My Resolutions

New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.

Mark Twain

I dont make them. Happy New Year Everyone!

A very good girl.

One of my oldest and closet friends had to make a horrible loving choice this morning. She called me this afternoon crying her heart out. She had her old girl Lodi for almost 14 years. Lodi had been fighting bladder cancer, a skin disease and a terrible weakness in her back legs. She slipped on the ice this morning and just couldnt get back up. Her mom picked her and rushed her to the vet and decided to take away Lodi's pain.

Lodi was a huge mutt with the most loving attitude I have ever seen. I met her when she was just a pup. She swiped my candy bar and my Dr.Pepper and we were best buddies ever since. When I would go to Tulsa and stay all night, Lodi would cry at the guest room door to come and sleep with me. She would get all her toys and put them in the bed and she and I would snuggle.

I know Dee Dee's heart is hurting. I am hurting for her. Godspeed on your journey to the bridge Lodi. Stewart and Oscar kitty are waiting to embrace you.

Monday

GET BACK TO WORK HOOMIN!

Worst Blizzard in Oklahoma History.

That's what they say anyway. I doubt it. They don't have records from like oh say 1747. LOl. My little pine is struggling to keep its head up. Thursday was the worst day I have ever seen in OK myself. I didn't work Thursday, I wouldn't have made it. Cars were abandoned along the highway, a 50 car pile up in Midwest City. I had to go in last night. The drive usually takes me 30 minutes but last night it was about an hour and a half. I am not crazy. I went slow slow slow along the emergency snow route rather than the interstate. I don't want to be up on the highway with the big trucks. Sheesh what a mess. I counted 25 cars along the way. Just sitting in the middle of the road where people walked away. For those of you who don't know what I do, I work in a lab. I am a Histotech. I cut human tissue. (no animals, ever) If that sounds interesting, trust me after 16 years, its not. When the weather is bad it is the only time I don't care for my job or living out of the city.

The trio got a new blanket and a blue tent for Christmas. Tango loves her an afghan. I find these gorgeous handmade blankets at the thrift store. It's hard to believe people's hard work end up there for just a few dollars. I can load up on blankets for just a few bucks. Dudley and Mojo were hiding at first. It takes them a while to warm up to something new. Not Tango though, she comes right over and lays her chubby self down. They all got extra treats Christmas morning.

Jake and I are going to see a movie tonight and split a pizza. We are a little stir crazy from being in the house and he wants to spend his Christmas money. The boy waited up for me last night to get home from work. 4 am he was standing by the front door. His trip to the Bahamas was cancelled. Bad weather and his mother's boyfriends family takes everyone to the Bahamas every Christmas. Unfortunately the father has cancer and took a turn for the worse this week. I will be thinking of him. I know what its like to watch someone dying at Christmas. Changes the holiday forever.

I hope all of you are well and warm and you got what you wanted from Santa. We are supposed to get above freezing today, thank goodness. I took lots of food out yesterday for the birds. They were grateful and singing for the seeds and suet cakes. I feed some stray cats at work and was sneaking out the back door last night to give them their food. (I am going to get into a lot of trouble one day, if I get caught. lol). I slipped of course, navigating the ramp and fell right down on my ass. Nice.

Thank you and Happy Holidays to all

I have enjoyed nothing more this year than my fellow bloggers. I find you all to be quite wonderful. Your kind words for me when my Stewart left, your generosity towards animals and charity is stunning and humbling. I love that you are all different. Homemakers, artists, environmentalists, advocates, conservatives, liberals, christian, pagan and a little bit of eastern philosophy too.

I appreciate the differences in people. I always have. There are some who are more comfortable with everyone being the same. I revel in our differences and am tickled with commonality in total strangers. Thank you all for what you have taught me.

My Christmas wish list:

I hope to continually find ways to be a better person.

I hope and pray no more children will be brutalized in the coming year.

I hope no more animals will be brutalized in the coming year.

I hope the passion and anger people feel for politics will be replaced by a passion for making the world a better place.

I hope the people who jump up and down and scream about whats wrong with this country will jump up and down and scream when they see a woman being abused instead.

I pray there will be more patience and compassion for our fellow human beings.

I pray that our troops will never feel unappreciated, unwanted or unloved. I hope and pray they stay safe and return to spend next Christmas with their families. I love you men and women and THANK YOU. (Donnie and Chris, stay safe in Iraq please)

I pray that there will be a lesser need to take in more bunnies at Heartland this coming year. I hope we find some good forever homes for our four-legged kids.

I hope all my blogger friends have an absolutely stunning Christmas and a wonderful New Year filled with delights and dreams come true.

Love Christina,

Mojo

Tango

Dudley

Nemo

Haven

MERRY CHRISTMAS Y'ALL!

Cajun Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas:

an' all t'ru de house,

Dey don't a ting pass

Not even a mouse.

De chirren been nezzle good snug on de flo',

An' Mama pass de pepper t'ru de crack on de do'.

De Mama in de fireplace done roas' up de ham,

Sit up de gumbo an' make de bake yam.

Den out on de by-you dey got such a clatter,

Make soun' like old Boudreau done fall off his ladder.

I run like a rabbit to got to de do',

Trip over de dorg an' fall on de flo'.

As I look out de do'in de light o' de moon,

I t'ink, "Mahn, you crazy or got ol' too soon.

"Cux dere on de by-you w'en I stretch ma'neck stiff,

Dere's eight alligator a pullin' de skiff.

An' a little fat drover wit' a long pole-ing stick,

I know r'at away got to be ole St.Nick.

Mo' fas'er an' fas'er de' gator dey came

He whistle an' holler an' call dem by name:

"Ha, Gaston! Ha, Tiboy! Ha, Pierre an' Alcee'!

Gee, Ninette! Gee, Suzette! Celeste an'Renee'!

To de top o' de porch to de top o' de wall,

Make crawl, alligator, an' be sho' you don' fall.

