Happy Birthday, Baby Boy!!!

Seems like it wasn't so long ago that my baby was...well... just a baby. His main interests were his mommy, his thumb, and his blankie. How do the years disappear so quickly?

Happy 26th birthday! *sigh*

Izzy to the Rescue!

No, not my Izzy. This Australian Shepherd from Cambridge, MN is a prime example of how a rescued dog can end up rescuing you.

Quote

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.

~George Washington Carver (January 1864 – January 5, 1943)

On his grave was written, He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world.

Riceworks

Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps. Try them. You will not regret it. Unless you're like me and have a weakness for crunchy food, then you will be unable to keep your hand out of the bag.

According to the web site, these wonderful crisps are wheat and gluten free, all natural, and contain no preservatives. There is no trans fat, no cholesterol, 33% less fat than potato chips, vegan and celiac friendly, and kosher certified.

Something this healthy shouldn't taste this good.

Although they look like Doritos, they have distinguished themselves by using the term "crisp". The word crisps sounds so much more sophisticated then chips. The powers that be made a pretty smart move there, although they are positioned on the same aisle with the lowly potato chip.

My only complaint is the high price and small size of the bag. So far, these two negatives are actually a positive since it's keeping me from becoming a full-blown crisp whore.

The Sweet Chili flavor is completely intoxicating. Proceed with caution. You have been warned.

Reflecting

As a child, I felt extremely isolated and unloved. I have always admired families that interacted in a loving way and yearned for a family like that. Growing up, I was drawn to TV shows like The Waltons and The Brady Bunch. I would lose myself in books, especially the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. I would have traded the modern city for life on the prairie with Laura and her family in a heartbeat.

I wish I could have had the tools to create that healthy family environment in my real life. But I tried to rush things and have babies too soon. Though I love them all to death, I was ill prepared to deal with the demands. I'll always regret so much about that.

Last week I took on the gargantuan task of scanning my entire photo collection - you know, the ones before the days of digital. There are albums and boxes galore! What good are they doing locked away in a dark closet? Well, I've reacquainted myself with the collection, which has got me all melancholy and reflective this week.

I used to think that my mother was cold and unloving, but looking at our vacation photos made me realize that I must be remembering wrong. Every summer we went somewhere pretty cool with my grandparents and my aunt (my mother's kid sister). I know it must have taken a lot of saving and discipline for a single mother on a tight budget.

Look, my mother is actually holding me close to her side on our trip to Colorado.Although my mother was (is) afraid of germs, I was allowed to pet the goats.

Here are the huge birthday parties my mother would throw for me every year. I would vomit from nervousness before each one. I still get intensely nervous before parties. :/



My mother documented my first day of school at Glen Oaks Elementary in Baton Rouge. There are more, but I don't want to bore you with them. My first grade teacher, Mrs. Milton, was so kind. She knew I had just lost a sister, causing me to start school late, and was especially compassionate.



My mother, industrious soul that she was, always sewed our Christmas and Easter outfits.


So my question is: do photos lie or do memories lie? It might be a bit of both.

New Look & Trip Update

Do you like the new look? My blog needed a little remodeling, so I went batshit crazy. I'm not bowled over by it, but it does reflect my mood. Feeling very unsure of my job and what the future holds these past few months, as I'm sure many others are. This template certainly fits my emotional state, so it might be here for a while. I hope it doesn't overstay its welcome, though. When the template changes to a nature scene of some kind, you will know that I have emerged from my funk and all is well in my world again.

In the meantime, here are some photos I took in Louisiana with my daughter last week. We had a good time visiting my mom, our relatives, and her friends. We actually did a little cooking which was nice, but we also dined in restaurants and ate like royalty. Both of us flushed money down the toilet at The Hollywood Casino -- toilets being the slot machines. We tried our hand at roulette, blackjack and video poker, but fared even worse there. Lady luck was not with us this trip. On the last day we went downtown to take pictures and we were able to tour the Louisiana Old State Capitol building. I had my first wedding reception there in 1980. Seeing it again 29 years later, I was able to appreciate the aesthetics more. It is really stunning inside and out.

Interior of the Louisiana Old State Capitol building

Louisiana Old State Capitol building

In my mother's neighborhood

Too much fun shoe shopping!

Complete slideshow here.

