For the first 50 years of my life, my perfectionist self mistakenly believed it was all about knowing more, getting it right, planning, attempting to prevent bad things from happening, and keeping all of my chicks in a row. It took me this long to discover that the JOURNEY is all that matters. This quote from Gilda Radner sums it all up:

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.
"


Wednesday, February 29, 2012

No Ifs, Ands, or Butts

I know it's not right to BUTT into other people's lives.
I can't understand why they do the things they do.
I don't know their situation.
I do know there must be a better way to deal with it.
Butt then again, they do too!
Everyone does nowadays.

I had my furnace cleaned and serviced yesterday.
As I ushered the nice young man to the basement
where the furnace is located, it was VERY evident.
He is a smoker.
As we chatted for a few minutes, it took almost all of
my willpower not to say something to him.

As I am waiting at a traffic light
and glance to the driver in the car next to me
and see a young girl with her window
cracked open so she can blow the smoke outside,
I want to get out of the car and shake her.
But I don't.

When I go to a doctor's appointment near the hospital
and I see nurses and doctors standing outside smoking,
I want to get out of the car and ask them why.
I feel angry inside, but I drive by.

I'm not angry at them.
I know they would rather not be smoking.
They are nice people.
They are smart people.
They are caring people.
I'm not judging them.

They can't stop.

It's just that the sight or smell of cigarettes immediately
bring me to places I don't like to be:

-  Where I am a little girl riding in a car with my
    turtleneck pulled over my nose, trying not to
    gag on my parents' cigarette smoke.

-  Where I tell my parents the only thing I want for
    my birthday is for them to quit smoking.

-  Where Mom repeatedly tries to quit smoking
    but is never successful.

-  Where I get a call from my father telling me
    Mom went to the hospital last night because
    she couldn't get her breath.

-  When Mom in NOW able to quit smoking.
    And so is my Dad.  A little too late.

-  When Mom can't go anywhere without her oxygen.

-   When Mom dies from throat cancer at the young
    age of 78.

-   When Dad has a stroke and dies less than 2 years later.

-   When I would really like to share something with my Mom
     and Dad and I remember they're gone.


When I see these young, healthy people smoking,
I want to ask them:

If, in the next moment, you couldn't take another breath
without an oxygen tube attached to your face,
would you be able to quit?

If so, why not just do it now?
No ifs, ands, or butts.

Your kids and future grand-kids would thank you for it.














Sunday, February 26, 2012

I Guess It's Time...

It's been 3 months since we last saw Tigger.
He disappeared back in November in the aftermath of Storm Alfred.
We spent many hours making posters and hanging them around the streets, stuffing mailboxes with pictures of Tigger, walking the woods looking for signs of him, and responding to a multitude of calls from good-hearted people in our area who thought they saw him,

We don't believe he is coming home.

I've been holding off as long as I could,
hoping that possibly he might turn up.

It's difficult not knowing what happened to him.

But there must be closure.

So,

I guess it's time to pay tribute to our friend.


We welcomed Tigger and Momo into our family in August, 2003. So sweet and innocent!




The kittens were found in a cemetery in a nearby town.  Kerry found them on the internet in Petfinders.com.  We only planned to get one, but they were a package deal!






Vance really didn't want them (supposedly he didn't like cats!)...
but Tigger won him over by cleaning his hair for him at night.

I guess that made up for the times Vance had to go up the ladder





to get him out of a tree!

Tigger made friends with everyone, including Jack.


And even though he was a little hesitant with Mia in the beginning...


they turned out to be buddies after all!


He used to taunt the dogs at the top of the slide,

daring them to follow him!
Luckily, they were smart enough not to do that!

He loved the great outdoors! 
If he wanted to go out, he would yell at the top of his lungs!
That was the main reason we had to put him in the basement at night.


 When Sami joined our family, he wasn't afraid.

They, too, became fast friends!


Over time, he was renamed to Mr. Wiggles by the kids.
Mr. Wiggles always joined us at the dinner table.  He wasn't shy!


 He often demonstrated his ability to get milk out of the bottom of a cup!



Kerry and Mr. Wiggles were close.
 And her friends loved him too!
 

Kerry's birthdays often had a Mr. Wiggles theme!






We ALL loved Tigger!



When Halle joined the family,

they had a rough beginning, haha!

But they, too, grew on each other after a while!

The only person he never really trusted was...
 Maddie!
I think Tigger was more of a "dog person".

So now, we have to say good-bye to our good friend.

Tigger, we loved your unique personality!


We loved your companionship!




We thank you for your hard work, keeping the yard free of mice, moles, and...

 RABBITS!

 Our home and our family have been forever touched by your being.


WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!

P.S. If you're out there somewhere reading this,  please come home!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Ecclesiastes 3:1

 Ecclesiastes 3:1



 I headed outside with my camera today to see what was going on in the yard.


For everything there is a season - WAIT!

This is not the season for my pink heather!



Nor is it the season for crocus spouts!







And certainly not time for new leaves on the rose bushes!






Well, Maddie will take care of that!








                             OUCH!


 


Check out my wooden cardinals.  I think someone wants to make friends!



And there are already weeds!
"Each leaf,
each blade of grass
vies for attention.
Even weeds
carry tiny blossoms
to astonish us."
- Marianne Poloskey, Sunday in Spring





The rhododendrons look like they're ready to burst open!
but the vinca has beat them to it!




I think Sami would rather be rolling around in the snow...


Halle really wasn't sleeping here - she blinked.


















Irises...

and Johnny Jump-Ups...




I don't want to sound like a grump, but I'm just not ready for Spring yet.

I love my garden, but I also enjoy  the time when it is asleep - kind of like a mother feels about her children.   I need time to do other things while it is napping!

I had a lot I wanted to accomplish this winter - INSIDE.
We have barely burned any of the wood that Vance hauled onto the back porch for the fireplace.
I'm still yearning for more cosy time watching TV at night snuggled under the afghan.

Spring.
Please go away.
For a little while longer.
It's not your time - yet.