"Like Tante Flo's cat t'ru de treetop he fly,

W'en de big ole houn' dorg come a run hisse's by.

Like dat up de porch dem ole 'gator clim!

Wit' de skiff full o' toy an' St. Nicklus behin'.

Den on top de porch roof it soun' like de hail,

W'en all dem big gator, done sot down dey tail.

Den down de chimney I yell wit' a bam,

An' St.Nicklus fall an' sit on de yam.

"Sacre!" he axclaim,

"Ma pant got a hole I done sot ma'se'f on dem red hot coal."

He got on his foots an' jump like de cat

Out to de flo' where he lan' wit' a SPLAT!

He was dress in musk-rat from his head to his foot,

An' his clothes is all dirty wit' ashes an' soot.

A sack full o' playt'ing he t'row on his back,

He look like a burglar an' dass fo' a fack.

His eyes how dey shine his dimple, how merry!

Maybe he been drink de wine from de blackberry.

His cheek was like a rose his nose a cherry,

On secon' t'ought maybe he lap up de sherry.

Wit' snow-white chin whisker an' quiverin' belly,

He shook w'en he laugh like de stromberry jelly!

But a wink in his eye an' a shook o' his head,

Make my confi-dence dat I don't got to be scared.

He don' do no talkin' gone strit to hi work,

Put a playt'ing in sock an' den turn wit' a jerk.

He put bot' his han' dere on top o' his head,

Cas' an eye on de chimney an' den he done said:

Wit' all o' dat fire an' dem burnin' hot flame,

Me I ain' goin' back by de way dat I came.

"So he run out de do' an, he clim' to de roof,

He ain' no fool, him for to make one more goof.

He jump in his skiff an' crack his big whip,

De' gator move down, An don' make one slip.

An' I hear him shout loud as a splashin' he go,

"Merry Christmas to all 'til I saw you some mo'

Pig Licker and The Dancing Queen

The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.... Jack Kerouac

(The ones who lick pigs)

Dance as though no one is watching you. Love as though you have never been hurt before. Sing as though no one can hear you. Live as though Heaven is on earth........Souza

A good friend of mine sent me these pictures. They go right along with two of my favorite quotations.

An Angel in a Santa Hat.

Poor Haven, he cant out run me. You can tell by the pic he just gave up and laid down. (for those of you new to my blog, Haven has severe head tilt. He can still hop and has a happy, pain free life so dont look at the pic and think he is a sad bunny. He is our precious little (well, not so little) angel. Dont worry folks. He got some treats after for being such a patient boy.

I tried to get the girls in the hat, I really did. They werent having it. Dudley acted like I was trying to put a live rattlesnake on his head. I am not giving up on them, no way but I am pretty sure I will be defeated. My girls are tough. LOL

Santa Who? Whatever!

Not too sure Miss Mojo believes in Santa Claus. She should, Santa is magic.

The age old question, "Do you believe in Santa Claus?" I do I do I do.

I have seen Santa.

When I was 21 and lived in Natchitoches, La. A friend and I were Christmas shopping downtown. We were discussing our favorite Christmas memories. She asked me when I stopped believing. I was shocked and told her I never stopped believing. We kept walking and at the end of the block, in the window of an old store there was a man with a white beard, big chubby belly and red cheeks. He was making something with wood (a toy, I think). I said "Look Melaine, its Santa". He looked up at us and winked. His eyes twinkled and I will never forget his smile. It was Santa Claus, no doubt about it.

When I was a little girl Christmas Eve was always so special. We would go to church services, when we came home my mom would fix us a little snack and I would get the cookies and milk ready for Santa. My dad would read The Night Before Christmas. When he was done he would tell me I better get to bed because he heard on the radio Santa was close. One year we happened to be searching the night sky and saw a gorgeous falling star. My dad got so excited. "Look" "Look, there's Santa and he is going so fast all you can see are streaks in the sky". I was in awe and still am.

Of course we believe in Santa, Mojo.

Missing Stewart

I am missing my baby boy a lot today. So do his boys. Stewart was much bigger for "leaning" on. Nemo tries to let Haven lay on him but Nemo is only 4lbs and Haven is 10lbs. Kinda heavy for my little Neep Neep. My three boys....."sigh" they were always so sweet together.

No Eureka Springs, Homework, Winter

Okay we didnt go to Eureka Springs for girls weekend. Why, you ask? I dont want to sit in a hot tub when the wind chill is 12 degrees. I dont like walking around shopping when its 28 degrees with a north wind. The girls suggested Dallas instead. Yuck, I hate the traffic in Dallas. I wanted to go somewhere quiet and peaceful not watch thousands of people scurry around like ants. (at least ants seem to be doing something useful) We will reschedule E.S.

I had a 6 page paper due this Sunday. I put it off til the last possible minute. Why on earth, at the age of 39 did I decide to go back to school? I dont have a dang clue. I hated school the first time. My computer went wacko and I couldnt get the paper to format right. I turned it in anyway. I guess I will have to accept a B in the class.

I did go and see "The Blind Side" this weekend. What a lovely movie. I suggest you see it. By the way, I am an absolute sucker for those Lifetime Christmas movies that are on this time of year. This year has been a let down so far. I need sappy! The last 2 Sundays the movies havent been good at all. Lifetime is messing with my Christmas traditions. I dont like it one bit. I broke out my copy of A Christmas Carol last night and read it. I love Dickens. He had such hope for humanity. I have seen every Christmas Carol movie ever made. I really love that story, for a cynic like me, it gives me hope. Love the play too. Nemo enjoyed nibbling on the edges of the book while I read.

I hate winter. Bah Humbug! The picture above is my Trumpet Vine this summer. That's what I want, warm weather, flowers blooming in the yard, smell of freshly mowed grass. I want to sit on my patio and drink coffee and watch the birds. Instead, I am stuck in the house freezing my toots off. We have a chance of freezing drizzle tonight. Woofreakinhoo. One day I will leave this cold ass state and just look at pictures of winter. I will laugh hysterically while I wear shorts in January.

