Limburger cheese and Sardines

It's been a lifetime ago, but my nose can smell it like it is right here as I puppy-sit my grand dog.

New Year's Eve every year when I was a little kid was at Grandma Burkhart's house.  The old ladies and the little kids.  A night of disaster waiting to happen.  

Liberace on PBS in all his glitter.  Snacks in the kitchen.  Plastic horns awaiting lots of blowing.  Ultimately being taken away when we would hide them in the bed and blow them all night.  There was nothing scarier in the darkness than Aunt Thelma without her wiglet when you are a little kid except...

Limburger cheese and sardines in that cabinet in the kitchen.  Grandma Fuller would open it, and the smell...it was not for anyone who didn't have a steel stomach.  She would eat it at midnight saying it was for luck.  It was a witch's potion for longevity I think.  All it did was give me nightmares and her bad breath! 

New Year's Eve is upon us again.  No cheese, no sardines, no wiglets,  just the memories of relatives trying to take care of 3 rambunctious little kids who have all grown up really well.  I guess the cheese and sardines worked.  Maybe the wish of luck wasn't for her, but for us.  

Christmas thoughts - I am a lucky woman

For my kids

For my husband of 25 years

For my dogs

For my crazy parents who made me crazy and my bros 

For my Son-In-Law

For the Abrams 

For unanswered and answered prayers (Yay God!) 

For my wondrous friends

For my new job

For my straight teeth

For my coworkers in the Q unit

For my grand-dog 

For Christmas music 

For everything and everyone in my mind that isn't coming to my mind... I love this time of year.  Lessons are always taught to me.  Each year I get a little better at listening to them. 

And I can't close without, BOOM!  Ian, I will never forget you! 

Something is clearly wrong with him

The picture tells the tale.  25 years.

Was the night before New Years and all through the house

everyone was stirring even a mouse.  

The church was decorated by the patrons with care 

in hopes that a wedding would take place there.  

The people were dressed up all beautiful I had said 

while visions of marriage danced through their heads.  

Michael in his tux and I in my dress 

were just settling in for a go of it, more or less.  

When just a bit later there arose such a clatter, 

Michael sprang to his Jeep to see what the matter.  

Into the world they flew like a flash, 

Erica, Erin, and Emmy (they would require a lot of cash).  

Many times over the years we played in the snow, 

and I would gaze upon my man and my girls until I would glow.  

Year after year wonderous things would appear 

including many dogs, cars, happiness and tears.

Life happened, many times lively and quick

Sometimes slower, when someone was sick

The great times how rapid they came

I know I yelled and shouted and sometimes called coaches names

Now baking, and cooking, cleaning, and fixin

Building and replacing, barking and licking

To the top of their class, to hear their names called

Kick away, hit away, play away, all

We tried hard to make our way, even when inside he would whistle

And away the years flew like the down of a thistle

But I must exclaim as I am amazed to still be his wife

25 years down, let's have 25 years more of a wonderful life

The First Snow

The first snow of the season is always so fun.  It makes me happy and nostalgic.

Junior running relentlessly through the snow as if he is laughing and singing with his hair blowing in the breeze and then running upstairs and jumping under the covers.

Emmy shoveling with her dad.

The girls making snow angels.

Bundling the girls up until they couldn't move to play outside. Warming them up when they came back in.

Hot Chocolate.

Norman stuck in the way back because the snow was too high.

Seeing only Sunshine's head.

Carving out a path through the backyard so the dogs could poop.

Eating snow.  Before your mom told you what was likely in it. 

Salting the back porch so Lilly doesn't slip and hurt her bum leg.

Getting hit in the face with a tobaggan and having my braces fall off.

Forts.

Icicles hanging from the roof.

Tunneling in the storm of 78 to deliver papers.

Cream horns at the bakery.

Watching snow flakes land and realizing just how beautiful they are.

Enjoy the snow.  Keep your heart warm and your memories close by.  

Take that candied yams!

I wasn't always the super pleasant person I am today.  I know it is hard to believe.  I once had a temper and was kinda mean to people.  I know, say it ain't so...

My favorite "you are outta your mind" episode occurred one Thanksgiving.  Everyone kept asking me "do you want help?"  Now if I want help I will say I want help.  After the 10,000th time of hearing that, I had just opened the oven where the candied yams were baking.  I picked up the pan and the load shifted.  Yep bad news when you are talking about yams and aluminum.  So in one of my epic moments, I decided to just throw the pan on the floor and proclaim "I need a bit of help."

My mom was like "Jesus Shelley, all you had to say was stop asking me for help." Oh snap, the eyeball rolls, laser-eye looks, and snarky remarks clearly didn't speak loud enough.  Sunshine enjoyed the yams.  I think my kitchen is still sticky in places from that day and it was over a decade ago.  I don't know if that speaks to my cleaning abilities or the force I exerted on that food item.

Happy Thanksgiving to all and may you always have much for which to be thankful.  Gobble Gobble 

Big Norm

Today would have been Stormin' Norman's 17th birthday.  He was a phenomenal dog.  A miniature schnauzer of which nothing was miniature.  He was salt and pepper in color, had oversized organs and was a hulking 40 lbs.  He would lumber about all the time.  Nothing really made him crazy.  When he would go outside he would mosey about for a long time.

In the winter when the snow flew, he would go to the back of the yard and then refuse to come in.  We would have to go lift up that lug and bring him in.  He was heavy.

He was the first dog we ever had that Michael liked.  He would pet Norm in secret and then deny it if we asked.  He would rub Norm's belly and if we came in, he would act as though Norm had gotten in trouble.

Norm had a chair.  It was the blue lazy boy, which clearly described his nature.  If someone was in his chair, he would just hop up there and sit right on them if he had to.  He and Erin fought about that chair for a long time.  Now Elly lays in that chair.  

Junior reminds us of Norm and on this day, it comforts me to look at Junior and remember Norm fondly.  I do so hope there is a dog section in Heaven.  Norman is there sitting in a comfy chair and eating a bone.  He is likely sitting next to Sunshine whose beard is orange from just having raided some Angel's garbage who ate Spaghettios. 

Elly enjoying Norm's chair 

Cinder Elly, Cinder-Elly!

This is Elly.  Erin rescued her from the shelter.  She has 3 legs as a result of an October car accident which is what led her to be in a shelter.  She is healing well and is adapting amazingly.  She has more spunk and life in her than most 4 legged animals and most 2 legged people! 

I get to puppy sit her on weekends when Erin has to work. She is so loving.  When she comes up to you she leans into your body to rest her little tripawd frame.  She has a tongue about a foot long that you don't even see coming and then BOOM, you have been slobbered upon.  

If the Disney story is any indication of how her life will turn out, this Cinder-Elly is in for the best life ever!