Slacking and Blipping

Wow, it's been a month to the day since I last updated this blog. What a complete and utter slacker I've been.

Do I have a good excuse for being so neglectful? Is there some physical affliction keeping me from writing? Are cosmic forces at work stifling what little writing abilities I possess? No. No. And 'maybe'.

Between Twitter, Facebook, photography excursions, and all the new gadgets, my time seems like a fart in a hurricane. I wonder: Can A.D.D. be acquired at 48 years old? I might be a new case study. :)

Another pretty major player has entered the scene: DJ-ing online. That's right--thanks to Jay, I am now addicted to blip.fm. It's like Twitter for music, but instead of tweets, you blip songs. Create a profile, search for any song online, and click blip, which automatically adds it to your blip list. Stream the public timeline or play your Favorite DJs. Personally, I like the public timeline best because you get a wider variety of music. If you see a song you like, you can give that DJ props and/or reblip their blip. If you really like their blips, you can add them as a favorite DJ. I've found some great music and rediscovered songs that I had forgotten all about. It'll also update Twitter automatically unless you choose not to.

Check me out at blip.fm.lousianabelle!

I Dreamed a Dream

As most of the world has seen by now, Susan Boyle walked on stage at Britain's Got Talent and proceeded to shatter an entertainment stereotype. Maybe our culture has finally (and rightly) grown tired of plastic, perfect entertainers parading on our screens. She truly opened the collective mind, allowing everyone who watched her to throw out their expectations of what a singer should look like. She is more beautiful than one hundred of the current pool of entertainers. What a gift she has!

I wish someone had warned me how moved I would be to witness the performance of this unassuming, humble soul. For the last several days I've been seeing links about her and avoiding them. I don't believe in cruelly poking fun at someone for their efforts simply because they look different from others. But because I was bored and had to watch something, I clicked on one of the YouTube links, fearing another William Hung performance. Initially, I felt sorry for this woman who was obviously being laughed at in such a public way. However, my pity soon turned to awe as she opened her mouth and let go that first note. When the crowd rose to their feet in applause and I saw the looks on the judges' faces, I became filled with emotion.

Look her up and be inspired. (I would include a video here, but embedding has been disabled on YouTube.) The lyrics to the song make this even more profound.

I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving

Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
And they turn your dream to shame

He slept a summer by my side
He filled my days with endless wonder
He took my childhood in his stride
But he was gone when autumn came

And still I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed

My Head is Spinning

Help! I've fallen on Gadget Avenue and I can't get up!

A persistent, nagging headache has been with me for well over a week. My blood pressure monitor is giving normal readouts, so the only thing I can attribute it to is T.O. (Technology Overload).

I come home from work and can't concentrate on my favorite TV show because I'm thinking of all the amazing things I'm going to do on the new iMac, or all the great shots I'm going to get with my new Prime lens, or the walk I need to go on so that I can use the new Shuffle (which after one week, I still have not even used), or obsessively checking my email on the Touch. I'm like a kid that got way too many toys for Christmas. If I start throwing tantrums or acting like a brat, just slap me.

Facebook, Twitter, and all the blogs I read add to the chaos. My brain hurts. Really. Not only is my addiction causing brain pain, I now have the attention span of a gnat. If an article or blog post is too long, I will skim until I find at least one interesting word or sentence, and if I don't find it quickly: buh-bye!

Sudden realization: my life is becoming defined by a series of clicks. No wonder dog clicker training is so effective. Yes, I am simple like the dog. And that's okay.

I've never had an addictive personality. I used to smoke like a train, but quit pretty easily. If I see something starting to overtake my life, I am fairly adept at stopping it - from toxic relationships to cigarettes. I'll end whatever it is without any qualms. This love of photography and computers, though, has me a little concerned.

Gadget Overload

Yes, I finally did it. I caved and purchased the 24" iMac yesterday -- all because we were a little early in meeting my daughter and her friend for dinner.

Since we had about 30 minutes to kill, I asked Double D to stop at Best Buy so that I could purchase a pair of Skullcandy headphones for my new Shuffle. Like a magnet I flew straight over to the computer section first just to drool over the Macs.

Mind you, I had only planned on drooling, not forking over moulah.

