Saturday, August 10, 2013
A Quiet Morning
How very quiet the world seems this morning! When I took Mr. Morgan out, I realized that a gentle rain must have occurred during the night. It may not have been gentle at all--I have been known to sleep through monstrous thunderstorms! But everything outside looked bathed in much-needed moisture. Even Mr. Morgan noticed and was hesitant to venture forth! Usually, there is quite a chatter going on amongst the birds--but not today. Perhaps the whole busy world was just sleeping-in. After all it IS Saturday! As I came back up to the porch, I pulled a few stray weeds that had sprung up right in front of the steps. Why can't my flowers grow for me like all my weeds do? I think that for every weed I pull--5 more replace it! But this morning even the weeds look content and quiet! A nice and quiet restful morning! UMMMM!!! I dot not need to go ANYWHERE and although there are many, many things that I need to get done, I am simply enjoying the quietness and peacefulness surrounding me. I DO wonder where all the birds are though! Sometimes they can be really LOUD! I DID see a squirrel running across the backyard and was hoping you-know-who would NOT see it. He must not have because as soon as he was finished with his 'business', he quickly ran back to the porch! The August sun is creeping higher in the sky and will soon make being outside almost unbearable. How grateful I am for air conditioners! I am such a baby! We never had an air conditioner when I was growing up! I cannot even imagine what that would be like now! I do remember my sister and I taking 'turns' fanning each other at night! Hmmm! Precious memories-- oh how they linger! Well, the time has come for me to start tackling that wonderful, ever- growing list called the 'To-Do' list! I wonder how many items I can get crossed off today!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Another Indiana Day
Here I am back in Indiana! It looks cold and windy outside. It was So windy Sunday that almost all of the beautiful leaves on the huge oak tree in the back yard were blown off. Sheri and Nathan came down for Bobbie's funeral--I cannot believe I am saying that--I and everyone else are just in shock--SHE CAN'T HAVE DIED! Sheri told me that she was going to stay a week with me and then she wanted me to go home with her--so I said okay. But then Nathan could not get an airline ticket for less than $300 .....SO.....we all loaded up and came to Indiana the next day! The tote bags I had carried to Bobbie's- I just piled into their car. Even a Vera Bradley tote full of my vitamins--THAT should present quite a predicament at the airport going home! They just better not throw out my 4ozbottle of Emu Oil that Bobbie and I found while reading the Market Bulletin one day! "hey, listen to this," Bobbie said, "Emu Oil--helps all kinds of arthritis pain--AND they live right here in Conyers," "Well give me the number and I'll call and find out about it!" I said. And, you know what we found out--it Really DOES work! Well, I'm sure Sheri and Nathan will figure something out. I seem to be getting stronger-not as shaky as I was when I first got here. Baby Grayson is helping a lot. He is making me smile and laugh! Today reminds me of the time that Bobbie and I came to visit Sheri. It was windy and rainy--a curled-up- with- a- book kind of day. Sheri and Nathan were working and we slept late. We were all cozy in our pj's and were playing Word With Friends on ONE iPad-passing it back and forth, when Sheri called and said, "Hi Mom, Stacy and I are on our way home!" YIKES!!!Bobbie and I jumped up from there-slung on some clothes-raked thru our hair-slapped on some makeup and just barely made it down the stairs when the girls came in! We probably looked like the Cheshire Cat smiling when we noticed that Sheri was NOT smiling. Disappointedly she asked "Mom, did you NOT make the spaghetti?" Bobbie and I looked blankly at each other asking "We're we SUPPOSED to make spaghetti ?" My gracious Indiana daughter smoothed it all over by reassuring us it was okay- she had some frozen food she could fix for her and Stacy. Of course, that was AFTER she told us she had asked BOTH of us if we would make some spaghetti for lunch and pointed out the noodles and sauce she had left ON THE COUNTER! Oh well, I probably don't need to tell you that we have never lived that down!! It rained on and off the entire week. Sheri thought that while we were there we could build a pergola!?!?!? Now, Bobbie said that I was the one who said "Sure we can", but what I remember was HER saying "Sure we can". Regardless of WHO said it--there we were trying to figure out HOW