A dog named Murphy

I grew up on a farm and we always had a farm dog and lots of cats. And when it comes to cats vs dogs I would choose cats. I loved our farm dogs over the years while I was growing up, but cats always made their way to the top of my list for a variety of reasons.

So when my daughter and her husband recently adopted a rescue dog I was like cool, good for them. My daughter had wanted a puppy, but like all things small and in the baby stage they require a lot of time and work and attention. A rescue dog made their way into their lives and to say Murphy is a perfect fit for them would be an understatement. He a good-natured, spunky dog who is always smiling, always!

I just dog-sat Murphy for a day and a half and what fun we had. Lots of walks, pet and brushing time, just hanging out and a slumber party! It was a fun 36 hours. I've never met a dog with such an easy going personality but yet some spunk and humor. He listens, which is more than I can say for a lot of humans! He loves attention but yet was fine if I was reading and he was just hanging out.

And the final, and another fun part of my dog-sitting time, going for a ride so Murphy could be shared with his other dog grandparents! Murphy loved his ride. He wanted to drive before we left but opted to be my copilot! He loved looking out the windows, putting his nose in the air conditioner vent and having my hand on him. And best of all, what Murphy is always doing, smiling.

No one knows Murphy's story. Why he came to be in a shelter and how he was rescued from a 30-day kill shelter before that but fate has a way of working things out and bringing things and people and dogs together.

I'm a little lost without Murphy today, I haven't got a walking buddy and I"m sure the house will be quiet and empty when I go over to check on things. But he's obviously a well-rounded dog and I'm sure he is enjoying his time with his other dog grandparents.

Everyone can learn a lesson from Murphy always keep smiling!

My older brother

My oldest brother recently visited for a couple of days and to be honest, it was the first time as an adult that I have spent that much time with him. I had the opportunity to really talk to him. My brother was 10 when I was born and he got married when he was 21. My sister-in-law, his wife, recently passed away unexpectedly so for the past almost year and a half he has had to adjust to life without her.

My memories of my brother have always been the big, protective older brother. My mom would tell the story of how he would carefully put me in the little red wagon and pull me around the yard when I was little. He was careful and protective. He was and still is a gentle, kind guy. I honestly think he would do just about anything for his family and those he cares about. He set a good example and set the bar kind of high for me in regard to how men should treat women.

So the two days we spent together was kind of a get to know opportunity. He has a wonderful memory and could tell me the names, relationships and other tidbits about family members and events. Being the youngest I missed out on things that the four older siblings got to experience or do. He is extremely handy and smart when it comes to figuring things out and fixing things. There isn't much he won't try to fix or do himself-he learned that from my dad. He helped repair a few things. I return did some cooking and we went out to eat a couple of times. But my brother is a really good cook too!

I don't know if he was bored or enjoyed his time here but it was really, really nice. One of the best memories from the two days, when he and I sat outside after dark, watching the stars come out talking about family and life and our kids and the people we missed. It did my heart good and left me with such a great memory.

I'm so blessed to have gotten the opportunity and time to spend with him to make new memories and share old memories too.

Side note, my brother mentioned during his visit that he'd heard loved ones who have passed away are close when you find feathers. He said he had found several feathers over the past year and a half. As he was leaving today and I was standing on the lawn and I looked down as he was backing out of the driveway, and on the ground was a feather. I picked it up and held it up for him to see, he rolled down his window, gave me a thumbs up and smiled...be both knew what it meant.

Picking out glasses

I've had a love-hate relationship with my eyes! As a kid all my siblings and my parents wore glasses. And each year when the school nurse would do an annual eye check I would pass with flying colors. I was relieved that I had somehow been blessed with better vision than all of them!

My kids all have made their way into a corrective lens. I've paid for my share of eye exams, glasses, contacts and all of the goodies that go with seeing the world clearly. Obviously, they didn't get their eyes from their mother!

So when I got my eyes checked the first time as an adult by a professional I was shocked to learn I need glasses. And not only glasses but bifocals. I struggled with those glasses. I tried to wear them but in the end, they spent more time in the case than on my face! A couple years later I had my eyes checked again and funny thing but I didn't need bifocals...imagine that I wouldn't need bifocals for many, many years later. Single view glasses was a refreshing change and I wore those glasses much more than I ever did my first pair.

Flash a few years ahead and contacts made their way into my life. Yay! I could see near and far when I finally really did need bifocals.

