Christmas 2008

We had a great Christmas this year. The weeks preceeding the holidays were wrought with sickness. Flu caught a few of us. Colds and such caught a few others. We still managed to all get together for Christmas Eve. We only had 3 of our entire family that didn't show up. That is pretty good for that many people. We ate too much, sang Christmas carols, gave out about a hundred gifts from under the big tree, and played "Dirty Santa." That was just the beginning of the evening. We then went to my daughter's house for another gift-giving extravaganza. We always exchange gifts amongst ourselves (our immediate family) after the Christmas Eve party at my mother-in-law and sister-in-law's house. The kids get so tired by the end of that party. I believe that next year, we will do that on another day. New traditions.

We had a wonderful time. I love to give gifts. I think that is more fun than receiving gifts. Not that I don't like to receive, I do, I just like giving them more. This year, we were fortunate to be a part of giving to others that were not as blessed as we are. The delight and gratitude on those people's faces just blew me away. I know 'tis better to give than receive, but this time, it was brought to me face to face. I knew these people. I love these people. And I could help these people in this small way. My daughter and a friend from church helped to bless these folks also. They were very happy with the blessing as shown by the tears on their face and the many hugs that we received.

One of my dear friends had chosen a family to give their gifts to this year. You heard right. Whatever they would have spent on each other, they gave to spend on this family. The family was so blessed by this. Instead of getting gifts that they didn't really need, my friend's family bought for this other family instead. They got much joy out of shopping for toys for the kids, and they even got stuff for the mother. It was such a blessing to be a small part of this.

I know I have used the word blessing a lot in this post, but honestly, it is the only word that fit. Our blessings are so many this year. God has blessed us with good health, a fine house to live in, wonderful friends, and family that loves each other. What else would anyone need?

Christmas

I think that Christmas is a time for reflection. A time for deep thoughts. Not just thoughts about what to get for our family members at Christmas, but a time of introspection. I think that as the year winds to a close, we become more aware of a new year coming on really fast. I have noticed as I have aged, that this time of year comes quicker and quicker every year. I love Christmas. It is a busy time, a fun time, and a family time. I am sad for those who lose loved ones at this time of year, because no matter how happy Christmas is, it invariably will be tainted with sad memories of our loved ones that have gone on before us. I love the celebrations that we have as a family. I love the gifts. I love buying gifts that I know will be welcomed by the receiver, and I love the gifts that I get to receive. It doesn't really matter what they are, it is the fact that the person giving the gift thought about you enough to give you a present.

Some gifts are better than others, that is for sure. But the greatest gift of all is being able to attend church with my family. Waters Edge puts on the best Christmas Eve service that I have ever seen -- and I've seen a few in my time. This year promises to be a great one. I love the secrecy about the service, and the glory to God is so apparent. It always blows me away that the staff at Waters Edge is so creative week after week and even though I know how creative they are, this service is typically over the top as far as creativity goes. I love being a part of this church.

Gifts are a part of Christmas -- give a gift this year that will last for eternity. Give Jesus the gift of your heart. You'll never be sorry.

Merry Christmas and God bless us everyone.

It has been awhile...

It has been awhile since my last post. I haven't much to say. I have been pretty introspective lately. Lots going on in my head. It will be the second anniversary of my mother's passing on Dec. 15th. I think that is affecting my mood of late. I guess it will get easier with the passing of time.

Anyway, onto happier thoughts. Thanksgiving was a blast. We had so much togetherness at that party. We always have a good time. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood. Then we had the wedding shower. It was quite precious. The bride-to-be was very gracious and her soon to be husband was very attentive. It was cute seeing them interact. They got great gifts and again, we all had a very good time.

Now, we are coming in to the holiday season full blast. My side of the family is having their Christmas party next Saturday. That should be fun. I hope my table can hold all the goodies we are preparing.

We have the wedding on the 20th of December in North Carolina. We wouldn't miss it for the world. I am sure it will be fun.

Christmas Eve is always at my husband's sister's house. His mother lives with her and we go there every year for a huge party. The kids get gifts and the big kids get gifts and then we old folks even get a gift or two. We play "Dirty Santa," though our gifts are rarely anything too "out there." We have a great time playing that game while the little kids play with whatever they got from under the tree. The house will be very festive and we will all eat too much.

I can hardly wait.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving. One of my favorite holidays. No gifts. Wonderful day with family and friends. You are lucky when your favorite people are your family. I am lucky. We have a very close family. We are welcoming a new addition to our family. Not a baby, but a wife for my very dear nephew. I am so happy for them. We are going to have a wedding shower for them the day after Thanksgiving. Two parties with the same people in two days. Does it get any better than that? I never get tired of those people.

Thanksgiving. A time to give thanks for all of our blessings.

I thank God for:
Jesus
my husband
my children
my grandchildren
my friends that are my family
my friends that aren't my family
my church
my health

Praise God! It is a wonderful time of year!

Changes

This week, I found out that our completely wonderful Director of Kids at Waters Edge Church is leaving us. I was bummed at first, because, honestly, I don't care for change that much. Anyway, once I heard the excitement in her voice and learned that she was going to be closer to her own family, I was ecstatic for her. I was away from home for nine years, and never did adjust. I am a homebody. I love my family and I love where I live. I love my church. I was just not happy not being with those things that I hold dear. I had a few friends in the other place, but it wasn't the same. I was not at all sad to move back home.

So, go with God, my new friend and I pray that good things follow. I am happy for you and your family.

Thoughts about my Mother

Recently at church (during the boring announcement part -- not the good stuff), I was trying to remember what ring I had inherited from my mother when she died. I couldn't get my brain to pull out a memory of that ring. I was confused because it hasn't been all that long since she died, so it shouldn't have been that hard to remember. I finally did remember it and when I got home after church, I decided to wear it for a few days to remind me of her. I am not afraid that I will forget her because she isn't someone you forget. I can tell you this, no matter what kind of mother you have, you will miss her when she is gone. Just go home and hug your Mom today and let her know how you feel about her before it is too late, and honestly, you will never know when it is too late until it is. Don't put it off. Trust me on this.

