Labyrinth Gal

Maggie on Monday Evening

2012-01-30T19:31:00.000-05:00

Sorry this is a late post. A few pix from the week:

Maggie sniffing toward Neighbor Thomas's.

But then she nestles in. She's a nestler.

Another day exploring the yard.

With Tabby Bobcat walking along.

They have such a funny relationship. Maggie barks to let me know when Tabby wants to come into the house. She barks at Tabby to let her know she's going outside and I guess is giving her a polite, invitational bark to join her.

This past Thursday, we went for a visit to the vet & had to get a urine sample. How many dog owners and parents, for that matter, have spent hours praying for bodily functions to happen? Pleeeeeeeeease, for the love of all that is holy, just peeeeeeeeeeee!

Maggie on her way back from a successful backyard trip.

So. This is the hard part to write, altho, not a surprise to anyone, I'm sure. Maggie doesn't have much longer with me. She's been steadily losing weight and is having kidney dysfunction and Dr. Morgan says she has a couple months. She's still her cheerful, waggy self and always by my side. Dr. Morgan showed me how to administer subcutaneous fluids, so we're doing that every other day. The first time I tried, I stabbed myself with the needle, of course.

I'm feeding her whatever she'll eat. Today she sniffed out a treat from the PetMeds box & even tho it was grain-based, prolly gluten, I let her eat it. She doesn't seem any worse for it. As long as she's not in pain, we'll take it day by day.

Every day seems a bit more precious . . .

Sunday morning on the front porch.

Hullo.

Whatcha lookin' at Mag?

Tabby in stealth mode, readying for a squirrel attack. (Unsuccessful. This time. Prolly wasn't hungry).

And then she comes back . . .

And Maggie suns herself on the porch.

And Tabby dozes on the ramp.

And it's a beautiful day.

My Birthday

2012-01-27T19:32:00.001-05:00

This giant box arrived from Amazon & the gift card was a clue:

I had a gluten free sandwich the other day. I don't know what gluten is, but apparently it's delicious. So the gift bag sat in the living room for a week and then I finally got to open it. A bread machine! WOO-HOO!!!

From Mum: "BNO" = Blessing Number One, first born. Doesn't everyone have to share their birthday with a famous dead composer? No? Just me, then? Too many notes.

Card from Mum.

Inside.

Here's the haiku from the Haikubes she got me:
Return fortune peace
Lofty wicked finger hump
Violet precious ground

Maybe I didn't do that right. Moving on to more cards . . .

My favourite! Dr. Seuss! From John.

My v. first card from Joy. :-)

This. This made me LOL. *snort*

From my dear friend, Robbie.

From me. Just in case no one got me this. Which no one did. So I'm glad I got it!

Birthday dinner at Brother Atlasta's. Making easy-lazy trifle which he fancied up. Gluteny pound cake from Food Lion, cut in half. Cover with strawberries, then Byrd's PROPER custard. Then whipped cream. Catholic Jesus & Mary candles fit perfectly in the middle. I got the cake for everyone else. I had ice cream. :-)

Last year it snowed on my birthday. When I was at my niece's b-day dinner, Brother Atlasta asked what I wanted for my b-day dinner. OMG! I get to see my family on my b-day! And be with people. Ha!

Make a wish.

Maggie on Monday

2012-01-23T17:53:00.003-05:00

Lena at Mystic Pet turned me on to Natural Instinct, raw dog food. It comes in cubes or patties. Maggie LOVES it! Except that I'm spending more on her food than mine--haha. So then I started googling how to do home made raw food. Apparently tripe is good to add. I had to google tripe.* Anyway, I've been thinking about it ever since my Aussie friends said they feed their dogs raw turkey necks. They said dogs live 17-24 years over there. So I'm on the lookout for a butcher shop where I can get chicken backs, necks, tripe, organ meats, etc. Yum. In the meantime, she's eating hamburger this week.

Licking her plate clean.

All done.

Here she is in the office:

Tabby Bobcat in the doorway. What an expression on her face!

Maggie eyes Tabby.

Love this photo!

Tabby saunters out of the room.

This happens every once in a while. I let Maggie out and then putzy in the kitchen. I look out the front door periodically to check on her. She's usually on the front porch by the ramp or at the bottom of the ramp. Unless she's not. And then I panic.

Waaaaaah! Where is she????

Oh:

In another favourite spot!

Near the rose bush. :-) All is well.

*this is also radio speak for blaaathering at the beginning of an intro. (Source: John Morgan, of "Morgan in the Morning" fame)

HAPPY Birthday, Joy!

2012-01-17T07:37:00.001-05:00

Joy's book.

It is my dear friend Joy's birthday today. She is artist, writer, shaman. She has one foot firmly planted on the Earth, and one on the side of Spirit. Last weekend we were at a Spirit School gathering and in a small group. There was a woman there who, for lack of a better description, was depressed; slumpy with a glaze to her eyes. As we were going around the circle, Joy spoke and said something like:

When you are in a place of despair, trying to go to a place of joy seems impossible. So don't try. "Just ask yourself, What is the thing right above this feeling that I can go to? And just take that step. And then keep working your way step-by-step.

As Joy began talking, I looked over at Depressed Woman and I could see her physiology shifting. She sat up and paid attention. And she began to smile and get some life in her eyes. I said to Joy after the gathering, "That was quite the message you got," and she said, "Yeah, I knew someone needed to hear that." Yes, she did!

Joy is currently doing a message-a-day on her blog. Perhaps it's a message for you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOY!

Hilarious

2012-01-17T01:27:00.002-05:00

Maggie on Monday

2012-01-16T11:00:00.001-05:00

Laundry Day:

Aaaaand Maggie is sitting on her bed with out the cover. This is her spot, under the table when I'm doing anything in the kitchen. Her eating spot is on the blue rug, and she will go sit there when she's hungry. She's got me trained!

Outside:

We've had some REALLY cold days! But she still comes to sit out on the porch.

Such a sweet face. :-)

Looking over at Neighbor Thomas's house where Roxi Rottweiler & Lucky Jack Russel live.

Paws draped over.

You may recall we had a vizzie from a coupla Mormon lads on their mission. They came back, only this time it was FREEZING. We chatted for a bit, I invited them in to the warm living room, but they weren't permitted to with just a single gal. So, I gave Elder LeSueur a hat & scarf to keep warm:

Flowers & sparkles--but warm! Both boys said when Maggie came trotting over to say hullo, "Oh, Maggie! You're still alive!" hahahaha Yup. Doing quite well, thank you.

Maggie this morning:

She did a long walk in the yard this a.m.

Heading back . . .

. . . but not yet!

So I went inside to get her breakfast.

Hullo.

Ready for breakfast!

Quote of the Day

2012-01-13T08:04:00.000-05:00

Oh, my old friend, Quote of the Day, it's been a long time!

From Kate, my yoga teacher this a.m.:

Compassion has no limit,

Kindness has no enemy.

HAPPY Birthday

2012-01-12T08:47:00.001-05:00

One year I opened up my new calendar to find a count down to Bill Hutton's birthday written in January of that year. Classic.

He refers to his life as The Bill Hutton Show and will tell me about episodes. He starts with,"Today on The Bill Hutton Show...." My favourite from last year is the My Dog Got Skunked episode wherein his golden retriever gets sprayed at 2 a.m. in the face. After exhausting all sprays, shampoos, and potions he follows the advice of a friend--or Mr. Internet, I can't remember which-- and goes hunting for a specific kind of douche. After going to a few stores, he finally found it at Walmart.

