A Week in the Life

I've had a lot to write about lately: snow, my daughter's cold, a new puppy. And those topics are also the reasons why I haven't written: snow, my daughter's cold, a new puppy. Ugh. Don't you just hate it when life gets in the way of having fun?

First the snow. We used to live in Northern Virginia, and we still have many friends there. Here in our corner of the world last week, we got 1/2" of snow. Northern Virginia got over two feet. TWO. FEET. I can't even. Just the threat of bad weather closed our schools for three days. Can you even imagine how long those kids up north will be out of school? There is not enough Prozac in the world.

Snow added to the story of Tessa's cold. She started feeling bad on the weekend, and by MLK day, she had a full-blown cold. Since she's missed so much school that we received a warning letter (ahem...child), I really needed her to go that Tuesday. Of course, she was too sick, so we headed to the walk-in clinic for them to tell us she did indeed have a cold. So that's two days home. And the three days the school closed? Yep... So she was home all week. She's big enough now that she spends most of her time in her room watching videos, so it wasn't bad. However, last year they missed two solid weeks of school, so I'm crossing my fingers here.

Now, the puppy. Oh my, the puppy! Of course we didn't need another dog. This brings our total to five, which is really four dogs too many. But our dogs were mostly outside all time, and I was feeling the need for a dog that could keep me company. Cause the cat could take me or leave me, depending on the mood of the day.

So I begged my husband, and might have made promises, for a puppy. I found someone close-by who had Shichon puppies. What is a Shichon, you ask? Don't worry, I didn't know, either. They are a mix between a Shih Tzu and a Bichon Friese. In other words, ADORABLE! So let me introduce you to Murphy!

Isn't he precious?? Oh my goodness, I can't get enough of him! I adore my Mastiffs and Wolfie, and the cat and the rabbit, and the guineas, and the chickens....whew! But this little guy...

So that's been my life the past week. How about you?

P.S. I haven't forgotten the book club, I just haven't had a chance to work up the questions. But I'll do it soon, I promise!

Weird Things Happen

Weird things happen to us, you know. Some strange-weird and some funny-weird and some what-the-hell-weird. We're not quite weird enough for reality tv or funny enough for a sitcom, but we make do with what we've got.

We have weird house things:

There was the time the lady crashed into our front yard, taking out part of the original brick wall that borders the driveway. Neither she nor her son, who was riding with her, were seriously hurt, but her vehicle and our wall were done for. Oh, the rooster was also ok. What rooster, you ask? The one in the front seat, of course! Doesn't everyone hold their rooster in their lap in the front seat after it loses an illegal cock fight? No?? Huh...

At our previous residence, we had a neighbor who was, shall we say, involved. To be blunt, she was so nosy, she probably knew every time one of us passed gas. She had her home office set up so she could clearly see our house while she worked at her desk. Yet she somehow missed someone driving into our driveway and removing a large and extremely heavy heat pump from the side of our house and driving off with it. And yes, the side that faced her house.

There was the tree that crushed our truck and our fence, then the other tree that crushed the trampoline. We have several old trees in our front yard that are at least twice the height of our house. We're just waiting.

I remember the Winter Don decided to be proactive and stack a load of wood in case we lost power. The electrical wires fell on the wood pile. Think about that...

We've replaced two dishwashers after mice have chewed through the wiring. They also got the Lexus one time. Don's bathroom now has no heat because they chewed through the ducts.

We've replaced a roof, a few dryers, three HVAC systems, fencing, brick walls, and crushed vehicles. No wonder we're poor!

There are the weird animal stories:

We once sold our goats to a nice man and his father. Actually, we told them they could have them for free, but they would have to catch them. Nearly an hour later, the goats were in their truck and the younger man was on his way to have his most likely broken hand checked out. Let's just say the goat had a good fake-off game.

We had one cat who lost his mind and would open and then hide in the kitchen cabinets. Our current cat sits in the window and "chirps" at the birds. She also meows non-stop. Seriously...NON. STOP.

We have the mentally-challenged Mastiff (sorry Magnum) who still hasn't figured out the most basic animal instinct. Yes, I'm talking about THAT. Poor Bullitt gets so excited at feeding time that he knocks over the water bucket EVERY DAY. And Macy - well, she's just Macy. Or as my friend calls her, Cujo. Let's not forget our first Mastiff, Ginger, who broke my hand dragging me down the street!

