I thought I should check in lest you wonder what’s happened to me. All is well. It’s just too hot for my brain to come up with anything clever. As you can see I’m finding ways to survive. Right now I am floating in my lounge chair with beverage and reading materials.
We were fortunate enough to be able to celebrate Labor Day with family. Baxter, Shelby, Phoebe, and Nikki were happy to be able to join us. There was plenty of frisbeeing so they thought the day was a success.
I took a little walk around the property over the weekend. Started out by walking the trail in the woods so that I could get a picture of some flowers I knew were in bloom there. I’m not sure what they are. I did not plant them. Someone who lived here before me did. I find it unusual that these are blooming in the shade of the woods and others of the same kind are blooming in a flowerbed in full sun. Apparently they’re not too particular. How fortunate for me. I am also fortunate that those who lived here before me cared about plants and wildlife. It is apparent from the many plantings that grow here. It is obvious that many of them were planted to attract the birds, bees, and other animals.
We maintain a small trail so that we can walk here and get a small tractor out to a fire pit and camp site that we made. Truth be told though, we have most bonfires in the dog pasture so that the dogs can all be with us. Every day is National Dog Day at our house! In fact I think it’s safe to say that that mine could be called National Dog Life. This has been my choice and I must say, I am very happy with it.
On my way back to the rest of the property, I pass the wood crib and am thankful that we already have a good portion of the winter’s wood drying. So are the animals. They love nothing better in the winter time than to curl up in front of the wood burner and soak up as much heat as they can. When it is time to add more wood, we must forcibly move them so we can open the door to throw on another log or two.
Back to our walk. I enjoy the colors of many different plants, from the coleus, that has beautious color in its leaves, to the hydrangea with its large leaves that are stunning on their own merits and have wonderful blooms as well.
And I am getting so much joy from the verbena growing in the wall planters this year. They are a sweeping sea of blossoms with some stalks growing upright and others hanging down. When I see them all growing together, for some reason, they remind me of coral under the water in the ocean and this makes me feel that they are magical.
And so ends a brief foray into my home and mind. Both are busy places.
I love a day at the beach! We went at the end of July and enjoyed it so much that we went back again two weeks later. We are fortunate indeed to live so close to Lake Erie. We can be there in about an hour. And my daughter drives in her little, red Prius so it doesn’t take a lot of gas to get there.
It is such a relaxing day. We take a cooler with drinks and a picnic lunch so that we don’t have to leave the beach all day. And of course we all take books! The day is not complete unless I can read while listening to the waves and feeling the breeze.
There is always time for a little beach art too. The first picture I like to call Little Stonehenge. It was already in place when we got to the beach. Some unknown builder erected it and left, rather like the original Stonehenge. The second shot shows a little Zen patio that I made. It was quite rewarding work.
On our first trip to the beach we took my grandkids. They love it there too as you can see. We take them every summer and they always look forward to it.
The second time we went, just last week, was adult day. No kids. We lounged around and enjoyed the day at a slower pace. And of course on the way home we stopped at the little stand that makes their own soft serve ice cream and got the flavor of the week. Last week it was peanut butter. Delicious!
I find these days to be quite rejuvenating. A little sun and sand can perform miracles and restore the soul.
Life sometimes blesses me in ways that I’m not expecting. For instance plants around here reseed themselves and grow in places that they shouldn’t. I intend to weed them out but often times I don’t get around to it. This is the case with a butterfly bush that took root and is growing out from between two sandstones in one of the garden beds. It is about seven feet tall now and oh how fortunate that I never pulled it out. It is bringing me much joy.
It comes by its name honestly. It definitely does draw in the butterflies. There are often several on it at once and a few different kinds too. I can go out any time during the day and see butterflies on it. What a beautiful site.
Butterflies are not the only thing this bush attracts though. It also draws in what is called a hummingbird moth. I only discovered these in recent years. At first glance it looks like a hummingbird. It is about half the size of a hummer but similar in shape and the wings move in the same manner as the bird. It also has similar brilliant colors. But this creature is a moth. Much as I like the hummingbirds, I think that I like the hummingbird moth even better. It is not as common and it is more unusual looking so it fascinates me. I will have to learn more about them because at this point all I know is that they are a cool looking moth and like the butterfly bush.