Yeah, it didn't work, either.

And I think his friend was just messing with him.

Then I found this photo & sent it to him of some random guy buying a douche at Walmart. Not as uncommon as you'd think.

Last Christmas he sent me an email: Gone But Not Forgotten . . . But Not Remembered Either. It was of his 2000 Christmas show from WKMZ, before he went to XM. So, so BRILLIANT. Here's a snippet.

I often sit with pen handy to jot down what he says because he's so funny. And we talk about everything and nothing; books and movies and stuff in general. He told me I should watch Archer. He described it as: "If James Bond were incompetent & got the job because of his mother." Still haven't watched it, but I loved his description.

He is sprinkled throughout my blog and has been a constant as I've navigated my way thru the last few years of change in my life; divorce, deaths, and moves. Not only one of the funniest people I know, but one of the kindest, too. He'll prolly go to the gym today, where "It's just me and the old people and the MILFs." Hahahaha

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

You're the BEST, Jerry!

Somebody That I Used to Know

2012-01-11T01:27:00.001-05:00

Loving this video:

Love this one, too:

Foggy Haiku

2012-01-10T09:04:00.000-05:00

Winter slumbering

Morning loveliness of trees

that reach in sculptures

Maggie on Monday

2012-01-09T18:10:00.000-05:00

I've been feeding Maggie raw food, and I've noticed that she's more mobile. She gets up and walks around more and likes to go sit on the front porch.

Can you imagine what she's watching so intently?

Hard to see, but Tabby Bobcat is in there hunting.

I was away this weekend and was too late to get Maggie to Mystic Pet on time. Fortunately, my mother, the dog tolerator, let Maggie spend the night in her sun room. Here's Maggie after our ride to Mum's:

*sniff*

Can you see what's in the background?

The neighbor's dog.

He started to come over to say hullo, but I told him to go back. And he did!

Disappearing. I'd seen him at Xmas with another dog that he kept body slamming into, & I didn't want him to do that to Maggie. He's a real sweetie, but better to be safe than sorry.

Here's Maggie all settled in on her bed:

I was a bit worried. I set up her water and food. And went in to take my things to my room. And she started barking. So I went to check on her. She was fine. I went back in to the kitchen to have a cup of tea with Mum & she started barking again.
Me: She's barking.
Mum: I don't hear her barking.
Me: Well, she is.
Mum: Well I'm not deaf. I can hear. And I don't hear her barking.
Me: Just because you don't hear her, doesn't mean she isn't.
Mum: Well! You cahn't keep going in there. Just let her bark, she'll settle down.
Me: *sigh* She's in a strange place and alone. Of course she's barking.
Mum: You coddle her too much.

Yeah. No argument there! So I gave her some benedryl in some cheese and let her settle on her bed. And she fell asleep and slept thru the night. Saturday morning I took her to Mystic Pet until I picked her back up on Monday. We drove thru some snowy-rainy-icy weather, but made it home:

All cozy in the office with Tabby. Zzzzzzz

Sunsets

2012-01-07T07:50:00.000-05:00

One thing I appreciate is sunrises and sunsets. The sunrises here have been, for the most part, rather underwhelming. I spoze it's something I'll get used to, just as I did when I transitioned from the Bay House to the River House. In the meantime, I've really enJOYed the sunsets, something that wasn't all that spectacular at the River House!

Bonus pic of Maggie watching the sunset. :-)

My Labyrinth Journal

2012-01-04T08:23:00.002-05:00

I printed out The Labyrinth Journal & had it bound with blank pages at my local office supply store, which makes it a bit hefty. This is what it looks like:

Tabs for the months of the year. And . . .

The cover is a clear sheet, so I used dimensional paint (Scribbles) & traced the lines of the labyrinth. Easier to stay in the lines! Plus it looks way cool.

And yes! So far, I've journaled every day. All 4 in 2012, so far. :-)

Convo with John Morgan

2012-01-03T13:35:00.000-05:00

John's description of the sales woman who assisted him at Nordstrom's:

She had the Nordstrom Look. You know the kind--some type of pantsuit with a tableclothy thing draped around.

I'm thinking, Tablecloth? [insert gentle truck driver laugh]

Yeah, a shawl wrapped around the neck that hangs down, looks long enough to be a tablecloth.

Oh.

Maggie on Monday

2012-01-02T10:36:00.000-05:00

I've pruned thru a few dog beds, but still have one in every room for Maggie. Like the kitchen:

Where she's not using it. Fortunately, she doesn't get stuck on the slippery floor like Millie used to. See her right eye-dot raised? So cute.

I was cleaning/rearranging/organizing my office when Maggie trotted in and planted herself:

Right in the middle of it all!

Hullo.

We interrupt this post for an obligatory photo of Maggie sleeping:

Cuteness.

Sometimes Maggie barks to go out, and then:

And then plants herself with the door open. letting the fresh air in (Il fait frais!) and the warm air out.

Outside by the ramp:

*sniff* *sniff*

Basking in the winter sun.

Coming back in. Or not. Sometimes she barks and then sits down.

This week she was in the office with me and stood up and barked. I said, "Out?" Her ears prick up and her brow furrows, like they do, and she heads out the door . . . into the bedroom where she barks up at Tabby, who is curled up on my bed. Tabby stands up, makes a trilling noise and leaps down. And they both go outside. If Tabby is outside, I don't always hear that she wants to come in, but Maggie does. She stands in the kitchen barking toward the front door. "Out?" I say. And she stands there. Then I hear Tabby scratching on the door and I go let her in. It took a while before I noticed--but now I'm trained. ;-)

Minding Your Mitochondria

2012-01-01T21:35:00.000-05:00

AWESOME video from Dr. Terry Wahls who reversed her M.S. thru her diet.

Now I'm going to go eat some brussel sprouts. :-)

Maggie on Monday

2011-12-26T17:10:00.000-05:00

It's much warmer here than it was at the River House. Maggie likes to hang out in the yard.

Eye dots!

*sniff*

Her spot by the rose bush.

Rose bush from the front angle.

Hullo.

So I got festive and took some Christmasy photos:

These are the best ones where she didn't shake the hat off her head!

lick lick

sniff sniff

More eye dot action!

We had a quick vizzie from nephew Rowan:

She's so good with him and he is so sweet with her!

And that was our week. Pleasantly uneventful and ordinary. She's so funny. I finally realized that sometimes when she barks at the door, it's not because she wants to go out but it's because she hears the cat on the porch wanting to come in. Sure enough, there's Tabby whipping in as soon as I open the door! :-)

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T09:05:00.000-05:00

It's a wonderful life.

Festive Friday

2011-12-23T01:27:00.001-05:00

On the way to a Celtic Christmas concert, we saw some AWESOME Xmas lights:

At Brother Atlasta's house last night:

Mum: What's that hideous wreath?
Brother: Shhhh! Marlene made that wreath. [in kindergarten]
Mum: Oh. Well. It's very . . . eh . . . nice.
Me: Hahahahaha

The Labyrinth Journal

2011-12-21T14:22:00.002-05:00

UPDATE: If you went to the Etsy site to buy The Labyrinth Journal & it was marked "Sold," I've now rectified that & you can buy it now. [Just getting started with the shop, working out the kinks, learning curve, whatnot] Thanks, Susan! :-) H.

