SHARING MY LIFE WITH DOGS, MY HEART WITH BEN

The mid-west has had some really rough weather for the past few weeks. Ice cold, high winds, rain, dropping temps and more wind ranging in the 60 mile per hour range. Sandwiched in that was Christmas and soon, the New Year. Yesterday it poured and this morning I was greeted by wind so powerful that my bird feeder was sent sailing to the ground. Right now, I can barely see across the street.


At times like these, I feel so sorry for my dogs. If someone asked me to go outside to do-my-duty I'd look at them as though they were nuts and run the other way to hide under the bed! But go through the door they do and they seem to do it smiling and happy all the way into the backyard. Freyja (German Shepherd Dog) and Scout (Golden Retriever) are always eager to please and spend their lives giving me all of their attention, goodness and grace. No matter what I want to do, they are game to do it with me, no complaints. It's as though if my heart stopped, so would theirs. And, if I am to be honest, there have been times in the past, when I've had to let one of my dogs leave me for a better place, I thought my heart would stop, too, or at least break into a million pieces.

No matter what I ask of them they are happy to oblige. By my side during all seasons and all weather, they give me so much pleasure...just to look at them, no matter what they are doing and to know that they love me...deeply, and, I love them right back. They are my protectors and my buddies in the car and the guardians of the backyard putting all birds, squirrels and cats in their place should one dare to trespass into their territory.

Earlier this evening I was peeking through some blogs for a little winter window shopping and came upon one who offered to share some graphics. I'm never the one to pass by something free, so I took time (I really should be cleaning and doing laundry) to look and found several vintage cards with dogs...faithful dogs, run-of-the-mill-dogs who were loved and who gave love. There were a few that touched my heart so I placed them on my computer and decided to make a collage to share, just like The Graphics Fairy graciously shared her talent and treasures with me.
My home and life has been filled with dogs for decades and I can't imagine being in a room or sleeping in my bed without a pup curled up at my feet or cuddled next to me with its head resting on a spare pillow. One of my sons and one of my grandsons has inherited my passion for animals. I couldn't be more pleased and more touched, especially when I see Benny, the little guy, tending to and caring for God's creatures with such a gentle touch. Of all the treasures I could leave to my family when I am gone, it is my love for those who cannot speak that is most precious to me and the most valuable. I know that darling Benny, to be sure, has his Mimi's passion for protecting those who need it the most.


Life, to me, would not be as good or complete or safe or welcoming without a dog walking by my side. Life, to me, would be absolutely meaningless without my children and grandchildren.

I REALLY NEED TO DO SOME LAUNDRY AND LET OUT THE DOGS

Here are the fruits of my labor for the past several days. Never in my life did I think that I'd just sit at my kitchen table glued to my laptop piddling around with scrapbooking goodies I found on the internet, by accident, too! But, as you can see, my grand-daughter, Rachel, is just too cute to hide and too sweet for her Mimi to not learn how to make scrapbooking pages for her.





I've neglected so much since before Christmas that today I am just going to have to bite the bullet and be a good girl catching up on laundry, getting some of the cat hair out of my microwave and catching up with family and friends. I think they might wonder if I've gone to the "big computer in the sky", so before they start to call the priest and start to prepare casseroles for the meal in the church basement, I'm gonna tell them to hang on, at least for a few years!

MY FIRST DAY, MY FIRST BLOG

My first blog, my first online scrap-book attempt, my first trouble-shooting crisis! I've been working for days on this blog getting it ready for use and, at the same time, have been learning to do online scrap-booking. I didn't plan on the scrap-booking but I just stumbled onto it, you know how that is...you just see something and then, well, you just HAVE to click on the icon. That move of mine sure led to my undoing, and a few missed meals! I've been obsessed with the program. My back hurts, I haven't eaten a real meal Christmas Day and I need to get out of the house for some fresh air, or at least fill the bird feeders for my chickadees.

Earlier this evening, after the dogs went out and I cleaned the litter box, I slid over to post my first blog and everything I did looked like Hindu! Now, nothing against Hindu, but I can't read it and I don't think most of you can, either, and if you can, well, my hat is off to you. Next on my list was to find the "help" pages to see what in the world was going on and what I needed to learn. Happily, after a couple of attempts, I found the answer. Otherwise, I would have been on my way to take a crash course at our local college to take more foreign languages.

BTW, I hope this blog will become a valuable tool for my family to keep up with what I'm doing and, at the same time, a great way for me to learn something new, gotta keep dementia at bay, ya know!

Off to bed, absolutely thrilled that I'm not blogging in Hindu, and my brain is oiled and juiced to the max due to all the activity that has taken place up there these past few days.

I'm Mimi to seven little ones, six boys and one, precious little girl. Never in my life did I imagine or dream that God would bless me so richly and deeply, especially since I only gave birth to two boys!