Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Monday, September 15, 2014
Blog Post: The predictability of craziness
The predictability
of craziness
One of my
favorite things to do is hang out with my dogs. Most days I can't wait to get
home from work to play with them. We have our silly rituals and they love
them as much as I do.
So on Saturday when I was at home, sick and crabby, my sole consolation for missing a race was the puppy love I soaked up all
day. My four legged nurses stayed by my side and even upped the cuddle
factor. I can always count on them and the extra love feels extra good.
I can also
count on mornings to start the same way every day. It goes like this.
The moment I am awake,
Maggie stands over me, and smacks her paw in the middle of my face. After doing
this once or twice she then sandwiches her little body lengthwise next to me, as tight as she can and lays her head on my
chest. Ellie rubs my face with her
cold wet nose, and after a few minutes of this will start to do Tigger circles. This involves spinning and jumping
at the same time, progressively getting closer until she lands on me. Maddie, the most awkwardly beautiful klutz I have
ever seen, simply flops herself on the
bed, lays lengthwise on top of me and then paws at me endlessly if
there is a split second I stop petting her.
After 5 minutes of pretending to be annoyed with this, but secretly loving
the sameness and fun of it, I ask them who wants food. Before I can even finish the question, they
are in a flying leap off the bed and waiting by the bedroom door. I then maneuver
myself with acrobatic footwork just to open it. Once the door is open they race down one
flight of stairs, then the second, skidding to a stop just shy of the door. Well most times it is just shy of the door. Maddie has been known to slide into it. Headfirst.
Once business
is taken care of outside, they skid back in the house and into the kitchen. A new routine starts all over because it’s
time to eat.
Night time
is just as fun,, they wait until I am almost ready and then race up the stairs claiming
their spots as though somehow there is a chance they won't get the same exact piece of space they lay in every night. I love the silliness, I love the routine, and I love
how predictable it is. Most of the time
anyway. Except at nap time.
The only
time I ever take naps is when I am sick. And I have to be pretty sick for
it to qualify as nap worthy. Today was nap worthy and I didn’t feel one
ounce of guilt about it. Snuggled in with my girls around me, I was
excited about the thrill of tucking in. The
result?
I got exactly zero minutes of
sleep. Part of the reason was anytime I
got remotely close to sleep I started to cough and would then have to settle
back in. The other contributing factors?
Ellie, who lay tucked right up against me snores like an 80 year old fat
man. You may think I am exaggerating however
I can provide audio proof. Her little
50lb body actually shakes with each inhale and exhale and each snore seems to
linger in the base of her throat, making the individual snore last just a
little longer than it seems it should. Occasionally
she will snore so loud she wakes herself up and any attempts to wake her or
reposition her head are met with an offended stare and an immediate return to
her musical throat rattles. This was
topped off by two separate barking fits from Maggie my poodle warrior as she
fought to save me and the house from an apparent imminent attack of invading
but invisible forces. Add to this Maddie, who has no tolerance for tension of
any kind, hearing the irritation in my voice when I wake Ellie or tell Maggie
to be quiet, flops herself on me and paws incessantly at me.
I should
have predicted this this is not the first time an attempt at napping has been derailed
by canine loves. But from the paw
smacks in the face at 4 am to the complete inability to get a nap, I wouldn’t
trade the craziness for a minute.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Blog Post: My Photos, My Moments
My photos, thousands of them, scattered throughout my computer
and memory cards. My phone holds yet
another entire library of my life.
The photos hold the stories of my life, the moments that make
me feel something and the moments I instinctively try to hold tight to.
They are grainy, off centered, have poor color, some have bad
timing and many are less than flattering. It doesn’t matter.
My photos and my stories matter.
Each time I press the button I am appreciating the moment and capturing how significant it is in my life. I am immortalizing the beauty of the moment, the connection and emotion that is magical in my heart. It becomes a treasure I keep and go back to time and time again. When I scroll through them, I don’t seem to care so much about the quality rather they bring a spontaneous smile to my heart, sometimes other emotions as well. Sometimes I feel connection, sometimes comfort and sometimes the memories are bittersweet. Each one is a view from my corners of myself just as I saw it at that second.
This morning as I held the camera high above myself to capture
Maggie curled in my lap. I knew the photo itself, captured with the camera on
my broken phone wouldn’t be a masterpiece.
The reason it mattered wasn’t in the quality, it was in the feeling of
being so loved and of loving so much.
Those are my stories, those are my photos.
 |
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Monday, August 25, 2014
Monday, August 18, 2014
Blog Post: My Superhero Therapy Dog + Pics!
I have been so grateful to have a therapy dog these last few days and she makes an amazing difference for my mom every time she is there. Maggie has worked more hours and consecutive days than ever in her career and has been a trooper!