to do it! It rained SO much that all we were able to get done was to dig the 4 holes and set the posts before we had to fly home! There was a wonderful ending though. Nathan's dad sent one of his workers to help Nathan finish it and it turned out beautiful! PLUS, we discovered a very easy to use and unique hole digger--one you twist instead of jab! I will tell you though that when Nathan brought it out, Bobbie and I BOTH said, "No, we need a HOLE DIGGER--you know, it has two handles" BOY WERE WE IN FOR A SURPRISE! This hole digger has 1 vertical handle and 1 horizontal handle which you twist round and round! We could not believe how easy it was to dig those 4 holes! After we got home Bobbie got on the Internet, found them and ordered 2--one for her and one for me! I am trying very hard to keep my mind on all the fun things we did together. At the visitation, I met a man who said to me,"She always made a point to speak to me at church"--always had a smile for him, always made him feel important. WOW, how I wish that could be said about me--that I always made other people feel important! On Sunday night Sammy and I were staying at the hospital with Bobbie. She kept trying to get out of bed. She wanted to go home. She was scared. She was talking to Sammy about WHY she had to stay in bed and I heard her say "Hold Me". Then I saw Sammy reach down and pull her up to him and he just held her. I will always TREASURE that memory-it was so precious! Later as she was getting weaker and weaker, I witnessed another precious moment. I saw Kim take Kristi's hand and they leaned over close to Bobbie and said, "Mama, if JESUS is calling you, it is okay if you go--we will be okay." Not long after that she left this world. We all were with her--her husband, her children, her grandchildren, along with me, some of my children and others. I have a question for each of you who are reading this--if you slipped and fell going to get a pack of crackers like Bobbie did--if you met with death today--WOULD YOU HEAR JESUS CALLING YOU--or would you go out into eternity separated from God FOREVER? I urge each of you to really think this out NOW. Bobbie used to tell me "Connie, we have NO guarantee of tomorrow!" When the time comes for me -- I KNOW that I will hear my JESUS calling me and I will go to Him for all eternity-- for I belong to HIM! AND-- I will see my precious sister and we will sing in that Heavenly choir! There are many things about God and the Bible and Life that I DO NOT KNOW NOR UNDERSTAND-- but one thing I do know-- MY REDEEMER LIVES--JESUS CHRIST IS REAL--and when He calls me, I will go to Him. As I stood at Bobbie's bedside and watched as my dearest earthly friend , my wonderful buddy, the last thread of my immediate family left this world, I still stood in AWE of the God of this universe.
"When I consider Thy Heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained, what is man that Thou are mindful of him?...." Psalm 8:3-4. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Here I am back in Indiana! It looks cold and windy outside. It was So windy Sunday that almost all of the beautiful leaves on the huge oak tree in the back yard were blown off. Sheri and Nathan came down for Bobbie's funeral--I cannot believe I am saying that--I and everyone else are just in shock--SHE CAN'T HAVE DIED! Sheri told me that she was going to stay a week with me and then she wanted me to go home with her--so I said okay. But then Nathan could not get an airline ticket for less than $300 .....SO.....we all loaded up and came to Indiana the next day! The tote bags I had carried to Bobbie's- I just piled into their car. Even a Vera Bradley tote full of my vitamins--THAT should present quite a predicament at the airport going home! They just better not throw out my 4ozbottle of Emu Oil that Bobbie and I found while reading the Market Bulletin one day! "hey, listen to this," Bobbie said, "Emu Oil--helps all kinds of arthritis pain--AND they live right here in Conyers," "Well give me the number and I'll call and find out about it!" I said. And, you know what we found out--it Really DOES work! Well, I'm sure Sheri and Nathan will figure something out. I seem to be getting stronger-not as shaky as I was when I first got here. Baby Grayson is helping a lot. He is making me smile and laugh! Today reminds me of the time that Bobbie and I came to visit Sheri. It was windy and rainy--a curled-up- with- a- book kind of day. Sheri and Nathan were working and we slept late. We were all cozy in our pj's and were playing Word With Friends on ONE iPad-passing it back and forth, when Sheri called and said, "Hi Mom, Stacy and I are on our way