I Felt the Earth Move Under my Feet

I'd been up for a few hours, with only three hours of sleep.  Brain just won't quit sometimes and it kept playing a Francesca Battistelli song, Write Your Story.  Finally gave up at 5:30 and decided to work on emails, bills, and stuff.  I was sitting at the computer at 7 a.m., suddenly the computer screen swayed, my chair moved and I felt dizzy.  I must have been drinking too much tea too early in the morning!!!  I looked around for the dog, thinking she had laid against my chair and moved it, but she was looking at me from across the room,  like I was kinda crazy.  I think I was...

Earthquake felt in seven states - CNN 

Getting on facebook, I quickly discovered that what I had felt was a 5.6  5.8 (updated a few days after the quake) magnitude earthquake centered in Pawnee, OK and felt in SEVEN states!!!

I've got to stop blaming the dog for everything!!!   What a way to start Labor Day weekend!  I will be very happy with some kind of normal for the weekend!

Love came a whining with some sad sad eyes

Lost, no collar, no microchip, but trained and hungry.

Two weeks ago this little female Black and Tan Coonhound pup showed up at our door.  Not wanting  our to see another dog get hit on our busy road, I let her in the house.  Because we all know I need one more thing to take care of...   We quickly figured out she was house trained as she would run to the door when she has to go and gave us about 30 seconds to get moving or start cleaning. 

Penny and Bandit in a tug-a-war over a stick

Oh, I didn't want ANOTHER DOG, we already have two larger type dogs (German Shepherd, Australian shepherd, and now a Coonhound????? 

We called every shelter, vet office, and rescue place seeing if anyone has called in missing her.  None.  Zip.  Nada... So here we are with a $300+ dog... I know that's what I was thinking!  But Only fell in love with her and those floppy ear, the elephant way she thunders through the house, and she snores when sleeping, and attempts to learn the boundaries of her new home.Pretty Pink collar, sleeping on a cushion in her room.  Course she's not fond of those 5 a.m. "I gotta go potty" times, but it will get better, we tell her. 

The "fierce" turtle Penny tracked and hunted down. 

Other morning I caught her baying up a storm and rolling something around in the mud.  I felt so sorry for the poor turtle that cause so much excitement that morning as to warrant being attached by some ferocious yipping, slobbering, sharp toothed beast who was trying to teach him to fly.  It wasn't working.  I finally took the poor creature and let it be free on the outside of the yard.  Penny must have followed it's scent for 5 more minutes before I made her come in.  Whew!  Saved a life! 

So that's some of what is new in our lives.  I'll have to share more later.

LYNNET

Give this dog a bone please!

Our son's dog, Bandit, sure was a cute little pup when he first brought him last year. Yes, we know he wouldn't stay little very long and he didn't!

This DOG has chewed holes in two walls, chewed on our beautiful bed and dresser... But the last straw... The last straw was when he chewed a hole in my own personal quilt! I almost cried when I discovered it and I literally HUNTED the dog down! But what could I really do?  I have no idea when he did the nasty deed and he has no idea what naughty mishap/deed he did was finally discovered. 

It has been a month since IT happened, but I really was unsure how to fix it.  Every time I snuggled with my quilt or placed it on my bed at night, all I seemed to see was THE HOLE.  I finally had enough of letting it upset me.  I mean really.  It's a quilt!  It could have been something much worse and it could have been in a worse place!

There's no mistaking who chewed on my cozy quilt

Since it is a quilt, and quilts are patches of fabric that have been sewn together, what a better way to fix it, than with a patch!  I was thankful to still have a piece of fabric from the front border and one that was even

"Patched" fix on front of quilt

"Patched" fix on back of quilt

I'm still here

I'm here.  Really, I'm still here.  It's been almost a month since I last wrote and there are days that go by that I don't even get to the computer to turn it on.  Overwhelmed at times with feeling like I need to get it all done but realizing that it's okay it doesn't have to be "all done".  I've been here before and I am smart enough to know I'm not the only one.  God gives me moments and answers just when I need them, in His time. 

No one has died or fallen ill because

• the floor wasn't mopped
•  the laundry is still in the basket
• the dishwasher still needs to be emptied
• we had "clean out the fridge night" again. So thankful that we have extra food! 
• the baby toys are still on the living room floor when I go to bed
• the bathroom tub looks "slightly" used this week
• the dog cleans up the kitchen floor when food is dropped

I've been battling with sleepless nights (even with a prescription sleeping pill) and exhaustion during the day.  I've battled with this since college, but seems it has gotten worse With little ones that I care for, sleeping during the day is not an option. After trying Lunesta and still not sleeping through the night or even going to sleep, the doctor put me on a different med and I am thankfully sleeping until my alarm goes off most days.  I'm a much nicer person when I get sleep!

Lady with Miss C

Kids

• Oldest has started college and got his first official job working at Ultimutt Dog Care  as a dog handler. Seems like we see him less, but he is loving having classes finish before 1 p.m.
• Only is in the middle of her senior year just started her first official job at Pizza Warehouse as party and game hostess.  She continues cleaning homes for two families once a week - doing school in the mornings.
• Youngest is in 8th grade and very involved in Boy Scouts. He enjoyed an adventurous summer camp and is involved in a local drama winter production of A Christmas Carol. 
• Little Ones:  I no longer care for Miss H, but have added a new little one, Miss C, who was born the end of this June.  Sweet baby smiles and cuddles are what I love.

I was blessed when Glenda at Notes on the Journey told me I had won a copy of Life: Beautiful (Faith for Your Journey) on her blog giveaway.  It is filled with not only beauty, but inspiration and encouragement in my faith. I have really enjoyed reading through it  - I needed that! 

Adams Photography

We finally had some family pictures taken by our sweet friend and talented photography, Amy from Adams Photography. I'm making a shameless plug for her - she has a wonderful affordable Fall Special going on if you live in my area.
Contact her by:

• Email: maadams0408@yahoo.com
• Facebook

         

Finally comfortable

Our poor German Shepard, Lady had surgery 10 days ago to remove a large vascular tumor, commonly referred to as "The Hangy Downy thing" in our home.  Her incision was 6" long and horribly uncomfortable, but we are thankful to have it done.  Y  We switched vets this year to a clinic closer to home and at this time, we've seen a big blessing financially.  The first day we took her there for a yearly check up (shots and stuff) - I had been saving for the $58 from my baby-sitting checks and God gave us the BIGGEST blessing! Someone came in, while we were back with the vet, asking if we were there, and PAID our vet bill for that day!!!!!  I was in tears when I left! I still don't know who our angel was, but we are over whelmed with their kindness.  Yesterday we had her stitches out and found out the results of the histopathology.  What the vet said just about made me crumble on the floor and cry, but I had Youngest with me,  said the mass was potentially Malignant. I know that says potential, which is a big word, but we have a big God.  I know this is just a dog, but this dog does not leave my side.  For some reason, she follows me around constantly, watching me, dependent on me to make sure she feels safe.  I'm not a dog person and really just tolerate them, but I must say I do love this dog.