Notes From Home

My WONDERFUL Honey Bun sent me these notes from home in an email today, and I thought I’d hack OC’s Blog and share them with all of you… So cute… Made me cry… Is this sweet or WHAT!!! (My notes are in the parenthesis)

Hi Love, thought I would send you a few notes from home:

From Dotty: These people DO NOT GET IT !!! I miss Grammy and need my belly rubbed at least 16 hours a day, but they keep doing STUPID stuff like playing on the computer, or watching the box with pictures on it. Papa keeps leaving to do something called “work.” He left for FOUR DAYS once and came back with another DOG’S SMELL ON HIM!!! (My son has a dog, so I haven't gone into TOTAL dog withdrawals... just Corgi ones... sort of... I DO have my memory stick of pics I look at often!!!)

Well, at least I FINALLY got to go to Mimi’s on Thursday and be worshiped by her dogs.(They do… it’s weird the way they run to her and lick her face and roll around on the ground in front of her, and she laps it up like a Queen being paid her due homage…) I love you and am going to wash your brain when you come home in 49 dds. (dds=dog days, and “brain washes” happen when she manages to get her tongue up your nose as she welcomes you home with a VERY thorough face-licking)

From OC: You need to come home NOW!!! I am not getting treated right! When I want loving, I have to fight off these two crazy kids… and as for Sadie, I am too lady-like to use the words needed to describe her… the upstart!!! When you get back, we need to go on a road trip-- just you, Papa, and me, so I will be the center of the world again. I MISS YOU !!!

From BG: Dad came home from work yesterday, snuck in the side door and caught me laying in front of the front door with my nose at the crack waiting to jump up and bounce on it when he got to the door. I tried to tell him that he left you after the long drive by whining a lot, but he kept saying it was all right… but it was NOT!!! YOU were not with us… and now I have to share my time with Dad with Sadie, Dott AND Mama. We did not even get to go somewhere Saturday, as Dad left really early, and was gone forever… at least it seemed like it. I can’t wait for things to be normal around here again. LOVE you and miss you, Mom!

From Sadie: Help I am being mistreated!!! They even threw me outside ALL night one night, just cus I got into a fight with old stuckup, OC. Got to run now!

From (My love) I am counting the days now, but after Monday, I'll count the hours and minutes until you are back with me. I love you very much, honey. I’ll call and write later… love, Me

99 Things.

Note:  Laura at Cooper Creek Cardigans gave this challenge on her blog, so I thought I would take her up on it...  OC's Mom, Linda.

Other bloggers have done this, so thought I would give it a try....why don't you, too?? It's interesting to see just how much our friends have accomplished! :)

Copy and paste, then bold the things you’ve done and unbold the things you haven’t done. You can add comments in parenthesis if you want. Have fun with it!

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band (Does a kazoo band count?)

4. Visited Hawaii (SOMEDAY !!!!)

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity (Between me and God...)

7. Been to Disneyland/world

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped (no and NEVER intend to!!!)

12. Visited Paris (no, and never been interested)

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea . ( Sort of anyway... mostly was being sick under a blanket on deck!! I no longer do cruises !!!)

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child (2 and fostered several others)

16. Had food poisoning (yes, and wouldn't recommend it!!)

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (Never been near it... )

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France (no, see #12)

20. Slept on an overnight train (Hubby wants to go on a train trip but with my motion sickness problems and after that cruise....)

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked (not actually, but have walked and been picked up by someone I know.)

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (my dog was sick)

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping (many years ago... by myself)

27. Run a Marathon (are you kidding?)

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (see 20)

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise (see above... 8 hours to the Bahamas for our 20th anniversory)

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. (Maybe someday)

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself another language (not fluently)

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt (Maybe someday)

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (If a fast food place counts...)

44. Visited Africa (no, but my aunt was a missionary there for 37 years.)

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted (actually pencil drawn)

48. Gone deep sea fishing (Don't do boats !!!!)

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater (all the time when I was younger)

55. Been in a movie (Does 8mm count?)

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching (didn't see any whales, just dolphins and otters)

63. Gotten flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving (no, but my son did... almost the worst 60 minutes of my life...)

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp (No, but I did visit Manzanar here in California)

67. Bounced a check (Bad me, but it wasn't on purpose)

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar (Yummm!!!)

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (It was going way to fast for ME!)

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book (Son has and I helped edit and illustrate it)

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem (Not yet, but I will someday)

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible (Several times... Best book ever written!)

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life (Used the Heimlich maneuver on a choking student)

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one (Several)

94. Had a baby (One was 10 lbs. 10 oz.)

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee (Several times...now I'm allergic to them)

Now it's your turn....

