Once Again.....

You ever had a day like this, when all you wanted to do was pull the covers over your head and sleep the day away....my Bo really had the right idea.  No, don't want you to get the idea that he was spoiled or anything.  Not my Bo. 

and then those times when you just want to be a clown...

The beginning....

Enjoying the fall and I was looking through pictures and I found a picture of the project I selected for my very first tole painting class.  Tole painting?  Basically, trace and paint, shade and sign.  Trust me, anyone can do it. 

I did not believe the teacher when she said that I'd be done by the end of the second night, but I was and I was so excited.  Now I have a bunch of 'these' all over my house.  And I've given some as gifts and people really seem to enjoy something that was created with them in mind. 

Been a while...

these are some others that I've done.  It's fun.  It can be frustrating at times too.  Our teacher is great and seems to enjoy seeing her students create.  And it's not your typical class where you might sign up for a number of weeks.  This is you show up, you pay.  No beginning, no end.  I think that is the best part. 

Alaska trip...

There was nothing about this trip that was not spectacular.  Even the plane ride into Anchorage was scenic.  This was a trip with just the boys and me.  Our first big adventure so I figured a cruise would be the easiest way to see a lot without a lot of hassle.  Well, I was right.  This was the best trip I've ever been on.  The only trip I've even been on that by the end I was not homesick.

A trip I would highly recommend to anyone.

bus ride

even the bus ride was so beautiful....

Brrr...

The glaciers were amazing....

Lions and Tigers and.....

Lots of people go to Alaska without ever seeing what we were so lucky to see.  Never mind the bald eagles, the harbor seals, the hump back whales or the school or orca....seeing this momma bear with her three cubs feeding on the salmon, which we saw from the little boat we were on for our lake fishing excursion was just amazing.

Oh, what to do...

Life gets busy.  It happens.  Its what we do about it that counts.  Take a lesson form my Bo.  He knew what to do.

Travel Companion

When I was pregnant with my first child, I developed carpal tunnel and the doctor suggested that I sleep on my side hugging a pillow to increase my circulation.  That was very uncomfortable, so I decided I'd give one of my stuffed animals a try.  I've always loved stuffed animals, so I had lots to choose from.  There was only one that fit, that felt right. 

That was over 22 years ago and I have not slept a night without my buddy since.  He has traveled with me, no matter where I go. 

Lucky Stars

There is not a day that goes by that I don’t consider myself extremely lucky.  Why?  My boys!  They are both of legal drinking age, but to me they will always be ‘my boys’.

There are three things that they show me each and every day.  That they love me, they appreciate me and that they respect me.

Can’t ask for anything more!  Not sure what I did right, so I thank my lucks starts for this gift….

After a long winter, such as the one we had, it seems to make the joys of spring that much sweeter.  This was taken a couple years ago, but as I was looking thought old pictures, it really is a nice sign of spring….

They grew so fast

It is always a treat to have critters in the yard. 

Yes, Winter in New England

Winter in New England this year was challenging, to say the least.  However, once you got over the back to back storms dropping piles of snow, the images on the News on yet another roof collapse or hearing your coworkers speak of the water damage to their homes from the ice dams…..it really was very pretty.  Now look at these clouds, can you not say spectacular?

Hard to Believe

Those pretty clouds did this… And that was just one of many storms.  There was not a snow rake to be found in the state.  Everyone was frantic to try to get some of the snow off their roofs.  Gutters were overflowing with ice.  It was a winter like no other that I remember. 

New Toy

We had a wood stove insert installed into where our fire place was..

Man's Best Friend, to the End

Now that fireplace insert was installed the year before all this snow.  We had it installed the day before we had our sweet Bo put down.  He made it clear it was time, and it’s one of the hardest things a pet owner ever has to do.  But you do it because you love your pet.  But on that last full day, Bo made friends; the three men that came to install this beast of a stove had, and were fine with, working around Bo.  We did not tell them just how sick he was.  Frankly, I would not have been able to form the words.  I watched them give his head a scratch as they walked by him, or around him.  We waited that one extra day, so my boys could come home from college to say good bye.  Bo was the first, and still only, dog they have ever had.  This is the last picture we have of our boy.  And I know, he’d have loved this stove.

Hot Hot Hot!

Oh no, that first picture of the fireplace insert, that was just the first burn, you have to break it in.  This is what I’m talking about….