All this pleasure I get from something that was an accidental plant. Maybe it wasn’t accidental at all. One morning last weekend after standing and watching all the activity at this bush, I told my husband, “it’s a glorious morning, we must always have a butterfly bush in the walled garden”. I have learned a lesson from this. Take beauty and joy where you find them. You may happen upon them in unexpected places.
Before the days I knew you,
you were a best friend in the making.
And then you came into my life,
and that destiny came true.
Sharing our ears and hearts is a gift without measure,
For the best friend that’s a daughter,
Is this world’s dearest treasure.
Above is a picture of my daughter and me taken recently at her apartment. On the right is a picture of my best friend. You may notice that these photos are of the same person. That’s because I am one of the luckiest people in the world! My daughter is my best friend.
We enjoy many of the same things. One of our perfect hang out activities is going to the library and then getting ice cream. Or going to the book store and drinking coffee while perusing the books. Of course these activities are preceded and followed up with petting cats and dogs. A favorite special activity is the trip we take to the beach at Geneva State Park on Lake Erie every summer. This year we are doing it twice! Happy days! This day of swimming, lounging and picnicking always concludes with a trip the ice cream stand that has a specially made soft serve flavor of the week. Hmmm…do you see a trend here? We do like our ice cream. But it is the experiences we have together that are the most important part.
Actually, my daughter and I don’t even need an event or activity to spend time together and enjoy it. The time spent together is joy enough. Sitting on the porch, or couch, and talking away are times I wouldn’t want to live without. Of course we do this while petting dogs and cats. It’s part of who we are. We talk about things from nail polish to solving an assortment of the worlds problems. This girl will ask me for advice and carefully listen to what I have to say, then think through the best course of action. Or inaction if it’s appropriate. And sometimes I will ask her opinion on my issues too. She has good perspective and input that I sometimes don’t think of.
We make an excellent and formidable team. My wish for you, is that you may have such a stellar best friend. And if you are fortunate, she may also be your daughter.
I made a batch of cupcakes this evening. They are one of my signature creations. The cake is a delicious chocolate fudge. The filling is a creamy peanut butter concoction. And the frosting is buttery, creamy peanut butter as well.
Said cupcakes are all packed up and ready to go to work in the morning. We are having a party at work. A combination cook out and retirement celebration. So these cupcakes are a gift to share with people I care about. We are a close bunch at work. Especially those of us who have worked there together for a long time. I have been employed at this same place for over 28 years. So although not too many have been there as long as me anymore, I have known some of these people for a long time.
Long lasting friendships and bonds have been formed. In years past when it was a smaller crew, we hung out together and had gatherings just because we liked to. There were also numerous times when these folks were there for me when I needed them. Two different bosses (read as friends) helped me move on two separate occasions. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Friends from work came through for me on so many occasions. Those bonds run long and deep.
Some have since retired. I miss having the pleasure of seeing these old friends on a regular basis. But the bonds are still there. Last month I got a call from a couple of these friends out of the blue. I hadn’t seen them in a few years. They packed up and moved to Florida when they had the chance. A married couple that both worked here at one time. (Hi Kenny and Kathy!) This is one of those instances when Facebook is a wonderful thing. The wife had been reading my blog on Facebook and decided to give me a call. When we were done talking she handed the phone over to her husband. I’m glad that she did. What an enjoyable opportunity to catch up with both of them!
Sometimes I see other retiree friends around town. It always gives me that feel good feeling to experience the connection that is still there. Some of the best and longest lasting bonds need not have continual contact.
I seem to find opportunities to build the strength of patience all around me lately. I think this might mean that I am cranky and impatient. Never the less this gives me the chance to work on this virtue.