I don't have any regrets about that part, my last words to my mom were, "I love you." Had I known that it would be my last conversation with her, I wonder what I would have said different. Would we have talked about something else besides her health? Would we have had an indepth conversation about all the things I wanted to talk about, but never did? Probably not. She was consumed by her ailments. They were many and she wasn't well, but still, I wasn't prepared for her to die. I don't know if you are ever prepared when someone you love dies. It always takes your breath away, but I wasn't prepared for the depth of emotions that were unleashed by her death. I knew that I would miss her after she died because she was my mother, but I wasn't prepared to miss her every single day with an ache that is completely indescribable. I have talked about it with friends and family and I have come to believe that what I am missing so much is not only my mother as a person, but the opportunity that I will never have now to have the kind of mother/daughter relationship that I craved -- one that we did not have. She loved me, I have no doubt about that, and I guess I wanted her to be something that she wasn't capable of being. I don't know if I can put it into words. This longing for parental love that I missed so much. I hope that my daughters never feel this ache. I hope that they get from me what they need from me so that there will be no regrets when I pass on and if they aren't getting what they need from me, I hope that they tell me so I can fix it before it is too late.

Vulnerability

I read a blog the other day that got me to thinking some deep thoughts. Everyone keeps parts of themselves to themselves. It is human nature to only want to show the positive stuff to our family, friends, and aquaintances. I know of no one who is ready to be stripped bare for everyone to see everything inside them. It is a scary proposition. Vulnerability is a scary thing.

It's very definition:
1. capable of or susceptible to being wounded or hurt, as by a weapon: a vulnerable part of the body.
2. open to moral attack, criticism, temptation, etc.: an argument vulnerable to refutation; He is vulnerable to bribery.
3. (of a place) open to assault; difficult to defend: a vulnerable bridge.

See all the possibilities? Wound, hurt, moral attack, criticism, tempation, open to assault. Being vulnerable is not for sissies.

That is why I believe our human nature enables us to put up invisible walls that persons cannot get through. It is kind of like being a superhero, except without the cape and cool uniform and all. Invisible walls protect our psyche, protect our heart, protect our mind, protect our very soul. We only allow people to see what we want them to see. A persona of sorts. One for every occasion. I do it. I have a "work" persona, a "church" persona, a "family" persona, etc. I act and do things differently in each of those situations. Some are more like the real me than others, but rarely do I let the total "me" out of the box. I don't know if I ever have, really.

It is no secret that most people have stuff in their past they want to forget. Mine is no different. I had not so hot parents -- totally not so hot step parents -- family alcoholism, etc. It goes on and on, but I truly believe with all of my heart that if I hadn't of had the life that I did, I wouldn't be the person that I am today. My parental units did not get up everyday and say, "Wonder what I can do to screw with my kids today." They did the best they could. Their best just wasn't good enough. No one's is. Our best is Jesus Christ. He is our best. Thank God that my heavenly Father is the one that leads me now.

That old cliche about "What does not kill you will only make you stronger" is a bunch of hooey. Maybe whatever it is doesn't kill you, but sometimes, it makes you weak. Sometimes, yes, it does make you stronger, but mostly, it makes you wary. Wary of strangers, wary of intimacy, wary of your abilities, wary of lots of stuff. It is only through God's eyes that we can be seen perfectly for who we are, not who we pretend to be. God sees all and knows all. You can't hide yourself from God.

It is a good thing that we all can experience God's Grace. He can forgive us and see us in our bare, naked selves and not be ashamed of us. He knew me then, He knows me now, and He loves me still, somehow. I cling to that.

Voting

Today I voted. I feel like this is an important thing to do. I guess lots of people will blog about voting today. It only took about 15 minutes--those election officials in my voting district sure do know their stuff. Very organized. I guess I was lucky, but I would have waited for hours for the privilege. I used to take things like this for granted, but no more. Voting is something special and it is something we should all take very seriously. So, if you haven't already -- get out and vote!

Eden

This week, Eden turned 5 years old. How I love this little girl. This week makes me remember Eden's birth story. She is an amazing child and I love her with a great deal of my heart. I almost lost my own beautiful baby girl when she had Eden. I still cannot think about it too much, or even talk about it, because it still makes me misty-eyed to re-tell the story. Bethany was so close to death that they let us come and go whenever we wanted while she was in intensive care -- it wasn't until they started enforcing the time restraints in intensive care that I realized that she was going to live through it after all.

I am not going to go into any details here, just suffice to say, God is good and he let me keep both of those girls. What I did get out of the experience was an awesome knowledge that God is with us whenever and whatever we do. Even when we don't think He is anywhere around. God was with me during that time -- he gave me a patience that I did not have to allow me to wait on Him to do His work. I had to totally rely on God to get me through the days and nights of not knowing what was going to happen to my child. I drove many a mile to take care of her, to be with her, to do whatever she needed for me to do, but only God could save her life -- I was powerless. I would have given my life for hers. I did learn a bit about how God felt to lay down his only son for us. It is an awesome thing He did. I could barely fathom losing my child, but God let his child be born for that purpose -- to die for us. Anyone who has children that they love knows how much you love your child -- what you would do to protect them. God let Jesus be born knowing that he was going to die a gruesome death. While I thank God for that, I do understand the sacrifice He made for us and am proud to have Jesus be the Lord of my life. Without him, I would never have made it through that ordeal. Glory be to God for my daughter and her daughter.

Happy Birthday Eden -- I couldn't love you more.

Reunion

We had another family reunion. This time it was my husband's mother's side of the family. We party hard at this one. It starts with a sleepover in tents on Friday night (for those who want) and continues through until Sunday breakfast over a campfire. I, for one, and happy that I have no young children to sleep out in a tent and I live close enough to be able to go home and sleep in my own bed. Sleeping in a tent is not my favorite activity. I feel that camping is the only vacation where you have to work your butt off just to eat and sleep. I am a hotel girl -- gotta love hot water and a shower. Anyway, we had a blast. We always have great food that everyone likes -- they cook many many chickens on the fire and my husband make the best barbecue ever. We ladies all bring side dishes and desserts.

We did have a couple of mishaps this time, however. One was hot oil knocked off the campfire that spilled into one of the younger men's boot. It was scary and potentially horrible, but it managed to be manageable because we have two terrific Physician Assistant's in our family and they saved the guy a trip to the Med Express. He kept cold towels on his leg and foot and they called in a prescription for burn ointment. When we saw him on Sunday, his leg was pretty red, but only a couple of tiny blisters. He was very lucky. Praise the Lord for that.

