I'M BACK

I'm back!

I went home sick from work Tuesday and Thursday

and I had off Wednesday so that helped.

But I had to work yesterday because I had someone coming in for a job interview.

I lead her around and showed her everything that we do in my boarding area.

I told her about the hours we would need her

and she stood and watched me and the head vet tech try to get an angry cat into a kennel. 

This is an actual photo of the cat:

Anyway, I also happen to be boarding a Rabies Watch, a quarantined dog that has to stay the mandatory 10 days before it can be released by a Veterinarian.

Actually most of our quarantines tend to be nice friendly dogs and the bites were not really their faults.

I mean it was a stranger coming into the yard type of thing or a little kid being rough or not playing nice...

But once in a while we do get some that we have to be very cautious with.

I was still coughing and it was raining hard outside and I just didn't have the energy to sugar coat the job.

I mean really, they need to know that it's not just playing with puppies.

So.. she said she had to discuss the hours with her husband but I know that

I will never see her again. I could read it in her face

and she had no enthusiasm for the job .

Oh well.

I do have another interview scheduled for Monday

and she sounded excited, so I'm crossing my fingers!

I do have a lot to share, lots of stuff about positive thinking/believing

and how it's already begun to work and people and things coming into my life,

but... I'll save it for later.

I need to get to bed.

I had to work today and then I tried to move some bags of cement out of my vehicle with a dolly and when it dropped on the dolly,

the top metal bar slammed forward and hit me hard in the side of the head.

I was rubbing the pain away and trying not to cry.

So I got it together and pulled another bag out of the back of the van, making sure to turn my head this time

and the dang thing hit me so hard in the nose that I thought it was broken at first.

I have a small nose and it was on the top of it, on that bone about halfway down.

I went inside and iced it and left the other two bags in the van where they will stay.

Obviously I'm an idiot, but I hope my neighbors weren't looking out their living room window that runs next to my driveway

or they might have had a good laugh.

So I've done some laundry and tried to catch up on a couple of people's blogs but...

I've got to get to bed because I have a busy day tomorrow.

I just want to thank everyone VERY MUCH for all the well wishes.

It really meant A LOT to me.

I mean that!

My sister did call today to see if I was feeling better yet

and I told her that she could cancel the funeral 

to which she she replied "Funeral? All I had done was rent a backhoe".

I know that she's kidding but still, it was so nice to have you all check in on me and... "everything".

XOXOXOXOXOX

I'll leave you with this story.

This is Addy,

a little dog that I've taken care of for YEARS. Her mom dropped her off for boarding yesterday and said this is the last time she will be staying with me.

Her family is moving to South Africa. Her owner said Addy's airfare will cost more than both her and her husbands and their child's combined.

So you know what they are doing? They are buying her a ticket!

Because THAT'S WHAT YOU DO when you move!

You take all your family members with you! Yep, FINALLY a happy ending story.

(Although I will miss her very much.)

Again thanks! I hope to post again soon with paintings and good stuff.

I'M SICK, but will be back SOON!

source

I've felt a cold coming on for a while.
I've been achy and have had a stomach ache for a few days
but last night I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't even swallow.
I got up this morning and got ready for work in a daze.
I HAD to go in because it's the day after the holiday and it's at full capacity
and so many pets were going home.
It's pure madness after any holiday and
so many had special feeding instructions and several were on medication and one on insulin...
So I drove to work, through the pouring rain and tried to will myself well.
It didn't work.
I got everyone outside to potty, brought them back in and feed and medicated them and then their owners started coming to pick up their pets.
I was so dizzy and I was sweating and....
I turned to the head tech and the office manager and said
"I'm going home. We have to figure this out."
I never do that. I usually tough it out...at least until everything is done and cleaned
but I didn't.
I drove home.
I came inside and let all my dogs loose in the house and went to bed.
I slept the entire day and then I got up and fed my own pets and I took some more cold medicine.
I laid in my big chair as my dogs played and now I've finally come to the computer.
I can't really think...
I'm going back to bed now.
Be back soon.