Our family was very fortunate this year to have the largest crop of cherries that has grown in the almost 12 years that we have lived here. You can see them in the basket. We think that they are Queen Anne cherries or a similar variety. They are heirloom and organic. Not to mention delicious. It took three of us 20-30 minutes to pick this many cherries. Now I must have the patience to seed all of these cherries and make them into a pie. At least this has its own rewards!
It also took a certain amount of patience to pick all the berries for this service berry pie. As I stood in the puddles of rain water from our continual storms as of late, I was swarmed by mosquitos. I knew if I wanted the pie that this was my only chance. The berries are only on the trees for a short time before the birds eat them all. This took patience, and swatting, to finish the job. The prize was worth it. It was the first time we had enough service berries to bake a pie. It tasted like a cross between cherries and plums and another unidentifiable but heavenly flavor.
I had a chance to exhibit patience last evening as well. On a therapy dog visit to the care facility as we sat and conversed with our friends there was one lady who was telling tidbits from her life. She shared with us the fact that she had a dog named Trixie who was like a member of her family. She shared this great revelation with us about 10 times. To be honest it didn’t take much patience for me to listen to her repeat the tale. It made her so happy. And we never ran out of things to talk about or had that awkward silence. She could always tell me about Trixie again. I would want someone to show me the same kindness.
(Picture of two past foster dogs, Gracie and Selah, now in a loving home.)
And when I got home last evening I called a lady that I was told needed some rescue help with her dogs. It turned out that she did not think she needed help from rescue. She had found help in the form of two young people to assist her with day to day dog care. I pray she is right. But I listened to her tell me about their bloodlines starting 30 years back. And various animals she had rescued over the years. Not to mention information about her fantastic memory and other information about her family. This was all well and good. That lady sounded lonely and was in need of an ear to bend and to share her troubles. It gave me time to practice my skills of patience. And keep a good rapport and the lines of communication open on the chance that there is ever a day when those dogs do need us.
So the easier times of having patience to do unimportant things like pick fruit to make a pie, are training for things of consequence like improving lives. Lives of dogs and lives of people. Rescue work is multi-faceted.
I have been fortunate to have the blessing of multiple good mothers. “Multiple mothers?”, you may wonder? Yes, there are three. They have overlapped in time so that most of my life I have had more than one at once. Lucky me!
First there was my biological mother. She passed on last week and that is what got me to thinking about the whole concept. She, obviously, gave birth to me and raised me. She was a good mother. Always looking out for my best interests and preparing me for life. I have many fond memories of her even though she had been ill for some years now.
Then came my second mother. She is a strong woman who does good things in her community. She loves all the furry creatures and on this we certainly connect. She started out as my mother-in-law, the mother of my first husband. He and I parted ways some years ago. But his mother, I kept. (Along with some of his other relatives.) We are still in contact and love to visit with each other and catch up. So, in my mind, after the divorce his mother “graduated” to become mother #2. You know the saying, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water? Applies here. The ex-husband goes but the family stays. I made out pretty well in that deal. I love them.
And then there is mother #3. I was fortunate enough to gain her as my mother when I married my current husband. What a wonderful lady. She is kind and caring and understanding. Not just with me but with the world in general. She also serves her community in many ways. I can learn a thing or two from her about forgiveness and tolerance. From my experiences in life I have learned a thing or two so she has already “graduated” from mother-in-law to mother in my life.
These mothers have all been a blessing. Some people do not have the benefit of knowing even one mother in their lives and I have been given three. My cup runneth over. They have all loved me and helped to guide the course of my life. The old mother-in-law stigma has not been true in my life. I have received positive experiences and acceptance. I look at the list of “Gandhi’s Top 10 Fundamentals for Changing the World” hanging by my desk and realize that each of my mothers has been an example and helped me realize multiple insights on the list. Here is the list:
Gandhi’s Top 10 Fundamentals for Changing the World
1. Change Yourself
2. You Are in Control
3. Forgive and Let Go
4. Without Action You Aren’t Going Anywhere
5.Take Care of this Moment
6. Everyone is Human
7. Persist
8. See the Good in People & Help Them
9. Be Congruent, be Authentic, be your True Self
10. Continue to Grow & Evolve
If I were to write about the examples each woman gave me in regards to this list, the pages would be many. I would have enough material for a book. There are lessons to be learned from people all around us if we take the time to learn them. I hope to honor these women by the life I live.