The other thing was I fell down as I was leaving to go to church from the breakfast site. I was walking along and someone on the porch asked me a question, and instead of stopping to talk, I kept walking -- right into a hole and fell down. Apparently I cannot walk and talk at the same time. Quite a pride breaker. I am not light, as everyone can see, and I fell hard. My foot seems slightly twisted, but no swelling, so I think it is just the trauma. My arm feels like I have been doing push ups all day (which anyone who knows me can attest that couldn't have been the case). Other than that, I am fine. It was terribly embarrassing, but thankfully, no one was around with a camera or I would be in the slide show next year. Not a pretty sight.

Everything I wore all weekend smells like a campfire and the little kids were dirty and smelly also. They ran around so much that they were all exhausted. They get to stay up late and play outside in the dark with flashlights -- what could be more fun than that? A weekend without video games or television and if you played your cards right, you could have cupcakes and brownies for dinner. Just good old fashioned fun running with sticks and being left to play however they want. We had a great time and the kids enjoy this reunion very much. We all look forward to it every year.

A side note about the slide show disaster. I did corrupt my presentation, but managed, after many more hours of work, to put it back together. It was a job, but it was so worth it. I got some feedback about the length and some of the pictures, but it was two years' worth of cookouts, so it was bound to be long and probably seemed repetitive. I will take all comments under consideration for next year's slide show, and adjust it accordingly. All in all, it was well received. I loved it, of course.

A very satisfying family get together. I love my family. They are fun people.

Disaster

Well, it happened. Months of work. Thousands of photographs (not literally, but a lot). My PowerPoint presentation has been corrupted. I am sad and mad at myself about it. EVERYONE knows you don't keep only one copy of something that important. I know you don't keep only one copy of something that important. My OCD tendencies say don't keep only one copy of something that important. Why did I decide to use constraint in this instance? Who knows? I only know that it has been corrupted and there is nothing that can change that. Now, my only recourse is to try to do it over. I only have 3 days. I have looked at and worked on this for so long, I am getting weary of looking at it and working on it. I need some prayers to get it done and retain my sanity. Thanks for reading.

Collections

I was watching a You Tube video yesterday about a man that has a record collection of millions of vinyl records. He needs to sell these records because of health problems. He is astonished that no one wants them. He has had no serious offers for his millions of records. I wonder why he is astonished. Who has a record player to play them on? Not everything that one collects becomes a treasure, or not every collection becomes profitable once one decides to sell it. I should talk. Seriously.

I have a few collections. Ask my kids. Thank the Lord, I do not own millions of anything. My girls would be horrified. I have a slight OCD tendency towards owning things. Sometimes just owning these things is satisfaction enough. They don't have to be used. I can hardly rest until I have the complete collection of whatever it is that I fancy. I become obsessed with the need to have the complete set. Then, of course, I would rather have two or three sets of something so just in case something happens to the complete set, then I have a backup set. You see how this works? You see how easily it gets complicated?

Here is the problem with my collection of stuff. I can barely use the collection of things -- whatever they may be -- yarn, embroidery thread, patterns, material, etc. I once bought a box of handmade cards from a wholesale warehouse store and could barely bring myself to use them. I had to give them to my daughter in order for them to be used. I don't know why I couldn't use the cards, but in my convoluted mind, I guess if I used them up, I wouldn't have them anymore, and the collection of cards wouldn't be a collection anymore, the set would be broken up, etc. It is hard living inside my head. So much is going on.

I do have a hard time parting with things. I don't mind giving something away if a person intends to use it, but I don't like to just get rid of something because I don't "need" it anymore. What has need got to do with anything?

I have many little bowls. I don't know why, but I have to have them. I have tried to purge my cabinets and have actually come away with a few small items of no consequence, but rarely do I actually get rid of much in the way of dishes. I just bought a new set of dishes and had to get rid of my old mismatched plates that I really liked. It was hard to do. I managed to get rid of most of them (I say most because I did keep two of them on the pretext that I could use them to put a cake on and not have to use the new ones for that purpose) by donating them to a good cause garage sale, but it was difficult for me not to go through that box one more time to make sure I didn't get rid of anything "good."

I have a couple of dozen grape candles (they smell wonderful) and I have a hard time using them because they are the last of their kind. How weird is that? What good is a candle if you don't burn it? I should be enjoying the smell, not storing the candles. Again, a symptom of a serious hoarding problem. I burned one once and almost had to be sedated because now I don't have two dozen of them anymore. I can't even use them as a gift because they smell too good and I need to have them.

I must be a crazy person. I can't wait until I am really old and my kids start going through my closets or drawers and see the random stuff that I have kept for no good reason. I have stuff in drawers that has no purpose at all, but I can't throw it away. Someone should help me. If they would only say, "I need this...may I have it?" That would take away some of my angst -- I could possibly give it to them with a clean conscience if I could part with it -- and then they could throw it away at their house. No harm done. It sounds simple enough to me.

Happy Birthday, Chris

Today is Chris' birthday. She was born 36 years ago today. I love that girl. She is my first-born, my beloved child. She is a strong woman of God, and I am proud of who she is. I hope that this birthday is her best ever. Happy Birthday, daughter.

Quotations

Here are a few sayings and quotations worth reading (I don't always know who said 'em, but I like 'em):

Sticks and stones will break our bones, but words will break our hearts. -- Robert Fulghum

Your words become the mirror in which others see themselves.

It is better to build children than repair adults.

Don't be so open-minded that your brains fall out.

Good enough rarely is.

Health food makes me sick.

Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer, but wish we didn't.

Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you'll ever regret.

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.

Never eat more than you can lift. -- Miss Piggy

Forgiveness is almost a selfish act because of its immense benefits to the one who forgives.

Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.

It really doesn't matter if the person who hurt you deserves to be forgiven. Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. You have things to do and you want to move on.

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.

No one forgives with more grace and love than a child.

It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.

I base my fashion taste on what doesn't itch. -- Gilda Radner

Family isn't about whose blood you have. It's about who you care about.

A dog owns nothing, yet is seldom dissatisfied.

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.

You don't want love you can live with, you want love you can't live without.

God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest.

