happiness is...a wet nose

The pooch apparently got into some poison...but I really don't know how or where because she's under my feet most of the time...so it's a mystery to me, but she is feeling much better and will soon be barking at the wind and chasing her tail in no time...thankfully. I never thought I'd miss a cold, wet nose in my ear in the wee hours of the morning, but close calls are gentle reminders of the everyday things we should celebrate...even if we aren't fully awake to appreciate them!

sharing is caring

It's Friday...a day that I always look forward to for a number of reasons. I am a little tired today though because I've had a sick hound since Wednesday morning and when she's miserable, we're all miserable. I'm waiting for the Vet to call to see if they can squeeze her in today. I think she might be having a reaction to the Rimadyl medication she is taking for her joints, hopefully it's nothing too serious. When she looks at me with her sad brown eyes I feel so sorry for her!

Yes, I am going to go feed my new found friends this evening (I'm having a little difficulty referring to them as homeless, or those people anymore). Last week when I went one of the ladies asked for spaghetti so spaghetti it is. She's a sweetheart. She received some food from a food pantry somewhere and in her box of goodies there was a box of cereal. She handed it to me and I must have looked at her funny...she said, "Go ahead and take it, I've saved it for you all week." I told her I could never take her food, she should keep it and eat it. She said she never gets milk and doesn't like it dry and it would mean a lot to her if I accepted it. So I put it in the bag of things I brought with me and thanked her. She said she wanted me to take her shopping when she got her food stamps so she could buy meat and I could take it home with me to use for when I cook for them. I told her I just couldn't do that. Now I'm wondering if it is important to some of them that they feel they have contributed something. I'll have to let this idea bounce around a bit, I just don't know if I could do that. What do you think? One thing is for certain, I'm going to have to get their bottles of water under ice early today, because it's going to be a hot one!

I so appreciate the kind comments you all leave me, I wish I could give you each a big hug...your friendship means so very much.
Have a safe and fun-filled Labor Day weekend!

wanted: laugh lines

There's nothing quite like being deprived of spare time to make me realize how valuable silly little things are...yesterday I was giving Lacey (our dog) some overdue attention and one of her ears felt kind of matted, so upon taking a closer look what do you suppose I found? Chewing gum. How does a dog get chewing gum in their ear? Every time I think about it I laugh and it feels so good...a gentle reminder that I have been taking life too seriously these past couple of weeks trying to study and finish up term papers...so today it is my goal to celebrate all the little things...to make sure I take time to enjoy the humor that occurs in daily living...around here there's plenty to laugh about that's for sure.

Tuesday's Treasure

My treasure today is this sweet little canine who keeps me company. Lacey greets me at the door with a happy wag of her tail and she follows me everywhere I go. This past week I was very concerned about her because her entire spirit changed. She became kind of listless and I could tell by her eyes and actions that something wasn’t right. Kristin took her to the vet (they were so gracious to see her on short notice) and we learned she had an ear infection. It made me realize how much I take her sweet nature for granted. She is such a trooper, always lovable and devoted…she brings the newspaper in for us and even has the mailman trained to give HER the mail. She runs out to the mailbox and greets him and he puts a rubber band around the mail to make it easier for her to carry in. Being an honorary Golden Retriever she always looks like she has a smile on her face, something characteristic to the breed. I say “honorary” because when she was a puppy we were told she was a purebred and indeed did pay for a purebred, but as she got older we began to have our doubts, although the vet said she still could be, but the white blaze that runs through the center of her face is a bit unusual. She loves to go backpacking, although her aging hips would probably not do so well these days, she has to always be in the room with one of us and I especially enjoy her company when I am working in the garden. She has to poke her nose into everything I’m doing…she smells the flowers and I think it is so cute…she especially loves the strawberry plants and when the little strawberries become ripe I give them to her, so often I will find her waiting patiently for me by the strawberry plants. She really is a treasure and I’ve gotten to be quite attached to her.