I didn't find this until today but just have to share it.
Thank you to Jill at Bailiwick Designs http://www.bailiwickdesigns.typepad.com/bailiwickstudio/ for sharing it on her blog! I can't think of a more beautiful way to end one year and start another. Jill has some gorgeous creations on her website too. Enjoy them both!
Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Holiday Wishes
May you have the merriest Christmas ever!
And may the coming year bring you many blessings.
Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Christmas Memories
My husband and I were talking last night about what our favorite Christmas gift had been when we were kids. Mine, without a doubt, was a microscope when I was 10 years old. I had wanted one so badly but it wasn’t a good year for my dad, who had his own carpentry business, so I just knew it wasn’t going to happen. Christmas morning I was trying to be cheerful and happy as gifts were opened even though I KNEW there wouldn’t be a microscope under the tree. Boy was I excited when I opened that special gift! Half of my bedroom closet became a ‘lab’ where I set up the microscope, slides, and everything else that came with it. Kind of dark in there but I didn’t care.
But I have to tell you about my most wonderful Christmas memory when Santa really came to our house. Our son was 15 and our then recently adopted daughter was 7. We had finished what little Christmas shopping we were able to do that year and found out that our daughter REALLY wanted one of those foot scooters that were so popular that year. We felt sad that we couldn’t get it for her but it just wasn’t in the cards for that Christmas. Christmas morning, bright and early, I got up to let the dogs out and went to the front porch to get the newspaper. When I opened our front door, much to my surprise there was a girly pink and purple scooter sitting there with handlebar streamers, a horn, and even a little license tag on the front with her name on it. I just stood there with my mouth open! My first thought was where did my husband hide that? I went to the bedroom, woke him up and asked “When did you get the scooter?” He just looked at me like I was crazy and said “What are you talking about?” He got out of bed, went to the front door and we BOTH stood there looking with our mouths open. Needless to say it was the hit gift of that Christmas. We debated many times over who put that scooter on the porch and came to the conclusion that it had to be our son. You see he had just gotten his first job at a frozen yogurt store a few months earlier. And even though he treated our daughter as any typical big brother would, you could see the love there. To this day he won’t admit it and he’s now 37. But we know who the real Santa was that year!
Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!
But I have to tell you about my most wonderful Christmas memory when Santa really came to our house. Our son was 15 and our then recently adopted daughter was 7. We had finished what little Christmas shopping we were able to do that year and found out that our daughter REALLY wanted one of those foot scooters that were so popular that year. We felt sad that we couldn’t get it for her but it just wasn’t in the cards for that Christmas. Christmas morning, bright and early, I got up to let the dogs out and went to the front porch to get the newspaper. When I opened our front door, much to my surprise there was a girly pink and purple scooter sitting there with handlebar streamers, a horn, and even a little license tag on the front with her name on it. I just stood there with my mouth open! My first thought was where did my husband hide that? I went to the bedroom, woke him up and asked “When did you get the scooter?” He just looked at me like I was crazy and said “What are you talking about?” He got out of bed, went to the front door and we BOTH stood there looking with our mouths open. Needless to say it was the hit gift of that Christmas. We debated many times over who put that scooter on the porch and came to the conclusion that it had to be our son. You see he had just gotten his first job at a frozen yogurt store a few months earlier. And even though he treated our daughter as any typical big brother would, you could see the love there. To this day he won’t admit it and he’s now 37. But we know who the real Santa was that year!
Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Buddy, The Wonder Dog
An earthdog trial tests the working ability and instinct of the small, short-legged terriers. These dogs were bred to hunt vermin and other quarry, which lived in underground dens. Earthdog den trials involve man-made underground tunnels that the dogs must negotiate, while scenting a rat, the “quarry”. The dog must follow the scent to the quarry and the “work” the quarry. Depending on the sanctioning organization, “working” means barking, scratching, staring, pawing, digging, any active behavior. The quarry is protected at all times by wooden bars across the end of the tunnel. The hunting encounter is controlled, and neither dog nor the quarry, usually two rats, are in any danger.
Now Buddy is by no means a terrier – although we aren’t totally sure what all makes up hishandsomely lean and lanky skinny body. But the important thing is HE thinks he’s a terrier who is practicing so he can qualify for the Olympic ottoman eating earthdog trials! Over the past two years, there have been a few numerous earthdog trial tests in our home. Round one, Buddy eats all four corners of the ottoman (on which you can see him lounging below). Round two, I patch the corners. Round three, Buddy eats all four patches off the ottoman. Round four I make a slipcover. Round five, Buddy eats the four corners of the slipcover. Round six, I make another slipcover. Rounds seven, nine, and eleven, Buddy removes the slipcover (after chewing a tender morsel of cloth from one corner) and digs deeper into the four corners – one in particular where he KNOWS the rat must live. Rounds eight, ten, and twelve, I put the slipcover back on and say “Buddy that is bad bad bad, you should be ashamed” whereupon he slinks into the kitchen hanging his head in shame runs into the kitchen trying to keep the grin of triumph off his face.
The wonder dog is getting a rubber rat for Christmas! Maybe it will convince him that he’s won the Olympic earthdog trials – ya think?
Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!
Now Buddy is by no means a terrier – although we aren’t totally sure what all makes up his
The wonder dog is getting a rubber rat for Christmas! Maybe it will convince him that he’s won the Olympic earthdog trials – ya think?
Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Will Work For Food
OK, I know what you’re thinking – oh just another panhandler – some of them are out there at the same spot every day. Give them any money and they’ll just buy booze with it. I have to admit that would normally be my first thought too.