Today was her fourth day in a row and she stood silently while a 5 year old pulled at her leash, placed his toys on her for a "ride" and she maintained her eye contact with a woman we met in the hallway who saw her and said "I could use some therapy".
She has interacted with countless people always greeting those who want to see her, pet her and get a small measure of comfort from her.
At home she is the brat of my pack, the one who is always getting the other two dogs riled up and crazy. Yet somehow she knows when she is "working" and the change in her demeanor is amazing! She stands quietly letting those who need her, cling to her and playfully nudges those who seem to need a laugh.
I am selfishly grateful to have a certified therapy dog to be able to bring her with for my mom, but I am amazed by her ability to change the day of everyone she has met the last few days!
Monday, August 11, 2014
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Beautiful Blueprints
"We've got to believe in our beautiful impossible blueprints"
Doris Lessin
Yesterday I spent a few hours at the beach with my favorite 5 year old. It was the most exhausting fun I have had in a long time.
Digging in the sand, schooching our butts on the sand in the shallow water until he was feeling brave enough to go deeper, catching him at the bottom of the slide until he determined he didn't need me to catch him. We laughed, we played and our only goal was to have fun and be silly, making up games as we went. With all his 5 year old astuteness he quickly figured out the breaks we took to go to shore to ch" eck on Grandma were also breaks for me and he began giving me one minute time frames for my breaks. Thankfully the little monster was not wearing his own watch!
My favorite moment came while we were playing in the sand though. Usingu our hands to scoop sand into a "castle" and our fingers to drill windows, I asked him how high we should build it. His solemn response? He looked up briefly at the clouds framed in blue and said "well actually I think we should build it higher than the clouds".
My reaction to his statement rippled through my heart, my mind. In that moment I was so incredibly grateful he had not yet learned to limit his wishes, his dreams and hadn't started to temper his wants with what others told him couldn't be done. My reaction was also sadness and regret that somehow as adults we condition ourselves to only wish within the limits we and the world around us have put in place.
A bit later when we were once again playing in the water, I snuck my hand over to his leg, giving it a little nip and then asked in mock horror "Did you feel that shark?" He giggled for a split second and then in complete seriousness put his little hand on my arm and said "Wait you are kidding me right?" Once I had assured him I was kidding it became a new game where we took turns pretending to be the shark.
I walked away from our day at the beach sandy, tired,, smiling and reminded of how amazing life is when your imigination has not yet been shut down, when sand castles can be dreamt beyond the clouds, when sharks could be in a pool and when your favorite color Skittle being handed to you by a tiny little finger is the best gift of all.
I wonder how different my world, our world, would be if we all kept a little more of this impossible blueprint in our hearts.
Doris Lessin
Yesterday I spent a few hours at the beach with my favorite 5 year old. It was the most exhausting fun I have had in a long time.
Digging in the sand, schooching our butts on the sand in the shallow water until he was feeling brave enough to go deeper, catching him at the bottom of the slide until he determined he didn't need me to catch him. We laughed, we played and our only goal was to have fun and be silly, making up games as we went. With all his 5 year old astuteness he quickly figured out the breaks we took to go to shore to ch" eck on Grandma were also breaks for me and he began giving me one minute time frames for my breaks. Thankfully the little monster was not wearing his own watch!
My favorite moment came while we were playing in the sand though. Usingu our hands to scoop sand into a "castle" and our fingers to drill windows, I asked him how high we should build it. His solemn response? He looked up briefly at the clouds framed in blue and said "well actually I think we should build it higher than the clouds".
My reaction to his statement rippled through my heart, my mind. In that moment I was so incredibly grateful he had not yet learned to limit his wishes, his dreams and hadn't started to temper his wants with what others told him couldn't be done. My reaction was also sadness and regret that somehow as adults we condition ourselves to only wish within the limits we and the world around us have put in place.
A bit later when we were once again playing in the water, I snuck my hand over to his leg, giving it a little nip and then asked in mock horror "Did you feel that shark?" He giggled for a split second and then in complete seriousness put his little hand on my arm and said "Wait you are kidding me right?" Once I had assured him I was kidding it became a new game where we took turns pretending to be the shark.
I walked away from our day at the beach sandy, tired,, smiling and reminded of how amazing life is when your imigination has not yet been shut down, when sand castles can be dreamt beyond the clouds, when sharks could be in a pool and when your favorite color Skittle being handed to you by a tiny little finger is the best gift of all.
I wonder how different my world, our world, would be if we all kept a little more of this impossible blueprint in our hearts.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Day 1
Well we made it to Glendalough and Wicklow Mountains last night, with a bit of an adventure on the way. Day 1 starts in a few hours.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Sunday, May 11, 2014
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