Wow, the ole Stream has slowed to a slight trickle this morning and has been a lesson in patience to move from one page to another.  Ice and I are going out in a little while to run some errands and such, so I'm hoping I can get a post in before the time comes to leave. 

It's been a while since I've spent any time here, other than the occasional peak at somebody's blog, so I have a lot to catch up on.

First of all, I want to show off my beautiful flowers that Ginger and family sent to me for Mother's Day.  I think I'm the luckiest mother and grandmother in the world to have such wonderful kids and grandkids.  They truly are life's reward, don't you think?  Here they are:

Speaking of Ginger and family, Ice and I made a trip to Branson, Missouri two weeks ago with them and had a wonderful time.  Jana (grandaughter) and the rest of her 8th grade band had the privilege of opening a show there in Branson for being #1 middle school band in Oklahoma, so we couldn't miss that, for sure.  They were super and having been in the band myself while I was in school, I was blown away at the talent of such young players that had only been playing a couple of years.  Wow! 

We saw the Mickey Gilley show while we were there also, and took a tour of the "Titanic" which wasn't there the last time we were in Branson.  But the best part was spending time with my family and, of course, my wonderful husband.  I was sick with a chest cold and sore throat when we left for the trip and was under the weather until after we got home, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world and didn't feel bad enough to ruin the trip. 

We did some shopping, then Ginger, Jana and I had our picture made at the "Old Tyme Photo Shop" with all the gowns and hats to make us a trio of "Southern Belles".  I loved getting it made and now have a memory to look at for the rest of my life of "us girls".  Jana is growing up so fast and has become a beautiful young lady like her mother. 

I applied for another job yesterday and have high hopes of getting it.  Conditions at my job have become so stressful and discouraging that I am willing to take a cut in pay just to get back to the kind of work I love to do, feel like I have accomplished something when the day is over, and reduce the overwhelming stress that has taken a toll on me the last year. 

I could go into detail, but to no avail.  Suffice to say that I'm waving the white flag of surrender and have gone enough distance that I feel I can walk away feeling that I've done the best that I can.  There comes a time that self preservation is priority.

I have let my job situation color every aspect of my life, so it's time to let go of the one thing that is the biggest obstacle to my happiness and what I enjoy.  The more worried and overwhelmed I get, the quieter I become, which Ice can attest to, so I tend to withdraw when I'm worried and depressed.  So I find it hard to post on the blog or visit with my husband and family.  So, enough is enough.  Time to move on to another job and be myself again!

Prissy lured me out to the back yard yesterday and I spent time with her and Junior, watching them play and patrol their domain.  I, of course had to get the camera and take a few pictures:

We sure miss Buster and I find it hard to think about my "little buddy" without tearing up, but I know he had a great life here and was happy with us.  Junior has stepped right up to the status of "stud" and king of his domain and has taken to strutting his stuff the way his daddy used to do.  Prissy, of course, has always been a little spitfire, so they have wonderful times playing and scuffling.  I thought I would have to get up at four in the morning to referee an obviously serious Schnauzer Wrestling Match that had them both so wound up that they were at the "barking at each other" stage.  Never a dull moment with Schnauzers and it's the reason I love them so much.  Always interesting and entertaining, even tho they tend to get themselves into trouble quite often.  It's hard to stay mad at them for long.

Enough of my Saturday Morning Drivel.  Time to get a shower and start my day in the real world.  I hope everyone here is well and doing great.  And Gloria, I want you to know I'm rooting for you in your efforts to stop smoking!  If we can do it, anybody can!

Love to all!

Pup

No, I don't really want one, although it would be nice. Alas, I can't find a good enough reason to throw away a year of non-smoking. Ah, the good old days..... Sing it, k.d. Pup Thanks to all that wished me a happy birthday!

I hope everybody had a great Easter!  Spring is in the air here on the home front and I catch myself thinking about the old porch swing on my grandparent's porch that I spent so many happy moments on.  So I went back into my blog archives and found this one:

 

Lord, take me back just once more....

To that wonderful old front porch where I sat on the swing.  In the faint light, I can see Grandaddy over there in his lounger in the corner as he quietly smoked his pipe and gazed out at the fireflies dancing in the night air. 

Mosquitoes buzzed outside the screened porch as I sat in the swing and smelled the Mesquite and China Berry trees just outside and the roses that grew just behind me.