home!" YIKES!!!Bobbie and I jumped up from there-slung on some clothes-raked thru our hair-slapped on some makeup and just barely made it down the stairs when the girls came in! We probably looked like the Cheshire Cat smiling when we noticed that Sheri was NOT smiling. Disappointedly she asked "Mom, did you NOT make the spaghetti?" Bobbie and I looked blankly at each other asking "We're we SUPPOSED to make spaghetti ?" My gracious Indiana daughter smoothed it all over by reassuring us it was okay- she had some frozen food she could fix for her and Stacy. Of course, that was AFTER she told us she had asked BOTH of us if we would make some spaghetti for lunch and pointed out the noodles and sauce she had left ON THE COUNTER! Oh well, I probably don't need to tell you that we have never lived that down!! It rained on and off the entire week. Sheri thought that while we were there we could build a pergola!?!?!? Now, Bobbie said that I was the one who said "Sure we can", but what I remember was HER saying "Sure we can". Regardless of WHO said it--there we were trying to figure out HOW to do it! It rained SO much that all we were able to get done was to dig the 4 holes and set the posts before we had to fly home! There was a wonderful ending though. Nathan's dad sent one of his workers to help Nathan finish it and it turned out beautiful! PLUS, we discovered a very easy to use and unique hole digger--one you twist instead of jab! I will tell you though that when Nathan brought it out, Bobbie and I BOTH said, "No, we need a HOLE DIGGER--you know, it has two handles" BOY WERE WE IN FOR A SURPRISE! This hole digger has 1 vertical handle and 1 horizontal handle which you twist round and round! We could not believe how easy it was to dig those 4 holes! After we got home Bobbie got on the Internet, found them and ordered 2--one for her and one for me! I am trying very hard to keep my mind on all the fun things we did together. At the visitation, I met a man who said to me,"She always made a point to speak to me at church"--always had a smile for him, always made him feel important. WOW, how I wish that could be said about me--that I always made other people feel important! On Sunday night Sammy and I were staying at the hospital with Bobbie. She kept trying to get out of bed. She wanted to go home. She was scared. She was talking to Sammy about WHY she had to stay in bed and I heard her say "Hold Me". Then I saw Sammy reach down and pull her up to him and he just held her. I will always TREASURE that memory-it was so precious! Later as she was getting weaker and weaker, I witnessed another precious moment. I saw Kim take Kristi's hand and they leaned over close to Bobbie and said, "Mama, if JESUS is calling you, it is okay if you go--we will be okay." Not long after that she left this world. We all were with her--her husband, her children, her grandchildren, along with me, some of my children and others. I have a question for each of you who are reading this--if you slipped and fell going to get a pack of crackers like Bobbie did--if you met with death today--WOULD YOU HEAR JESUS CALLING YOU--or would you go out into eternity separated from God FOREVER? I urge each of you to really think this out NOW. Bobbie used to tell me "Connie, we have NO guarantee of tomorrow!" When the time comes for me -- I KNOW that I will hear my JESUS calling me and I will go to Him for all eternity-- for I belong to HIM! AND-- I will see my precious sister and we will sing in that Heavenly choir! There are many things about God and the Bible and Life that I DO NOT KNOW NOR UNDERSTAND-- but one thing I do know-- MY REDEEMER LIVES--JESUS CHRIST IS REAL--and when He calls me, I will go to Him. As I stood at Bobbie's bedside and watched as my dearest earthly friend , my wonderful buddy, the last thread of my immediate family left this world, I still stood in AWE of the God of this universe.
"When I consider Thy Heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained, what is man that Thou are mindful of him?...." Psalm 8:3-4. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
PAY ATTENTION!!!!
Well I am sitting in Newton County Hospital where my sister just had surgery for a broken hip. She came through surgery fine but her oxygen level dropped after the surgery and she spiked a fever--102.7 in fact! After a CT scan, it was determined that she has pneumonia in BOTH lungs. She is now on a ventilator. To say it has been a frightening experience is putting it mildly. All she wanted was a pack of peanut butter malt crackers from the QT gas station! I guess we just never know what may happen in a day! So what is it I need to pay attention to?