Best Buy's marketing strategy of putting the prices in black on a bright yellow field worked. When I saw $1499 for the 24" with 4GB memory and 640GB hard drive, I went "Whoa!" I thought I remembered seeing it a few months before for $1799. I called my daughter immediately and said I might be late for dinner because I had just been drawn into the iMac vortex. She, being the ever diligent daughter, looked up the price on Apple's web site, and sure enough, the price was $1499 there also. Jay got on the phone and said it was a really good price and he also thought it had been more expensive a few months prior. My mind became trapped in buy mode and I was powerless to stop it. Double D looked at my pleading eyes and said to go for it. I figured 'ya know, I don't have a car note anymore, so why shouldn't I'?

I titled this post "Gadget Overload" because in the same week I ordered a 50 mm Prime lens for Mabel and the day after that, I purchased the iPod Shuffle for when I take my walks. The week prior, I purchased the iPod Touch. I have never made so many gadget-y purchases in such a short period of time. I'm hoping nothing new comes out to tempt me.

Jay and Autumn came over today to help me get my new baby all set up. Jay was absolutely wonderful, patient, and full of information to help me navigate this thing. Thank you!!!!!!!

Oh, I never did get the Skullcandy headphones. I think that can wait.

iTouch, iLove

Is it normal to be infatuated with an electronic gadget? To love it so much that you want to marry it?

Purchased just last Friday, a gush of love quickly developed as I stroked the face of the Touch, taking me completely by surprise. It reminded me of the early stages in a relationship. I don't want to go anywhere without it, and I think about it night and day. I need to touch it all the time. I wake up excited because I get to be with it. What beautiful music will you tickle my ears with, and what amazing videos will you play to dazzle my eyes? This thing gives, gives, gives, and I just take, take, take -- without any of the guilt.

My friend, Mickey, has the iPhone, and has always spoken very highly of it. Both of my bosses have an iPhone. I didn't really understand the draw until now. I concede: You are all right, and if I wasn't under contract with Verizon, I would buy the iPhone in a heartbeat. My patience will have to be tested a little longer. Until then, the iTouch is a more than adequate substitute. I'm pretty sure it does everything the iPhone does except make phone calls.

Did y'all know this thing plays music? I jest. Playing music is just one thing among many that the iTouch does and does well. It can act as a PDA which speaks sweet nothings to the anal organizer living inside me. I can download music and games directly to the unit, then later when I sync it to iTunes, it will download my purchases automatically. It has wifi, a Sarari web browser, clock, calendar, notepad, and calculator. The home page has shortcuts for Youtube, iTunes, Google Maps, Music, Videos, Photos, and Stocks. I try to stay away from the Stocks shortcut because it's always red and angry looking, but I digress...

There are over 1000 games -- many of them free. I've downloaded seven free different apps so far. The race car game was frustrating because I kept slamming into concrete walls. Besides, the dogs were a little frightened as I sat on the edge of the couch making circles in the air and shouting. I'm sure a more experienced gamer would have no trouble. Flixster is a cool app that plays movie clips, and will look up theaters near your current location. I can send and receive email. I can check Facebook and Twitter.

I could go on and on, but I'm missing my gadget with all this babbling, so I will go reunite with my new love and check in another time.

Not Much

Haven't felt too inspired to write lately. And I spend way too much of my time worrying about things that I have no control over. I'm getting better about it, but still, it persists. My family calls it the "worry gene". Everyone on my mother's side of the family has it. My father's side is even worse, so I just have to accept that it's part of me and try not to let it get out of control.

One of the things I'm doing to combat the problem is to walk a mile at least 3 times a week. I've found that when I go around 7:20ish, I get to marvel over the amazing sunset. We seem to have such spectacular colors here, and we're at a high elevation which offers an amazing vantage point. It makes me want to walk just to watch - like I'm going to a show or something. It's a great mood enhancer, I must say. I just love nature.

Spring has been particularly beautiful this year, so Mabel has dutifully captured some of it for me. Here are a few that make me happy:

Sunset last Saturday

Sunset last Saturday

My neighbor's Cherry Blossom Tree

Taken Feb 12, 2009

The Times They Are a Changin'

Below is a conversation I had with my mom yesterday. She's so cute with her cajun accent and sing-song voice:

Mama: Why was my newspaper so thin today? There was hardly anything to it.

Me: I'm afraid you're hanging onto a dinosaur. People are getting their news from the internet now. Don't be surprised if your paper bites the dust soon.

