In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning

One night... long after dh and I had gone to bed.... the boys were up doing their usual and Ralphie was hanging with them. He had crashed on top of a snoopy stuffed animal and could not keep his eyes open.

All was recorded for posterity....:)

Jasper

I like to draw dogs that I know. I mean dogs I get to know and understand their personalities.

And boy, did I (we) know Jasper!

The boys and I consider him our 'original' customer. Even though we technically had a customer before him, he was our most steady. And one of our most challenging!

(Ironicly, our first customers were Sophie the Great Dane and Bailey the Yellow Lab- Sophie also passed away last year- as Jasper did a couple of weeks ago)

Jasper had quite a life. He was 11 1/2 years old and crochety as they come! Every EVENT must have a treat.

Come in the door. TREAT!

Go for a walk. TREAT!

Come home from walk. TREAT!
Phone rings. TREAT!

You get the idea. My dog (Boomer) is VERY food motivated, too, so I understand. Actually, I am very food motived myself, so can totally relate to incessant whining for food stuffs.

Jasper had all sorts of health problems, so no wonder he was a pill. He would start baying (that is a combonation of barking and screaming) for no apparant reason. He usually did this when I went for a sit alone and thought I would catch up with a friend on my cell phone while he had some play time out of his laundry room.

AHRRRO! AHRROO! AHROOOOO!!!!!
(Ginger, can you attest to this? lol)

But, here is Jasper. The boys say I caught him, here. If you look in his eyes you will see he is just about to get into trouble or start his AHROOs....

We luv you Jasper. You brought a lot of joy to your family, and that is what it is all about. One of God's special creatures who won the lottery of life.

My Eclectic Days

Got up.

Had coffee.

Sat on the bench while the dogs did their biz and read the Wall Street Journal.

Said hi to my husband.

Got on the computer and researched some companies, and picked up some new leads.

Researched the new leads a bit, and dropped the calls and follow ups into my organizer.

Friend/Customer dropped off their Cocker Spaniel for the day, as we were doggy daycare.

Couldn't find doggy and then discovered her sleeping with son #2.

Went to the Y for my workout. It was hard.

Chatted with my YMCA buddies about how hard it was.

As I left a mom I know a little brought up homeschooling again. So we talked more about it and she tried to decide if she could do it while working part time as a flight attendant.


Came home in time for my conference call, did some calls and research.

(Did my usual research but also got a lead where the guy owns a car dealership and wants to buy a scooter franchise.. Called my trainer to see if he had any ideas of where I could find a scooter franchise. No luck. So, spent 45 minutes searching the Internet for 'Scooter Dealers' and calling every one!Still no luck!)

Put laundry in the washer.

Took a shower. (thank you!)

Did some more work.

Graded math.

Put laundry in the dryer and hung drip dry.

Said hi to boys.

Made Bryan a big breakfast of eggs, cheese, ham and toast.

Talked to Stephen about our college day yesterday.

Did some more research and prepared some information for a client.

Asked boys to clean up kitchen.

Laid down a bit to rest and listened to talk radio. Heard about how Hillary would one minute bake cookies and the next be Nurse Ratchet, so decided I needed to bake cookies.

Baked a batch of oatmeal cookies. We always have ingredients for those on hand!

Watched Pride and Prejudice. AWESOME MOVIE!

Called boys (friend was over) down and they devoured cookies.

Talked to boys about SATs,college day yesterday, politics, dogs, etc.

Baked a potato for my husband who was grilling salmon for dinner.

Talked to dh about the Catholic study he was planning for the prison tomorrow. Wanted to borrow my Rome Sweet Home book. And asked me where I hid his Catholicism for Dummies book.

Answered the door and chatted with owner picking up dog.

Fed three hungry teen boys.

Ate 2 cookies.

Read the Wall Street Journal with a giant dog on my lap while dh watched the news.

Got mad at the news.

Drew a portrait of a Basset we know who passed away recently. Plan to give it to the family as a gift.

Checked my computer for messages.

Wrote on my blog.

And here I am.

Now, I am off to snuggle in bed, read poetry, scripture and Rebecca (a novel, that has not got too depressing yet...)

Life is good!

