one week can feel like one month but it has only been a week. Last Saturday in the night I felt myself coming down with an ugly bug. I knew it was nothing to mess with. Monday morning at 8am I presented myself at my doctor's office as a walk in. Sometimes it is best to forget playing the game lest you find yourself going directly to hospital and not collecting $200. I don't have any "get out of jail free" cards.

One week later I have red hair because I was bored. It needs some streaks in it. I'll work on that.
My natural hair used to be an auburn light brown color. I have become so used to blond that I feel weird in any other color.

I am using a lot of words to talk about nothing.

If you are still here I am going to talk about what is really on my mind. I guess that is my way of getting the "small talk" out of the way.

I am at a place in my life where I need inspiration and motivation to engage in life again in some meaningful way. I used to blog everyday and now maybe once a month? I used to take pictures, garden, read, write, cook, create....and now?

Well really now I'd just as soon stay in bed. I'm not depressed either, just sick.
Lacking motivation is not depression it's just lacking motivation.

I'm at another crossroads in my life where I have to find something interesting to do.
I do enjoy this jewelry business. It really is fun. The best part is giving the hostess her total in free jewelry. What a company, no one gives like they do. I do enjoy this new business.  I guess I have always liked jewelry. Even as a poor younger woman I could find some money for a beautiful piece of silver. I have always loved bracelets.

 

Now I have gobs of them. I do take the price tags off before wearing them. Minnie Pearl was a one of a kind. I liked her hillbilly style. You do not have to be "cool" for me to like you. Nerds are welcome.

Back to interests. I still love to garden but my body does not. I have lost the bug war. Now in spring which by the way is here already; instead of pouring through the catalogs I imagine the late summer mangled mess of plants grown together sticky with disease and loaded with bugs. That kills any ideas of starting anything. I can't take the disappointment. Twelve years of battling with the bugs of the south and guess what? The bugs win. I can't bring myself to nuclear war. I don't want to win at any cost. Winning with generous quantities of sevin dust is losing the war in my book.
Besides I can't weed enough to justify doing much of anything.  Just like that it happens, the end of a way of life by rationalization.  The gardener is no more.

The children too have left the nest. I'd actually like to shrink the nest to keep the fledglings flying. We are at a point in life where it's nice for it to be just the 2 of us.
 

Plus dogs. Sammy will not be left out all 35 pounds of him, Lil Sampson.

I love the dogs. Roman is having all kinds of issues he has skin allergies and he chews himself into a MESS. It isn't food because I have tried all kinds of grain free diets and changed his proteins. He's just itchy and then he gets infected and GAH what a MESS!!!! We went to the vet AGAIN yesterday for his legs and really he is just pitiful.  I have a friend out in Colorado Springs that has 2 poodles. If she decides she wants him I'm going to let her have him. She has a good job and could keep up with the vet visits. I wonder too if he changes his climate if he will do better? Sampson is enough dog for me.
He is my baby, and his cuteness factor is off the Richter scale. It helps that he eats 2 cups of dog food a day. Going through 6 cups of dog food a day is just plain expensive.

The kids took the cats so if Roman goes west it  will be me and you and a dog named .....travelling and living off the land?

I want to find a beach town. I'd like to go back to Santa Cruz.
Really
I want to go back.
I shop on Zillow all the time.
We could get a mobile home.
Heck I'd sign up for HUD and wait for housing for the old folks.
I want to grow the plants that grow near the Pacific.
Lobelia and lots of it, Roses of Sharon, lillie's, roses, fuchsia's begonias.....
I can see them all scattered together in my mind...the blues, purples, pinks and varieties of green foliage.
Having a house doesn't matter to me so much anymore. We came out here to own a home and live cheap. We have owned a home. It's more like the home owns us.
I just don't need it anymore.
I really don't want it anymore.

California has been singing to me.
My husband isn't hearing it. He's happy I think.
I don't know how he can stand being away from his grand kids.

Now that is something we are both very good at.
We know how to be grandparents.

Saturdays in Santa Cruz the farmers market will be busy. The farmers market there is a sensory overload of beauty. Flowers, vegetables, fresh baked goods, wines, a plethora of gorgeousness to tantalize all ones senses. It's an experience.

I loved taking my granddaughters to the farmers market.
I'd like to take MM to the market. She is 5 years old now.
She is at just the right age to enjoy walking around and shopping, thinking about dinner and what would taste good.

I just realized how long this post is getting. I don't have any way of wrapping it up either. There is no wrap up. It's not settled.

I'm at another crossroads. Which way will WE go?