For one--there are a whole lot of people who are worse off than we are! Since being here 2 people have died with one of those being a 48 year old woman who had spinal meningitis. Her family had to make the difficult decision to unplug the life support system. Today, while sitting with my sister a nurse came in and asked the nurse who is taking care her "where are the bags?" to which our nurse asked "the body ones?". Then she told her where they were. Now, I am sitting there thinking--"bags? Body ones? Ummmm....body bags...another death?" I just kept my mouth shut where normally, I would have had several questions about THAT conversation. I need to pay attention to the fact that my sister just has a ventilator and be GRATEFUL for that. Then another night a very young and healthy looking man come in after some kind of 'altercation ' with a very beat up body--while down in the ER about 5 police cars with blue lights flooding the entire area were hanging out!! I need to pay attention to the fact that I am not dealing with THAT situation...I need to pay attention to all the ways that God shows himself faithful to us. He has provided a very nice room for our family to stay in while waiting to see my sister. It even has its own private bathroom. Several of the chairs in here let out into a bed-- THANK YOU FATHER FOR YOUR PROVISIONS!! This morning as I was reading in My Utmost For His Highest, I read this: " We are apt to think that everything that happens is to be turned into useful teaching, it is to be turned into something better than teaching, viz. , into character...meant to make us something."
My character...hymmmm...Lord Jesus, help me to respond to things that happen in my life as you would have me to.
For one--there are a whole lot of people who are worse off than we are! Since being here 2 people have died with one of those being a 48 year old woman who had spinal meningitis. Her family had to make the difficult decision to unplug the life support system. Today, while sitting with my sister a nurse came in and asked the nurse who is taking care her "where are the bags?" to which our nurse asked "the body ones?". Then she told her where they were. Now, I am sitting there thinking--"bags? Body ones? Ummmm....body bags...another death?" I just kept my mouth shut where normally, I would have had several questions about THAT conversation. I need to pay attention to the fact that my sister just has a ventilator and be GRATEFUL for that. Then another night a very young and healthy looking man come in after some kind of 'altercation ' with a very beat up body--while down in the ER about 5 police cars with blue lights flooding the entire area were hanging out!! I need to pay attention to the fact that I am not dealing with THAT situation...I need to pay attention to all the ways that God shows himself faithful to us. He has provided a very nice room for our family to stay in while waiting to see my sister. It even has its own private bathroom. Several of the chairs in here let out into a bed-- THANK YOU FATHER FOR YOUR PROVISIONS!! This morning as I was reading in My Utmost For His Highest, I read this: " We are apt to think that everything that happens is to be turned into useful teaching, it is to be turned into something better than teaching, viz. , into character...meant to make us something."
My character...hymmmm...Lord Jesus, help me to respond to things that happen in my life as you would have me to.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Changes!
Lately, I've been thinking about LIFE. I have decided that LIFE is just plain hard WORK! I thought that it was hard work when I had 2 babies who were 14 months apart. Back then, I just KNEW that I would never see the outside of a diaper pail. Just in case anyone reading this doesn't know what a diaper pail is--it's what you put your soiled cloth diapers in until you could get them washed!! FUN, FUN! Then, I thought it was hard work when I had a newborn after 8 years with 3 children. Folks, it is not easy either way--FAR apart or CLOSE together! I remember my pediatrician telling me after that 4th baby, "Oh well, you already know all that about babies." To which I replied, "No, No, I do not remember it--keep talking!"
Then, as I looked at each of those children and realized how enormously different they are, I wondered how anyone can know all there is to know about children. I had to PRAY a LOT. Two more children and then the 3 older ones turned into TEENAGERS!! Talk about CHANGE--hmmm! I just thought that I had PRAYED a LOT! Oh my goodness!! A whole different way of life started coming at a very fast pace. It was a full time job just keeping food cooked. I don't know what happened but food just seemed to disappear! Wow! That brings us up to now. That "sweet baby girl" as her dad always called her, turned 20 this year. No more teenagers. College classes, books and clothes everywhere, everyone going and coming and coming and going. Sometimes I get so light headed I have to sit down! And those PRAYERS--this morning as I was talking to God, I told Him, "LORD, there is SO MUCH to PRAY about!". There are SO many CHANGES in life. That is true for me and true for you. I was praying for a pastor friend and his wife who live in England , when the thought came through my mind, that no matter where you live or what kind of accent you have, or what kind of language you speak, you still have to WORK HARD. Even if you are fortunate enough to be a wealthy millionaire that never has to go to a job, you still have a house to keep, clothes to wash, yards to clean, etc,etc. Now, perhaps you are thinking that millionaires can hire all that done--TRUE. However, I have found that making sure everyone does their jobs is a HUGE headache!