A Wonderful Essay on an 'older' woman's adventures in Blogging

Well worth the read!
Put It In Writing

Green Acres

My dh keeps a vegetable garden and has canned some extra tomatos and jalepenos..... YUM!

Poetry, courtesy one of our favorites...

I found this poem from JRR Tolkien, who is an honorary member of our family... ;)

Ok. Now, this poem did not do much for me the first time I read it.
In fact, I have never been much for faeries, or goblins, or even (GASP!) hobbits! I could not get into Lord of the Rings for over 2 years because I could not get past the first chapter with hobbits who had (ugh) furry flat feet. sigh.

But, then, I tried and tried again and now love his imagary, his characters, his lofty ideas. So, the other night when I found this poem and saw the author I read it. It did nothing for me. I realized I didn't read it slowly enough. So I did. And then I fell in love.

I think that is part of my problem, I need to take time and read slow. I am always in such a hurry. Just savor. I am trying to read a bit of poetry every day or so, and it does cause me to slow down and ponder. Always best with a dachshund on my lap. (my boys are too big now...)

Goblin Feet
J.R.R. Tolkien

I am off down the road
Where the fairy laterns glowed
And the little pretty flitter-mice are flying
A slender band of gray
It runs creepily away
And the hedges and the grasses are a-sighing.
The air is full of wings,
And of blundery beetle-things
That warn you with their whirring and their humming.
O! I hear the tiny horns
Of enchanted leprechauns
And the padded feet of many gnomes a-coming!

O! the lights! O! the gleams! O! the little twikly sounds!
O! the rustle of their noisless little robes!
O! the echo of their feet-of their happy little feet!
O! the swinging lamps in the starlit globes.

I must follow in their train
Down the crooked fairy lane
Where the coney-rabbits long ago have gone,
And where silvery they sing
In a moving moonlit ring
All a twinkle with the jewels they have on.
They are fading round the turn
Where the glowworms palely burn
And the echo of their padding feet is dying!
O! it's knocking at my heart-
Let me go! O! let me start!
For the little magic hours are all a-flying.

O! the warmth! O! the hum! O! the colors in the dark!
O! the guazy wings of golden honey-flies!
O! the music of their feet-of ther dancing goblin feet!
O! the magic O! the sorrow when it dies.

Poety with Feathers

The Swan
Ogden Nash

Swan swam over the sea-
Swim, swan, swim;
Swan swam back again,
Well swam, swan.

Pray for the President!

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More poetry

Praise of Created Things
St. Francis of Assisi

Be thou praised, my Lord, with all Thy creatures
Above all, Brother sun, who gives the day and lightens us therewith
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor,
Of Thee, Most High, he bears similitude.

Be Thou praised, my Lord, of Sister Moon and the stars,
In the heaven hast Though formed them,
Clear and precious and comely.

Be Thou praised, my Lord, of our Sister Mother Earth,
Which sustains and hath us in rule,
And produces divers fruits with colored flowers, and herbs.



What a beautiful creation God has given us!

Blessing

We had an awesome visiting priest at Mass tonight. I just love him. He is Legionaires of Christ and I have known him from Masses here and there for a while. We have a lot of visiting priests since we only have one and we have 10,000 people in our parish.

His homilies are wonderful and true and he gives such reverence to the consecration.

I had a thought during prayer that I would like his blessing on my new business. I am working hard and have to be organized and professional. But I also want the Holy Spirit with me every step of the way, especially as I deal with people.

So after Mass I told him my quick history (back to work after 15 years, at home, dealing with people, etc) and if he could bless my business and me.

He could and he did. When he put his hands on my head I felt such peace.

Yes, this is the path I am on now. I hope the Holy Spirit keeps telling me which way to go, and which way not. :)

I love our faith! We have this incredible 'sacramental' life. It intertwines all we do. We can have the absolute incredible experience of a priest bless us during our life's work and struggles and challnges. We can have the Eucharist every day if we want! And sacraments for healing, and confession. Every bit of life.

Oh, I wish others could know the peace. :)

Some Poetry

I read this last night and the imagry just enveloped me! I won't even google a picture to put on with it, just use your own imagination....

The Eagle
Alfred Tennyson

He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ringed with the azure world, he stands.

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls.

Life is a Whirl...

Hi all-

Ok, this post will NOT be about dogs. I promise. Well, maybe just one picture...