For years I've been making labyrinth journals for friends, ever since I created my own walking labyrinth in the backyard. So this year I've created The Labyrinth Journal for everyone: labyrinth enthusiasts, writers, creative & non-creative types.

It's a 72-page DIY pdf that you can download & print for yourself. In it I've included:

Labyrinths: Cretan / Classical, Chartres Cathedral, & 4 original designs: heart, ocean wave, butterfly, & pine/Christmas tree labyrinths
How to draw your own labyrinths free-hand or with a compass
How to USE labyrinths with intention to create what you want in your life.
The Journal part: thoughtful journal prompts, inspirational quotes, & easy-peasy-non-drawing art activities to jazz up your journal. Get as colourful & fancy-pants as you want.
Resources for websites, books, etc. on labyrinths, personal development, etc.
2012 calendar, along with December 2011

The journal is designed to encourage you to journal everyday, not in a stressed-out, gotta do one more thing kinda way, but as a creative prompting. Doing something consistently, if only for 5 minutes, helps to prime the pump. It's like turning on the faucet of flowing creativity.

You can use the cover provided, or gussy up & personalize this one.

Like this:

Done with layers of coloured pencils.

So here's the deal: from now until the last day of Christmas [waiting for you to do Christmas math in your head] on Jan. 6th, I'm selling The Labyrinth Journal in my Etsy shop for $4.95. 'member when paperbacks were only $4.95? Ah, the good ol' days. Well, I'm nostalgic like that.

I also will have a Labyrinth Journal page. I invite you to send photos of your labyrinths to display here. Here's to 2012: HAPPY Journaling!

In the Woods

2011-12-21T01:27:00.001-05:00

In the woods outside Mum's house is an old delivery van. I've taken pix of it from far away, but on Saturday, Chiro-sis & I decided to take the kiddlie-winks for a walk. So we went to investigate:

Sunset on Overall Beach

2011-12-20T01:27:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Christmas at Mum's this past Saturday. We looked out the window, and snow flurries! The kids ran out and starting catching snowflakes on their tongues. I knew that the sunset would be pretty spectacular, so I got in the car to race down to the bridge to take some pix. My nephew & niece jumped in with me & off we went.

Mum's driveway.

Shenandoah River. That little land mass is Overall Beach.

And then! My nephew jumped over the guard rail and ran down the mountain side!

All the way down to the river.

He did this twice, and on the third time, my niece got brave and decided to go down as well. On her backside.

See the River House across the river up on the hill?

Hullo! The photo doesn't do this justice. It's REALLY steep & far down!

OK, kids. Come on back, now!

GORGEOUS day.

Maggie on Monday

2011-12-19T19:18:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we celebrated Christmas at Mum's. So I loaded Maggie into the car on Saturday morning and drove to Luray to Mystic Pet before heading over to Mum's.When she walked in the door, she headed straight for the groom room where she usually stays. But it was rather busy with grooming and dogs. So we took her back outside and took her thru the cat room. She was desperate for a bath, so when I got back on Sunday afternoon, she was all nice and fluffy:

Here she is when I came back to pick her up. See her blurry tail wagging?

We started her on a raw diet. Lena says her senior dog is doing really well on it, and Maggie ate it right up.

Anytime Gareth is in the room, that's where she goes.

Hullo.

Behind the counter, settled in.

Gareth calls this his "Fireside" pose. Just imagine his elbow on a mantle.

Gareth went to feed the other dogs in the kennel, and Lena and I took Maggie outside to load her up. She wandered around and then sat down:

What are you looking at Maggie?

So alert.

Of course. She saw Gareth in the kitchen doing food prep!

Lena said that Gareth misses Millie, but that she was grumpier than Maggie. Maggie is ever cheerful!

Loading up:

Saying goodbye to Lena.

Back home, this morning:

On the front porch, overlooking her domain. Life is good. :-)

Jack & Jill

2011-12-16T22:03:00.002-05:00

Jack and Jill are a brother & sister black lab mix who were picked out by their owner when they were 8 weeks old. They lived with him for 10 years. One day he took them to an animal shelter and left them. He told the shelter that he was moving to North Carolina and didn't want to take them with him. You may wonder what kind of person does this. Apparently a minister.

I promised I would do a posting for them. I wish I could take them; I already have a soft spot for senior dogs--and abandoned ones at that. According to the woman who rescued them, they don't have any health issues, age-related or otherwise. If you're reading this and know anyone who might be interested in giving these two a forever home, you can email: dojennings [AT] comcast [DOT] net. You do not have to be in the Richmond area, we can help get them to wherever you are.

HAPPY Anniversary, John & Mel!

2011-12-14T00:56:00.000-05:00

It's a rare thing when you meet a couple who are really happy together. There's a Jack for every Jill, and that would be John & Mel. It's the kind of relationship where they finish each other's sentences, and Mel tells John what he's thinking. Haha

They have been dear family friends for years and Mel is the Crossword Queen with Mum on Sundays. John is the Fix It King. When I first moved into the River House, he saved me from burning down the house from a dryer fire. He is also one of the funniest people I know & he & Mel together are very entertaining. I tell them that they could have their own reality show.

At the River House, fishin' on the Shenandoah.

Hullo.

That's some kind of fancy-fish. And see what his T-shirt says?

John & Mel helped Mum by transporting the red cup holder chair over to her place from the River House. John suggested labels for the cup holders: Snooze Button & Ejector Button. Hahahaha

John & Mel at the end of moving day. I could not have done it without them.

They are some of the kindest, most positive people I know. John Morgan has often said to me, "Always leave people in a better place than you found them." John & Mel do just that. So HAPPY Anniversary! You make the world a better place to be with your kindness and generosity of spirit. I wish you all the BEST for a BEAUTIFUL day!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2011-12-13T08:24:00.000-05:00

. . . at Chiro-sister's house:

She always has such a flare.

I LOVE this little tree.

At my house, it's not Christmassy at all. I like the idea of decorating. I love all these homey-decorating blogs where everything changes with the seasons. Cute Autumn into Halloween into T-day into Xmas decorations. My current favourite isBrenda at Cozy Little House. She has helped me define what I want my cozy little house to be: less retro, more cottagey-farmhouse-ish. I think once the seminar season is over, I'll get a bit more inspired. Until then, I'm cozy with Maggie & Tabby Bobcat.

Millie on Monday

2011-12-12T20:24:00.000-05:00

I've been playing with Picnik, an online photo editing site. Since it's Christmas, I thought I'd pick one of my favourite photos of Millie. And then as I was playing with it, of course I'm getting a bit teary and misty and missing her. My sweet Millie.

Maggie on Monday

2011-12-12T18:02:00.000-05:00

Inside

She's such a funny girl. Sometimes she's in my office and she'll maneuver herself under my desk. There's not really room for her, like under the kitchen table. It doesn't stop her, tho.

Maggie's eye dot action!

Not going anywhere.

The house isn't too terribly big--I don't have the space that I did at the River House. So if I'm going back 'n' forth between the office & kitchen & I'm not staying in one place, she'll come into the hallway and plant herself in the middle. She's resting her head on the lovely blue painter's tape along the hall carpet runner. So she doesn't slip 'n' slide.

From the other end of the hallway.

Outside

Nestled into the bushes.

Ever vigilant.

