My poor neglected blog.....it's a good thing I don't have a huge following....people would get bored quickly with my lack of posts! But tonight I am posting a follow up to a blog post I did several months ago...don't worry, if you missed it....I will repost that one too....
Poor Lucky is dead, Poor Lucky is dead….if you’ve ever seen the show or movie Oklahoma, please sing this with the same tune as Poor Jed is Dead. If you haven’t seen the show or the movie, well, you can’t sing along.
So the fish murderer has struck again. If you didn’t read my blog about Lucky the Beta fish several months ago, I guess you’ll have to go back and read his story.
Lucky was a good fish, a great fish and most of all Lucky was a survivor, and believe me, he survived A LOT here.
While Lucky's owner was away at camp this week, she delegated the feeding and refilling the bowl duties to her brothers. The younger one was to feed Lucky and the older one was to make sure he had enought water. But the younger brother noticed that Lucky needed more water first and decided he would take care of the problem….which was fine, Lucky did need more water and the boy got the distilled water, just like he should have. But apparently, he decided that Lucky’s bowl needed to be cleaned too….so he came and told me that…and I told him “No, the fish is fine…you put more water in there, right?” Yes, yes he did. What he neglected to tell me was that since he felt the bowl needed cleaned, he had taken Lucky out of the bowl and put him on the table…..then he, the boy, went outside to swim…..I, unfortunately, did not KNOW Lucky was on the table waiting for his bowl to be cleaned. When the boy came in from swimming he saw Lucky sitting on the table, not moving and put him back in the bowl. When I saw the bowl, a little while later, it was cloudy, so I checked on Lucky....he wouldn't move. It was too late, no amount of CPR, mouth to mouth resuscitation, etc. would save Lucky. The defibulator did not work etiher.
Lucky's service was very simple, the older brother picked Lucky up out of the bowl and wrapped in him a paper towel, when told he could not flush the paper towel down the toilet, he walked to the toilet, opened the paper towel, dumped Lucky in and we all said goodbye, those of us who were home at the time at least……Poor Lucky is dead, Poor Lucky is dead…...
The Older Brother, who is very sensitive, met his sister at camp, grabbed both her hands, looked her in the eye and said….”I’m sorry, but Lucky is dead.” "What?" she said...."Your fish," he said somewhat exasperated. "Lucky, he's dead." Then he walked away. It's so wonderful to watch my children share their grief together....it touches a Mother's soul........
So Lucky lived in my house for 6 months.....much longer than I thought he would.....Rest In Peace Lucky....I hope you and Spiderman (the fish the fish murderer killed 6 months ago) are both swimming together in that big toilet in the sky...oh, wait, I meant, pond, yeah pond, I hope you two are both swimming together happily in that big pond in the sky. But wait, they were both Beta fish.....they would be fighting, ok, I hope you two are both swimming SEPERATELY in that big pond in the sky!
Poor Lucky is dead, Poor Lucky is dead......(If you haven't seen Oklahoma you really should, just so you could sing along!)
Have a Great Day!
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Heidelberg Germany Will Never Be the Same
This Friday is a very sad day for me and many, many, many of my friends. The Heidelberg American High School in Heidelberg Germany will be closing its doors forever. I would not be the person I am today without the 5 years of experiences I had in Heidelberg. The US Military is leaving Heidelberg and the bases and housing areas are all being cleared out and closed and with it, a place many of us will hold in our hearts forever.
I feel sorry for people who didn't consider high school a wonderful memory. Today we hear so much about bullying and kids not being accepted for who and what they are. I'm sure we had bullying but I don't remember it being the problem it is today.....
I guess our lives were lived differently in Germany, we went places by ourselves, we were old enough to drink, not on post but outside of it (and we did), we had reliable public transportation and we weren't afraid to use it. Sure some people had cars and we used those too, but we could take a train, or a street car and the buses that were run by the military and go just about anywhere, by ourselves, because our parents allowed us more independence. I don't know if this was a Brat phenomenon, or just a safer time in history. My parents were more strict than others but I still managed to have a great time and stay the night at a friend's house when necessary.
It was no big deal for us to take a week off of school to go skiing in some of the most amazing places in the world, or trips to Spain during Spring Break (the senior class trip.) The French club took trips to France, heck, a few of my boyfriends took me to France for lunch! Why, because you could jump in the car and get to France in about an hour or you could take the train! I took several trips to England, London mostly, but other parts of England as well. I saw some of the most famous plays and musicals in London. I've walked the Lanes of Brighton, I went to Poland and visited family when it was still a communist country, and of course almost all of us visited Berlin, before the wall came down. I also went to Rome with my Catholic youth group and saw the Pope and toured Rome and Florence. I may never have those opportunities again, but I hope I do.
It was a different time in the '70s and '80s. Yes there were terrorists and we had a horrible incident in the '70s at Campbell Barracks located not far from our high school. The cafeteria was bombed at the height of the lunch hour. But we didn't live our lives in fear, we had our favorite restaraunts and gasthauses. Yes, a large number of us drank, but if you lived there for any length of time, you didn't go out to get drunk, you went out with your friends and hung out and had a few biers. We ate pizza with a knife and fork, and many of us still do. We embraced the German culture and participated in Fasching (Mardi Gras, German style, although it lasts just a little longer), we cruised the Neckar River and watched the Castle Illuminations. We STILL love our bratwurst, our schnitzel, our cordon bleu, our spatzel, our pomm frittes....I could go on and on. I guess we had our share of "ugly Americans," you know the folks who expect everyone to speak English, don't appreciate the culture and opportunity they have been given.....but my friends and I didn't see much of that and if we did, we apologized to the locals and said something to the people being rude. Most of us learned to speak enough German to get by, if not more.
