Something for dog lovers

I found the following video on a page a friend posted.  I believe the video was made and originally posted to Facebook by Valton the entertainer.  You won’t believe this dog and it left me asking, “Is this for real?”  Watch and you’ll see.  This dog is trained well.

Click here to view.

What would we do if life wasn’t full of issues and decisions?

As we all know it’s always something in life and I guess we should be glad we’re all around to experience all this stuff, good or bad, because the alternative isn’t a happy thought.

I’ve had a lot of car issues lately, as you know if you follow this blog.  Well I think that’s finally resolved (knock on wood) except for routine maintenance, like brakes, which is the next big job for my car.

Aside from that, I’m an artist at heart and I like to create things whether it’s a work of art for me or something for friends and family.  Besides writing stories and drawing, or painting pictures, I’m a calendar maker at years’ end.  I relax by resizing pics in my Photoshop program and putting together colorful calendars for the coming year.  This year I’m way behind because my photo printer has been on the blink.  I had a problem with the black ink cartridge and tried for two weeks to rectify the situation the best I could using Google for any info I could obtain that I didn’t know about.  I finally decided I was through with that, and believe me I don’t give up easily.

So I broke down and a week ago I bought a new color photo printer.  It was painful to spend the money, but it’s a bad situation when I haven’t even printed the calendars yet and it’s the third week of January.  I simply couldn’t let this go on any longer.

My new photo printer

I have a binding machine that only gets used about once a year but its well worth it.  I love doing everything myself and having the tools I need to do so.  I was finally able to print the calendars that I’ve had in a file for a month.

This is especially important because my mother has dementia and is losing her mind.  Every year I think this may be the last calendar I can make for her.  I put all the kids, grandkids, and great grand kids in there so she can focus and remember who we all are.  I know a time will come when this won’t work anymore.  I want to thank all my sisters and nieces for getting current pics to me for this calendar.  It means a lot.

 This is the cover of my mother's calendar for 2016

All any of us can do is take one day at a time.

Do you have a loved one suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s?

This hits the nail on the head

Okay, whether you’re a cat lover or not, you should get this cartoon.  I’m sure most of you know how cats like to crawl into small places.  Sorry, but I couldn’t wait too long to post something cat related since they’re a big part of my life.  I’m glad you indulge me.

Some pics of our last snow

I hate winter and the “s” word, but it does make for some nice pictures, especially when it’s up in the mountains and not in your own backyard.  I wanted to share some pics I took from the house.

Only 61 more days until spring.

There’s a name for that?

Okay, this is not the kind of thing I usually post, but my girlfriends and I were talking a few weeks ago and this subject came up.  I guess call me behind the times or too old to know what’s happening, but I swear I’ve never heard this term before.  Do any of you know what “thigh gap” is and have you ever heard of it?  Sorry, there is no picture for this one.

It occurred to me that females can really talk about some crazy things.  It seems this term refers to the gap between your legs.  “What?”  I asked.  “Are you serious?”  Yes, this is a real term, supposedly.  If your legs rub together at the top you’re fat and not sexy according to the current train of thought going around.  You don’t have “thigh gap,” which is a preferred thing.  Hmmm…

Okay now, I’ve never been concerned over this at all.  I have skinny legs and always have had, but still I don’t think I’d be concerned with this even if I had fat legs.  I actually couldn’t even believe we were discussing this.

I think that’s enough said on this subject.  It just shows you the crazy places that the minds of people can go.  Surely there’s more to talk about than anatomy parts.

Have any of you heard of this term?

Standing strong is the answer

Paloverde tree - broken limb is to the side

That means survival in the desert.  The conditions are harsh most of the time and the wind is fierce.  It blows at hurricane force a few times a year.  We’ve had our heavy patio chairs thrown like sticks onto the lawn and the wind sent the grill sailing right off the patio once.  I was cooking inside at the time and was flabbergasted to see it fly by the kitchen window.

This time our grill cover was ripped off so we tied it down with heavy twine.  The rope we had on it was broken by the wind.  Two chairs ended up lying on their sides in the lawn and a big limb broke off the Paloverde tree, reducing it in size by about one third.  I’ve never lived in a place where the wind blows this hard.  Sometimes it reminds me of living on the farm as a child when a hurricane was coming.

