My furry world

 

This is a picture of our lab mix, Lucy. Lucy came from the local shelter. She had been born in a snowstorm to a mother that was tied up and left outside(with no food or water) when her owners moved. By the time the neighbors called the Animal Control people and they came to the rescue, the mother and 3 other newborn puppies had frozen to death.  Lucy and one other pup survived.  It was everything we could do to not take them both. 

Lucy also goes by the Big Goon and Lucy Goosy. Honestly, if you have a cookie in your hand, she will answer to anything you want to call her. lol

 

This is Miss Molly McGee [AKA Molly Mayhem]...our Jack Russell Terrorist.  She was purchased by my dingbat  brother at a pet store for his 2 year old daughter. Anyone who knows JRT's knows they are not good children dogs. Except my brother, who said that the lady who took his 350 dollars said, oh yes---they're great with kids!!  (I told him I had a bridge I'd sell him too).  He begged and pleaded with me to take her as she was mowing down the toddler at every turn and running away and terrorizing the neighborhood every chance she got to jump the fence.   We brought her home 4 years ago, a couple of months  after having to put my beloved cocker spaniel Sophie to sleep, due to liver cancer. We live in the country and she runs like crazy here.  She's mellowed out a lot in the last year, but she will always be a Jack Russell.

This is little Caylee, back when she first found us and came out from under the back deck. She looked like a little polar bear cub.  Also known as Cooder Brown, and Caylee Baylee.  She is coming on 2 years old now and is the sweetest dog in the world. She loves the snow, and lays on her back and makes snow-dog angels (I swear!!).  She is a barker and a runner and she always kowtows to Molly, who is the Alpha dog. She stays out in the cold for ungodly amounts of time and is a happy happy dogglet. Here's a more recent, grown-up picture of her, playing with her best friend, Lucy:

  I guess I've trotted out these pictures because tonight we watched the movie Marley and Me. It was  a heartwarming and heartbreaking story.  I had to put Sophie to sleep, and I held her until she was gone, bawling like a baby the whole time. That damn movie had me crying  my eyes out.  Every animal I have ever had that something has happened to, has nearly killed me. And every time I say "That's it! I can't take this!! No more pets...no more..."

  So I'm feeling a little melancholy and a little hopeful and a whole lot blessed tonight. Because I have 3 great dogs.  And I have had other really great dogs in my life...and there's just nothing like that unconditional love. That trusting, fun, acceptance that you only get 24/7 from your dog.  I have had dogs in my life as long as I can remember and I probably always will.

  I'm just blessed that way...

Namaste.

Tuesday's Tuesday

[Need a ride? Seamus the wonder dog...] click to enlarge

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Watched Stump the Sussex Spaniel win Best of Show at the 133rd Westminster Dog Show tonight. It was pretty cool, he is 10 years old and the oldest dog to ever win. Pretty neat...

I am heading for the bedroom, have to get up early (5) and take hubby to work so I can keep the car for the chiro appt. I'm getting acupuncture tomorrow too. It's almost midnight already...sigh...time seems to fly when I am sitting in front of this computer. Why is that ??

Had a great day with my critters and am ever blessed by their unconditional love. I used to know a guy who always said "Everything I know about LOVE I learned from my dog." I get it, now. lol

Memorial service for my friend Ray has been set up for next Monday. I hate these things, they stir up all kinds of emotions in me and feelings of loss. I have had a lot of loss in my life. Maybe this is the Universe's way of giving me a chance to work it all out. One more of those life on life's terms things that I'd just as soon do without.

I have a gratitude list a mile long tonight. Suffice it to say that I am grateful to be sober and to be happy, joyous and free most of the time.

I'm meeting the Sandman....

Namaste.

Monday's Mix

[ Little Caylee, battle scars and all]. click to enlarge

{WOOHOO!!!!!! This is my 100th post on this blog !!!!}

A cold and snowy day today. I stayed in mostly, except for a couple of jaunts out to haul garbage to the road, take puppy out on the leash (which she is tolerating much better since deciding that I'm not just trying to hang her) so that she can go potty, feeding chickens and getting the mail. The worst of the storm is coming in tonight, dropping another 3-5 inches on us probably. I seem to live just above the line where the moderate weather ends and the crazy begins.

Of course, I don't have to drive anywhere or do anything I don't want to (much) so the weather doesn't affect me like it used to, from that point of view. As soon as hubby walked in the door, I sent him back out--to the store to get a couple of gallons of water and some dog food, cat food, and bleach. While he was gone, I got the cornbread ready to go into the oven and it was done just about the time he was ready to eat. lol Now I have everything I need and if I can't get out for 2 or 3 days it won't matter.

We watched some tv and hubby was off to bed early. He worked really hard today and he gets up at 4:30, so 9PM is a long time to be awake. I got his lunch made for tomorrow, but haven't cleaned up the kitchen yet. He was heating water for his bath and I had to wait. No hurry....if I don't get it done tonight, the Brownies can sneak in and do it for me...lol. I almost NEVER go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink. Tonight may be the exception....

I got hooked into reading some foodie blogs this morning, and before I knew it, 3 hours had flown by. OH my!!! There are an amazing number of blogs out there...on any subject you can imagine. Homesteading and cooking and recovery and art are my main interests. Oh, and Gardening, of course. If I'm going to keep spending this much time in front of the computer I'm going to have to get a new chair! (This one is almost shot). AND new glasses, as today I was really feeling the eye strain. I've needed new glasses for awhile, and was hoping to be able to wait for some insurance...

I'm grateufl to know that I can make it through the winter sober, that I can live happy, joyous and free, and that I can keep my side of the street clean most of the time. There's a little skirmish going on around here between some AA folks, and I just have to remember what my old pal Art used to say... "I ain't got a dog in this fight." I'm sure that it will conclude and heal, these things usually do. The difference is that today, it's none of my business. And I have learned to keep my mouth shut. "Twasn't always the case...lol

Love and tolerance of others is our code. AA taught me that.

A drink will make nothing better. AA taught me that, too.

What other people think of me is none of my business. In the end, it's all between me and God. Which brings to mind this: (It has been attributed to Mother Teresa as well, but Keith seems to have the copyright.)

The Paradoxical Commandments by Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world the best you have anyway.

© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001

And THAT, as they say, is a wrap!

Namaste