The phone was ringing. Most people have cellphones and most cellphones have caller ID so, most people know who is calling. My new friend announced herself with her first and last name. I grinned, she most always does that. She told me it was probably a good thing I did not accompany her on her recent outing. She did not return home until 8 o'clock in the evening. I cringed, laughed out loud and gave a silent thanks for choosing to stay home. She had managed to spend nearly seven hours in two stores. The thought of it made my head spin.
My friend has a hard time understanding why I do not like to shop. She reminds me of my sisters, Lela and Blanche. They like to shop like my friend does. But, their idea of shopping differs from mine. When I shop, I usually know what I'm looking for, find it, pay for it and leave. When they shop, especially for clothing, they finger every piece of cloth in the entire store, try on endless outfits and many, many times, leave empty handed. Drives me crazy. On this occasion though, my friend had found bargains galore and was very satisfied with all her purchases.
My new friend is a lot of fun and I enjoy spending time with her. She usually insists on driving, mostly because it is her idea for a new adventure and even though her driving scares the holy crap out of me, I go. The Voice, that lives in my head, always reminds me of what my husband has so affectionately told me on more than one occasion, "It amazes me that I have ever been able to drive anywhere without your help." I also remind myself that she drives over a thousand miles, by herself, to winter in this place. Sometimes I just have to close my eyes.
We enjoy each other's company for a variety of reasons but two stand out. We like to talk and we like to listen. We can spend hours talking about ourselves, our accomplishments and our failures. Listening to each other, learning about our pasts and our future dreams. We can sit for another hour, in the front seat of the car, in order to finish up whatever scenario we started on earlier.
It is good to have someone to talk to. Even more important is having someone to listen. It is not necessary to always look for, or offer a solution. Many times, a listening ear can bring about miracles in peoples lives. Perhaps there is a reason we have two ears and one mouth.
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Down The Rabbit Hole #1 Cycle of the Sun
"When the moon is in the Seventh House, and Jupiter aligns with Mars, then peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars. This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius."
Age of Aquarius, 1967, from the musical Hair
Welcome to the Rabbit Hole. Once a month, throughout this year, we will dive into the unusual, the unknown and the downright weird. I hope you enjoy the journey.
This is the third attempt to put this information into some kind of format that would make sense. Reading over the first two attempts, came across like an old dusty science book, way too much technical information. I was nearly asleep by the third paragraph.
The Voice, that lives in my head and who has fully recovered from its new year antics, looked over my shoulder and softly whispered, "Be yourself." Ok, I will keep it simple.
Our tiny solar system that revolves around our sun is believed to have an even bigger journey. The Mayan calendar is just one example of the ancients perhaps having lots more sense than we do. They knew about this journey.
Our cosmos, that we see on a clear night sky, is split into twelve parts. These are commonly known as the zodiac. It takes our solar system nearly 26,000 years to travel through each sign or age of the zodiac. Dividing this number by 12, we come up with an estimated 2100 years that we spend in a particular age.
So what? Well, interestingly, the Mayan Calendar did not predict the end of life on earth as we know it. It was a calendar that marked the end of an age. The end of Pisces, the fish, the name we use that was given to us by the early Greeks. It is believed we are now entering into the age of Aquarius.
According to my research, this age of Pisces that we are leaving behind, has been one full of anarchy and power. This too is interesting, especially looking at the recent upheaval of society and the atrocities that humans bestow upon each other. If this is true, what does this new age have in store for us?
Perhaps the lyrics to the Age of Aquarius say it best, "Harmony and understanding, sympathy and trust, abounding. No more falsehoods or derisions (ridicule, mockery). Mystic crystal revelation and the mind's true liberation."
Believable? It would certainly be better than what is going on now, but it is up to the individual to come to their own conclusion. There is a ton of information to be found, if one were to look. I think the number 12 has a lot of interesting history, especially with the biblical implications. Some articles refer to this Aquarian age as the age of Christ.