Let me focus for a minute on what makes me happy:

bunnies

books

high cotton count sheets

volunteering

black silk boxer shorts (not on me, on attractive men)

chocolate

a good margarita

a really good concert

flowers

summer

good coffee

hanging out with my nephew (who is going to the Bahamas for Christmas, the lucky little sucker)

ordering all my Christmas presents on-line

when winter is over

I love lists!

My blogger friend at waterloofarms.blogspot.com/ had these questions up on her blog. I am a total sucker for this kind of thing. I used to make up questions like these and pass them out to friends and coworkers. Crazy, I know.

(1) What is your favorite Christmas movie?

A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott (best scrooge ever)

(2) What is your LEAST favorite Christmas movie?

Bad Santa

(3) What is your favorite Christmas Song?

Oh Come All Ye Faithful

(4) What Christmas song(s) drives you crazy?

Grandma got run over by a reindeer

(5) What is your favorite Christmas drink?

coffee with cinnamon schnapps.

(6) What is your favorite Christmas memory?

My dad pointing out Santa and his sleigh in the sky after church on Christmas Eve

(7) What is the best toy/gift you've received on Christmas?

3 story Barbie townhouse

(8) What is the worst toy/gift you've received on Christmas?

used perfume

(9) What do you LOVE about the holidays?

white christmas lights

(10) What annoys you about the holidays?

bad manners in the stores

(11) Do you prefer a star or an angel on top of a Christmas tree? Or something else?

Doesnt matter to me, they are all pretty

.

(12) What is your family favorite recipe at Christmas?

Mom's pecan sandies

(13) Are you a Grinch or a Who at Christmastime?

little bit of both but more Who

(14) Christmas light displays - Love them or Hate them?

Love em

(15) Santa’s at the mall - Fun times or Creepy?

Sometimes creepy and sometimes funny.

(16) Christmas cards - do you send them, yes or no?

NO NO NO.

(17) What is the best thing about Christmas, in your opinion?

magic of Santa Claus

(18) What is the worst thing about Christmas?

its during winter

(19) When do you put the tree up and take it down?

Week of Thanksgiving, down on New Years Day.

(20) Out of the 12 days of Christmas, which day and item would you want your true love to give to you?

2 turtle doves

(21) Why do you think that Grandma got run over by a reindeer?

she was liquored up

(22) Who is your favorite reindeer?

Comet

(23) Do you believe in Santa Claus?

Always, I have seen Santa Claus.

(24) What is your favorite smell at Christmastime?

Cinnamon

(25) What would make you happy at Christmas this year

Not one person or animal in the world was cold, hungry or lonesome

A Sweet Lesson In Humanity

Years ago, A 10-year-old boy approached the counter of a soda shop and climbed on to a stool. "What does an ice cream sundae cost"? he asked the waitress.

"fifty cents" she answered.

The youngster reached deep in his pockets and pulled out an assortment of change, counting carefully as the waitress grew impatient. She had "bigger" customers to wait on.

"Well, how much would just plain ice cream be?" the boy asked.

The waitress responded with noticeable irritation in her voice. "Thirty-five cents."

Again, the boy slowly counted his money. "May I have some plain ice cream in a dish please?" He gave the waitress the correct amount and she brought him the ice cream.

Later, the waitress returned to clear the boy's dish and when she picked it up , she felt a lump in her throat. There on the counter the boy had left 2 nickels and five pennies. She realized that he had had enough money for the sundae but sacrificed it so that he could leave her a tip.

The moral: Before passing judgment, first treat others with courtesy, dignity, and respect.

Adapted from a A lifetime of success.

Pat Williams

Fleming H. Revell

Hide Haven!

Before you have to wear this dumb freaking hat too. It's like we exist simply for their amusement. Loser Bipeds!

Pay it Forward!

Pay it forward! blog giveaway
From Here:http://dragonhouseofyuen.blogspot.com/






I will make a handmade gift for the first 3 interested people who comment on this post. I have 365 days to do it in. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise!


The catch is that you must participate as well: you must have a blog and before you leave your comment here, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going. Just cut and paste this one if you like, which i did.

***change the from "here" link above to now link to my blog on your new post.

If you have any kind of critters, keep in mind I will do a better job making them something handmade.

This will be fun!

Early Thanksgiving Feast

I cant believe I ate that last piece of Romaine.
Can somebody bring me a Tums!

Thanksgiving

The cornucopia or cornu Copiae is, literally, the horn of plenty.
When Zeus was playing with the goat Amalthea (Amaltheia), he accidentally broke off one of her horns. To atone for this, Zeus promised Amalthea that the horn would always be full of whatever fruits she desired. This became the cornucopia of the Roman goddess Copia, the personification of plenty. Other goddesses, including Fortuna and Pax, also held the cornucopia.


Thanksgiving is not the best time of year for my family. My dad died too young a few days before Thanksgiving and my brother was in the hospital from October 29 thru the holidays and finally left this world on Dec 30th. It has taken a great deal of joy out of the holidays. My family is small now. We still muddle through and try to make it pleasant.

When the weather starts to get cold in Oklahoma and the wind starts to blow through my bones, I start to worry. I fret about the homeless people that live under the overpasses, worry about the kids that dont have enough to eat and may only know a Thanksgiving meal at their local shelter (if they are lucky) and all the homeless animals.

There is an elderly homeless man that wanders around where I work. He never speaks, never makes eye contact, talks to himself as he goes through our trash and ashtrays outside. He collects the butts to smoke and will eat leftover lunches. I have given him cigs and my lunch from time to time. He just takes it and wanders off, never says a word.