I remember high school as one of the best times of my life. I became a teenager, I was a Cheerleader, I was the football manager, I fell in love for the first time. I made memories that I know I will never forget. I forged friendships that have lasted a lifetime and Facebook has allowed many of us to reconnect with our old friends. As Military Brats people moved in and out all the time, it was hard to say goodbye so often, but thats why we can still get together, even 30 or 40 years later and have a party just like we did in High School!
I was in Heidelberg from the summer of 1975 to the summer of 1980. I turned 13 there and left when I was 17. The first year I was there they were building in brand new Middle School in our housing area. I attended 7th grade at the High School and then 8th grade at the Middle School. My class was the very first "graduating" class at the Middle School. I made memories that I have shared with my kids and grandkids....ok, maybe I haven't shared EVERYTHING.....I have always dreamed of being able to take my kids to Heidelberg and show them where I spent most of my teen years. I may still get to do that sometime, but it won't be the same.
Closing ceremonies for the High School were held on Friday, May 31st and several of our Alumni attended and have posted pictures and quoted speeches given during the closing ceremonies. I believe one of our former teachers, who 30 plus years later has become an administrator had one of the best quotes:
I believe the German community will be taking over most of the housing areas and leasing the apartments or using them for dormitories. I don't know what will happen to all of the office buildings, etc. but I hope they aren't left abandoned to fall in to wreck and ruin. I am sure the German population will miss the "crazy" Americans as much as we will miss them. Yes, we contributed to the economy, but that wasn't all, I wonder how many of them have stories about US? We used to hold a German/American Fok Fest every year on Patrick Henry Village where I lived, we had rides, a bier tent, food both German and American, etc. The German folks would come in and buy ICE CREAM.....little, pint size boxes of ice cream. They would bring coolers and FILL them, the ice cream always sold out quickly and I can remember seeing people with armloads of it, along with their coolers.
I will never forget Heidelberg, Germany. I have 5 yearbooks to help keep my memories alive. But I know there are thousands of people out there who will never forget Heidelberg either. Heidelberg American High School was open for 67 years.....thats alot of years of memories. I wish I could be there on that last day, June 6th, during that last hour, to hear the cheer that I KNOW will be echoing through the halls one last time, HEI...DEL....B..E....RG! Ich hab mein Hertz in Heidelberg verloren..... And remember....though the Lions may be gone.....our voices, our memories, and our ROARS will live on until that last one of us passes on to a better place....and I'm pretty sure we will all meet again in that big Bier Tent in the sky!
Guten Nacht, meine Freunde!
I feel sorry for people who didn't consider high school a wonderful memory. Today we hear so much about bullying and kids not being accepted for who and what they are. I'm sure we had bullying but I don't remember it being the problem it is today.....
I guess our lives were lived differently in Germany, we went places by ourselves, we were old enough to drink, not on post but outside of it (and we did), we had reliable public transportation and we weren't afraid to use it. Sure some people had cars and we used those too, but we could take a train, or a street car and the buses that were run by the military and go just about anywhere, by ourselves, because our parents allowed us more independence. I don't know if this was a Brat phenomenon, or just a safer time in history. My parents were more strict than others but I still managed to have a great time and stay the night at a friend's house when necessary.
It was no big deal for us to take a week off of school to go skiing in some of the most amazing places in the world, or trips to Spain during Spring Break (the senior class trip.) The French club took trips to France, heck, a few of my boyfriends took me to France for lunch! Why, because you could jump in the car and get to France in about an hour or you could take the train! I took several trips to England, London mostly, but other parts of England as well. I saw some of the most famous plays and musicals in London. I've walked the Lanes of Brighton, I went to Poland and visited family when it was still a communist country, and of course almost all of us visited Berlin, before the wall came down. I also went to Rome with my Catholic youth group and saw the Pope and toured Rome and Florence. I may never have those opportunities again, but I hope I do.
It was a different time in the '70s and '80s. Yes there were terrorists and we had a horrible incident in the '70s at Campbell Barracks located not far from our high school. The cafeteria was bombed at the height of the lunch hour. But we didn't live our lives in fear, we had our favorite restaraunts and gasthauses. Yes, a large number of us drank, but if you lived there for any length of time, you didn't go out to get drunk, you went out with your friends and hung out and had a few biers. We ate pizza with a knife and fork, and many of us still do. We embraced the German culture and participated in Fasching (Mardi Gras, German style, although it lasts just a little longer), we cruised the Neckar River and watched the Castle Illuminations. We STILL love our bratwurst, our schnitzel, our cordon bleu, our spatzel, our pomm frittes....I could go on and on. I guess we had our share of "ugly Americans," you know the folks who expect everyone to speak English, don't appreciate the culture and opportunity they have been given.....but my friends and I didn't see much of that and if we did, we apologized to the locals and said something to the people being rude. Most of us learned to speak enough German to get by, if not more.