So, as we crawl up out of the Rabbit Hole with this slice of information and that tune, The Age of Aquarius, is dancing around in the back of our heads, let's remember one thing....."Let the sunshine in!"
Age of Aquarius, 1967, from the musical Hair
Welcome to the Rabbit Hole. Once a month, throughout this year, we will dive into the unusual, the unknown and the downright weird. I hope you enjoy the journey.
This is the third attempt to put this information into some kind of format that would make sense. Reading over the first two attempts, came across like an old dusty science book, way too much technical information. I was nearly asleep by the third paragraph.
The Voice, that lives in my head and who has fully recovered from its new year antics, looked over my shoulder and softly whispered, "Be yourself." Ok, I will keep it simple.
Our tiny solar system that revolves around our sun is believed to have an even bigger journey. The Mayan calendar is just one example of the ancients perhaps having lots more sense than we do. They knew about this journey.
Our cosmos, that we see on a clear night sky, is split into twelve parts. These are commonly known as the zodiac. It takes our solar system nearly 26,000 years to travel through each sign or age of the zodiac. Dividing this number by 12, we come up with an estimated 2100 years that we spend in a particular age.
So what? Well, interestingly, the Mayan Calendar did not predict the end of life on earth as we know it. It was a calendar that marked the end of an age. The end of Pisces, the fish, the name we use that was given to us by the early Greeks. It is believed we are now entering into the age of Aquarius.
According to my research, this age of Pisces that we are leaving behind, has been one full of anarchy and power. This too is interesting, especially looking at the recent upheaval of society and the atrocities that humans bestow upon each other. If this is true, what does this new age have in store for us?
Perhaps the lyrics to the Age of Aquarius say it best, "Harmony and understanding, sympathy and trust, abounding. No more falsehoods or derisions (ridicule, mockery). Mystic crystal revelation and the mind's true liberation."
Believable? It would certainly be better than what is going on now, but it is up to the individual to come to their own conclusion. There is a ton of information to be found, if one were to look. I think the number 12 has a lot of interesting history, especially with the biblical implications. Some articles refer to this Aquarian age as the age of Christ.
So, as we crawl up out of the Rabbit Hole with this slice of information and that tune, The Age of Aquarius, is dancing around in the back of our heads, let's remember one thing....."Let the sunshine in!"
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Dang Few Of Us Left
The title is one of my husband's favorite sayings. It is usually heard after someone gives him a compliment on his handy-man finesseness. Yes, I'am aware the extra ness was not necessary, but it has been some time since I have thrown an extra one in.
It might be possible to apply the phrase to the ever dwindling population of the baby boomers. They are the group of people who were born between 1946 and 1964. World War II was over and many western nations celebrated by having lots of babies. This group has been blamed for just about every problem that is happening on Planet Earth.
The list of our faults are many. We have been blamed for the rise in political power, climate change, higher education costs and being stingy, self-centered, uncaring sociopaths. Basically, we have been viewed, with a group mentality, as the worst generation ever.
I must beg to differ. We have learned lots of things. First of all, we haven't blown up the planet and we are all still here, right? There are lots of nasty diseases that no longer plague our society thanks to our generation. Those with physical handicaps are able to enter the world, beyond their front doors, due to the due diligence of the baby boomer generation.
What about the cell phone? Or, the internet? Those two 'can't live without it' things did not come from the last two generations named X and Millenials. Nor would X & M be here without us.
When the button is pushed to turn on the radio, something else our generation produced, and music from Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys, the Beegees and the Beatles fall on the listening ear, it is good to remember they were, and are, baby boomers too. The wonderful list of movies that boomer Steven Spielberg has produced have and will continue to entertain us, for years to come.