One of our former horses, Shelby, was a master at injuring humans. She once threw Don off her back, then tried to roll over him. On purpose. She got me with my back turned and gave me the bum rush. It was like a scene in a movie where the character goes face down in the mud. And ouch!

We have chickens who eat the dog food and a dog that eats chicken scratch. We once had a murderous giant rooster named "Big Don" who would chase us around the yard. (I really can't tell you the story behind the name, but believe me when I say HILARIOUS!) We've had hens that would get lost and roosters that limped. We currently have a rooster who has some crazy neck thing that makes him look like he has epilepsy.

There are the "Did he/she really say that?!" moments:

Around the time Tessa was age 3, her dad took her to a golf course. Having never been there before, he was looking carefully for the place. He told Tessa to keep her eye out for a sign that said, "Golf Course." She replied, "You look for it, Daddy. I CAN'T READ!!"

Last week, when I wore a red striped sweater, Tessa told me, "Freddie Kruger called; he wants his sweater back." In a rare moment of brilliance, I replied, "He called you, too. He wants his face back. BOOM!!!" Mother of the year right here, folks!

One day while I was sweeping with a new broom, Don inquired if I had "bought a new car." Hardy har har.

Yeah, we've had weird/funny/crazy things going on for a long time now. And it's true that you have to laugh at them. Besides, crying just ruins my mascara...

So...Read Any Good Books Lately??

A friend of mine recently posted a list on Facebook that included different types of books to read during the new year. I was so excited! I absolutely LOOOOOOOVE to read. LOOOOOOOVE. My mother instilled in all her daughters the love of books. We were at the library every Saturday. In the first grade, I won an award for reading the most books the preceding Summer (sorry Laura Beth). So you see, I LOOOOOOVE to read. Clear enough?

I will read anything: books, magazines, newspapers, brochures, pamphlets, cereal boxes, , instruction manuals...you get the drift. I've had to re-learn how to eat a meal without a book in my hand. I thought about buying a Kindle, but I can't. I love the feel of the book in my hand. I love the smell of bookstores (especially used book stores), the heft of the physical book, the dog-eared pages. I love the feeling of opening a new book, excited to start the adventure. And I mourn when I reach the end of a beloved book.

I'm a end-of-the-book cheater, too. I can't help it. It's the whole "have to be in control" issue. But it doesn't ruin the book for me. Even if I know the ending, I can still enjoy the journey to get there! My favorite genre is Mystery. I like my magazines fluffy and entertaining, but my books dark and mysterious. I don't do many series of books, but I did get sucked in by the Divergent and Hunger Games books. I recently started the 5th Wave series. It seems that the "Young Adult" genre calls to me as well. Cause I'm still a young adult... ahem.

Anyhoo, you probably know where I'm going with this. I want to take this list and start a book club!! Here's what it looks like:

So, who's in?? If you want to participate, I'm going to start by recommending a book which might check off several boxes for you: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It is a beautiful book. You will see the pictures in your mind. If you're a regular reader, you know what I mean by that. This book is appropriate for adults and older children who can read longer books.

So...let's set our reading time for one week from tomorrow, which puts us at January 18. I'll come up with a set of questions for discussion.

I'm so excited about this!! I hope you will join me. Happy reading!!

Welcome 2016!

The year 2015 is almost over. After today, there are just three more days to make good on those resolutions we made on January 1. Then we can all make new ones that we won't stick to. I've decided that this year I will make New Years Resolutions that I can keep. So here goes...

1. I promise to not watch, read, or talk about anything that involves someone with the last name Kardashian, Jenner or West. This might be harder than expected. While I truly don't give a diddly-squat about them, they are EVERYWHERE! So I will keep my tv remote and page-turning finger at the ready to zoom quickly by any mention of these "people."
2. I will not watch any "Real Housewives" or "Bachelor/Bachelorette" show. I never have, so this one ought to be pretty easy to keep.
3. I will also not watch anything involving the Duggars, Honey Boo Boo, or the Robertsons of Duck Dynasty. In fact, the only reality tv I watch will be Tree Masters, American Pickers, or The Voice (if and only if a K-town singer is involved).
4. I will watch less tv and read more. Do I really need to watch Kelly & Michael or Ellen every day? Do I really need to watch Hoda and Kathy Lee get tipsy every morning? Am I learning anything from daytime tv? Probably not. And People is reading, right?
5. I will not nag at my child to clean her room every day. I promise to nag only every other day. (JUST CLEAN YOUR ROOM, CHILD.)
6. I will complain less about menopause. Oops!!! There went one of those hormone swings again! Whew! Of COURSE I won't complain less. Who am I kidding??