Visitors

Unlike the River House, I have occasion to get unexpected visitors. Thus, Elder Lesueur (not pronounced Le-sewer, but Le-SWEE-er) & Elder Huckzinger, 2 Mormon lads came to my porch. Yes, Mum--gentlemen callers. We had a delightful chat on the front porch & they were very sweet with Maggie & Tabby Bobcat. I gave them a box of chocolate truffles to take with them, which they left behind & then I realized, "D'OH! Caffeine! They wouldn't be eating chocolate." Oh well! More chocolate for someone else who knows me.

Elder Lesueur taking Maggie's photo. It turns out he's from Mesa, AZ, home to the Brimhall clan. I asked if he knew them & he said his mother prolly did. So I emailed her--mostly just to tell her how nice it was to meet her son and that she can be very proud of him. And yes, she knows the Brimhalls. Small world!

Another Outdoor Day

Where're you going, Mag?

Maggie debating whether to come up the ramp just yet . . .

Because:

Maybe I'll stay here awhile.

And what you can't see with the photos all that much is how she's sniffing the air:

*Sniff*

And thus ends another exciting week in the life of my sweet Maggie.

Maggie on Monday

2011-12-05T01:27:00.004-05:00

Outside

We've had some frosty mornings, but not days-on-end winter, yet. Autumn is definitely at the end; the leaves are off the trees, as evidenced by my driveway & yard.

Maggie hanging out. Brother Atlasta came over & cut off the top part of the railing so that Maggie could see over. She didn't like that top rail in the way. Atlasta says it's natural for animals to want to look over when they're up high. She was used to looking over to the left at the River House. Step-step-step, stop 'n' look.

Hullo.

Watching Tabby Bobcat.

Tabby Bobcat watching something--prolly a squirrel.

Sunday Morning:

Coming down the ramp.

Hey! Wha' happened to all the leaves? Lawnmower Paul came on Saturday.

Maggie goes to investigate.

And looks for a place to nestle in. She really liked her leaves! I got some scissors to prune that prickly bush she's sitting next to, but she didn't appreciate all the snippy-snippy of it, so she moved . . .

Over here. Next to a fire grate & hammer that Lawnmower Paul unearthed during the Deleafing Fest.

Back up the ramp.

Cozy on the porch. This is where I sit when Maggie's outside. See the broom by the door? This is where Fisherman Willie would say I keep it there for a quick get-away. Hahaha

I was webcamming with XM Radio Guy & he was asking how Maggie is doing. She's still picky about her food, and I'm hand feeding her at times. I'm making chicken soup for her. On Friday afternoon I drove to a vet in Midlothian to get some samples of Honest Kitchen, a raw dog food. It was an 80 minute round trip, which is spit compared to what I used to drive. Anyway, glad I got the samples because she is not a fan. So XM Radio Guy does an imitation of me:

"Now I'm chewing her food for her and feeding her like a mother bird."
"Her kidneys aren't working, so I'm using mine to filter hers."

Hahahaha She's as cheerful as ever, but I'd like her to gain a bit more weight.

She has this funny little habit of waiting until I'm in the shower to start barking. So I get out--is someone at the door? Do you need to go out? Do you need water, food, what? It took a while for me to notice that this was a pattern. So now I just expect her to bark when she hears the shower. And then she settles in the hallway by the bathroom door. *sigh* Funny girl.

Morgan in the Morning*

2011-11-28T10:03:00.001-05:00

You all know that I work for John Morgan Seminars. Since I've been with the company for almost 5 years, I've watched thousands of people go to our seminars to stop smoking and lose weight. I've talked to some very grateful people. The smoking seminar seems the most miraculous because it's the most immediate: we've had 2-pack a dayers walk out non-smokers after a 2-hour seminar. People who have tried everything. One guy who was a meth addict & said cigarettes were worse than any drug he'd tried to get off.

While the smoking stories are dramatic, the weight loss ones are more than just about losing weight. One guy who wanted to lose weight, yes. But the main concern was his high blood pressure that the 2 different medications he was on, couldn't control. Within 3 weeks, he dropped 17 lbs. AND his blood pressure was normal and he was off his meds. He went on to lose 40 lbs. This is like many people's stories; they lose the weight, but they also have other benefits. It's like the opposite of Big Pharma "side effects." Warning, attending our seminars could result in increased energy and smiles for no reason. But I digress.

We are having a holiday sale. I work to get our seminars across the country in as many major cities as possible. But sometimes it's not possible. That's where the seminars on DVD come in. You can get the smoking or weight loss seminar on DVD and it works as if you attended a seminar. I had a friend get the weight loss DVD & she said she didn't really feel any different. But she noticed the next day that instead of her usual lunch, she chose a salad instead. There was no will power, no conscious forcing herself to change her diet. She just did it. The beauty of this program is that it gets you in tune with your own body and what it needs. We all have an innate wisdom and it can guide you if you listen. John Morgan helps you to listen. And YES, we've had smokers successfully become non-smokers after watching the DVD.

Most people wait until New Year's and then they make some fluffy resolution that lasts until noon-ish on January 1st. Tap into your own innate wisdom and go with your body instead of trying to force it. It's just so much easier.

DVDs are normally $49.95, now more than HALF off!

YES, you can stop smoking!

Go to John Morgan Seminars to check out the sale. While you're there, we also have a lot of other programs. My favourite is still this:

I can't say enough about this. It's an amazingly simple process that helps you to transform your self-image, which drives everything! The first time I heard this was shortly after I'd started working for John. I was on the phone with him, as per usual, and I was experiencing a lot of anxiety. He did this process with me for a few minutes, and the knot I'd been experiencing in my stomach for months, melted away. I felt a sense of calm that I'd not felt in a long time. This IMPROVE YOUR SELF IMAGE CD is the gift that keeps giving. I often fall asleep to it.

The CDs are normally $29.95, so this is AWESOME to get them for over HALF off. GREAT stocking stuffers. There are lots of titles to choose from, but if you don't know what to get, get the latest-greatest, Accomplish Anything. You program yourself for whatever you want to accomplish. This recording was the answer to all those people who came up after a seminar and said, "I know this helps with weight-loss & smoking, but could it help me with ________?"

You can also get Virtual Massage, my CD. If you go to my website, it's $19.95. You can get if for half off if you order if from John Morgan. The only other time I sell it for half off is if you see me in person. So, enough of my yakking. Go check out the sale!

*Morgan in the Morning: John has had an illustrious, award-winning career in radio. This was the name of his radio show for many years.

Maggie on Monday

2011-11-28T01:27:00.003-05:00

I'm writing this in the kitchen as Maggie is asleep at my feet. She is flicking her feet and running in her sleep. Catch the squirrel, Maggie! Catch the squirrel!

As at the River House, there are dog beds in every room, except that there's not as much room as there was at the River House! One of her favourite spots when I'm sitting at the table is to nestle in under the table, so I put one of her beds there. Here she is:

Zzzzzz . . . . Notice her bone & pig's ear chew? There they sit for weeks & months.

Here she is from another angle:

There are some things that happen that I don't capture on camera because if I interrupt them to take a picture, they are lost. One was watching Tabby Bobcat grooming Maggie. She was licking all around her head. It was so sweet. Another was when I came home from the gym and Maggie was in the LR thumping her tail hello to me. I was petting her and then in comes Tabby, and Maggie looks over at her and starts thumping her tail at Tabby. So sweet. She still gets snarly if Tabby goes near her food bowl, but I don't think that will ever change!