Another thing that the boomers can fly on their banner is having common sense. Common sense comes from being able to have practical judgment that did not come from any specialized training. Usually, life itself is the trainer of common sense. We know things like, the burner on the stove is still hot even though it was just turned off and that goes for the coffee fresh out of the pot. We know that it is not a good idea to eat a pod of laundry detergent. Sticking a fork in the toaster has real consequences. New knives are, for the most part, sharp. When the door does not open when it is pushed, is why the sign on the door says 'pull'.
Common sense was lacking with the young millennial I encountered in the grocery store the other day. As I reached for a nice head of cauliflower, this young lady warned me to be very careful because some of them were moldy. I responded with "Really?" and she said "Oh, yes!" and proceeded to point out the mold on the cauliflower in my hand. The spot she pointed to was so tiny, it could have been a speck of dirt. I peered at it and told her that a knife would take care of that. As I walked off, she was still going over the rest of the heads with her microscopic inspection and I thought, "Yep, dang few of us left."
It might be possible to apply the phrase to the ever dwindling population of the baby boomers. They are the group of people who were born between 1946 and 1964. World War II was over and many western nations celebrated by having lots of babies. This group has been blamed for just about every problem that is happening on Planet Earth.
The list of our faults are many. We have been blamed for the rise in political power, climate change, higher education costs and being stingy, self-centered, uncaring sociopaths. Basically, we have been viewed, with a group mentality, as the worst generation ever.
I must beg to differ. We have learned lots of things. First of all, we haven't blown up the planet and we are all still here, right? There are lots of nasty diseases that no longer plague our society thanks to our generation. Those with physical handicaps are able to enter the world, beyond their front doors, due to the due diligence of the baby boomer generation.
What about the cell phone? Or, the internet? Those two 'can't live without it' things did not come from the last two generations named X and Millenials. Nor would X & M be here without us.
When the button is pushed to turn on the radio, something else our generation produced, and music from Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys, the Beegees and the Beatles fall on the listening ear, it is good to remember they were, and are, baby boomers too. The wonderful list of movies that boomer Steven Spielberg has produced have and will continue to entertain us, for years to come.
Another thing that the boomers can fly on their banner is having common sense. Common sense comes from being able to have practical judgment that did not come from any specialized training. Usually, life itself is the trainer of common sense. We know things like, the burner on the stove is still hot even though it was just turned off and that goes for the coffee fresh out of the pot. We know that it is not a good idea to eat a pod of laundry detergent. Sticking a fork in the toaster has real consequences. New knives are, for the most part, sharp. When the door does not open when it is pushed, is why the sign on the door says 'pull'.
Common sense was lacking with the young millennial I encountered in the grocery store the other day. As I reached for a nice head of cauliflower, this young lady warned me to be very careful because some of them were moldy. I responded with "Really?" and she said "Oh, yes!" and proceeded to point out the mold on the cauliflower in my hand. The spot she pointed to was so tiny, it could have been a speck of dirt. I peered at it and told her that a knife would take care of that. As I walked off, she was still going over the rest of the heads with her microscopic inspection and I thought, "Yep, dang few of us left."
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
The Big Green Clean
The Voice, that lives inside my head, had not been seen for several days. The Voice thought it was a good idea to go out to celebrate the New Year. It was one of the rare times that not listening to the Voice paid off, although I must admit, it did look pretty good as it waltzed out the door in a new pair of leather fringed ankle boots.
Several people were talking about doing the big clean. I inquired about this and was told that instead of spring cleaning, this area deep cleans right after the beginning of a new year. After giving this some thought, I proceeded to follow suit. There was not a lot that needed to be tossed, but it is always interesting as to how much unnecessary stuff can begin to accumulate in a short amount of time and in a small living space.
As I began the deep cleaning process, I made several trips to the trash can. It is located at the far end of the kitchen in a small utility closet. Going into the kitchen several times caused me to walk past the refrigerator and of course, that meant opening the fridge door to peek inside and make mental assessments.