My mother died this past Monday. It was a sad event but then again, it wasn’t . She suffered from a lengthy and ongoing illness. She is at peace now and with this comes a sense of relief. It is sad for me because it brings to mind the woman she once was. I miss that woman. I have missed her for a long time now. Her passing makes the memories fresh again.
We knew that her death was imminent but didn’t know exactly when it would happen. So I had plans already scheduled for the day she died. I thought about cancelling them, after all my mother just died. Everyone would certainly understand. But I decided to honor my obligations. They would mean something to the ones I gave my word to. For you see, I had agreed to provide therapy dog visits at the nursing home.
I’m sure no one would hold it against me had I canceled. But I could stay at home and be sad or I could go make people happy. Always choose happiness!
So I loaded up the dogs and we set out on a mission of love. Now lest you think, oh what a selfless soul, I must confess that I get at least as much out of these visits as the residents do. If you read the studies you will find that participating in animal assisted therapy releases “feel good ” chemicals in the body. And I always feel great by the time I go home!
So as we go around, hopefully spreading joy, we are also receiving joy. It’s a two way street. And I get to hang out with people who want to hear me talk about my dogs. Pretty selfish really. A couple of the people make sure to visit with us every time we are scheduled to come. They are now my friends. So although it may look like I am providing a service, I am really receiving a gift.
This visit becomes a tribute to my mother. For in her days on this world she taught us to live and love always. Make the most of each opportunity for it may be short.
Last evening I had a decision to make. I was at home, finally, after working for 10 hours. There was much to be done. Things to clean, things to put away, preparations for the next day. But I looked at these eager faces, smiling at me and ready for whatever attention I would give them. So what did I choose to do? I loaded these three up in the car and we went for a long walk.
We went to West Branch State Park which is about 10 minutes from our house here in northeastern Ohio. This is the beauty that greeted us as we began our walk. This was a heck of a lot better than cleaning!
And I got to spend it with these three beautiful faces. I think that I chose wisely. One of the reasons that I like to walk here, aside from the beautiful scenery, is that I can let the dogs walk off leash if there are not too many other people around. The dogs know they are given a privilege and prance so proudly to know that I have unhooked their leashes and trust them to stay with me. Occasionally we encounter other walkers or bicyclers and I briefly leash the dogs back up until they pass. Not so much because of the dogs but because I don’t want the other people who are out enjoying their evening to be afraid. I want to be a good steward of the trail so that dogs will continue to be welcome. Baxter, in particular, gets much more exercise when he is off lead. He runs 20 feet or so ahead and circles back behind and continues to make this loop as we walk so he can monitor and sniff the area. He walks much farther than the rest of us with his loping circuits of the path. Baxter’s behavior is excellent when he is loose. When we see someone approaching, I can just tell him “over here” and point to where I want him to walk and he will stay next to me until the person passes. He is very reliable on this and I can tell that he understands because he keeps looking up at me and communicating “I’ve got this mom”. I will leash him up if I think he will make the other people nervous when they pass. Shelby and Phoebe I do usually leash up because there is an even chance that they will go up the person and demand to be petted. This might be intimidating for someone who doesn’t know them.
As we go about our walk I notice that the landscape is really quite impressive. It is a calm evening so it is quiet. One of the sounds that I do hear and love is the sound of the waves on the water. This, I thought, is not so far removed from the views I love to see when I go to Maine. Each place has it’s own beauty if you are able to see it.
Life is good. There is beauty to behold and I am able to see it in the company of three of my dogs. It doesn’t get much better.
By now it is sunset and we close out the evening with this last view. Earlier I had a choice to make of how to spend my evening. I think that I chose wisely. This is an experience that I will remember fondly.
And although it was getting dark by the time we got back to the car, you can see by these happy faces that they also think that I have chosen wisely. Let the adventures continue!
Sanctuary Acres 