WEEKEND PLANS

So here's a quick post.
I took this photo yesterday as I was leaving for work.
My daisies that border my driveway have decided to bloom at all the same time!
Daisies never fail to make me happy.

Then as I was about to get into my vehicle, I noticed my roses are starting to bloom too!
Poor things, struggling to get some sun.
Eventually they will rise above and the daisies will fade and my other perennials will pop up too.

Today and tomorrow, I work.

My kennel girl is suppose to return from her vacation in time to work Monday.

(Fingers crossed, LOL!)

So this weekend, in between working at the clinic, I plan to work in the yard a bit.

Have to mow the grass and tackle some tall weeds.

The Lowes ad announced that hanging baskets are only $5.00!

and their good potting soil, that is usually $3.68, is on sale for 4 for $10.00!

So I'll be hitting Lowes on my way home after work.

And I still have some fence posts to put up, so gotta dig some holes and get that done.

AND I have some paintings that I started and need to get done too,

but other than that, I don't really have anything else planned.

Do you have any special plans?

I better get going! 

Have a Good Weekend!

MY BIG NEWS

OK, You might want to grab a beverage, and get comfortable because this is one of my longer post! LOL!
So, here is my BIG news.
Actually it's two things, but they are sort of tied together.
At least in my mind.
The first thing is, I am no longer going to feel like this:

I've been feeling like this for a very long long time.
Much too long and I'm finally going to do something about it.
No, I'm not quitting my job.
Well, not quite yet.
But I shall see what manifests and then be OPEN to it.
I'm talking about practicing the 
LAW of ATTRACTION.
If you aren't familiar with it, I found some definitions and clarifications by Remez Sasson
and you can find more HERE

1. This law is a manifestation of the creative power of the Universe.
2. It is through this law that everything is created: galaxies, planets, metals, rocks and even plants, animals and people.
3. Like attracts like.
4. Thoughts attract corresponding situations and circumstances.
5. You get what you think about.
6. You attract into your life whatever you focus on.
7. Positive thoughts attract positive events. Negative thoughts attract negative events.
8. If you entertain feelings and thoughts about hardships and obstacles, then this is what you get.
9. If you keep thinking and expecting success, and don't allow doubts enter your mind, you will eventually achieve success.
10. It is not enough just to wish for something, you need strong desire and faith to manifest what you want.
11. In order for your thoughts to manifest, you have to repeat them often, and add feelings, desire and interest.
12. The mind acts like a magnet.
13. Similar energy attracts similar energy.
14. Your thoughts determine the way you live.
15. This law is used by everyone, though mostly unconsciously.
16. Filling the mind with worries and anxieties brings stress and unhappiness.

17. Filling the mind with happy thoughts will attract happiness into your life. 

So, you might be asking what made me decide this and the answer is...
I'm tired of petty people sucking the joy out of my life and causing me stress and unhappiness. 

I had ANOTHER incident happen (I won't go into it here but) and I had to defend myself and straighten out what had actually transpired and... I'm done.
Done with the politics, cliques and general meanness.

Life is too short.

I'm focusing on what I want in my life and kicking the negativity behind me. I'm going to visualize myself into a better happier life!

Now, for the second part of BIG NEWS.