While running the vacuum, I began to think about my endless quest for a low-carb, bread like, type of wrap. I had been in the refrigerator enough to know what ingredients could possibly be used for such a grand endeavor. As I was making another trip to the trash can, I stopped to peer inside of the pantry. Those cans of spinach had been in there a long time.
While dusting and periodically thinking about the low-carb concoction, I pulled out the food processor on my next trip through the kitchen. Not wanting to waste footsteps, during the next two trips I retrieved eggs, two cans of spinach, that I opened and poured into a strainer and some portabella mushrooms that really needed to be used. Everything about the ingredients screamed of healthful benefits.
Stopping mid-stream, again, with the vacuum, I went back into the kitchen. I had it all planned out in my head and figured it should be a success. Therefore, I put all the spinach, all the mushrooms and one dozen eggs into the food processor and hit the start button.
While I was cleaning out a large walk-in closet, I remembered I had turned the burner on under the cast iron skillet. Hurrying out, I was relieved to see that it was not smoking too much. At least not enough to set the smoke alarm off. I took the lid off the processor and admired its contents. It was green, kinda brown and really thick. I had envisioned a more crepe like delicacy, but as soon as the first scoopful hit the skillet, pancakes were more in order.
I used a large spoon to quickly spread the blob of low-carb, green-brown paste around the bottom of the skillet and waited for it to cook. The first one was turned over a bit too early and fell apart so I decided to wait longer on the second attempt and headed back to the closet. Funny thing, spinach mushroom egg wraps do not burn. I decided to thin the mixture but can not for the life of me remember what I used to do that, but it did help with the smoothing out process.
Before too long, I had a nice stack of green-brown-spinach -egg wraps sitting on a plate. I looked up just in time to see the Voice leaning over the counter, looking at the finished product. After about 5 seconds, the Voice went tearing out of the kitchen, headed to the bathroom, still wearing one leather fringed ankle boot.
The wraps, they were pretty tasty, even Runtly, the ever so entertaining Jack Russell Terrier, liked them. The apartment was spotless, the refrigerator looked good and the Voice.....well, I hope it gets to feeling better soon.
Several people were talking about doing the big clean. I inquired about this and was told that instead of spring cleaning, this area deep cleans right after the beginning of a new year. After giving this some thought, I proceeded to follow suit. There was not a lot that needed to be tossed, but it is always interesting as to how much unnecessary stuff can begin to accumulate in a short amount of time and in a small living space.
As I began the deep cleaning process, I made several trips to the trash can. It is located at the far end of the kitchen in a small utility closet. Going into the kitchen several times caused me to walk past the refrigerator and of course, that meant opening the fridge door to peek inside and make mental assessments.
While running the vacuum, I began to think about my endless quest for a low-carb, bread like, type of wrap. I had been in the refrigerator enough to know what ingredients could possibly be used for such a grand endeavor. As I was making another trip to the trash can, I stopped to peer inside of the pantry. Those cans of spinach had been in there a long time.
While dusting and periodically thinking about the low-carb concoction, I pulled out the food processor on my next trip through the kitchen. Not wanting to waste footsteps, during the next two trips I retrieved eggs, two cans of spinach, that I opened and poured into a strainer and some portabella mushrooms that really needed to be used. Everything about the ingredients screamed of healthful benefits.
Stopping mid-stream, again, with the vacuum, I went back into the kitchen. I had it all planned out in my head and figured it should be a success. Therefore, I put all the spinach, all the mushrooms and one dozen eggs into the food processor and hit the start button.
While I was cleaning out a large walk-in closet, I remembered I had turned the burner on under the cast iron skillet. Hurrying out, I was relieved to see that it was not smoking too much. At least not enough to set the smoke alarm off. I took the lid off the processor and admired its contents. It was green, kinda brown and really thick. I had envisioned a more crepe like delicacy, but as soon as the first scoopful hit the skillet, pancakes were more in order.
