This is why I foster..

I came into work this morning in a bad mood prepared to rant about this system of things.  I felt the urge to look at the shelter's emails to see if any of the dogs I recently put on petfinder were adopted (two of them were by the way :)).  I found the most precious email of all...

It began...
"Well, it's been a long time since we picked up a little spotted puppy from you, and I wanted to make sure I stayed true to my word with updates.  At a little over a year old, Abraham is over 70 pounds now, and he still is a baby in many ways.  He cries for attention, he practically strikes you with his paw when he wants attention, etc.

In any case, again, I must say that the entire adoption experience was wonderful.  We'll always remember our nighttime drive with a puppy crying the entire way home.  Like I said, not everything has changed with this guy.  He's a bit bigger, but he's still as sweet as he was when he was only an actual handful.

With that said, I'm going to attach a few pictures here of what you and your family helped save.  He's growing up!"  sent from Abe's new 'dad'.

Over a year ago I fostered the most pitiful American Bulldog and her three newborn pups. It was hard and stressful because I didn't think any of them would make it. The mama, we called Greta, had very bad mastitis and was extremely emaciated.  We had to hand raise the pups, they were so tiny in the beginning. Eventually everyone began to grow, Greta put on weight and they all ended up healthy and were adopted by wonderful people. It was the perfect foster experience, they aren't always so.

I haven't had an update in a while so I haven't seen any of them full grown....until today.  

This is Abe (who we called CWB for crazy white boy, he was the character of the bunch) as a puppy.

And here is all grown up at 70 pounds!!

 

with his sister Annabelle (no real relation but she look like him :-))

This just completely made my day.  I am so grateful that he is in a great home. I tear up from happiness every time I come back and look at his face. Fostering, whether in your home or on distance, and volunteering at the shelter and rescues is the most rewarding experience for all animal lovers.  I recommend it to anyone and everyone.  Go to your local shelter and help a dog today, you won't be disappointed!

It's time for the hair to go!

Ok, so I suck so far at adding pictures, I will update...really, I will.

My hair is loooong again and so it is time to cut it off and donate it.  I choose to donate to Locks of Love.
http://www.locksoflove.org/

I have done this 3 times so far over the past seven years so...do the math..it takes two years for my hair to grow back.  I usually get it cut up to just below my shoulders, which gives me about 10-12 inches to donate, then I get it styled.   I will take before and after photos and maybe even during if I can get Brooke to go with me and be my photographer.

Normally I would wait for spring because my hair keeps me warm in the winter. I know I could switch to scarves but they bother me...can't wear turtlenecks either.  eek  But my hair is so staticy and long I wake up with it wrapped around my neck and all day I fight with the static.  I cannot put it up because that gives me a headache so off it will go!

UPDATE Tomorrow (Thursday) at noon!

We got our snow, finally!

So, I'm on day 3 of being in the house.  Not really snowed in today just enjoying being a homebody this weekend.  We probably got about 5 inches I guess.  Kellen is upset because it is terrible packing snow so he can't make a snowman.  Not to be defeated, he went out and began building the biggest pile of snow ever!  He took a pictures of himself atop his pile, shovel planted, and a winning adventurers attitude.  I will upload pics soon but this so called high speed internet I have is not being cooperative.  I promise to update this entry with pics by Monday!

I took Matea out and she played, I have some pics of her and our snow cat, Xena.  She is a nut, running out and catching the falling flakes in the snow that swallows her legs.  Silly cat.  Got pictures of them too.

I watched Julie & Julia this morning.  I really liked it.  I would love to write a blog about a specific subject that helps me to obtain some kind of sense of accomplishment once finished.  Her blog was one year of cooking through Julia Child cookbook.  I am not sure what I could write about but I am thinking about it and getting some ideas.  I will still keep this blog as my journal but the new blog will be about whichever venture I end up choosing to do.  I may even go in as an anonymous writer, I think I would be able to be more open with that.  I'll let you know...

Winter

My weather man says that there will be snow tomorrow...lots of it!  BUT my weather man is a liar.  He has promised me this before and it didn't happen.  A little dusting is not snow.  Snow is big white fluffy flake coming down by the millions.  Not those wimpy little specs that melt before they hit the ground or blow away once they land. 

I am not a winter person so I need the snow to help me through it. The cold makes me ache and my fingers hurt but I love being snowed in and snuggling in a warm blanket on the couch for a few days.  Exactly three days is my limit though.  By that time I am getting a little cabin fever.  Now if I lived alone with my pets that would be ok but I have two kids in the house who will get whiny when bored or they will fight with each other.  And if Brooke gets started...Oh my...teens!