I remember high school as one of the best times of my life. I became a teenager, I was a Cheerleader, I was the football manager, I fell in love for the first time. I made memories that I know I will never forget. I forged friendships that have lasted a lifetime and Facebook has allowed many of us to reconnect with our old friends. As Military Brats people moved in and out all the time, it was hard to say goodbye so often, but thats why we can still get together, even 30 or 40 years later and have a party just like we did in High School!
I was in Heidelberg from the summer of 1975 to the summer of 1980. I turned 13 there and left when I was 17. The first year I was there they were building in brand new Middle School in our housing area. I attended 7th grade at the High School and then 8th grade at the Middle School. My class was the very first "graduating" class at the Middle School. I made memories that I have shared with my kids and grandkids....ok, maybe I haven't shared EVERYTHING.....I have always dreamed of being able to take my kids to Heidelberg and show them where I spent most of my teen years. I may still get to do that sometime, but it won't be the same.
Closing ceremonies for the High School were held on Friday, May 31st and several of our Alumni attended and have posted pictures and quoted speeches given during the closing ceremonies. I believe one of our former teachers, who 30 plus years later has become an administrator had one of the best quotes:
I believe the German community will be taking over most of the housing areas and leasing the apartments or using them for dormitories. I don't know what will happen to all of the office buildings, etc. but I hope they aren't left abandoned to fall in to wreck and ruin. I am sure the German population will miss the "crazy" Americans as much as we will miss them. Yes, we contributed to the economy, but that wasn't all, I wonder how many of them have stories about US? We used to hold a German/American Fok Fest every year on Patrick Henry Village where I lived, we had rides, a bier tent, food both German and American, etc. The German folks would come in and buy ICE CREAM.....little, pint size boxes of ice cream. They would bring coolers and FILL them, the ice cream always sold out quickly and I can remember seeing people with armloads of it, along with their coolers.
I will never forget Heidelberg, Germany. I have 5 yearbooks to help keep my memories alive. But I know there are thousands of people out there who will never forget Heidelberg either. Heidelberg American High School was open for 67 years.....thats alot of years of memories. I wish I could be there on that last day, June 6th, during that last hour, to hear the cheer that I KNOW will be echoing through the halls one last time, HEI...DEL....B..E....RG! Ich hab mein Hertz in Heidelberg verloren..... And remember....though the Lions may be gone.....our voices, our memories, and our ROARS will live on until that last one of us passes on to a better place....and I'm pretty sure we will all meet again in that big Bier Tent in the sky!
Guten Nacht, meine Freunde!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
High School Reunions
I thought I would tell you all a little about my weekend. It was one of the best weekends I have had in a really long time! And not just because I got to go somewhere ALL BY MYSELF...thats right, no kids, no husband, no animals, just me, myself, and I! I spent the weekend with what I would call an extended family from my high school days in Germany. We went to an American High School in Heidelberg and although we were not all there at the same time and the attendees spanned many different years, we all have one thing in common, once an HHS Lion, always and HHS Lion!
I am not a military brat, but my Dad worked for the government and in turn worked for the military. The area he worked in hired civilian personnel to work on installations through out his career and the places we lived. We spent several years in the Washington DC area while he worked on different installations. Then we moved to Germany, when I was 12 years old and starting 7th grade.
Before moving to Germany I spent most of elementary school in Catholic Schools. The year we arrived in Heidelberg was 1975....and the Seniors that year graduated in the USA's Bicentenial year 1976. This was my first experience in a public school and I was in awe of the upper classmen, but the Seniors in particular were the coolest people around! At least to me.....the boys were all the cutest and the girls were all so pretty, I was a gawky 7th grader who wondered if I would ever be as pretty as those girls.
Now please don't think I was one of the cool 7th graders, I was far from it. The cool 7th and 8th grade girls made fun of my clothes....but I had plenty of friends and I was never one to let mean remarks bother me.....I had fashion sense even then and I wore dresses alot and didn't care what anyone else thought. I had braces in 7th and 8th grade too. One of the boys who was always very nice to me when the other cool kids weren't around wrote, "To the Dog of the Year" in my yearbook that year....it hurt....but I got over it. I guess he didn't want anyone to know he was nice to me, if they read my yearbook while signing it, whatever!
But back to this weekend.....I got to spend time with a whole bunch of those way cool Seniors from 1976, and I even took the time to tell them that I worshipped them when I was a lowly 7th grader.....we had a good laugh about it! There were people there who graduated or attended HHS through the 70s and 80s, some I knew, others I didn't know back then, but will keep in contact with now...and can't wait to see at the next reunion I get to attend.
This was the first reunion I got to attend with the bunch from Heidelberg. I didn't get to graduate with my class, we moved the summer after my Junior year....something I am still very bitter about. You see the prom and graduation were held in the Castle, yes a REAL castle, and being a Senior there was very special, with class trips to Spain and parties around the castle, etc. But don't get me wrong, I had a great Senior year with my Dugway friends, it was just hard to be in one school for 5 years and then move as a Senior.
But even after more than 30 years, and contact on Facebook with several of them, I was welcomed back with open arms, hugs, and kisses! It was great! I met new friends and visited with several old friends. I have heard people talk about being nervous about High School Reunions and that they were going to back to show everyone that they were successful and looked just as good or better than they did in high school. I don't think anyone worries about that at our reunions. We are just happy to see each other and ready to have a good time. And boy do we have good times!