I used a large spoon to quickly spread the blob of low-carb, green-brown paste around the bottom of the skillet and waited for it to cook. The first one was turned over a bit too early and fell apart so I decided to wait longer on the second attempt and headed back to the closet. Funny thing, spinach mushroom egg wraps do not burn. I decided to thin the mixture but can not for the life of me remember what I used to do that, but it did help with the smoothing out process.
Before too long, I had a nice stack of green-brown-spinach -egg wraps sitting on a plate. I looked up just in time to see the Voice leaning over the counter, looking at the finished product. After about 5 seconds, the Voice went tearing out of the kitchen, headed to the bathroom, still wearing one leather fringed ankle boot.
The wraps, they were pretty tasty, even Runtly, the ever so entertaining Jack Russell Terrier, liked them. The apartment was spotless, the refrigerator looked good and the Voice.....well, I hope it gets to feeling better soon.
Friday, December 29, 2017
A New Company
A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend the Nutcracker ballet at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. The tickets had been a gift and although I had no intention of taking my husband, I asked him if he wanted to go anyway, just to see the look on his face. As I suspected, it was priceless so I asked my friend Dina and she was overjoyed to accompany me.
This beautiful building, a Greek Revival structure that compliments the state capitol building of Raleigh, N.C., hosts two theaters, a concert hall and the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, which alone seats over 2200 people. In the front of the building is a landscaped plaza complete with a large reflecting pool and sculptures. Scattered randomly around the pool are small wire table and chair sets for resting, before or after a performance, or to just sit and take in the cityscape that spreads out in front of the plaza.
Although Dina was familiar with the Nutcracker, I had never seen it before, or any ballet performance for that matter. We found our seats and marveled at the size and decor of the auditorium. Our seats were on the second terrace and we had a great view of the stage along with the orchestra. It was not long before the lights dimmed and the curtain rose.
The backdrops used in these kinds of programs always amaze me. They are nothing more than a sheer curtain with whatever background is needed printed on them. I thought back to my high school days and drama club. We spent just about as much time searching for props and making our humble stage take on the right setting as we did practicing our lines and rehearsing.
The costumes were fabulous and the ballet itself was very entertaining. I remembered why I had never seen it before and that was because I always thought the Nutcracker guy was creepy looking and unfortunately, I still do. I was, however, very familiar with all the music and it suddenly dawned on me the reason for that was Looney Tunes. I can still see Elmer Fudd searching for that waskely wabbit to the tune of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Hey, sometimes the 'country' will just not leave some people.
What captivated me more than anything were the dancers. I had never seen such graceful bodies and long limbs. Later I began to do a search as to whether there were actually prerequisites for becoming a ballerina because most every girl, sometime in their life, wanted to be one. Here is what I found: They should be 5'3" to 5'8" and weigh somewhere between 85 and 130 pounds. They should have a small head, long neck, long arms, long legs, a slender figure and the fortitude to put in long, long hours of training and practice. The information also stated that in the USA, size could vary and that in itself, should be a celebrated concept. That may be true, but there were no 5'2" dancers with short arms, short legs and no neck on the stage.
I wonder if there should be a new ballet company and the only prerequisites would be none of the above. There would be no age limit either, thigh size would not matter, nor weight. True, the grand jete' (those wonderful leaps) might not be too far off the ground and the pirouettes, one of which I did in the clubhouse for the staff, may not look too pretty, but we could sure have some fun, for a day or two....Or, at least until we could no longer move.
This beautiful building, a Greek Revival structure that compliments the state capitol building of Raleigh, N.C., hosts two theaters, a concert hall and the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, which alone seats over 2200 people. In the front of the building is a landscaped plaza complete with a large reflecting pool and sculptures. Scattered randomly around the pool are small wire table and chair sets for resting, before or after a performance, or to just sit and take in the cityscape that spreads out in front of the plaza.