OK...those are fun, but I do have some serious ones.

1. Love more. This shouldn't be too hard, should it? Accept others, forgive easily, and show those I love absolute love.
2. Educate myself. I'm not talking about school education; I want to learn something new this year. A new hobby, a new sport, a new language...I haven't decided what yet, but I feel the need to grow.
3. Improve my life. Live healthier. Treat my body better. Notice I didn't say "lose weight." That's not my goal here. I just want to be a better me.
4. Write to you guys regularly. My little experiment at writing has exploded. My Facebook page has gone from 50 likes to almost 500! It excites me to know that people from all over the world like to read what I write! So I'll be right here, trying to make you think, make you laugh, or just make you come back for more.

Happy New Year, my dearest friends, family, and lovely readers. I hope your year is full of all that you want it to be. Don't regret failures and don't take victories for granted. Live, love, and laugh. I adore you all!

My Christmas Wish

My sweet hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee is starting to look more and more like a large metropolitan city. Not because of increased population or additional buildings or professional sports teams. The thing that makes it look more like Chicago or Nashville or Memphis is this: violence.

In two days, Knoxville had five shootings, with two deaths and two of the city's finest injured. Four of those five were connected and are assumed to be gang related. Gang related?? In Knoxville?

When I was a child, back in the Stone Age, the only gangs we knew about were the ones on the ball field or in a backyard treehouse. Sure, there was violence, but shootings were few and far between. Most crime was petty stuff. The biggest crime in the area involved bank fraud. Not a victimless crime, certainly, but nowhere near the scale of gang violence.

The fifth shooting occurred at a local sports store. A suspected shoplifter was chased into the parking lot by police working the "Holiday Shift." The suspect failed to stop and got into a vehicle, which he used to run over one officer and hit another. The first officer shot into the car, killing the suspect.

Now, I don't know about you, but there is NOTHING in a sports store, or any store for that matter, that would be worth losing my life for. If the suspect had survived, he would have faced lengthy sentences for the attempted murder of the officers, but by simply giving in when first asked, he would have faced a minimal sentence for the charge of shoplifting. Wow. I wonder how his family feels about his choice?

I guess I'm getting older, but I really don't understand all the anger and violence in the world today. Especially not in my hometown. East Tennessee is a region of unbelievable natural beauty and a slower way of life. Southerners are gentle and soft-spoken and friendly. What happened to that?

As I sit here, three days before Christmas, I feel especially nostalgic for "the old days." When gifts were less important than family; when stores closed for Christmas (and Thanksgiving and Easter); and when Christmas trees were real and the boogie man was fake. Most importantly, when mothers and fathers didn't have to worry about burying their 15-year-old son the day after Christmas.

For Christmas this year, I only ask you for one thing - love. Not for myself, but for the world. Yes, it's a pie-eyed idea and corny to the extreme, but it is my heart-felt wish. In return, I promise to give you the same. Unconditional, unrelenting, unmistakable love. I promise to spend the next year bringing you stories of joy and happiness and the crazy lives around us. And if I fail, let me know. Because you...all of you...are my family. And I love you each and every one. God bless.

I Like Big Mutts and I Cannot Lie...

You've heard the old saying, "If you lay with dogs, you're gonna get fleas." Obviously, that's not really about dogs, but about relationships. However, we have a similar saying around here: "If you lay with Mastiffs, you're gonna get injuries!"

We've owned Mastiffs off and on (mostly on) for six years. In that short time, I've incurred a broken hand from being dragged down the street, bruised tendons from having my foot stomped on, numerous scratches, bruises, and bumps, plus who knows how much dog hair I've swallowed! When you have a 150-pound dog, you might get hurt. When you have THREE of them, it's guaranteed!

