Ta-Da!

The day after Thanksgiving there were projects of great proportion taking place around here.

Thanksgiving decorations were tucked back in the little box that houses them for the year, replaced by the tubs, boxes, and stacks of Christmas decorations housed, from the attic to the basement throughout the year.

Honey has always maintained an iron rule of "Not listening to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving".

Honestly I've always felt a little bad for him imposing that rule on himself.

Myself, being under no such nonsenseical restrictions, have been enjoying the songs that remind me of Christmas' as a child, for quite a long time.

Remembering Aunt Leona's Christmas party's.

Working on handmade gifts of love for family, with a renewed vengeance.

This year, one epic project was undertaken.

Honey was excited to put up his Christmas lights outside again.

It's what he likes to give to us and to the community. "The kid in all of us".

You see he hasn't done that for a large handful of years now.

Because one year, hoodlums came to our house in the night.

Saddest thing is...they vandaled many houses in our tiny town that year.

That put the kibosh on a lot of people doing Christmas decorations like they normally did for many year's.

And while it's not all the way back to his normal idea of outdoor decorating, it is well on its way!

The mistletoe hanging over the sidewalk is proof of that...

Thank you Honey! And helpers!!

A Rough Draft

Frosty and I have made a rough draft for the day.
Arise early.
Finish Monday morning chores.
Get to school in time to get "the different hook".
Run all necessary errands.
Figure out what's for dinner.
Play.
Practice writing a name.
Play.
Then, we will be editing pictures from a shoot we did Saturday.
That's where I met Frosty.
He doesn't have a magic hat, but I think his shoes rock!!

How it really went down...

Mommy sets out choice of clothes, kisses, snuggles Tiny Dancer, then heads for work.

Fall back to sleep.

Wake up a little late.

Race to get dressed. (It is an unwritten rule that I must lose this race).

Bed made. (Just in case it's all I get done today- At least I did something).

Fix Tiny Dancer's hair while we eat breakfast, with the horses, sheep and a dog or two wandering around the table top.

Shoes on.

Not those!

The Pink boots please.

Find Pink boots.

Thanks Grammy :)

Search for back pack.

Head for car while explaining the the purple sheep needs to wait with me.

Follow back seat directions to preschool.

Arrive.

Make regular Grand Entrance.

Hook chosen. (Not the different one. Its not as traumatic as it once was).

Seat found.

Head home.

Clear kitchen counter.

Edit a picture.

Laundry sorted.

Edit a picture.

Check facebook.

Edit Picture.

Work on new blog post.

Alarm goes off.

Time to run errands before schools out.

That should bring me to 11:00 a.m.

Head to the school in time to hear Tiny Dancer's yell from the door way, "Grammy!?"

Be pointed out by intire preschool class.

Stand by door while Tiny Dancer sees all her friends off.

Back seat directions back home.

Call Mommy.

Lunch.

I sure hope Frosty has an easy idea for dinner,.

Nooo! Not Again

Well I did it- again.

I took some amazing, wonderful, breathe taking, and even some humorous pictures over the past couple of day's...
And lost them this morning.

How?!

I got in a hurry and took the chip out of the computer before they were done transferring, and then I erased the chip before checking to make sure they all got to the designated folder.

Plain and simple I was in to big of a hurry and should have slowed down.

So now, you may never believe me when I tell you, that I got a picture of our orange tabby named, Honkie, grinning a big toothy grin.

But I did.
 And even a few people saw it on the camera.
Not enough people, but some.

So the moral of this story is this; When downloading your pictures from camera to computer...Take you time!!!

I have done this once before, two and a half years ago in the spring.
It scarred me.
I cried.
I cried a lot.
Because I had some of the best pictures I have taken, and I did this same thing.
Funny thing is, I can still see in my minds eye the one picture, the one that got away, the one that I cried the most over losing that first time.


