V:Beautiful Sunsets…and Other Stuff

 

Sunset is one of the most beautiful times of the day when all is winding down and the quiet, dark blanket of night covers us all.  I love to take my two year old grandson outside at night to look at the evening sky.  He is fascinated by the moon and stars and airplanes!  I saw this beautiful sky  the other night when I ran in and told hubby to hurry and get the camera.  He got some beautiful shots before darkness set in.

 

I can’t believe it’s been an entire month since we last posted!  Nothing of significance, just the everyday rush of life. We are in the midst of some interior house painting and home projects.  This house has been neglected for too long! 

 

 

“C” has been busy getting ready for a trial later this month and her mom has had some health issues lately.  In fact she is in the hospital tonight and I know your prayers would be appreciated.  Her mom is such a special person to me.  My sister feels the same way.  While our mom was inconsistent in the nurturing department,  “C”’s mom was a warm, fuzzy type mother—except when she was chasing “C” and her brother with her famed fly-swatter!  My mom kept a switch she picked off the bush in our front yard for our spankings!  Get well soon, Jackie! 

 

We’re definitely not going away, but regular posting is a little difficult right now.  Thank heavens for Spring Break next week.  Our staff really needs it and I am so looking forward to summer break.  I’m really grateful for that time—especially since a new bundle of joy will be arriving soon!  “C” is looking for more time to write and work on getting her book published!  Yes, I feel certain she will be a published author before too long!

 

So I am heading off to bed with these guys—my bed buddies, Goldie and Desi!  Actually Desi usually has to go to his plush bed in the bathroom because he wants to play in the middle of the night!  He is truly a prancing little Papillon, who like a hummingbird, is NEVER still for long! 

 

 

Stay with us—we are hanging in there!

V

Cowgirl V: Dog Days at the Farm

 

It’s been awhile!  My sister called this weekend and said “When are y’all going to post again?  It’s time!  “C” and I are both burning the candle at both ends!  I’m busy working at the school and helping with the grandkids.  “C” is SO busy with her law practice.  The pressure is just not letting up!  Earlier this evening she said “something’s gotta give!”  I couldn’t agree more!  Maybe a girls trip next month would be the respite we both need! 

I’ve talked to several of my friends lately who say they are working harder than ever in their late fifties—a time when ladies from yesteryear would have been playing bridge or sewing quilts!  Retirement is looking better all the time!  I don’t want to sound selfish, but I want and need some ME time!  I missed filling my hypertension medication this weekend and this morning my blood pressure skyrocketed.  The nurse at the clinic said “I’m getting you a pill right now” and the doctor doubled my dose.  I really NEED to slow down and find time to walk. Apparently, chasing toddlers does not count as cardio!

Eldest daughter is doing so much better with the pregnancy.  She still has to have a shot of blood thinner in the tummy everyday, but is feeling better.  We babysat the toddler while they went away for the weekend.  Not just the toddler, but Kiwi the parrot, the seven dogs-- thankfully our son took care of the horses!  Hubby took the dogs with him down to the creek!  The Saint Bernard arrived this summer as a puppy.  Can you believe he was actually DUMPED at their farm?  Bear is a gorgeous, affectionate fellow who is always gentle with the children, but when he is hungry you had better get out of his way!!!  I’ve never seen a dog eat with such gusto and greed!

 

Bear is about 9 months old now.  His father weighs 200 lbs.!

My grandson had gone out to feed the dogs and came back to report to mom that there was “another puppy out there!”  When my son-in-law got home and checked the mail, there was an envelope with two one hundred dollar bills and a note that said “For the care of the puppy”.  This made the third puppy dumped at their farm last summer!  There were also registration papers with the owner’s name whited out.  My daughter called the breeder in a neighboring town who told her that the man had paid $1000. for the dog as a gift for his girlfriend.  A week later he called her and said that he and his girlfriend had broken up and he wanted to return the puppy for a refund.  The woman refused, saying that her husband was ill and she was not going to breed dogs anymore.  The puppy was healthy and she would NOT give him a refund.  He told her that he passed a farm everyday where he could see dogs playing  in the pasture, and that those people had the other two dogs his girlfriend had decided not to keep, so he would see if they would take this one also!  So that explained how Cowboy (the Great Pyranees cross) and Scotch (the labradoodle) came to be dumped at the farm!  Who could believe that someone would actually dump three puppies they had bought?  I can’t help but think how lucky these dogs are.  Breaks my heart to think of all the dogs who are not so lucky!