So the next time you have the opportunity to go to a High School Reunion, don't worry about whether you are fat now, or didn't become the Doctor everyone thought you would become, or the proffessional athlete, or whatever. Go visit with your old friends, make new ones, and have fun!
HAVE A GREAT DAY!
I am not a military brat, but my Dad worked for the government and in turn worked for the military. The area he worked in hired civilian personnel to work on installations through out his career and the places we lived. We spent several years in the Washington DC area while he worked on different installations. Then we moved to Germany, when I was 12 years old and starting 7th grade.
Before moving to Germany I spent most of elementary school in Catholic Schools. The year we arrived in Heidelberg was 1975....and the Seniors that year graduated in the USA's Bicentenial year 1976. This was my first experience in a public school and I was in awe of the upper classmen, but the Seniors in particular were the coolest people around! At least to me.....the boys were all the cutest and the girls were all so pretty, I was a gawky 7th grader who wondered if I would ever be as pretty as those girls.
Now please don't think I was one of the cool 7th graders, I was far from it. The cool 7th and 8th grade girls made fun of my clothes....but I had plenty of friends and I was never one to let mean remarks bother me.....I had fashion sense even then and I wore dresses alot and didn't care what anyone else thought. I had braces in 7th and 8th grade too. One of the boys who was always very nice to me when the other cool kids weren't around wrote, "To the Dog of the Year" in my yearbook that year....it hurt....but I got over it. I guess he didn't want anyone to know he was nice to me, if they read my yearbook while signing it, whatever!
But back to this weekend.....I got to spend time with a whole bunch of those way cool Seniors from 1976, and I even took the time to tell them that I worshipped them when I was a lowly 7th grader.....we had a good laugh about it! There were people there who graduated or attended HHS through the 70s and 80s, some I knew, others I didn't know back then, but will keep in contact with now...and can't wait to see at the next reunion I get to attend.
This was the first reunion I got to attend with the bunch from Heidelberg. I didn't get to graduate with my class, we moved the summer after my Junior year....something I am still very bitter about. You see the prom and graduation were held in the Castle, yes a REAL castle, and being a Senior there was very special, with class trips to Spain and parties around the castle, etc. But don't get me wrong, I had a great Senior year with my Dugway friends, it was just hard to be in one school for 5 years and then move as a Senior.
But even after more than 30 years, and contact on Facebook with several of them, I was welcomed back with open arms, hugs, and kisses! It was great! I met new friends and visited with several old friends. I have heard people talk about being nervous about High School Reunions and that they were going to back to show everyone that they were successful and looked just as good or better than they did in high school. I don't think anyone worries about that at our reunions. We are just happy to see each other and ready to have a good time. And boy do we have good times!
So the next time you have the opportunity to go to a High School Reunion, don't worry about whether you are fat now, or didn't become the Doctor everyone thought you would become, or the proffessional athlete, or whatever. Go visit with your old friends, make new ones, and have fun!
HAVE A GREAT DAY!
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Why My Mom Used to Tell My Dad to GET LOST!
My dad is a hard ass ex-Marine....he can be extremely difficult to get along with. But some of my BEST memories of him are Sunday afternoons in the Spring, Summer, and Fall.
From the time I was four years old, until I was twelve and half we lived in the metropolitan area around Washington DC. My Dad worked for the Federal Government in Personnel and he worked his way up the GS ladder, moving from job to job and base to base. Some of those commutes were long...some were shorter. I actually remember a time when I was five or six, telling my Mom while my brother and sisters and I ate dinner, "I miss Daddy, when are we going to see him again." We ate dinner and went to bed before my Dad got home and he left before we woke up in the morning....so I didn't get to see him much at the time. I guess my Mom told my Dad because just a few days later he took a few days of Annual Leave to spend some time with us. (For those of you who don't know, Annual Leave is something you earn every pay period for the Government, you go from 4 to 8 hours a pay period depending on how long you have been a Government employee and you can pretty much take it anytime you want....it's vacation time.)
Anyway, most Sunday afternoons, I can remember my Dad coming into the family room, and telling all five of us, "Let's go get lost." At the time, that meant that all five of the children would pile into the stationwagon with my Dad and go "Who knows where." Of course in the metro DC area there were a TON of places to go! I'm sure my Dad had a place in mind each and everytime, but he never told us where we were going....so to us, we just kind of ended up someplace really cool. Now let me explain places that are "really cool" to an eight to twelve old (that was me.) Sometimes we would go to a playground, sometimes we would run around Laffayette Park, or we would end up at the Iwojima Memorial (my uncle was there the day they raised that flag....something we heard EVERY time,) sometimes we went to the Washington Memorial, or we raced around the Reflecting Pool after visiting the Lincoln Memorial and racing to the Jefferson Memorial. Then there were times when we just ended up at the campus of the University of Maryland with buckets in hand...and we collected hundreds and hundreds of acorns....Why, I don't know, but it was way cool at the time.....I wonder what he did with that car trunk full of acorns?