So learn from me my friends.
Have patience when transferring pictures.
Never reformat or erase pictures from your camera until you have checked to be double-dog sure that they are where you put them...

ALL of them.

I can tell you I will be very careful in the future... again.


ps
If you want to have a lot of fun and see things totally diferent than you have for a while?
Give a child a camera and see what they think is photo worthy :)

Do What You Can...Even The Angel's Can Do No More...

Do you ever feel like you are going as fast as you can, doing as much as you can, and not getting anyplace?

Sometimes it seems like the hurrier I go the behinder I get.

It gets discouraging. But I have learned to persevere. Which in itself is a pretty big job sometimes. 

I plod along, reminding myself often that 'most household jobs only take five to fifteen minutes to complete'.

I'm not sure I fully believe that, it must have been calculated in a clean house, with no spouses, children or pets factored into the equation.

But in all fairness, I have taken to timing myself doing things, and am surprised that, indeed, when I am able to complete my self appointed projects, uninterrupted, they indeed take five to fifteen minutes.

Trouble is...

Once I complete one job, moving onto the next, somehow... And I'm not pointing any finger's, because it's usually the 'no-body's' running ramped again...I can do that same five minute job, seventeen times a day, and at the end...you simply can't tell.

I remember well the day Honey came through the door at the end of his work day, tired and exasperated, he climbed wearily to the top of the landing, where he chose this day, and this time to survey the house with a loud, reproachful declaration of, "What have you been doing all day?! This house looks just like it did when I left this morning!!"

Today had been a pretty good day.

I didn't crumble into a heap of blubbering tears. Neither did I scramble for reason's, excuses or vindication.

No.

Indeed this had been a good day.

Responding instead with pride oozing from my voice along with a big smile, "Really?! You think so?! It doesn't look worse? You think it really looks the same? That means I did a really good job today! I am so glad you didn't miss it."

Obviously taken aback he just stood there looking at me like I had lost one of my few remaining marbles, swallowed twice, flexed the muscle in his jaw once, then quietly responded with, "What, are you talking about?"

I was quick to list all the things I had done that day. Complete with who's help...Was pleased as punch to let him know that besides being able to maintain the present level of tornado touch downs in a household of young children, I had also managed to bake my very first loaves of bread that didn't weigh in at a ton a piece.

AND...

I know right?!

I had dinner ready to come out of the oven in five minutes.

I'm sure he was thinking I really had lost my allotment of marbles. But it did cause him to look at the things I had done.

As the kids swarmed in from the yard in an air of fresh blown country bug gathering, skateboarding boo-boos, bike crashes and near starvation for the seventieth time that day, it was noticed that all were healthy, happy, and wearing clean-ish clothes.

Honey didn't have to try to hard to picture the day...it was playing out before his eye's.

We have talked about that day often through out the years. We both learned a lot of lesson's from it, still are for that matter.

I have a feeling today might be one of those day's where we hug each other at the end of the day and whisper to each other...

"I really did do a good job today. I am sorry you missed it."

Friends

Friends often come into our lives in as various way's as the friends themselves.
Some friends stay for short times, some are with us forever. Some we are related to, other's we chose, and some? We meet unexpectedly, by circumstance, or chance.
All friends are welcomed into a place in our hearts.
I have had the opportunity to make many acquaintance's in life, not all are destined to become friends, some have taken time to be warmed into friendships. While some seem like we have been friends forever upon first meeting.
True friendship is ageless.
I have friends who knew me before I was born-they knew my parents first. I have held some friends in my arms as newborns them selves.

Sitting on a park bench over the week end with one of my dearest friend's, we talked about a lot of things she wants to do, a lot of things I want to do.
She encourages my crazy schemes every bit as much as I do hers. We validate each other by sanctioning, confirming and approving each other's dreams, goal's and idea's. 
She is an amazing young woman. She would be surprised to know that she is, and has been on my heroine list, as one of the women of distinguished courage and ability, admired for her brave deeds and noble qualities. 