Dad Came Home... Mom DIDN'T!

Dad got home last night from the Memorial Service… WITHOUT MOM!!! I thought that was the whole idea of him leaving us here. When he left on Friday, he said he was going to be with Mom at that son of theirs that I’ve never met…

He lives way off in somewhere named “Florida.” Remember, I told you that we took Mom to a plane so that she could fly there a couple of weeks ago. 

It’s been really sad around here without her. Robert doesn’t give us treats like she does, and he won’t let me on the computer much either. I guess Mom told him that he needed to let someone write on Mama’s blog or everyone would forget about us though, so he turned it on for me tonight.

I’d been really happy to see Dad each night when he would get home and I’ve told him over and over that I love him when he comes home and is sad without Mom here. She called one time and talked to Mama, Dottie and me for a few minutes, but I don’t talk well on the phone. I heard Robert tell her that we all perked up to hear her voice and I wiggled all over, but I wonder if she believed him.

I was sure that she would come home with Dad after he went to visit, and when he came in this morning after 1 a.m. from flying home, I said a quick “Hi, love you…” by jumping on his knees and giving him a quick kiss, at least, while everyone else ran out to welcome Mom back, but she wasn’t in the car! WHAT’S WITH THAT! I wonder if she is EVER going to come back. It’s been dog “MONTHS!” since we’ve seen her!!!

Dad says she has to stay for a couple more human weeks to help her son and grand-daughters through this rough time since her daughter-in-law went to heaven, but he promised that she would come home soon. I don’t think HIS soon, is OUR soon, though! Mama keeps telling us it will be ok, and that we can trust Mom to come back when she can...

He says she still loves us bunches, and looks at the pictures that she took with her, because she says we are her “Smile Makers…” She is also getting the new pictures that Robert emails her every day or so, but we are so sad in them, that she cries sometimes.

She told Dad that God is taking care of things in so many miraculous ways for all of them there. The love and trust in God, that her son and grand-daughters are showing to all their friends, will help those friends to see that God is real in their lives and that her daughter-in-law’s life and death will be used to strengthen the faith of those who loved her and her family. She thinks that maybe more of them will believe and go to heaven when it’s their time to leave this earth, and that is what her son and grand-daughters hope, too. Dad says that Mom is so proud of them, and so happy that they have that wonderful hope of seeing their wife and mother again, and that is what is helping them get through this hard time.

We just want her hooooooome….. Wooooooooo!!!! Do you think she WILL come home?

Update from Florida

Hi, everyone. This is O.C.'s Mom, writing from Florida. I know so many of you have been praying for my family out here, so I thought I'd take a minute and give you all an update.

My Daughter-in-law went home to be with the Lord at 4:50 a.m. on the 20th. My son and their 4 daughters are, fairly devestated, of course, but because of their strong faith in the Lord, He is sustaining them so much better than all of us could imagine. You wouldn't believe all of the love and support and wonderful things that the Lord has provided and blessed them all with throughout this trial. They have so many friends here in Florida, at their jobs and at their church that have been so completely supportive.

God is truly being a "help in times of trouble" for all of us here. There will be a memorial service on Sunday after church and so many are coming from various other states, so I would ask for your continued prayers for traveling mercies for those family and friends that are on the road and in the air, and for my son and grand-daughters as they continue to walk through this valley of the "shadow." Thanks so much, again, for your prayers, as I know they have helped sustain us all. Linda

She's Left Us!

Mom's left us! Me and Dad took her to an airport after a LONG ride. I found out that is a place where they keep big flying buses that are called "planes," and THAT is what they were talking about before.

I whined and whined and tried to tell her not to go when they got out of the truck, but she cried and told me she had to go, and that Robert and Dad would take care of us until she could come back. She promised she would come back if God lets her, and I know she loves us and will do what she says if she can.

She has called several times and emailed... especially when Robert took pictures of us all moping around and emailed them to her. Dad misses her a lot too, and keeps calling her and even emailed her a letter, which is just short of a miracle in itself.

He told her how much Mama, Dott and I miss her, but so far, he hasn't let me talk to her on the phone... I think tomorrow night, I will insist.

House of Depression...

Mama is so depressed… so am I and Dott. We can’t believe that Mom/Grammy would desert us! Who could be more important to her than us?!! My Mama says that kids are very important to mothers, and that she can understand, sort of, that Mom has to go help her son, but she doesn’t understand why a measly $250 can't be spent to take her along.