I never actually heard my Mom tell my Dad to "Get lost." But years later, when I became a Mom, I finally figured it out. Even though I never heard the conversation, I'm pretty sure it went like this.....Dad..."So what do you want to do this afternoon?" Mom......"Why don't you take the kids and just GET LOST." I can't blame my Mom....she had five kids and I am the oldest, we are pretty much stairstepped, except the youngest who was a surprise...I was nine when he came along.
Today is Sunday afternoon.....my husband has helped our 27 year old move some heavy stuff this morning, cleaned horse stalls and done several other things.....he is tired and sore.....but when his kids asked him to take them to the park this afternoon....he did! My husband is an amazing man and an amazing Dad....when summer vacation rolls around I will try to do something to "Get Lost" every once in a while....this way the kids will be tired in the evening and I can enjoy a peaceful night.
But I am going to suggest something for every Dad or even Mom out there right now......take your kids somewhere, just GET LOST....it doesn't have to cost money, a park, a memorial where they might learn something, a University Campus to romp in the open spaces....just a place to run around.....it's worth it.....and they will remember it when they are 50!
Have a GREAT DAY!
From the time I was four years old, until I was twelve and half we lived in the metropolitan area around Washington DC. My Dad worked for the Federal Government in Personnel and he worked his way up the GS ladder, moving from job to job and base to base. Some of those commutes were long...some were shorter. I actually remember a time when I was five or six, telling my Mom while my brother and sisters and I ate dinner, "I miss Daddy, when are we going to see him again." We ate dinner and went to bed before my Dad got home and he left before we woke up in the morning....so I didn't get to see him much at the time. I guess my Mom told my Dad because just a few days later he took a few days of Annual Leave to spend some time with us. (For those of you who don't know, Annual Leave is something you earn every pay period for the Government, you go from 4 to 8 hours a pay period depending on how long you have been a Government employee and you can pretty much take it anytime you want....it's vacation time.)
Anyway, most Sunday afternoons, I can remember my Dad coming into the family room, and telling all five of us, "Let's go get lost." At the time, that meant that all five of the children would pile into the stationwagon with my Dad and go "Who knows where." Of course in the metro DC area there were a TON of places to go! I'm sure my Dad had a place in mind each and everytime, but he never told us where we were going....so to us, we just kind of ended up someplace really cool. Now let me explain places that are "really cool" to an eight to twelve old (that was me.) Sometimes we would go to a playground, sometimes we would run around Laffayette Park, or we would end up at the Iwojima Memorial (my uncle was there the day they raised that flag....something we heard EVERY time,) sometimes we went to the Washington Memorial, or we raced around the Reflecting Pool after visiting the Lincoln Memorial and racing to the Jefferson Memorial. Then there were times when we just ended up at the campus of the University of Maryland with buckets in hand...and we collected hundreds and hundreds of acorns....Why, I don't know, but it was way cool at the time.....I wonder what he did with that car trunk full of acorns?
I never actually heard my Mom tell my Dad to "Get lost." But years later, when I became a Mom, I finally figured it out. Even though I never heard the conversation, I'm pretty sure it went like this.....Dad..."So what do you want to do this afternoon?" Mom......"Why don't you take the kids and just GET LOST." I can't blame my Mom....she had five kids and I am the oldest, we are pretty much stairstepped, except the youngest who was a surprise...I was nine when he came along.
Today is Sunday afternoon.....my husband has helped our 27 year old move some heavy stuff this morning, cleaned horse stalls and done several other things.....he is tired and sore.....but when his kids asked him to take them to the park this afternoon....he did! My husband is an amazing man and an amazing Dad....when summer vacation rolls around I will try to do something to "Get Lost" every once in a while....this way the kids will be tired in the evening and I can enjoy a peaceful night.
But I am going to suggest something for every Dad or even Mom out there right now......take your kids somewhere, just GET LOST....it doesn't have to cost money, a park, a memorial where they might learn something, a University Campus to romp in the open spaces....just a place to run around.....it's worth it.....and they will remember it when they are 50!
Have a GREAT DAY!
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Our Furry Family Members CAN Talk, YOU Just Have to Know What They are Saying
I am an animal lover. I think everyone knows that. Ok, some people might call me a hoarder, but I'm really not! Yes, I have 12 dogs, 7 housecats, a goat, 3 horses, and the population of cats in the barn rises and falls all the time, since it is spring it will be on the rise very soon. But animal hoarders are people who do not know when to stop and can not take care of the animals they have. If it came to that for me, I would find new homes for all of them.....I would not keep them and make them suffer because I couldn't let go. And just for the record, several of the animals I have did not start out as "mine." My parents had two cats and a 11 year old lab when my Mom passed away last year and my Dad went into the nursing home. Since all 3 of them came from the Humane Society and I was able to just add them to our household I kept them. I also have a pitbull in the house who belongs to my son, and he will be moving into a house soon and will take his dog back (I love my granddog, but I will be happy when he is back with my son.) Then there is the Blue Heeler my son and his wife got as a puppy a few years ago, they will not be taking her, she belongs on a farm and she loves nothing better than to herd my goat around the yard. I am not sure if I will keep her, I would like to find her another home, with an older farm couple who lets her come in the house and sit on the sofa with them, takes her for rides in the car because she loves rides, and lets her hang out with them when they are working outside.
I will say that my animals are all characters, each one different from another and when I'm having a bad day they can make me laugh. When I'm feeling down, they seem to know and will try to make me feel better.