Mama: Well, how am I going to know who died? I read the obituaries every day.

Me: It may be time for us to revisit the idea of getting you a computer. The news is much more timely on the internet, anyway. By the time they print the paper and get it to your door, it's out of date.

Mama: I wouldn't even know how to work the computer anymore.

Me: Oh, yes you would. You'd do fine.

Mama: Well, we'll see. I really just want to know who died.

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Speaking of internet news, I feel as though I am overloaded with it most days, so maybe it would be a bad idea to introduce this 24/7 access to my mother. She already watches too much Fox News. It's not as easy as you might think to break an addiction to the news - at least for me. Once my blood pressure starts to go up, that's my cue that I need to step away. That's why I love Neatorama. When I become over saturated, I go to their site and find beautiful gems like this:

Poor cat. While not exactly possessing standard beauty, it still is very interesting!

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Found this youtube on Neatorama as well: Everything is Amazing Yet Nobody is Happy

The comedian, Louis CK, basically pokes fun at what a spoiled society we are. It was funny, but it also served to put things into perspective for me. We seriously need to stop and appreciate all the amazing technological advances we take for granted. It reminds me of times past when I would complain to my boss about the computer and he would say, "Well, we can always go back to the typewriter and triplicate forms." This would always make me appreciate my malfunctioning computer.

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My daughter wrote a wonderful post to specifically highlight the things during the week that brought her joy. This is a noble idea from a truly perfect daughter! I think I may have to copy her idea at some point. I just need to turn off Rush and O'Reilly first.

Crazy Goose!

Double D and I discussed bringing our dogs to Woodlake Pond to see the ducks and geese, but after seeing this video of a crazy-ass goose attacking a mild mannered Lab, I don't think we will. I pity the goose who tries to attack Izzy. Double D would turn into a Ninja to protect his little girl. :)

Video found at Neatorama.

Homesick

In my family, and most of Louisiana, it is a tradition to buy or make King Cakes in the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras. Hidden inside is a tiny plastic, pink baby, and if you're the one to find it: YAY for you! That's really all I knew.

According to Wikipedia if you find the baby you're King or Queen for the day and are responsible for bringing the cake the following week. The baby is sometimes thought of as baby Jesus. Surprisingly, other countries use the King Cake for their festivals and carnivals. Colonists from France and Spain brought it to Louisiana.

I miss Louisiana customs like this! I'm so homesick today. :( Even though New Orleans has changed drastically since Hurricane Katrina, I hope the people are partying like only they know how. Geaux New Orleans!

Facebook

So I've been on Facebook now for a year or two. Never really got into it or checked my page very often. I was already tiring of MySpace, so why would I need another networking site when Myspace was so lame? In fact, I had the email notifications turned off in Facebook so I never knew when someone was trying to poke me, send me a drink, bake me a cupcake, or give me hug. Once I discovered I had these offers, I had no idea how long they'd been there, so I just deleted them. Then I'd feel horribly guilty afterwards.

Then Jay invited me and my daughter to the Ft. Worth photography shoot with his Facebook amateur photography group. After meeting such nice people during that outing, I decided to check them out on Facebook and even friend requested a couple. Next thing I know, I've got about ten new friends. People are commenting on my photos, and I on theirs. I was like, 'Okay, this is pretty cool!'

Being part of a group makes a huge difference, I must say. Suddenly, I'm sending "good karma" and "Mardi Gras beads", but only to a select few because I still feel kind of juvenile doing it. I most definitely feel stupid posting "status updates", so I don't do those very often. I mean, really, who cares what I'm up to all the time? I don't want to sound rude, but do I really need to know you're on your second cup of coffee? The status update should be reserved for something funny, shocking, or weird, in my opinion. I have enough minutiae in my day, thank you. I don't know...perhaps I just don't get that aspect of Facebook.

It does have some cool features, though. I really like the iMusic application that lets you post music videos and songs to your page. There is also a music challenge game where you try to guess either the artist or the name of the song in under 30 seconds. The faster you guess, the more points you're awarded. It's pretty cool. I'm up to the level of "Music Expert" now, and my best streak is 145 points, with 70% accuracy overall. I also like that Flickr can be linked to my page showing my latest uploads.

