IT'S THAT TIME

Sometimes you just have to let your hair down...   and PARTY!

HAPPY 9TH MARRISA JADE!  

IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE IT'S BEEN 9 YEARS!  

I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK!!

Where Once There Was Life

The year: 1978.  Family and friends glided back and forth on the old wooden swing and others gathered around the crooked cement steps on a warm summer's night.  Reminiscing of days gone by.  Talking of memories, of a time when the world was good and right.  

Spring would breath life into the air after wicked winter winds subsided and high snows melted away, leaving an aftermath of wet muddy ground.  Budding flowers emerged. New beginnings and eternal hope sprung forth with the calendars proclamation of spring.

 Memories were warm with Christmas's past.  

Happiness.  Family.  Innocence.  The sounds of life.  The smell of grilled cheese and vegetable soup cooking on the stove.  The warmth of family.  A home.  Full of life.

Spaghetti dinners with fresh warm bread enjoyed around the little porcelain table.  

Lots of Love.  

Abandoned, now.  

Ransacked. 

Void of life.

Once upon a time.  Family.   Laughter.  Life.

Then, nothing.

Over twenty years empty.   

Memories, ever present.  

Across the street from our church sits my brother Jimmy's old abandoned house.  Every year he'd say, "I'm coming back to Maryland in the spring...  to go through the house."  

His time ran out when last year he died.  

Today as I visited the abandoned house I retrieved old photos strewn through debris and memorabilia under piles of junk and clutter.  Soon the house will be demolished as the grounds are now the property of our church.  New life will emerge in what form, I am not sure.  But something good will become of the place.  

Where once there was life.  

Saving The Little Ones

And the rains came threatening to sabatoge the family just outside my office window...

There's something about the little ones.  The innocent.  The poor, defenceless babies 

weathering life storms...    I feel helpless.  

Me:  "Gary!  We have to do something!" 

And so, my knight climbed the step ladder and puttied the hole where the 

rains were flooding the nest.

Soon mama bird returned and gave the little ones a piece of her mind.  I could hear her chirping from inside my office and I watched her bobbing back and forth in extreme animation, probably telling them that they should never allow humans anywhere near the home while she is away.

If they only knew....

Dear Diary,

There are days when I feel like a pup again.  Could be dementia.  Could be just plain spunk on my part.  Maybe one is only as old as one feels acts.  It felt good to rip up that package of tissues and spread them all over the floor.  Real good.  Gracie.

She's Trouble

Right outside of my office window, tucked inside the rain spout, a new family of babies wait for mama bird to bring home supper.  It's been going on for weeks now.  The building of the nest.  The activity off and on there.  And then, the babies.  

I climbed a step-ladder and tried to get a shot.   Awe... a newbie.  

Where are your feathers little birdie friend?

 There's nothing like babies to usher in spring, right?

 Dear Diary,

There was an incident.  Outside.  On the back patio.  It was twilight and mom and dad were in the back yard doing something with that big pool of water back there.  Suddenly I began to chase a squeaky toy real live birdy friend on the patio and mom freaked out "GRACIE NO!"  she said.  She pushed me inside and then came in and began the interrogation.  "Was it a bird?"  I pleaded the fifth and stared straight ahead.  "Was it a baby bunny?"  I continued to stare straight ahead, ignoring her controlled and angry tone.  Hey.  I'm a dog.  I like squeaky toys and especially if they run fast and make noises.   Mom says I'm trouble.  She's trouble.  Gracie.

It's a Happy Birthday

 

Dear Diary,

Today is Mom's birthday.  She is older than dirt at sixty-one.  Lindsey is taking her out for dinner today and she said I could go  she didn't ask me I hope she brings home a doggie bag for yours truly.   I mean, come on.  Her heart belongs to the dog...   Disregard any gift from Dad of personalized propaganda that you may have witnessed at the beginning of this blog post.   Gracie.

Important

Some things in life are just.  Important.

Like visiting my sis and taking her some big candy for her up-and-coming birthday this week.

And celebrating my own up-and-coming birthday at Rocky Gap with the love of my life, 

my husband.

Thanks Rocky Gap for the free birthday buffet/dinner!!

