January 2009

It's been over two months since I posted and I could give a dozen excuses as to why, but I wont go into everything right now. I wont tell you about running around going crazy trying to finish the decorating and the baking. I wont tell you about having company the week before Christmas. (Wonderful company, even though it was not a happy reason for a visit.) My sister and her hubby and her youngest daughter and her hubby and their dog Scooter. Or the week of Christmas when the Mother-in-law was here. Or the first week of January when Dad had a mini stroke then came here for a few days with his dog to recover bringing with him the flu from hell. I wont go into the fact Gerry and I then caught the flu. (We only had to throw away one mattress.) Or when last weekend I was snow blowing the driveway and tripped on the edge of the cement walk and fell into the blower, twisting my ankle, bruising my shoulder and my cheek, twisting my glasses and losing a lens in 10" of snow. Then the virus that has all the hospitals full and the one I thought I got a flu shot to prevent, hit me like a tons of bricks. Finally today the fever broke and I sat down at my computer to check e-mail that has been piling up for the last month. No, I wont go into all my troubles that brought in this New Year. Nope, not gonna do it.

Time out while I blow my nose.

I wanted to share with you my favorite Christmas gift. I have this dog groomer that not only is fantastic at her job but happens to live right across the street from us. Tracy has been taking care of my dogs for the last couple of years and the dogs and I just love her. Tuesday before Christmas Gerry and I grabbed the mail on the run and he opened an envelope from Tracy. The first thing I said was, "Oh darn, I didn't send her a Christmas card!" From this envelope Gerry pulled out the following photos.

Can you believe she did these? I was ecstatic when I saw the pictures. I was showing them to everyone, even people I had never met before. People talk about how a Grand parent can go over board showing off pictures of the latest diaper filler but they have nothing on this mother of 5 dogs. This was the best Christmas gift I could have gotten. Thank you Tracy!!!

This following poem was sent to me and I think it is very fitting to post here. Please enjoy the things that make me happy. :)

If I Didn't Have Dogs...

I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety. My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated. All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair. When the doorbell rings, it wouldn't sound like a kennel.

If I Didn't Have Dogs...

When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there. I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, without taking into consideration how much space several furry bodies would need to get comfortable. I would have money.....and no guilt to go on a real vacation. I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grand kids through college.

If I Didn't Have Dogs...

The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave him/her/it ALONE. My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers. My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere. My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.

If I Didn't Have Dogs...

I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L, F-R-I-S-B-E-E, W-A-L-K, T-R-E-A-T, B-I-K-E, G-O, R-I-D-E I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside. I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog ties them down too much. I'd look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading 'mud' season.

If I Didn't Have Dogs...

I would not have to answer the question 'Why do you have so many animals?' from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get.

How EMPTY my life would be!