Finally got my Tree UP!

I'm Not moving but...

and definitely not here!

But I do have a little story about this place.

It's not the story that I would love to know.

It's not about the life and history of the place

that would be the BEST story.

Nope, it's about when I went to community college.

My Dad wouldn't allow me to go away to a 4yr school.

I couldn't get any grants because he made too much money and refused to sign on any loans.

He thought school for me would be silly.

He said that I should get a secretarial job for a couple of years until I met someone and married

and stayed home for the rest of my life.

So I paid for community college myself 

I majored in English and minored in Art.

(I had this big idea of writing a novel.)

But between working part-time and going to school where I knew no one
and then coming home where there was no encouragement.

Well... I didn't last long.

Pretty soon I had stopped going to classes and instead just sat in the library looking up random things.

I slowly dropped classes but never told my dad.
I would get up in the mornings and go about the pretense of preparing for school.
I'd grab my books and leave the house.

Sometimes I would drive to a park and read or just drive.

I ended up one day in Davenport (the city I now work in)

source

and I drove around the historic homes.

There was one home, a mansion really, that was abandoned.

I would walk around it and try to look inside but windows were boarded up.
It wasn't in the best of neighborhoods and

I felt bad for this house. 

It must have been so grand at one time and now it was just sitting there, falling apart.

I remember wishing that I had money to save it
but that was an impossible dream.

Finally one day I quit driving around and went and got a job at a bank.

My Dad was so happy. So proud.

sigh.......

So, my middle niece Maggie, has a friend who is a Realtor.

He's only been licensed for a year or two but he has grown up in the business and his father owns a Real Estate Agency.

Maggie and I were talking and I asked how her friend was doing. 

She said he was doing well, selling a few houses and he even had a mansion in Davenport in his listings.

Later at home. I looked up the mansion listing.

Yep. It was the same one from so many years ago.
The brick drive is still there.

I remember driving under this sheltered spot. I'm not sure what it's technically called.
Surely not a carport! But this is where I tried to peer inside.

If you go around to the front, but actually I guess it's the back, you can look over the city -

Can you see the Mississippi River?

That's the Centennial Bridge to the the right.

I live over there in Illinois.

back to the house-
The front (back) has been restored.

Apparently someone had tried to save it.

Such a HUGE task.

Such fine detailed work -

and so many fireplaces!

The kitchen is gorgeous, even though I usually prefer white, I could live with this.

Oh, the money it would cost to fix it properly.

I hope the right person comes along and saves it.

I'm so glad to finally seen the inside.

I can imagine wonderful parties and fireplaces crackling and a big Christmas tree.

I can also imagine little dogs running down halls and up and down stairs.

And cats sunning themselves in the windows and hissing at ghosts.

Full listing HERE.

Wordless Wednesday

I'm Not moving but....

once again,

not moving

but....

I live in the Quad Cities.

The cities that make up the Quad Cities are in Illinois and Iowa and they all border the Mississippi River. The four cities that have been called the Quad Cities since the early 1960s are Davenport, Iowa and the Illinois cities of Moline, Rock Island, and East Moline. Bettendorf, Iowa grew large enough in the 1970s to be included, but the name change to the Quint Cities never caught on.

In my personal opinion, Bettendorf is definitely the most properous and nicest of all towns.

And they have a VERY low crime rate.

Of course, each city has it's on unique "vibe". 

I love Rock Island because I grew up here and because it's the rebel.

It doesn't have all the ordinances that the other cities have.

Some cities you have only hours to shovel your sidewalks and in Rock Island you can wait days to shovel or stomped it down with your boots.
Of course you can be sued if someone falls and the Postman can choose not to deliver your mail if they want. 

And couple of years ago they finally banned leaf burning, something the other towns had enforced for years and while many people were happy, many were NOT. 
There was an elderly man who kept burning his leaves and the fire department came out and put it out and he just light it right back up.
Of course the firemen came back. 

Also in Rock Island, there is not a pet limit but rather you have to have your dogs current on vaccinations and rabies and cats are not allowed outside. If they pick up your cat, you will get a ticket unless it's declawed. If it's declawed, they figure that it must have slipped out accidentally, or this is what I have been told.

In Davenport and Moline there is a limit of 4, but no more than 3 of a species.

so you can have 2 cats and 2 dogs or 3 cats and 1 dog or 3 dogs....well, you get the idea.

and Bettendorf has no limit either but I understand they are less tolerate.

If someone complains, you are in trouble. Or so I've been told.

I of course think that a limit is asinine. I have seen a single dog, tied outside huddled under a porch and have been told that as long as there is some sort of shelter and access to water that there's not much that they can do about it in any city.

I know this because I have called in the past, repeatedly.

Yet, if someone has 4 dogs in some of these cities, they could be fined and forced to get rid of one of their dogs.

How crazy is that?

When there are people like me and most of my co-workers who dote on their pets and provide for them before they care of themselves.