Yesterday was so GORGEOUS, I left the front door open and Maggie spent a large portion of the day on the front porch, going in & out. At one point, she was nestled into a pile of leaves and Tabby went and pounced on her tail! So funny!

She's sleeping thru the night most nights; altho I've had a few midnight / 2 AM feed me Bark Fests. I was really annoyed and then thought that I should stop being annoyed because at least she's here with me and she's eating. I'll have to take her for another vet vizzie, but she continues to improve. So that was our week. Not terribly eventful, which is fine with me!

In GRATITUDE of Cakewrecks

2011-11-23T15:19:00.000-05:00

In case I don't get around to a Thanksgiving-ish post, I threw "gratitude" in there for good measure. Of course anyone who knows me, knows that it's heartfelt & sincere. [insert eye-roll from Mum] I ADORE Cakewrecks. It's my favourite blog, calendar & go-to birthday gift.

So last month, Jen & John of Cakewrecks came to my new town, Richmond to promote their new book, Wreck the Halls. WOO-HOO! As if I didn't love these guys enough already, look at who is gracing the laptop:

<3 Hobbes. Brother Atlasta's 3 girls, 5-10 all LOVE Calvin & Hobbes. Youngest Marlene IS Calvin. ;-) "Daddy, when you were my age, was Calvin & Hobbes YOUR favourite book, too?" "No, sweetie. It didn't come out until Daddy was in college." "WHAT????!!!!" She was suitably outraged.

And this wasn't done intentionally, but look what they did on the cover of the new book:

*snort* PrEfessional! This presentation was AWESOME. They need to put it on YouTube!

Shot of Glutonium (non-GF) cake with many homages to wrecks.

Cupcake contest! Fans are invited to recreate their favourite wrecks:

V. appropriate for this T-day season. For originals, click HERE.

Camo-wedding cake. I think this was the winner.

C-section cake. Ew. There was a little boy here who kept asking his mother what this was. She said THAT was going to make for an interesting convo in the car ride home!

Ah, belly cakes! See her matching finger nails to the one on the cupcake?

This gal drove all the way from NC!

john & Jen Yate. He took her name when they got married. And spells john with no capital because she's the head honcho of the Cakewrecks operation. These guy ROCK!

John & Jen stayed til the v. end. I was the penultimate fan (YES! Finally getting to use that 8th grade vocabulary word)! right in front of Belly Cupcake Gal. So I asked Jen a few questions--now I wish I'd done something more official. While I was waiting in line, I called John Morgan and he asked me, "What are you going to ask her when she signs your book?" I hadn't really thought about it. As a professional interviewer, he was the guy to give me some guidance. I asked him what he would ask. He said that one of the questions he asked any of the celebrities he spoke with was, "What was the first thing you bought after you made a lot of money?"

So I did a variation of that question and asked, "How did you know that this was bigger than just a blog that you did for fun?" Jen said the first time was when they'd been getting 200 hits a day and there was a review somewhere and the next day they had 50,000 hits. The second time was when they were on their first book tour where John landed in a Texas ICU with the plague. Kidding. It was pneumonia and the flu. They had just left the hospital and went to a laundry mat to do laundry because they were out of clean underwear. Cockroaches every where. John is still hacking up his lungs. And Jen's cell phone rings and it's her publisher calling to tell her that Cakewrecks is on the NY Times best seller's list. Cockroaches everywhere! "It was the most surreal moment, standing there in a laundry mat, cockroaches everywhere and we're on the NY Times best sellers list."

I also asked about a calendar (no 2012, no time due to new book). I told Jen that I make cards out of Cakewrecks. This is my most recent one for my nephew, a die hard Cakewrecks fan:

So in this season of Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for Cakewrecks. :-)

Maggie on Monday

2011-11-21T07:01:00.001-05:00

I've discovered something new about Maggie: she doesn't like closed doors! At the River House, it was wide open and I didn't close any doors. Here on a few cold mornings, I've turned on the heat in the office and closed the door. Except. Maggie gets up and barks at the door as if she needs to go out and then! Sits down so I can't close the door.

Here she is after breakfast, resting in her food bowl. (Still using paper, she doesn't like eating from metal or anything clangy from her dog tags, even if I take off her collar when she's in the house)!

My sweet eye-dot girl. :-)

Outside:

This has become one of her favourite spots to nestle in; by the pruning-deprived, thornless rose bush.

In the meantime, here's Tabby Bobcat:

Lollygaggin' about.

And here comes Maggie, back up the ramp:

Does Tabby move out of the way?

Pretending not to notice Maggie.

*sigh*

Back in the office:

Another meal finished.

I've switched her food to Taste of the Wild kibble, and I'm mixing it with their canned food. She stopped eating the Precise, even when I was mixing it with homecooked, organic chicken. So she's eating more consistently now. One night, she woke me up, barking on her pillow, but didn't get up. I make sure she has water and food in the kitchen before I go to bed, because she's woken me up before if the water bowl isn't completely full--no half-way full for her. So I'm saying to her in my sleepy-foggy-stupor, "What is it, girl? Trouble at the old mill?" Kidding. "What do you want?" She's just sitting on her bed. So I go get her food bowl and bring it in to her. That's what she wanted and didn't want to get up! [insert eye roll from Mum] But then, the next morning:

*sigh* Clean up time.

Brother Atlasta was over yesterday. GORGEOUS day! We were sitting on the front porch and he was watching Maggie walk about, sniffing and whatnot and remarked at how much better she looked, and how well she was walking. Yes, she's getting back to normal--as normal as she can be for an old gal. My sweet Maggie. :-)

Maggie on Monday

2011-11-14T01:27:00.001-05:00

I had a request to see the completed ramp. Well, almost completed. Brother Atlasta needs to put on the last 2X4, but it's completely functional. And if the end of the world happens, it will survive along with cockroaches & maraschino cherries.

Aaaaand this is where Tabby likes to lounge--especially when Maggie is outside!

Maggie coming up the ramp.

BEAUTIFUL fall day; Maggie on the front porch.

Looking over here domain.

Hullo. Her eye-dots get me everytime! Left . . .

. . . right.

Aaaaand Tabby on the ramp.

Hullo.

Saturday night I was going thru movies and found some ones I'd forgotten about. Maggie is a waggy gal. And this is classic Maggie wagging with Millie getting inconvenienced:

SO FUNNY! Millie is appropriately grumpy. :-)

Labyrinth Deconstruction

2011-11-11T09:01:00.001-05:00

Last month, chiro-sis & I went back to the River House to dismantle the labyrinth. I was going to leave it for the new tenants to decide if they wanted it. But if they didn't, and the property manager had said they didn't express any interest in it, then what? They would destroy it. I thought it better to do it with care than to look at it as a bunch of rocks to get rid of. I'd already had my first labyrinth destroyed by my ex-husband, who for good measure had decapitated all my little fairy angels. I didn't want that to happen again. Labyrinths are sacred. I spent a lot of time in my labyrinth walking in prayerful meditation, so I needed to be just as conscious in the deconstruction as the construction. So here are a few pix from our journey back to walk the labyrinth one last time:

Long stretch of Page Valley Rd. along the river, just after Indian Grave Ridge.

View off back porch:

Where the hummingbirds rest.

Favourite poplar tree to left.

Where I saw my first backyard bear.

Overlooking clothes line. *sigh* I miss my clothes line!