Although Dina was familiar with the Nutcracker, I had never seen it before, or any ballet performance for that matter. We found our seats and marveled at the size and decor of the auditorium. Our seats were on the second terrace and we had a great view of the stage along with the orchestra. It was not long before the lights dimmed and the curtain rose.
The backdrops used in these kinds of programs always amaze me. They are nothing more than a sheer curtain with whatever background is needed printed on them. I thought back to my high school days and drama club. We spent just about as much time searching for props and making our humble stage take on the right setting as we did practicing our lines and rehearsing.
The costumes were fabulous and the ballet itself was very entertaining. I remembered why I had never seen it before and that was because I always thought the Nutcracker guy was creepy looking and unfortunately, I still do. I was, however, very familiar with all the music and it suddenly dawned on me the reason for that was Looney Tunes. I can still see Elmer Fudd searching for that waskely wabbit to the tune of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Hey, sometimes the 'country' will just not leave some people.
What captivated me more than anything were the dancers. I had never seen such graceful bodies and long limbs. Later I began to do a search as to whether there were actually prerequisites for becoming a ballerina because most every girl, sometime in their life, wanted to be one. Here is what I found: They should be 5'3" to 5'8" and weigh somewhere between 85 and 130 pounds. They should have a small head, long neck, long arms, long legs, a slender figure and the fortitude to put in long, long hours of training and practice. The information also stated that in the USA, size could vary and that in itself, should be a celebrated concept. That may be true, but there were no 5'2" dancers with short arms, short legs and no neck on the stage.
I wonder if there should be a new ballet company and the only prerequisites would be none of the above. There would be no age limit either, thigh size would not matter, nor weight. True, the grand jete' (those wonderful leaps) might not be too far off the ground and the pirouettes, one of which I did in the clubhouse for the staff, may not look too pretty, but we could sure have some fun, for a day or two....Or, at least until we could no longer move.
Friday, December 22, 2017
A Year in Review, Runtly Style
First, let me, Runtly, the ever so entertaining Jack Russell Terrier, start out by stating that if Mom said 'she would never be one of those people' once, she has said it 100 times.
It seems like my year started out with a lot of miles spent riding in a vehicle. It was scary. It made my heart go pitter patter and Mom had to give me some 'sleepy' medicine. It did not really make me go to sleep, but it helped with the sound of the traffic roaring by. I do not like traffic.
I like my new home and have made many friends. I also have made some not friendly friends and as luck would have it, they all live in my building.....right next door. Their names are Layla, Biggie and Claire and they would like to eat me for a snack. Layla tried to the other day, but Mom had me on the leash and swung me around like a helicopter until Layla's mom got her under control. It was fun, sort of and sort of not. When Biggie and Claire are outside, I bark at them and show them my teeth. I do this from the second story deck, I show them who is the boss. I have more people friends than I do dogs and all the kids at the school bus stop think I'm really cute.
This year I have acquired a wardrobe. I have a blue t-shirt that has the words "BOW WOW" in glittery sparkles on the back and a grey sweater that reads "woof". I do not like them, but Mom seems to think they are great fun. I might like the sweater when it is cold outside, but I'm not telling Mom. She always tries to take my picture when I have the ridiculous shirts on. I hide as soon as I see her reach for that picture taking thing. I do not like it either, Mom spends way too much time looking at it. Valuable time she could be spending looking at me.
I take a big walk almost every day. Mom and I walk almost two miles! When I get tired of walking, I tap Mom on the back of the leg and she carries me. Mom is nice.
I did my very first sleepover away from home this year and spent the night with my buddy, Franklin. I did not like it, but I used his bathroom just like I do at home and Franklin was impressed. Mom says I'm really smart.
Dad and I spent NASCAR season on the couch together. It was a lot of fun and Dad is warm. Now that NASCAR season is over, we like to watch funny videos. Dad is fun. Dad shares his chips too.
