January 1, 2007

Hard to believe, but here we are at the first day of a new year once again.  For many, it's a day to recover from overindulging the night before.  But for a lot of us, it's a time of contemplation.  Looking back...looking forward.  Some people make New Year's resolutions during this process.  Some of us have learned through experience that the day holds no magic and that change takes a strong commitment backed up by hard work.  It can be a day of new beginnings or just a day off work.  Whatever the day and this new year holds for you, I hope you will find more fulfillment than loss.  I hope you will find more joy than pain.  I hope you will find more laughter than tears.  I hope you will find more peace than chaos.  And I hope you will find more love than rejection or aloneness.  My wish for you is that 2007 will bring you many blessings and when you look back, you will be able to say it was a very good year indeed.

Wishing you a very Happy New Year!

January 6, 2007

I am getting a new Miniature Schnauzer puppy.  Thanks to some wonderful friends who are buying her for me, I will have a little furry girl to love and who will bring life back into my home.  I have missed Maddie so much.  It broke my heart to say goodbye to her and I will never forget what a wonderful little dog she was.  This new puppy will not be a replacement for Maddie, but she will be a new little life to love.  Her name is Zoe and I will be picking her up on the 27th.  She is just under 4 months old and is a beautiful dog.  I'll post more pictures when I get her, but for now, meet Zoe!

January 12, 2007

I went shopping today...with the entire population of Tulsa and Broken Arrow, OK.  Why would I do such a ridiculous thing, you ask?  Well, the weather prediction people are telling us that we are going to have a huge ice storm.  They say this massive ice storm is going to start after lunch and will continue through Sunday at 6:00 p.m.  The temperature has already dropped from the mid to high 50's we have enjoyed recently to what feels like 10 degrees below zero.  I think it's really slightly above freezing because the roads are still just wet.  But it feels MUCH colder. There is also a nasty wind from the north and all of this is why I HATE winter.  Ugh!!

The mall parking lot at Christmas has never been as full as the grocery store parking lot was today.  People were grabbing food off the shelves like they were participating in some Olympic game and were determined to win the medal, regardless of how dirty they had to fight.  Shelves were emptying faster than the poor grocery store employees could restock them.  It was frenzied insanity and I feel as if I had a near death experience.  When I finally emerged from the store, I felt myself going into shock.  I couldn't believe I had survived.

Then there was the pharmacy.  The line was long and people were impatient.  Did I mention that the line was LONG...that it was moving VERY slowly and that people were VERY impatient.  It seemed to me like a good opportunity to take a power nap, assuming a person can nap standing up.  It certainly didn't seem like a good time to be living in the reality of the present.  I thought catatonia would be a good option, so I tried that for awhile.  I actually felt refreshed when I emerged from my catatonic state each time the line finally moved.

I needed gas too and debated whether it made sense to get it now, since I would not be going anywhere if the roads were covered with ice.  In the end, I decided to fill up the tank.  My reasoning was, considering the current frenzy, there was probably going to be a shortage after the storm.  So it was probably better to brave the lines now than face unavailability later. 

I'm home at last and thankful to have made it back safely.  I plan to pull the covers over my head and not emerge for the next three days.  I hope that will be enough time to recover from my ordeal.  And though I'm hoping we don't have an ice (or snow) storm, I'm really going to be ticked off if I went through all that craziness for nothing!

January 14, 2007

O.K. already...enough is enough.  We are in our third day of sleet falling almost steadily and the only way to get around is ice skates.  I feel very fortunate to still have electricity.  A lot of people don't, including my brother and his wife in Springfield, MO.  I can't even reach them by cell phone, which is disturbing.  I know this is probably a terrible thing to say and people may get mad at me, but we could sure use a little global warming right about now...

As you can see, one of my trees is splitting apart from the weight of the ice.  The branches are almost touching the ground.  Yuck!!!!.