Now wasn't that worth it? lol Ok, that is out of my system...

I have not blogged nearly as much as I like lately. But life comes and goes-- balance....

I have been working a lot on my new business and quite frankly it has been so much fun. Well, tiring and overwhelming at times, but fun, too. It reminds me how broad and lovely life is.

Now that the boys are older, I am finding myself re-entering the job force, but I wanted the 'lifestyle' elements I have come to love. I want to be at home. I still am involved with the boys, so only wanted to work about 15 hours a week. I looked and looked and found a business that really seems to suit me.

But, here is the fun part. I get to research! That is part of my job. Also, I get to work with people who also are looking for the right business to fit their lifestyle... so I get to 'coach', or at least be a matchmaker to point them in the right direction.

So, anyway, this is yet another new chapter in my life. I also get to read the Wall Street Journal every day, which I used to do 15 years ago, and love, too. My business roots are still there, and that has always fascinated me.

Ok, so besides going on and on about myself, why do I post this?

I am seeing again, how our life is not in the box. We have this beautiful, relationship-based lifestyle with our families and children that can adapt, or revel in, all the changes. Work, illness, travel, passions, anything. And we can integrate them into our learning lives.

For example, with my business- (it is called CLK Resources, so from now on I will call it CLKR)- part of my job is to research businesses and get to know the models, such as Bark Busters I mentioned on a previous post. When I find a really neat one, I share with the boys. We talk about the pros and cons, who would do well in this business, who would not. It all flows naturally.

Life is not compartmentalized. Life is organic, and so is learning.

Also, all the business reading gives me articles and discussion for them, too. The WSJ is one of hte few papers out there that don't editorialize in the news section. Imagine that! But you can find editorials in the op ed where they should be and they are not all liberal! Wow!

Life brings new twists and turns.... we can envelop them all, make them a part of our integrated life, find balance (after some periods of imbalance)-- and I am asking the Holy Spirit to guide me- keep me in balance- open doors or shut doors-- have a hand in all we do.

Ok, that is my post for now. Leonie I know I owe you a 'why do we unschool' post.. does this count? lol lol !

Another Sad Post

This one is sad, too. We have lost another one of our clients, and doggy friends. Jordan, was about 14 years old and just the sweetest dog you ever wanted to meet.

Jordan and Abbey are Cocker Spaniels owned by our friends Jan and Bill. They would come stay with us while Jan and Bill travel, which they do a lot. Their kids are grown and they love to travel together. So it is a double blessing that they have us to take care of their dogs, and we get to see Abbey and Jordan a lot.

Jordan was found by the big horse racetrack here in Houston 5 years ago and he was a mess. He was so far gone they were going to put him down, but Jan found him at the Cocker Spaniel rescue and rescued him. As Jan says, the second part of his life has been great. And it has. He was one loved dog.

I would call him 'St. Jordan'.. because he was so patient and kind. He could barely see, and hardly hear and often would wander into a corner of our house and get lost. I would find him and tap his shoulder so not to scare him, and lead him back into where we were. He loved to nap in the master bedroom where it was cool and dark.

During the days, he would hang out with my dh in the home office while dh made calls and wrote emails, and Jordan would snore softly while the rest of the house was noisy and active.

We will miss Jordan. It amazes me the gifts God gives us with his creation, all the time teaching us about His love and teaching us about ourselves.

We will miss you, sweet Jordan!

Who is Your Pack Leader?

I discovered a very interesting tidbit about dog behavior.

There is a company called Bark Busters who do human training for dog behavior problems. Yup, you heard me right! The Aussie couple who started this business were big into dogs and working in shelters and saw many dogs put down because they were 'unadoptable' due to behavior problems.

They realized it was the humans who had the problems. The problem, is the humans didn't understand how the dogs think- and tried disciplines that made the behavior worse. So they came up with a training program, and in 2 hours will fix any dog, any issue, lifetime guarantee!

I am excited as I have been offered to do a 'ride-along' with a lesson to see how this works. Do you know Cesar, the dog whisperer? Well he *almost* has it right... they are more scientific and actually when Cesar gets people wanting them to train their dogs, he refers them to Bark Busters. Cool!