Lovely Weekend

We had a lovely weekend this past weekend -- I had Eden spend the night on Friday night, and picked up the Westies grandchildren on Saturday before lunch -- the only one missing was Addy Lin -- I missed that little girl even though there were 5 others around; and we had a family reunion on Sunday afternoon. I should have picked Addy Lin up when I got the others. Next time, I will.

On saturday, the littlest one, Lila, (who has started walking more than she ever has -- she is 17 months old) was watching a cheerleader movie on TV with the big girls. She stood straight up and started patting her little thighs like the cheerleaders. Then, she tried to jump. Cutest thing you have ever seen. She can barely walk across the room, but she is trying to jump. She does it now on cue. I think babies are marvelous.

The reunion was for my husband's father's side of the family. It only lasts a few hours. On the other hand, when we have a reunion for his mother's side of the family, we do it for the entire weekend. That comes up in October. We are all looking forward to it. I wish I had more funny things to say, but, alas, that is all that I have. I loved my weekend with my grandkids.

Being Content

We had a Rottweiler at work. She constantly escaped down the street to a business close to us because they have a Rottweiler also and she wanted some company. My boss decided that since she liked it so much over there, that he would give her to that business and let her live there. Well, guess what? This morning when we came to work, she was lying beside her dog house in the gravel as if she never left. She has only been at her new home since Friday afternoon and by Tuesday morning, she is back at our place. She is lying by the door now, sound asleep. What is it in her that makes her want what she doesn't have? What does she think she will gain by digging out of one fence just to be in another?


I think that people are like that. We want what we don't have. If we have curly hair, we would rather have straight hair; if we are fat, we want to be skinny, if we are skinny, we want to be fatter (happens rarely, but it does happen). Rarely does anyone say, I am content to be who I am and I am happy with the way I look and content with where I am. I don't need to change a thing.

Blogging

Okay, I admit it. I have become inordinately fond of blogging. I don't know why I would think anyone would be interested in what I have to say, but it is fun. I have many blogs that I follow daily, and I am always a little sad when they aren't updated every day or so. Maybe it is because I don't have much to do at work sometimes, but I sure look forward to reading what they write. Maybe I am just nosy and want to know their business. Who knows? I just think it is nice to hear what others think. So, those of you who don't blog regularly (or is it?-- those of you who have a life) -- get out there and write, write, write. I am waiting to read what you have to say.

Groundbreaking News

Yes, we did it today. We broke ground on our church's land for our new church building. It was the most dynamic and fun day that I have experienced in church. I love my church and I am proud to be a member of Waters Edge.

The huge tent was put up and probably 800 or more people showed up. There was a baptism ceremony that included 80 or so people who demonstrated their faith in Jesus Christ in an outward manner and were baptized on our new land. That must have been very exciting for them. The music was phenomenal this morning and the band outdid themselves with that first song -- it really rocked that tent, and the whole service was great. I don't see how they can top this one, but I am sure that they will, somehow.

I am still amazed at how much the staff puts into the service every single week. They seem tireless, yet, I know how much work it was this morning and every week, for that matter. These people are awesome. They are so creative and so devoted to making our church something that we can all be proud of. We may be a vagabond church without our own building, but you would never know it if you came to one of our services. They strive for excellence and it shows. Sure, things happen, mics don't always work properly, people are human--sometimes mistakes are made, but it isn't for lack of trying. The staff and the volunteers are amazing in the way that they handle every single service at Waters Edge. They instill in the volunteers how valuable we are to them and how much they count on us, yet, they hold us up to a standard of excellence that we are proud to be a part of, and that we strive to attain each Sunday. It makes us want to do our best for them.

Come and visit our church sometime. You won't be disappointed. Check out our website at http://www.watersedgechurch.net/, and be a part of something totally awesome.

Aging

We just celebrated my husband's 59th birthday this weekend. Only one more year before my husband is in his 60's. WOW! That sounds old, even to me. I don't know how gracefully I will enter into my 60's. I have three years before that happens, but as I have said repeatedly, time passes so quickly, it will be here before I know it.

Just last night, we were talking about how old our dogs are. He said they are 15. Impossible. That would mean that we got them BEFORE we moved to Alabama for 10 years. We didn't get them in Virginia, we got them in Alabama. We moved to Alabama in 1994. We had a dog from the devil (Beagle Bailey--another story for another time) for 10 months and then we got Sophie the year Aubrey was born, and that same year, they got Maddie (our other dog--she used to belong to my daughter). Aubrey was born in 1995. I can't seem to get him to fathom that fact. It is quite annoying to me, it seems like it would be easier for him to remember that however old Aubrey is is how old those dogs are. He just doesn't seem to believe me. I know that I am right. That should be enough for me, but sometimes, it doesn't seem enough to just know that you are right.

Anyway, birthdays are fun when you are younger. Have you ever thought of this...When you are young, you always want people to think you are older than you are (I'm 4 and a half -- I'm almost 16 -- I'll be 21 in a few months)...When you are middle aged, you want people to think you look younger than you really are (Go ahead, guess how old I am -- No, really, I am 37, I have a 16 year old child. Yes, I am so a grandma -- I have 2 grandchildren.)...And, then, when you get really old, you want people to know how old you really are again (Guess how old I am -- No really, I will be 90 years old in 3 years). It is a cycle that never ends. It is when we realize that people believe we really are how old we are that it is not fun anymore. We just want to be younger looking than our age, act younger than we really are, have people mistake our age for being younger, and then live long enough to be able to say, "Do you have any idea how old I really am?" It is just funny to me.

Sea Gulls

Okay, my daughter just brought up a sore subject with me. She mentioned my fear of sea gulls. She said, "bird," but I knew what she was talking about. I have a reasonable fear of those creatures. They haunt parking lots and fast food places--foraging for a tasty treat of something old to eat off of the ground. Well, one day, in the K-Mart parking lot (which some would say is pretty desolate), I was nearly attacked by a sea gull. That bird flew so close to my face that I could see it's tongue flapping in its mouth and could hear it shrieking very loudly, almost deafening. I had to cover my head and run to my car and nearly didn't make it. It was unnerving to say the least. I think anything that erratic has to be watched out for. Meanwhile, Bethany is laughing so hard at me. I couldn't believe she could be so heartless, but there it was, no concern for my safety or hers. That bird was going to peck my face. Lucky I had wiped the lunch off of it beforehand, so it had nothing to go for. So, last year we went to Nags Head and my girls and my grandkids took great delight in beckoning a flock of sea gulls to our piece of beach and then delightedly watched me cower under a big hat and a towel. They even took movies of my terror so that we could remember it always. Some people can be so cruel.

