Rain Rain Go Away!!!

We have been getting quite a lot of rain here the past few days... weeks...months. I mean a LOT of rain...

Our backyard is beyond saturated! It is grotesque!!! I am REALLY tired of all the rain.

Some of us however, remain unfazed....

Any other Rescue Ink fans out there?

I really don't get a lot of television time around here-go figure. But there is one show that has made it onto my DVR series recording list-"Rescue Ink" on National Geographic Channel. Have any of you seen it? Love this show! Love these guys!!! They take animal rescue to a whole new level. They are amazing! If you've seen this show or read their book-let me know what you think. Tell me which one is your personal favorite and why. And if you haven't seen or heard about them, try checking them out on the National Geographic Channel on Friday Nights. I'm putting a link to their website below.

Welcome to Rescue Ink

Let's review some of the Love Rules this Monday shall we:

Love your Spouse unconditionally.

Encourage your Spouse.

Pray for your Spouse.

Guard the Golden Rule- Treat your mate the same way you want to be treated.

No Double Standards-be as considerate to your spouse as you are to strangers and co-workers.


Practice Philippians 4:8 -If there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.


Remember Song of Solomon 6:3 - I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine.

Read and re-read until the urge to slap the rudeness out of someone who so richly deserves it subsides. Amen.(Hypothetically speaking of course. :) Now if you will excuse me, I am off to meditate.....

Cleaning out the Clutter

Today was a beautiful day- if you were one of the lucky one's who were able to get out and enjoy it. I was not. The rest of my crew got to enjoy the warm sunshine and gentle breezes while riding bicycles outside. I recruited Ricardo to entertain the troops while I set to the task at hand.



The task itself was monumental. Cleaning the boy's rooms. As any parent will tell you, children are hoarders of the worst order. Everything is sacred. Nothing can be thrown away. And it is all far too valuable to part with. Only a fool or very brave soul will try to sort thru the wreckage and decide what to keep with their child in the room. Tears and wailing will ensue. The children will cry as well.



It took me 3 hours; but, I did it!!! Yea Mommy!!! You can see the floors again. Which reminds me I need to replace their worn out carpet; but, that is another project for another day. As for today's project... All the debris is gone. It no longer looks like a tornado came thru and left everything askew. The bookshelves are all dusted and organized. Nothing is under the beds. Toys are in toy boxes, etc. Just ask me where an item is. Any item. I can tell you. :) Man, what a feeling of accomplishment!



So, although I didn't get to enjoy the afternoon outdoors-I will sleep much better tonight. One less project to do. One less eyesore to gaze upon. And if any of you are fellow Suzy Orman fans like me...you know: I have now made room for money. She says that you can't have money coming in, if there is too much clutter in your existing life. (Only she phrases it so much more elegantly.) Judging by the three bulging 30 gallon trashbags I hauled out to the trashcan, I should have oodles of cash rolling in....and now, I have ample room to put it too! :)

Doggone Busy

I keep trying frantically to get everything done on my list of things to do-it's just not possible. I need more hours in the day. I'm thinking 36 ought to do it. Yes, 36 hours in a day would probably allow me to complete this backlog of chores and get caught up. I was thinking about petitioning for longer days in lieu of daylight savings time. Or maybe just asking people, who weren't going to take advantage of their extra hour when we "fall back"-if they would mind just giving that hour to me. Instead, I think I will just petition to be a dog in my next life. More to the point-one of MY dogs. Let me show you.....

Morning-









Afternoon-


Night-

It truly is a dog's life!!!

Why men go to the bathroom in groups...

Need a laugh for today? Here's a little potty humor for you. Enjoy!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzZ-lCeeFAU&feature=player_detailpage

Public Service Announcement for the Ladies...

This is a public service announcement to all the ladies out there. Please wait 30 seconds for the annoying beeping sound that always precedes these announcements (or warnings as the case may be) before you continue reading this post..............................................................
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Stacy D Briefing has issued the following public service announcement...when you are in a "funk"-it probably isn't the best time to make any radical decisions about your hair cut or hair color. Repeat-......When you are in a funk it is probably NOT the best time to make any RADICAL decisions regarding your hair cut or hair color!!!! You may damn well regret it. That is the end of my public service announcement. Thank you.