I've been trying really hard to not be afraid in the vehicle. As soon as I hear Mom pick up the keys to the truck, I tell her I want to go. I am very brave and stand in the passenger seat, at least until we pull out of the complex onto the busy street. When I see all the traffic, I have to sit next to Mom. But, as soon as she turns the truck back into our complex, I get very brave again. Maybe next year I will be able to go farther than two blocks.
I had a package under the Christmas tree this year and it was from my Grandma!! Grandma is nice. Mom said it was time to go through my toy basket and get rid of a few things. Mom is mean.
Once this year I ate something I found in the middle of the road, when Mom wasn't looking. It seemed tasty to me, but then I puked for two days. Mom says she has been looking at muzzles. Mom should pay better attention to me.
My cousin, Boy, sent me a text message. He said he and his dad watched the movie 'Goodfellas' together. After it was over, Boy told his dad he wanted to be called Henry from now on. I think Henry is a nice name.
It has been a fun year. I have a nice place to live, food and water in my coffee cups on a blue place mat, toys galore and I get to sleep in Mom and Dad's bed. I always take up as much room as I want. Mom says she has become one of those people. I do not know what than means.
Mom says it is time for me to get out of her chair. I hope everyone has a barkly and sparkly Happy New Year!!
It seems like my year started out with a lot of miles spent riding in a vehicle. It was scary. It made my heart go pitter patter and Mom had to give me some 'sleepy' medicine. It did not really make me go to sleep, but it helped with the sound of the traffic roaring by. I do not like traffic.
I like my new home and have made many friends. I also have made some not friendly friends and as luck would have it, they all live in my building.....right next door. Their names are Layla, Biggie and Claire and they would like to eat me for a snack. Layla tried to the other day, but Mom had me on the leash and swung me around like a helicopter until Layla's mom got her under control. It was fun, sort of and sort of not. When Biggie and Claire are outside, I bark at them and show them my teeth. I do this from the second story deck, I show them who is the boss. I have more people friends than I do dogs and all the kids at the school bus stop think I'm really cute.
This year I have acquired a wardrobe. I have a blue t-shirt that has the words "BOW WOW" in glittery sparkles on the back and a grey sweater that reads "woof". I do not like them, but Mom seems to think they are great fun. I might like the sweater when it is cold outside, but I'm not telling Mom. She always tries to take my picture when I have the ridiculous shirts on. I hide as soon as I see her reach for that picture taking thing. I do not like it either, Mom spends way too much time looking at it. Valuable time she could be spending looking at me.
I take a big walk almost every day. Mom and I walk almost two miles! When I get tired of walking, I tap Mom on the back of the leg and she carries me. Mom is nice.
I did my very first sleepover away from home this year and spent the night with my buddy, Franklin. I did not like it, but I used his bathroom just like I do at home and Franklin was impressed. Mom says I'm really smart.
Dad and I spent NASCAR season on the couch together. It was a lot of fun and Dad is warm. Now that NASCAR season is over, we like to watch funny videos. Dad is fun. Dad shares his chips too.
I've been trying really hard to not be afraid in the vehicle. As soon as I hear Mom pick up the keys to the truck, I tell her I want to go. I am very brave and stand in the passenger seat, at least until we pull out of the complex onto the busy street. When I see all the traffic, I have to sit next to Mom. But, as soon as she turns the truck back into our complex, I get very brave again. Maybe next year I will be able to go farther than two blocks.
I had a package under the Christmas tree this year and it was from my Grandma!! Grandma is nice. Mom said it was time to go through my toy basket and get rid of a few things. Mom is mean.
Once this year I ate something I found in the middle of the road, when Mom wasn't looking. It seemed tasty to me, but then I puked for two days. Mom says she has been looking at muzzles. Mom should pay better attention to me.
My cousin, Boy, sent me a text message. He said he and his dad watched the movie 'Goodfellas' together. After it was over, Boy told his dad he wanted to be called Henry from now on. I think Henry is a nice name.