Okay, I think you get the point--Life Is Always Changing and It Is Always Hard Work!!!
So, what can we do about it? In Mark Bryan's book:
The Artist's Way At Work, he said, "We believe in making small lasting changes in the lives we have right now." He suggests looking at the life you now inhabit and making small, concrete changes. Changes that might be actions or acquisitions. He quoted Leo Tolstoy who said, "True life is lived when tiny changes occur." In his life, he stopped yearning for time he did not have and began using what time he did have.
For example: 3 ten-minute reading breaks and a 20 minute walk at lunch. Hmmm! That is definitely doable!!! He also said that although we may not be able to make LARGE changes in our life--"we can certainly make small changes that bring us a sense of comfort and optimism". And over time, little changes can make a BIG difference. He then gives us a challenge: List 3 small changes that you can make in these areas: 1. Your Work Space
2. Your Car
3. Your Wardrobe
4. Your Reading List or Entertainment
5. Your exercise habits
6. Your eating habits
7. Your spiritual maintenance
8. Your kitchen
9. Your bedroom
10. Your living room
Definitely something to give some thought too..........
Then, as I looked at each of those children and realized how enormously different they are, I wondered how anyone can know all there is to know about children. I had to PRAY a LOT. Two more children and then the 3 older ones turned into TEENAGERS!! Talk about CHANGE--hmmm! I just thought that I had PRAYED a LOT! Oh my goodness!! A whole different way of life started coming at a very fast pace. It was a full time job just keeping food cooked. I don't know what happened but food just seemed to disappear! Wow! That brings us up to now. That "sweet baby girl" as her dad always called her, turned 20 this year. No more teenagers. College classes, books and clothes everywhere, everyone going and coming and coming and going. Sometimes I get so light headed I have to sit down! And those PRAYERS--this morning as I was talking to God, I told Him, "LORD, there is SO MUCH to PRAY about!". There are SO many CHANGES in life. That is true for me and true for you. I was praying for a pastor friend and his wife who live in England , when the thought came through my mind, that no matter where you live or what kind of accent you have, or what kind of language you speak, you still have to WORK HARD. Even if you are fortunate enough to be a wealthy millionaire that never has to go to a job, you still have a house to keep, clothes to wash, yards to clean, etc,etc. Now, perhaps you are thinking that millionaires can hire all that done--TRUE. However, I have found that making sure everyone does their jobs is a HUGE headache!
Okay, I think you get the point--Life Is Always Changing and It Is Always Hard Work!!!
So, what can we do about it? In Mark Bryan's book:
The Artist's Way At Work, he said, "We believe in making small lasting changes in the lives we have right now." He suggests looking at the life you now inhabit and making small, concrete changes. Changes that might be actions or acquisitions. He quoted Leo Tolstoy who said, "True life is lived when tiny changes occur." In his life, he stopped yearning for time he did not have and began using what time he did have.
For example: 3 ten-minute reading breaks and a 20 minute walk at lunch. Hmmm! That is definitely doable!!! He also said that although we may not be able to make LARGE changes in our life--"we can certainly make small changes that bring us a sense of comfort and optimism". And over time, little changes can make a BIG difference. He then gives us a challenge: List 3 small changes that you can make in these areas: 1. Your Work Space
2. Your Car
3. Your Wardrobe
4. Your Reading List or Entertainment
5. Your exercise habits
6. Your eating habits
7. Your spiritual maintenance
8. Your kitchen
9. Your bedroom
10. Your living room
Definitely something to give some thought too..........
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Where Do I Begin?????????????
I really do not think that I had the 'flu'. I think that I had the 'Super Flu'. I would get better then get sick again. I could not get well. Not one of my family had any sympathy for me either. All that my children could say was: " Mom, you have GOT to get out of that chair!!!" or "You would NEVER let US sit in a chair like that!!!" or "Mom, GET up and move around! You are NEVER going to get well just sitting there!!"