First thing: get water. I REALLY miss my water!

Chiro-sis walking the labyrinth.

In the center.

View from the labyrinth.

Me.

Barn that I never used.

My dog Remi used to rub up against this bush until I reached the center of the labyrinth. Then he would trot over and sit beside me and lean into my leg. Bittersweet memories.

Last pic before we began the dismantling.

Found lots of these little guys.

All done.

We loaded about a 3rd of the rocks into the car.

We put the rest of the rocks along side the house. Just in time, Neighbor Dave & Carol pulled up the driveway. He eyed my car said, "Don't you have rocks at your new house?" And then suggested that I may want to get rid of a few to lighten the load. You know, so I could drive home. And then he told me all the things that could go wrong carrying all those rocks. So we took a few more out. It was so funny, tho. Ruth was taking one out and I said, "Not that one!" and I took it from her & put it back. I know Neighbor Dave must've thought we were nuts! But I'm sure that he came by just to save us from blowing out my tires on the highway.

On the way out, I took a few more pix:

I took a lot of pix of my favourite cow field. Hullo.

This road doesn't look so steep going UP it. When it's not covered in ice & raining.

Aaaaaand here are the rocks in their new location, waiting to be in a new labyrinth:

Doesn't look like all that much!

Site of new labyrinth. Coming soon. :-)

Fall Foilage*

2011-11-10T18:36:00.001-05:00

Thought I'd show a few pix of the beautiful trees 'n' leaves in my yard. So excited to have maple leaves! They go from green to yellow to orange to red. GORGEOUS! So gorge. Today has been cold & rainy. As the day has gone on, it's gotten more & more dreary. But it's nice 'n' cozy inside, so no complaints. :-)

Show off.

Close up of the Show Off Tree.

This is on my road along the lake:

Reminds me of Page Valley Rd. where I used to live. Except it's paved. And has guard rails. And people.

I took these pix of the lake one misty morning:

View out my office window. I see hearts wherever I go. :-) <3

*Yes, I know, it's really FOLIAGE. I'm just saying FOILAGE because it's funny.

Goo Goo Dolls 11/7/11

2011-11-09T07:29:00.002-05:00

Chiro-sis & I saw the Goo Goo Dolls at the National Theatre on Monday. WOO-HOO! AWESOMEness. Last time we were up front, but this time we decided to go to the balcony. I've never done that except for U2 in a stadium, so it was a different experience. We came in at the end of the opening act & found our place further back. We had a great view of the stage, and it's not like we would miss the wall of sound from anywhere in that theatre. One of the best things was the music playing before the GGD came on. They played Magnificent Seven by The Clash! Back in college (the first time) I made a T-shirt that said, "Vacuum cleaner sucks up budgie. Oh nooooooo!" Good times. So chiro-sis & I were bobble-heading along. Here are few pix from the show:

Guess which song they're playing?

Something about a black balloon, perhaps? ;-)

We kind of found ourselves in the family section. These 2 girls were there with their dad. And yes, they had ear plugs. Good job, Dad!

The only thing I tweeted was about making fish faces at one of the girls. ;-)

Aaaaand more pix:

So I went back 'n' forth between taking pix & filming. Toward the END of the concert, this usher girl comes up during Become & tells me there's no videotaping allowed. Hahahaha Are you kidding me? Usher Girl, meet the Goo Goo Dolls. What randomness that I got singled out, and she was so serious; which of course I found v. amusing.

I wasn't planning on doing a YouTube post because the sound quality on my camera isn't the best. However, I did post this because Johnny does a funny bit of giving away his clothes:

Me: They played all my favourite songs.
XM Radio Guy: Of course they did.

Maggie on Monday

2011-11-07T01:27:00.001-05:00

Last Sunday, I had a bit of a scare with Maggie. I had ordered her Deramaxx from PetMeds, but they didn't come. Living out in the wilderness, the longest they ever took was 5 days. I ordered on Oct. 22nd, I got them Nov. 5th. The tracking said they arrived at the Richmond P.O. on the 26th--and there they apparently stayed! In the meantime, I'd made another order of a glucosamine supplement after that which came in 2 days! So, long story short (too late), Maggie went 2 days without Deramaxx on a rainy weekend and had a rough time of it. Her hind legs were so stiff and she couldn't walk. So I went to Brother Atlasta's & SIL gave me some of their dog's arthritis medication. Then I called chiro-sister and she came over to adjust Maggie.

Ruth adjusts Maggie with an activator, an instrument that is gentle.

We managed to get Maggie outside with some support but she still couldn't walk by herself. I was sort of expecting a chiropractic miracle, but alas! Not to be. So then we got her back inside and settled back onto her bed in the kitchen. Then I went over to Brother Atlasta's and when I came back, Maggie was in her usual spot in the living room when she's waiting for me to come home. She could walk again! So I turned on the TV & then went to the kitchen & when I came back, she had moved again to her spot where she get's massaged when I watch TV.

I called Claws & Paws first thing on Monday morning & took her in. SIL came over & helped me get Maggie up the ramp & into the car. The visit lasted a while. Dr. Morgan was wonderful & said the combination of no Deramaxx & a rainy weekend put her in a lot of pain. She gave Maggie a Deramaxx & started her on Tramadol, another pain med. I had to laugh because she put a tramadol on top of a tongue depressor of baby food & held it out for her to eat. Haha I said, "She can see that. She won't eat it." So then she pushed it down into the food & Maggie licked the glob off the depressor. And spat out the pill. Pleh. So Dr. Morgan said, "We'll have to do this the old fashioned way," & got it into Maggie's mouth & didn't let go until she swallowed. She had asked me about Maggie's goopy eyes. I've been rinsing them out for months & applying an eye ointment due to a blocked tear duct. However, she said, "I'm going to give you some Cyclosporine; it looks like an infection." One application that night, and the next morning I wasn't having to rinse out her eyes. Haven't had to since.

She's lost a bit a weight since Millie died. She lost interest in her food, so I've been crock potting chicken & veggies, beef, etc. & mixing it in with Taste of the Wild, a new brand. She's eating better now. The vet did an I.V. of fluids subcutaneously, so she sorta looked like a camel. She also got a pedicure.

Here she is the following day, after the vet vizzie.

Nestled into the mulch.

Love this pic--looking a bit like her sister with the wrinkled forehead, but with her eye-dot action.

Hanging with Tabby Bobcat.

She sniffed out this headless squirrel around the side of the house. (Squirrel courtesy of Tabby Bobcat. *sigh*)

Getting cozy & settled.

Eye dot action. :-)

I've been using the portable ramp since the move. It's only 2 steps. Except. Maggie doesn't like to go down it, so I have to sort of carry-guide her along. Saturday I pulled a rib out & sprained my back, according to chiro-sister. So she adjusted me, percussed, & iced it. It's about 80% better today & I was able to help Brother Atlasta build a permanent ramp.

Tabby Bobcat lying on the ramp part. Brother Atlasta with a 2 X 4. Haha

Aaaaand she doesn't care.

Brother Atlasta estimated it'd take us 1-2 hours. Or 6. I got to use a nail gun for the first time. He said I could tell people that my brother says I'm good at screwing. Haha

Maggie came out to watch the construction.

Hullo.

