The Help

I just finished reading the book The Help by Kathryn Stockett and I'm surprised at the memories it brings back. Mississippi in the '60's  may have been more racist than Ohio, but I think that's because we were a little more subtle. The same feelings of superiority and the unkind, belittling comments occurred here too.

As I get older, I realzie there are so many positive changes our children and grandchildren don't recognize. They don't know how far we've come, they don't really understand where we started. The Help tells the story of the plight of black people in the '60's. Every day whites and every day blacks living their lives in Mississippi and what it was like to be black in America fifty years ago. For some of us, the book brings back memories, for out children and grandchildren it is the story of their parents, grandparents and great grandparents.

It's a good book, a good read, a history lesson and a reminder of the amazing courage of an oppressed segment of our population. The legacy of Martin Luther King, Medgar Evers and the Freedom Riders is fairly well known, but this book also reminds us that the maids, the laborers, the every day folks, displayed courage, dignity and honor to claim their rights. If you are under 40, this is a must read. . .

Where does the time go?

In April of 2010 my husband had surgery to repair an abdominal aortic aneurysm. At some point, he is going to need a second surgery for another much smaller aneurysm that was noted in the MRI. His cardiologist told him he needed to stop smoking to prevent a heart attack. Although he has cut back considerably, he still has not been able to kick the habit.

I knew it would be impossible for him to stop smoking if I continued to smoke so I decided once and for all, I too had to quit. Somewhere around the middle of April 2010, I became a non-smoker. I also became a nibbler and surprisingly (to me) less active. In a little over a year, I gained 27 lbs. My 5 foot frame really can't comfortably support an additional 27 lbs.

I've moaned and groaned about the weight for the better part of a year but I really haven't taken ownership of it and decided to actively lose it.  Well, today's the day. I need to lose 27 lbs and I need to get in shape. No more putting it off, no more hoping I wake up thin in the morning. Okay, I'm probably still going to hope I wake up thin tomorrow but I'm sure enough that's not going to happen that I'm actively working on Plan B.

From time to time I'll post updates mostly because if I'm keeping a record I'm more likely to follow through, not to mention complain. I have several reasons for deciding to get back in shape, first - I feel wrong in my skin, it doesn't fit. Second, I don't feel healthy. Third, - I don't like how I look and last but not least - I refuse to buy a larger size than what I'm currently wearing.

And now, moving along with my exciting life, it's time to go pooper scoop. Catch ya later.

Saying goodbye to a great cat. . . .

We said goodbye to our 19 year old cat Data this morning.  He was a great cat who first learned to deal with our chow chow Bear and then, as the years passed, he learned to thrive in a house full of dogs.  Like all cats, he did what he wanted, when he wanted and he taught us to love that streak of independence.  We learned well. 



Data just a few months ago relaxing with the dogs.

He loved to lay in the doorways and make us (and the dogs) step over him.  He thought it was funny to grab our pant leg or hook a claw in a dog so none of us ever forgot who really ran the show around here.

Like all cats, Data lived his life on his own terms. If he wanted his ears scratched or a belly rub, he came to us. The rest of the time, he stuck his nose in the air and ignored us. When the mood hit him he'd play with the dogs and if they annoyed him, he would chase them away. He was an indoor cat who learned to use the doggie door. Laying in the sun on the deck gave him enormous pleasure. Did I mention he was a great cat? 



Data on the deck this fall.



About a month ago, Data started having problems keeping food down, he stopped eating his cat food so we started giving him tuna fish, chicken and rice, anything we could get him to eat.  Six days ago he stopped eating even the tiny amounts of tuna and chicken.  He was skin and bones. But he kept playing with the dogs, hopped in my lap, seemed to still be happy and comfortable.  Two days ago, the purr went away. Last night he lost control of his bladder and bowels. I held him all night and told him it was okay, he could leave, I'd understand. Still he stayed with us. 

Two days ago, he was so thin but still perky.

Early this morning I knew I couldn't let this go on. I had hoped he would just go to sleep and not wake up but sadly that was not to be. I called the vet and said, it's time. Data and I made one last trip together. Did I mention he was a great cat?   Good bye Data, Mom loved you and I'll miss you forever. . . . .  God Speed Precious boy.

Bernie comes to visit. . .

This is Bernie the long haired Dachshund. Isn't he a riot?  He belongs to a friend who is vacationing in Florida. Bernie is visiting at Camp Spoiled Royals and having the time of his life.

He is very agile for a long bodied dog, here he is perched on the ottoman.

And here he is in doggie heaven playing with several of our pack. At the moment he is an "only" dog at home with no playmates. (His best buddy passed away a month or so ago.) He adores Nicki and plays with her all day. When Oscar and Joey join in, it sounds like a herd of elephants running through the house. They are all hilarious.

More later. . . . .

Snowed in . . . . . again

Small, wet, snowflakkes have been coming down since early this morning. 

First I made up a basket of belly bands for the male dogs with potty issues.