I've used visualization before but not a huge grand scale.
I've done it without actually even thinking about it.
I thought about my little Poppy when she was someone else's dog and boarded with me often. I was actually driving home and the thought of her popped in my head and I found myself thinking about her when my cell phone started to ring and I pulled over and it was the receptionist from work calling to tell me that Poppy's owners wanted to know if I would adopt her.
Another time I was at work and saying that I won't mind some day having a little dachshund, I was very specific. I said I wanted a smaller one, a female, a dapple and her temperament had to sweet and loving. Not even 10 minutes later, a woman walked into the clinic with a dog that was exactly as I described. The co-worker I had been talking to got wide eyed and then we were both shocked when the client told me I could have her if I wanted her.
So I guess I visualized them into my life.
A few posts back I was saying that I wish I had a energetic playmate, a poodle for my toy poodle Ping.
Pretty much all my other dogs are elderly and just don't want to play with her.
So when my friend who works at the Humane Society, asked me to paint her little dachshund (the painting I just posted a few days ago) I told her that I'd give her a discounted price if she'd keep her eyes open for a Toy Poodle with LOTS of energy and it had to be female. She laughed and said "Of Course!"
Now I want to point out that I am almost daily turning down dogs. 
You would not believe how many people offer to give me their dogs and I say No!
Recently I helped find homes for 2 Labs and now I'm trying to find a home for a Doberman.
(The Labs were victims of divorce and the Dobie, the owner is moving out of the country.)
Then the other day, four little tiny Shih-tzu mix puppies came in to be fixed from the Humane Society. One of the little females didn't have a home yet and one of the techs held her up to the window to me and I mouthed the words back to her
"She's not a Toy Poodle" and shook my head No.
I telling you this so that you know I don't drag home EVERYONE, although it might seem so.
Well, my friend text me again that she loved her painting and she had a little dog for me to meet but it wasn't a poodle. I told her I'd stop by on my way home but I highly doubted it because I wanted someone like Ping.
When I got there, she took me to a room and brought the dog in. I was told she was just over a year old and they thought she was maybe a  Shih-tzu mix?
After meeting her I think she's likely a Yorkie and maybe Affenpinscher mix.
The little dog walked in on a leash as my friend slipped it off and she just zoomed around the room! She was so happy! She jumped up and down and all around and when I called to her she flew into my lap. I couldn't help but laugh at her.
Apparently she had been fostered while she had her puppies!

Those puppies were HER babies.
Then she was adopted for 2 weeks, only to be returned because she had an ear infection and the people didn't want to deal with it.
So my friend had been caring for her at the shelter, treating her ears and she had just been given the OK to go to the Adoption Floor by their Doctor that very day.
My friend was in love with her and wanted her to go to the right home after all the little dog had been through in her short life.
The Director of the Shelter came in and laughed at me. She is a very good friend of mine too and she said
"I thought you wanted a Poodle!". I told her yes but most importantly I wanted high energy and a SWEET dog.
She knows me very well and she said she thought the little dog would be a perfect playmate for Ping. 
So here's the funny cosmic part. Or at least I believe it to be so.
Her name is Toodles! I told them that I had been thinking and saying POODLE but apparently the Universe heard Toodles!
Everyone laughed and I took her home last Thursday.
She walked in and greeted everyone right on the spot..
She was a bit of a mess from all the ear meds and being in the shelter.

She immediately started playing 

and then a miracle happened, she wore out Jimmy Chew.
When he gave up, she and Ping played

until I grabbed Toodles and gave her a good bath which she loved. Then I set her down and she was back to playing.

Every day since, all she does is play with Ping. they are even sleeping together.
The best of buddies.
Blue just watches her from his sofa and sometimes she will grab Nora's ball and RUN and Nora will chase her around to get it back and finally she will drop it and go back to Ping or Jimmy and play.
In fact as I type this, all three of them are tumbling and bouncy around the room.

It's amazing how this just clicked and worked.
I do plan on changing her name. I've tried out several.
I thought about ZIGZAG but she doesn't answer to it.
I've called her Tallulah but that's kind of a long name to say.
I tried calling her Tammy, because she's so sweet but she didn't come to that either.
I like the name Swoosie but I find it hard to say repeatedly.
Today I've been calling her Evie. So that might be her name.

So, maybe it's a stretch in some peoples mind but I clearly see this as a product of positive thinking and the power of visualizing the perfect dog to fit in the final puzzle piece of my fur family.
I think it was so easy because I believed it could be so in my heart.
Now, I must work on the rest of my life.
To remain positive, to have faith in knowing it WILL be so!
That HAPPINESS is in my power!
So, to me...that's BIG NEWS.