The Squirrel

The other day, when I was getting home from work, I heard a ruckus in my Florida room. Now, this is just a mud room, but we like to be obnoxious and call it a Florida room. Actually the person who used to own our house moved to Florida. Maybe we do that in remembrance of them. Anyway, I am off my train of thought. So, there was this ruckus in my Florida room. I heard scurrying around and I heard a can fall to the floor (it is tile) and roll around. I was wondering if some psycho was in my Florida room or some wild creature. It turns out, it was a wild animal. It was a squirrel that was greedy and looking for the bin of birdseed that my husband shares willingly every single day with all the birds and squirrels. I came into the room with my two disabled dogs and I see this crazed squirrel plastered on the screen of the window -- it's little arms splayed out and holding on for dear life, his eyes were wild and a bit crazed, and it was looking about frantically for a way out. (I figured -- dumb squirrel -- why don't you just go out the way you came -- you can remember what tree you have stored your winter supply of nuts in, but you can't remember where you came in the room -- it had to push the screen back in order to get in through the window.) It must have short-term memory loss. Anyway, I scurried across the room (yes, I can scurry with the best of you) and let my dogs into the house. I hurriedly shut the door so that they wouldn't see the squirrel (actually, one of them can't see anything) and try to catch it. That wouldn't have been too cool -- the blind one would just go crazy barking and the one that can see and is hard of hearing would go crazy trying to get to the squirrel. So, I fooled the dogs into not seeing the squirrel (not as easy as it seems), all the time hoping that the crazy thing wouldn't jump on me. Then I quickly propped open the outside door to the Florida room and now, I had to get back across the room (and this isn't a big room) because I couldn't take the chance on leaving the door to the house open because of my dogs finding the squirrel, or, God forbid, the squirrel finding its way into my house. Horrors. My door is hard to open, though, typically, I can manage it -- this time, I had to try a couple of times to get the door open. All the while praying that the squirrel wouldn't jump on me. I have no idea how long it took for the squirrel to get out of that room, because I wouldn't go out there for about an hour just in case it was still confused. I find that I am not as tolerant of wild creatures when they are in my space.

Julia is 16 today!

Wow, my first grandchild is 16 today. My Shortcake. She is an amazing, talented young woman. I still think of her as a child, but in two years, she could move out of her house and be on her own. Yikes. Can't believe it.

I still remember when she...

...would "float" out a dip towel on my carpet and eat an entire container of french onion dip and only use 3 chips (which she would feed to me once they were too soggy to get the dip anymore).
...would line up golden books like a path on my living room floor so that her two by two animals could get into an imaginary ark.
...would name all the plastic animals in the animal bucket and expect me to remember their names.
...would search through the animal bucket for this particular baby sheep that she liked most of all.
...would sing entire songs when she was just a little bitty girl.
...would talk and talk and talk all day long.
...would picnic in the backyard with her Nonnie.
...got her fish pillow. She kept saying, "My pish, my pish, I love it! I love it!"
...sucked her thumb with her hand wrapped around her little face.
...quit sucking her thumb because if she didn't, her teeth would stick out like a donkey's.
...loved the Lion King and Aladdin movies and all the songs.
...got her first doll house. She said, "This is for me to keep? At my house?"
...didn't call me any name except for "no" for a long time -- then she came up with "Meema" for my name.
...got mad at me because I lost her favorite pillow. She wouldn't look straight at me. She would answer me if I asked her a question, but she wouldn't make eye contact with me. I had to make her a new one, but wasn't sure it would be the same and then I knew it was going to be okay when she put her little head down on the pillow case and sucked her thumb. I knew the replacement would work.
...loved Barney the dinosaur.
...had to go to time out -- it was the most pitiful little face I have ever seen. It would break my heart.
...did her little dance and we called it the "Julia Hop."
...loved her PVC character dolls. She had lots of them.
...wore a pony tail on top of her head like Pebbles.
...would pull all of the toys out of the entertainment center cubby and get in it herself.
...was born, the most beautiful sight I had seen in quite awhile.
...had the chubbiest cheeks.
...lit up my world when she was born.

So many memories, such a precious little soul. I love that girl. She has grown up to be such a sweet and kind person. I think I would like her even if she wasn't my granddaughter.

What???

Sayings -- how do they come about? Who was the first person to say:

I'm gonna jerk a knot in your tail......physically impossible

Seven ways to Sunday......I don't even know what that means

I'm so tired, it isn't even funny......why would one think that would be funny in the first place?

Cute as a button......since when are buttons so cute?

That goes without saying......then why do people say it?

You can't have your cake and eat it too......Why would someone get cake if they can't eat it?

I've been working like a dog......most dogs lie around all day

I slept like a baby......when babies wake up like every two hours?

It's seven years of bad luck when you break a mirror......isn't seven supposed to be a lucky number?

Ignorance is bliss......then why aren't more people happy?

It's like killing two birds with one stone......has anyone ever killed two birds with one stone?

I feel blue......then what does a smurf feel like when they are sad?

I'm between a rock and a hard place......well, isn't the rock a hard place also?

I'm head over heels in love......isn't your head always over your heels?

They're selling like hotcakes......how fast do hotcakes actually sell?

It disappeared into thin air......is there such as thing as thick air?

You scared the living daylights out of me......when daylight is not living?

They vanished without a trace......then how do people know they are missing?

It is out of whack......what exactly is a whack?

Money doesn't grow on trees......then why do banks have branches?

I'm not a complete idiot......why, are some of your parts missing?

You can't have everything......where would you put it all if you could?

Expect the unexpected......doesn't that make the unexpected expected?

The best thing since sliced bread......What was the best thing before sliced bread?

You scared me to death.....obviously not.

And here are some interesting observations:

If Barbie is so popular, then why do you have to buy her friends?

If the #2 pencil is so popular why is it still #2?

Why do psychics have to ask for your name?

Why do they sterilize the needles for lethal injections?

The "Psychic Friends Network" went out of business... didn't they see it coming?

Is it possible for someone to become addicted to therapy? And If so, how would you treat them?