So after a recent eye exam, I was again looking at needing new glasses and if you've ever had to pick out frames for glasses you know what I am talking about here. I brought home four different frames for family and friends to give me their opinion on. I had my favorite frames but I wanted the opinion of those I knew looked at me most, after all, they would see the glasses more than I ever would. It's kind of like painting your house, your neighbors see the exterior color more than you ever do. We've all seen those people with glasses where we've thought to our selves "what the heck?" or "who told you that looked good on you?". I didn't want to be one of those sassy little old ladies with bright colored frames, although it is the trend right now! It's all a complicated process. My daughter, who I knew would give me the most honest opinion did just that. She brought a perspective to the whole process that made me eliminate each frame one by one until we had a winner!

The next part of this fun process was going to order these frames. What kind of material did I want my lens made out of or how did I want the transition from one prescription to the other on the lens were all fun questions I had to decide on. The tech had to figure and mark where my eyes would focus on the lens. Did I want the non-glare coating or the blue light coating? They now make a coating just for people who get migraines, but it gives the lens a funky colored look, so no that was not for me. What color did I want the frames in? All this thrown in with less than helpful vision insurance card and 45 minutes later and the glasses were ordered! Alleluia!!

I go pick the new glasses up in two weeks. And honestly, I'm looking forward to getting these glasses. I think they'll look okay. I've always thought most people look smarter in glasses, just my perspective. I know wearing glasses does not make you smarter, but a good looking pair of frames can look pretty sharp!

In this whole process, I've learned a great deal about vision, thanks to the eye doctor during my exam and about lens and frames thanks to the tech who helped me! I may not look smarter in the new glasses but I learned a lot and that makes me smarter!!

Whew, that was a lot of decisions to be made just to see better! Here's to seeing the world clearer in a couple of weeks!

Summer is half over!

I love routine, in fact, I need it. If I keep a regular schedule it helps with my migraine headaches. But truth be known during some point every summer vacation I fall off the "keeping the schedule" routine and it's not pretty! Too much sleep or not enough either of which in turn often turn into migraine headaches.  Yuck!

At some point, I stay up too late, either by choice or because of lack of planning or because I'm naturally a night owl and I fall off the routine wagon. I sleep past my 5 a.m. alarm. I lay in bed and read or surf social media instead of getting my fanny out of bed in the mornings and get moving. My routine goes bye-bye. And the result-I get out of whack. I end up with migraines and that throws me off and it's a whole lot of fun-NOT.

And typically when the 4th of July rolls around all those fun haters start saying "summer is about over" or "it's all downhill from here" referring to school starting in August. I've never cared for these comments, first as a mom-I enjoyed having my kids home during the summer and spending time with them and secondly as a school employee I, plain and simple, don't want to go back!! (Okay, maybe I kind of do!)

But in truth summer is on the downside. Someone last week reminded me that we go back in five weeks...wait, WHAT?! No! That's can't be right. And I haven't looked nor do I want to at a calendar. It will arrive regardless if I know when or how many days!

But here's what I want to ask...What the heck happened to summer?! June was busy and I got a lot accomplished but what happened to the month? And as the month of July is now over halfway over I'm like a kid on their first roller coaster ride, I can't look but yet I do!

I personally feel like my summer can't be this far over, I have so much I want and plan on doing and getting done. It's the summer of stay at home, clean, purge and get stuff done. And it has been, but I guess I'm feeling like I haven't gotten done as much as I'd planned or hoped. But in reality, I have accomplished a lot. I always put way too much on my "to do" list, I always have and probably always will, it's just who I am!

So today as I was kind of looking at what is ahead and what I "want" to do and accomplish, I looked at summer in perspective of Thanksgiving or Christmas break...summer is a whole lot more time, with one small holiday in the middle but otherwise is pretty much time to do what and when you want, and get things done. Unlike Thanksgiving or Christmas breaks, both have a honking big holiday as part of the break and these holidays require quite a lot of work.

So I'm going to stop panicking or shooting nasty look every time someone mentions summer being half over or school starting soon, or back to school commercials, or the absolute worse-school supplies out on store shelves already! It is what it is. It's going to keep rolling towards us! Life with a schedule will soon make a return and that is okay. So regardless of how many days until I have to go back or school starts, a routine will soon make it's way back into my life and that's a good thing!

Here's to what's left of summer...enjoy and make memories!

I made it!

After three days of less than fun stomach issues/flu I feel human again. No gory details, just an appreciation for feeling good and back to normal, or at least making my way back to normal! It is nice to wake up with energy, not pain. (I am not a good sick person, but who is and who wants to be?) And this has me thinking about all those people who wake up each morning with pain. Those who struggle to get out of bed be it physical or other kinds of pain. Wow, how blessed I am!

So as another day begins, regardless of how hot or bitter cold or tough or uneventful this day is, I am grateful for another day. Another chance!

