Helping Friends

Now some people will tell you "they are only animals, they can't think"...I beg to differ.
Yes we do tend to humanize our animals and often give them more credit for thought processes then they deserve. However, one animal knows when another is upset, scared , hurt etc. Some are opportunist, like the coyote and will take advantage of a sick or hurt animal, others will walk away as if they didn't care....although I think there is a reason why some animals seem distant to others....Funny, animals are not much different then humans in that respect are they?
Yesterday I witnessed something quite incredible and I'd like to share it.
I have two pygmy goats left, a mom (Blizzy) and a daughter (Oreo) they live with my two horses Red a male and Emma a female. Yesterday they all seemed to want to go out even though the snow was pretty deep in places...so I let them. AS I was cleaning the barn I heard Oreo bleating in her panic voice, which usually means she can't see her Mom. I ran to the door and I see Blizzy stuck in a snow drift way down in the pasture. The horses were with her, Oreo was up near me and seemed to know she was too short to go join her Mom. The two horses stayed close and seemed to comfort Blizzy, I watched helplessly, trying to figure out what the heck I could do to help. Suddenly the two horses looked at each other, as if in agreement and they each took a side and literally lifted Blizzy from the snow drift using their heads, giving a little push to set her in a place she could walk. Then as if on cue they chased her up toward me. They stopped, she didn't, but alas, before she made it to where I was she was stuck again...Poor little thing is so short, it doesn't take much. As I started to walk down toward her I yelled at the two horses to "Come help me!", never thinking they would...Before I could get to Blizzy , Emma came running through the snow, head down, lifted Blizzy's butt end up and pushed... What I would not have given for a camera.
I know how it feels to need help, which is probably why I give it so freely. Yes I have been burned, unfortunately not by strangers I have helped but by family and people I have cared about...but still I help. It makes me feel good inside when I know I can tell someone something that will help change their world...or a little part of it. When I can share what I have with someone that has less...knowing they will pay it forward.
I have observed many times, Oreo butting her Mom out of the way because she wants to eat her food, or does not want her Mom to have a treat..I used to wonder why she was so mean and why Blizzy allowed it...But yesterday I saw the caring side of Oreo..she was really upset that her Mom was stuck..Just like there are two sides to every story, two sides to every human being, there are also two sides to animals and they do in fact "Think", perhaps not on our level...but they do think and it seems to me they are capable of some type of reasoning...How else would they have known to lift her, instead of push her?
I've been an animal fan all my life and I have many stories...but just when I think I've seen it all...I witness something incredible and I wanted to share it with you....

It's a Snowacain!!

WOW!! We haven't had a snowfall like this in a while, but it is so beautiful. People are forced to stay in because a State of Emergency has been declared, which means only emergency vehicles are allowed on the roads.
The problem with being confined to the house is that people tend to get blue and they weaken and head for the frig. I hope that all my sisters and brothers on this journey will remember how hard they worked to get where they are. Even the new little caterpillars who are trying to lose the pre-surgical weight, need to be very mindful. It is days like this that will cause us to slip into old habits. truth be known, when I see snow like this it makes me long for my childhood. These are days that my Dad would throw the sleds in the car and off to the golf course we would go. I didn't grow up with the perfect hill like I have now...When I think of the hours my Dad and I spent of sleighs and skates it makes me sad...I want him right here with me now. He'd be too old to enjoy the sled, but he would just love this place...Missing my Dad as much as I do could very well send me into an eating frenzy. It's what I do when I'm sad and blue...Hell it's what I do when I'm happy, or when the sun shines or when it rains or when I'm in pain or.....well I guess any excuse in the book will send me into an eating frenzy.
So my plan for today is to stay busy, if I didn't have so many projects to do, I might clean a closet or write some letters or read a good book or make some Butterflies....but I will be busy with my animals and then on to projects I have been trying to finish. I will be far away from the frig, that's for sure.... My hope for today, just for today...is that all of us get through it remembering how committed we are and remembering what it took to get here....