And then, going upstairs at the Gap and putting fifty bucks in my favorite Wizard of Oz slot machine and almost doubling my money....

And then.  Spending time with the grands.

Jungle Book.  

 

Yep.  Some things in life are just.  Important.  

Dear Diary,

I'd like to take this time to bring it to your attention, dear diary, that my needs and wants and desires are absolutely last on the list of things for Mommie dearest and daddy darling to be doing at this point.  No.  No dog projects.  Only things like building a deck for the swimming pool.  A screened in porch.  Flowers in the yard, a new golden ear in the front yard, and vacation plans which do not include the dog. See what I mean?  I see nothing that screams out let's see what we can do for our loving, beautiful cockapoo.  Whatever.  Gracie.

Spiritual Warfare and Grooming Gone Bad

There is a spiritual battle taking place in this world and it's not a pretty sight.  I don't know if anyone else can see it...  but to me it is crystal clear.  

 After yesterday's mini-meltdwown (Yes, I who seem to have it all together, have meltdowns too), I asked GOD first for forgiveness.

Forgive me Lord that I sometimes lack the faith needed to know that YOU will work it all out.  Forgive me for my tears.  My depression.  My hopelessness.  Wipe away my negativity and replace it with joy and a newness of heart.   Regenerate me that I may accept this worlds ugliness for the spiritual attack that it is....  and give me the battle gear that I need to go on and to claim victory over the spiritual demons that infiltrate my world and attempt to steal my joy.

 Have you ever watched the movie WAR ROOM?

It's a powerful movie!!   Spiritual warfare is happening right now in our world!

When I awoke this morning, my world was brighter (after yesterday's mini-meltdown).  Not because circumstances had changed, but because my heart had.  

I feel sad though.  We are self centered, misinformed, led astray, and manipulated by the evil one, the god of the world.  Many of us have been manipulated into believing that what is good is bad and what is bad is good.  

I am thankful that I do not need to rely on pills to sleep, to be happy, to focus or to be pain free and that so far my reliance on GOD has pulled me through the tough spots.  Well.  After a meltdown or two. I do not say this to be self righteous.  I say it out of true thankfulness of heart.  

I am weak...  but He is strong.

It's not easy at times.  There are days when I want to pull the covers over my head and say, Why get out of bed?  

But then I pray.   

Dear Diary,

Yesterday Mom got groomed.  BAHAHAHABAAHA!!!!!  She got her fur cut and she looks like a rat.  And I'm not saying that just because she says that about me when I'm groomed.  She really does!!  BOL!!!!!  #MakeOverMistakes  Gracie.

Days Like These

Sometimes.  I have a bad day.  

Nothing seems to go right.

But then I count my blessings and the gray clouds drift away.  

Dear Diary,

I wish I knew why mom, the nag keeps taking pictures of me.  

Every pose.  Every breath.  Every move.  

How cute!  She says.  Not cute.  It's annoying.  Gracie. 

Starting Over.. Or.. Uh.. Again

Okay.  So Gracie has not been keeping up her blog like she said she would.  And me, I have not been keeping mine up either.  I was just this morning looking back at years gone by thinking about how much I love looking at years gone by.  My life in blog.  It's been an interesting 5+ years.

And so.  It is time for Gracie and I to go back to what worked for us from the beginning.  GRACIE OWNS ME.

She does, ya know?

I miss blogging and talking about each day as though it were the best day ever.

You see, each day can be the best day ever.  It is all up to us.

Today, the sun is shining.  The birds, chipping their hello's.  I have recovered from gallbladder surgery in February, two family deaths last year, and most recently the flu.  I am still living.  breathing.  walking. talking.

I still have my Gracie.

Life is good.

Dear Diary,
Cough cough.  hack hack.  up. down.  here there.  Settle, people!  Gees!  Oh.  I'm talking about my peeps.  They be all sick around here and keeping me awake at night. I'm ready for a good night's sleep.  They say they are feeling a little better but you couldn't prove it by me with all the hacking.  On a positive note, I have had a total of four walks in the last six days.  Now that's what I'm talking about!  I'm not sure who spring is, but I'm pretty sure she is the one responsible for my recent good fortune.  Gracie.

Wordless Wednesday