So, here is the tidbit. I was on a conference call with the company yesterday. (In my new business, I am learning about franchises such as Bark Busters to be able to recommend them to clients looking for businesses)--- and she was explaining the techniques, etc.

She said that when a dog is destructive when the owner leaves it is because the dog is distraught. WHY is the dog distraught? Because this dog thinks HE is the pack leader. And when he sees Miss Owner leave, he thinks one of HIS pack is gone and he is responsible and goes nuts!

But, if you have set the pack order that YOU are the leader, the dog will be calm, because he knows you are returning. YOU are in control and he knows it.

I had learned a lot about dogs and pack mentality, but didn't know that one.

Just fascinating!

(Oh, if you go to the Bark Busters site, be sure and take the quiz to see how your dog rates. Ralphie got a D... lol)

Licky Licky Likcy!

When the Cocker Spaniels Jordan and Abbey stay with us, our pig-of-dogs must be in their crate because the have no dicipline and will try and raid their bowls. So, when they go in, I reward them with a spoonful of the canned food J and A get. Ralphie found the remnents on the bars.. so-- LICKY! LICKY! LICKY! Wierd little dog!

Jasper, we will miss you

Our beloved client and doggie friend, Jasper passed away Monday. Here is the note his owner sent. He was a good dog and had a great life. He was loved and he spread joy, one of God's very unique and wonderful creatures.

We will miss you, Jasper!

"Our beloved 11 ½ year old Basset Hound, Jasper, passed away today. He’s had many trials over the years, from an anal tumor to a ruptured disc, with allergies and fatty tumors thrown in there too. He’s always beaten every trial and stayed as loving as ever.

He’s the only pet our kids have ever known, and although we knew he wasn’t long for this world, we were still very, very sad to say goodbye. Jasper was not eating and having trouble breathing over the weekend. I thought it was a stomach problem, but when I took him in this morning, the vet could hardly hear his heart beat. Jasper had fluid all around his heart caused by a tumor at the base of the heart. The vet said there was nothing we could do.

We are thankful that he did not suffer with this for long and that there were not any tough decisions about long-shot medical treatments to consider. We will miss him very much and just wanted to pass this news along to our family and friends. We firmly believe he’s enjoying a special place in doggie heaven with lots of rawhide bones and treats…"

This is a happy memory-- we had a 'dog party' when Jasper, Abbey and Jordan all came over one Saturday night. Lots of fun!

Thomas Merton Quote

My friend Susan recently posted this and I really liked it. So I wanted to pass it on:

Do not depend on the hope of results. You may have to face the fact that your work will be apparently worthless and even achieve no result at all, if not perhaps results opposite to what you expect. As you get used to this idea, you start more and more to concentrate not on the results, but on the value, the rightness, the truth of the work itself. You gradually struggle less and less for an idea and more and more for specific people. In the end, it is the reality of personal relationship that saves everything.

~Thomas Merton

Ugh.

Ok, I don't like Hillary. For a lot of reasons anyone reading this blog will know and probably agree with. I feel she deserves any scrutiy the male candidates have. And I HATE it when she plays that sobbing female card when things get 'tough' when she opted years ago not to do the 'baking cookies' gig. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

But. Can you imagine.. at age 60 being photographed from every angle, in every light? Whoo--- wee. That must be tough!

Party night

Tonight I hosted a CAbi party at my house. A friend (who I met through Lighthouse) does CABi and she has bascially taught me how to dress. lol... I mean, I know how to button things but was never good at putting outfits together. It is perfect timing as I am doing more adult things.. like volunteering (where I have to have 'business dress' and my business now has me out in the adult world. :)

Well, I had such a good time. About 20 people from all areas of my life were here. I felt like the old "This is Your Life!" show.
Friends from homeschooling, church, hosptial minsitry, Birthright, neigbhors, dogsitting customers... all in one room.

It all went well, until late in the evening. I was saying goodbye to someone at the door when I heard:

"Cindy! Your dog threw up and now he is eating it.. EWEUUUU!"

Thank you, Boomer. Sigh. Well, my life still rambles on! But it was kind of funny after everyone was so nicely complementing my cute dogs all night.. and then.. Boomer was Boomer.

lol!

"I am old, I was excited by all the people, and my stomach was upset. What did you expect?"