I love snow so it gets me through the cold. It's so beautiful and I get up early in the morning after a fresh snow and take lots of pictures.  Then I let Matea out and watch her run!  She loves the snow.  If I get the snow that has been promised I will post pics tomorrow. 

Just a note

I am thinking that it would be nice to introduce my little family and our pets whom we consider members of the family also.  So, I will feature one at a time over the next couple of weeks and write about each of them.  I will probably include a pet with each since they all have one. :)

Deer Conspiracy

The deer are totally out to get me.  As a matter of fact so are the bees.  Fortunately the bees are gone for the winter.  But the deer are out and about during the current mating season.

I have no idea what I did to deserve the deer's disdain.  When I was a kid living in the city it was the experience of my life (at the time) to be at summer camp when I was 11 and a doe and her two little ones would come up to us at lunch time and eat out of our hands as we dumped our trays in the garbage barrel outside.  Two bucks were pinned up back behind our cabins so they didn't hurt the kids.  We could pet them though, I remember rubbing the fuzz on the antlers of the younger one.

I never understood how hunters could kill the deer, poor little Bambis all over the place losing their mothers.  The saddest thing in the world.  I think my ideas about hunting began to change when I moved to a rural area ten years ago.  Oh my gosh, the deer are everywhere!!  There are so many that there is not enough food for them all.  Many of them suffer from a "wasting disease" and they cause several wrecks throughout the year, especially mating season and springtime.  I decided that it might just be for the best that the hunters slim down the herds but no way did I want to know about it, hear about, and certainly never wanted to participate in it in any way.  I don't think I could ever stomach it.

Back in April of 2009 I hit a deer with my van.  It was dark and raining and I wasn't even going that fast but the deer came out from behind a barn and was in the road by the time I saw him.  It was a terrible experience.  I just kept thinking that if the deer is lying there suffering, what do we do to help it.  Fortunately, it got right back up and kept running.  I still layed there that night wondering if it was off dying somewhere.  I had to buy a new car because the van had too much damage and wasn't worth getting fixed. 

Ever since then, I have had more deer than I can count run out in front of me.  I haven't hit one again but I feel like I have to constantly be on the alert.  I'm telling you, I think they are trying to cause me to run off the road.  Maybe the deer I hit was their prince or something...like Bambi, the little prince.   Crap.  It figures.

One of them got me a couple weeks ago.  I saw her in time and I came to almost a complete stop.  She barreled into the passenger door with her shoulder like a football player and kept on running.  Didn't even stop for a second.  She did it on purpose, I know it!  The mirror fell out and it put a little dent on the door of my new car (2005 Impala, new to me :)) that I've only had since April. 

About 10 minutes before this, I saw two huge bucks coming through a field towards the road.  I stopped just as they got to the side of the road and they stopped also.  They both just stared at me and I was afraid to go because I didn't want to hit them, so I just sat there looking at them, they still looking at me.  A car came around the bend behind me and they took off across the road in front of me.  Creepy.

I gotta get out of the countryside.  I'll tell you about the bees that don't like me later.  Then there are the rabbits, woolies, and squirrels (who won't even come near my house anymore).  Don't even get me started on the 'possums.  I'm not very popular out here.

Making changes, making plans...

I have to make  decision about school.  I like the online school I attend but I feel like now that I am into my core classes I need the classroom experience.  You can only go so far with discussion using a message board.  It works good and I get other peoples ideas by reading but it would be better to have a real discussion in class. 

So I am going to call the local college and see about getting in there.  I didn't do it before because it didn't work with my schedule but that has changed now.  I have certain requirement that will have to be met before I can do this so I will talk to them and see if it will fit.  The classes have to be in the evening and I can't attend more than twice a week.  This shouldn't be a problem because they have schedules to fit around adults going back to school while having a full time job.  I am off one day a week so if I had to I could use that day.

I am making plans for Kellen's school field trips also.  I am going to get a museum pass because they have a lot of activities for kids and this would add to his history, science, and social studies classes. 

For fun, we are getting King's Island passes (theme park in Ohio with roller coasters, etc, they also have a big water park).  We can't start going there until spring but the kids love it there and we can go on the weekend or even after school. During the summer we can go on my off day. It's about an hour drive but it's not too bad.  Brooke and I ride all the rides but Kellen is usually scared...I told him this summer he is riding them..LOL this should be interesting.  I know he'll like them once he gets on, he's like that with everything....scared to try but loves it once he does.

Planning a trip for the summer, don't have the exact details on that yet, will fill in when I do.