Now that you have an idea of how sucked into this thing I am, I'll divulge my latest Facebook interaction. Last week someone from my old high school found me. Next thing I know, I have more requests from high school classmates that I do not EVEN remember. I was forced to unearth my old yearbook to try and put a name with a face. Some I'm remembering and some not so much. This is the same school where I was suspended for 3 days for dropping the F-bomb on Mr. Meador, caught smoking on numerous occasions, and skipped class on a pretty consistent basis. I'm hoping that most of my horrible antics have long been forgotten by these rediscovered classmates.

Most of the kids from the group I hung out with are in the "Lost" category on the school alumni web site. No surprise there. When I looked at the Memorial page, I was shocked that some of my good friends were on there. I found out through the organizer that three of them committed suicide, one died of AIDS, and I already knew about the one drug overdose. Sad.

If you don't want to be found, don't sign up for Facebook; however, I'm glad I was found because I have been reliving my high school years through notes, pictures, and yearbooks, and remembering how many funny, special friends I really had. I miss them all and hope the surviving ones are well.

Woodlake Pond

Itching to use my camera yesterday, I took advantage of the nice weather after work, stopping at Woodlake Pond. The ducks and geese were going wild over bread offered by the little neighborhood kids. It's not as easy as you think to photograph these creatures when they're flying around like kamikazes and look like they're going to dive smack into the camera lens. It's a frightful sight magnified to 200mm.

Speaking of cameras, I think I need to give mine a name. Hmmm...let me think...

Mabel sounds like a sturdy, reliable moniker. Mabel, it is then!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Isn't this quote beautiful?Since I'm not a terribly romantic person, here's some snark to offset the mush (thanks to Pam):
Have a great Valentine's day, everyone!

Trippin' Down Memory Lane

Earlier in the week I turned the house upside down looking for my old concert stubs. I was updating my facebook profile with all the concerts I attended and for some reason it became a life or death situation for me to find those stubs. Honestly, I don't know what gets hold of me sometimes.

Refusing to give up, I finally found them late that night, buried deep in the cedar chest in one of those photo albums with the clear, sticky pages that had clearly lost its stickiness. The concert tickets fell out when I picked the book up and at that moment, I knew what a lottery winner must feel like. I was so excited I could hardly sleep, turning on my bedside lamp every few minutes to gaze at the tickets in an effort to remember who I went with, the songs, musicians, etc. Sadly, there's not much I remember clearly.

Another thing I stumbled on was my cherished box of letters from junior high and high school. I kept every single love letter, note passed in class, and card. There is something about written words from someone I care about that I can't bear to part with. If anyone writes anything to me, I will treasure it for the rest of my life. Here is a letter from my first serious boyfriend that I thought amusing; I was 14 and he was 15.

Dear Gail,

'Happy Birthday,' I hope you like what I got you. I know how you feel about not being able to go to the concert with me. That's alright. They'll have plenty more after this one and you'll probably be able to go to at least one. Don't bug your mother anymore about it because I don't want you to get in trouble. I think my mother could bring us to see Tommy this Saturday night if you can go. Are you going to spend a night at Riena's house Friday night_______. The races aren't until a week from this Saturday. My farther talked to your mother yesterday and told her I might be quiet at first but after awhile you'll never know what happens. She told my farther that she didn't mind me coming over just as long if it's after 5:00. Sorry about this messy letter. I can't spell too good.

PS. I hope you have a real nice birthday.

(Love) Ya
always
Randy

Well, I wore my mother down to the nubs and attended that concert. It was a hard fought battle, but well worth it: Robin Trower, 1975 - the Bridge of Sighs Tour. We were on the floor, close to the stage, and I remember feeling overwhelmed, yet excited by all the people and pot smoke. I'm sure my mom lit candles and clutched her rosary the entire time. I think the only reason she let me go was because she worked with Randy's "farther" so she knew that he was a good Catholic boy (ha!) and came from a good family. Unfortunately, I grew tired of him after only a few months. I just never liked boys that were too clingy and possessive. And the boys that weren't - those were the ones I wanted! Go figure.

The Osbournes Reloaded

I am SO excited that my favorite celebrity family is back on TeeVee. I absolutely loved their reality show on MTV with all their dogs and craziness. The new show looks promising. Check it out.

Happy Birthday Sparky!

Love you, little man! Can't believe you're 7 already.