Why do we drive on the parkway and park in the driveway?

Isn't is it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice"?

When sign makers go on strike, is anything written on their signs?

Why is the word abbreviation so long?

If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, is it misspelled? And if it is misspelled, how would we know?

Why does "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?

Why are they called "stands" when they are made for sitting?

Why are a "wise man" and a "wise guy" opposites?

Why do "overlook" and "oversee" mean opposite things?

If you are dialing from a touch-tone phone, Why do you call it 'dialing'?

Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here and drink what comes out"?

Isn't Disney World just a people trap operated by a mouse?

Why is it illegal to park in a handicapped parking space but its OK to use a handicapped toilet?

Why is it that when things get wet they get darker, even though water is clear?

Why do you go "back and forth" to town if you really must go forth before you go back?

Why do companies offer you "free gifts?" Since when has a gift NOT been free?

Should vegetarians eat animal crackers?

Whose cruel idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have a "S" in it?

Do they have reserved parking for non-handicapped people at the Special Olympics?

Why do kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

If quitters never win, and winners never quit, how can it be wise to: "Quit while you're ahead"?

If it's zero degrees outside today and it's supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be?

What's another word for Thesaurus?

Why is it that when transporting stuff on a car its called a SHIPment, but if transporting stuff on a ship its called CARgo?

How does the guy who runs the snowplow get to work in the morning?

Why does your nose run and your feet smell?

If a man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?

Could it be that all those people dressed up, wearing sheets, aren't going as ghosts but as mattresses?

Why do scientists call it research when they are looking for something new?

Why do they say new and improved? It can't be new if it was improved can it?

Why do they call it rush hour when nobody moves?

Why is it called a “drive through” if you have to stop?

How can there be self-help “groups”?

Why are four wheelers called bikes when bike is short for bicycle?

If practice makes perfect and there is no such thing as perfect then why practice?

If 7-11 is open 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, why do they need locks on the doors?

Just some things to consider.

Monday

Here it is again...Monday. What is it about Monday? I don't dislike my job, in fact, it suits me just fine, but Monday sure does come around an awful lot. I have been thinking about time passing a lot lately, and this just solidifies my thoughts. Weeks fly by like no time at all. Strange. It seems like you work towards the weekend and then, before you know it, it is over and it is time for work again. We had a grandchild filled Saturday -- it was fun -- they got to go out on the boat and do some swimming. They did some TV time and some computer time -- just got to relax and be kids. This weekend had some of the stomach bug thrown in (and up), but that is what happens sometimes. The kids were great on Saturday. I enjoy having the bigger kids around and little Lila was as good as she could have possibly been. I went to the other grandchildren's house on Sunday evening to babysit -- they were awesome and just plain fun, too. The weekend just zoomed by, though. Time is so fleeting. You have to enjoy it as much as you can.

Don't wait to use your good dishes and glasses -- use them now before someone boxes them up and stores them away because you are not around anymore. What good is having "good stuff" if your own family can't enjoy it? I am trying to let go of that mentality -- I want my family to get to have the good stuff and if it gets broken, it doesn't matter because it is just stuff. I think people are way more important and they need to be treated as such. I am beginning to give away some of my stuff. I find that at this point in my life, (and not because I feel old or am getting old, either) I just do not need as much stuff as I used to want. I find it less hard to let go of some of the things I used to label as treasures. I want my family to have some of my treasures because they are all treasures to me. So, if you see something you have always coveted, just let me know -- it could be yours!

Things change

Things change. True enough. Sometimes, though, things change that you don't want changed. Nothing stays the same. True again. Sometimes, though, you wish things could stay the same. Like growing children. Of course, you want them to grow up, but sometimes, don't you wish you could slow them down? Naturally, they wouldn't like that, what kid doesn't want to grow up as fast as they can? But, as I get older (and older), I find that time is fleeting. It passes so quickly. I can still remember when my girls were babies and now they are grown up women with babies of their own. I had no idea when I was wishing that they would walk, or talk, or just go to the bathroom by themselves, that I was wishing away the most glorious time in my life. It was a good time.

Not that now isn't good...God has blessed me with lots of grandchildren and I love them all so very much. Julia is nearly 16 and ready to get her driver's permit. Aubrey is 13. Chase is 11. Eden is 4 1/2, Addy Lin is 2. and Lila is 1. Such a great variety of personalities. Each one different, each one very special. Each one is growing up so fast that it makes my head spin. The old folks of my generation always said, "As you get older, time passes more quickly." I know for a fact that this is a true statement. I also think that because you don't have as much to strive for or to accomplish, you are just more aware that it is passing so quickly. When you are younger and you have so much to do, you don't notice that time passing so fast. It is as you get to the later years of your life that you realize that the old folks of your generation weren't so wrong after all and that you have become the old folks of your children's generation. I don't know if I like being old, but I like my life very much.

My Oldest Daughter

She is an awesome woman. Not because she is my daughter. Not because of what she does or what she looks like, but because of her heart. She is a strong woman of God. I have watched her battle a battle that I would never have wanted to see her go through, and one that I could not help her with. I have watched her be as weary as she has ever been, yet she did not sway from her obedience to God. She has gone through it with grace, character, and with God at her side. She is honoring and obeying God and I am so very proud of her. She can truly say with all humility that she gave her all to try to win this battle. Sadly, it was not to be and her family will not be the same because of it. I believe, that with her help, her family will come out of this strong and loving and will survive in spite of their hurt. She can do anything with God. I admire her so much. She is a better person than I could ever be and I aspire to be more like her. I love this child with all my heart.

Eden's Lemonade Stand

This is a sweet story about my granddaughter, Eden. She is 4 years old and goes to Waters Edge Church, in York County, VA. We are a mobile church, setting up and tearing down for each of our 4 services on Sundays. She became a christian last year and gave her heart to Jesus. She told her mom that she didn't want to live one more day with sin in her heart, so she accepted Jesus into her heart and went around telling everyone who would listen that she was a christian now. It was beautiful. Our church has been, for the past three years, on a spiritual initiative called "The Big Dream." This is the last year of this spiritual initiative and our big dream is to build a building to house our church. Well, the story is this...Preschoolers in our church were to do chores to earn money to give to the big dream. Eden did that and earned the $7.00 she had as a goal for doing her chores for the week. She then decided to do a lemonade stand in her front yard during the community garage sale in her neighborhood and earned $40.00 to give to the big dream. That is something for a four-year old little girl. She never once asked could she have some of the money for herself and she was so proud to give to the church the money that she had earned herself. God is good.

