I am a Dog Person

I frequently ask myself "When did I become a dog person?"  Until a few years ago, I would have never called myself a dog person.  I've always had cats, growing up and all through my adult life.  I didn't give much thought to owning a dog.  However, I knew that if I could choose a dog, it would be a Scottish terrier and I would name it Franklin.  I had the name picked out long before I actually had the dog.  I figured my chances of ever owning a scottie were pretty slim, as I never saw ads for one in the pet sales section of the local paper.  Then, what do you know?  Early in March of 2007, there was an ad for scottie puppies in the Columbus newspaper.  As excited as I was, I waited too long to call, and the ad was gone after a week.  Oh well....But wait, about two weeks later, the ad was back...only one puppy left.  So I called and set up a meeting at the breeder's home.
When I arrived, there at the front door was one of the most beautiful cats I'd ever seen, and I was happy to see the folks were cat lovers, too.  When I walked into their kitchen, I was greeted by the puppy's parents, and the owner's daughter said, "There's the puppy. We've been calling him Frankie."  I couldn't believe it.  I'm sure it was a sign from God.  That puppy was supposed to be mine.  Franklin has brought me more joy and pleasure than I thought was possible from a dog.  He is my heart.  And the answer to my question is..the day Franklin came to live with us, my life changed forever, and I became a dog person.  Two more scotties have joined us here at the Spragzoo, and life couldn't be better. 

Beauty is only skin deep,

"but ugly goes straight to the bone," quipped Flip Wilson.  How about "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"?  I've given this beauty, or rather ugly, business a good bit of thought lately.  It all started after watching the Beatles Grammy special a few weeks ago.  Ringo and Paul still looked good, fifty years after it all started.  I once heard my step-mother call someone's baby ugly, as in "That sure is an ugly baby."  I was horrified.  Let me say right now that NO BABY is EVER ugly.  EVER.  After that, I had, and still have, a hard time calling any living thing ugly.  I prefer "physically unattractive", or "the face only a mother could love."  Buzzards come close, but still, they are just really physically unattractive.  And, of course, being a southerner, I try to make it all better by saying "Bless his/her/its heart"   when talking about beauty or lack of it.  Ugly is an adjective I reserve for describing God-awful football team uniforms, like those of the Oregon Ducks or the Pittsburgh Steelers.

 My mother and I had an interesting conversation this weekend.  We were discussing stars who are aging nicely, the ones who still can cause my heart to race despite the graying hair and the increased wrinkles.  Me, I think Paul McCartney is still really cute.  Not so much handsome, but cute.  Then, there's Robert Redford, Harrison Ford, Richard Gere, all of whom are LOOKING GOOD.

We had some disagreement when we began to discuss those that might be considered physically unattractive, you know, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.   I could not convince Mother that despite the thin, gaunt face with continuous wrinkles, Mick Jagger was not ugly.  I never thought he was good-looking.  I didn't have his pictures on my walls as a teenager with those of Davy Jones or Bobby Sherman.  I  couldn't convince her that his eyes twinkled and that in most of the images I googled for her, he just looked very happy and content.  She said he was still ugly.  When I mentioned the physical unattractiveness of Steven Tyler, she was quick to disagree!!!  If only he'd cut his hair and wear better clothes, he'd be nice-looking, she declared. (Never in a million years did I think I would ever hear my mother say Steven Tyler was good-looking!)

So, she didn't agree with me about Mick, and I didn't agree with her about Steven.  But, we did agree on the physical unattractiveness of one old star, Keith Richards.  Bless his heart.  I wonder if his pictures were on anyone's walls.

When I'm 64

"I will not be in second grade." wrote one of my students when I assigned each one to finish the sentence "When I'm 64......."  Yes, I even taught 2nd graders about the Beatles.  But that will have to wait until another post.  This one is about being sixty-four.  I'm nowhere near 64, but, you know, that doesn't sound nearly as awful as it once did.  My husband turned sixty back in October, and I wondered how in the world I could be married to such an old man.  I asked him to remember what we once thought sixty was, and did he feel like he was OLD?  Some of my dearest friends are in their sixties.  They aren't old fogies at all.  Aging has its draw backs, I suppose, but other than not being able to shake off a cold as quickly as I once did, and hips and knees that ache more often, in my mind, I'm still 41!