Keeping memories

There are all types of people when it comes to being sentimental. Some people hang on to everything, ticket stubs, old t-shirts and artwork from elementary school. Some people toss and hang on to nothing. Memories are the best, no one can take those away from you. I'd like to think I'm a happy medium when it comes to memories. I tried to keep a folder of papers and artwork for each of my kids throughout their school years, each grade, so they could someday look back on the stuff and it would bring them happiness, good memories, and some laughs!

This summer is the summer of cleaning out and as I put it "purging"! It is time to clean out, clean up and get rid of. All my kids have their own homes and I am giving them their memories. The books, clothes, toys, photos, artwork, jersey's, dresses and such. I get the feeling that most of the items I'm delivering will probably be going to the garbage or goodwill...this is totally their choice. I get that. But as someone who has very, very little from her youth I hope they someday aren't saying "I wish I had" or "I wish I'd kept"some items from their youth. You see it is good to look back, read old journals, look at elementary artwork or report cards put on your high school jersey or prom dress. This is all of what makes us who we are, us!

I wish I had items from my youth, the kindergarten family picture I drew of my entire family in swimsuits, or journals I wrote or books I'd read over and over again and were the favorites that I would have passed along to my kids when they were younger to read. Such happy and precious memories that I wish I could have shared with my kids. But that stuff is gone and are just my memories now.

No one can take your memories away from you. But having remembrances and keepsakes of days gone by and people who are no longer here are a special treasure. Sharing things from our youth and school year with your own children is a cool thing as well.

But once I give their stuff to them, it is theirs to do as they want...keep, toss or donate. I just have one hope, that they take the time, sit down, look at and go through the boxes of memories one more time and it brings them a smile or two one last time before they do whatever they do with the items. It's what makes you individual and unique.

I know it is all just stuff, just remember what you think is clutter and junk now someone someday might say, this was my dad's jersey or this was my mom's prom dress or a card from my great grandparents given to my dad or mom when they were my age. It's all in perspective, memories are precious. After all, I have my mom's wedding dress from 73 years ago. I have no idea what to do with it. But I know it brings me happiness when I open the box and look at it and remember photos from my parent's wedding and how beautiful my mom looked. Or the handmade rocking chairs my dad made for each of my kids, what a wonderful keepsake for them, something I've never had from my grandparents. Take the time and do more than live in the moment, keep those memories close.

Half empty or half full

There are some days when I do see the glass as half empty or the day mostly cloudy. But I'd like to think a majority of the time I see the glass not only half full but I appreciate the fact that the glass can be refilled! And I'd like to think that I look at the sky as mostly sunny rather than mostly cloudy.

When you work, live or are around people who are doom and gloom and minor life happenings are a catastrophe well you either fall into their wallow and negative mindset or you battle to be and do the opposite.   If I wasn't a "let's do this" or an "I'll try just about anything" kind of person I'd live in an old house that would still have 100-year-old wallpaper on the walls and ceilings, there would still be carpet in my bathrooms, there would be overgrown trees and bushes in my yard and the list goes on and on, but you get my point.

We all know and have the "problem for every situation" kind of people in our lives. They always have a negative for even the smallest things in life. I'm not sure how these people get out of bed every day but I'm sure it must be a negative experience and a "poor me" kind of mentality because they do have to get out of bed. I look at each morning as God seeing to give me another day. I'm not a morning person but we all have to get up and going every day and there are people in this world who can't get out of bed each day and wish they could. And yes I have aches and pains but that means I am alive and I can get out of bed. Sore muscles and pain mean I am able to do things and get around. I am alive.

I've turned off, tuned out and ignored the people who have a problem for every solution, life is too short and sooner or later the negative and poor me mentality takes its toll. I'm sure I've had my moments of seeing the problem rather than the solution, and I hope I haven't become one because I do live with and work with these types of people. Life is too short people. Each day is a gift and each day is an opportunity to try again. We don't all get it right and we are not perfect but we are given the opportunity. But instead of comparing yourself to others and seeing things as negative and bad, appreciate what you DO have. It is hard to live with someone who always sees life as poor and bad and sees and points out the negative. I choose to ignore and walk away. But there are times I just want to kick people in the shins and tell them "we've got it pretty damn nice" or "if you can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all". It is hard to stay positive when the world is such a negative place, but it is all in your perspective. I try to find a solution for every problem rather than a problem for every solution and end each day with what I do have rather than what I don't. I don't have the best of everything. I've got aches and pains and bills and there are things I'd like to change but more so I appreciate what I DO have. There is so much to be thankful for, and I remember and thank God for that every night before I go to sleep and again when I open my eyes in the mornings. This is what makes me appreciate and always looking for the positive and solutions in life.