I understand this is to discourage hoarding but I think that hoarders are going to hoard no matter what. 

They don't care what the law is.

So why deny a home to an animal that might be euthanized otherwise?

I just think it's too generalized and actually can hurt more than help some animals.

This is THE reason that I live in the city that I do.

I do know that if I moved to Davenport, across the river, the town that I work in, that I could apply for "an excessive pet" permit and they would come out and inspect my home yearly to make sure the conditions are what they should be for multiply pets. 

I could easily do that without any worries because it's pretty evident that everything I do and buy, I have my pets in mind.

I know that I treat my critters way better than some kids are treated but I just don't like that thought of anyone having that kind of power of me and mine.

I could of course lie but I worry about everything and I wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

But...some days it would be nice to drive to work in under than 10 minutes, and not to battle the bridges.

I would love to be able to come home everyday for lunch and let my little ones out.

So yeah, some days I do think about moving across the river and where property taxes are lower.

Also I don't know Davenport like I know Rock Island. I'm not sure what neighborhoods are "Safe".

But I do have friends that could guide me on that.

There is ONE neighborhood that I know is very nice and I found a little cottage tucked in between the other larger breath-taking homes.

No worries of any kind for me as it's already sale pending. 

It's 8 minutes from work and 6 minutes from my best friends house

So, here's my latest crush, it's in Davenport- What's your opinion?

OK, obviously I am wanting a home with a fireplace.

All the little extra furniture of course would not be there.

I would have fewer but bigger pieces in this room.

Here's the view into the next room,

Which I would have as a dining room.

The next room is a three season porch!

(Another requirement of mine.)

This would be fixed up with a couple of BIG comfy loveseats and the TV.

In other words, this would be the DOG room

Oh, and inside the front door, a foyer

(I love the window bringing in lots of light.)

and the kitchen-

OK, I don't what's going on with me but lately I'm loving GREEN.

I never was that big of a fan of it before, but suddenly I am.

I ADORE the glass fronts of the upper cabinets.

I know that most people would want to update this kitchen but not me.

I could be very happy with this.

A window above the sink!

Yep, I'd be Happy Happy.

Basic bathroom.

I'd paint in here

and get one of those white ruffled tiered shower curtains from Target.

OMG! a Linen closet.

Just lovely.

I've always wanted a linen closet.

Bedroom

Hmm. This color might go with my things. Hmm.

I think my painting from my bedroom has that color in it!

Art room

Cute backyard, easy to maintain.

I LOVE this little garage. 

I don't have a garage. it would be nice to have one.

and space for additional parking

I like the arbor and fence.

Cute.

well, I'm NOT moving, and....it is still out of my price range.

But I wouldn't have to do very much to this place.

It makes more sense to buy a place "done" than a cheaper place that needs money poured into it.

and it's already Sale Pending.

Oh well, I'm not moving...but HERE is the full listing.

A Homemade Xmas Gift and In Memoriam

Last year about this time I talked about a Christmas gift that I was making for my family members

but of course was unable to share in fear that they might see it on my blog.

I planned to share it this month and now I do so with a heavy heart.

I will start by saying that I've received 2 phone calls this week thanking me again for the gift.

So yes, I need to share it.

Last December I called my sister and told her that I would be coming over and not to ask questions.

I said it had to with "Christmas".

When I arrived she was the only one home and I told her to "Get lost".

"What are you doing?" she asked and then added

"Don't go into Grace's room, she might be working on something that she doesn't want you to see"

I reassured her I wouldn't so she went downstairs to do laundry.

I had a little box with me and inside it was little black flatten balls of Sculpey clay that I had pierced on the top of the "circle".

I yelled "Stay down there!"  and I whispered to Hank their elderly yellow lab to come with me.

I've written about the summer trip the family took to the Lake with Hank, HERE.

So we are in the bathroom and Hank sat patiently as I slowly, softly but firmly, pressed each disc on the top of his nose.

Then I put each one carefully into a baggie and sit them in the box.

When we are done I walk to the basement door and yelled "OK! you can come up now"

My sister walked up the steps and looked at the little box in my hand. "What's in there?" she asked.

"Don't you worry about it" I told her and held up the box and said "Christmas!"

I told her good-bye and as I walked out to my car she yelled "you are weird" and I yelled back that she was too and we laughed.

Fast forward to Christmas and we are opening gifts. 

I had made little boxes out of watercolor paper and drawn ribbon and name-tags on them.

I had my family all sit together and open their boxes at the same time.

They looked at it quizzically at first.

The girls had necklaces and my sister and her husband had key-chains.

They started to comment on them and my sister asked slowly "Is it a...buck-eye?"

No one had figured it out.

"No" I said, "Feel the texture, the imprint?" and they started to run a finger across the pieces of clay.

"It's an imprint of Hank's nose!" I exclaimed.

They all burst out a collective "AAAAHHHHHH" and my sister, who doesn't cry easily, got up and ran for the bathroom

I ran after her and took a photo.