Breakfast with Daddy at Columbia Cottage.

So, here's my list of things I like about getting older:
1.  I've learned to let go of the things I can't control. That's right..LET IT GO.  I need to get that embroidered on a pillow. 2.  I secretly laugh at foolish girls who get their panties in a knot about something not going their way.  LET IT GO, SWEETHEART.  3.  I have learned to find joy in the simple things.  Sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee and the scotties snuggled beside me, having nowhere to go and nothing to do (that means no schedule or lesson plans to worry with), and not setting the alarm on the weekends are a few of the things that delight me now.  4.  I get the biggest kick out of ordering a Senior coffee at McDonalds.  I giggle when I pull up to the drive thru.  Saving fifty cents gives me such a rush.
I've never been one to worry about my looks.  I decided a long time ago that I would probably gain weight.  I probably will get wrinkles.  But, I will probably always be a blonde!  Neither my mom or my dad are very wrinkled, so I can thank genetics for the lack of wrinkles.  Smile lines around the eyes are fine by me.  I think they make folks look friendly.  Right now, I worry about my teeth.
I've made up my mind that I am going to have fun my last few years of teaching.  I am going to enjoy my students.  Whining and griping about the garbage that goes on in education was causing me to have a sour outlook.  So I LET IT GO,   So I AM GOING TO HAVE FUN AGAIN.  I feel so much better now.

Last week, my dad went to an assisted living facility.  It is a lovely place, and I do hope he will be happy.  I wonder where I'll be when I'm eighty-five.  I know I will not be in second grade.

Good morning, yesterday

"You wake up and time has slipped away".....That song just rips my heart out.  It so eloquently puts into words how I feel at the end of another year that has somehow gone by much too fast.  Thanks, Paul Anka.

So, another year comes to a close.  The highlights:  a new sewing machine, a new scottie, a rescued kitten, meeting scottie Facebook friends at Fala Day, and an unbelievable football season for which we were fortunate enough to have season tickets.  That's it.  Life has been good.

As I have gotten older, I have learned to enjoy simplicity.  This Christmas was the first I can recall where I wanted or needed nothing...I simply wanted the time to just "be"...at home, with loved ones, with all my canine and feline family members.  I enjoyed Christmas meals with family here and in Florence.  I found it funny that the girl cousins were discussing unwanted facial hair and how long before we would quit coloring our hair to hide the gray.  It wasn't that long ago that we were the ones with the babies; now those babies were there with THEIR babies.

And about that football season...it is a sweet story how we got tickets.  When Chris's mom died, she left each of her children a small sum of money with the instructions to do something fun with it.  When tickets sales opened to the public, and the season book included the Georgia AND Alabama game, Chris used the money to buy two season books.  Somehow, I know Nancy was smiling with us each game day.  And I wondered if his brothers and sisters had as much fun with their money as Chris did his.

"Reach back for the joy and the sorrow.  Put them away in your mind.  The mem'ries are time that you borrow to spend when you get to tomorrow".

Hello, 2014.  "Gather moments while you may.  Collect the dreams you dream today.  Will you remember the times of your life?"

(I hope I remember them, although I do have trouble remembering where I put my keys,)

Ever to Conquer!

I was going to be perfectly happy with a 6-6 season this year.  Even after beating Texas A&M, I thought we were pretty much done. I love it when I'm wrong...... All last week, I kept telling myself, I'm okay with losing to Georgia, I'll be okay losing to Alabama.  I didn't dare get my hopes up.  It's okay to dream, but I am a realist....:)

Game day was cool and a bit overcast.  I spent Friday night before the game experimenting with 3 new tailgating recipes, chocolate chip cheesecake brownies, cheesy grits casserole, and a buffalo chicken crescent ring.  Pleased to say, all were successful.  We tailgated with the nicest bunch of folks, the parents of one of Caroline's friends.  Their RV is like a luxury suite on wheels, with a big screen TV on the outside. You just can't beat the smell of Boston butt on the grill.  It just smells like a football game.

Their tailgating spot is within easy walking distance of the beginning of the Tiger Walk.  It's a great spot at the top of the hill right by Sewell Hall.  It isn't crowded at all, and you are right next to the team as they walk by.  Aubie, the cheerleaders, and those other fancy girls who aren't majorettes come out first to lead the crowd in cheers and pose for pictures.  Lots of cute little girls and mamas with babies swarm around trying to get that memorable shot.