All that being said, there is NO better dog in the world! Yes, I know that subjective, and everyone thinks their dog is the best. But Mastiffs truly are wonderul, wonderful pets. Here's my proof:

1. Mastiffs are lazy. How is that good? Walking them is only required if you don't have a fenced in yard, and sometimes not even then. Mastiffs would rather sleep than exercise any day of the week (just like me). No jumping up and down, no running through the house. Even with their large size, they make excellent apartment pets.
2. Mastiffs are child-friendly. A lot of people think the size of a dog is directly related to their temperment. Not true. Kids can climb on them, pull their tails, use them as pillows... whatever they wish. A Mastiff will never hurt a child.
3. Mastiffs keep the bad guys away. When we moved to the country, we talked about what sort of alarm system we needed. Well, we got it. The Mastiffs! Their size and their bark is enough to scare away anyone who doesn't know them. They are fiercely protective of their "people."
4. They are loyal to a fault. It doesn't matter if you've been gone a week or an hour - a Mastiff will act like they haven't seen you in years! They will make you feel like you are THE most important person in the world. And to them, you are!
5. They are so silly! Those big feet, floppy ears, and goofy grins are so funny, especially on those rare occasions that they actually run. If a Mastif wants you to do something, they will sit and "nag" until you do it! Not a bark, not a growl - more like a moan. It is wonderful to hear!
6. They are compassionate. Mastiffs are so tuned into their owners' moods. If you are sick, they will lay with you. If you are hurt, they will comfort you (unless they did it; then they hide!). They will lick away your tears and love you to health!

Oh sure, Mastiffs have their faults: they will steal your sofa and try to sit in your lap, they shed, they drool, and they leave BIG piles! But oh boy, is it worth it!

If you want a loving, sweet, family dog, I cannot recommend a better one than the English Mastiff. Here are some of my babies, past and present:

Home Sweet Home

Whenever I post photos of our house, people always gush over it. And it is a very interesting house with a lot of history. Such as:

The home was built in 1848, before the Civil War began. It was made from bricks that were made on-site with the red clay inherit to the area. The owner was Reverend Thomas Brown, a circuit preacher of the Presbyterian faith. Reverend Brown was probably considered wealthy for that time period, and he used his influence in the area to raise funds for the building of Maryville College (Maryville, Tennessee). In fact, his work for the college was so successful, it is thought that, without it, the college would not still be operating in the current day.

Reverend Brown was also an abolitionist, and it is rumored that he may have helped slaves escape to the North. What is a known fact is that the Battle of Philadelphia (TN) occurred during the month of October, 1863. A lesser known battle than the Battle of Chickamauga or the Battle at Campbell Station, Philadelphia was still an important battle. The Union was soundly defeated by the Confederates, and approximately 700 Union soldiers were taken as prisoners of war. We know that the battle took place near our property, and have heard, but not confirmed, that our house was used as a field hospital during that time, probably housing many of those Union prisoners. The house also has several "hiding" places, where the Browns' hid their valuables during this period. One is located under our refrigerator today.

That's the history of our home. Yes, it is interesting, and the home is indeed stately. But it is also 167 years old, and with that comes many, many problems!

Brick homes last for many years, but they are not indestructible. While it's survived Mother Nature's bullets, it hasn't always withstood that 20th century cannon, the automobile. At some point, the house has been hit by a car which knocked down the front portico, one that has gone over the brick wall that shores up the front yard, and hit the side of the barn. Those are the ones we know of! All these damages were fixable, but we're still waiting for that one accident that takes out a wall.

Problems also occur when you add modern facilities to old homes. We have modern plumbing, of course, but it is hooked into the original spring house, which means that we have quite a few periods of dirty water, low water pressure, or no water at all. And leaks are our problem to fix, not the local utility company. The electricity has been upgraded, but we still have that old house problem of too few outlets. Extension cords are part of our décor. Even adding art to the walls is difficult; try to hammer a nail into 13" thick brick walls!

But for all it's faults, we love this old home! With fireplaces in every room, the original hardwood floors, beautifully crafted cornices and handrails, and the old claw foot tub in the master bathroom, it is a beautiful place.

Outside, with nearly four acres, we are able to witness nature in its finest form. Some days, it seems we live in a bird sanctuary. Cardinals, wrens, woodpeckers, and other birds are numerous. The trees in our front yard are enormous. Some are obviously well over 100 years old. The squirrels jump around happily, and share in the chickens' seed. The dogs romp around (and dig up!) the back yard. The guineas and chickens roam the property, making the rounds several times a day. You can always sit and listen to something making noise around here!

Yes, I love this old house. It drives me crazy, I can't keep it clean, the animals have destroyed parts of the yard, and something is always broken or not working, but it's our home. It's where we make our memories together and it's the home our daughter will remember when she's older. Home. There's no better place to be.