I was driving along Spur 60, returning home from a trip to North Carolina a few Saturdays ago. Now if you’ve never been on Spur 60, it’s a four-lane road in North Carolina that turns into a two lane at the Georgia line…meandering through tiny little towns along the way. Tiny as in blink and you’ll miss them, way out in the country, rolling hills and lots of trees. Not a lot of traffic on Spur 60 – just a few cars now and then. Parked just off the roadway was a red truck with a man standing in front hanging his head and holding a sign that said “Will Work For Food”. My first thought was “That man must be crazy, he will never get any money on this road” followed by “Wait a minute, there has to be more to this story”. Something told me I had to turn around.
As I pulled into the tiny area next to his truck, he raised his head, looked at the pet sitting sign on the side of my truck and pointed to the sleepy looking white dog sitting in the cab of his truck. Then the story poured out like he could barely contain it. “Humbling, having to do this” R. said. “Two years ago my wife and I and our three kids were living in Stone Mountain and I was making $70K a year. I managed a construction team. Then the bottom dropped out, the company closed, and I couldn’t find another job. We lost everything. Luckily my aunt had a house up here across from hers that we could live in. But we haven’t had running water for two years because the well for the house ran dry the week after we moved in. One washer full of water – that’s all there was.” R. had disbelief in his voice, shook his head, and said “Only two years ago it was different.”
I mentioned that if he would give me his address and kids names, I’d try to do something for their Christmas and R. said, “Yeah, Christmas. They said they’d give them each a shirt and make sure they had a winter coat…but the kids…I’m so proud of my kids, do you want to see their pictures?” and took out his wallet. Beautiful kids – 14, 13, and 11. “See they used to wear uniforms to school” and pointed out their shirts and ties. “Sometimes when my kids look at me I wonder if their eyes are saying - is this all because of the recession or are you the cause? You’re supposed to be the dad. Humbling,” said R. and hung his head again.
I had two hours to think about his story before I arrived home. Home to a house that had running water, home to where I had enough to feed my family and my dogs, a home that was mine. I wondered what I’d do if I lost everything, had no family to fall back on, only enough money to hang on with my fingernails. What if I didn’t have gas money to go look for a job? Jobs that were few and far between in the area. What if I had to choose between feeding my kids and having another well dug? That story played over and over in my head all the way home. And I have to tell you I didn’t come to any conclusions about what I’d do differently than R. has done.
If R.’s story has touched your heart and you would like to donate towards some help for his family before Christmas, I’d be glad to make sure his family gets the donation. I plan on sending some gift cards that can be used on gas, groceries, or clothing. If you don’t feel so moved, PLEASE find someone in your community that needs a lift, even if it’s just a smile and prayers.
For those of you who have asked about making a donation - my paypal is whimseyc@bellsouth.net Thanks to all of you who have been so generous both with your prayers and gifts.
Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!
I was driving along Spur 60, returning home from a trip to North Carolina a few Saturdays ago. Now if you’ve never been on Spur 60, it’s a four-lane road in North Carolina that turns into a two lane at the Georgia line…meandering through tiny little towns along the way. Tiny as in blink and you’ll miss them, way out in the country, rolling hills and lots of trees. Not a lot of traffic on Spur 60 – just a few cars now and then. Parked just off the roadway was a red truck with a man standing in front hanging his head and holding a sign that said “Will Work For Food”. My first thought was “That man must be crazy, he will never get any money on this road” followed by “Wait a minute, there has to be more to this story”. Something told me I had to turn around.
As I pulled into the tiny area next to his truck, he raised his head, looked at the pet sitting sign on the side of my truck and pointed to the sleepy looking white dog sitting in the cab of his truck. Then the story poured out like he could barely contain it. “Humbling, having to do this” R. said. “Two years ago my wife and I and our three kids were living in Stone Mountain and I was making $70K a year. I managed a construction team. Then the bottom dropped out, the company closed, and I couldn’t find another job. We lost everything. Luckily my aunt had a house up here across from hers that we could live in. But we haven’t had running water for two years because the well for the house ran dry the week after we moved in. One washer full of water – that’s all there was.” R. had disbelief in his voice, shook his head, and said “Only two years ago it was different.”
I mentioned that if he would give me his address and kids names, I’d try to do something for their Christmas and R. said, “Yeah, Christmas. They said they’d give them each a shirt and make sure they had a winter coat…but the kids…I’m so proud of my kids, do you want to see their pictures?” and took out his wallet. Beautiful kids – 14, 13, and 11. “See they used to wear uniforms to school” and pointed out their shirts and ties. “Sometimes when my kids look at me I wonder if their eyes are saying - is this all because of the recession or are you the cause? You’re supposed to be the dad. Humbling,” said R. and hung his head again.
I had two hours to think about his story before I arrived home. Home to a house that had running water, home to where I had enough to feed my family and my dogs, a home that was mine. I wondered what I’d do if I lost everything, had no family to fall back on, only enough money to hang on with my fingernails. What if I didn’t have gas money to go look for a job? Jobs that were few and far between in the area. What if I had to choose between feeding my kids and having another well dug? That story played over and over in my head all the way home. And I have to tell you I didn’t come to any conclusions about what I’d do differently than R. has done.
If R.’s story has touched your heart and you would like to donate towards some help for his family before Christmas, I’d be glad to make sure his family gets the donation. I plan on sending some gift cards that can be used on gas, groceries, or clothing. If you don’t feel so moved, PLEASE find someone in your community that needs a lift, even if it’s just a smile and prayers.
For those of you who have asked about making a donation - my paypal is whimseyc@bellsouth.net Thanks to all of you who have been so generous both with your prayers and gifts.
Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