More Changes

Sweet Adeline is moving into a nursing home. It won't take her long to become a favorite resident she is so cute. It's been harder and harder for her to stand up. She has had so many guided falls to the ground that we all became worn out. I had been looking for a day to just sleep in and rest. Today I  slept in and didn't get dressed. I am doing laundry and washing all my bedding. One has to wash the entire bed more often if the dogs get to sleep on it.

Speaking of dogs Roman is barking his fool head off right now. Sammy---aka Lil Sampson is one adorable affectionate little fella. He was the fortunate recipient of a dental with his neutering. His teeth look gorgeous his bad breath is gone, he is a normal weight now and is the happiest dog ever. He literally hops around like a little black lamb and you can see his joy. He has to sleep plastered to my side. Sometimes I think we are going to both fall off the bed from his scooting closer all night. Sometimes I wake up on the edge and move him back towards the middle. Heaven help me if there is an inch of air space between us. He is adorable and I totally love him.

My camera cord is lost. I took some pictures and can't find the cord anywhere.

The kids moved out. They have the cats. We have the dogs. Hopefully all our utility bills will decrease.

I'm trying to follow the intermittent fasting plan. My BFF is doing it and she is over the moon loving it. Angie does it and has lost do much weight and kept it off. My hours are 1pm to 6pm. Beside the weight loss it is very beneficial for inflammation and injury. Your body can utilize the fasting hours for repair and regeneration. I'm game to try it.

I know I'm  way behind for the second installment of Genesis. I'll do it soon. I have been so busy doing I'm not sure what. I hope that being home will get me blogging in a routine.

I'm not sure how long it's going to take to clean up the house and get the weeds pulled.
Wish I had some goats to eat them all.

I'm going out of the country the end of March for a little more than a week.  God willing and the creek don't rise.
I'm going to go read what's going on with you.

Wednesday What?

Where did the week go? The kids moved out yesterday, surprise. We didn't know she was moving out until she started packing. She said she's be ou be the 15th of Feb and it's still January. That's ok any time was fine.

 I'm back to living with my husband which in the past 25 years has been very rare. I think we had a few years when we first moved to MS and left the gorgeous beaches of Santa Cruz California. Then some of the kids followed us out here. Some left and more came, and those left again, and I wonder why I get easily confused? Nah, I KNOW my family tree is full of nuts. Nuts that had little acorns or something like that.

This morning the neighborhood kids were ringing the bell looking for the kids to catch the bus. It was 6:30 am. The dogs went berserk. Barking echoed in the hallway at ear piercing decibels. I knew I would not be going back to sleep. Up to stumble for the coffee pot. Let the dogs out and speak a word to the cats, who are wondering what happened to their cozy digs.  The kids will be back for the cats soon. They are cat people. The cats are not dog cats, the cats like hanging out with the kids and no dogs allowed. Cat's are like that.

My family will be my two dogs and my husband, what a deal.

You should see my kitchen cabinets. I unloaded a whole truck load of stuff. A set of dishes and extra pots and pans etc...etc...etc... and you know what? I spread out what was left and had just the right amount. Do you accumulate stuff you don't need? I just about stocked her kitchen with everything she'll need as far as dishes and cookware. I didn't have a set of silverware but that's because I gave her that in Santa Cruz and her ex's rotten sister never shipped it. Jennifer gave her all her stuff and asked her to ship a few boxes which she couldn't be bothered to do. Oh well, some people have no conscience.

The apartment is nice. They have 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and after living in one bedroom with one bathroom it must feel like a palace! They have a fireplace which will be really nice in the winter. Brief as our winter is. Our winter is California perfect weather. This time of year makes me want to pack up and go back like no other time of year. I am so hot natured that I can sweat in 57 degrees. Can you imagine how miserable I get when it's 97degrees? I'm not even talking about humidity. The nice thing about humidity is it moisturizes your skin and keeps you looking young. What am I talking about?

Am I rambling or what?

Well, what are you still doing here? What did you expect when the dawgs were barking to beat the band at 6 in the morning? Did you think there would be substance and wit? Are you serious?
My brain hasn't even entered my body yet.

I need more coffee.
You have a cup too and we will both wake up.

Wednesdays Word- The Beginning

Do you plan your posts?  Last night after fever, chills, aches and a night of misery, I do not have any photos or wit to share. This morning after reading your blogs a theme emerged. People are struggling. They are struggling with emotions like depression, temper, doubt, and confusion. People are asking themselves if what they do is valuable to others, are they in the right place? How do we know?