Birthday Come and gone

WOW!! Time does indeed fly when you are having fun...
I had a wonderful Birthday, my grand daughter brought her parents for a visit and we had a wonderful time. As always they went above and beyond with gifts. We had some problems due to the snow. But we managed to survive them and fit some sledding in as well. This old body ain't what it used to be LOL both in a good way and a bad way. The good is that I never could have gotten down onto a sled a year and a half ago, the weight loss truly made a difference in what I can do. On the bad side, the bones are still old, regardless of how I feel and the body doesn't take a beating as well as it used to. With that being said, we just got a new snow fall and I am tempted to speed down the mountain once again LOL Hopefully my DGS David will bring his mom and dad to visit real soon...
I hear from friends in Florida how much they don't miss the snow and cold. They just don't seem to get it...been there, done that....lived in a warm climate and hated it. I absolutely love the cold weather, the change of seasons...Everything about where I live now appeals to me. One season does not last long enough to really be an issue...Unlike the hot steamy environment of Florida where it is either hot or hotter and the dampness is horrible...if I want to live in a rain Forest, I will go to a place far less crowded then Florida, or Gods waiting room as I call it.
We are in the middle of a major snow event as I write. I am thankful that I do not have to drive in it unless by choice...It is breath taking to see the snow clinging to the tree's, like a lacey cloak of white sugar...Mother Nature is dressed to the nines this morning. It is silent and refreshing as I walk and listen to the crunch of snow beneath my feet... No dear friends, I have no desire to sweat to the sound of noisy birds and bugs, nor do I wish to spend my days locked in AC because of oppressive heat.
I love where I am and now being lighter and healthier, I love it even more..Instead of just seeing the breath taking, ever changing beauty of where I live, I'm now a part of it. Playing and enjoying it.
Every day I am so very thankful that I had this surgery. It has made such a wonderful difference in my life. Not just in my health but in the way I view my future..All things seem so possible now that I am not loaded down with so much baggage, physically as well as mentally.
It is just a wonderful place to be and if I could make a wish that would come true, it would be that all my friends could find the peace and happiness that I have found.....

Happy Valentines Day

I'm looking outside at snow falling and wind blowing and praying that we can keep the driveway clear for our Valentine Dinner party.
Not that Valentines Day is anything special in the BIG picture. I think people should tell people they are loved ALL the time, not just on a special day. But having a special day allows us an excuse LOL
I've done some crazy things for Valentines Day. I tend to buy up Valentines after the day (they are very cheap), you know , the kiddie kind. People look at me like I'm nuts.
However, you will never have so much fun until you start handing out Valentines to strangers..Not just anyone...look at faces, find people that look lonely or sad or even angry. Older people are the most fun (they can't run away from you so fast). I hand them a Valentine on which I've written "Someone thinks you are pretty special"...I never invade their space, never seem threatening...just hand it to them and walk away. The looks I get are priceless.
The person usually always seeks me out either to say thank you, or to bless me, or to tell me how special I made them feel. I've never had anyone show angry or displeasure.
For several years, I visited Nursing Homes and handed out Valentines...OMG!! Talk about reactions and what beautiful stories I was told mostly about love lost. I often thought about writing a book...It's on my list of things to do LOL That list is so long right now I have decided if I don't live until at least 130, I'm in BIG trouble. Talk about incentive LOL
This year , as some of you know, I adopted soldiers for Christmas...but I did so in the names of groups or friends (seemed like more fun that way and it justified my failure to send out a lot of cards) in doing that I managed to find out that we have some guys there who never get mail from home. They mail this year...yup...Valentines..lots of Valentines...telling them how special they are, thanking them for the job they do and wishing them a safe journey home.
You may have missed Valentines Day as a day to do something special for someone...but there is always St. Paddy's Day, Easter ? Seems to me any day is special if you make it that way.
Happy Valentines day to all who come here for a visit...Bless you all.

Snow Expected

So much is running through my mind. So much I'd like to write about and share, but today is one of those days.
There is a storm expected. That means we may not be able to use the driveway for a day or two..We have to get in some perishables , animal feed etc. I have some mailings that have to go out and I have to go to the shop and work on some stuff as well as bring stuff home in the event I can't get down there for a couple of says.
Actually a storm would be good right now. It would keep me stuck here and perhaps I could focus on things that need doing around here.
I have been so focused on this business and getting things off the ground that I have forgotten other things completely. Being too busy is not an "excuse", I'm sure I could fit more in if my time management were better.
So for today, those are my feelings...The creative juices are flowing and a lot is being done at the shop. Perhaps I will post some pictures here... It doesn't all have to be about weight loss...Creating is all part of my personal journey and I've been doing a lot of that LOL