My 11 year old mare scared the heck out of me earlier today. I could hear her carrying on outside like crazy. My horses vocalize on occassion, but not the way she was doing it, I thought something was wrong and rushed outside to see what was going on. When I got outside, I had to laugh.
My husband left the barn door open this morning because my 20 something gelding did not want to go out in the freezing rain and wind and he (the husband) got tired of arguing with him. Storm, my young mare was standing in front of the barn door, pacing back and forth and "yelling" at her mother. Her mother is about 30 and was standing, quite comfortably, in her run in shelter out of the wind and rain. The gelding, who had come out earlier, had gone back into the barn and was standing in the doorway. It was obvious that Storm wanted to go into the barn but she would not go in without her mother. Her mother snorted in answer several times, but Storm would not give up, so her mother finally plodded over and into the barn and Storm happily followed her in and quieted down.
An hour or so later my son was outside. I had told him what Storm had done earlier. He could hear her carrying on again so he went to check on her. Storm's mother and the gelding were at their bale feeder and Storm was going in and out of the barn, yelling at them again. Her mother's ears were pinned back and she was obviously irritated but she finally gave in and plodded back to the barn with the gelding in tow. Storm reminds me very much of a recalitrant teenage human who refuses to give up until she gets her way!
I know people do not believe that our animals understand us when we talk to them, but I am not always so sure, and I believe that sometimes I know exactly what my animals are saying to me. A few minutes after Storm had gotten her mother and her "uncle" into the barn with her, I was outside again. When she saw me, she started "yelling" at me. I looked over at her, she was looking out of the barn door at me. "What," I said. She "yelled" at me again. I knew what she wanted. They were all in the barn, and she was "demanding" that I come close the door and get their hay and oats. So I answered her...."No, I am not slogging out there to shut the door and feed you this early in the afternoon." She rolled her eyes at me, and turned back inside the barn. Recalcitrant teenager, I'm telling you!
So the next time YOUR furry family members have something to say to you....listen, have a conversation, you might be surprised at how much they have to say and how much they understand YOU!
HAVE A GREAT DAY!
I will say that my animals are all characters, each one different from another and when I'm having a bad day they can make me laugh. When I'm feeling down, they seem to know and will try to make me feel better.
My 11 year old mare scared the heck out of me earlier today. I could hear her carrying on outside like crazy. My horses vocalize on occassion, but not the way she was doing it, I thought something was wrong and rushed outside to see what was going on. When I got outside, I had to laugh.
My husband left the barn door open this morning because my 20 something gelding did not want to go out in the freezing rain and wind and he (the husband) got tired of arguing with him. Storm, my young mare was standing in front of the barn door, pacing back and forth and "yelling" at her mother. Her mother is about 30 and was standing, quite comfortably, in her run in shelter out of the wind and rain. The gelding, who had come out earlier, had gone back into the barn and was standing in the doorway. It was obvious that Storm wanted to go into the barn but she would not go in without her mother. Her mother snorted in answer several times, but Storm would not give up, so her mother finally plodded over and into the barn and Storm happily followed her in and quieted down.
An hour or so later my son was outside. I had told him what Storm had done earlier. He could hear her carrying on again so he went to check on her. Storm's mother and the gelding were at their bale feeder and Storm was going in and out of the barn, yelling at them again. Her mother's ears were pinned back and she was obviously irritated but she finally gave in and plodded back to the barn with the gelding in tow. Storm reminds me very much of a recalitrant teenage human who refuses to give up until she gets her way!
I know people do not believe that our animals understand us when we talk to them, but I am not always so sure, and I believe that sometimes I know exactly what my animals are saying to me. A few minutes after Storm had gotten her mother and her "uncle" into the barn with her, I was outside again. When she saw me, she started "yelling" at me. I looked over at her, she was looking out of the barn door at me. "What," I said. She "yelled" at me again. I knew what she wanted. They were all in the barn, and she was "demanding" that I come close the door and get their hay and oats. So I answered her...."No, I am not slogging out there to shut the door and feed you this early in the afternoon." She rolled her eyes at me, and turned back inside the barn. Recalcitrant teenager, I'm telling you!
So the next time YOUR furry family members have something to say to you....listen, have a conversation, you might be surprised at how much they have to say and how much they understand YOU!
HAVE A GREAT DAY!
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Facebook Is A Great Place to Reconnect....Just Be Careful Who You Reconnect With
One of my facebook friends posted something yesterday that I thought was no big deal and pretty amusing. As I read through the thread, I became AMAZED at some of the responses and personal attacks that started from what I considered a somewhat run of the mill post.
My friends are a very diverse group of people, and many, many of them are friends from high school. I spent 7th through 11th grade in an American High School in Germany because my father was working for the US Government. Then we transferred to a much smaller post in Utah for my senior year. Thanks to FB I have reconnected with many of them and I love to "talk" to them and hear from them. I would think most of my friends, many of whom were military brats, would be pretty open minded....but apparently when some of them came home and settled in one place or another they became extremely intolerant of others.
My friends post was a simple observation....she saw a group of Asian men, all in blue suits, with thier Murses (man purse, and Murse was my word, not hers) touring her local Walmart and wondered why it was on the itinerary. There were several funny responses. MY first thought was that Walmart is an extremely successful enterprise, that caters to ALL levels of society, and therefore a place that a group of business people might like to tour and get ideas.