I can only concur and say ditto, me too. My comfort is that I don't stay there. I don't live in that mire.
I was rescued by a man. A man who exchanged my life for his life. He took away my heart of stone and gave me a heart of flesh. He provided me with a sound mind and sent confusion and fear packing.
He washed me clean. He healed my heart, restored my soul, and gave me eyes to see. I was once living in the dark. I am now walking in the light.

Without him nothing works. We are tossed about, unstable, unsure, doubting, feeling fear. Not knowing the truth but seeking for it. Having a semblance of spirituality that is elusive and changing, unsteady like shifting shadows.

God calls us to the deep. Deep what? What does deep mean? Does it mean some kind of Harri Krishna meditations chanting ommmmmmmmmm?   What is deep?

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was GOD.
HE was in the beginning with God.
ALL things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John 1: 1-5 NASB

Who is the Word? Jesus the Christ. Jesus has always been just as the Father and the Holy Spirit have always been. They are outside of time. Time was created for man back in the beginning.

I started teaching from Genesis in my women's group. I thought I knew this story until I began to study it. Just the first two verses became two lessons. Learning what words mean in Hebrew unpacks a whole nutha level of understanding.....deep calls to deep.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. God here is Elohim a plural noun. Elohim is the name of strong power, and created is bara meaning to call forth from nothing.

Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Ps 119:18

Verse 2 of Genesis.
And the earth was without form, and void; darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters...
read John one again,

Now here is where the story gets very interesting.  In 1814 a man named Thomas Chalmers noticed the phrase, "without form and void."  without form is the Hebrew word   tohu, meaning a ruin or vacancy; void is the Hebrew word bohu, meaning emptiness.

He contemplated a verse from Isaiah: For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he has established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else. Isaiah 45:18.

Big deal what does this mean? What if you think the theory of evolution is science and don't believe in creation? Every one knows the earth is millions of years old right?

In this verse where God says he did not create the world in vain it is the same word, tohu
God did not create chaos but a cosmos. Everything we study in science is orderly. The earth is exactly so far from the sun, it's rotation an exact speed. Just a small deviation from these specific requirements for life would bring total destruction.

What this verse in Isaiah tells us is that the earth BECAME tohu va bohu something catastrophic happened between verse 1 and verse 2 of Genesis.  This is called the gap theory. Some great catastrophe occurred leaving the earth in this state of darkness. The word darkness here chosek suggests black holes masses so large light cannot escape.
"I saw Satan falling like lightening from heaven." Luke 10:18 Lucifer the chief angel whose very being was music rebelled and took one third of the angels with him.

What the Hebrew words suggest is that an epic battle, a great war of spiritual beings happened.  How much time passed between the verses? Maybe millions of years? Maybe enough to say to those who study the earth that we agree that the earth is very old. That yes some epic disaster occurred and it fits right in with the word of God.

So what? Why does this matter? It matters because from the very beginning God is providing revelation. We can skim the surface or dig deeper. The deeper we dig the more we marvel at the mind of God knowing we barely understand. We also can realize something here from what is not said. God could have revealed to us exactly how the world was made. He could have provided every detail but he did not. What is important to God he repeats. In the first chapter of Genesis we see the unity, the personality and power of God from the very first verse.

What God does reveal to us is our origin, created in his image. This is what he elaborates on and the story of us is amazing.

Would you like to hear more? My close friend thought I should have two blogs. She advised me that I would lose my friends if I write these things. Will you leave or will you consider? Have you ever heard this before? Does it interest you? What if I write about my studies once a week?

I am finding that as I study this it calls to me. I want to know more. I think about these things meditate on things. As I do this something in me is changing. The cup looks half full instead of half empty. My home fills me with gratitude instead of wanting. My spirit is resting in a calm place. Instead of looking at others to find fault my heart warms to them. I see them as one to love.
The word of God does not return void. In the place of my darkness and chaos God can speak peace washing me with the water of his word. Any words of His have the power to transform. They all create peace. We were not created for chaos. We were created to experience relationship.
What a mystery. I remember to this day when this miracle unfolded in my understanding.
I wept and listened to Judy Collins singing Amazing Grace over and over for a long time.
I basked in the flood of clean peace and I marveled at the why of it all. Why would God do this? Why would he care? Why would he make any of this in the first place?
I felt it in my beginning. The love of God and his peace. What about you where do you stand?

The Best of Intentions

I was going to begin a sewing project today, post something profoundly witty and fun, and maybe pull a few weeds.
It's not happening. NADA.
We are having a very spring like winter. My daffodils and narcissus are BLOOMING. It is still January and they are quite early.