Now, I have to confess.  I have no idea who these guys are, they were just close enough to get a good picture.  Unless they are wearing their uniforms with numbers, I am clueless.  I thought every player with dreads was Tre Mason, but Caroline told me none of my pictures was of him.

I know who this guy is.

Words can't describe the joy, elation, sheer disbelief we felt at the game's outcome.  I've never come that close to crying at a ballgame.  Unbelievable.  I've lost count the number of times I've watched that catch today.  I'm proud to say, I was there.  And, I believe in Auburn, and love it.

I wonder

I joined Facebook in the spring of 2009.  Up until that time, I thought it was something just for college or high school kids.  Then, I saw where my mother-in-law had a FB page, so I decided to give it a try.  WOW!  Facebook has been a very pleasant experience, for the most part.  I've made new friends through scottish terrier groups, and have gotten to meet a few of them, which was so much fun.  I've connected with high school friends that I haven't seen in ages, and probably wouldn't recognize if I passed them on the street, yet I know what's going on in their lives..the good stuff and the not so good.  Pictures and comments from family members keep them close and on my mind, even when they are far away.  Some of the Facebook changes have been annoying.  I don't like recipes and the advertisements.  They take up too much space, so I just keep scrolling.  My daughter included me in a neighborhood watch group which, I swear, is sometimes better than a soap opera!  I have been appalled by the vicious name calling and political diatribes that some people post.  I haven't unfriended anyone if their beliefs are different than mine, but I have blocked a few and quit following them on my newsfeed.  And I also haven't unfriended those who make ugly remarks about my favorite team.....but, fortunately, most of my football-loving friends are good-natured and don't get nasty with the trash talk!

But, I started thinking, what are the main things one learns about me if they follow my FB posts???? In no particular order:  1) I am a teacher. 2) I am an Auburn fan..a big one  3) I am an animal lover  4) I am crazy about my scottish terriers.5) I like wine.  That's pretty much it.  I refuse to make comments or even "like" political or religious posts because I think that should remain private. I never gripe about the kids or the husband.   Can anyone tell that I despise standardized testing?  That I am so jealous of my friends who are now becoming grandparents?  That I miss one of my best friends who died over a year ago and not a day goes by that I don't think of her?  That I am quite content with growing older, until I see pictures of folks I went to school with and I think, AUGHHHH, do I look that old????? So, I'll be positive and think that maybe they are just not very photogenic.
This school year, so far, has been very stressful.  I get there early and stay very late.  I have a never-ending to do list.  I think it all caught up with me this weekend.  I stayed late on Friday, and then prepared a big list of things to do on Saturday that didn't get done because I was sick....fever and horrendous stomach problems.  I slept through most of the football games I wanted to see.  I think that was the Lord's way of telling me to rest.  I did nothing all day.  Now, this morning, I threw the to do list away, and I feel much better.  Thank you, Lord.

Have dogs, will travel.

This weekend was the 2nd time we took all 3 dogs with us to Florence.  Ralph stayed behind at the groomer's; and Emily came over to take care of the ones who stayed behind.  Because of all our animals..birds, cats, dogs, etc., we seldom go anywhere together
anymore.  One of us usually stays behind just to take care of the zoo.  Since we have a little house in PCB, we get away to the beach several times a year and we take all the dogs with us then.  Now, we take two cars!!  Ralph and Eleanor ride in crates in my car.  If we stay longer than 1 or 2 nights, one of the daughters comes over to feed and water everyone left behind.  And, cats are so much easier to leave alone.  Sometimes, I think they are happy to have the house to themselves for the weekend!  We leave out big bowls of dry food and big bowls of water, and clean litter boxes, and they are good to go.  Of course, Emily or Caroline still checks on them.

   This time, on the way home, we stopped at Durbin's in Clanton.   It's a good rest stop, and they have the best homemade ice cream year round.  It was different today, though.  We bought ice cream for the dogs!!!     Chris and I didn't even get any.  This stop was strictly for them.  Well, we did use the restroom while there.      Lee Roy ate every bit of his.  Franklin downed most of his, but Eleanor was not too impressed.  I don't think she is a cake and ice cream kind of girl.  Once we got home, she threw it up.  Oh, well.