Update:  It is 6:00 p.m. and the tree fell moments ago.  The good news is that it didn't hit my house - and it could have if it fell the wrong direction or twisted a little bit.  The bad news is, it tore up my fence in one place.  But it could have been so much worse.  I hope someone will cut it up for firewood and haul it off so I don't have this mess in my yard forever.  I've never any desire to learn how to use a chainsaw...

January 22, 2007

There was a big ball of fire in the sky today!  It was so bright, it hurt my eyes when I tried to look at it.  For a few minutes, I was really frightened.  And then I remembered.  It had been so long, I didn't recognize it at first.  It was the SUN!!!

January 26, 2007

I have a mouse (don't tell me where there is one there are others...nay, nay, nay, nay, nay...I can't hear you).  I am not happy about having this mouse because it has taken up residence.  Not only that, it seems to like me!  It follows me around!  Last night, I walked from the living room to the bathroom to get ready for bed.  I happened to look behind me and THE MOUSE WAS FOLLOWING ME!!!!  LIKE A PET!! 

If mice stay outside...where they belong...I have no problem with them.  But when they start living with me without asking my permission (which I would NEVER give), I want to kill them.  I want to kill them without delay.  Then I will escort them back outside as an example to other unruly rodents who think they can move in with me!

So last night I set three traps and baited them with mozzarella cheese.  I dreamed about hearing that nice "ka-whack" sound of the trap being sprung, thus reducing the overall national mouse population by one.  I didn't hear it.  But I remained hopeful as I bounded from bed to see if I caught the little stinker.  Can you believe it!  The traps had not been sprung but THE CHEESE WAS GONE!!!  And I'm thinking that it probably thinks I'm such a kind person to leave food out for it so it can have a tasty midnight snack!!!!

It's little (nay, nay, nay...I can't hear you), so I'm wondering if it didn't weigh enough to set off the trap.  Or maybe I set it wrong.  All I know is, one of us has to go!  I'm hoping it will be the mouse!!!

January 28, 2007

She's here!  Zoe moved from Belton, TX to Tulsa, OK yesterday and she has already become a great joy to me.  Here are some pictures...every new parent gets to brag, right??

 Who could resist that face...she's adorable!  And she has a personality to match her cute little face.  She's sweet through and through!

My brother, who is a cat person, was suddenly surrounded by Zoe and her family.  Her dad is on the far left, then her brother, her mother, and of course, on the far right is Zoe.  All of the Schnauzers were very friendly, sweet and loving.  The breeder's name is Kim Cox of Daystar Miniature Schnauzers and I highly recommend her if you are looking for a well bred quality Miniature Schnauzer.  If you would like to contact her, just e-mail me and I'll give you her information!

My brother, Mark, drove us (his wife, Dorothy and myself) all the way to Belton and back to Tulsa in one day!!!  I got to sit in the back seat and love on Zoe all the way home!!

January 29, 2007

I'll admit it...I'm a proud new parent.  I can't help it if I take lots of silly pictures of my wonderful little Zoe.  And I can't help it that I want to share them with EVERYONE!!!  So here are a few more Zoe pictures for your viewing enjoyment!

I have a snuggle ball bed by my computer under the desk.  It was evidently not in the right place so she moved it closer to me before settling in for a nap!

She really loves to chase her ball.  It's very unpredictable, which makes it all the more fun.  And because she's teething, sometimes she has to settle in for a good chew.

The windows in my house go almost to the floor, which is perfect for a pint sized curious puppy.  She is amazed by the tree that fell in my yard during the ice storm.

I'm smitten; what can I say!!  She's adorable!!!

January 31, 2007

Zoe is a Texan from Belton, which is pretty darn close to Austin.  So she hasn't had much exposure to cold weather and it's doubtful if she has ever frolicked in the snow before!  Thanks to this ridiculous despicable winter we are having (grumble, grumble), Zoe is getting to play in the snow today.  Yes, more snow...just what we needed after being iced in for over a week.  At least Zoe is enjoying it...

I tried to get a picture of her running like a wild child across the yard and back again, but I never was fast enough.  She can really run!!!