House Guests

OK, here I go -- again. How much blogging is too much blogging? Are there any rules about this stuff? Are people going to be sick of reading what I am writing? I guess if they are, they can just stop, huh?

Anyway, I want to say this...

There is a old saying, "House guests are like fish -- they all start to stink after a few days." Something like that anyway.

That is simply not true in all cases. I enjoy having house guests.

I get my house deep cleaned before they come so they don't figure out that I am not the most diligent housekeeper. My piles of "stuff to put away" actually gets put away. Some of it anyway. The cleaning gets done whether it needs it or not. More often than not, it NEEDS it, if I am being honest about the whole thing. My daughter came into my house the other day and said, "This house is CLEAN." She rarely makes that comment, so you know it is spectacular then.

In fact, we just had some guests and they have been fun to have around. My floors have never been swept so much since the last time they were here. She sweeps the last thing at night and the first thing in the morning (and probably in the middle of the day when I am at work), and she even mopped my kitchen floor. That lady is a dynamo. She is like a machine. Always putting something away or folding laundry. She does more than she should all the time and I try to get her to stop, but she can't help herself. My house is always picked up -- she cleans more than I do in a normal week. Also, her husband would do anything I asked him to do for me. No task is too much. I try not to say much out loud, because as soon as it is out of my mouth, they are trying to get it done for me. Their bed is made every single day -- mine rarely is. Sometimes I get a tiny twinge of guilt about my unmade bed, but I manage to resist it. These are Good People.

You can hardly tell they are in the house -- if you peek into their room you can see suitcases, so you can tell they are there, and they are physically present when I get home from work, so I know they are there. These are low-maintenance guests. They don't expect for us to take off work for them and they go with the flow. They entertain themselves all day while we work and when we come home, they are happy to do whatever we have planned. They love our children and our grandchildren and never act like they get tired of seeing them. They have very little complaint. They do think the coffee is too strong, but that is a small annoyance, I guess.

I can never leave my kitchen dirty from the evenings' dinners because if I try, she will just clean it up herself and I can't have that. I must try to keep up with her. Mind you, she is probably 10 or more years younger than I am, so she has an advantage. She doesn't quit until it is "dying ready." Our granny used to say this about house cleaning and dirty dishes..."You need to keep your house 'dying ready.' That means that if you die during the night, you won't be embarrassed for those funeral people to come in and see your house." She wouldn't have wanted to be "caught dead" in an untidy house. I miss her.

I think that 'dying ready' is funny. At that point, I doubt you care what people think about you any longer. At least, I hope not. I hope to be in my reward, not worried about whether or not my toilet is clean enough for strangers to use it. I will be dead for crying out loud (another weird saying).

So, in closing, let me say. I have enjoyed these people and I look forward to their next visit.

Names

A regular day. Nothing much going on except for work. Nothing much to write about today, so I figured I would put on my thinking cap (wonder who thought of that saying) and just ramble some.

I was thinking about the names that people name their children. Now, I say from the beginning that it is absolutely NONE of my business what people name their kids, so this is just my thinking out loud on the whole naming thing.

Honestly, Sunday, Apple, Suri, Shiloh, Moon Unit, Meadow -- what kind of names are they for little girls. Celebrity choices. I guess that we could say the same thing about Eula, Zorba, Edith, Gertrude, Maude, or my personal favorite, Doris. Those lovely names from previous generations.

What kind of names are those for little girls? How can you look into such sweet little baby faces and name them Eula or Doris? Those names don't evoke images of cute little girls. They make me think of really old ladies. Now that I am getting up in age, I feel like my name does fit me, sort of, possibly, kinda, or maybe in a few more years. We'll see. I'll get back to you on that.

I don't know of too many people who actually like their names. Of my two children, one does like their name and one doesn't particularly like their name. I thought they were beautiful names for my beautiful babies, or I wouldn't have picked them, would I? The thing is, when you name your kids, you are in your "generation." By the time they decide they don't like their name, they are in their "generation" and your choices are out-dated. Besides, they have heard their name thousands of times in different contexts, so they are probably more sick of hearing it than anything else.

You are never going to satisfy all people. If you pick a trendy name, you get grief about it. If you pick a non-trendy name, you get grief. If you pick a boy name for a girl, you get grief. If you pick a girl name for a boy...you get the drift--I needn't belabor this point.

Suffice it to say, you get to pick your child's name and no one should be able to naysay your choice. But, of course, everyone has an opinion and they can hardly restrain themselves from giving their opinion. I have that problem sometimes and I wonder, what was I thinking? They don't care about my opinion of their choice of name. Why try to spoil it for them? I am trying to be less critical of people's choices and less vocal about what I think about it if they choose the wrong name.

The thing is this, your child is going to be stuck with that name for the rest of their life. Be sure it is one that at least has a good monogram.

Source of July

Well, now, it isn't supposed to rain on the 4th of July. What about our fireworks? What about our s'mores? It was a pity. After a perfectly lovely day of family and friends, it had to rain on our fire. It certainly upset our 4 1/2 year old granddaughter -- who also calls the 4th of July the Source of July. She cried and was quite sad. She had to come back the next night to do s'mores, and it rained again. How can you get through that disappointment? She didn't even blink an eye. She said, "Well, it's raining again. I guess I'll just have to come back another day." No fits, not even one tear. I love it that she likes to come to our house to spend time. She is unpredictable and quite adorable. I love spending time with our family. It makes my holiday and it makes my day.

Next week, we are celebrating the 30th birthday of my niece. Another family get-together, another cookout. No, I never tire of being with them.

Family Time

Ahhh, family. We are coming up on another holiday. The 4th of July. Independence Day. I love love love this holiday. It is one of the few without presents. It is a low stress, easy day to spend with the ones that we love.