All my plans are set aside because I think I may have  acquired a bug. Not a visible bug that I could squish, don't I wish. One of those nasties that make you feel not quite right in one minute and just plain awful the next. I have a stomach ache, a bit of nausea and a whole lot of hurting. My husband had something that included belching from his toenails.

Sometimes I feel sweaty and then chilled. I hope it's not the flu. I also hope it's 24 hours and done because my stomach hurting causes me to regress. Even at my age I can want my mama. Mama knew how to comfort so well that just her hug would make it all better.

My friend sent me to a blog today. It's the blog of a young woman with her new baby exploring the joys of her first newborn. She is blessed not to have to drop him off at a day care, she gets to be his mother. Go visit her she is special and lovely. She has always been brilliant. Her artwork from her youth is on my wall. http://whatcolorislove.wordpress.com/

Simply stated and perhaps a beginning for discussion, I believe the women's movement of the 70's ripped women off. The workplace is not all the glamor it was touted up to be. Leaving babies and children in others care is nerve wracking. I know some women love to work, but there are women who would love to be home. They don't really now how. The children they gave birth too and sent to day care may or may not have manners, may or may not be obedient, and the question is; do you like them?  Once you are working and have bills how do you go home? Is it cost effective to live on one income? A working executive who crunched numbers all day began to suspect that it could be and she wrote a book about her journey back to the keeper of her hearth.  She was so successful she began helping others and she has a website. http://www.miserlymoms.com/default.htm

We all love our children. I remember reading a book as a very young and very scared new mother. One of the tips was to change the newborn before feeding for a couple of reasons, to really get them awake so they would feed well; and to begin the process of teaching a moment of delayed gratification. The point was? To set a goal to raise children you like to be around. I remembered that.

Women don't have to feel like keeping a home is not a good use of their time. It takes a lot of work.
Keeping a home includes being the artist of that home setting the mood, creating a sanctuary for the people who live there. The weaving of a family, the rearing of young people shaping them training them to become the leaders of tomorrow. Being there when they have a stomach ache so that way down the road in life, even when they themselves are grandmothers; a stomach ache is a deep reminder of the soul of what a mothers comfort felt like. It affirms everything I believe and all that I have done.

ALL IS CALM

 For the first time since my accident my home is in order. Every room is clean, and all the purging finished. If I wanted to get really OCD I could start straightening out cupboards and organizing drawers but let's just hold that thought.  The laundry room has become a useful place. It's no longer heaps of junk. I took the last load to Goodwill today.

 Even my desk. I took this because it is pile and junk free for a brief moment of time. It catches everything that people don't know where to put so this is a rare minute. The photo will commemorate that this is a possibility, my desk can be organized.

 I know you've seen this a lot but I am still so excited about my gorgeous couch. As if that wasn't enough I picked up those pillows also from Goodwill for $2 each. The end table on the right is my new find from the curb. It's amazing what people set out for the garbage man. I confess to being a curb cruiser. I'm not quite a dumpster diver but I suppose if it came to it.....

 It's pretty cute little table don't you think? Nothing wrong with it at all.

We took the houseplants outside and let the rain wash them and really soak them. I've had houseplants since high school. I don't know if they are in style or out; I just always have a small jungle somewhere in the house. I like it. My daughter says my inner hippie will not die.

On one of Janie's posts she was writing about 25 things she knows for sure. I am not sure if I know 25 things but a few things I am sure of.

#1. I am THE most gullible smart stupid woman in the world.
proof is: yesterday my hubbins told me it was a holiday because of Robert E. Lee's birthday. I nodded uh OK, works for me. I didn't look at the calendar or watch TV. I didn't have any reason to doubt him.
HE said it perfectly matter of fact, no grin nothing.

#2. I might have started a racial war inadvertently because I asked if "Yankee's" had the same holiday. My BFF called me in hysterics and called me an idiot and told me to delete it in a hurry that it was Martin Luther Kings official national holiday. I jumped up like I had red ants on me.

#3. Whoops. I had commented on someones blog. GAH a very smart writer. I read that blog but don't comment much because that person is smarter and wittier than I am. SO I FINALLY have got something to say; YEP whaddaya think about Robert E Lee day? Where is hole to hide my head?

#4. I am positive that I have hoof in mouth disease and I have a raging case of of oral athletes foot.
Does Tinactin make toothpaste?

#5. There is a silver lining in every cloud however; because my dog's infestation is only dandruff, not walking dandruff.

#6. Walking dandruff is a nice way to say that your critter has an infestation of lice and you have just lost all your friends and relatives.