 Broken Paloverde limb

 

We used to stand at the door and watch things blow by in the wind.  Once we held the screen door open to get a better look and it slammed back against the house with a bang.  Mama had a fit and yelled for us kids to get away from the door.

People should fear the wind as much as the ocean.  It packs a lot of power.

The Paloverde limb is too heavy to move.  I have no idea how much it weighs.  We’ll have to chop it up on the spot and haul it to the trashcan in pieces.  Luckily the tree isn’t phased by losing a third of itself. 

 This broken limb is huge and very heavy

 

I think these trees are hardy as they grow fast.  We’ve had to cut them to the ground when they freeze.  And look at this tree now.  It’s astonishing to see how it survives and even thrives in these conditions.

Here is the Paloverde tree in May loaded with yellow blooms

Here we go again - Round Two

Loaner car number two is a Plymouth Grand Prix

Last week my car decided to die again, so I have a second loaner car until the issue in mine is found.  The mechanic told me it was only a matter of time.  It did last about a month before this electrical situation reared its ugly head again. 

Mike, my mechanic, was kind enough to bring me another loaner car so I could get to work.  This one is in slightly better condition, but is very smoky.  I guess all those guys at the shop must be smokers.  Thankfully they don’t smoke in my car.

I feel a bit more comfortable driving this car, although I have to sit on folded towels so I can see over the steering wheel.  I could adjust the seat forward but not any higher.  This engine has a throaty roar so I don’t know if it’s just the big engine or it needs a new muffler.  It sounds like the Mustang convertible 5.0 that I used to have years ago.

The heater in this car is fantastic, which is good because we had snow the other day and it’s not very warm.  We finally saw blue sky for the first time in week today.  That’s unusual for here.

I think this car is a bit of a gas hog though.  I put some gas in it today and was wondering if I’d make it to the station as I don’t know this car and how far it will go once the fuel light comes on.  I sure wouldn’t want to call Mike for that.

This loaner car also has a broken windshield, so if mine’s in the shop very long I imagine he’ll give me a different car.  Until then, I have this car for a while, or at least until they find the electrical problem with mine.  I suspect it has something to do with the passenger side mirror because it seems to operate itself.  Worst case scenario the fix will cost me from $500-$700 this time.  Ugh!  I’m investing so much in this car, I’ll have to keep it for the next five or so years.  It’s a good thing I’m not tired of it.  

I hope your new year is starting off better.

Freedom means a lot…even to animals

This short story and video came across my email and I had to share.  Most animals in this world are subjected to cruelty with humans never giving them a second thought.

I admit it did cross my mind, when this poor creature was loaded into the trailer that his destiny was not going to be a happy place.  I wanted to cry so I’m glad I was wrong.  Watch this video and witness this animal’s joy over being free.

Can you imagine living in a small cage all of your life?

Resolution time

From my house to yours...Happy New Year everyone.  

Raven

We have a blank page again to start new adventures.  What fun.  I haven't made any resolutions yet.  I just hope this will be a better year than 2015, although last year did have some nice moments in it.  

Let's face it, most of the resolutions we make are broken before the month of January is over. What is called for is being more thoughtful and realistic about the goals we set for ourselves.  As we all know, life gets in the way of many things as the days go by.  

This year, I'm taking my time to think this over.  I think the usual items on the list, losing weight, eating healthier and exercising more are hard to keep because we need to be resolved to change our habits.  That isn't an easy thing to do, but it can be done.  I'm happy with myself in those areas anyway because I changed my habits long time ago where weight, diet and exercise are concerned.  

This year I think my goals will be smaller and more attainable. When I reach them I can make more, even if it isn't New Years.  Remember, you can do this too and may be happier with yourself if you take baby steps.  There's nothing at all wrong with that.  As we look to the future, it's time to get serious with ourselves about the things important to us.  What do we really really want to accomplish?  If you're yearning for it, the resolution will be easier to keep.

Think about that as you make your list.  Until next time...