Rambling.....

I guess it is OK to celebrate the shortest day of the year being over. (It was yesterday.) So.....whoopee....I can look forward now to longer days. What a relief. I have such a hard time enduring these short days. Something psychological goes off in my head and says it is bedtime by 5:30 PM when it all of a sudden is dark on these short days. And that is weird, folks.

Strange things keep happening round about. Today I read in the news that a Protestant minister made the declaration that it is easier to accept Newt Gingrich's infidelity than it is Mitt Romney's Mormonism ( in the Presidential race.) That is truly strange to me. He further said that the infidelity could be forgiven. Guess Mormonism can't be forgiven. Ho-Ho! Does anyone besides me think that kind of thinking is strange???

One late night commentator thinks Santa is just an old man on the roof with a bag of trash flopping around.
Bah Humbug, I guess. Of course, he was "being funny."
It must be Christmas. Hope Santa is good to you guys. Guess I will get a lump of coal.......again!

The Bestest Christmas Gift Ever!

For some thirty-five years I believed every homemaker and wife should have the House Beautiful, Traditional Home, Architectural Digest, type home --- which or whatever. It had to stay immaculate and HAD to be gone over weekly if not more often. Since there were no animals or children to soil anything it really was not so difficult to keep it that way. At least not from this perspective --- today.

Something happened when Ken died. For some unknown reason that I can never explain House Beautiful didn't matter any more. Not much mattered any more --- for the better part of seven years not much mattered. The home stayed clean but seemed more like a house. We had just built a new home on Wild Orchid Trail. That didn't really matter either. My family sensing my state of mind wondered if I would ever get beyond this paralysis.
So my sister and her husband purchased a miniature schnauzer pup for me for Christmas and had her flown to Wilmington from a breeder in south central Tennessee. They brought her to me on Christmas Eve and nothing has been the same since in my house. Gone is House Beautiful and I have welcomed House Canine since. That Tennessee girl I named Sassy and she was my companion until cancer claimed her last November. Training puppies, nursing sick doggies, walking doggies, playing with doggies ---all of these have been a part of my life since Ken. Now I have Piper and Kamelot (Kami).

Perhaps this change of lifestyle is all better said in an altered form of this poem:

Some homes try to hide the fact that doggies shelter there.
Mine boasts of it quite openly, the signs are everywhere!
For smears are on the windows, little smudges on the door.
I should apologize, I guess, for toys strewn on the floor.
But I sat down with the doggies and we played and we laughed and read;
And if the doorbell doesn't shine their eyes will shine instead.
For when at times I am forced to choose the one job or the other,
I want to be a homemaker ---- but first I'll be a doggie mother! 1


I love my schnauzer girls today -- both of them. In my memories always --The Best Christmas gift ever --- a schnauzer named Sassy. Rest in Peace my precious one.


1 Poem adapted from: http://www.xmission.com/ 19 Dec 2011

And in The Dark Streets Shineth......

Christmas Season is here and our Christian nation takes note of its significance and the birth of a tiny son in a lowly stable somewhere in Bethlehem who we have come to acknowledge as our Savior, even our elder brother, Jesus Christ. At the same time in our twin cities of Raleigh-Durham we hear constant news reports of the trial of a young man accused of the heinous crime of having slain a bright young lady on the cusp of a career, in the prime of her young life, serving as President of the Student Body of UNC-Chapel Hill. Her loving parents watch daily as this trial plays out and this distasteful tale is told. This horrible, horrible slaying occurred several years ago in the hours of night as two young men kidnapped this young lady, had her drive the ATM's and extract her money, then shot her, one of them four times, and the other delivering the fatal shot to the head, leaving her in the street near her home with the excuse, "she saw our faces." Makes one scratch their head and ponder the value of a life. And then again the disrespect or lack of value placed upon life.

What difference does the life of one make in the life of another? Can it be measured? NO, I would say, not in earthly measure. The person whose life was so easily snuffed out could have meant the world to one or many people. She was headed toward a life of serving others and giving. So sad.

Let's change channels. In another arena we find Tim Tebow, young football player turned professional from having made a name for himself as a quarterback on a Florida team. Knowing of his deep religious convictions in his college days one should not be surprised that they continue to be a part of his practices even as he plays professional ball on a national stage. I assume folks thought his religious practices would go away but --- hey, these were so much a part of this young man's convictions that he continues to practice what he believes in spite of who might be watching or where he needs to bend his knee and offer thanks. The shocking part for most ---- he does it in front of everybody -- no matter who or where.
So... what is unusual about this?? The only part I see unusual is that the press continues to make it news. Why not leave this young man and his deep religious convictions alone? He believes .... maybe you don't... but leave him alone.
SNL made light of it on the Saturday night edition. Some of it could be categorized irreverant or even blasphemic.

I believe it would be best that we, as a nation, not trivialize his faith but acknowledge it, and show respect for him as a fine example that in the dark street still shineth those who believe and those who respect. Many are young people while not born in a lowly stable, yet born of goodly parents, trained at their knees, with loving, willing hearts ready to love and serve mankind. May all be blessed with the ....everlasting light.