This ticks off my coworker to no end. I get to hear "I hate that guy" or "cant he at least say thank you" I looked at him the other day and asked him when all his sympathy for his fellow human beings went away. He said " I never had any to begin with". Obviously.

While we do feel sad this time of year, I am grateful. Grateful for my roof, my job, my arms and legs work, my mother, brother, nephew, bunnies, friends, the heat in my home, car, my puny bank account, and all the food I want to eat and the good memories I have from Thanksgiving past.

My coworker said "god, you feel sorry for everyone and everything dont you"?

Better than feeling sorry for yourself.

MOM! Haven spilled the food!

Poor Nemo, as much as he loves his buddy Haven he tends to freak out when Haven gets worked up and loses his balance. Everyone probably already knows Haven is my bun with severe head tilt. Nemo had severe head tilt too but we were able to improve it to almost nothing. Haven's is permanent. He has been treated with antibiotics for months as well as other meds. I think our furry kid is tired of the meds so I promised him no more unless he goes down hill. I love this little angel. What a happy loving bunny he is.

Haven got all discombobulated when I cleaned his area. His "leaning box" is a heavy trunk with a baby crib bumper around it. It works perfectly for him and helps him when he has bad days. He was trying to make his way around the room and spilled his food, scaring the crap out of poor little Nemo. I put it back as soon as possible.

For those of you with buns with weepy eye problems I just wanted to share a great discovery. We could not get Haven's eyes to stop weeping, no antibiotics worked, no eye drops worked. Chamomile was too drying to his skin. I found something called Eyebright and it is wonderful. I make a tea out of it and apply it to his eyes. They have never looked better. His "down" eye will probably always weep but the tea helps a great deal. If your bun suddenly developes weepy eye they need a vet visit but if you have chronic problems with it, email me and I will share the Eyebright info with you.

Have I mentioned how much I love these furry monsters?

WooHoo! Kick your heels up.

Miss Tango wants you to enjoy this day!

Time to lighten things up on the blog. Thanks for all your comments. My family has had an amazing life. Mine pales in comparison.

I got an SOS from my girls today. " We need a girls weekend!" they say. Who am I to say no?

I didn't get to enjoy Eureka Springs this October. There just wasn't time. So I will be heading off with my best girlfriends for a weekend of sin and debauchery the first weekend of December. Cant wait!!!!!! We have our little cottage in Eureka Springs, hot tub on the patio and there will be cocktails chilling in the fridge. I am so lucky to have these women as my friends.

I was thinking of friends this weekend. Do you find you have different friends for different reasons? I know I do.

I had dinner and a night out Sat with my good friend Rick. We have known each other for 16 years. He is my laugh partner. Nobody makes me laugh like he does. He is way too complicated for a man. Lots of drama, lots of laughter and tons of fun. He wears me out.

My good friend "T" I have known for 20 years. I was crushing on him bad when we first met. We quickly figured out that wouldn't work but stayed the best of friends. He lives in AZ so we only see each other every few years. It doesn't matter how long its been, we get into a routine right away. He is a riot of monumental proportions. He is no different at 41 than he was at 20 except he has a better job. LOL. He will say anything. He has no "stops" in his head. I have to be careful with him, especially when there are cocktails involved. We get in A LOT of trouble.

Deed is the other side of my scale. We are much alike. We love the same books, plays, movies and I love to embarrass her. She turns red easily and is constantly waiting for me to do or say something that will send her running. She is the only girl I know that wears polka dot flats to a Robb Zombie concert. She has a little girl that lives inside her that never goes away. Love you sweetie.

Jackie is the kindest person I know. She is warm and has passed on her traits to her kids. Never moody, always in a happy frame of mind. Jackie and her sister Stacy will be my trip buddies. They are so much fun. We will shop, drink too many cocktails and eat too many bad things. We will get pedicures and laugh our butts off. We will get a little wild and all the boys will want to hang out with us! We wont let them though. Its girls weekend dammit!

I will be posting photos that are appropriate and stories, yes many many stories. I have more wonderful friends but these are the closet and dearest to me and of course my "bunny friends" at the rescue. That goes without saying. They are wonderful people as are all my blogger friends. I feel like I know so many of you personally. Take care and have a great week!

A man and a soldier

Today I think of something very specific. While I remember my father on this day another story comes to mind.

If you read the post below about my mom, you know she was born and raised in Germany. After the war things were bad, really bad. The was nothing to eat, Not all of our allies acted with kindness. She and her siblings were often hungry and cold. Russian soldiers (not all of them okay.) came through their town and pilfered from their homes. My mother's sister was 16 years old when a group of Russian soldiers caught her walking home, they pulled her into a ditch and gang raped her. They left her in that ditch like she was nothing.

My mother was caned for stealing asparagus from a farmer's field. A little girl, hungry. Someone saw her and told the teacher at school. She was caned in front of the whole class. Kids today have no freakin clue.

There was an American soldier. A black man. My mother had never seen a black man in her little German town. When the Americans came through (before the Russians) they often saw soldiers around town. Mom told me this man in particular will always be in her memory. He would toss candy and his rations to the German kids. They would get so excited to see him. He offered them a tired smile and a little treat. This man gave away his rations, all he had and shared it with his "enemy". Makes you wonder about that term doesn't it?

Mom says now, years later, that she wished she knew his name. I am sure he is long gone from this world. I would have looked him up if I could. Here was a man that came from bad times himself. He was a second class citizen in his own country. His family was most likely poor and had nothing. He shared his food with a hungry little girl. I pray in the afterlife his cup runneth over.

Thank you to our veterans today and thank you to that soldier who only saw a little girl, not an enemy.

Courage

Today is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Why is that significant to me? Oh, let me see, I'll tell you a story.

My mother was raised in Germany, in what later became East Germany. She survived the war, Hitler and then Communist Russia. She decided in 1951 at the age of 19 she was going to try and escape to West Germany. She wanted a better life, more opportunity, and to send some money home to her family. My grandmother had 5 children and lost a husband to war. There was nothing left for them. My brave mother wanted to make it better.