What could the matter have been with them? I mean, couldn't they SEE that I was NOT well at all??? I must tell you this story. Please bear with me, I will get back to that last train of thought. One night as I was reclining--in the recliner (the Chair)--I heard a dog barking--pitifully--down near my chicken pen. I immediately thought , " Oh, no! Those neighbors of ours--they have gotten another dog!!!" Rain was coming down in torrents. It had been raining off and on all day. I almost got up to see if I could see this barking dog. Alas, I did not have the energy to even get up--or so I thought!! Well, that youngest son of mine came in and took a shower and then came in the den and said, " Mom, are you lonesome?" That should have been clue #1!!! I told him I didn't have time to even figure OUT if I was lonesome or not. But then he said, " Well, I think you are. And, I think what you need is a dog!!" I assured him that I most certainly DID NOT need a DOG! That was clue #2!!! Poor Eddie had not been in the ground barely three days!! He then told me that a stray dog had been hanging around his friend's house and he(the friend) was going to take him to the pound the next day, so he brought him home ..........I don't know WHERE the energy came from, but I shot up out of that chair like I had never been sick!!! Hmmm! I proceeded to inform my son that I WOULD BE TAKING THE DOG TO THE POUND MYSELF TOMORROW!! And to think, I thought it was my neighbor's dog!
Of course, he HAD to tell me that he had never had a dog that was just HIS!! The gardener in me wanted to say " SO WHAT!!" . But the momma in me just melted. You KNOW that our son promised to buy all the food and feed him and take complete care of him (all I could say was, " Yeah, I have heard THAT before!" ). My husband refused to talk about it at all until the morning! Then, when he saw the dog, HIS heart melted. The dog looked exactly like Eddie except that he is black and Eddie was yellow. We are now the proud owners of 2 LARGE dogs--AGAIN! All my beautiful baby irises are trampled. Those 'prize' rosebushes--he chewed 2 of them down to the ground--thorns and all!!!!!! The water hose--chewed in half! My flower pots that I had on the porches--dragged all over the yard and chewed up! And just when I thought things couldn't get any worse.....Well, first let me get back to the 'Super Flu'. I could not get well and you can see no one was helping me here on the homefront. So, I asked my husband would he PLEASE take me to my sister's house and he did. I told my children that I was going to my sister's and was NOT coming home until I was well!!!! I stayed there for a week and not one person told me to get up out of 'the chair'. I started feeling stronger. Then one day my Indiana daughter called me and told me they were coming home soon for a whole week! Yay! That made me feel better too. And what she said next made me feel wonderful. She asked me to make a list of some things that I would like to have done around the house. She said they were going to help me do some of them. WOW! I have six children and that was a VERY unusual thing for one of them to say! That should have been clue #1 again!!! The second call from her came the day before I came home. This call started with--" Mom, we were wondering if you could do us a favor...." (or something along those lines). When I got off of the phone, my sister asked me what the call was about. All I could manage to say was " you don't want to know" ! So, back to me thinking that things could not get any worse...I was 'asked' if I could keep Morgan (the beautiful little black, curly haired Schnoodle from Christmas) for a month... Okay, a month I can handle or so I thought. That should have been clue #2 again.... My sister came by while they were home and I said,
" And here's the new member of our family!" Now, I was just kidding and then she told me that she had known about it because that youngest daughter of mine had posted on Facebook the SHE was getting a new puppy!!! W-E-L-L -----------------
I did say that I LOVED learning NEW things, didn't I? At the moment I am learning how to let a dog train his owner!! I am learning how to give a dog a bath so that he will not smell like a dog! And I am trying to learn how to not cringe when a puppy licks and licks you!! I am learning that dogs LOVE pig ears!
Life seems to be full of surprises doesn't it? An INSIDE dog----Who'd thought it????????????????
What could the matter have been with them? I mean, couldn't they SEE that I was NOT well at all??? I must tell you this story. Please bear with me, I will get back to that last train of thought. One night as I was reclining--in the recliner (the Chair)--I heard a dog barking--pitifully--down near my chicken pen. I immediately thought , " Oh, no! Those neighbors of ours--they have gotten another dog!!!" Rain was coming down in torrents. It had been raining off and on all day. I almost got up to see if I could see this barking dog. Alas, I did not have the energy to even get up--or so I thought!! Well, that youngest son of mine came in and took a shower and then came in the den and said, " Mom, are you lonesome?" That should have been clue #1!!! I told him I didn't have time to even figure OUT if I was lonesome or not. But then he said, " Well, I think you are. And, I think what you need is a dog!!" I assured him that I most certainly DID NOT need a DOG! That was clue #2!!! Poor Eddie had not been in the ground barely three days!! He then told me that a stray dog had been hanging around his friend's house and he(the friend) was going to take him to the pound the next day, so he brought him home ..........I don't know WHERE the energy came from, but I shot up out of that chair like I had never been sick!!! Hmmm! I proceeded to inform my son that I WOULD BE TAKING THE DOG TO THE POUND MYSELF TOMORROW!! And to think, I thought it was my neighbor's dog!