What's Going On??

What EveR is going on at our house? I wish I knew what to call it exactly! It is an old woman's house plus "dawgs." Here it is ten days before Christmas and the shopping isn't finished. The four-legged critters are running hither and yon barking at everything that needs to be barked at while the two-legged critter stands in the middle of the floor scratching her empty head (that has a truly bad case of sinusitis) trying to figure out what to do. Things are truly topsy-turvy as two-legs tries to figure out what to do with all of the "stuff" brought up from the coastal house (when she sold it last week) -- where to put it while you figure out what goes out and what stays. All of this and Folks, It Is the Middle of Christmas Celebratory Whatevers!!

Oh, My Heavenly Stars!! Two legs needs to get in motion AND on a roll. Since all of this dealing with the "Stuff" will wait for cold winter days I am thinking she will take advantage of the seventy degree temperatures and try to finish what she can of that remaining shopping. Tomorrow is supposed to bring rain drops and after that temperatures more reflective of the season --- in other words it is supposed to get plain old COLD! On those cold days I am glad you can Christmas shop online sitting in your favorite comfy chair. Time is drawing near for the Ho-Ho man so we all need to get this done quickly.

Life is full of decisions to be made and problems to solve. Makes me wonder....Is That What's Going On???

Tra La La La! and More

Christmas music! Would you agree that most of us love it?? Perhaps because we only hear it during this one season of the year and often wish we heard more of it --- would that be a "little bit correct?" Maybe. Of course, we have the option of listening to it personally all year round if we prefer.

Well, at least one of our local radio stations has undertaken once again to assure that we hear plenty of Christmas songs this year. So they started playing Christmas songs early in November. At first that may sound like a wonderful undertaking. And maybe it is. But today I write of my own reconsideration of the worthiness of this effort. Now wait, just read on further before you think I am Bah Humbug.
In previous years when they did this I only really listened when I was in the car running around which usually was for short periods of time. But this year I was doing my "gypsy thing" and running up and down Interstate 40 as I unloaded my Mom's home (her treasures) into my own. So listen I did to Christmas music. Holey Moley, would you believe that sometimes it was so bad that I had to turn it down / off?? Some of the renderings were so "unlistenable" to my ears that I needed ear muffs! Truly I was somewhat appalled at some of the performances. So said I to me, "Why do you suppose these less than desirable performances of beautiful songs are used in this effort to have us enjoy Christmas music?"

At this point I had to put on my counselor's hat and really talk to myself. Said I to me, "Girly, don't you realize that other folks have different tastes in music than you? Have you forgotten that some in your own family do not agree with your taste and call you 'high brow?' You really need to conjure up several extra pounds of tolerance and use it wisely and quickly."

So I am trying --- really trying. But I also had a few more thoughts about this issue. Perhaps the music this radio station is using is being streamed by another provider and they have used all genres of music (even those I find not so desirable) in the creation of the tapes being streamed in order to keep Christmas music going 24 hours of the day.

I suppose I need to repent but ..... Do you think, perhaps, any of this is correct?

One Day At a Time.....

The journey has been long, the road full of detours, the pavement rocky and laden with potholes but on December first, I, for the last time closed the blinds, locked the door and closed it behind myself. I had finished the task and felt much like I had been through a refiner's fire. It was done. With my sister's help I had cleared from the home all of my Mom and Dad's earthly belongings. Those we chose to keep had been placed in one of our homes, the others we had disposed of in a respectful manner.
Forty nine years of my life came to a close. Bittersweet....the best description.
For the better part of three to four years (mostly in the summers) I had prepared the home for my eventual departure, updating those items that I could in preparation for a new owner. I painted, removed wallpaper, put in new light fixtures and some appliances, replaced flooring, replaced plumbing fixtures, power washed, covered all the wood exterior to both protect it from Mother Nature and avoid incessant painting,and put in new kitchen counter tops. In the end I had a contractor divide one huge bedroom into two, install fire alarms in each bedroom, and make small corrections that an inspector recommended. I had removed an old tree from the yard that troubled a neighbor. I felt I had finished the work. I am certain there are other corrections I made on this journey but the major ones I have named.
The home is sold and today has a new owner and a new occupant.

My Mom built it in 1990; moved in about June 15th of that year and lived there until February of 1991 when my brother and his family found her in the floor of her bathroom. A CVA had, at some time earlier, done its damage and our Mom would never be the same. She died approximately one year later. I and my husband owned the home from July of that year until now. Ken died in 1998.

Now is the time for big decision making for me. I live in Raleigh alone with two doggie girls. I have no relatives here. The members of my family live approximately 2-3 hours from me. But my friends are here.
IF I move, will I be happy? Does that matter?
IF I stay, do I put "undue inconvenience" on them?
Do they really care???
My guess is that they just hope I will be happy and can take care of myself.
I have, to this point in my life, been blessed with very good health. For that I am very grateful. I don't like having to make these decisions --- it may take me a while.