Imagine being 19, escaping with nothing, risk being shot or imprisoned for the rest of your life. The Wall was not yet in place. My mother knew a boy that had helped others get out. She decided to try it. There may be no return for her. Never to see her family again. I doubt I would have the guts.

They waited until dusk. When the guards were changing shifts, they ran. Across the highway and into the woods. It was a long, frightening walk to West Berlin. They made it.

Mom got a job in West Berlin. She worked her butt off and was able to survive. Send money home to her family. My dad was an American soldier stationed in Germany. You can guess the rest.

Momma became an American citizen as soon as possible, she learned English on her own. (my dad spoke pretty fluent German when they met) She was only able to go home 3 times after all these years. All her family still lives in what was "East" Germany.

Imagine living in a city like Berlin, a wall is put up and you cant cross it, even if your family lives on the other side. What courage she had. Building walls between humans? I really dont think so.

There is a lot more to her story. I wont try and tell it all here and now but I will share more as time goes by.

For the fallen and wounded at Fort Hood

1914-1918
We Shall Keep the Faith
by Moina Michael, November 1918



Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,




Sleep sweet - to rise anew!





We caught the torch you threw


And holding high,


we keep the Faith


With All who died.

We cherish, too, the poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led;


It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies,


But lends a lustre to the red

Of the flower that blooms above the dead

In Flanders Fields.

And now the Torch and Poppy Red

We wear in honor of our dead.

Fear not that ye have died for naught;


We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought


In Flanders Fields.

I will think of you often. Godspeed on your journey to the Summerlands.

Bunnitis (sickness first identified by Dr.Patterson)

Contentment
I vant to bite your neck!

Kisses

You smell funny!

Devotion

Halloween memories

While fate seems inclined to put a damper on my favorite time of year, I will not allow it. The two books above are wonderful reads for this time of year. If your kids are older try reading it to them or with them. "The Halloween Tree" has always been a favorite. 9 boys set to trick or treat on Halloween, one, Pip, becomes very ill. He is essentially captured by death and his friends pursue him through time with the help of a spooky figure named Clavicle Moundshroud. Is that a great name or what? They travel through many ancient cultures, learn the origin of Halloween and then must make a great sacrifice to save their friend. It is not a big read or hard to understand but full of wonderful imagery. There is a cartoon of the book but stay away from it until you read the story. The cartoon has changed the story. It ticks me off because I am an absolute purist when it comes to books. LOL

"Something Wicked this Way Comes" is a little darker, a little more intense but also a great read. 2 boys adventures at a very dark carnival. There is also a movie of course. The movie isn't bad, sticks closer to the book. I have always been fascinated with the workings of the carnival. Seems very sinister to me. I love the internal battle between our "dark and light" natures.

Speaking of books, when I was about 10 my mom brought me a book about a family of witches that lived in a hay field. The little boy witch wanted to go to school and play football with the "regular" kids. It was a great story and I have never been able to locate the book again. I don't know the author. If any of you can tell me the name of the book I would be thrilled.

Jake and I are off to Guthrie, Ok friday night for an intensive ghost hunt. I am so looking forward. This is the only one I have ever been on that actually spooked me. I am undecided on what I believe, just that there is something else beyond our eyes. We were in an old abandoned train car and I was suddenly overwhelmed with the scent of Gardenias (which is a smell I despise) it came and went quickly but was not there the rest of the night. Later, I talked with the lead ghost hunt investigator. He said a few people had reported that smell but it was never detected by everyone on the hunt. mmmmm very interesting.

If you have an interesting ghost story or mysterious experience please share it in the comments. I would love to hear it. I apologize that some of this runs together. I cannot ever get my paragraphs to space right. Take the poll to right if you are so inclined.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

"Let go now Momma"

It has been almost 2 weeks since my precious Stewart left for the bridge. I have avoided the blogging world since then. It still doesnt feel quite right. I wanted the whole world to pause when my little bunny left. I didnt dare tell anyone at work. I didnt want to hear the casual remarks like "It was just a bunny" or other even more callous and tacky comments.

Stewarts bondmates, Nemo and Haven miss him. Nemo keeps running to all the places Stewart would nap. Haven rapidly went down hill this week, his head tilt became much worse and his balance just awful. We are trying hard to bring him back up.

When I saw Carolyn's post over at A Glowing Ember about her newly adopted kitty I decided it was time to snap out of it. One thing about animals I think, they do not feel sorry for themselves. It is time to get on with it. Today I made myself go and visit where I buried Stew under the cedars. I left him a pretty rose that is still blooming in my yard and talked with him for a bit. Although he was with me a little less than a year, he gave me so much pleasure. That grumpy little face looking at me with huge disapproval. Running out from under the bed every morning for his raisins, dancing around my feet if I wasnt fast enough.

I want to thank everyone for their kind comments. I REALLY appreciate it.

"until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened"

Anatole France

Godspeed baby boy. I will miss you.

October 13, 2009

Stewart left for the bridge this morning.

Scary Weekend

Jake and I kicked off our Halloween season Saturday night. We started with a trip to Tulsa for their rather well known ghost tour. What a disappointment. Dinner at a chain restaurant was mediocre at best. It was freezing out. The ghost hunt started late.

I have taken this tour in the past. It was interesting then, full of history, legends and spooky tales. This time it seemed to be strictly for collecting the money, herding the people through quickly and finishing as soon as possible. Basically it sucked and the bouncing of the trolley had me needing to pee constantly. Jake said he thought it was okay. I think he was being polite.

On to the scary part.