Excuses

Don't you just hate that word? I find my self making excuses for excuses...no seriously.
I can't get my studio cleaned up because......Oh there are many excuses, then I excuse the fact that I'm so busy, have so much on my plate, don't feel well etc., etc.....
Yet when I hear other people making excuses for bad behavior, it is so obvious. Why is that?
Why is it that we see things in others so clearly, yet when it comes to ourselves everything becomes so cloudy. Do we think we are perfect?
Shoot, I'm the last one who would make claim to being perfect I'm disorganized, willful, opinionated, judgemental ..just to name a few LOL What's funny is I make no excuses for those flaws...I try hard to keep them in check and do a terrible job, but I'm aware so that's part of the solution ...RIGHT?
I make excuses for simple things. Things I should do, but would rather not do so I find a way not to.
This was all brought to the forefront of my mind this morning when I posted to a person who is trying to quit smoking. At first thought it was EASY, if I can do it anyone can. That was my attitude because no one was more addicted to cigarette's then I was. But suddenly my mind wandered back to those days. Times when Rich was on mid-nights and I'd realize I was out and I'd wake a neighbor up that I knew smoked. The sad part about that would be when I'd apologize and I'd be told "No problem, I know that feeling". No it wasn't easy at all and I made excuses for years as to why I couldn't stop. It relaxed me, it comforted me, it made me feel good when I was feeling bad...Wait a second...am I talking about cigarettes or food? Seems to me any addiction that takes over your life is a bad one...difference is we don't need drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes to live, but we do need food.
To my way of thinking, if we continue to make up excuses as to why we can't beat an addiction, we will never be able to battle obesity and win because in that addiction, we can never fully walk away from the source.
I was weak for many years when it came to facing my addiction to tobacco, but when I did, I threw the damned things in the trash and that was that. Okay so maybe I finished the pack and made it last weeks instead of days...but the point is I stopped. My addiction to food continues to haunt me. I have to deal with it everyday and now because I have a much smaller stomach to fill, I also have to deal with how I eat and not just what I eat.
When I first joined this program I thought their restrictions were ridiculous, I thought they had us jumping through too many hoops . Now I see it all as being "necessary", you have to be willing to check the excuses at the door and walk in naked...accepting the fact that you are obese and that you are willing to do ANYTHING it takes...including checking your excuses at the door...oh I said that already huh? I have heard it all...I love the ones that say their doctors advised against surgery...WOW latch on to that star, talk about a REAL excuse. If a doctor says NO, then it must be so. Pity the doctor that tells me I can benefit from staying obese...I'd see a new doctor in my future. Obesity is a disease that is taking over our planet and killing millions of people each year. It should be viewed with the same contempt as the swine flu as far as I'm concerned.
There is no excuse for staying obese. If dieting won't work then perhaps surgery is the answer...but there is no excuse. So in stepping off my "EXCUSES" soap box I say "The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours - it is an amazing journey - and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins. ".....

101 Years on Earth

I find myself thinking about news I received from a dear friend. Her Mom passed away at the age of 101.
How do I feel about that? I am sad for my friend and her family. It is never easy to lose someone you love no matter how old they are, you want to keep them forever. My friend was a dedicated daughter, her husband and family were also dedicated to "Mom". She was a wonderful woman and very special. Unlike a lot of parents who live with children this lady was a help, she knew when to back off and give her family space, but she was always there when she was needed.
She had a ready smile for visitors and a kind word for everyone she met. The love she had for her family was so obvious in everything she did. Yes, I'm sure they will miss her and for them I feel sympathy and a sense of loss.
For "Mom" I feel joy...It was time for her to move on to a new Journey. She lived long enough to bury friends and loved ones. Long enough to pass on a legacy to all who knew and loved her..heck, she lived long enough to get a letter from the president and gifts from her homeland of Ireland ..How many people do that? How many people live long and happy lives, watching their family grow, children leave and start families of their own, their families grow and start families..How many people see all that and more? Whats more important is how many people do that in relatively good health and retaining most of their marbles ? No doubt that old age took it's toll, but Ellen would have me laughing about the shenanigans "Mom" would pull in the nursing facility she was in (by choice I might add). She was the Mayor of the place, knew everyone, made sure people got what they deserved, spoke up for people too feeble to speak for themselves...Her goodness to her fellow man continued right up to the end. She will be missed by many...I certainly will miss the stories...her passing left a little void in the hearts of everyone that knew her and I am no exception. But I celebrate her long and happy life and with a silent prayer wish her well on her Journey....