Part Of The Family

This little dog is part of our family. She is two years old and that is how long she has been with us.

She is a Papillon. And she is smarter than I am. I have to go to work; she gets to stay home.

There is evidence that a dog lives here in every room in the house except where we sleep. She sleeps in her large soft crate at night. She has a few toys, but I have seen dogs with a basket full of toys. Some small dogs bark incessantly, but she only barks occasionally when she hears a strange noise.

This good natured dog brings joy and fun into our home and we are so happy to share our life with her. Her name is Bree.

Good Morning, Darlin'

As we start our 18th month together, it's so nice to feel this close, and know your love.

We started one day at a time, moved in together almost a year ago, and just like I wrote in the original message you replied to... they add up.

Here's to a great day, with peace and music and long smoldering glances across the room... or even closer.

Remembered And Still Not Repaired

She walked with her head down, inspecting the patches of dried grass and brown cracked earth, avoiding the stickers and broken glass. Since the only shoes she owned were school shoes, she was bare feet and stubbed toes.

She had been sent on the usual errand to the country store for a loaf of bread. She had been told to bring back the change but she had not been told how much change to expect. Rural living meant great distances to walk and the store was a small farmers market frequented by the local residents in the low income area.

Her mind was not on the errand. Tomorrow would be her ninth birthday and a friend from school was coming home from school with her and spending the night. This would be the first time someone spent the night.

She was hoping her father would not drink too much and fight with her mother in front of her friend. What actually happened was more devastating than another family brawl.
The accident scarred the little friend for life, her face so damaged it could not be repaired. There were many things that could not be repaired and there were no more childhood friends.

To Be Continued in a Future Post.

Happy Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day grew out of a German superstition
that if a hibernating animal casts a shadow February 2
winter will last another six weeks.
If no shadow is seen, legend says spring will be early.

From Our World:

"Top 10* Reasons to Celebrate Groundhog Day

11. It's on nearly every calendar.
10. Helps relieve cabin fever.
9. Spring or not, it's six weeks till St Urho's Day.
8. Forecast is no less reliable than the National Weather Service.
7. At least one of them critters is bound to see things your way.
6. Valentine's Day is too depressing for romantically challenged people like me.
5. Unlike the Easter bunny, he keeps his dirty paws outside.
4. As they used to say on radio: "The Shadow knows".
3. It's fun to say "Punxsutawney".
2. If a rodent can bring us an early spring, more power to him.
1. In Minnesota, either way we come out ahead.

* I had some math training at a Big Ten conference school, which explains why there are eleven reasons in the list."

Two Medical Tests At The Same Time

STARE INTO THE CAT'S EYES

FOR 10 SECONDS.....then scroll down.....




now stare at the puppies...











NOW SCROLL DOWN









THANK YOU.....

YOUR CAT SCAN

and Lab Tests

are now

COMPLETE

My sweet boyfriend makes all our bread. I found this poem about bread and want to post this as a tribute to him and thank him for his tireless devotion to making several loaves of bread each week with so much love.

We have two bread machines and sometimes they are making two different types of bread. Our little funky house is filled with the aroma of bread and peace and love.

Found at Rumionfire:

"What does the wheat know of the bread
For the bread is far ahead.
It once was wheat and then flour,
The rising dough but for an hour,
Baked by the heat of the fire
Purged its dross, ascended higher;
Now the bread knows its fate
To be consumed not too late.

If the bread, wheat inspire
The wheat will stay in its quagmire.
For the bread is far ahead
What does the wheat know of the bread?"

� Shahriar Shahriari
Vancouver, Canada
June 11, 1997

Kindness

Dave at Energy Healing had a great post and photo the other day:

"Kindness knows not

Age

Kindness knows not

Race

Kindness knows not

Gender

Kindness Just

Knows"

I have been thinking about kindness lately and his post says it so well.
The photo says so much, the gentle gesture.

Kindness is so much more than just being amiable or pleasant. Kindness is
reaching out freely with no reluctance, thinking of the other person and not
expecting anything in return.

There have been times in my life that someone reached out to me in kindness and had no idea how low I was at the time. I think that I have done the same thing for other people once in awhile.

"That best portion of a good man's life,
His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love."

~ William Wordsworth (1770 - 1850)

Ya Gotta Do What Ya Gotta Do

We did our part, with the pet anyway.