Then I decided to make up chicken & rice for the dogs so the chicken is now in the crock pot slowly cooking. It will be ready to add rice, carrots, garlic & green beans tomorrow.

Then my sweet tooth kicked in so I made chocolate chip and snicker doodle cookies. 

As long as I was cooking, I decided to make stuffed peppers and freeze them for the weekend. 

 

Since the stuff peppers are for the weekend I think we'll have spaghetti for supper tonight. I browned a little hot Italian sausage, onions, green pepper and mushrooms. . . .

Then I mixed in a can of tomatoe sauce, diced tomatoes w/Jalepeno peppers, paste, spices and let it cook for a few hours. Yum.

So that's what I did with my day, what did you do with yours?

Snow. . . .

I took the dogs outside about an hour ago and snapped a few photos.  Doesn't it look pretty? Do I have to tell you how glad I am that I don't have to go to work in this or drive in it?

This grist mill houses a chipmunk in the summer. It loves to drive the dogs crazy.  Today, the Spoiled Royals get the last laugh. Of course, spring is a mere few months away. . .

I swept the snow off the deck, put the broom away and already it was starting to get covered. Gaylin ran out and started eating snow.  Silly boy.

Snow covered lights. . . .

and chimineas.

Oh yeah, lots of toys were in the yard so I tossed them back on the deck.  My dogs do love toys.

Nicki is the only foster here at the moment.  I'm hoping either our daughter or a friend will adopt her.  Isn't she gorgeous? She is a great dog, and available for adoption through Just A Touch Rescue. I can't imagine why someone dumped her in the country. . . . .

This is just one of a hundred reasons why I so love my husband.  He built this a few months ago.  I'm not sure what I did to deserve him, but I send a prayer of thanks out daily. The older dogs find the ramp so helpful.



30796 - the dog in the back room

I don't usually post the same info on both of my blogs but the story of dog 30796 needs to be told until Ohio legislators "get it." I wrote the blog below on December 22, 2008 for a group I used to work with. Sadly in the 2 years since this was written little had changed for the thousands of dogs who are still suffering in sub-standard kennels in Ohio. 30796, the dog in the story below, could be Mason, Prince, Oscar, Holly, Punkin, Myla or Callie - they all came from sub-standard kennels and anyone of them could be the dog below:


Hello, is anyone there? I thought I heard someone, I guess not. I am so lonely. There are other dogs here but I am in a cage all by myself in a back room in this building. There are no windows so I cannot see very much. I do not know if it is day or night but it is dark and cold. There are cracks in the walls and the snow and wind are blowing. I'm so cold I cannot stop shivering.

I'm hungry and thirsty, it has been a long time since The Man came in here. He put water in my dish but it froze before I could get enough to drink. He threw some hard, dry food in my bowl and his hand hurt me when I went to get a drink of water. I don't like hands - they hurt. After The Man left, I ate some food. It hurt my mouth. I heard someone say that my teeth are abscessed, I'm not sure what that is, but I know when I put something in my mouth it hurts.

Everything hurts me. My eyes are so sore and my hair sticks to the corners when the runny stuff comes out. My ears ache and smelly stuff oozes from them and mats the hair together. It hurts. When I try to move to get comfortable, the hair on my belly and neck and legs is all one big, huge mat and it pulls and hurts really bad. I am so cold and hungry and thirsty and I hurt.

I heard the children talking the other day. They were playing in the snow and talking about something called Christmas. They are very excited about Santa Claus. Apparently, this Santa Claus person checks to see if the children were naughty or nice and then he brings them many presents. They make a wish list and if they were nice, Santa fills it.

Later, I heard The Man and The Woman talking and they said that my puppies all sold at the pet store so Santa would be very good to the children this year. Is that you Santa? Can you hear me? Do you care about dogs? Just in case you do, I'm going to send you my wish list:

I wish for a home, a real one, where I can live inside and have food to eat every day and where there is always fresh water (the kind that is not frozen please.)

I wish for a human with a soft voice and a soft touch to love me. Just me. I wish for them to talk to me softly, to love me gently and to protect me from The Man and The Woman.

I wish for a bath and I wish for my hair to be brushed so that it flows pretty like the dogs in the pictures. I wish to be clean and mat free.

I wish to go to the veterinarian and get my teeth fixed. I wish that my mouth would stop hurting, my eyes would stop seeping, and my ears would no longer cause me pain.

I wish to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer with no fleas or ticks or parasites or heart worms to bother me.

I have a lifetime of love I've been saving to give a human, so yes please, I wish for my very own human. I want to give them nose licks and kisses, I want to protect them from strangers and alert them if a leaf falls in the yard. I want to welcome them when they come home every day. I want to share their life in good times and bad and I want to show them how special they are and make sure they know they are the best person in the whole wide world.

I wish for my own name, I think I would like to be called Angela.

Please Santa; take me away from this cold, dark place. I'm a good lilttle dog and I have so much to give, please help me. I'm so very, very cold.

Thank you for considering my wish list,

30796 - the dog in the back room