What amazed me was that the amusing comments were taken the wrong way by several people and someone actually called someone else a Commie/Pinko/Bitch....Really? Did we just fall back into the '50s? I mean come on folks....everyone has different views in this country. Some are liberal, some conservative, some hate Obama, some like him, some people hate the government all together and believe they are "Soveriegn Citizens." (I met alot of these Soveriegn Citizens when I worked for a governement agency that they hate more than most of the other government agencies.)
As I said, my FB friends are a diverse group....and to be perfectly honest.....I do not care what their religious or political views are......I am tolerant.....I do not condemn anyone for their beliefs. I do not usually share my political or religious beliefs on FB because I don't feel I need to. I was raised in the Catholic Church but I am no longer a practicing Catholic, although I can still attend Mass and make all the appropriate responses. I believe in a higher power, I choose to call that higher power God. I may mention God occassionally in a post. However, I was always a "trouble making Catholic, with alot of questions about the Church's rules and beliefs." I have no problem with other people who believe in a different higher power. My political views are usually pretty liberal, and I pretty much refuse to talk about politics with anyone....particularly my conservative, redneck husband. And yes, I probably will have to pry the gun from his cold dead hands.....He rants and raves and vents and I bite my tongue until I eventually say..."ok enough, I will not respond just so you can pick a fight with me."
When I see religious or political retoric on FB I usually just scroll right past it. I do not get involved. But when something that I consider a simple observation becomes a political attack, a racists attack, or a personal attack on others, it bothers me. And when someone makes an amusing comment that gets twisted by other people, it bothers me.
I don't want to "unfriend" people because of their political or religious views, I will not comment on posts by Haters. And I have a few friends who spend waaaay to much time posting their religous and political views trying to insitgate HATE, it can take a long time to scroll past their MULTIPLE posts. Then there are the friends who post positive, inspirational quotes, stories, and pictures, these are POSITIVE messages, not NEGATIVE. But on both sides of this coin, these people are like me in one way or another, cat/dog/animal lovers, they grow great gardens, they enjoy some of the same activities, reading material, or sports that I do. So please folks, just play nice on FB, don't allow your own personal views to cloud your judgement and think it gives you the right to attack other people who don't agree with you. And if you are one of the people who posts HATE on FB, please stop, find another forum to spew your HATE! And think about this folks..... if you do not respond to their posts then they do not have a forum.......!
Have a Great DAY!
My friends are a very diverse group of people, and many, many of them are friends from high school. I spent 7th through 11th grade in an American High School in Germany because my father was working for the US Government. Then we transferred to a much smaller post in Utah for my senior year. Thanks to FB I have reconnected with many of them and I love to "talk" to them and hear from them. I would think most of my friends, many of whom were military brats, would be pretty open minded....but apparently when some of them came home and settled in one place or another they became extremely intolerant of others.
My friends post was a simple observation....she saw a group of Asian men, all in blue suits, with thier Murses (man purse, and Murse was my word, not hers) touring her local Walmart and wondered why it was on the itinerary. There were several funny responses. MY first thought was that Walmart is an extremely successful enterprise, that caters to ALL levels of society, and therefore a place that a group of business people might like to tour and get ideas.
What amazed me was that the amusing comments were taken the wrong way by several people and someone actually called someone else a Commie/Pinko/Bitch....Really? Did we just fall back into the '50s? I mean come on folks....everyone has different views in this country. Some are liberal, some conservative, some hate Obama, some like him, some people hate the government all together and believe they are "Soveriegn Citizens." (I met alot of these Soveriegn Citizens when I worked for a governement agency that they hate more than most of the other government agencies.)
As I said, my FB friends are a diverse group....and to be perfectly honest.....I do not care what their religious or political views are......I am tolerant.....I do not condemn anyone for their beliefs. I do not usually share my political or religious beliefs on FB because I don't feel I need to. I was raised in the Catholic Church but I am no longer a practicing Catholic, although I can still attend Mass and make all the appropriate responses. I believe in a higher power, I choose to call that higher power God. I may mention God occassionally in a post. However, I was always a "trouble making Catholic, with alot of questions about the Church's rules and beliefs." I have no problem with other people who believe in a different higher power. My political views are usually pretty liberal, and I pretty much refuse to talk about politics with anyone....particularly my conservative, redneck husband. And yes, I probably will have to pry the gun from his cold dead hands.....He rants and raves and vents and I bite my tongue until I eventually say..."ok enough, I will not respond just so you can pick a fight with me."
When I see religious or political retoric on FB I usually just scroll right past it. I do not get involved. But when something that I consider a simple observation becomes a political attack, a racists attack, or a personal attack on others, it bothers me. And when someone makes an amusing comment that gets twisted by other people, it bothers me.
I don't want to "unfriend" people because of their political or religious views, I will not comment on posts by Haters. And I have a few friends who spend waaaay to much time posting their religous and political views trying to insitgate HATE, it can take a long time to scroll past their MULTIPLE posts. Then there are the friends who post positive, inspirational quotes, stories, and pictures, these are POSITIVE messages, not NEGATIVE. But on both sides of this coin, these people are like me in one way or another, cat/dog/animal lovers, they grow great gardens, they enjoy some of the same activities, reading material, or sports that I do. So please folks, just play nice on FB, don't allow your own personal views to cloud your judgement and think it gives you the right to attack other people who don't agree with you. And if you are one of the people who posts HATE on FB, please stop, find another forum to spew your HATE! And think about this folks..... if you do not respond to their posts then they do not have a forum.......!