#7. Next year there will be absolutely no comments regarding any events or person who lived during the Civil War. The only Civil War that may be occurring may be between me and my man that can pull such fast ones on me. He has not pulled a fast one on me in a long time. I'll hear about this for the next 25 years because he will weave it into a nice long story that everyone I have ever known simply must hear. ROTFLMAO--maybe he will choke.

#8. I am sure that in the 25 years I have been married to him that if nothing else I have provided our family with a whole deluge of dumb blond jokes. They now have new material.

That's it. the eight things I know. Both of my dogs had bathes today. I washed all my linen and Roman's dog bed cover. I spent all my money at the vet. I am grateful that he couldn't find the dog lice. I am still looking at those flakes though. Worst case of dandruff I have ever seen.

Roman is on Prozac until Sammy gets neutered because I cannot abide his perverted behavior. I cannot convince Sammy to put his tail down and quit wiggling his cute little butt; so Roman gets to be on drugs. He is very relaxed tonight. That poor dog has been so miserable itching he is entitled to a few drugs.  I'll take some myself. All is calm tonight. I haven't shot the dog. I didn't start WWIII and there was no race riot. My husband is still breathing and his daughter hasn't laughed that good for a long time.

It was a very very good day.

Beauty and the Beasts

An Undiscovered ARTIST

Are you amazed by the incredible abilities of some people to express beauty?

Linda Lime in the Coconut has an eye for beauty. Linda couldn't you be Bobbi's PR person? If your impressed a blog post by you just might take her into a whole new horizon. Just sayin--no pressure.  She has to get discovered her work just blows me away!

When I took Kayla to interview for the art department at Bellhaven we must have talked with the chairman for almost 3 hours! Kayla wasn't connecting with him, I did. He was trying to convince me to enroll at the college and learn to draw and paint. I wish I had the money. I do not have $17,000 a year to go back to school. I need to go back to school to work on my writing I have become sloppy.

I was flattered though. He saw in me the mind and heart of an artist. He said that he could teach anyone to draw and paint but he cannot teach an artist how to see or think. It was a very interesting day.

My friend Bobbi went through midlife trauma when her marriage fell apart. Instead of becoming a drunk or getting bitter she went to art college. She has not been doing this her whole life but she is brilliant already. Her daughter is the subject of the painting of the lovely young blond asleep on the couch. Mothers never lose that pleasure of watching their children sleep. I laugh when I watch my daughter sleep because she snores, it runs in the family. I do too.

Bobbi has always made everything beautiful, her home, her food, her garden. She has such a flair for living and I have always enjoyed my visits with her. She raised her children well an awesome mom. I have two watercolors that her daughter painted when she was 14 years old that I just love. They are so whimsical and fun. Funny what things survive time and stay in my hands, those pictures are just priceless to me. I should get copies made and send them to Bobbi. You know should-bees are like wanta-bees and oughta-bees; they don't give any honey. Maybe someday I'll get that done.

Since I'm talking about interesting artistic people....check out this lady.
Janie Fox Talks Sometimes when I read a bog I like that person immediately. I get that "ooooh you are so my cup of tea," feeling. I'm actually not a very good blogger in terms of acquiring a huge following or reading a ton of blogs and new blogs. I just can't do it! I'd be reading 24 hours a day.
I like to actually read and savor posts, I don't skim them. I also like to make a "real" comment not just a little generic statement. UNLESS you knock my socks off and I'm speechless. IT CAN HAPPEN!  Sometimes the only response is a one word response you know? Hum I mean in a good way. I t could be a bad way but not blogging, save that for driving around idiots.

Lets see who else? This isn't what I planned to do but the post can have a life of it's own right? I think my animals have bugs as in "walking dandruff "as in big mess. We are going to the vet tomorrow KA CHING and it will be huge because two cats and two dogs with the same thing has got to be expensive. Then we will do the house work the laundry work and probably set off flea bombs or call and exterminator to spray inside and out. KA CHING. The really bad news is that it will all go on my VISA because there is no income for this. That's what I was going to blog about. About how changing your financial status can really upset the apple cart of your life. Marriage is strained actually really really strained. I could be a big girl and re home the animals but I don't WANT to. SPOILED BRAT.  I love them. i could give away the cats. I keep hoping that Kayla will come back. Puffins is her baby. I am already crazy about Sammy. I'm thinking he is a labradoodle. His face has a lot of lab in it. Every day he looks better and feels better. He is so happy. He wakes up and does a little happy dance that looks like a lamb leaping, ADORABLE! Roman is serious natured. Poor Roman has been having issues with his skin for months and months. Shoot fire the dang abandoned cat has always had this prolific case of dandruff. The initiator of the problem. Could it be that is why his owner left him behind when he moved away? I have never heard of this "walking dandruff" a yukky mite.
Tomorrow after I go to the vet I'll fill you in with all the gory details.