Saturday morning when I came home from work I noticed Stewart wasnt interested in his treaties. It was odd but I didnt worry too much. His grandma was taking care of him saturday while I was in Tulsa and I wasnt too concerned. I called home about 7pm and checked on him. He hadnt eaten anything. Okay, now I would begin to fret. I called at 11pm on my way home from Tulsa. Stewart wasnt eating, he was sitting hunched over and had his front feet in the water bowl.

Now my brain went south for the winter. I know what GI stasis is. I have never dealt with it. I know what to do but I lost my mind and forgot. I called a friend and fellow bunny slave Andrea after midnight while I was still driving 100 mph to get home from Tulsa. She reminded me of what I needed to do.

Stopped at the all night drug store and picked up Simethicone (baby gas drops) and some baby food. When I got home Stew was cold. His ears were freezing and you could hear his belly gurgling from 10 feet away. I grabbed him and went into action. Got a dose of gas meds in his belly. Put him on a warm water bottle and started massaging that hard tummy. We did that for some time. I got some of the baby food into him along with some mushed up pellets. I had to get some food into that bun. After 3 hours of gas drops and belly rubs I could tell he was getting some relief. He let loose with a fart that would have killed a lesser person and his body started to relax.

I stayed up with my furry kid until 5am. I finally got some sleep and when I got up at 10am we did another belly check. Things were sounding okay in there. I went and got some alfalfa hay and some fragrant herbs for him to try and he started to nibble. He would run out from under the bed, grab a little in his mouth and then go hide. He was trying to avoid Mom messing anymore with him. LOL

We are waiting for poop. Normal bunny poop. He has had the runs all day and that's okay. It means stuff is moving through again. Everyone please pray for poop. Normal bunny Poop.

Nothing is scarier than having one of your furry sillies feeling poorly. I have now had my first education is GI stasis. If you have a bunny and dont know what that is please do your research. I really wish there was a vet available at night for these kind of things. Plenty of emergency vet clinics but no vets with bunny knowledge.

A Dark and Stormy Night

Okay it wasnt stormy, just a light drizzle. You couldnt see the moon because of the cloud cover but......

This has been the week from hell but today was good. I actually got 6 hours of sleep. Me and Nemo watched LSU SPANK GEORGIA. Spent some extra time with my buns. Made Dudley buns a sandbox (his most favorite thing) and laughed while he did the Cha Cha in it and got to sit outside tonight burning my chiminea and listening to the rain. I love to smell the pinion burning. I couldnt concentrate on my book though. My mind kept wandering to the plans I have this month.

Next weekend Jake and I are going to Tulsa for a ghost hunt. What fun that will be. I get to see U2 in concert on the 18th. I cant wait! The garage sale for the rescue is coming up on the 24th and another ghost hunt on the 30th. Going to see the Dracula ballet on the 31st I think, I love the ballet. My friends know not to bother me too much this month. I have plans for every weekend.

I am daydreaming about fitting in time for a "me only" retreat to Eureka Springs. I usually go in October by myself for a couple of days. I always get the same cottage. It has french doors that open onto a balcony that looks out over the beautiful Ozarks that are bursting with color. I buy a pumpkin right away and carve it, set it out on the balcony and sit in the jacuzzi tub watching it flicker and make faces. I leave them open while I sleep and wake up feeling wonderful. Wander thru the shops downtown, eat lots of decadent desserts, get a couple of yummy cocktails and wander the halls of the haunted Crescent Hotel. Please God let me get to go.

Before I go to bed I will thank the fates for this day. I have a job and health insurance. My small little family is healthy. My bunnies are safe, warm, and well fed on this night. Tomorrow is my volunteer day at the rescue and I get to spend time with my other favorite buns. One day I will have my land in Arizona or New Mexico. My car runs. My Halloween decorations look awesome. I ate 2 bags of M&M's and drank a pot of coffee. I am lucky lucky lucky and very grateful.

Pile O' Buns

Full tummies

Bun intimidation

Sleepy time!

More fall color

October gave a party;

The leaves by hundreds came -The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,

And leaves of every name.

The Sunshine spread a carpet,

And everything was grand,

Miss Weather led the dancing,

Professor Wind the band.

George Cooper

October's Party.

It's Here!

Its the most wonderful time of the year! No, not Christmas although that's nice too. Tomorrow is the Autumnal Equinox (first day of fall). There will be much blogging about it. I love the fall for so many reasons.

Fall color

Pumpkins

Crisp nights

HALLOWEEN

Bronze mums

Spooky old movies

Halloween decorations

The smell of a jack-o-lantern with a candle in it.

My chiminea with pinon wood burning.

More to come, oh yes much more to come. Happy Autumnal Equinox Everyone!

Riding a horse.

I know nothing of horses, no I am not a big city girl but just never was around horses. My grandparents had chickens and pigs, no horses. As a little girl I of course wanted one as all little girls seem to. It never happend. Maybe one day when I get my land in Arizona or New Mexico I will have one or more. They are beautiful to me, mysterious and fascinating. Our little miniature guy at the rescue Midnight is a character but all he requires from me is carrots and some good back scratches. Except for the time he stood on Andrea's toe while she was wearing flip flops but thats her story to tell.

I was showing one of my favorite blogs to my nephew this weekend. It's Bridget's from Heart of a Cowgirl. We were looking at her horses and Jake asked me if I remembered our first riding experience. I cracked up laughing, of course I did. Let me share please.

We took our annual summer trip and went to Eureka Springs, Arkansas. (a very special place for me) We decided to try something new and head to the riding stables. I just remember telling Jake if the horses didnt look like they were well taken care of we would leave. I didnt want to encourage any abuse.

When we got there everything looked great. The horses were clean and beautiful or it seemed that way to me with my limited knowledge. The stable lady (sorry, I know that is probably the wrong terminology) was very nice and this is what I told her.

" I have never driven a horse before and never has Jake" "We want horses that are sweet, old, tired and ready to take naps" She looked at me with amusement. "You mean ridden a horse?" "Ridden, driven whatever, I want a lazy horse." She laughed again and said " let me introduce you to Hoss". "ummm, Hoss? he sounds large."