Also, under the random thoughts by aforementioned deranged woman...either I am an incredibly cool wife (which I'd like to think I am.) OR I am incredibly naive and stupid and it will come back to bite me in the butt. (Definitely wouldn't want to be THAT girl.....again. She was pathetic. :)

Ricardo has a boat slip that he shares with another partner-a woman. This is just someone who answered his ad about splitting the cost of a boat slip for fishing purposes.He hadn't known her previously. I've never met her before. But my oldest has. Anyway, she is married and has children as well. But, back to the story. My husband announced to me earlier today that his fishing slip partner and him are going to take our boat out and go catfishing tomorrow morning. Alone.

Now I'm thinking, alright, no worries. Despite what "Harry" says, it is indeed possible for men and women to just be friends. Your marriage is good. You have trust. You have love. You have fidelity. You are a cool, trusting wife! You rock Stac...........................................................
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Let's hope I don't live to regret this-much like the hair. ; 0

The weather has been rather gray, rainy and downright dreary here lately-with patches of heavy, long lasting fog thrown in just for good measure. As I went to open my blinds this morning to see what the day had in store for me, I was met with a very pleasant surprise....

My sweet little hummingbird friend was perched on one of the shrub branches outside our window. I quickly ran and got my camera. (The first shot is me peeking my camera thru the half opened blinds trying to get in a good shot before she flittered away...or fluttered away, or hummed away 0r whatever it is they do so fast.)

I've discovered we have a family (friends? acquaintances?...gang??!!) of 3 hummingbirds that come to our yard. I've seen them all together at one time. (No, seriously I have. No, I wasn't drinking at the time. It's true. They were all together. And yes, I have moments of sobriety. But I digress.)

Anyway, THIS one is usually perched on a branch somewhere out front or out back. And she always looks like this...

No, she's not giving me the eye! She's just always puffed up. At first I thought maybe I was just always catching her preening herself. But then, I thought...maybe she is going to lay eggs soon. She is pretty poofy. Is she expecting or just slightly overweight? A um, Stacybird so to speak...

So I looked it up and....

In warmer climates, hummingbirds DO "double brood" if they have had an unsuccessful first nest/hatching OR if they had their eggs/raised their young early enough in the season to have another batch. How exciting would that be???!!! More hummingbirds -hooray! Welcome to the neighborhood friends!!!

I'm excited to think this little momma might be expecting again. I hope she stays. It is a nice area to raise a family.

And if she is just a little poofy....well, I'll take her under my pudgy wing. We can workout together. See if we both can't firm up our feathery parts. If she wants, we could give up all that yummy Southern Pollen Dean cooking and start eating Jenny CrEGG??? ;D

Eavesdropping Video

Everyone knows I've been having a hard time finding my sense of funny lately. I had a friend send this to me this morning. It really helped. In fact, I laughed out loud. If you need a laugh today, here's hoping it will help you too! Enjoy...

Eavesdropping Video

The Touchstone

I just wanted to say Thank You so much for the kind words and thoughts. The past several days have been incredibly difficult to say the least. I don't know when normalcy will resume. Or a tear free day will pass. It's not there yet. Not by a long shot.





I received an unexpected phone call from the vet's office yesterday. The voice message said they had something for our family. A token to remember Disney by. This is what Ricardo brought home:





It is an actual replica of Disney's pawprint that the vet's office made and then painted for us. I find it to be the most thoughtful, beautiful totally unexpected gesture of condolence I have ever heard of.





I can't describe how much it means to me. There are not enough words. I'm also not able to put those words together cohesively at the moment. I will say that this beautiful gift has become my touchstone. I don't know how to describe it. It is giving immense comfort and strength in an unbearable situation.





They also sent a lovely card on grief:





It has many facts on grief.That it is Physical, Mental, Emotional, Social and Spiritual.That you will feel impact from all the aforementioned areas. That it is natural and normal. That it can last for a long time. That there is no right or wrong way to grieve. How men and women grieve differently for example. (Which came as a great help.) How women want to talk and remember-men not so much. How it is normal to hear sounds of your lost pet or see movement out of the corner of your eye that is not there. (So you-and others- know you're not going crazy.) It also stated that euthanasia is one of the most difficult decisions you must make in life. (Word!) That, if you struggle with guilt, you must remember that you made this decision from love. A decision to spare your pet further suffering.