Mom spent about 2/3 of that amount today, just to get hay for those old horses of hers, and they can’t even come into the house to snuggle with her. I gather that Cory, her Peruvian Paso Horse was allowed to put his head in the window one time when she had surgery, so she could pet him. I saw the picture, but that was before Mama’s time. (Unfortunately, that picture isn't scanned, so I can't put it up here, but here is another pic of Old Cory)


Mom is upset too, and keeps petting us and hugging us. At least we are getting a lot of extra “snackies” (as Peanut puts it…) She had to go to some meeting today and Dad came home early to take her. I sat by the door, blocking it, and gave them my saddest, hurt look and shivered, just glancing at them a second to two out of the corner of my eye… I guess it worked, cause Mom said that I could go. 

We took a long trip and then they went in to get an “App ointment,” whatever kind of ointment that is, and they came out with a bunch of papers that Mom worked on. Something about a “Re tire mint.” Now I’m a boy dog, and I KNOW what a tire is for, but I thought that a mint was something you ate, not something you put ointment on.

I did get to play in a park while Mom worked on the papers, and Dad had the truck worked on so that it will be ok to take them to the “plain.” Dad says he doesn’t know if I can go with them then or not… he’s thinking about it. I can’t see why they wouldn’t take me with them to the “plain.” I wonder if that is Carrizo Plains… we’ve gone there once before and it was a lot of fun!

They are sure using a lot of new words around here… Now, I understand “rabbit,” “walk,” “cow,” “horse,” “squirrel,” and a lot of other words, but these are all new. Mama says that I’m still young yet, and will learn.

Well, got to go… Mom got a call from her son again, and there has been another complication, but everyone is still praying that God will touch the doctors and give them wisdom, as well as touching the family and giving them comfort in these times of waiting on His will… I guess that is one of the hardest things to do for humans is to WAIT patiently for God to work, and to have faith and trust that He will do what is best for those He loves. I think that it might be easier to be a dog and just live in the moment…

Lap Wars…

Hi, All… It’s BG again. These “female dogs” (I’m being nice…) are going to drive me CRAZY!!! Mama is alternating between moping, flirting, and grouching, while Dott has CONFISCATED MY CHAIR!!! 

Now I ask you… IS this FAIR??!! Just because her Master thinks she might have “cramps” (whatever they are) and she wants to be warm under MY blanket, he tucks her in when she jumps up there, and I have to sleep on the floor or in her recliner (She has her own recliner beside Dad’s chair… WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE MINE when he isn’t here…) (Sound familiar, Mango?)

How am I supposed to do my job and keep my Dad’s chair warm… and she already confiscated his lap quilt AND Mom’s lap quilt (Dad’s in the house and Mom’s in the car) and has Dad’s in HER chair. Now she is taking Dad’s BIG quilt that he has gotten to put in his chair for the cold nights around here, because she says it is so cushy and comfortable. SHE has a heavy corgi coat to keep her warm, while I have the light Chihuahua/Doxie coat I inherited from my dad, and I DESERVE a big heavy quilt to keep me warm…

She even gave Dad a hard time about moving when HE got home tonight. He came over and looked at her, and tapped his foot and she put her nose down and looked up at him with her “look” and then batted her eyes like she was going to cry, and then rolled over and showed him her belly… and he LEFT… WHAT’S WITH THAT!!! Well, come to think about it, maybe it was a plan, because he called me to go outside with him for a couple of minutes, and sure enough, when we came back in, she was standing at the door waiting for us.

I was able to run in real quick and jump into the chair and save it until Dad got there. I politely jumped down, like a good boy, so he could sit down, and SHE jumped up into HIS lap… MY Dad’s lap!!!

Of course, he called me to jump up there, and SHE threw a fit and jumped down and went and pouted in her own chair, even though he tried to convince her that there was enough lap for both of us. She made him feel bad, and he kept trying to explain to her that there was plenty of room, but the spoiled little thing just ignored him… I had to cozy up to him and kiss him gently and lay on him to make him feel better… I know he was just being polite to her anyway, because he loves me best, and we are buds.

She didn’t come back over until he had his dinner, and then she sat up in her chair and put her paws on the arm of his chair, and shamelessly begged… the little hussy. I don’t have to beg, because Dad ALWAYS shares with me. Even though he saw through her little act, he still is a gentleman and gave her a couple of bites, so she finally forgave him and got up on his lap, too. Hummmph!

Hey!!! I just saw Corgis on the TV. Mom and Dad are watching NCIS and there were two of them in “Ducky’s” house. His mother supposedly has corgis and they have been one the show a few different times, so that probably why they like the show so much… They start saying “Corgis…. corgis…” every time they see them. Hey, Dozer and Coop, if you read this, one of them is named Cooper…

Mom says to mention that she is going to be leaving in a couple of days to fly to Florida, because she has to help her son while her DIL is in the hospital. She’s been told that they have a computer that she will be able to use for her “Grammy’s Corgi Country” blog. She’s really happy about that blog because she just got paid her first payment for it and it came at just the right time to help with the travel arrangements, so she is Praising God for His provision. 