She brings out a big thick horse that looks like one of the babies in the picture above. (we did not take pictures, I wouldnt allow it) He was very chubby with a very large butt. She said he was the best horse they had for a first timer. Well that was me. Yes, I want Hoss. I introduced myself to Hoss, let him smell me all over. Scratched his head and said "how do I get up there?" She brings over a set of wooden steps and I hoist myself up on Hoss expecting him to take off at a full run at the idea of a moron on his back. He did not. Jake gets up on his horse who immediately takes off for parts unknown. Now what the hell do I do? Hoss isn't moving and Jake is gone. He is only 11 years old and knows less about horses that I do. The stable lady assured me that Jake's horse walked to the trail head. He knew what he was supposed to do and he did. He stopped at the trail head and waited for us.

Behind me is a guy wearing a huge ten gallon hat who swears up and down he knows all about horses. The trail guide told us to make sure and not let our horse get to close to the one in front. They may be tempted to nip the rump of the horse in front of them. I paid close attention to her instructions but the guy behind me did not. He constantly let his horse get too close to Hoss's butt. Of course he tried to nip my baby Hoss. I had to turn around and be quite rude to the guy and tell him to "back off, didnt you hear what she told us?"

The ride was beautiful. The woods were gorgeous and Hoss was very gentle. I talked with him the whole ride and tried very hard not to irritate him in any way. While on the trail, Hoss decided to wander off into the woods for a snack. The trail guide yelled at me and told me to make Hoss get back on the trail. I looked at her like she was crazy! How was I supposed to make him do anything? He needed a bite to eat and who was I to tell him different? Eventually Hoss sauntered back on the trail. At the end Hoss picked up a bit up speed. That was a little alarming but I held on. The trail guide gave us carrots to feed our horses afterwards and I think that's why Hoss was in a hurry. I just dont get that, I would run for a nice slice of pecan pie but not for a CARROT!

I thanked Hoss profusely for the ride. Gave him lots of scratches and kisses and got the hell out of there. Jake was fine by the way. He loved it!

We had a good laugh this weekend and I will always remember and enjoy my experience with Hoss.

Raffle Raffle Raffle

Hi Everyone,

Our friend Bridget over at Heart of a Cowgirl is holding a raffle this month to benefit my favorite place; Heartland Rabbit Rescue. Heartland is a second home to me and the place I love to spend my time. We currently take care of upwards of 80 bunnies and the bunnies would love it if you would purchase a ticket for a chance to win! For just $2 you could win this fabulous necklace.

Our sweet bunny Shoebox thanks you as all the bunnies at Heartland do. A big thank you to Bridget for creating such a lovely piece and caring so much for the bunnies at Heartland! You can follow the link directly below to purchase your tickets.

http://heartofacowgirl.blogspot.com/2009/09/benefit-for-bunnies.html

Get a life!

Miss Tango notices on her favorite bunny blogs that often times comments have been deleted. She has had to delete a few herself. She hasnt ever bothered to turn on the moderator because she assumes most of the people that visit her blog are decent.(and they are) We may have to change that down the road. Can you imagine having nothing better to do with your time then go to other people's blogs and leave shitty comments. Us bunny slaves dont find the same old tired ass joke about eating our bunnies any funnier than if we left comments about eating your dogs or cats or other pets. Find something to do, go volunteer somewhere, read a book, go take care of a stray animal or talk to a homeless person or throw a baseball to your kid. If your head or heart is that empty, fill it up with something besides nasty. Have you heard the one about eating the bunny? Yes, I have. I dont laugh now, never laughed before and wont laugh in the future. It is lame. Me and my sister Mojo were going to be food for someone, Nemo and Haven were intended to be snake food. Get a life!

What I remember about today

I had come home from working night shift, went to bed. About 4 hours later a good friend of mine called and just said "turn on the tv". I am just as stunned today as I was then.


2 things will always stand out in my mind.

First: I coudnt reach my brother that day. He worked in a goverment office downtown just steps from the site of the Okc bombing. That kept replaying in my head. Cell phone service was disrupted and I could not reach him. My panic was rising. We didnt know what plane was where, if more planes had been hijacked, if one was headed for someplace in Okc. I finally reached him about 3pm. His building had been evacuated. He was safe. Thank God

Second: A man and a woman holding hands as they jumped from one of the towers. They chose to jump because they were above the floor where the plane hit. They plunged to their deaths rather than burn. The woman was wearing a dress and the man a suit. The news quickly stopped showing it but I saw it and it remains forever etched in my memory. I do not have the words to express what I felt watching that so I will just say this.

They held hands, maybe they didnt know each other before that day but they reached for each other in their final moments of life. I hope and pray that there was a tiny measure of comfort for them that they could clasp the hand of a fellow human being and jump into the afterlife together.

leave a memory if you wish

The kindness of strangers.

Mistrustful of people and quite cynical, today a stranger made my day and gave my faith in humanity a little boost.

About 10 years ago we had straight line winds of 100mph. I have huge old trees in my yard. Old Oaks, Pecan, Elder and Elms. The night of the winds I lost 9 of them. My yard looked like a jungle. Root balls bigger than a car, power lines down, all my benches and yard stuff destroyed, bird houses and feeders smashed. The estimates we got on clean up ranged from 8,000 dollars to 10, 000. No way could I afford that. My neighbor did most of the work with some help. There was no way to pay him for what the job was really worth but I gave him what I could. There was one stump we could not remove. It is about 6 to 7 foot around in diameter and about 4 foot high. It has been there for a long time.