We get together with family and there are many of us. We have lots and lots of little people and lots and lots of adults. I love all of them. We all bring food and we eat more than anyone should. Spending time with my family is one of my favorite things in the whole world. Now, it doesn't come without some tiny aggravations -- but, what in life is without aggravation? ("Shut the door -- you're letting all the bought air out! and "Did you finish the OTHER can of soda you had earlier?" or "Doesn't anyone know where the trashcan is?"), but when all is said and done, no matter how many times the door is opened and shut and no matter how many drinks are wasted or how much trash ends up in my potato bin, I wouldn't have celebrated my holiday in any other way because I love these people so much. We get along so well, we have plenty to talk about, and we are content to be with each other from morning until night. My son-in-law once said, "You guys are happy just sitting around the room with each other." That is certainly true, but honestly, we are rarely silent. He is the same son-in-law that says "Your family is just like being in My Big Fat Greek Wedding." Our family gatherings are never boring. The kids entertain each other and us old folks. We have such a good time. We rarely miss a holiday with each other. Sometimes, when it is too long between holidays, we just have a day together for the fun of it. There are plenty of birthday parties in between some of the holidays, so we don't go too long without getting together. And forget about 2-hour birthday parties -- when we get together, we never want to leave because the kids are having such a good time. I feel sorry for people who don't have what we have. Our camaraderie is legend. I am truly blessed to have been put in this family. This holiday is falling on a Friday, so we will all have a long party into the night with a bonfire and s'mores and then the entire weekend to recover from all the festivities. Bring on the fun!!

My Two Dogs

Well, let me tell you, I have some kind of dogs. They are rat terrier fiests. One is blind, one is mentally challenged, and both of them are going deaf. If we tied the dogs together, maybe one could see where the other one was going, but they neither one would hear a car coming.

Anyway, Sophie Elizabeth is my dog, and Maddie Biscuit is my husband's dog. Maddie used to be our daughter's dog, but she kept running down the street trying to escape and she got tired of chasing her, so we took the dog in.

I love them both dearly, but they do have issues. Sophie is mentally challenged. She is a PICA dog. That means she eats inedible things, mainly plastic bags. If you find a ziplock zipper laying in the floor, it just means that Sophie has eaten the bag part. If you hurt her feelings, or she is feeling blue or even bored, she eats plastic bags. Mostly those Wal-Mart or Food Lion plastic bags. She will, if she can't find her favorite brand of bag, consume a regular trash bag if necessary. Anything can set her off and she binges on plastic bags. Then, naturally, she has to dispose of the contents of her stomach (because plastic bags don't digest very well) -- how do I put this delicately?--there really isn't any other way to say this -- she barfs the entire bag that has been torn into little pieces and swallowed onto the closest piece of clean carpet that she can find.

Sophie likes carpet. She spends her entire dinner time carrying mouthfuls of food from her dinner bowl to the carpet to eat. Sometimes she eats what she brings to the carpet, sometimes she likes to leave it there to have for a snack later. Annoying habit -- though, she has done it since she was a tiny puppy. She is spotted on one side and has black and white markings on her other side, while her head is mostly black and white and brown. We call her the "Cowmation" dog.

Maddie is an escape artist. When we lived in Alabama, Wayne had to move the woodpile because Maddie was jumping up as high as she could from the woodpile to try to scale the 9 foot privacy fence. She managed a few times before he figured out what she was doing. She is like a hamster, if her head can get through a hole, her whole self will follow. She has chewed through her kennel door so many times (and it is chain link fencing) that Wayne has had to put rat wire on the bottom of the kennel door to keep our Houdini dog from escaping. My question is this...Since she is blind, where is she going? What is she looking for? The grass smells the same in the kennel as it does in the rest of the yard.

We have to be careful of Maddie around the dock. If she gets on the pier and loses her balance, in she goes into the river. We have to stand on the side of the yard hollering so she can hear our voices. Since she can't see, and she can't touch the bottom, she needs sound to guide her back towards safety. She has learned not to go too far onto the pier, but sometimes, she can't help herself and just goes swimming. It's got to be disconcerting to a blind dog to one minute being on solid ground to the next minute being in the water.

Eden Story

This is the funniest story...I hope I can get it down right.

Eden sometimes spends the night with me and we have some pretty in depth conversations, even if she is only four years, old, she has a lot to say. So, Eden and I were sitting across from each other at my dining room table. She said, "Meema, what does 'cannibal' mean?" I, of course, had several things pop through my mind -- do I tell her what it is, do I not explain it in detail, what should I do? Anyway, I decided to just answer her question. I told her, "Well, Eden, a cannibal is a person who eats another person." She looks at me horrified and said, "They can't find us, can they?" I calmed her fears and told her that no, cannibals are mostly in Africa or other far away countries, and since she is four, I told her that no one does that anymore. (I didn't want to cause her any sleepless nights.) I went on to enquire about where she had heard that word. She said she didn't know. I assured her that cannibal wasn't a bad word and that she could tell me where she heard it. Then, I told her that I was sure that she did know where she had heard that word, and she told me that her cousins hollered "CANNIBAL" when they jumped into the pool. I was laughing so hard. After I could control myself, I explained to her that the boys were actually hollering, "cannon ball" when they jumped into the pool because they were rolling themselves into balls and jumping off into the water. She was very relieved that the boys weren't talking about cannibals. All's well that ends well.

First Attempt

Well, here I am -- on the world wide web. Just waiting for someone to read my blog. I never imagined that I would do this, but, lots of people blog. Just a way to get things out of my mind, I guess. Don't really know what anyone would be interested in hearing from me, so I will just tell you some funny stories about my family.

Now that I want to write about something, my mind is going blank...ok, here goes:


My granddaughter is always saying funny things. One day, she told me that her other grandmother was her favorite. I asked her why she was her favorite and she replied, "Because the answer is always 'yes', and she gives me treats." I guess you can't argue with that logic.


This same granddaughter once pushed my bangs away from my face and noticed my gray hair. She said, "What in the world is all over your hair?" I guess she thought my hair color was actually blonde.


At a recent cookout, one of my little nephews and their grandmother were comparing muscles. The boys tightened up their arms and showed off their little muscles. The grandmother did her arm muscle, and one of the boys said, "Mamaw, your muscle is on the bottom of your arm!" What a hoot. Little kids notice everything, even when we think they don't.


I have a blind dog. One day, she was standing patiently waiting for someone to open the door, but she was standing in front of a brick wall waiting expectantly for it to open. We laughed and then felt sorry for the poor dog and let her in the door. She had no idea she was so funny. It was a sight, though.