There are so many strong women in my life, who make me richer for knowing them.

Not one of them the same.

Each with differing dreams, abilities, strength's, and so much wisdom!

There are also some very amazing gentlemen who are included amongst my bouquet of friends, hero's, heroine's, and co-conspirator's...

A friend is someone who knows all about you,

and still likes you.



She & Me

It's hard to picture her young.

Its hard to picture her old.

It's hard to picture her gone.

I still catch myself heading for the phone to talk to her.

To tell her a joke.

See something at the store ,"I should pick up" for her.

Today she would be 92 years old.

When she was my age, she would become a widow in 5 months. Remaining so for thirty three more years.

She was much more brave than I ever knew.

She was stronger and much smarter that I ever gave her credit for.

She gave up dreams for me.

She taught me to dream.

She was a very talented woman.

She was a broken woman.

I still learn from her every day.

I miss hugging her, and kissing her on the cheek.

Happy Birthday Momma...



Sept. 5, 1919 ~ Jan. 30, 2005

Expecting The Unexpected

It is true that I do take a camera almost every place I go. Because you never know what you will see or how you will see it, or what you might miss.

I love photography because it has brought me a whole new way of looking at...well everything.

I notice people and things that might have slipped past me if I weren't looking at everything "as if ", through my camera's lenses.

There are a lot of photos that are only in my mind, because I didn't have a camera with me at the time. So I remedied that as best as I could like this.

As you may well know I encourage everyone to take a camera, for those unexpected things. I however often don't follow my own very good advice. And yesterday as I headed out the front door moving with determination up the the street on my way to church, I happened to glance down only to see a child looking up at me from a very unlikely place. I stood there a second and looked, silently debating weather to go back and get the little pocket camera I usually have with me or to continue on and take a picture of it when I got back.

I turned around and got my camera because...

Like a river, it may not be the same one I passed on the way home.

Here are a few other reasons I take a camera with me for those unexpected times.

Finding the expected as well as the unexpected is some of what helps us discover the beauty and joy there is in life.

Grab your camera when you head out the door and see what you can find :)

Cleaning & Dreaming More

Important update for me!

I am proud to say that after a couple of rough day's away from the project, along with a few important interruptions this morning...

I am now fully into the last stages of making a bigger mess, and enjoying the beginning stages of hauling away, shelving keeper stuff, and breaking down all those empty boxes I've stored forever. Those silly hording seeds anyway!

The big test now?

Will Honey be able to take the donation pile without going through it first?

I have faith in him...

I just want to add, that as I get closer to getting the basement cleaned out, my mind seems to be settling down too.

Funny how that works :)

Monday August 8, 2011

So the thing about having an unfinished basement is, for me, that it ends up being a catch all. Or should I say a stack all?

I am a stacker who is trying to diminish said stacks into submission. I have come to the brilliant conclusion that a clean house may be some of the key to clearing out more than just our living space, but also to clear out some of the stacks I have accumulated in my own mind.

A very troubling thing is that, in order to clean out clutter, diminish stacks, and reclaim your space and serenity, it seems you need to make a bigger mess...

In order to reclaim living space in the basement I have enlisted the help of Busy Momma. Together we pulled everything out, started separating it out into five stacks. She is my voice of reason in this process, I hold up a long lost treasure while telling it's story, she listens then says the important things that I need to hear said;
That is a really nice memory, but how long has it been in there?
So, you have lived without it for how long?
Is it something you can take a picture of to keep the memory?
What pile does that thing need to go into?

Did I mention that we have five? Yes. Five.
#1 keeper.
#2 Donation.
#3 garbage.
# 4 (This is the embarrassing one!) Empty boxes to be broken down and recycled. I confess to having boxes with empty boxes in them, in case I needed to wrap a gift or mail something. 'Is it the seed's of hording?!'
# 5 Stuff other people have been storing here that will be going back home to them a.s.a.p.