 

Bear loves the water!

 

Coco was the first rescue dog at the farm.  She was adopted from the local Humane Society.

She was the mother of ten puppies who were all adopted!  She IS the boss!

 

And here is the the little fella who’s been snuggling up with me lately.  Desi the Papillon.

 

 

Can’t help but love dogs, but I love the kitties too!  Goldie is my constant companion. 

 

She is the queen at our house! 

So how about my friends out there in blogland?  Dogs or cats?  Do you have a preference or love them both like I do?

Cowgirl V: Cheers, Goodbye 2011 and My Holiday Newsletter Ramblings

 

So ends 2011.  I don’t want to sound like a pessimist, but I must say that I will not miss 2011! Our family has dealt with some difficult events that were unforeseeable.  Eldest daughter has suffered a complicated pregnancy, a diagnosis of epilepsy, a bacterial blood infection and a blood clot. She endures a painful injection in the abdomen of a blood thinner medication everyday .   My grandchildren had to call 911 one evening when I had left for just an hour.  I have never been so afraid in my life, except when my son broke his neck in an ATV accident a few years back.

 

The Christmas Dinner 2011   Roast Goose

My son cooked the roast goose! 

  Our son’s fairytale wedding (which I posted about) a couple of years ago, sadly didn’t have a happy ending.  It came to an abrupt end when he discovered she was involved with someone else this summer. Just telling it as it is.  He was devastated and so were we, but he is staying busy and close to family and friends.  He’s going to be fine, but sometimes eldest daughter and I see a deep sadness in his expression.  It’s hard!  Only God knows how much he’s been through and the struggles he’s had in his life.  Makes me almost despair at times, but I still see hope and faith in him and I pray for him everyday.  Really, his whole life is a miracle and an answer to prayer.  Some day I will post what he’s given me permission to write.

 

 

I love to get Christmas letters from friends and family!  Maybe I’m just nosey, but I like to keep up with people I know.  Most newsletters focus on the accomplishments and vacations, etc.  Kathy,  my neighbor from years ago writes the best newsletters!  She writes about the good and the bad—the accomplishments, the losses—no veneer or glossing over, but truth and hope prevail in her letters.  I hope I  never embarrass anyone or air dirty laundry as a sort of voyeurism, but  I appreciate REAL!  A while back, I told “C” about an especially braggy  newsletter I had received.  “Here’s an example of mine this year if I were to write one”, I said.  Then I recited my imaginary letter with the true real life events of my messed up life and all the stuff my kids had done in their rebellious years.  We laughed our heads off!  Better than crying!

 

The way we were around 1978.  Has it been that long?

I’ve been cleaning my house like a maniac and I came across a family photo with our firstborn.  I realized how much I’ve (we’ve) changed and yes, aged over the years.  When “C” and were visiting my sister and mom last month, my sister asked us “Do you ever pass by a mirror, and catch a glance and think “Is that ME?  Is that REALLY me?”  We both had to confess:  Yes, we have!  I hate to admit to vanity, but I’d be less than honest if I denied it.  I don’t spend a lot of time on myself, but maybe I SHOULD try a little harder!  I just submitted a recent photo to Karen’s blog (one of my favorite places to visit) at www.thisoldhousetoo.blogspot.com.  It was a little scary, because as I told her, I usually duck or run when I see someone coming with a camera.  Especially, my hubby because he has a knack for catching me in the most unflattering poses—such as mid-chew during dinner or eyes half closed!  He let me know tonight that he does not like the blond highlights I’ve added.  The brunette of my youth seems too harsh, but the blond seems to wash me out.  “Maybe, I should just go with the gray”, I said.  I’ve earned every single gray hair over the past 20 years! Ummm, they say that about wrinkles too, don’t they?  Just don’t want to be the pathetic aging woman trying too hard to hang on to lost youth.  There’s a certain dignity in getting older, isn’t there?  Or there should be!  I suppose this angst over aging is fairly common to most babyboomer women, but I would really like to come to peace with it this year.  I  was in a state of disbelief when I first became a grandmother at age 45, but I’ve come to terms with it—yes, I’ve even embraced it as they say.  I dearly love my grandchildren, but it was a shock to become a grandmother when I still had a 12 year old at home!  Just sayin.

 

The way we were in 2006.  My hair was still dark!  I may have had a little help!

So my New Year’s resolution this year is self acceptance.  I can’t tell you how difficult that is for me!  To publish a recent photo, is just a little excruciating,  but I’ll get over it!  It may sound strange, but it’s something I need to get over!  On her birthday (June 24), Dulcy Stewart’s post on turning sixty at www.dulcysdoorstep.blogspot.com, inspired me to consider that there are indeed worse things in life than turning sixty!  Of course, not everyone ages as gracefully as Dulcy, but one can hope! I love her longish silver hair and sense of style.  She is also an amazing artist!

After tucking grandchild into bed, we read one of our very favorites- The Napping House.   As we lay there , we watched the fireworks display from the neighbor across the road from the upstairs window.  A sweet, quiet way to see the year end.   Hubby retired early due to a viral infection he’s having difficulty kicking.  I forgot to buy the customary champagne when we were out today, so there will not be a New Year’s toast.  We’ll celebrate the New Year tomorrow evening with Cowgirl C.  She’s cooking short ribs and gouda grits and she keeps telling me about this new salad recipe with fresh brussel sprouts and I know she will have wine!  I can’t wait! We’ll have to eat some black eyed peas so we’ll have good luck in the coming year!  Hope we will post more at Stick Horse Cowgirls this coming year!  Life just presses in sometimes and gets in the way of what I want to do.  So peace, hope, and joy to all out there in the blogging neighborhood—blessings to you all in the coming year.  Happy New Year!

C: The Easy Way Out?

To say that V and I have been challenged by life lately is an understatement.  She is totally consumed by family illness and other family distractions; I’m having trouble sleeping because of my workload. 

When I come home from work at the end of a long day, my mind really wants brain candy, so I turn to “Top Chef” or any of the mindless offerings of TV (some of which I am embarrassed to admit to watching).  Let me just say that if it is “mindless” you are looking for, TV has a lot to offer.

Lately, however, I have been enjoying Oprah Winfrey’s “Lifeclass” series. Oprah is splicing in some clips from her many shows, having guests and audience participation to explore what lessons we can all learn from these episodes.  Some of them are quite good.  I have actually been congratulating myself that this, at least, has some substance as opposed to some of the mind-numbing things I have been known to watch at the end of a day.

Last weekend as I was doing some bedroom cleaning, I turned this show on.  This episode featured one of the editors of Oprah Magazine, “Beth,” who is also a life coach.  Beth told of an experience she had while “out” during a surgery.  She did not die or nearly die, but she had some of that out-of-body experience you hear so many of the near-death people relate,  She “floated” above the operating room, watching her doctors.  She was bathed in light, which brought utter and complete happiness.  She hated leaving it and came away with the “understanding” that this complete happiness was the way she (and all of us) should feel all the time.  She “understood” that it was our own doing that our happiness in this life was so diminished, and she set her life’s path to exploring why that is and what she could do to avoid that diminishment.

She has decided that “truth” is the key.  She says that any time she shades the truth (even, “I like your hair…” when you don’t) diminishes her happiness in a way that she can feel.

So the rest of the segment was about lies we tell ourselves (even when we don’t know we’re lying to ourselves) and to others and the way that destroys a happy life.

The clear theme:  If you stick to the truth and only the truth, you will live in the bliss for which you were created.  If you are not living in heavenly bliss, it is because of untruth—even that of which you are not conscious.  You must, therefore, discover what secrets you are keeping from yourself so that you can be totally truthful and, therefore, totally happy.  Voila!

Well, it is a hypnotic proposition, and I literally sat on the edge of the bed, thinking about what lies I was living in which were diminishing the ecstasy for which I was truly destined…because, Lord knows, that is diminished at the moment. 

As I fell toward that message, suddenly Elvie began jumping up and down on my shoulder.  Remember Elvie?  I have written about him, here—he’s the “Little Voice,” the one that rides around whispering in your ear, and he’s always right.  My son and I use his initials “L V” to refer to him as “Elvie.” 

And what Elvie was saying was this:  “What about those people in Africa where some guerilla-type soldiers come in and hack people to death in front of their children’s eyes?  What shades of untruth was it that got in the way of their happiness?”

And, “Gee, could it be that if only V would get truly honest with herself, then her daughter would be healthier and V could, therefore, be happier?”

And suddenly I saw myself, having been entranced by the allure of the message I was hearing, like this depiction of poor little Mowgli hypnotized by the scheming Kaa (first couple of minutes—although the rest is classic, too!):

Now, let me be clear: I believe we should be truthful.  I totally believe that lies we tell ourselves can hinder our happiness and success. I believe that lying (however small) sometimes can cause havoc in our lives, and we should avoid it.

But, c’mon! 

As I sat there, awakened by Elvie, wondering about my own readiness to fall into this New Age message, I also wondered why?  I believe it is a search for the easy way out.  I would LOVE to find a formula to life’s happiness, where I could be assured that if only I would follow that formula, life’s unpleasant challenges would dissipate.

But I don’t think that’s gonna happen.

No, instead, I think I’ll try to remember that I should not fall for “easy fixes” to cure any discontent or unhappiness I may have.  I simply do not think that someone in a third world country who is watching their child die of starvation because of drought needs to look inside herself to find what lies she is stuffing.  Let’s face it, life just brings difficulty.  Yes, we exacerbate them by our own actions, but sometimes we have nothing to do with the misfortune that comes our way.

And, I think that (I’m speaking of myself, here, as much as anyone else) only too-fat—from-too-much people who have the luxury of time (not to mention a steady supply of potable water) are sitting around seriously wondering if getting honest with oneself is the key to happiness.  That scene is probably not happening very often in, say, Haiti.

So, that’s a nice Thanksgiving message, isn’t it?  Maybe we should accept the challenges that come our way, do our best to overcome them with honesty and truth but also remember that struggles—and, yes, unhappiness—come with life.  There isn’t an easy way around it. 

Let’s concentrate on our blessings this season and derive happiness there.  C

P.S. – And about that “total honesty” thing…I am in/from the South.  If you ask me about your hair, I am probably going to tell you I like it whether I do or not.  Sorry, It’s the Southern way.  Guess I am not destined for heavenly bliss…

V: The Important Things in Life: Update & New Development***

 

***We learned this morning since I wrote this post last night that my daughter has a blood clot in her arm. Please pray for it to resolve safely.

For those of you who drop in here from time to time, you may know that my oldest daughter has been ill for some time.  She suffers from serious chronic health problems and recently discovered she is pregnant.  YES, it was a surprise!!!  Because of her health issues, it was not the plan, and she is in the hospital again—this time  because of a serious blood infection she contracted from her IV port.  I have left my job for the time being to care for her children.  All of your prayers are appreciated very much! 

I have some important decisions to make in the near future.  I’ve felt the need to keep working for financial security (like being able to have  health insurance and not  be a financial burden to my children in my retirement years)—Hubby is also reluctant for me to give it up.  If I leave my job (of which there are scarce few in these parts –will I regret it later?

 

Yes, don’t miss the caption at the top of the cartoon:  “There’s a little bit of the bag lady fear in all of us!”  “C” and I have often joked about this very thing!  Still, I have to confess:  My lack of faith disturbs me.

  I love  helping take care of my grandchildren; shopping for groceries, driving kids around, etc., but it’s hard after I’ve put in a full days work.  My job involves working with disabled teenagers  in a school district which is struggling financially, has been cutting staff left and right.  Truth be told, I’m struggling also with the stress and pressure that has increased in my job.  My job is much more difficult than a few years ago! Even if it were not for the situation with my daughter’s health, I would find it difficult. Also, my daughter’s health problems are chronic—they are not going away.  There’s just a lot to consider, but  I keep thinking—what will matter most years from now?

So, I’m throwing a line out there to the blogging neighborhood.  Any ideas out there?  I’d love to hear and again, I’m so very grateful for all your thoughts and prayers!

V

C: Harried

This is just the time for V and me to feel harried, I guess.  Her last post was about the same theme as this one: too much to do!

I’ve been blessed with company over the past couple of weeks, and my business is so hectic that I have been feeling like the old woman who lived in the shoe with so many kids tugging on her all the time.

I am beginning to liken myself to this:

Ys,

Yes, my job is like herding cats.  For one thing, there are never enough hours in the day.  For another, my clients have lately been tending to veer out of the herd on their own—not safe—and have to be “rounded up,” back under control.  It just seems like craziness is more rampant lately.

I guess this is either good or bad, depending on your point of view: good for my business but bad for those folks who need a divorce lawyer!

Even V and I have not had time to get together, and I miss it.  Hoping to rectify that soon and being able to post more frequently.

Happy tails, er, I mean “Happy Trails!”  C.

V: Sometimes Life Just Gets in the Way

 

Sometimes life just gets in the way of what I want to do.  Like post here more often!  Everything’s been so crazy lately that I find very little time to even visit the blogging neighborhood anymore, which I’ve discovered is a major way I chill and relax!

Years ago “C” gave me a little book about the Tyranny of the Urgent.  I need to reread it!  Seriously, it would make a great post—when I have time of course!  Sometimes we get so caught up in the “urgent”, we lose sight of the “important”—or what we are called to do.  Believe it or not every worthy endeavor though it is fine in and of itself,  may NOT be what “we”  or “I” am called to do.  It gives me pause to consider when my family needs me so much and my energies are so divided due a job I think I need financially.   Just being honest here! 

 ***UPDATE:  Eldest daughter has been hospitalized for a few days.  Your prayers would be much appreciated.

Eldest daughter is ill  and I can’t go into detail now—She has chronic conditions complicated by pregnancy.  We expect she will get better soon, but she has children she homeschools and they are all involved in extracurricular activities such as guitar lessons, homeschool groups, etc.  I’m trying to help out with meals, driving to guitar lessons, etc., but I’m also helping youngest daughter who is a single mother with a two year old son.  I pick him up  3-4 days a week and keep him until she gets home about 6:30.  I’m TIRED people!!!  Youngest daughter and her little one have been slowly moving in with us the past few weeks, but  they will be here full time beginning tonight.   The other day when I picked “J” up from daycare after work, he refused to walk to the car and when I finally got him there he arched his back screaming his head off.  I could NOT get him into that car seat!  Suddenly I had a flashback to my two year old son from almost 27 years ago behaving the same way.  I thought I had “retired” from that nonsense!  Oh well, he is so precious and cute that I forgive him!



Oh yes, little “J” has a new Papillon puppy named “Desi”.  A boy and his puppy—what could be cuter?







Youngest daughter recently was in a fashion show wearing a design made by her friend, local designer, Amber Taylor.



I love the dress and it was perfect for her. 


Yes, they were all glammed up!


This little model wore a design by Punky Monkey!



It was a beautiful October evening with a large crowd in the historic Hillcrest neighborhood!  Loved all the street vendors and this booth with all the vintage, kitschy stuff!  I was a good girl and didn’t buy a thing—except a chili dog!



Hubby spent most of his time checking out the dogs in attendance—when he wasn’t snapping shots of “the prettiest girl in the show”!

Interesting dog here!


Whew, it’s over!  Yes, she was nervous!



Well, off  to face another harried week!  Happy tails to you!


The End.  Sorry, I couldn’t resist!