Today I'm staying in bed. Today I am having a pain day off. My body is exhausted and it hurts. It hurts enough to feel in my sleep so that I can't really get to sleep. I have the dogs in the yard.
We are all home resting because it's  a holiday. Our state celebrates this day as a shared holiday of Martin Luther King and Robert E Lee. I'm not a racist and Robert E Lee wasn't either. Actually the Civil War was initially more about the North wanting to tax the South's cotton industry than slavery.
Robert E Lee was a fine man and Martin Luther King was a fine man, they are both in heaven together where there is neither slave nor free but Christ in all.


I have rambled on long enough. Check out Bobbi and leave her a comment. Maybe you all can help her be discovered. She needs to be in some classy galleries in San Francisco and New York. Her work is incredible.
Enjoy Janie she is fun.
Pray for Heather There and Back Again as her family and her dogs return to the US from the middle east and a huge amount of tension there. Pray they all leave safely.

Pray for Lauren Mental Pause Mama as she faces breast cancer, with an amazing attitude. She just ran a half marathon to raise money for the Lymphoma Leukemia Society. She raised over $7000, and she new about her diagnosis when she ran. That news was one of those speechless moments.

Pray for me because I need it. I just do.
I'm going to read blogs now.

Random Thoughts and Pics

I just want to write this morning. My head is full of thoughts and not to many are cohesive. Imagine that?  To write or not to write that is the question. Whether it is nobler to write some colossal missive or a bunch of random ideas is yet to be determined!

What is it about the new year that makes us set goals and re examine ourselves? Hopefully in this techie super fast age some of that is still occurring. Can you multitask and introspect? I think not but then I'm not to hot on multi tasking anymore. Don't get me wrong I can do it! I have been the queen of multitask especially in nursing. When I stopped working full time I began to realize just how stressful multi tasking is. How quickly that lesson was forgotten in the multi tasking of two dawgs!

Sammy ( he really isn't all nose it's kind of a strange angle)

Roman (he really is a patchwork of colors and not a black dog. Who take da dawg wid da skinny legs ?) 

Sporting the new hip clip.

this is fun?

dog bonding?

Good night nurse. I don't know about you but I can really get lost in some idiotic fantasies. In my mind I saw Roman and Sammy posed together on the big dog bed. Cuddling up or running laps AROUND the garden beds. Guess what? I don't have to say a word do I? Yes, it's arghhhhhhah argggggghh wrastle nip squeal hump holler, and um the race for the bed is my bed and my room smells like DAAAWWWG.
Someone is having to do a lot more laundry and have the Fabreeze can handy.
However I can't say I'm sorry I got Sammy. The lesson in this dog scenario is that if I would have waited on God's perfect timing He would have given me my hearts desire. Waiting is not my forte so I pushed and purchased the beast. He is a good dog just a very large and very strong dog. My sister in law told me to get  a spiked choke chain and that would stop him from yanking me across the street on his whims. My stomach churned at the thought. I do have a real fear of having Roman injuring me. Maybe I do need to try one. I think they are gross. If you are not Ceaser the dog whisperer with the calm and assertive attitude; just how do you control a powerful dog?

Attitudes. Truth be told my attitude sucks. I hate getting out of bed in the morning. I am cranky when I wake up. If the kitchen is a mess it puts me in a foul mood. If the dawgs start their arghhhh arghh arghhh mouthing and wrastling before I get that first cup of coffee that makes me want to shoot them.
What a nasty person.  No one has ever accused me of being nice in the morning hence my goal to talk to my family like they are friends. My house being in perfect order can't be more important than the people who live in it. That is true but why is it I am so much nicer when it looks like this?

ah love it clean. Notice the absence of that big painting?

I love Christmas but I also love to put it all away!!

I have a new window thanks to a boys dart game.

Than this?

my laundry room mess

Yesterday Jennifer choked on a big horse capsule. It scared her to death. She came at me nakkid as a jay bird in a panic. I tried a few back blows but it didn't help so I just had her bend over and talked calmly to her reassuring her that she was breathing and encouraging her to cough. I sugested she see if she dislodge it with her finger and she did move it some and then she was able to cough it up. In my mind I was thinking about how far away the phone was to call 911. I was also wondering if she did pass out if I would be able to get a huge soft jell that was wedged in her throat out of her throat. That was all on the inside on the outside I was the manifestation of calm reassurance. I am a good nurse. When she did cough/barf it out we realized she was also having an allergic reaction to it! That poor  49 year old child's face was swollen, her capillaries broken and her throat was swelling internally. Benadryl to the rescue and cold compresses. I wanted her to stay home and recover but she went to work. I did have to take her more benadryl at work later that evening. That was a lot of excitement to begin the day. You just never know. I was so grateful for all those years of CPR training.