Crickets and tree frogs sang their endless song as I breathed in the cool dry air and wondered at the absolute one-ness I felt with this place I loved so much.  Grandaddy was a quiet man, and I was perfectly happy to be quiet there with him as I drank in my surroundings and felt totally at peace.

I thought those moments would last forever....wished and hoped they would.  Even at such a young age, that old porch was my sanctuary....the place that I felt totally at home.  It was a feeling of total belonging that I've never been able to explain, but it remains with me to this day.

Now Grandaddy is gone....

Grandmother is gone too....

As well as that old house......with the screened in porch.....

And the swing......

Oh, but I still go there often....in my mind....

Love to all and Happy Springtime!

Pup

You will forever be the king of the back yard and our hearts.

You will forever be our first Schnauzer and the one that introduced us to the world of dog breeding.....and sharing you with so many through all your beautiful "babies".

We'll Miss you.

We'll forever love you.

Rest in Peace, Little Buddy

What the "H" is that????   My husband's words one evening four years ago as he walked in the door and saw a four-legged white thing with a really bad hair cut and no eyes. Actually it had eyes, they were just completely masked in white hair. And hair was all you could say about it, except that it did in fact have four legs. "It" was the result of my answering a newspaper ad that stated: free to good home, adult male poodle. Well, we were looking for an adult dog because I didn't think I had time to deal with house training, so I checked it out. Following directions from the person on the phone, I found myself at the city water plant. The lady working there had found "it" on the highway and couldn't find an owner. She loved "it", but couldn't give it a home herself. Well, I was greeted by this dirty white shaggy mess of a dog that came right to me and I liked immediately. He just looked like a "Buster". So, I loaded up this shaggy mess and took him home. After a much needed bath and tick removal, I proceeded to hold him down and cut all the matted up hair off, which was about half of it. Then he needed another bath because he still smelled pretty bad. After that was when hubby came home and wanted to know what the "h" it was. I told him it was Buster, his new dog. Well, he wasn't impressed, but I pressed on. I took him to the vet the next day for shots and a once-over. Doc immediately said he was a Miniature Schnauzer, which I was having a hard time seeing, but I pretty much knew we weren't dealing with a poodle. Off to the groomer the next day and she also said he was a Schnauzer. A couple of hours later when I went to pick him up, I was in total shock! Where was that white mess I brought in? Here was this beautiful snow white (sure enough) Schnauzer. Now it's hard to remember life before Buster and after we'd had him for three years, we decided to get a couple of females for him. Now we have six adult Schnauzers and have sold 28 beautiful little Schnauzer puppies. I will try to learn how to download Buster's picture on this blog in the near future. He has certainly changed our lives and we love him dearly. He's our little buddy.

I look at the pictures that were taken of us the day we married and realize that what you always say about that day is true.  You said you thought I might jump out of the car and run away….all the way to the wedding, bringing to my mind a scene from “Runaway Bride” that makes me chuckle.  Julia Roberts I’m not, but nervous as hell, I certainly was.  The pictures show a smiling me with a definite nervous rash running up my neck and on to my face.

 

So what if the first time I saw you, you were driving up in an old beat up Cadillac?  So what if you were temporarily unemployed?  And so what if you were an ex car salesman?  So what if you had red flags stuck all over you?  Thankfully, I could see through or around all of that…….to the man you were and still are.  So what that you marched to your own drummer and don’t put a lot of stock in “appearances”?  Truth is, I find that trait attractive because it brings alive my own rebellious and free spirit.

 

What did I see that day?  Sure, I saw that beat up old car coming down the road and into my driveway.  But by the time I made it to the door to open it, you were walking up the steps of the porch and time stopped.  All I could see was you and all I could feel was the instant attraction to an incredibly handsome and sexy man.  What a new thing for me.  I’d never experienced such an instantly electric response before and it took me totally by surprise. 

 

Thank you for hanging in there and being persistent enough to weather through my fears until I could comfortably relax into a relationship that was…. and is…. so right.  Because it wasn’t really you that I feared, but my own judgment, which I felt was severely flawed after the choices I’d made so far in my life.  I didn’t know what a good relationship felt like, so it just scared me to death. 

 

But, thankfully, I pushed beyond my fears and went with my heart.  It was right then and still right today……seven years later.  You spoil me rotten and I never have to worry about a thing.  You take care of me in a way I’ve never known before. 

 

I now have a partner in life.

 

Happy Anniversary, Iceman. 

 

Here’s to many, many more happy years. 

 

I love you.

 

Pup