Once everything has been sorted into pile's # 1 and #2, each will be sorted out into three piles.

It is a lot of work, but I am confident that once finished, it will be a livable, workable, comfortable place to spend time.
Right now it's hard to see it...But I know it is there.

My brain is a lot like my basement.

The same sort of things build up in there, some of it mine, some of it other peoples things, some useful, some out dated, and some just plain junk. A lot of it tends to run around like a hamster on a wheel at night when I should be sleeping.

Cleaning out my brain is not something I can really have someone come in to do for me. It's a completely personal inside job. It is coming along as well as the basement project.

Over the years I have found some interesting things that are helping me to sort things out in my life, so that I can dream the dream's that I need to be dreaming...

It really does feel good to clean and unclutter our living spaces.

Change Is Good... Right?



Why is it that plan's. Most any plan's really. Never seem to come off without a hitch?

This week end had been planned for a couple of weeks. Plans for what was to be accomplished layed out. Lists of necessities made, only to later be amended.

It was to be the big clean up of the house and yard week end. Anticipation has been building, vision's of cleanliness and order dancing in our grey heads.

But it is not working out as efficiently as I had hoped.

It's sort of like the Holiday's? You expect them to be magical and special event's to remember in good ways forever~and it never seems to turn out exactly like it always did in  your head plans? Once it all begins, that is when all the hitches that can come about, do.

I set out early to sort of get a 'jump start' to my part of the famed list of things to do, so I could amend that too.

It all started innocently, with only a few can's of spray paint weighing down a very strong bag. I just had to have, after visiting that cute little store last week!

I thought, if I did some of the painting while Honey was busy elsewhere? I could get away with all of it.

And I mostly did too :)

I have discovered, after a lot of years together, that Honey is not real fond of lavender furniture, however, much to his credit, he consented. And no, not just because the deed was done, but by comparison.

Although I have employed the theory of asking for forgiveness rather than asking for permission, on....well lets just say on just about everything I do... This time I did sort of warn him.



 Seems Honey is far less fond of this particular shade of green, than any shade of lavender :)

As he watched me with pain filled eye's and his gag reflex well in check, as I lugging it all back into the house, he was able to squeak out one small request, "Please, put that green thing in a corner and put a lot of stuff on it ok? And Sweetheart?".

I paused to give him my full, doe eyed attention,

" Please don't ever do that shade of green again? Use dark, or light, or you might even consider blue next time?"

I just couldn't quite confess that it was a little...different, than I had expected.

And once every thing was put back to rights, the sun not shining directly on it causing a little bit of retinal damage, the green toned down just enough to make it passable.

Yes, it is happily in a corner covered with a lot of cross stitch, embroidery and quilting stuff.

Now I must run! I have a basement to tackle.

Keep Honey in your prayers ;) 

Kayak Kind Of Day

Have you ever had a really, really good day that is the epitome of perfection?

We enjoyed not only such a day, but a week end.

This year we pulled the camp trailer to a Summer sort of place, along with the kayak Honey bought for me. With the big plans of getting out often, once our crowded work week's were winding down.

Unfortunately many of our best laid plans have been finding their way into cancellation's due to work, work and more work, thrown in with a dash of strong winds and torrential rains...How is it that weather like that has been waiting for the week ends too?

This week end was pencil planned.

Alternate idea's were half heartedly set in place.

Essentials and things for the trailer packed.

Trips to the stores helped fill cooler's so full the lids were hard to close. Fishing licence tucked into a wallet, worms purchased before the last turn off and away we went!

Joining friends and family, we set off blissfully into timelessness...

 

Water time at it's finest....

*deep sigh*
Its sure hard to go all the way back to the real world. Especially after a day like this...

This kind of day can't be totally planned.
Its the kayaking kind of day that just happens...

Veranda Beach

I love a good porch sit don't you?