I've read the postcard over and over. I've read your comments numerous times. I've also caressed the touchstone more times than I feel comfortable admitting to. These tangible items, together with the thoughtfulness of our vet and her staff, and all of you is overwhelmingly comforting. It is strengthening.


Thank you! Much love...



P.S. I promise my future posts will be more upbeat. I too grow weary of the downer I have become. Thanks for your patience.

Disney 11/15/98-10/01/09

Things quickly turned this afternoon. No schoolwork was accomplished. Disney's health nosedived. He lost his equilibrium and couldn't walk a straight line. Shortly after, he started seizuring. I held him close wrapped in blankets and talked and loved on him, while the seizures came and went repeatedly. I called Ricardo to come home because Poo wasn't doing too good.









With heavy hearts the two of us drove to the vets office. Not a word was spoken on the way there. The vet offered little hope. I knew in my heart there was none. What remained of hope had all slipped away when the seizures started.









All I could do was hold him close to me. The vet gave him a sedative first. I rocked him in my arms for a few minutes crooning my love and remorse to him. He just kept his nose to mine, breathing in my scent. I swear it was like he was trying to suck in as much of it as possible to remember me by. It broke my heart. But, I understood all too well. I was holding on to him so tightly. Memorizing his scent and the soft, silky touch of his hair against my face, the feel of him in my arms.









When I had to lay him on the table to do the injections, I buried my head into his and held his body tightly. I whispered my love to him. And I held him close. I did not faulter. I made sure he knew I was with him until the last second. I held him long afterwards. I thought leaving without him would be the hardest thing I would have to do today. I was wrong.









Coming home to a house without him in it is worse. Every little thing is palpable. It is unbearable. I miss him beyond words. I'm sure as the reality of it all seeps in it will be worse. Jen, you described it perfectly. Raw. That is what it is. Raw heartache. Raw, unconsolable, heartache.

Sitting here surrounded by multiple medicine bottles, tissues and the funky, stale, germy, medicinal odor that only a sick household has. It's enough to make you gag. Or perhaps, I'm just gagging from the tears I keep trying to choke back and the emotions I'm struggling to control.





Brown Eye's voice still sounds like the "falsetto child" off Overboard doing his PeeWee Herman impression. Which goes perfectly with my feeling akin to Goldie Hawn (in the same aforementioned movie) sitting numbly having grapes thrown at me. Except I wish for the numb feeling instead of all the others I'm experiencing.





The antibiotics are slowly but surely starting to work. We're still coughing, congested and weak; but, a little less so than the day before. Yesterday we even managed to crank out a little schoolwork. We will be doing more this afternoon. Ever managing to get caught up-that is anyone's guess at this point. I see a lot more "Schoolbook Saturday's" in our future. But that is another worry for another day.





Today, I'm just trying to contend with the continued decline in Disney's health. It's not looking good. I keep grasping for just a sliver of hope , but it remains elusive. I can see almost every bone protruding from his body. All his ribs, his hip and shoulder bones. His collar is just hanging on him. I'd take it off, but the thought of not hearing his little tags jingle as he follows me around is a sound I'm scared I'll not hear all too soon.





We've been pampering him with homemade hamburgers, deli turkey, scrambled eggs etc. He sometimes will eat. Other times declines. And everything eventually comes back up or back out in the most horrible manner. It's not pretty.





I'm having to force feed his meds down his throat. Which trust me-hurts more to do, than have done to you. I can only hope he understands I'm trying to save him, not hurt him.





Not wanting to upset the boys with my tears, I've snuck off countless times the past few days to bawl like a baby. Like the swollen bloodshot eyes go without notice.





So, that's the state of things here. Relieved that the boys and I are getting better. Saddened beyond belief that it looks like my poo is not. Looks like I'll have some very hard choices to make in the upcoming days. Some I'd rather not have to make at all. Some I can hardly think about, much less actually do. Struggling with guilt that I cannot heal him. Overwhelming sadness at the thought of losing him The selfishness of not being ready to let him go. Anger at the helplessness I feel. Despair that I have somehow failed him- or will. Somewhere in this jumbled clusterf*@# of emotion is still the slightest, ever more elusive feeling of hope that this will all turn around. But the heavy reality is sinking in that it probably won't. I'm all over the emotional map today. But any of you who has ever experienced the ever faithful, unconditional love of a dog will surely understand.