On Sunday we started in Genesis with my ladies Sunday school class. The modern term is life group.
I always think that the term life group needs the definition of Sunday school. Do people really know what life group is?

I am really excited about the study. I am learning so much that I just might write about some of it here, on my blog for you. There is nothing like starting at the beginning, especially if you haven't ever studied the story before or have just had a bit of religion crammed down your throat.
It's still the greatest story ever told.

I'm going to take Sammy to the vet tomorrow to check him out for all this panting that he does, and as I am typing this he is lying here next to me a damp dog from playing in the rain, breathing completely normally. This is a first. Maybe I just need to relax and give this dog time to recover.
He is really doing well from his little nose to his wiggly butt. He does wiggle his butt and he is so cute. Jennifer even has a hard time making him mind because he is so cute. He has got to be a puppy. They keep telling me they think he's about 1 1/2 or 2 but he acts like a puppy. Now that he doesn't stink he even has a bit of a puppy smell. I do hope he is FULL GROWN!!! Roman's jealous.

Sammy can walk right through our cast iron fencing. He was outside this morning playing in the rain. He loves water. It has been raining for days and we haven't been able to walk so I guess he had a ball. King Roman is sprawled across the bed sideways looking elegant. There is barely any room for me. I'll take that as a cue to quit rambling and start the day.
Your still here? Why bless you! Have any kind of day you want to have.

PICTURES

 My friend took these out in the yard. I didn't realize my spare tire showed that bad. I also didn't know I was having a bad hair day.

 BUT these are so you can see the dogs.

 How big they are

 and somebodys cute tail  that wasn't docked.

 ah ain't he a wittle cutie?

 look whose jealous. Pick me up too!

 In your dreams big guy.

I'm on a diet a lifestyle change.  It about goals and reaching them right?

Sammy's Saga

What a difference a day makes. A couple of things have happened that are very encouraging. Sammy's poop firmed up for one. I think he really did have some kind of oral infection because the smell is greatly reduced AND I bought some of that enzyme spray that is advertised on TV for dogs.
Guess what?
It works. Really the dogs teeth are quickly cleaning up. Romans are looking good too. What a great product! It's so nice not to turn my head and gag when this little fella puffs in my face.
I decided that after a total free for all of round the clock eating and some pretty rapid weight gain we could try meals. Today we served 3 bowls of Wilderness Duck to skinny Sammy. Roman eats better being offered meals. He tends to graze or eat late at night. He's so much like me that it's weird.

Now if we can just complete the house training.....

And if he'll slow down this rapid respiratory rate.  I did get him tested and he is heart worm NEGATIVE! yeah!!!! Maybe his metabolism is going fast with all this eating.

His ribs are filling in. He and Roman are walking nicely together. Romanwill  still try the assault and hump routine but less. I wish Sammy would just lay down and roll over! They are nuzzling a little bit. THAT is encouraging. I'm hoping that they will bond better once Sammy is neutered. I think he must be a goldendoodle or labradoodle. His coat is so soft and I love his tail.

My friend said that in the previous post I implied that Sammy won't look at me. He does and he is very sweet. He won't hold still long enough to get a good picture!

Roman is the majestic one, he poses for the camera. It's so funny Roman sees where Sammy has peed or pooped on the laundry room floor and he just looks at me. I can practically read his mind and he is saying, "Really? You brought home this little pig that is eating us out of house and home AND he does this mess IN the house? He sure is getting away with bloody murder".
Then I explain to Roman that Sammy has had a tough time and he will figure it out. I ask Roman to teach him how to open the door and encourage him to go outside. I explain to Roman that if he will quit tackling Sammy like a professional linebacker that he will have a lot more fun outside and that will help too.

This is the state of my mind after the first week of my first dog rescue. I have big conversations with poodles.  I have bent over so many times to clean up poop and pee that my back is just wrecked.
The poop factory is on overtime.  If I didn't go clean up everyday my entire neighborhood would reek. There would be a small mountain of dog crap in the yard. I would have nightmares of poop poltergists. Instead of the muddy cemetary it would be dog poop and we would be having to run for our lives. Of course in the nightmare the little stinky dog would be panting happily after us pooping all the way.