There is something so magical about it that passers by wave without really knowing why, and everyone becomes a friend.

My brother once said, "The closeness of human contact in the warm night, the comfort of not being alone, the unquestioning acceptance of one an other's foibles, being so absolutely accepted, and the children drawn to the porch by that gentle, nurturing acceptance is worth beyond measure. It is a richness to be envied by the richest people of Monte Carlo, and wealth to be envied by the King himself."

A view from my beach.

Veranda Beach
By Margaret Ford Pudlinski
Condensed from NorthEast Magazine
as printed in Readers Digest August 1994

      I first heard about Veranda Beach on my grandparents' porch the summer I was 13. It was a lazy New England night that left the hills a smoky blue and the air heavy with the smell of rain. The last shadows were melting into dusk as conversation turned to the summer ahead.
      "Any plans?" my grandfather asked. My father tipped his chair back and blew smoke rings into the air from his pipe.
      "Just Veranda Beach," he answered with delight. They all chuckled.
      My heart pounded. Veranda Beach? Where was it? When would we go?
      "Why you're there already," my father teased.  There was a gentle chorus of laughter as they told me the awful truth. Veranda Beach was the front porch. We were going nowhere. My adolescent spirits plunged. What did they see in that boring porch?
      Well, summer passed, and with age came wisdom. I realized the front porch was no enemy to adventure. It was a window on the world and a lesson in how that world works. What's more, the love affair continues to this day-with new lessons adding to the old.
      On my family's porch, I learned about life and love, hopes and dreams, and I learned about promises and trust. One day it was the front door to Tara, as my sister and I assumed awful Southern accents and scouted the horizon for Rhett Butler. The next day it was a castle fortress or a ship at sea. And when Fleabags the cat brought home a rabbit, the porch was where I cried over the fragility of life.
      On the veranda, my mother and grandmother would serve three o'clock tea- the icy glasses of flame colored liquid glowing richly in the summer sun. The tinkling of ice against glass was the music of dogday afternoons. It was there we children absorbed the etiquette of the porch-universal Rules for Porch Behavior that were never mentioned, simply understood.
      The screen door might slam, but the noise stopped there. We had no hair- pulling, running or (heaven forbid) spitting. When we had to take on a sibling's temper, we descended to the lawn, where we could then tear each other limb from limb, but never on the porch.
      For the adults, lighthearted bantering and games of checkers were encouraged; talk about taxes and checkbooks was not. The veranda was a place to enjoy the little things. Life was slower there, and you could freeze-frame events.
      Late at night, the porch took on a more serious side. In the house, my sister, brother and I would lie in bed and listen to the muted conversations of generations. Sometimes they would talk about injustice, and we would learn from the quiet outrage in their voices.
      Over the years, fledglings that paused to roost on our porch turned into hawks, while I learned to set my own sights on shooting stars instead of fallen ones. Now, more than a few verandas later, I have become a connoisseur of the porch, the steps and the stoop.
      This summer I am spending time perched on a porch rail, trading stories with my children. We are watching fireflies and eating lots of ice cream from the truck that passed by.
      And as I watch a new generation write their names in the sweat of a lemonade pitcher, I hope they, too, are learning the lessons of Veranda Beach:
      Be strong against the wind. Be colorful and imaginative-grow in unexpected ways. Stretch across the yard, and reach out to your community. Watch for shooting stars.             Remember that even the smallest branch stretches for the sun when the rain is past.  Dance in a summer breeze. See the beauty in a weed grown strong, and revel in the bud turning to bloom. Hold close the heart of the home.
      Above all, know that sometimes it's better to have a place to be yourself than to have a place to go.

Simply Dangerous

Why is it that some day's you feel like you are trapped in something you don't know how you  got yourself into? Let alone how to get yourself out!

Sometimes what looks to be ok can turn to danger in mere seconds.