Well. I should've taken a pic of the finished ramp. But Maggie did go down it with some coaxing. So it's going to work just fine. THANKS to my brother. :-) And that was our exciting week. Maggie is doing MUCH better. It was about a year ago that she had vertigo & I thought I was going to lose her. And now she's bounced back. I will NEVER risk running out of her meds again!

Labyrinth Walk

2011-11-06T23:09:00.000-05:00

I found this labyrinth a coupla miles from chiro-sister's house on Labyrinth Locator. Every labyrinth is different and every walk is different, even when it's the same labyrinth you're walking.

This was concrete inlay with a path made of tiny gravel. Ruth looked at it & said, "This is it?" It sort of looked nondescript. It looked deceptively smallish, but it took quite a while to walk. It was a really sweet labyrinth & a wonderful walk.

Heading back to the car.

Make a wish!

Maggie on Monday

2011-10-31T14:34:00.000-04:00

I want to apologize for abandoning M&M Mondays since Millie died. I'm still in the middle of getting settled in my little Lake House. But I'm turning over a new leaf and beginning again. Maggie is still with me & I still take tons of pictures, so I'm going to share some today. [Insert eye roll from Mum. Hahahaha]. Unlike Millie, Maggie doesn't often just go outside & hang out. She goes out when I take her out, mostly. And she comes and joins me when I go and sit out on the front porch.

Her spot on the front porch. Note portable ramp to right. I miss the River House ramp!

SO SWEET.

This is her spot on the walk way. Paws draped over. SO CUTE.

"What's this?"

Yoo-hoo, Mags!

Hullo. Notice eye-dot action.

In the grass.

Another day on the walk way, joined by Tabby Bobcat.

They're really sweet together except when Tabby goes for an food source around Maggie.

Eye-dots!

Today we had a visit with our new vet, Dr. Trisha Morgan at Claws & Paws. AWESOMEness. I will save that story for next week, but suffice to say, we are well and good. :-) Now on to my regularly scheduled afternoon.

A Few Fall Pix

2011-10-26T10:52:00.000-04:00

Am woefully lacking in the blog dept. I never even mentioned I was in the October issue of Reader's Digest. Too late, November is out now. I found out when I went to the Cakewrecks book signing last Friday night in Richmond. Oh yeah, that's another post! And have abandoned M&M Mondays now that I'm down to only one M. :-( I also dismantled the River House labyrinth on Sunday with chiro-sister. Will get caught up. Sometime. In the meantime, a few autumn-yummy-fall-foilage pix from my back yard:

Dogwood tree.

Leaves just starting to be fallish. See the bear? Kidding. That's the stump that Lawmower Paul moved out of the yard. It reminds me of the bears from the River House, & it kinda looks like Maggie from the back with her head tilt. From the office window, it looks like Remi from behind, looking over the lake. :-)

Misty morning.

This is one of my favourite views.

Back up the path.

I see hearts wherever I go.

I heart Maggie. And her eye dots. :-)

Know Anyone?

2011-10-19T13:25:00.001-04:00

My friend Mari is working to find someone to help build a ramp so that this little blind, deaf Jack Russel can stay with her owner. You can read the whole posting here.

Update: I think Mari has found someone to help with a ramp. :-)

Adventures in Customer Service

2011-10-19T13:16:00.001-04:00

They Had Me at Reply
I've used 1-800-Pet Meds for a while now. I started when I was at the River House & going to the vet was an hour & a half round trip to pick up M&M's Deramaxx. It's been fast, convenient, & saved me time & money. I got an email yesterday from them about some soon-to-expire bonus points. Anyway, they personalized the email with this: Millie doesn't want you to lose your loyalty credit.

I've never done this on a standard sales email, but I hit reply & wrote:

I doubt there's anyone there to read this, but reading this:

Millie doesn't want you to lose your loyalty credit.

made me a bit sad. Millie died last month & I miss her very much. Maggie, however, is still with me. We will make an order soon. Thanks, Hali Chambers

They responded within the hour: Hali, we are very sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved pet, Millie. We hope the memories will help you and your family through this difficult time. We have updated our files. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

They followed up with a sweet sympathy email. Who's a customer for life, now? I emailed & told them so.

Going Loco--I mean LOCAL
I know there are a bunch of protests going on about banks. Um, & being the non-activist, political type person, that's about all I know except what Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert tell me. But I do know this: my bank, BB&T starting slapping me with a $20-a-month "maintenance fee" withdrawn from my account. I called & they said it was because I didn't maintain a $4000-a-month balance in my checking account. I said to Eric, the guy I was talking to, "Eric, how many people do you know who maintain a $4000-a-month balance in their checking accounts?" He said, "This is not about me personally, blah blah blah." So we ended up switching to a different kind of account where I'm only paying $10 a month. Oh, thank you, Darth Banker.

The reason I went with BB&T in the first place was that when I moved to the outskirts of Luray, VA 4 years ago, I wanted to have a bank I could keep and not have to switch when I eventually moved. I also liked the convenience of online banking. Since the move to civilization, and the Maintenance Fee Pillaging, I've been looking at other options. I found Central Bank of VA, 4 miles from my house. Local as local gets.The whole experience was like stepping into a game show. Friendly greetings (minus the clapping), & as I was opening my accounts I kept saying things like, "You mean I get free ______, too?" No "maintenance fees," no hidden costs. My bank gal, Stephanie, was SO NICE.

You know all those businesses who try to convince you they care? You know the ones; with the crappy customer service but the shiny-happy people in all the TV ads. This is not them. People remember you for how you make them feel. As John Morgan says, "Always leave people in a better place than you found them." As we continue to tippy-tap on our computers & communicate via electronics more than in person, it's nice to treated be as a person.

At the Beach

2011-10-12T18:01:00.000-04:00

Monday, Chiro-sis & I took baby Rowan to VA Beach for the day. We actually went down to go see Braco, the gazing guy. But that's another story for another day. While Ruth was getting her gazing, I took Rowan onto the beach. He was in no rush to get down to the water. So I just watched him as he discovered everything he could about sand.

Like it's fun to roll in.

See? SO much fun!

Then he found a plastic bottle cap:

Pouring fun.

And of course . . .

he had to taste it.

Not so tasty, but surprisingly mildish reaction.

We finally made our way closer to the water . . .

Chiro-sis joins us.

This is the first thing I do whenever I get onto the beach:

An homage to Dave Dobson & the years of beach walks together.

"And then the water retreats & begins to look like a lace table cloth."

Rowan taking over someone's sand castle.

Hey!

Then it was time to throw sand.

And get completely drenched.

Mama retrieves him from the ocean.

Time to say goodbye. :-)

Not a Day of Rest

2011-10-09T07:19:00.000-04:00

It's a blogger's cliche: "Sorry I've not posted lately." Yes, busy. Yes, getting settled into the new house. I'm just a bit . . . unsettled. And not really wanting to write about it all here. I can count on my hand the number of times I've completely slept thru the night since the move. For the most part, it's not Tabby Bobcat or Maggie waking me up. It's my neighbor's barking dog. This morning's bark fest began at 3 a.m. as per usual. The dog belongs to the neighbor behind me, whom I've never met--but I already think is an IDIOT. This is what I know about this person so far: Outside dog = idiot neighbor. Barking dog at all hours of the night = idiot neighbor. Now you may think that I will be calling him Idiot Neighbor. No, it's Barking Dog Neighbor. The IDIOT.