Fun Times With Photography

Last Saturday, my daughter, Jay, and I joined the DFW Amateur Photographers' Group in downtown Fort Worth. The goal for the day was "street scenes". I had never shot with a stated purpose before, except to make sure my photos were in focus and getting the settings correct on the camera - a tall order for a beginner. We usually just pick a place and hope for the best - at least that's how I approach it.

To ready myself for the event, I ordered the Sigma 18-200mm lens and had it shipped second day air. It was the first time I had ordered an off-brand lens, and although I was excited about the purchase, I was a little skeptical on how it would perform.

Not knowing what to expect from an organized group situation, and because I'm still learning the ins and outs of my Canon Rebel XTi, I felt a little intimidated going in. Factor in the new lens, driving in unfamiliar territory, and meeting new people - that's a lot of pressure - at least for me and my laundry list of insecurities. Would they take one look at me and say, or imply with a look, "What do you think you're doing here?" Those are the kinds of thoughts I was having.

Somehow I had forgotten the word "amateur" as part of the group name. If I had focused on that, maybe I wouldn't have been so fearful.

The minute we walked up to introduce ourselves to the group, my reservations were almost instantly dispelled. Everyone was so nice and accepting. There must have been 10-15 folks there, most of them Nikon users (yikes), and only 2 other girls! Autumn and I were in the minority all the way around.

We had some laughs and then took off for Bass Performance Hall where we were given a guided tour. After the tour, we walked around downtown until my feet and back ached. The day started at 9 in the morning and didn't end until 4:00 in the afternoon. I was so proud of all the great shots from everyone and especially the feeling of camaraderie. Check out my daughter's photos here and Jay's photos here.

Notable moment: As the group waited on the street corner for the "walk" sign, two attractive ladies walked up and said rather excitedly, "Who are y'all waiting for?" After someone answered that we were just with a group, I realized they must've thought we were paparazzi with all our heavy camera equipment, lol!

My fortune cookie at Pei Wei last night read, "Now is a good time for new friendships." I was all, 'What the....? Okay, this is weird, but good'.

These are some of my favorites from the day:

Angel's Gate

Angel's Gate is a wonderful facility that cares for special needs and terminally ill animals. I found out about them through Dogster's blog. Angel's Gate has been featured on Oprah, Martha Stewart, Guideposts magazine, The Early Show, and AARP.Susan Marino, who founded Angel's Gate in 1993, was a RN for over 35 years. In 2005 she became a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT). She is also a New York State Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator. She runs the facility with the help of her partner in life and in business, Victor LaBruna. They call their home "The Island of Enchantment".

The story that grabbed my heart and squeezed hard was that of 47 Chihuahuas rescued from a puppy mill in Alabama. Of that number, 12 were not adoptable. The before pictures were heart wrenching and I purposely did not include them here. If you'd like to read each of their stories, click here. Below is the after picture just two weeks later, and boy is there a difference!
Nothing makes my blood boil more than hearing these two words: Puppy mills. When will we as a society abolish this abhorrent "business"? Time and again, it is shown that the animals are treated like a piece of machinery, with only the barest of essentials to survive, minimal human contact, no medical care, then discarded when the poor, defenseless animal can no longer produce. It is shameful. It's hard to accept that there are evil beings parading around on this earth as though they are human beings.

Once you read some of the stories at Angel's Gate you will be moved to make a contribution. I did! And I feel great about it. I only wish I could do more.

Hawk Warning

The other day a friend of mine blogged about a hawk that had flown over her backyard while her small terrier was outside. After she consulted with several friends, it was confirmed that hawks can indeed pluck a small dog out of sight to devour.

Even though I was grateful for the knowledge, it left me extremely unsettled since we let our dogs out in the backyard several times a day. I made sure I remembered to let Double D know that our two chihuahuas could not be outside unsupervised anymore.

Imagine my surprise today when I read an article about a chihuahua named Sparky who had been attacked by a hawk.

Excerpt:

Nine-year-old, seven-pound Dixie and 7-year-old, six-pound Sparky have been together for years now, with Dixie delivering 18 puppies over three litters. Like many old "married" couples, Sparky and Dixie bark and occasionally snap at one another, and now prefer to recline on separate sofas in the Stearns-Suarez living room.