My mom is 76 years old and lives with me. She lost my dad years ago, doesnt drive and is on a fixed income. (Fixed quite small I might add) I refuse to allow her to live in a dumpy little apartment and struggle every month to get by. As hard that can be sometimes (she forgets I am grown lol) I want her with me. She tries to pay me back I think by doing things she shouldnt. Lately she has been taking a little bitty hatchet and whacking away at that stump. She likes to do it when I am gone so I dont fuss at her for taking on a job that is way to intense. I know her though, made of an iron will she would have eventually done away with the stump.

When I got home from running errands today the stump was gone. I was amazed and asked her what happened to it. A man who had been passing by in a car noticed mom out there whacking at that stump. He went home and told his wife, "that little old lady should not be doing that", his wife said "go take care of it for her" and he did. Came back with his chain saw and took it down. When my mom took him a glass of ice water she asked him how much he wanted. He said the cold water was payment. Not only did he cut down the stump, he removed the mess and cleaned up. We dont know him, never saw him before, may never see him again.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH YOUNG MAN FOR HELPING MY MOTHER. WE TRULY APPRECIATE IT!

Haven says!

GEAUX TIGERS!

For Carolyn and Bear

Farewell My Friend
It was beautiful as long as it lasted
The journey of my life.
I have no regrets whatsoever save the pain I'll leave behind.
Those dear hearts who love and care...
And the strings pulling at the heart and soul...
The strong arms that held me up
When my own strength let me down.
At every turning of my life I came across good friends,
Friends who stood by me,
Even when the time raced me by.
Farewell, farewell my friends I smile and bid you goodbye.
No, shed no tears for I need them not
All I need is your smile.
If you feel sad do think of me
for that's what I'll like when you live in the hearts of those you love,
remember then you never die.
~ Rabindranath Tagore

Men, culture and football.

I grew up in a house with brothers and a father that loved football. Hearing them shout and cuss at the television on weekends was a huge part of my life. It was comforting, yeah I know that sounds strange but it was. They also loved animals.

My dad grew up in very poor in Louisiana. If he wanted to eat he had to hunt. He had a respect for all life like no one I have ever seen. When I was a little girl he would take me out in the bayou in his little boat to fish. He always carried a pistol, not because of the animals but because of the people we might encounter. When a gator would stray too close to the boat he would tell me to just be still and she would go on her way. When a big tarantula "shudder" would come in the yard and I would be screaming and having a fit he would gently reach down and pick her up, take her into the pasture behind our house and let her go. He would explain to me that she was just going about her way and that there was absolutely no reason to smush her. She wasn't a threat to me. I remember him going into my bedroom and picking up my hamster Goldie in those enormous hands of his. He would hold her in one hand and talk to her.

His father loved cockfights and dog fights. He was the meanest man I have ever seen. My father despised him. My dad would say "men can beat the shit out of each other if they choose, but animals cant choose so we have to makes their choices for them." My grandfather chose to be cruel and heartless and my father, despite his upbringing chose not to be even though it was part of his "culture"

I guess you know by now where this is leading.

I do not forgive Michael Vick. I don't have to. He should never play football again. He is not contrite. He electrocuted dogs, hung them, body slammed them until they were dead. You cant do those things and have a conscience. You just cant. He lied after he was arrested, to his coach, to the football comm and to a federal judge and on a lie detector test. He was still breaking the law after being arrested. How people think giving him a second chance to play football is okay is beyond me. Think of all those young talented men that would love to have his spot on the Eagles, who would deserve it, wont get to have a first chance because Vick "deserves a second chance" .

That crap about "its part of our culture" really burns me up. What a pitiful excuse. Lot of things used to be part of our culture; Slavery, human sacrifice, lynching, segregation, no justice for victims of domestic abuse, religious persecution, no vote for women and minorities and Jim Crow laws. Yep, they were all part of our "culture". I could go on and on. Can you tell me which one of those listed were okay because they were "just part of our culture"

Beyond the pain

I am not a poet, not by any means. I wrote this for the rescue where I volunteer. This is for all those animals and their rescuers.


Heartland Rabbit Rescue and all the bunnies who mean so much to me.

Amelia and her mom Diana

Hans and the rest of the furry butts

Andrea and Simon, Dandi, and Bri

Carolyn, Bear and Bunny

For Eleta who just recently took in a horse that the owner tied to a tree and then moved away

For Bridget who rescued not only Momma bunny but kept all those lovely babies that were a surprise

If I missed you, its because I don't know about you. Please feel free to tell me about your furry kid (minus the horrible details please, I have heard enough of those)

Thank you to every person who has ever taken in a starving, injured, abused or mistreated animal, whether you are a rescue operation or just one person. It only takes one person to help an innocent.

Beyond the pain

We come in droves seeking refuge
escape from suffering and sorrow.
Hands that touch with kindness,
reaching for a new life, beyond the pain.

Wishing shelter, pleading for rescue
fleeing death at careless hands.
We wait in silence and anticipation
hoping finally, we are beyond the pain.

Mom worries A LOT!

Mom's can drive a bun crazy you know. When I came home from work Sat morning I noticed my little Dudley was limping and favoring a leg. I freaked out of course. I started calling all my bunny vets. I couldnt reach any of them! Why do they think they need a day off? I finally found a non-bunny vet that told me to bring him over. She said surely she could look at his leg and do an xray if needed. I rushed him over. She checked the leg and put him down to watch him. She saw no signs of broken bones. We think he may have jumped from a high place and hurt his little paw. He is confined to his playpen for a couple of days. He is showing no signs of pain and is eating and using the foot. If he still seems to be favoring that foot in a couple days we will be making a trip to the bunny vet. Everyone keep their fingers crossed that he will be okay.

Haven got his last penicilin injection last night. Once a week for 4 weeks. Lets hope my little bunny man wont need anymore. He still has about 2 weeks left on the Panacur but we are seeing much improvement in his weepy eye and mobility. Please say a little prayer for both my bunnies that things will be okay.

By the way, bunnies cannot EVER EVER EVER have oral doses of penicillin, only a sub-q. Just a little FYI.