Of course, he HAD to tell me that he had never had a dog that was just HIS!! The gardener in me wanted to say " SO WHAT!!" . But the momma in me just melted. You KNOW that our son promised to buy all the food and feed him and take complete care of him (all I could say was, " Yeah, I have heard THAT before!" ). My husband refused to talk about it at all until the morning! Then, when he saw the dog, HIS heart melted. The dog looked exactly like Eddie except that he is black and Eddie was yellow. We are now the proud owners of 2 LARGE dogs--AGAIN! All my beautiful baby irises are trampled. Those 'prize' rosebushes--he chewed 2 of them down to the ground--thorns and all!!!!!! The water hose--chewed in half! My flower pots that I had on the porches--dragged all over the yard and chewed up! And just when I thought things couldn't get any worse.....Well, first let me get back to the 'Super Flu'. I could not get well and you can see no one was helping me here on the homefront. So, I asked my husband would he PLEASE take me to my sister's house and he did. I told my children that I was going to my sister's and was NOT coming home until I was well!!!! I stayed there for a week and not one person told me to get up out of 'the chair'. I started feeling stronger. Then one day my Indiana daughter called me and told me they were coming home soon for a whole week! Yay! That made me feel better too. And what she said next made me feel wonderful. She asked me to make a list of some things that I would like to have done around the house. She said they were going to help me do some of them. WOW! I have six children and that was a VERY unusual thing for one of them to say! That should have been clue #1 again!!! The second call from her came the day before I came home. This call started with--" Mom, we were wondering if you could do us a favor...." (or something along those lines). When I got off of the phone, my sister asked me what the call was about. All I could manage to say was " you don't want to know" ! So, back to me thinking that things could not get any worse...I was 'asked' if I could keep Morgan (the beautiful little black, curly haired Schnoodle from Christmas) for a month... Okay, a month I can handle or so I thought. That should have been clue #2 again.... My sister came by while they were home and I said,
" And here's the new member of our family!" Now, I was just kidding and then she told me that she had known about it because that youngest daughter of mine had posted on Facebook the SHE was getting a new puppy!!! W-E-L-L -----------------
I did say that I LOVED learning NEW things, didn't I? At the moment I am learning how to let a dog train his owner!! I am learning how to give a dog a bath so that he will not smell like a dog! And I am trying to learn how to not cringe when a puppy licks and licks you!! I am learning that dogs LOVE pig ears!
Life seems to be full of surprises doesn't it? An INSIDE dog----Who'd thought it????????????????
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
A Tribute to EDDIE
Last Friday evening our dog died. It was a sad time at our house. Especially for my husband--he is the one who found him and the one who had to bury him.
My Indiana daughter told me that she is expecting a 'tribute to Eddie' posted on my blog--ASAP. "And" said she, "There must be only good things--nothing bad!!"
HMMM! This may take awhile......
WELL, I guess I'll not be able to talk about all the holes in the yard--nor all the poop. She does not want me to tell about all the things that got destroyed when he first came to live with us. All those plants and flowers he tore up, I won't be able to mention! My chickens he killed--naw, I won't tell that! Not even my beautiful white bunny that got out and --no, I won't tell you what happened to it! Not even the times when he would sneak out of the gate and we had to go looking for him. Especially not the time my husband left for work the day after Christmas and Eddie ran out of the gate and no one knew he was gone. But, we found out soon enough.... Oh my, what a fight he had with our neighbor's dogs--BULLDOGS--2 of them. And Eddie probably would have died that day had it not been for 3 squealing barefooted girls in their pj's and a teenage boy with what I had THOUGHT was a BB gun. Nope, it was the real thing. And one of those bulldogs got the firing end of it--which I might add (although I am not supposed to mention it) ended up costing my husband and me several hundred dollars in our neighbor's Vet bill. Hmmm! A tribute to Eddie????