Have a Great DAY!
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
My Glass is Half Full....What About Yours?
I am a very optomistic person. I'm sure I've mentioned before that I believe the old saying...."You can either laugh or you can cry." I personally prefer to laugh as much as possible. Years ago at my job, one of the many bosses in the office stopped me one day in the hall and said "Kathy, you are always smiling, everytime I see you, you are smiling. Why is that?" I laughed and told him I was just lazy. "Lazy? What do you mean?" he asked. "Well," I said, "it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile, so I smile all the time because I'm lazy!"
I have not had the easiest life. I didn't get a fairy tale. I had a good childhood, we moved several times, but I got to see the world. I got married when I was 21 and by the ripe old age of 23, I was a widow, with a special needs child and a 6 month old baby. I struggled to support us and sometimes worked two jobs. I made several bad choices over the years, a few with men and I got knocked around because of those bad choices. (Maybe I'll tell you more about that sometime.) But throughout it all, I tried to remain upbeat, my kids never saw me cry except at a couple of sappy movies and we came out on the other side with a new marriage, a new Dad, and 5 more siblings.
My husband is not an optomist. If you listen to him, we will be bankrupt at any moment, the kids are bleeding us dry and we will all probably have to live in the Suburban, if we can afford to keep the payments up on that. Maybe we will live in the F250 instead, it's already paid for.... My personal opinion is it will all work out, we will make it, just like we always have, and I will not give myself ulcers worrying about stuff that hasn't happend yet. You know what I mean, my husband sits around thinking...well IF this and this happen, then THIS could happen and we could all go to "hell in a handbasket." We are no where near bankruptcy, our life is good, he just likes to worry!
If I have to go back to work...fine....I'm not stupid, I can get another job and I can help out. Do I know how tough things are out there right now, and people my age are not getting jobs....sure, but I also know ME and if I need to go back to work, I WILL find a job.
I guess I just don't understand people who are pessimistic, like my husand. I want to be happy and feel good...how can you do that if you are always trying to find the bad side of everything? Sure there are things in life that are ugly and difficult. There have been several events during the past year or so in the media that have been horrible....but I can't live in fear and lock myself and my family up in our house with the windows and doors barred against the ugliness in the world. The Mr. Roger's quote, "Always look for the helpers," is the way I look at these events.
If you are a pessimist please try and look at the bright side of the world. Enjoy a beautiful sunrise or sunset, laugh with your kids or grandkids or friends. There is ALWAYS a bright side to EVERY situation. And remember..."God never gives you more than you can handle and when He closes a door, He opens a window." Sometimes the weight on your shoulders can be very heavy and those windows can be really hard to find.....but you CAN DO IT!
Have a Great Day! (AND BE LAZY.....SMILE!)
I have not had the easiest life. I didn't get a fairy tale. I had a good childhood, we moved several times, but I got to see the world. I got married when I was 21 and by the ripe old age of 23, I was a widow, with a special needs child and a 6 month old baby. I struggled to support us and sometimes worked two jobs. I made several bad choices over the years, a few with men and I got knocked around because of those bad choices. (Maybe I'll tell you more about that sometime.) But throughout it all, I tried to remain upbeat, my kids never saw me cry except at a couple of sappy movies and we came out on the other side with a new marriage, a new Dad, and 5 more siblings.
My husband is not an optomist. If you listen to him, we will be bankrupt at any moment, the kids are bleeding us dry and we will all probably have to live in the Suburban, if we can afford to keep the payments up on that. Maybe we will live in the F250 instead, it's already paid for.... My personal opinion is it will all work out, we will make it, just like we always have, and I will not give myself ulcers worrying about stuff that hasn't happend yet. You know what I mean, my husband sits around thinking...well IF this and this happen, then THIS could happen and we could all go to "hell in a handbasket." We are no where near bankruptcy, our life is good, he just likes to worry!
If I have to go back to work...fine....I'm not stupid, I can get another job and I can help out. Do I know how tough things are out there right now, and people my age are not getting jobs....sure, but I also know ME and if I need to go back to work, I WILL find a job.
I guess I just don't understand people who are pessimistic, like my husand. I want to be happy and feel good...how can you do that if you are always trying to find the bad side of everything? Sure there are things in life that are ugly and difficult. There have been several events during the past year or so in the media that have been horrible....but I can't live in fear and lock myself and my family up in our house with the windows and doors barred against the ugliness in the world. The Mr. Roger's quote, "Always look for the helpers," is the way I look at these events.
If you are a pessimist please try and look at the bright side of the world. Enjoy a beautiful sunrise or sunset, laugh with your kids or grandkids or friends. There is ALWAYS a bright side to EVERY situation. And remember..."God never gives you more than you can handle and when He closes a door, He opens a window." Sometimes the weight on your shoulders can be very heavy and those windows can be really hard to find.....but you CAN DO IT!
Have a Great Day! (AND BE LAZY.....SMILE!)
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