Deck Tree

As I stated, it really was a beautiful winter.  If you didn’t have to shovel that is.  Feeling festive, this year I wanted a small tree for the deck.  So we could see the tree when it was plugged in as night fell.  It was really pretty with all the snow.  It was quite charming to say the least

Fragile

After all the snow, we had rain.  And no, we can’t just have rain; we have rain that freezes everything.  But how spectacular is this, it made everything look like it was made of glass.

Why wait?

At Last

It seems so long ago

I used to have a glow,

Now I wonder why

I just want to cry,

Why am I so sad

It can't be all that bad,

It could be my past

Why does nothing last.

Every year a Spring

New life it will bring,

That is what I need

The planting of a seed,

To watch something grow

Even though I know,

That nothing ever lasts.

But green it will be

Something fun to see,

New life at its best

Who would have guessed,

Eyes open wide

I don't want to hide.

Time to feel alive

For that I will strive,

If I sit and cry

Life will pass me by,

So let's have a blast

Why can't it last?

Still miss him…

It’s been close to a year and a half, but I still miss my Bo.  He was a dog that I had no intention of getting. 

A friend of mine asked me to take her to an animal shelter to look at a Dalmatian that had just been posted on their web site.  She had just lost her Dalmatian and desperately wanted to get another one.  Her husband had to work late and she was scared this dog was going to be adopted before she could get up there. So yes, I told her I’d take her.  While there, I wandered around some.  It was sad to see all those dogs just wanting to go home with someone.  Now, if I’d gone there to get a dog myself, there was no way I could have left without taking one home.  But I was not looking to adopt, I was merely a chauffeur for someone who was.  No guilt in leaving empty handed, right? 

I finished my mission, this Dalmatian had a new home and the car was full of excitement.  My friend was grateful for having been able to fill her home with doggy love again.  When I got home, I spoke to my (very soon to be) husband about this one dog that I saw.  My heart breaking just a little bit more with every word.  See, this one dog, he just sat in the back with his ears at full alert but stayed a safe distance. All the other dogs were jumping and barking at their gates hoping to win someone’s affection.

The next day I called the shelter and asked if by any chance he was still there.  He was.  I was so excited.  I asked her to please make sure that no one else adopted him.  I wanted to give him a home!  She assured me, he would still be there.  Just that, broke my heart even more.  I was determined to give him the best home I could. 

My boys were 9 and 10 at the time.  I did not tell them where we were going at first, just that we had some place special to go.  We stopped for a quick dinner and I told them then what was about to happen.  I also explained that we were not going to go look at dogs, we had one already picked out.  (I was scared that we’d get there and suddenly they would be like, ‘but we like this one’.)

And that is how it all began.  There is nothing better than a dog’s love and trust.  And he gave us all that, and so much more.

It's a dog's life...

One of my greatest pleasures when I go to Maine is to walk the beach.  But not for the reason you might think.  It’s usually off season, so it’s often cold and windy.  Sure, there are pretty rocks and often sand dollars to be found, but the real pleasure for me comes from the dogs.  This beach has a wall separating the beach from the road and it’s contained for pet owners to feel safe to let their pups run free. The dogs don’t care how cold it is, they dive into the waves after their toys regardless of the temp.  Most of the dogs will come over for a sniff or a pat. 

This guy was happy to just be out in the fresh air and thrilled to get a scratch from a new friend.

This picture has a story to it.  A mom finds a stick and gives to her son to play with, see, he was starting to get cranky about walking.  The boy now being distracted marches on proudly.  Then all of a sudden, to the boys shock, a dog stole his stick right out of his little hand.  The dog is celebrating his new toy, mom is doing damage control, the dog’s mom sees what has happened and came over to rectify the situation.  Soon the boy is happy again, then he loses interest in the stick because an English Bulldog pup has wondered over to join the party.  Just another day at the beach....

Pure Magic.....

We all have places that we go that just change our moods.  This is one of mine.  I have named it my magic gate.  It holds a certain power for me.  I’ve been going to this place in Maine for years, and this one time, it was very clear what this gate meant to me.  Right on the other side was peace.  As I opened the gate, I could literally feel all the stress just wash away, layer by layer. 

This has not been easy.......

A friend was helping me get started and my computer was not having it.  So I asked my son to help me with my computer.  He swears he did nothing special to it, but now it is working fine.  Thanks to both of you for helping me!