"Don't be putting me on your BLOG!" she sniffed.

and Lily ran over and hugged Hank.

Yeah, the gifts were a huge success.

So....last Wednesday I had gotten home (I work half days on Wednesday) and my sister calls to see if I'm busy.

I had lots of plans but I ask "Why?"

"Well" she says "I've just been in a car accident and this guy hit me and my car is not driveable."

Luckily she is OK, even if her car is not.

She had to wait for a tow truck and the police to finish up but she asked me to meet her at the car body/repair shop.

I rounded up the dogs and put them in the laundry room and left.

She was already there when I got there and her little VW Bug was pretty badly smashed in just behind the drivers side door.

As I drove her home, she was talking about how she she had a high deductible. (She was a a stop sign, stopped and then went and suddenly out of nowhere a car hit her. But because she had a stop sign, it was her fault)

She was irritated how whenever you get a little bit ahead, something seems to happen to take your cash.

I agreed and said how last year my tax refund went directly to cut down the tree that fell on my house and the year before it went to 4 new tires that I had to get. Then someone said to me at the time, that I was fortunate to have the money. I said that while it's irritating, you just have to think of it that way. And.....

I said, " You might not have thought of this yet but, if that car had hit you seconds earlier and in the little car, you could have died."

"Yeah", she grudgingly agreed. 

As we drove I said to her "OK, I'm going to say something to you and I'll only say it once."

"OoooooK" she replied. 

Then I told her that when the day comes that Blue is old and hurting and not living a quality life, that I might need someone to tell me that it's time to let him leave this world. I said that I would probably be mad at whoever told me this and that I might not be able to accept it but I might just need someone to say it to me anyway".

"OK" she replied.

(Now I haven't mentioned that Hank had had a stroke the week before and how my sister had called Doc in a panic at Midnight and how the next day Doc adjusted Hank and gave him a shot of something to help his brain and inflammation, then Doc had said that in a few days, time would tell.)

"So... I'm trying to say that maybe it's time to think about Hank.."

"OH NO!" she interrupted. "He's doing MUCH better."

"OK", I said. "I just wanted to say that."

I pulled up to her house and she walked up to the front door and turned and waved.

Her face formed a tight smile but I could see sadness and tell that she didn't want to cry.

I came home and let my dogs out and started a load of laundry and set down to the computer when my phone rang.

It was my sister.

I couldn't understand a word she trying to say, she was sobbing so hard.

I told her to take a breathe and talk slowly, that I couldn't understand her.

I heard her gulp and say, "I let the dogs outside and they did their business and came in and I gave them both their treats.

Then they went into the living room and laid down on their beds in front of the fireplace."

She stopped for moment and said

"I was on the phone with Lily and I glanced over at the dogs and noticed that Hank looked to be in a weird position"

Then she walked over and looked at him closer and told Lily she had to hang up but for her to come home RIGHT NOW.

She sobbed to me "He's GONE!"

What followed afterwards was so many tears and a very heartbroken family.

Later, much later they have all come to realize that at least he has home, in front of a fire sleeping next to his buddy.

And at least my sister was in the house and had just been with him and knew that he had his treat and that his last moments were peaceful.

Yeah.....

Another awful sad story that I'm sharing.

I've promised before to try not to write posts like this but...

I feel that if I didn't share this, the passing of a wonderful very loved dog that I would somehow be disrespectful of his memory.

Hank was one of those good dogs that never did a thing wrong. He was just the perfect dog.

I know that people have different beliefs but I believe he is now with my perfect dog, my Golden Retriever, my Maddie.

She passed almost 10 years ago and my heart still hurts to think about her.

I hope not to have any more stories like this for a very long time.

But I also wanted to remind everyone that sometimes a gift made from the heart,

a gift that doesn't cost very much,

can mean more than anything trendy thing you can buy.

Wordless Wednesday

 

One thing ✓'d off my List!

I took my paintings and framed prints to work.

To the Veterinarian clinic.

So far I have 18 paintings and 14 framed prints hanging for sale.

There is a big empty spot above the exam table in Room 4.

I need to finish one more painting for that spot

and I'm done.

Yep, except for 3 paintings that I have to yet to start, for a baby shower this coming Sunday.

and then 3 for Christmas gifts.

I had business cards made up

and everyone loved them.

When I showed them to my sister, she actually laughed out loud!

I asked her what was so funny and she said -

"It's YOU!"...."I mean, it's totally you!".

So, I guess it IS me.

I hate having my picture taken because I'm always startled by the middle-aged chubby woman in the photo, but yeah, this drawing is me.

I guess it happens to us all.

Sigh.

Ok, I'm getting away from my intended topic.

But, that's one thing checked off my list, the paintings for the clinic.

I have several other paintings, just partially finished

but those won't go to work.

Those I intend to try to get into a "Call for Entry".

What "Call for Entry"? 

I have no idea but I intend to be ready this time.