Okay, my sweet Indiana daughter, here it is:
A Tribute To EDDIE
Who always ran to meet me at the gate with eyes full of loving, adoring looks?
It was EDDIE.
Who always sat very stately holding up his paw for me to shake as I went back to close the gate?
It was EDDIE.
Who loved it when I rubbed and rubbed his ears and said, "You are the BEST dog in all the world"?
That would be EDDIE.
Who always lay on the porch just hoping I would come out and bring him some tasty morsel?
Yeah, it was EDDIE.
Who LOVED Alpo dog food with some raw eggs broken over the top, or some left over chicken broth drizzled on?
It was EDDIE.
Who always kept vigilance near the grill whenever we got it out because he KNEW the fellow cooking would always give him one of whatever was on that grill--much to my horror I might add!!
You KNOW it was EDDIE!
Who always took every step I did while I was working in the yard keeping me company?
It was EDDIE.
Who LOVED to sleep between my prize rosebushes underneath our bedroom window right on top of newly laid mulch and you couldn't scold him because he looked so warm and cozy?
It was EDDIE.
Who always walked me to the gate on Sunday mornings when we were leaving for church? And when I said, "Now, you keep all those squirrels run out of the yard while we are gone" , who went running off like he was REALLY chasing a squirrel?
That would be our EDDIE.
Good old EDDIE, he really WAS the BEST dog in the whole world!
WE ALL MISS YOU, EDDIE!
My Indiana daughter told me that she is expecting a 'tribute to Eddie' posted on my blog--ASAP. "And" said she, "There must be only good things--nothing bad!!"
HMMM! This may take awhile......
WELL, I guess I'll not be able to talk about all the holes in the yard--nor all the poop. She does not want me to tell about all the things that got destroyed when he first came to live with us. All those plants and flowers he tore up, I won't be able to mention! My chickens he killed--naw, I won't tell that! Not even my beautiful white bunny that got out and --no, I won't tell you what happened to it! Not even the times when he would sneak out of the gate and we had to go looking for him. Especially not the time my husband left for work the day after Christmas and Eddie ran out of the gate and no one knew he was gone. But, we found out soon enough.... Oh my, what a fight he had with our neighbor's dogs--BULLDOGS--2 of them. And Eddie probably would have died that day had it not been for 3 squealing barefooted girls in their pj's and a teenage boy with what I had THOUGHT was a BB gun. Nope, it was the real thing. And one of those bulldogs got the firing end of it--which I might add (although I am not supposed to mention it) ended up costing my husband and me several hundred dollars in our neighbor's Vet bill. Hmmm! A tribute to Eddie????
Okay, my sweet Indiana daughter, here it is:
A Tribute To EDDIE
Who always ran to meet me at the gate with eyes full of loving, adoring looks?
It was EDDIE.
Who always sat very stately holding up his paw for me to shake as I went back to close the gate?
It was EDDIE.
Who loved it when I rubbed and rubbed his ears and said, "You are the BEST dog in all the world"?
That would be EDDIE.
Who always lay on the porch just hoping I would come out and bring him some tasty morsel?
Yeah, it was EDDIE.
Who LOVED Alpo dog food with some raw eggs broken over the top, or some left over chicken broth drizzled on?
It was EDDIE.
Who always kept vigilance near the grill whenever we got it out because he KNEW the fellow cooking would always give him one of whatever was on that grill--much to my horror I might add!!
You KNOW it was EDDIE!
Who always took every step I did while I was working in the yard keeping me company?
It was EDDIE.
Who LOVED to sleep between my prize rosebushes underneath our bedroom window right on top of newly laid mulch and you couldn't scold him because he looked so warm and cozy?
It was EDDIE.
Who always walked me to the gate on Sunday mornings when we were leaving for church? And when I said, "Now, you keep all those squirrels run out of the yard while we are gone" , who went running off like he was REALLY chasing a squirrel?
That would be our EDDIE.
Good old EDDIE, he really WAS the BEST dog in the whole world!
WE ALL MISS YOU, EDDIE!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)