See? This is why I haven't blogged recently. I don't want it to turn into a bitch fest. Would you like some cheese with that whine? But since I'm on a roll, I've got a 6-hour round trip back to the River House today to get the last load of stuff. On 4 hours sleep. Yay, me. I'll be back when I'm feeling less like this:

And more like this:

Images from The Graphics Fairy.

Porch Time

2011-09-14T00:06:00.000-04:00

This sweet girl of mine; dear Maggie. Look at that face . . .

We are creating new little rituals. In the morning I sit on the porch with my tea and she wanders around the yard. Then she sits down at my feet. We are getting into a routine & finding those moments of peace. :-)

Popping In

2011-09-13T08:55:00.000-04:00

I'm popping in to share an artsy thing I did for my niece's b-day. Brother Atlasta gave me a B&W laser printer so I played around with it.

Printed onto photo paper & painted with water colours.

This is the one she's getting. She's loved leopard print since she was two, & she's a bit of a fashionista, so this is perfect! Printed onto regular paper & coloured in with coloured pencils.

Old Dogs

2011-09-10T06:40:00.004-04:00

There is something special about old dogs. Gene Weingarten sums it up so eloquently in his book, Old Dogs Are the Best Dogs:

Old dogs can be cloudy-eyed and grouchy, gray of muzzle, graceless of gait, odd of habit, hard of hearing, pimply, wheezy, lazy, and lumpy. But to anyone who has ever known an old dog, these things are of little consequence. Old dogs are vulnerable. They show exorbitant gratitude and limitless trust. They are without artifice. They are funny in new and unexpected ways. But above all, they seem at peace. This last quality is almost indefinable; if you want to play it safe, you can call it serenity. I call it wisdom.

Today I thought I'd share a few photos of Millie & Maggie together. They came together as a package, and they were inseparable.

INSIDE

VISITS WITH FRIENDS

Fisherman Willie.

Meeting GSF Bess.

Meeting San Diego friend Aida.

I am forever grateful to Gareth & Lena at Mystic Pet.

I don't remember what we were laughing at, but I managed to snap a photo at the right time!

The girls LOVED Gareth, which made me & Lena think that their original owner must have been a man. Lena told me that one time Gareth leaned over to her and whispered, "I think Millie is my favourite of the two." As if they could hear him in the next room & understand what he was saying!

One time after a vet visit, I popped over to the store before heading home. In the parking lot, Millie & Maggie were looking out the window & they started barking & howling. I look waaaaaaay across the parking lot, & there's a guy with a bald head. They thought it was Gareth! It wasn't, unfortunately!

THRU the SEASONS:

WINTER

These gals had v. long & thick fur. So they were quite comfortable on a sunny winter day. I kept the door open and the wood stove blasting so they could come in or go out when they wanted. Millie stayed out much more than Maggie did, tho.

Venturing down the driveway. I once watched a turkey cross over the drive. A couple hours later, Millie tracked its scent. She hadn't seen the turkey, but she could smell it!

They LOVED the snow!

Maggie plopped down.

Whatcha lookin' at, girls?

Neighbor Dave plowing out from the Historic Blizzard.

"This here's good eatin' snow," says Maggie.

SPRING

Red bud trees in bloom.

Oprah's favourite colour--new grass green. ;-)

SUMMER

In the driveway.

Lazy-dazy porch days.

Going down the ramp. They always stopped to survey their domain from this place.

My favourite! Laundry day!

AUTUMN

By the labyrinth.

Frosty day.

GORGEOUS.

My sweet girls. :-)

Funny Friday

2011-09-09T01:27:00.016-04:00

I have so many fond memories of funny, quirky little things that M&M have done, I thought it would be nice to share some of my favourite M&M pix.

Here's Millie sitting at the top of the dog ramp and waiting for Maggie to try to get by.

See? Heh heh hehhhhhhhh.

"It seems we've come to an impasse." It only happened a coupla times--but it was hard getting Millie to back up. She'd do it, but she'd grumble the whole way up!

What is so fascinating?

The early days, when Tabby was a Porch Kitty, before she made it into the house.

They used to camp out by the door.

Millie went & got my shoe by the door & brought it in to taunt Maggie with.

MEAL TIME

Millie preferred her food mixed with water & fish oil and she liked it soupy. She would slurp the soupy part & eat a bit, then save the rest for later when it was mushy. She also was adept at pulling her bowl with her teeth to her.

After a couple mishaps of soupy dogfood spilling everywhere, I made sure to prop up her food bowl with a box so she wouldn't spill it:

The box also doubled as a head rest.

And my shoe helped to prop up her bowl every now & then.

Breakfast in bed.

Eating her Mercola dental bone. She would wolf hers down.
Sometimes she would act like a regular dog . . .

She managed to get my cup off the coffee table & finished whatever was in there!

She did this once; getting into the trash. Instead of being mad, I thought, "Good for you, Mil. Trying to act like a youngster."

Cat Tolerator

Millie letting Tabby sleep on her bed.

Millie was v. tolerant of Tabby Bobcat. She didn't bark at her or go after her if she was at the water bowl, like Maggie does.

Book Ends

SO SWEET. :-)

More Pix of Millie thru the Seasons

2011-09-08T03:40:00.000-04:00

On the Back Porch

Millie could actually sleep with her eyes open!

She liked to drape her paws off the side.

"No, that's all right. I'll sleep on the floor."

See the squirrel on the railing? She doesn't. Zzzzz . . .

DOWN BELOW ON THE GRASS

Zzzzz . . . .

Hullo.

When I took this, I didn't realize she was watching Tabby Bobcat on the ramp behind me.

Until I felt her jump on my back! And I was able to capture Millie's look of surprise.

Sometimes she would venture around the house for new spots:

Under the front stairs.

Overlooking her domain.

She was very sniffy & curious. She caught wind of something under my car:


Covered in dirt from my 7 mile dusty, dirt 'n' gravel road.

Sometimes I would imagine what she must have been like in her younger years. I LOVED to watch her scratch her back in the grass like a horse because it meant that her back was feeling better.

So carefree.

Hullo.

Zzzzz . . . .

ON THE RAMP

Millie & Maggie came to me not being able to walk up stairs. The first week they were with me, I had them downstairs so they could get outside thru the garage. Then I had a ramp built so they could join me upstairs & get in & out of the house.

She would always stop & look over at the railroad track.

*sniff*

I loved her THRU THE SEASONS:

Lazy-dazy summer day sitting outside the labyrinth.

During the Historic Blizzard of 2010. SO GRATEFUL to have Millie & Maggie!

She has that "I see something interesting" look--deer, squirrel, etc.

Shhhh . . . Millie's Sleeeeeeping

2011-09-07T01:27:00.002-04:00

Being geriatric, she slept a lot. I have so many photos of her sleeping; I just loved her squishy face:

This was hysterical! Her ear kept falling into the water & she'd wake up & twitch it out of the way & then slowly as she fell back asleeeeep, it would lower into the water & start all over again.

Falling asleep with her foot in her food bowl.

I have so many dog beds & when I vacuum, I stack them. So it was obvious to Millie that this was an invitation to sleep!

Notice that she has her bone by her side?

So many dog beds and often she didn't lie on them!

Morning light.

One of my favourite photos. She looks so content in the afternoon sunlight.

Christmas time. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz . . . .

She used to run & woof in her sleep. Here she is waking herself up growling . . . and going back to sleep.

I loved how her body would spill off her bed:

Or whatever she happened to be lying on.