I walked out the other morning to de-bug the little blow up pool in the back yard, imagine my sadness when I saw what looked to be a drown Dragonfly.

It must have thought the water's surface was a solid object? Possibly just trying to get a drink of water? Whatever caused this tragedy, I was pretty sure the outcome was not at all what was expected.

I found a leaf that was big enough to retrieve its golden remains, gently sliding its tip under the waters surface I began to raise it slowly out of the water. To my shock, the tiny legs began grabbing for the safety of the leafs edges, groping its way up the leaf toward my hand, had me a little worried.
I'm a scardy cat when it comes to bug type critters.
So I hurried over to our raised box garden, where I knew other dragonflies of the same, as well as differing colors, like to hang out.
Selecting a nice, all be it half grass hopper eaten potato leaf, where the morning sun would be kissing it's surface for a while, I coaxed it off the rescuing leaf onto the wing drying leaf.  

I found it interesting that once set down and comfortable, other dragon flies came near then settled onto nearby leaves, as if setting up a watch of sorts.

Some flew around my head as I was setting it on the selected spot, and after I stepped back a couple came right in front of my face, then hurried off.

So many lesson's that early morning.
Now I check the wading pool every morning...Just in case something seemingly simple turns dangerous in mere seconds.

I Love My Ride

Today I went to the chiropractor to see what the x-ray's had to say about the state of my bones.

I was not to thrilled with what I saw.

Because while I understand that I am getting...not as young as I once was. I am also not as old as I hope to one day be.

It would sure be nice to get there not being "all stove up".

Because truth be told-I love my ride...

It happened like this.

I noticed a few things changing that I was ready to stock up to the aging process.

Because lets face it, even though my head still tells me I'm 21, my ride is starting to point and laugh with much more regularity than I feel comfortable with.

My neck hurt in the mornings, I was loosing range of motion in turning my head to the left, and my left shoulder was starting to 'pain me' when I would reach for things or not.

Not to mention that old 'work injury' making my hip hurt more and more. Which in turn makes my stride a tiny bit different, which makes my feet work a smidge different...

The ride is starting to loose some of it's super human powers of youth, and I think it should not be so.

There is no fountain of youth to go dive into and wallow around in until my fingers and toes are pruny, so I must look elsewhere for mobility aides.

I started to do Tia Chi a few years back, I didn't stick with it for one reason or another.

Next came a few free classes at yoga jo's.

Yoga to has fallen nearly by the wayside.

Please notice I said, nearly.

Not all the way gone, I practice every once in a blue moon.

The trip to my new chiropractor is helping me see the importance of resurrecting the Tia Chi, while at the same time being more serious about yoga.

Because you see, while my ride is not the mustang of my youth, neither is it a model T of osteoporosis. Right now I am going to try to make it my prius of longevity.

                           Picture from google search

Yes I do love my ride, and want to take care of it so that it in turn will take care of me for the long haul.

Now to go find those DVDs and get started.

NAMASTE,  “I bow to the divine in you”. Namaste is a traditional Indian greeting of respect and thank you, with spiritual and symbol meaning. This is done with your palms pressed together in the middle of your forehead (third eye) or at your heart, and lightly bow your head and shoulders.

ASANAS Also called Yoga Postures, Asanas are gentle stretching movements designed to help balance the mind and body. Learn the different Yoga Postures in our Yoga Exercise - Yoga Postures and Poses section.

The Simple Truth

I have a lot of blocks in my head that I have recently started questioning.

Changing.

Rearranging.

One of those blocks is that I have often thought I was not very good at art.

I thought I was really actually, quite horrid at it.

It was a very large and solid block that was placed in my thoughts for many years.

I blamed it on some one else putting it there.

The simple truth is, it was there, and if I wanted it moved I had to move it.

Someone encouraged me to challenge myself and dare to try.

I accepted the challenge.

I put my name on it and I picked it up.

I started that quilt, I picked up that camera, I got the art supplies, I started writing that book...