I know you don't believe me so I may take pictures.
You know I might be losing it if you come here and see pictures of piles.
It's possible.
I might end up in the Guiness book of world records.

It figures that my claim to fame would involve poop. It just figures.

Starting Something Sammy

Can you believe this dog? Isn't he gorgeous? He has no hair because of skin itching. No fleas, eating Wellness so I'm puzzled....ragweed? We changed his diet anyway to Wilderness Blue which has no grain and I bought the duck since he hasn't eaten that before. He was eating the salmon which I thought would fix his skin. As gorgeous as he is he has dry flaky itchy skin. He is really beginning to come into his won now. SMART!!!! He is a lot of dog enough dog for anyone don't you think? I mean if you had this much dog would you get ANOTHER one?

Now this? I'm not sure yet if this is smart. Actually I am sure it wasn't smart it was soft. Soft in the head and well yeah soft in the heart. Meet Sammy. You know Roman looks us in the eye doing this so you can sort of gauge his size.

Sammy and Roman still getting used to each other. Sammy is a rescue. I have never rescued an animal before unless the squirrel counts. Do rodents count?

The cute fur is hiding a rack of bones although this fella has done nothing but eat drink pee and poop. He has filled out a lot in the last 3 days. I have to clean up poop at least 10 times a day because he goes so MUCH and so OFTEN. I am letting him eat all he wants. The first time he ate here he gorged himself until I thought he was going to choke and puke. PITIFUL!
 I wish I knew more about dogs. I got him from my vet. He was abandoned there in terrible shape. Almost starved to death. My groomer told me about him and I went over there took one look and put him in the truck,

 of course we were in love by the time we got home.

It only takes a few minutes to love a dog. That is if your a person and not 70 pounds of possessive male poodle= Roman. Sammy isn't neutered yet. The vet thinks he is about a year and a half old. He looks like a puppy until you look at his teeth and smell his GAH awful breath. I actually have an appointment next week at the vet to make sure he isn't sick. He looks good, his fur is pretty but his breath reeks so bad and all this pee and poop have got me WORRYINGwondering. LIKE I said I have never rescued a dog before much less a starved one so I don't know about this. His breath smells like ammonia at times.  We already went back for a gooey eye, it was an ulcer so he is getting drops 3 times a day, wormed for good measure and a round of antibiotics just because it makes me feel better. I guess. Kathy Dee where are you? I just want to rule out diabetes. However I suppose if you had lost so much weight that you got into your muscle mass that also could make  ketosis type of oder. He acts alright. He acts happy. Each day he has more energy. It was 2 days before he barked. All he did was eat and sleep and want attention. He has been at the vet for over a month, he was too nervous there to  gain weight but he did gain a little. His hips were about 4 inches across and nothing but bones and skin. His teeth are gross. I got some of that enzyme spray but when he gets neutered hopefully he can have a dental too. KA CHING KA CHING KA CHING. Look at me spending like I've got it.
Don't you wish sometimes that animals could tell us their stories?

Maybe tomorrow I can get him to look at me for more than a few seconds.

We are walking all together because Ceaser says that makes you a pack.

Roman is humping and I am really trying to get him to quit. Today was our best day. I got a retractable leash and that makes Roman calm and he listens better.

Sammy is leash trained. Seeing the shape this little guy was in I'm going to get them both micro chipped as soon as I can afford it!

First things first.

Oh I almost forgot the best part. He isn't potty trained to go outside ALL the time.

I have never seen so much pee in one place on the floor. I wish I could measure this. It's a LOT.The good news is he is smart. I take him out every 2 hours to pee and poop. That's a lot of poop like I told you!

I am not exaggerating either. So we are working on learning to potty outside all the time.

Dumb me I sold my crate. I'm trying to find a used one. Cheap.

That would help I'm sure.

I'm busy and TIRED.

So busy I forgot to say Happy New Year!

Did you make any resolutions?

My new years resolutions this year are as follows.

Be nice pretend my family are friends and talk nicely to them.

Walk the dogs every day.

Pick up the poop every day.

Avoid any more cute dogs that need homes like the plague.

Eat less, drink more ----yeah right but I mean water.

Remember I have a blog and write on it.

Remember to publish comments.

Remember to remember.

I also have some goals and one is to reduce:

 medications

weight

complaining

worry

TV

consuming

and

waste.

I'll let you know in February if I am getting anywhere.

OK if you are knowledgeable about dogs in this condition I hereby forthwith invite you to wax eloquent in the comment section. Enlighten me puhleeze!