Dancing Around The World

Attitude

There once was a woman who woke up one morning,
Looked in the mirror,
And noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today?"
So she did
And
She
Had
A
Wonderful
Day.

The next day she woke up,
Looked in the mirror
And saw that she had only two hairs on her head.

"H-M-M," she said,
"I think I'll part my hair down the middle today?"
So she did
And
She
Had
A
Grand
Day.

The next day she woke up,
Looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.

"Well," she said,
"today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail."
So she did
And
She
Had
A
Fun,
Fun
Day.

The next day she woke up,
Looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.

"YEA!" she exclaimed,
"I don't have to fix my hair today!"

Attitude is everything.

Be kinder than necessary,
For everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Live simply,

Love generously,

Care deeply,

Speak kindly.......

Flip Flops Updated

One of my blog friends, Pass Green Gas, also writes in the blog The Alternative Consumer, and has a post about flip flops made from tires, hemp, and bicycle parts:

"Flip flop in eco-style with Splaff Flopps. The founding fathers are 2 surfer boys who are committed to the Earth, ocean and their customers.

Cliff Drill and Craig Wallace are hands-on…they collect, sort, cut and clean the recycled raw materials themselves. With a layer of hemp fabric to provide extra comfort; these babies are hand-crafted in California, and built to last. The black, recycled rubber foot-bed is waterproof, slip resistant, and odorless.
3 styles in black and natural; for men & women $38-$42
Perfect with all your casual wear.
Link to Splaff to order, allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. And be a big hit in your Flopps. "

New Bra

When I saw this photo the first thing I thought was that I would love a bra like this. I have never had a really sexy bra, but this would do it.

Good Ideas For Losing Weight

Good information from Prevention.com:

"Weigh yourself 1 time per day
Why It Works
Weekly weigh-ins are a staple of many popular diet programs, but studies now show that daily weighing is the key to lasting loss. When researchers at the University of Minnesota monitored the scale habits of 1,800 dieting adults, they found that those who stepped on every day lost an average of 12 pounds over 2 years (weekly scale watchers lost only 6) and were less likely to regain lost weight. The reason: “The more often you monitor your results, the quicker you can catch the behavioral slip that causes weight gain.”

Watch no more than 2 hours of TV a day
Why It Works
TV junkies miss out on calorie-burning activities like backyard tag with the kids; instead, they become sitting ducks for junk-food ads. One recent study found that adults who watch more than 2 hours of TV per day take in 7% more calories and consume more sugary snacks than those who watch less than an hour a day.
Contact a friend 3 times per week
Why It Works
“Long-term weight loss requires support,” says Marion Franz, RD, a nutrition consultant in Minneapolis. Her study review found that people who met regularly with a dietitian or attended groups like Weight Watchers were more likely to maintain their losses than those who didn’t."

There are no New Year resolutions, but there is more burning of calories on the Tony Little Gazelle thingy and a conscious effort to eat less. One of the added benefits of living with someone is I have a built-in exercise and walking partner. Well, besides the dog, who wants to go wherever we go.

It's Time To Take Down The Tree

It is with mixed emotions that we remove the decorations and lights and pack things carefully so they can be used next year.

I have really enjoyed the tree this year.

Our holiday was better than last year. It was peaceful. We had some time off work and some time together. The only presents that were under the tree were a couple presents for sweet boyfriend's daughter and grandson and granddaughter who joined us for Christmas dinner.

Life is good. All our needs are met. So the simple joy of decorating the tree together and now dismantling the tree is another tradition forming more memories.

Oh No, Mama Makes A Mistake

This
Is
So
SAD

Doggie Diet Pills

My sweet boyfriend forwarded an interesting article to me about the government approving diet pills for overweight dogs and I started writing about this when I found a great post on Doggie musing and animalosities about the same thing that Carina found at BBC News. Good post, Carina, thanks for letting me use it.