And while I'm no Rembrandt, Cecil Beeton, or Nora Roberts...I can now say, yet.

I have gathered other's to join me in the adventure's where we have been doodling, among other things, with pencil, art journal, canvas's and watercolor...

I have many artistic people in my family who are encouraging me, I try to encourage them too.

I will tell you another simple truth.

While I'm no Rembrandt, Beeton, Roberts yet, I am having a blast trying out different things.

I am having a blast seeing what is blooming in mine and other's amazing selves.

So if you think you can't, your right.

But if you think you can you are also right.

What you think can be changed.

Today, try something new, or something old that you left behind...

Please, what ever your it is.

Have FUN with it!

Shaking Things Up

When we are children we usually have very few cares in the world.
As we grow up, some of us, still like to cut lose and be a little carefree ourselves while sharing time with those life loving youngsters.

Yesterday was rainy.

The day before that was too.

As was the one before that.

And this one is too.

And the next one was expected to be.

What do you do, when you have had a taste of the warmth of outdoor freedoms, after a long winter and then, all the sudden there it is...right back to being stuck inside, a lot?

Invent ways to cut lose inside, I say!

Build a tent out of a card table in the front room, make your own play dough, paint lots of stuff...then what?!

Kids have a way of finding things to do, and while most of the time they are not hidden fun times, every now and again you just have to do something...not ordinary.

You have to cut lose and shake things up!

Like when you discover baby powder for your sore toe-toe, and find other things that may need this most wonderful of finds!

Sometimes you have to have a controlled burn, or controlled powdering as it were.

We had such a time, contained to a bathroom with a full baby powder container emptied, to the shear delight and dancing of a little "white dostie"...

Then the clean up came along.

And you know, while she washed the powder in, with a splashing bath, I did the dirty work...  Loving every minute of it!

You have to love the smell of Johnson & Johnson Lavender & Chamomile baby powder don't you?!

Ahh~Choo!!!

Mangy Dog Days

The other day I was driving through a neighborhood that happens to have a tiny side hill, canal and a few tree's. Not really much wider than a parking strip and a half.
So you can imagine the surprise when I stopped at the sign for a deer to bound past at a pretty good click, with a big dog hot on its heel's.
Being ever the observant one.
And knowing that where there is one, there is usually a hundred you don't see.
I pulled slowly around the corner, put my flashers on and crept down the street.
Car's zoomed past.
To fast to notice, or care about the scene or the lessons hidden in that little strip of tree's.

Being the deep thinker I am...

I knew if I were out there, with big dog problems, and I wasn't on the lamb.

I'd be hiding out.

Covering my tracks.

Trying not to let anything show.

But sometimes when you have a big problem, it's good to have a friend.

Someone to stand by your side.

Friends and family help us through all kinds and sizes of big dog troubles. It is good to know we can count on them. (And yes. It is true, that sometimes they are the ones we sometimes hide out from).

Time, stresses, big dog troubles, work, and just life in general, sometimes leave us feeling a little jumpy and frazzled.

So whether we lead follow or are just trying to get out of the way...

Sometimes we get trapped in the head lights of our on coming lives!!

We get overrun buy the hard parts of life and it can give us a case of the mange if we aren't careful!!

But like these deer, being largely passed by and unseen, life will go on. The things that are plaguing us now, like a fast hound hot on our heel's, will eventually start getting boared and start trippin on its lolling tongue and stop.

The tree's will fill in to give better cover, or we will be moving to higher, safer ground.

And while it's true there will be different dangers, struggles and beasties there, rest assured that you have friends and  family that have and will stick by you through even the mangy day's.

ps Don't go thinking that just because the big dog is chasing just one of us that it doesn't effect all of us in different ways.

What size dog scares me, might not faze you and what I think is ok, may be the farthest thing from ok for you...so lets try to be gentle with each other today-and everyday.