TOMORROW'S REVEAL and BLUE

Tomorrow is the BIG REVEAL.

Maybe I'm watching too much TV.

Every show is having it's Season Finales ending with Cliffhangers.

I'm afraid my NEWS might be anticlimactic.

NOT SHOCKING.

Maybe not even a surprise.

I mean if you been reading and know me....

You might say to yourself, that's it?

Jeez, I saw that one coming but....

Still, it's shown me that the Universe is listening.

and that I need to work on my ENUNCIATION.

and if this worked,

then the sky is the limit!

OK...

Must get to work!

Here's a photo I took of Blue yesterday...

If you Follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you've already seen it.

And... as they say,

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words.

DOGS AT WORK

My kennel girl is on vacation. After posting a sign-up sheet asking for help with coverage and only a couple of people volunteering to help, I find myself doing a double today.

Monday's are crazy busy and a lot of dogs go home. It's usually a mad house trying to get everyone fed and medicated and all their belongings rounded up and usually the owners seem to come all at once.

I couldn't ask someone who was nice enough to help me, be stuck with that insanity by themselves and besides....

I'd worry about it going as it should because, that's just who I am.

Since I would be gone 12 hours plus driving time, I couldn't leave my bigger dogs home all day without a potty break.

They always stay in the spare bedroom and sleep on the twin bed. I do have a potty pad in front of the door for emergencies but I don't want to encourage that and I do think 

Blue would bust before using it.

All my little dogs are in my laundry room and the floor is covered in pads. 

They use them without hesitation, like if it's raining outside or snowing or they got too busy playing outside and forgot, so they do it when they come back in....

Yeah, not too worried about that except for Poppy. That little one holds it forever.... 

But she will use it if she must.

So, here I am at work. Typing on my phone as I let dogs out and attempting to do a post WITH videos!

They are very short. 

22 seconds, 11 seconds and 8.

They are of Nora, Jimmy and Blue. 

In that order.

If you turn up the sound, you can hear birds.

OK, fingers crossed that this works!

And before I forget, I have some BIG news to share but need to post from home on my laptop...

Talk about a cliffhanger! LOL!

ONE DOWN and a FEW to go....

Well, I finished ONE commissioned painting during my time off.

I did it in my illustrated collage style.

I used acrylics, papers and Inktense pencils.

My friend wanted it to be of her longhair Dachshund who is constantly digging holes. 

I wrapped the cut paper around the sides so that there is no need for a frame.

Then I sealed it in a matte finish.

I hope she likes it! She will be getting it Thursday.

I've got a few other works in progress and I made a huge dent in my gardening chores so that gave me some satisfaction.

In other news, I'm back at work.

On the Plus side,  I'm doing all the flower containers for the clinic.
(Wahoo! Anything to be outside!)

On the Minus side is that 3 of the rescued abused dogs are now here at the clinic
and it hurts my heart to look at them. 

But on the Plus, they are getting better and the fourth dog is already at a rescue!

So... Enough about that.

Sigh.

THIS MOM'S Day...

I told myself that this was just a day. Not to think about it

and then yesterday when I stopped at the garden center for some soil

and there were all these long lines...

I tried not to think about the fact that everyone was most likely, buying Mothers Day flowers.

When I got to the check-out, the cashier asked if I was a Mom and I hesitated. I mean I am, sort of but....

She hurried said, "Well, if you're not, Happy Mothers Day to your Mom. Everyone has a Mom."

That kinda stung and I wanted to say "Yeah, but she's dead!" but instead I just smiled at her and left.

It wasn't her fault. She was just trying to be happy, cheerful

and I was in a hyper-sensitive mood.

Anyway, there's a lot of things I miss about my Mom

but I suppose it's this FEELING that I miss the most.

and I was lucky to have a mom like that.