But Dixie's loyalty knew no bounds last week in the backyard of the family's home in the unincorporated Wheatland View area near Naperville's far south side. Suarez said she watched as Dixie sprang into action, using her front paws to pummel a red-tailed hawk as it tried to fly away with Sparky in its talons.

"She reared up like a horse and attacked like a horse," Suarez said of Dixie. "That's the image I'll always have in my mind."

Fortunately, Sparky was saved by Dixie's bravery. He sustained puncture wounds on top of his head and will be okay - physically anyway. Needless to say, Sparky is now afraid of the backyard.

I shudder at the thought of the same fate happening to my little chi-chis. Not only birds of prey, but other predators such as coyotes can also strike; even in comfortable suburbia.

I Kissed A Dog (a Katy Perry Parody)

This video is hilarious, but not for the germaphobe. Although I'm a bit of a germaphobe myself, my own dogs are exempt from my neurosis.

Change a Pet's Life Day - January 24

Over 8 million pets enter shelters annually. With the latest challenges facing our economy, those numbers are increasing while the number of pet adoptions are remaining steady or declining.

January 24 has been labeled "Change a Pet's Life Day". Hill's Pet Nutrition is set to reimburse 300 participating shelters for the first 10 adoptions at each shelter. In addition to paying the fees for 3,000 pets, they are also providing free Science Diet pet food and a training/information DVD to all adopters, as well as launching a toll-free number to answer new-pet-owner questions. You can read more about this exciting project here.

"The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog." George Graham Vest

Special Delivery

***Warning***
This video is GRAPHIC!

Now, if you're still interested, this is a video of a Chocolate Lab giving birth to 13 (!) puppies by C-section. As I watched, I found myself holding my breath because the doctor was reporting that some of them had no oxygen for a short time. I tell you, as squeamish as I am, I watched in astonishment as Dr. Randall tore each puppy out of the membrane like he was unwrapping a present. In a way, I guess he was! :) Each precious pup was hurriedly clipped and handed off to every available person in the clinic. With 13 little critters, that took some time. Enough of my blabbering - just watch for yourself!

Inspiration - Finally!

The last couple of months I have been completely blocked mentally. It's all I can do to get up and get dressed for work every day. Perhaps it's the winter doldrums, the craptastic economy, worry over my job, worry over Double D's job, my kids, my weight, Bernard Madoff, and Barney Frank. Bernie and Barney make my blood boil, by the way. Adding to the misery, our Golden Retriever was euthanized in October, and baby Izzy had to be hospitalized after Christmas.

Damn, I just realized my life sounds like a country/western song!

This youtube about a special bond between a dog and an elephant made me want to post something again, even though writing an actual post is still a challenge as you can tell. Thanks daughter. Warning: you might need a tissue.

Happy Birth Minute

Happy Birthday my darling daughter!

I miss the ballet days, but I love where we are now, and what a beautiful person you've become.

Love,
Mom

In a Funk

The trip to my dad's two weeks ago derailed me, I think; drained me for sure. Disturbing, disconcerting, disrespectful, and every other dis word you can think of pretty much describes the visit.

At first I found writing about his weird ways and colorful language amusing. Or maybe I never really found it amusing, but hoped I could make some sense of his psychosis by seeing it all in black and white. This time he went so far over the boundaries of father/daughter appropriateness that my comfort meter blew a gasket. No, it wasn't physical, but the words - sexual in content - were damaging enough. Begging him to stop the discussion went in one ear and out the other. But not all of it was sexual. When he spat out "I hated your grandmother (my mother's mother) and I was so glad the day she died", I thought my heart would lurch out of my chest and beat its last beat right there on the floor. On the last day I felt such resignation along with tremendous sadness, knowing that I would never have a father that loves and respects me. And that I never did.

Oh, well! I promise I won't stew in my pity forever. Not sure when I'll get back to blogging regularly, but in the meantime the pics I took during our Christmas festivities make me happy. They are much better viewed as a slideshow. I'm really enjoying the tri-pod my daughter gave me for Mother's day/birthday this year. It really helps with indoor shooting, which I didn't enjoy until now. Thanks, daughter!

Pet Obesity Campaign

I am sooo guilty of this. Click this link for more information on pet obesity. Overweight pets can develop serious health problems – including diabetes, arthritis and even organ failure. Sorry, Sparky! I'll try to do better, even at the risk of you thinking I am cruel for ignoring your begging.