And from Give Us A Home:

"An overweight dog is nearly always the fault of the owner, except in certain circumstances, when the dog has a medical condition. One such condition is called hypothyroidism, which is caused by an under active thyroid and is usually more common in an older dog. Some of the symptom to look for are:
- Poor coat and skin conditions
- Increase in appetite
- Thirst
- Muscle pain
- Stiff joints and limbs
- Becoming slightly lame
If you notice any of these symptoms take him to the vet as this problem can be easily treated

· Arthritis, heart problems and respiratory problems are a major concern in overweight dogs, they sleep more and are less resistant to infection and their life expectancy will be shorter

· To check that your dog is not overweight:
- Check that his ribs are not visually noticeable but are easily felt
- Feel the dog's hips, more than a light fleshiness indicates that your dog is overweight
- Check that your dog has a trim abdomen"

We have a two year old Papillon. A few months ago she was eating so little that she was losing weight. Being so small, a few ounces made a difference. There had been no changes in her diet, just the amount she would eat. My sweet boyfriend crunched the dry food and mixed with a little wet food and the dog immediately ate it, so that is the way we feed her twice a day. We have reached the place now to cut back a little on the amount and keep her at the desired weight.

Worthy: Another Blog Gem

I found this great post at InMyOwnWords and she found it at The Fast Lane. Go check out these blogs, you will find something that is informative and uplifting.

"Belief. Belief in yourself, believing that you’re worthy, believing that you have what it will take, knowing, believing, that you will do or be whatever it might take. When you have that level of belief, of conviction, you will open yourself and your world to the power of the universe. What you want will become. Belief will connect you.

Without belief, without conviction, you will observe life as if from the outside of a glass wall, looking in. Life will pass you by; the things you want to be, have, and do will float on the other side of the glass, out of reach, just ethereal fantasies to taunt you.

Until you believe. Then you know that there is no glass wall. The glass wall was within you, holding you back from having, being, doing.

Believe! It is magic, and with it, anything is possible."

I really like the way this was written; it spoke to me as soon as I read it. I observed life from the outside most of my life even as I blundered through mistakes and downpours of squandered energy. This is one of the blog gems I will save.

It has taken many years, but I finally know I deserve love and respect and peace and I am so blessed to have exactly that in my life at last. Every day is so important, every encounter is for a reason, every thought goes out into the universe and adds to the glorious mix. I finally feel part of the mix. No more holding back. Big sigh.

SeaBiscuit

The book "Seabiscuit, An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand is so well written I felt like a participant, a spectator of the events of that time, instead of someone picking up a book every evening to continue the read. If someone had told me that a book could be so well written that I would feel like I was inside the "mind" of a horse, even a spectacular racing horse like the Biscuit, I would have shrugged it off. But that is what is felt like as I flipped the pages, devouring every word and emotion. I have never been to a horse race. I did not read the comments on Amazon.com until I finished reading the book. It took me longer to read this book because it is so dense. It isn't just about a few races; it is a powerful all encompassing true description of the events and challenges of many people involved in the racing world in the 1930's and 1940's, including the famous race horse with the knobby knees.

Have To 'Fess UP

Sweet boyfriend and I bought each other a set of pots and pans. Might not sound romantic but it was the one thing we both wanted. We share the chores and the cooking so the pans are important to both of us.

I stacked the pans on top of the stove for a couple days, to remind me to make room in the cupboard for them, and it was fun to just walk by and admire them and smile at how nice it will be to use them.

So last night we used the griddle for the grilled tuna/cheese sandwiches and we used the small pot for soup. I volunteered to open the can of soup and pour into the pan and heat. Every once in awhile I walked by and gave the soup a stir. Then I tasted it and it was still cold.

Sweet boyfriend suggested that it might get warm by the time the sandwiches were done if I would turn on the burner under the soup. Good idea. Makes sense to me now. I was so tired from a week of overtime at work that I forgot to turn on the stove.

A true story. A blond story.

New Year Resolutions

As a younger woman, I would make New Year's resolutions and then attempt to keep them. Each year my list would dwindle and get simpler but no matter how I tried, the enthusiasm and resolve would disappear in a few months.

Now I am older, and supposedly wiser, I do not make a list of resolutions. I don't set myself up for another uncomfortable failure. If I truly am concerned about losing weight or getting more exercise, I will do it. If I want to stay in closer contact with my friends, I will do it. If I want to start writing, I will find the time to do it. My life is satisfying, genuine, reputable and uncomplicated.

Like the Fonz looking in the mirror and seeing perfection, I look at my life and decide to leave it as it is.

"Hope smiles on the threshold of the year to come, whispering that it will be happier." ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson