From Homeless to Adoption, Annie's Story

Annie’s Story

From homeless to adoption!

Hello my name is Annie.  I am named after orphan Annie.  I was an orphan when I came to live with my humans. I am an adorable little doggie of unknown origin.  I used to be Buffy before I became Annie.  Before being Buffy I lived on the street.  When I become Buffy at the humane shelter I weighed 7 pounds. No one is sure how I survived the street because I am small.   I am the only one that knows my true story.  My humans have to use their imagination.  They have great imaginations. 

My Mom imagines I was a princess when I lived on the street.  I know this because she dresses me in cute little pink sweaters when it is cold.  She takes me to the spa where they do my hair and nails.  She has my tail groomed just so, long and beautiful. She gives me baths and holds me in her lap to dry me with a fluffy towel.  I have a special blanket that is very soft.  I have soft pillows to sleep on.  I like to layer my pillows and Mom is always talking about the fairy tale about a princess and a pea.  I do not know this story.  It is a tough job protecting all my pillows because I have a big brother that wants to play with them.  I will tell you all about my brother Sigmund in my story.  Then again Sigmund might tell you his own story.  I am sure he will say nice things about me. 

My Dad imagines I was a tiger when I lived on the street.  I know this because he thinks I have fangs and claws when it comes to food.  I do enjoy food, lots of it and most varieties. I love green beans and crunchy raw carrots but not greens.   Meat is my top choice.  My favorite meal would be meat, rice, and green beans mixed together.  I like to sit beside Dad when he eats. He gives me little treats. Sometimes I stand up and put my little paws on his ankle to remind him I am there.  I also believe in having a little food put aside for hard times.  I have a little food buried under the sofa cushions, under my pillows, in my Mom’s closet, under the bed etc.  

When I lived on the street there was this large mean grey striped cat with fangs and teeth.  The cat was always taking my worms from me that I dug up to eat.  I had to learn to fight back.  The tiger scratched and bit me.  Life was not easy. 

I imagined myself as a rat when I lived on the street.  If you look in a picture book at a rat you are looking at me.  My tail had no hair.  What hair I had on my body was tangled and matted and stuck to my skin. A lot of my hair was missing.  I had sores.  Mom would later discover my two baby front teeth had not come out and my big girl teeth grew in behind them.  The baby ones rotted right up to my gum and became infected. My face hurt all the time.  I just screamed if someone touched me on the face.  I was very afraid.  I hid as much as I could in boxes, behind trash dumpsters, under old cars, any good hiding place would do.  I was wet, cold, nasty, smelled bad, starved, and digging for worms.  I could catch a fly or bee in flight.  I was so hungry.  Yes, I was a rat.  You could see my ribs. Life was not looking good.

I did have a big dog friend on the street.  I do not know what happened to him.  He was tall. He could stand on his hind legs and pull delicious food from the dumpsters.  He was also starved but he would still drop little pieces of bread and fries for me.  I would have starved if he had not helped me with food.  Sometimes there would be a small scrap of meat.  I do not understand people wasting all that beautiful food. 

Then one day a family saw me on food alert behind the dumpster.  They started bringing leftovers and tossed them to me.  There would always be a small piece of meat.  I gobbled it down so fast to keep the tiger from getting it.  The family always waited for me to eat before they left.  One day they put a plastic box with a hole cut in the side and a soft blanket in it behind the dumpster.  I was full, warm, and dry that night.  I did not realize they were being kind to me so they could capture me.  I will never forget them. They saved my life.

    

I was so scared the day I was captured.  When I took the piece of meat from the human’s kind hands they grabbed me. I twisted and turned and cried out for help.  They would not let me go.  They stuck me into a cage and put it in the back of their car!  Tears ran down my face.  I tried to disappear into a small ball in the corner of the cage.  I tried to be invisible.  We pulled up to this building and they got me out and took me inside.  

I just lay down and trembled and cried.  Other hands picked me up and took me to another cage in the back room.  They spoke kind words to me and were gentle but I was so afraid.  Then they put me in this tub of water.  It was nice and warm and soapy.  They talked to me and gently rubbed me.  I started showing them sore spots that needed attention.  They wrapped me in a big fluffy towel and held me close.  They used warm air to dry me.  Then out came the scissors, I started crying.  They held me close and told me it was ok.  They cut off all my hair mats.  When they finished I was almost naked.  Then they put some medicine on my sores.  They took me to another cage where I had my very own blanket, food, and water.  They named me Buffy. 

After a couple of days, I was beginning to feel much better about life.  I had plenty to eat, was given medicine, was warm, and was loved and cuddled from time to time.  I was taken to a doctor and had my little girl surgery.  Then my caretakers came and got me and carried me outside to meet some humans.  I was so scared!  What was happening!  I wanted my warm safe space back. 

The humans had a big dog.  They seemed to like me even if I did look like a rat with sore spots.  They picked me up and put me in the car with the big dog.   I was not afraid of my big brother when I met him.  I could tell he was a sweet kind gentle giant that would share his food with me.  His name was Sigmund, a golden retriever. He weighed 75 pounds. I weighed 7 pounds.  He is named after a famous therapist Sigmund Freud.  Dogs make great therapist. 

I found out the humans were fostering me for 14 days, now going on three years.   When I arrived at my temporary home I decided I was going to live here on a permanent basis.  I immediately put my plan into action and started calling the humans Mom and Dad like Big Brother did.  It did not take me long to establish which pillow was mine, what couch I was going to guard, and possession of food bowl (food being very important).  My name was a problem.  Mom did not think I was a Buffy.  I do not remember what my name was when I became homeless. Since I was an orphan she wanted to call me Annie after Orphan Annie.  I liked this name very much and went with it - a new name meant a new home.  Life was looking good! 

It was time to explore my big fenced in yard.  I discovered Big Brother and I had plenty of room to run and play.  I could run circles as much as I wanted.  I noticed a big green worms head sticking up out of the ground. I had that great food morsel dug up and in my mouth in no time.  I turned my head and ate it before Mom could get it out of my mouth.  I had eaten them before.  They kept you from starving.  Mom tried to explain to me that I did not have to eat worms that I would have food.

I don’t eat worms anymore as chicken cooked to perfection is much tastier.  Mom was most surprised the day she had me in her arms giving me hugs when this bee flew right at her and I snatched it out of the air and ate it.  I knew I did not have to eat the bee.  It could have hurt Mom so I was taking care of her.  I love my humans. They are so good to me.

I have found that my name Annie has morphed into a couple of nicknames.  I am Annie Oakley when I find it necessary to take control of a situation such as barking a warning or maintaining possession of my stuff when Big Brother walks by.  I think Annie Oakley was famous for being a crack shot and I am too.  I know this because I can grab bees out of the air.  I am also Annie Oakley when I am taking things that are mine from Big Brother.  The way I have it figured I had nothing so now everything is mine.  He gets a toy, a pillow, a blanket, a treat, or just anything I think I need and I take it from him.  I tell him, “It is mine, mine, all mine, give it to me.”   I do not like to share. He does.

 

My other nickname is for when I am irresistible, which is most of the time is Annie Bella.  This makes me think of a proper lady dressed in a long flowing pink silk dress with flowers on it wearing a lace hat with feathers.  Now that my hair has grown out and I get beautified I am the belle of the ball.  You would never have thought that anyone could be so beautiful that was so ugly.  My Mom has trained my groomers to let my tail grow out like a pompom. I also know how to strut.  When we are taking our walks, I wear my cute little pink harness.  My little legs are going so fast that I look like I am floating on air.  I proudly hold my head like I am wearing a hat.  My tail is just beautiful and flowy.  I hold it high and let all my beautiful hair flow in the wind.  I am a sight to behold.  Big Brother just walks like a dog.  He wants to sniff and leave his scent on everything.  I have to help him with his projects.

 My big brother imagines me as a warning alarm. You see I am very smart and as a street survivor have great instincts.  I realized right off that it was going to be necessary for me to alert everyone to approaching danger.  There are squirrels, birds, rabbits, cats, other dogs, coyotes, snakes, turtles, and even other humans.  Notification is needed so everyone can be on alert!  I do this with a high pitched ear popping bark.   I was very quiet when I lived on the street.  I did not want to call attention to myself.  I was little and the world was big and scary.

 

I also consider it my job to alert Big Brother when our parents get home.  I do not think he hears as good as I do.  Sometimes he is asleep when they drive up.  I firmly believe our parents should be greeted at the door by their family with barks and love.  Therefore, I always go find Big Brother and wake him up with my ear popping alert and get him to the door.  When the door opens we are ready.  I am barking and he is being all sweet.  Big Brother always gets the first hug because he is taller and he was the first dog.  I then get picked up and kissed and held and get my stomach scratched and you get the picture. 

Have I told you about my love of peanut butter?   I love peanut butter.  It tastes so good.  I really enjoy it on a little piece of cracker.  However, there is a problem with peanut butter that I do not understand.  It sticks to the roof of my mouth.  I have to lick and lick and lick the roof of my mouth with my cute little pink tongue to remove that delicious butter so I can be prepared for the next bite.  Mom always waits until I am ready for the next delicious morsel.   Mom says my story is never going to make to the blog if I keep writing so I have agreed to share this and maybe write more another day.

Yours,

Annie Bella

"Sit Spots", Relaxing in the Woods or "Forest Bathing"

"Sit Spots", Relaxing in the Woods or "Forest Bathing"

Happy New Year!

Even though I will not finish writing this in time to publish it on New Year's Day I will make a start.  Have you made a favorite resolution to break this year?  I always have trouble coming up with something I might can stick to but maybe this is it! "Forest Bathing" in my favorite sit spot.

What is Forest Bathing you ask?  Is it taking a bath in the woods? It could have been, not that long ago, in the development of society.  However today we look to the Japanese for the origination of the term that is one of the new raves. In the 1980's the Japanese came up with the term Shinrin-yoku meaning "taking in the forest atmosphere".  Now it is a therapy for natural healing or resting of the mind and body. There is even a form of meditation requiring a special place to relax in your "forest" called a "sit spot".   In other words you can pay big bucks for the experience or you can continue to enjoy what we have been doing naturally for years. I gave up counting the number of books Amazon is selling on these topics. I have not read any of these books as I want this blog to be my perspective.

Forest bathing will be an easy resolution to keep as I have been doing this for many many years at favorite "sit spots" without realizing it was going to become "the thing".  Many of my friends have been practicing for years without realizing what they were doing, but after reading this they will be in the know.  For me nature is a special place to spend an hour or two a day.  It does replenish the spirit and strengthen us physically.  The peace of a sit spot offers an opportunity to be close to God, to say a thankful prayer for ourselves and to pray for others, and to meditate on many blessings. 

How did I learn about "sit spots" and Forest Bathing you ask?  No, it was not from those wonderful books we got to read as children about Dick and Jane telling their dog "sit" Spot.  However, I will have to say it began in earnest with a dog, walking a dog who liked to sit and look around on top of the mountain, beneath the trees, beside water, in the snow, in the sunshine, in the shade, and well you get the picture.  We had many sit spots for nature bathing.  At first like a lot of dog parents, I was impatient with him but I kept reminding myself this was his walk so I sat with him.  Then I started to look around and soon it would be the dog wanting me to move on because I had become lost in the beauty around me.  We live in an amazing beautiful world.  We just need to find a special sit spot and bathe in it.  The peace and health returned unto us is beyond words. If you do not have the opportunity to go to the mountain your spot could be at the beach, in a city park, a flower garden, or even a window with a view. 


My neighbor has a tree stand he spends hours in just watching the deer, not hunting, just watching the deer, turkeys, and other wildlife.  In other words he becomes one with nature. He is forest bathing high in the trees in his special sit spot.  He invited me to use his tree stand one day.  It was amazing - so beautiful and peaceful.

Another neighbor loves to fish and hunt.  She has many sit spots for becoming one with nature. Here is one of her stories, " In one place I used to hunt, I had a very special sit spot with a very special rock at the base of very special tree.  I didn't care if I saw a deer or not.  I just breathed in nature and talked to God.  When I had to quit hunting there I carried my very heavy (at least 50 lbs) sitting rock off the mountain and brought it home with me.  Its now beside my front steps, but its not a sit spot now.  It's a memory keeper."

 I have often thought that for many sportsmen it is more about the time spent in nature than about the prey.  No electronics needed.

Actually if we really think about it nature bathing is Biblical.  Adam and Eve started out with a beautiful garden, Jesus went alone to pray in the garden not to mention all the others who spent time in the wilderness.

Since I have native American blood I believe it is important to remember how closely our ancestors lived to nature. We have all heard how they could walk in the woods as if they were one with the earth.

Often the things we are doing should be the things we are doing, we just think we need to do something else.  If you have sit spots continue to use them to bathe in the healing power of nature.

If you do not have a sit spot consider starting your year off with one and try to use it for maybe 20 minutes a day.

If you are wondering about getting started Nature or Forest Bathing here are a few suggestions and best of all you can do it for free:

1.  Find your special spot in nature to sit for Forest Bathing (leave your electronics off). If you can, take off your shoes and let your feet touch the earth.
2.  Close your eyes and begin drifting away, relax your muscles, your feet, your legs, your hands, your arms, your body - slowly become one with the surface you are sitting or standing on.
3. Adjust to listening to the sounds around you as you and the earth meld, listen to the birds, listen to the sound of leaves or grass swishing in the wind
4.Feel the wind caressing your skin, the earth beneath you slowing spinning in time, feel the energy of the earth replenishing your energy, feel your body filling with peace, just relax and enjoy being there
5. Continue just being, Smell the earth, a distant flower in bloom,
6. Meditate on God. Allow your spirit run and play, let a wordless thankful oneness prayer bubble up from your heart to his. Smile in the beauty.
7. Continue just being one with the natural world feel the warmth of the sunshine or the coolness of the shade, your body swaying to the silent music feeding your soul
8. Slowly begin to gently flex your fingers, move your arms a little, your feet your legs and open your eyes, just sit for a few more minutes enjoying being.

Peace 
       by Joan Harmon

Peace to your soul

From a tranquil lake

Nestled in the mountain’s fold

Beneath the ever-changing sky

Peace to your soul

From the lofty mountains - reaching out

Touching GOD

Master of the ever-changing sky

Peace to your soul

From the birds, flowers, and gentle breezes

From the sun, rain, stars, moon, and snow

All nature beneath the ever-changing sky

Peace to your soul

From God…..Reaching out

Touching YOU - in all ways - forever

Master of the ever-changing sky

Mindful Chewing or Chewing Enough

Mindful Chewing or Chewing Enough

When you eat how many times do you chew your food?  Not enough is my guess.  I know I have a real problem with this.  I was made aware of how bad my chewing habits are as a result of some major stomach surgery that is requiring me to practice proper chewing. I often think of the words of my late Father-in-law, Dr. Harmon. 

Long before the terminology mindful eating or mindful chewing became "cool" my Father-in-law was practicing correct chewing techniques. For ease and clarity of writing I will call him Dr. Harmon in this blog. 

He was born in the small town of Dunn, North Carolina.  I wish I could share more of his life with you because it is so interesting but that will have to be a later blog.  He needs to have his own life story.  In this blog we will stick with chewing.  I am going to do my best to resist the temptation of talking about other things in Dr. Harmon's life such as how many babies he delivered from horseback, about the hound dog that was sleeping on the pile of "clean rags" he was suppose to use for the baby birthing.

When we were having those big family gatherings for Holidays gulping down more food than we needed, Dr. Harmon would gently remind us to chew.  He believed in chewing 25 to 30 times per bite.  This he said would allow the saliva to do its job.  Our food would become moist and filled with digestive enzymes produced by the saliva.  Then when we swallow the moist food easily slides down our esophagus where it is fed into our waiting stomach that has naturally been primed with more digestive juices.  The stomach juices continue the digestive process causing needed nutrients to be extracted that our bodies can use to thrive.  The stomach does not have teeth.

Yes really, the stomach does not have teeth but think how many of us in the gulping of our food do ask our stomach with no teeth to chew.  Alas, our food has to pass through as best it can perhaps going rancid in our gut causing who knows what kinds of problems.  I feel almost ill when I think of what I have been doing to my body and I know I am not alone.

Now that I have to chew before swallowing  I find that it takes a "mindful" effort.  I have to think about eating.  Sometimes, I forget and swallow to soon and I sit there in a state of worried guilt questioning, "Oh no, what have I done?"  I believe it will be awhile before I am a perfect chewer as I have many years of bad habits to overcome even with a Father-in-law who tried to teach me right.  It does make me smile when I think of my poor toothless stomach ready  for nicely moist food to slide out of the esophagus only to be hit with a chunk of badly processed food instead.  My friend Edwina drew us this great cartoon.  

Here are some food techniques that help me.

Take reasonable bites, put my fork down, count to 30 chews sometime less with really moist foods, slowly swallow, have only a few sips of water with my meal (less than half a glass of liquid).  

I am finding that "mindful eating" just happens naturally when you chew.  I think about my food and all the work from seed to my table, I taste it, notice its texture, think about the nutrients in it and how good they will be to feed my body. I think about the sunshine and rain that helped it thrive and the hardworking hands that worked the fields, about the truckers that drove it to market, the stores that sell it.   I also find I eat less.  Meals take longer and are much more satisfying in many ways.  I say Thank You to God for wonderful blessings.  

Chew Enough, one of my current goals.  

The Spirit Ranch

The Spirit Ranch

Bud Snyder at Spirit Ranch Studio

     What do Jeff Buckley, Edwin McCain, Warren Haynes, John Popper, Gumbi Ortiz, Leon Poindexter, Chuck Leavell, Oteil Burbridge, Derek Trucks, Jimmie Fadden, Jimmy Herring. and Stevie Ray Vaughn along with many others have in common - An audio engineer  production genius named Bud Snyder.  Per Abby Weingarten/Ticket Sarasota, “ He has handled nearly every element of music making – inside the sound 

booths and on the tour buses -- from the United States to Europe and Japan. Snyder was an audio engineer and production manager for the Allman Brothers Band from 1980 to 2001. He was also involved in five Grammy Award-nominated records and one winner.”  Bud and partner Pete Arevalo own the Spirit Ranch recording studio.  Recently I had the opportunity to meet Bud and Pete and spend some time at the Ranch. 

   

 We have a good friend who lives on The Spirit Ranch in Sarasota.  It is his winter retreat.  He invited us to visit.  It was a wonderful experience.  The Ranch is located several miles out in the country surrounded by the quietness of nature.  Horses, llamas, goats, cattle, deer, wild hogs, raccoons, possums, armadillos, and many many birds call the neighborhood home.   It is also home to Steve and Laney, the patrol dogs.

      It is beautiful and peaceful.  It is a perfect place for a music studio.  The musicians are away from the maddening crowds and can concentrate on the art in their souls. 

     Bud and Pete were so kind as to allow me to spend alone time in the recording studio.  The studio is filled with good vibrations.    I sat on the stage, warmed by sunlight streaming through the windows, highlighting instruments and the ghosts of musicians playing them.  There is so much spirit and music echoing through the rooms. You can feel the energy of the artist, their hope for success, fear of failure, high on music and unfortunately sometimes something more.  You can hear their voices; singing, laughing and arguing; see their closed eyes, see them swaying to the music – so many echoes - so many emotions. You can see Bud recording/mixing music – reaching for just the right combination of voice, beat, and sound that makes for – wow, this is it! 

     If these walls could talk, the stories they would tell.  Each artist leaving behind a bit of their spirit and taking with them a bit of the spirit someone else left behind. The Spirit Ranch is such an appropriate name.

     Thank you, Bud & Pete for sharing your Ranch.  Thank you, George for sharing your friends and winter retreat. 

1. 

   The Grammy - Thank you Bud! 

   
   
2. 
   

   1. The Allman brothers band ~ High falls - YouTube

      www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvU88Ofs0Kk
      

      
      

Sigmund's Fine Adventures

 Good Morning to Mom’s Coffee Friends!

I have not written a blog in a long time and neither has my Mom.  She said I could write this one for fun.  Mom can be a way to serious on her blogs.  We need a good belly laugh every day to stay healthy.  Doggies like me also need a good belly scratch every day and of course a good long walk.  Sometimes those walks lead to fine adventures.  Sometimes the fine adventure happens in my very own house.  Just so you will know my house is where my parents live.  I am an inside dog.  Right now I am on the road in our motorhome seeking warmer weather for my parents.  I have lots of fur so cold weather is not so bad for me. 

I have so many fun things to tell you about I hardly know where to begin.  Right now we are at Hunting Beach State Park in South Carolina.  Our motorhome is parked where we can see the ocean through our front windshield.  The weather is sort of cool – in the low forties and breezy – my parents have to bundle up to go walking with me but I take them anyway.  My Mom is a good sport, she will walk me for miles on the beach.  I really enjoy all the smells.  I do not like to walk down next to the water because all the smells have been washed away.  I like to walk close to the sand dunes where there is a variety of smells.  I need frequent smell stops and most of the time I have to leave a little scent behind for the next connoisseur of delightful scents that comes along.  I also really enjoy walking through the campground.  There are lots trees with hanging moss and many animals like to live here.  I think it must be called Hunting Beach State Park because it would be a hunter’s paradise.   I have personally identified deer, fox, coon, possum, rabbit, squirrel, and birds of various types. 

Speaking of animals, I need to back up and tell you about my last summer’s adventures.  You will be amazed.  I still smile and make little barking noises in my sleep when I think about it.  You see in the summer I have a doggie door so I can come and go as I please without my Mom having to get up at various times throughout the night to let me in and out.  Oh boy, Oh boy, Oh boy – did my doggie door every lead to some fine adventures.  First, I should tell you about the feral cats.

There are many feral cats that live in the neighborhood and they discovered there was food on the inside of my doggie door so they came in and helped themselves.  I do not chase cats so I would just lay there and watch them eat so we sort of became friends.  They would just walk right by me to get to the food.  They were very hungry so we purchased them a big bag of cat food and just left it on the floor where they could help themselves.  Soon there were seven.  This led to the cats thinking they owned the house and they started using the bathroom on my quilt on my sofa and I could not lie there anymore!!  This did not make me happy!  Finally, my Mom figured out where the smell was coming from and that was the beginning of the live trapping program.  All feral cats hanging out inside my house were safely moved to the humane shelter.  I helped Mom with this project as I did not like them using the bathroom on my stuff and let me tell you it was not just a little tinkle –no, it was the stinky stuff.   I always go outside for Mother nature projects – if you know what I mean. 

Well let me tell you having food available inside and a doggie door to get to the food is very tempting for wildlife.  The possum in the fireplace was most interesting.  You see we have gas logs in our sunroom and in the summer they are turned off.   The possum must of smelled the cat food because in he came right through the doggie door and then he saw me.  I was not doing anything.  I was just lying there waiting for the cats.  I hardly even twitched my tail.  I did not chase the possum.  I did not bark but that possum did a double take when he saw me and jumped right into the fireplace and crawled behind the logs.  Lucky for him there was no fire.  I did not know possums could jump.  I did not get much rest that night because I kept checking to see if the possum was still there.  I did not wake my parents up during the night to show them because I was taking care of things.  I did show them the next morning.  Hmmmm, fun times!  Finally the possum sneaked back out through the doggie door.  I watched him out of the corner of my eye.  I did not chase him. 

Then there was the black snake that came right to the door but did not get in because Mom just happened along at the right time and saw him.  He was all coiled up, his little head raised, his red tongue flicking in and out. He was thinking about the doggie door.  This was not good but things were going to get a lot more interesting at the doggie door before the summer was over.  You see snakes are not that bad, they just like to shed their skin everywhere and grow a new one, sort of like I shed my fur everywhere and grow more.  Needless to say, my parents did not think a snake crawling in the house would be a good thing so with some help from my Uncle Charles we caught that snake in a plastic box with lid and hauled him off to a neighbor’s barn for safe keeping.  Have you heard the story about the cat that came back.  Well, the snake and family moved into our shed in the orchard and spent the summer haunting my Mom.  She would have to pull her sweater up around her neck and very carefully look at the ceiling when she had to get things out of the shed.  The snakes liked to hang down from the ceiling and greet you as any good host would do. 

Raccoons are naturally born smart.  They already know how to steal all the sunflower seeds from the squirrel proof feeders.  They already know how to fish and wash their food.  They also seem to know that there is food on the inside of doggie doors.   At least the raccoon that showed up in our bath tub knew how doggie doors worked.  It was the middle of a warm summer’s night and there was this crash in the house.  I woke right up and immediately set my nose to work to figure it out.  Mom, hopped right out of bed and ran to the bathroom and there it was.  The coon was standing on his hind legs looking at us, he was acting ever so cute, cause he was so very guilty of home invasion.  My Mom was ever so smart about that one.  She backed out, turned off the light and figured the coon could find its own way out.  It did.  If she had chased the coon he could have destroyed a lot of things trying to escape. 
 

I told you about my sort of friends the feral cats.  One night, I was going into the sun room and I smelled a new cat.  It had not visited before.  I looked carefully at it and saw that it was black with a cute little white stripe down its back.  I flicked my tail in a friendly manner and moved in closer for an inspection and wham this overwhelming smell was all over me.  The cat ran for the door and I was left in a smelly mess.  Mom, was yelling and closing me out in the sun room.  My eyes were streaming tears.  I had this sinking feeling in my heart.  Oh no, what kind of cat was it?  A skunk!  What kind of cat is a skunk?  I will just let you use your imagination about the cleanup project!!  Needless to say, there is a strong possibility I will not have a doggie door next summer.  Mom will be letting me in and out – just in case!

 

Wow, my blog is a lot longer than I meant for it to be, but I hope you are enjoying it. We have moved to a different campground.  It is a KOA in Starke, Florida.  They have some great walking trails in the woods where the power lines run.  There is a door in the back wall that leads to a little shopping center.  I have been dreaming about doors, they lead to such interesting places.  Hope your door is full of magic.

 

With Love,  Sigmund

Life after Life - Waiting

Good Morning!  How is your cup of coffee or hot tea this morning?  It is a cool breezy beautiful morning on our mountain top.  The glow of the rising sun is clothing the distance mountain peaks in a soft pinkish glow.  I am sitting at our table where I can take peeks out the front window and enjoy the arrival of morning.  As we all know I love morning.  It is such a special time.  I love to get up early so I can enjoy each second of its arrival. The mountains are now clothed in Blue outlined against rising clouds that are reflecting the sun's glow.

Morning has Broken

Morning is a time of prayer, meditation, thanksgiving, reflecting, and a walk with Sigmund (our dog - although Bob used to love to walk he has not been able to walk any distance for several years).  Even when the campground is going strong I still try to work in this important part of each day.   Many times the walk is the highlight of the day - how can you not be thankful when you are surrounded by the songs of birds, the whispering of leaves and grasses in morning breezes, the sounds of cattle munching, the rustle of deer, squirrels, and even skunks in the woods-  the green of the earth before you and the ever changing sky above you.  Morning colors can be spell binding.  The strength and peace of earth and life infuses you.  "Morning has Broken" - what you do with your day is now up to you.


Speaking of Walks and Reflections and the day you are given, I have been reminded recently of a book that needs to be written.  I would have called it Waiting to Die but I saw a title of another book that would be more appropriate Life after Life.  You ask, what am I taking about.  The answer is complicated but I will try to explain.

Starting with a short explanation - due to a broken ankle Bob ended up having to go to rehab at one of the local long term care/rehab centers for physical therapy.  The ankle had to be surgically put together again and he can not put any weight on it for awhile.  As a result of his back problems he is not able to use crutches and is  in a position of having to use a wheelchair.  His therapy concentrated on strengthening the arm muscles and the good legs muscles so that he can transfer to bed, commode, shower and other things as needed.  The rehab therapists were super and so Bob is home now and able to do the transfers needed.

While Bob was at the rehab center I spent a great deal of time there and pushed his wheelchair all over the building to get him out of his room.  In the non rehab sections of the center I was reminded so much about the shortness and the unknown factors in our lives.  I would call the book Waiting to Die.  Some of the individuals do not know they are waiting - alzheimers has stolen them, others have the hopeless look of no future - its over - just let me go, others are looking at the door waiting for a visit, a smile, a future of some sort, others are just living the best they can with the time and circumstances they have. Some are able to participate in planned activities, some have visitors, some do not.  Some have to be hand fed, diapered, in other words taken care of completely.  Everyone has one thing in common - All are waiting.

Bright Happy Room

Several of the long term residence had their rooms decorated in bright happy colors.  They had a special bedspread, family photos, stuffed animals, dolls, books, or cards on their walls and door.  The bright colors made the room a happy home as best it could be.  These people seemed more active and involved in living.  Maybe the rooms that were not so colorful need color to add cheer to the day,  Many of the rooms were filled with bright sunlight on sunny days and this added cheer to the individuals life and color to the room.  Their waiting is more alive.

Another title for the book could be Life after Life - Waiting.   They lived their first active life as we are living ours each day.  Now most are on what I would call their second life - the waiting life.  Would it not be great to be able to look into their lives from childhood forward and see who they are, what they did, how they felt, what they believed and loved, what made them who they are?  For instance I can not help but think of the couple who is at the center together sharing a room and the couple at the center who are not able to be together - in fact because of alzheimers do not even know their lifetime spouse is near.  Can you imagine the couple that is together - their whole lives reduced to one room - what happened to all their stuff - do they miss it? - are they just happy with their cheerful colors, tv, books, and being together for mental and physical support.  Are they still able to laugh? What was their life like before?  Do they have children?  Would you not like to read a story about how they came to be where they are?  So much history.  Life after Life - Waiting.  

We would be remiss if we just did a story on the couples, we would need to write a story about the individuals - their struggles, their laughter,  their story of how it all came to be.  You never know who is around you - the things they know - the difficulties they have faced - their favorite spots in the world - their recipes for food, life -  the advice they could give.  We would need to write the stories of those who can no longer make it without complete help - how do you think they really feel inside - what goes through their minds - are they able to pray - what do they pray for?  Who are you?  Life after Life - Waiting

Bob's Mom lived to be 99 years old.  She was so interesting.  As long as she could read she kept up with the news headlines and talked about what was happening in the world each day.  She always enjoyed being outside in the sunshine on warm days.  When arthritis, bad vision, bad hearing made it difficult for her to continue onward and she was sitting, waiting, we asked her what she thought about as the day passed by.  She smiled and said, " I quote poetry.  I think about my childhood.  I think about growing up on a farm, about getting up early of the morning and helping make breakfast for a large family, Biscuits was her speciality".    Life after Life - Waiting

Ordinary people or is that extraordinary people living extraordinary lives -

Waiting

Serene, I fold my hands and wait,
Nor care for wind, nor tide, nor sea;
I rave no more 'gainst time or fate,
For lo! my own shall come to me.

I stay my haste, I make delays,
For what avails this eager pace?
I stand amid the eternal ways,
And what is mine shall know my face.

Asleep, awake, by night or day,
The friends I seek are seeking me;
No wind can drive my bark astray,
Nor change the tide of destiny.

What matter if I stand alone?
I wait with joy the coming years;
My heart shall reap where it hath sown,
And garner up its fruit of tears.

The waters know their own and draw
The brook that springs in yonder height;
So flows the good with equal law
Unto the soul of pure delight.

The stars come nightly to the sky;
The tidal wave unto the sea;
Nor time, nor space, nor deep, nor high,
Can keep my own away from me. 

John Burroughs