Everyone needs a Richie

I am writing about one of my favorite lifetime friends, "Richie". I have pretty much known him my whole life. We have come and gone with our friendship, different phases of our lives have pulled us together & apart.

He was there with me falling out of trees, skinning our knees. Water balloon fights, and shared a love of animals & comic books. We went through those terrible junior high days, high school bestie, college days, and through adulthood. The involvement we shared with a Christian youth group hold some of the most hilarious memories. I will bust out laughing on occasion thinking about them. We started as members, waiting till we were back in the car to bellow out the songs in our very best out of tone voices. We only sang (tortured) for each other. We also earned becoming Youth Leaders, which carry some pretty funny stories.

Through early adulthood, Rich was always there for me. I ran to cry on his shoulder a million times. When I married, I would have made him Maid of Honor, but that would be weird back then, he happily settled for my favorite reading of 1st Corinthians 13

Rich was even with me the day I went into labor with Sergio & my first child. There we sat in Church, with Rich timing my contractions, and his brother completely wigged out over it. They stayed with me till we were sure it was real labor & Sergio got me to the hospital.

My kids know him as Uncle Richie, although they don't know him as well as I wish. I think that both my daughters have a Richie in their lives, they just go by different names but hold the same love I have for mine.

Funny how time gets away from you then suddenly the years have past. I will always love Rich & be forever grateful that I have his friendship. Whenever those silly John Denver songs or anything from Styx come on I always laugh & think of him.

Philippians 1:3.. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you..

you get what you get...

Several years ago I taught Pre-School. Great job! Very rewarding. Little children have a wonderful way about them, and when they let you into their world you can appreciate life in a different way. A fellow teacher/friend of mine had the best quote that she used (and it worked!) with her class. She said, "You get what you get, so don't throw a fit". Kids understood it therefore didn't argue. Amazing. A child starts to complain about not getting the color he wanted, and she would start, with the other children chiming in, "you get what you get, so don't throw a fit!". All was cool, the child accepted the color he had and went about business.
I kept that quote with me in all I did. I used it often not just in my life but with my children, friends and co-workers. It just makes sense.

My Thrown Away Loves

I have thrown away loves. These are those who bring me much love and comfort. I am talking about my pets. Currently I have 2 cats and 3 dogs that were once in very bad situations then rescued and into our lives. My whole life I have had wonderful pets that have touched our lives, but that would be a whole book to write about them all.

Rocky is a beautiful Black cat that strayed into our lives on Halloween night. He had been dumped earlier in our neighborhood, and because of fear of harm to him on Halloween night, my husband brought him in, just for one night. That was in 1995. He was around two at the time so now is 15. He is a loving sweetheart.

In 2001, Riley came to us when she was just barely 5 weeks old. She is a full blooded Blue Tick Bloodhound. Her mother got hit by a car, and the owner couldn't care for all of the puppies. She ended up at the Pound the same day I stopped by. She won my heart immediately, as she seemed so independent and strong. She developed Parvo though at 6 weeks (I should have taken her to our Vet for the puppy check instead of the one the pound arranged, that is where she got exposed). Anyway, $2,000 dollars later she is a rare survivor. She is also very spoiled rotten. She is a large "ruined" indoor dog that is also very happy.

The fall of 2006, after losing our dear Bruno to Cancer, I talked Sergio into rescuing a dog from Second Chance. They buy dogs & cats that are to be euthanized from the shelters that can not find homes. Therefore, given a second chance to find a home. Bandit's original name was Max. The website said he was a Chihuahua-Shepard mix....okay, had to see that, and since he was going to be at the local Petsmart the next day...Annie & I were on it. When we got to the shop, we heard an obnoxious barking from one dog in the adopting area. I told Annie, that's got to be Max! Sure enough. In the middle of these cute "dogs" getting loved & petted, was Max barking his head off in a crate by himself. Annie stuck her hand in the crate & told him not to worry we were here now. He stopped barking and laid his head in her hand. We adopted him on the spot & he has been loved since. He is my naughty boy. He gets jealous easy and digs under the fence because he is so darn curious about what is happen in other areas. He also likes to destroy things. But, he stole our hearts and is forgivable for his moments.

Mischa is a scrawny kitten that was placed in our garage half starved, in the spring of 2006. She warmed Sergio up and has been with us since. To this day we do not know where she came from or how she got in our garage. An adorable loud cat that is a beauty. Very mischievous and fun to have around.

And lastly is my daughter Emily's, rescued Pomeranian, Dakota. We got Dakota this past November 2007. Emily had decided she must rescue a dog, from a puppy mill. So after much Internet searching, Dakota, a 4 month old parti-color Pomeranian, from an Amish puppy mill in Dayton, Ohio, was found as a match. Dakota had a handicapped leg from getting his leg smashed in a cage door, and was very fearful of everyone. He instantly warmed to our other pets, especially the dogs. It has taken some time, but he has gradually become a happy, playful, loving dog.

Well, that is it! I hope instead of boring you, I warmed your hearts. Go out there and adopt the unwanted. They will appreciate you like no other. And for the love of God, please spay & neuter your pets!

A Pat on the Back

Have you ever noticed that people are quick to complain and let others know of a disappointing experience, but rarely give compliments or let you know of something that was satisfying? I often hear complaints of this or that. I hear of teachers, co-workers, bosses, bad service from business'. We feel it's necessary to warn others, or spread negative information.

I decided long ago that I wanted to change that. Don't get me wrong, I do complain. But, I also try to make a point of complimenting and thanking others more often. Especially with Teachers and care givers. These are the people that are taking care of our loved ones. They will hear a compliant, but too often, when we have good feelings we think it, but it is silent. Sure, at the end of the year we try to say thanks. But I am talking about the little things. Insignificant little things that mean alot and are what makes the difference in that person. What if they were never told appreciation, so they stopped because it didn't seem appreciated?

At my daughter's small town school, there is alot of favoritism, hatred and gossip. Many of the people thrive on exploiting and digging up the dirt. They would rather hear the bad than the good. I hate it. After a horrible year of drama drama drama, I have learned to stay clear of certain people. It's better to walk away than speak your mind to some fools.

So what do I do? I "try" to be more positive and give the pat on the back more often. I try to find the positive and walk away from the negative. It is amazing what a few kind words can do for others. Especially the kids. I know kids that get beat up, put down and never a fair share. Sometimes it is because of a foolish thing they were involved in. Sometimes it's just because of who they are not. If you treat them with respect, talk about the good and don't even bring up the negative, you would be surprised how much taller they will stand. How much harder they will try. How much happier they will become.

As for that elderly lady at the store in her bright lipstick or "hair do" that you know she just had set, give her a compliment! Give her a smile. Give her a reason to continue to try her best and "pay it forward". I challenge you all to try this. Give 3 compliments a day. You will be amazed at the changes you can make and how you can feel. How knows? Maybe you will finally get a few pats on the back too!

please stay tune...

I know I have not been around much. I have so much to say and so little time. I am looking forward to a few days to be able to concentrate on getting all these thoughts down in this Blog / Journal. We will be in Carrolton Kentucky for a few days, & I am so looking forward to the time. Hopefully I can get some thoughts out of my head and into print :)