Diem Carping...

Sometimes the denizens decide it’s time to make their needs known to the resident concierge.

In this case it was simply a time to pause and reflect.

Hopefully the child doesn’t want to break into the lettuce in the square foot garden (an array of five planters actually).

So here is the reflection of the new resident…

Finally resolved.

We signed the modification documents yesterday.

It actually turned out better than I had even dreamed once I finally got to a person who had the ability and authority to make a decision.

The Hippiechicks are staying in their home!!!

. . . finally I have some resolution with them.

It is not perfect . . . but a damn site better than being without our home. I think I may be able to breathe again.

It was in “Snow Country” There was a certain point in my trip where there were a lot of cars just stopped along side the road and at first I thought there must have been an accident or something like that and then as I got closer I realized that all these people had traveled to this particular spot (probably all from Phoenix!!!) to play in the snow. There was this big hill and people were running and sliding all up and down, throwing snow balls, all of the usual snow activity. It brought back good memories of my childhood and all the places we lived when I was growing up where we had snow. (Ohio, Germany, New York and once even in California)

When I got home I asked Mr. Hippiechick if we could just schedule a weekend off and take the dogs to the snow . . . like this coming weekend. He said, “that would be fun”. He wants for Morticia to play in the snow. We are not sure how the pugs will do in the snow as they are so short, but will take blankets and the like for them to be comfy in case they don’t like it. I think we will have fun. I am really looking forward to it!!!

^{I took a picture of the place I saw where everyone at stopped to play}

Toby knew what he wanted for Christmas. The same thing everyone here wanted.

A ring.

Christmas was close, he could feel it. Ribbons were hung on the walls, and there were special treats with dinner. More people came by to visit, and everybody was in a good mood.
Except Emmett. When Toby shared with Emmett his Christmas wish, Emmett just shook his head.

“Toby, you and I don’t get rings,” he said. “Look at us, a couple of losers who were given up on. It’s the youngsters that get rings.”

Toby looked at his reflection in his water dish. There was gray on his muzzle and along the tips of his ears. It was true he couldn’t play fetch like he used to. And his legs hurt when he walked too much.

But he could still race to the front door when he heard it swing open, wagging his tail like a pup, and go on a slow walk around the block, sniffing here and there. And how he loved to curl up at the foot of the bed, keeping watch during the night.

But those were the old days. Now he was here, with Emmett instead of with -

“See, here we go again,” Emmett said as puppies up and down the long hallway yapped and barked, a sign that people had just arrived. Emmett stretched out on the concrete next to his water dish. “Wake me when it’s over.”

Toby peeked through the gate and saw a little boy and girl walking slowly his way. They stopped in front of almost every kennel, and sometimes they would kneel in front of one and laugh.

Toby wished them closer, his tail wagging. He knew if they saw him, then maybe . . . just maybe . . .

“Don’t get your hopes up,” said Emmett, his eyes still closed. “You’ll only be disappointed.”

Toby looked down the hall. The woman in the blue shirt who brought food every day was opening one of the gates. A brown puppy bounded out and into the arms of the girl, who squealed with delight.

From her back pocket, the woman in the blue shirt brought out a ring, pale gray, just like all the rings. She slipped it over the puppy’s head.

“Everyone wants cute and adorable,” Emmett said as he heard the door close, knowing what surely had happened. “Years ago we were cute and adorable. No more.”

But it was Christmastime, Toby thought. Things are different at Christmastime. There is happiness. There is cheer.

There is hope.

Toby remembered when he had a home and a bed and a yard and a person who loved him. But one day people came and they were crying, and the next day he was here. Now all he wanted was a ring, again.

Emmett opened an eye when the barking started again but closed it as he stretched out. Toby pressed his muzzle to the gate and wished again.

“It’s Christmastime,” he said. “A season for miracles.”

He saw the woman in the blue shirt, and she had by the elbow a man walking very slowly down the aisle. They were talking, but Toby couldn’t hear them over the barking.

They came closer. And closer.

Almost, thought Toby. Almost.

Toby squeezed his eyes shut. He wished harder than he had ever wished before.

“Hey, fella, what’s your name?” Toby heard.

He opened his eyes.

Toby noticed the man had gray around his muzzle and more gray around his ears. He was bent over slightly, and Toby noticed a cane holding the man up.

Toby wagged his tail and put his paw on the gate, and when he did, it opened.

The woman in the blue shirt reached behind her. There in her hand was a ring. Gray, like all the rest. But the man shook his head.

Please, Toby wished. Please.

The man reached behind him and pulled out his own ring. It was red and had green and gold stones that glittered in the light.

He slipped it over Toby’s head.

Toby was going home.

“C’mon, boy,” the man said. “Cute and adorable, you are. Lots of life left in you, fella.”

As Toby placed one paw outside the kennel, he stopped for just a little. Lowered his head for just a little. Glanced behind him for just a little.

The man looked at Emmett, and Emmett looked at the man.

“That one, too, if it’s OK,” the man said. “Looks like a set I’d hate to break up. My home may be a bit small, but my heart is big enough.”

The woman in the blue shirt took the ring and slipped it over Emmett’s head.

And that’s when Toby knew Christmas miracles do happen.

Emmett wagged his tail and spun in a circle and barked. Just as if he were a puppy.

^{From “Toby and the Christmas Ring,” copyright 2008, by Scott Craven}

I am at my wits end…

My companion’s computer seems to be periodically posessed.

The software will alternately work (or not)...

The ever popular BSOD is a regular visitor….

At the moment I can best describe the attitude thusly…

This was a moment of magic…

Emerging from a shopping trip we encountered something straight out of my childhood.

Not just the old Salvation Army kettle and the hired bell ringer that has become the new norm…

No, this was an honest to G_d uniform wearing pair of genuine SALVATION ARMY KETTLE BAND players!

Nothing says Christmas quite the same as the glorious noise of a real brass band belting out Hark the Herald Angels Sing...

A young man named John received a parrot as A gift. The parrot had a
bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the
bird’s mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John
tried and tried to change the bird ’ s attitude by consistently saying only
polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of
To ‘clean up’ the bird’s vocabulary.

Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot
yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and
even ruder. John, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and
put him
in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and
screamed. Then sudd enly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard
for over a minute.

Fearing that he’d hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to
the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John’s outstretched arms
and said “I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and
actions. I’m sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I
fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and
unforgivable behavior.”

John was stunned at the change in the bird’s attitude. As he was about to
ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his
Behavior, when the bird continued, “Might I ask what the turkey did?”

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Animal Rescue

Hi, all you animal lovers. This is pretty simple… Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals.

It takes less than a minute (How about 20 seconds) to go to their site and click on the purple box “fund food for animals” for free.

This doesn’t cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising.

Here’s the web site! Pass it along to people you know.

CLICK HERE

PLEASE TELL 10 FRIENDS !!!

There was a disturbing (to me anyway) headline regarding the number of elected officals who had failed a test of civics.

The test itself can be found here

Me?

I have some work to do myself… Not exactly failure, but less than I would have hoped.

You answered 31 out of 33 correctly — 93.94 %

Average score for this quiz during November: 77.6%
Average score: 77.6%

Better next time!