It has been a fun year. I have a nice place to live, food and water in my coffee cups on a blue place mat, toys galore and I get to sleep in Mom and Dad's bed. I always take up as much room as I want. Mom says she has become one of those people. I do not know what than means.
Mom says it is time for me to get out of her chair. I hope everyone has a barkly and sparkly Happy New Year!!
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
The Forever Poinsettia
Tom and Lilly were soulmates. The love they held for each other more than spanned the age difference between them. Theirs was definitely a September-December romance that lasted for over two decades. Tom and Lilly lived from one side of the country to the other and spent as much of their time together as they possibly could. It was always rare to see one without the other. They settled in a small mid-western town and were blessed with a son. They named him Todd.
Tom loved his family and he loved to work in the yard and tend to his flowers. His roses were the most beautiful anyone had ever seen. Lilly had no green thumb, like her husband, but she admired the beauty Tom created around their home.
Every Christmas season, Tom and Lilly would go to the local big box store and purchase poinsettias to decorate the house with. Tom always cared for the poinsettias during the holidays. This was a Christmas ritual, year after year.
Then one year, shortly after the Thanksgiving season was over, Tom fell ill. Lilly went to the store without him and returned with two $6 poinsettias. Two weeks later and fourteen days before Christmas, Tom told Lilly "good night" and peacefully passed to the other side. Lilly's heart was broken. How was she going to make it without him?
Three years later, those two poinsettias are still alive. All Lilly has ever done for them is to give them water. They are at least ten times the size they were when she first brought them home. They each sit on plant stands that are two feet high and the leaves are so dense that they nearly touch the floor. This past March, the poinsettias were loaded with red leaves. Shortly after summer, all the red leaves fell off both plants. Then, a few weeks ago, Lilly noticed some of the leaves were beginning to turn red, again. Todd told his mother that Dad was sending her poinsettias for Christmas.
This is a true story, only the names have been changed to protect their identity. I have pictures of the poinsettias and share them often. I also look at them when I'm feeling down because they prove to me that love never dies, that we are not forgotten and that those we miss are just beyond our fingertips. Tom not only takes care of the poinsettias, he visits Lilly in her dreams. He tells her he will be right there, waiting for her, so they can be together forever.
Love, it's what the season is all about.
Tom loved his family and he loved to work in the yard and tend to his flowers. His roses were the most beautiful anyone had ever seen. Lilly had no green thumb, like her husband, but she admired the beauty Tom created around their home.
Every Christmas season, Tom and Lilly would go to the local big box store and purchase poinsettias to decorate the house with. Tom always cared for the poinsettias during the holidays. This was a Christmas ritual, year after year.
Then one year, shortly after the Thanksgiving season was over, Tom fell ill. Lilly went to the store without him and returned with two $6 poinsettias. Two weeks later and fourteen days before Christmas, Tom told Lilly "good night" and peacefully passed to the other side. Lilly's heart was broken. How was she going to make it without him?
Three years later, those two poinsettias are still alive. All Lilly has ever done for them is to give them water. They are at least ten times the size they were when she first brought them home. They each sit on plant stands that are two feet high and the leaves are so dense that they nearly touch the floor. This past March, the poinsettias were loaded with red leaves. Shortly after summer, all the red leaves fell off both plants. Then, a few weeks ago, Lilly noticed some of the leaves were beginning to turn red, again. Todd told his mother that Dad was sending her poinsettias for Christmas.
This is a true story, only the names have been changed to protect their identity. I have pictures of the poinsettias and share them often. I also look at them when I'm feeling down because they prove to me that love never dies, that we are not forgotten and that those we miss are just beyond our fingertips. Tom not only takes care of the poinsettias, he visits Lilly in her dreams. He tells her he will be right there, waiting for her, so they can be together forever.
Love, it's what the season is all about.
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