There’s been a few other things that have come in too, unexpectedly, and she is just so grateful to Him about this. She says that He always HAS taken care of her (and us) and she knows He always will. Though we sometimes don’t know the reasons that He does/allows things, she says that she has learned to trust that He has the best in mind for us in the long run, if we are putting Him and His ways first in our lives. Again, she wishes to thank those that are praying… at this point it is a waiting game according to the doctors.

WAIT A MINUTE… Did Mom says she was LEAVING???!!!! OH NOOooooooo….!!! Who will cover me when I’m cold ??? WHOOOooo...

HELP!!!

BG here, and I need HELP!!! I’m in a house full of raging female hormones apparently, and I have no clue as to what’s going on, but I’m being attacked from all sides!!! Robert says its because I’m “broke” and Mom says its because I’m “fixed,” but all I know is that OC and Dott WON’T LEAVE ME ALONE!

They are completely distracted with their “problems,” and they are having MAJOR mood swings and getting into fights and growling and grumbling at each other constantly. Mama hasn’t even been interested in writing in her blog!

One minute Dott is dancing in my face, and the next, she’s biting my head off and then going to her chair and pouting. Mama’s not much better… even she is starting to act like a little tart, and if I thought she was testy with Sadie before… she’s a total powder keg now!

Mom says that she’s thinking about not even allowing them out of the yard to run for the next few weeks because they might “attract the coyotes.” Mama is thoroughly ticked because they told her that she’s not going to be allowed to go for road trips for the next few weeks either.

Mom is upset because I don’t understand and have a tendency to whine a lot… at night… in the early morning… now… I’m just so CONFUSED!!! I asked Dad about it and he said, “It’s a ‘female’ thing that us guys will never understand, so just wait it out…”

Well, I guess I’ll go for now… I just thought you all should get some clue as to one of the reasons why Mama hasn’t been writing lately.

Mom has been pretty busy, too, with back emails, playing catch up after the holidays, and being an information conduit between her oldest son and the rest of the family about her DIL, who is NOT doing very good at all. She has double pneumonia, has had to be put back on the ventilator machine, and is being kept under heavy sedation so that she won’t keep waking and fighting. The doctors feel that she needs total rest to give her body a chance to recuperate. Thank you all for your prayers, and please continue to pray for her, their four daughters, and Mom’s son, too, as this is very traumatic for the whole family.

B.G. continued…

Hi, again... Mom gave me two turns because she says I’m a hero. When my stupid little sister ran halfway across our neighbor’s pasture to bite one of their big old Australian Shepherds because the two of them were coming toward our property, I ran out with Sadie and we got them off of her. She was on her back snapping at their feet, rolling around. I guess she’s to fast and wiggly for them, though, because they never got a good hold on her. 


No one got hurt… just a little wet hair, but I think that Dotty was lucky we came to her rescue, and that they ran away when her Master, Robert, yelled at all of us. Boy, were our people mad at HER!!! I think she about scared two years off her Master’s lifelife because she weighs all of 16 lbs (maybe) and they probably weigh in at 50 -60 lbs. each!

I am so thankful that Mom and Dad decided to keep me. One of Mom’s sons had taken me, when I was a couple of months old, and he brought me back when he had to move. Mom told me that she had wanted to keep me from the first, but had promised him that he could have me before my Mama even had me. When I came back, I was really sad because I missed my first Master, and didn’t know what was going to happen to me.

One day, several weeks later, Dad was holding me on his lap, and he asked me if I wanted them to find me another home, and he tells everyone that I started blinking my eyes like I was going to cry, so then he asked me if I wanted to stay with him and be his dog, and I was SOOO happy. I laid back against his chest and just touched the tip of his beard with my tongue to say, “Yes, please…” and he UNDERSTOOD. I’ve been his dog ever since.

He used to be able to take me to work with him sometimes, but his job has changed so he can’t now. We got really close then, and Mom says I’m pretty mopey when he’s not here. I don’t know about that…

I do go out and run when she takes us out for a walk, I just make sure to keep his chair warm for him most of the time, while he is gone, and his lap warm when he is here.

He still takes me out on weekends for small road trips to neat places so I can run and we can have fun together.

Note: My DIL is having some more problems, including double pneumonia and had to go back into Critical Care. Please continue to keep her and her family in your prayers. Thank you so much for the prayers you've all been offering up for her.