Some people do have or had a Mom that wasn't.

I think it's important to remember that even if someone didn't give birth to you,

if they make you feel like that kitten, then you are blessed to have them in your life.

XOXO

WHITE HOT RAGE

I had thought I'd write a post this morning about this being my first day off of a very short vacation.

Wednesdays are my usual day off and

I have today, tomorrow and my usual Saturday morning off.

A mini-vacation.

I wanted to just paint.

No cleaning, tidying or yard work.

(Although I did pick up a few plants yesterday, BIG perennials on sale for $3.99)

and yet, here I sit on the computer.

Starting yesterday I received many texts, several messages via Private Messages on Facebook

and a phone call.

I debated posting about this but this is weighing so heavy on my heart that I must.

If you have been reading my blog for a while you will recall that there was a woman at my place of work who got caught telling the wage of a co-worker.

When questioned by HR, she said that I had told her. That I had gone into the Vet's office and looked at the check and then told everyone.

I had not done this thing.

When I was approached by HR I was so shocked that I immediately swore on Blue's life that it was not true.

Anyone that knows me, knows I wouldn't do this thing and definitely not EVER swear on my boys life.

Ultimately she confessed.

After a while, she was fired.

I even had to sit in on a conference call with the unemployment office where she once again confessed to going into the office, looking at the check and telling everyone the wage

and then she confessed that she did indeed blamed it all on me.

So... life goes on.

She's gone and out of my life.

She lives out in the country in a Rent to Own home and has a kennel building behind it where she breeds dogs.

She goes to dog shows and shows her dogs and shows other peoples dogs too.

She even traveled to Ireland to get a "special" puppy to breed to one of her dogs.

The puppy cost several thousands of dollars.

(He's the one on the left.)

I have a friend who lives past her place.

When there were the bad storms and tornadoes a month or so back my friend had commented that there was some damage done to this woman's property.

She mentioned something about the roof and also some of the fencing in the back area.

At the time I expressed my concern about her dogs but my friend said she never saw them outside anymore and that this woman had most likely taken them to Chicago were she had Breeder friends.

She said she highly doubted that she had the dogs any longer.

She said this woman had so many contacts in the breeding/show community that she had probably divided them up among those people.

Yesterday I get a text from someone that they just heard that there was a warrant out for this woman's arrest.

Apparently the people who owned the property had roofers go out to work on the roof.

When they got there, there was a horrible smell. Something that was so awful that they called the Sheriff.

The Sheriff came and found all the dogs except 3 dead.

They had been starved to death and the three remaining ones were barely hanging on and rushed to a vet clinic.

(not our clinic but one in her area)

and after some phones calls among breeders, apparently there was a fourth dog traveling with her to Chicago.

Our clinic found out about all of this because they scanned the dogs for micro-chips and they had been implanted at our clinic.

That is how everyone found out. That clinic had called our clinic.

Then, another woman at our clinic, who used to be friendly with this woman (before all the lies were discovered)

and who still breeds and shows dogs of her own was contacted by another breeder friend.

This woman that still works with us, has an elaborate and very expensive faculty and cares for her dogs with the very best of everything.

I personally won't go into my thoughts about breeding here.

That's not what this post is about today.

So I guess this woman, the one that lied about me, made it to Chicago but was turned away when her Chicago friend learned the truth

and that's when the phone calls started?  Not sure, but anyway...

Then I received messages that they heard that she was returning to the area, to turn herself into the authorities.

This morning I get another message that she had indeed returned and checked herself into a Mental Health facility

and was under Suicide Watch.

The dog she had with her, was taken and is now with the woman from work.

I have been long past any anger about her trying to do me in at work.

I figured she's gone and I have moved on.

I'm not fan of hers but I had reached a point of just indifference about her.

But now....

Yesterday I couldn't even think straight.

All I wanted was someone to place her in a dog crate and leave her to pee and poop and eat her own excrement until she starved.

Yep. That's how I felt.

Today I'm not much better.

When I received the message that she was under Suicide Watch, my reply was that I hoped they didn't watch her closely.

I'm sorry, but that's how I feel.

If someone does something so hideous to an animal or a child or an elderly person....

I have no Mercy for them and I want the same done to them.

She had so may resources available to her.

People in her breeding/show community.

Specific breed rescues.

Hell, she could have called me and I would have come with my van and filled it and taken them to work and found them homes.

I know without a doubt, that if she had called Doc, he would have done something.

She could have called a shelter or even the sheriff's office and said that she needed help.

Instead she let them starve.

Later this morning, as more details come out, I find out that she didn't just leave them.

She actually lived there with them as they starved and that some of them had been dead for a while...

including her Ireland dog.

I can't get this out of my head.

I alternate between rage and grief and horror.

And now I'm remembering how she used to tell me at work that if anything ever happened to me,

that she would want my Blue.

She had said she'd fix up her spare bedroom for him and for me to make sure to put her in my "will" stating that she got Blue.

(Of course Lily gets everyone. So no worries there but...just the thought makes me want to vomit.)

I'm sorry to share this with you all. 

I just needed to let you know...I'm going to take a little break from here.

Maybe.

I don't know.

You all are my support system, my friends....

I just need to get my emotions under control.

I just need to relax and work on some Art and spend time with my animals

and hold them close to my heart.

OH NO! HOW CAN THIS BE?

So, Sunday was Ping's birthday. I stated that she was 2
but today at work I looked at her records and she's 3!
Oops!
And then my Poppy, who I've told everyone is 4.... Well, she's actually 6! 
Now I'm wondering, maybe I'm not 37?

A BIRTHDAY AND A GARDEN

Just a quick post before I go outside to work in the yard!

Today is my baby girl's birthday.

PING PONG

She's only 2!

I usually talk about Blue and my other dogs don't always get proper mention

but I do love them ALL dearly.

To be honest, Ping has a very special place in my heart even though I haven't had her as long as my senior dogs.

Sometimes that just happens. Someone creeps in under the radar and steals your heart

and she and Poppy have done that.

(SSSSSH, don't tell the others).

Poppy is the second youngest,

only 4 years old but she refuses to play with Ping.

In fact she will close her eyes if Ping runs up to her to play.

I'm not sure if Poppy is trying to just ignore her

or maybe wish her away.

I know this sounds INSANE but I have thought about getting Ping a playmate!

The others will play with her for a couple of minutes but then just walk away

and Ping is still ping-ponging around the room until she stops and sees they have all left.

Anyway, I love this little one.

She is FEARLESS!

(This is a photo of Ping when she somehow jumped up on top of the cabinet

and got into one of the cat beds so that she could look out the window!)

Other news

Yesterday after working the morning at the clinic, me and my sister took a little road trip.

We try to go to Sunnyfield's Garden Center every Spring

and last Christmas I had given my sister a handmade "gift certificate" which said

I would buy her one flower/plant from there.

So I bought her a plant and she bought some more!

and I bought a couple for my garden.

Speaking of my garden...

I woke up to rain this morning

and when it started to let up I went outside and took a couple of photos.

Here's my Gerber Daisy that I kept inside all winter.

My Lilacs are in full bloom and are almost done.

All my Hostas are growing HUGE and I'm not done transplanting them!

And this is one of my birdhouses sitting on one of my wooden boxes that I have "collected".

It's surrounded by my Lilies, a burning bush and a clematis

(It cost me $2.00 and is sitting on a stool that cost me 50 cents.)

I have decided to use all my STUFF that I can in my garden.

I plan on painting everything different colors.

Yep, I'm going to use what I can and donate the rest.....

that's the plan.

OK!

It's not raining any longer!

I MUST get outside.

Have a wonderful SUNDAY!

XOXOXO