Doodling on a Labradoodle

The most frustrating part about owning a labradoodle is the grooming if you do it yourself!  Whew, their hair grows fast and unlike other breeds, it is like humans and keeps growing so must be cut every 4 to 6 weeks.  The hair gnats up easily and it doesn’t help that they are a dog so run around, roll, and scratch causing even more pile ups in their hair! To groom a doodle is anything but oodles of fun!

I have tried almost all products known to man to make my life, and hers, easier as I do the grooming myself. This list includes human detangler sprays which I find do little more than put a nice odor on the top of her coat for about 15 minutes max. Spraying it means I am how detangling wet hair as opposed to dry hair and thereby pulling out even more hair than if it is in its natural state.

The grooming becomes a challenge between Tessie and me. Her patience starts off excellent and then falls sub-par 2/3s

Tessie 

through. At that point, I am the enemy and she makes my pampering experience for her intolerable by moving constantly, pawing me, turning this way and that, trying to escape or the dreaded “kissing me.” This is not advisable when I have sharp scissors or a trimmer in my hands! She thinks it will aid in ending the whole process.

Brushing regularly is a must with this breed. Every few days it should be done, minimum of once a week a very thorough brush out. Remember, the more frequent you groom, the less rustration. Our vet recommends daily!

When you complete grooming, outwardly your dog looks no different to the viewing eye. You will be the only one that will know they were detangled, brushed and sometimes even trimmed! With hair that has a mind of its own, even after being groomed, they may appear no different. Labradoodles always look fluffed up and somewhat messy. And as soon as your pup scratches, there is potentially another knot up in their fur!

Well, if I had another labradoodle and had to maintain it like her, I would simply say “Shoot me now, less painful!”  All this work to ensure she is well maintained and to save money.  But wow, increased blood pressure with the stress.  I am always shocked when someone comments on her grooming because I am so far from an expert that it is funny anyone thinks she looks great when she is my Guinea pig for trimming. I literally watched YouTube videos to try to devise a strategy!

Nowhere does it mention on the videos hair gnats clog up your trimmer! Nor does it mention a wiggly dog while you are trying to get angled cuts that look professionally done around the ears.  Oh they are quite a bit of help but so much is learned through trial and error. Note:  There are no pictures to be found of the errors. I try to forget them. When she comes out beautifully, I try to not look shocked and say “All in a day’s work.” In reality, it feels more like luck is involved to some extent.

I love this breed, labradoodles, but, I hate the grooming. I think it’s important to take the time to tell 'would-be owners' either invest in a great groomer or do it regularly yourself, preparing yourself not to be pampered or pampering your pup.  The spa day treatment is a misnomer! It is hard work. What you will end up with is a dog that has the look “Who wouldn’t love me?!” 

To Age With Grace

She looked in the mirror and saw the reflection of an older woman. She rubbed her eyes to clear them out but the old woman still stared back at her. Why did she stare into that distressed mirror?  Wait, was that a tear rolling down one cheek, seeping out of her right eye ever so slightly?

The years had melted together to form a book of life. The ups and down, tragedies and experiences unique to her were reflected on some unwritten pages. And yet, tomorrow would come with more stories to write. Another day would bring her one day closer to another hallmark notch in her life, as the ending part played out.

She grabbed a tissue and dabbed the tear. As it soaked into the tissue, her head bowed, she recalled her life’s special moments. She lifted her head to gaze at her image one more time and see if she looked any different.

This time she saw some laugh lines. This time she saw some wrinkles from worry about her children. This time she saw a sparkle from the love in her life. She also saw an uplifted head showing the confidence borne of a full life and the pride over the accomplishments of her husband, children and friends. This time she smiled. She was no younger but she was indeed wiser.

Homemade Christmas Tree

Crafty was not on my genes. Science and math was, at one time. So I am far from talented in arts and   Surrounded in a community with women who can do practically anything with anything, not limited to but including napkins and toilet paper rolls to make them turn into beautiful crafts, I am the misfit. My gift is speaking and writing, which doesn’t fit well in a crafty circle thus I do not attend those kinds of meetings and gatherings!

crafts but have always been an “appreciator” of the arts, of all kinds, including crafting!

I am reminded often of my marketing background when I see women wanting to sell their creations thinking of all the possibilities for branding identity. And in response to “You too could be a crafter” my response is simply “Who would buy your wares then?”  The world needs all types; I accept that, my fact, Ms. Non-Crafter.

Given all that, imagine my surprise when I signed up for a class on making a Christmas tree out of mesh.  I wanted one, saw none for sale and figured the only way I was going to get one was to make one. Devious me enlisted one of the talented friends of mine to take the class with me realizing if mine starting looking like a disaster, which was sure to happen, she would come in to save the day, in this case, the tree!

The day before and the day of the class I had second thoughts. How willing was I to embarrass myself?  The last class I had attended my item turned into, let’s just say not too good but salvageable! My friend pumped me up and told me to keep the faith.

Christmas is a special time of the year indeed.  Working on my Christmas tree that day, things just seemed to fall in place as I kept my sense of humor intact. Having a great teacher on hand helped and someone by me making their own tree encouraging me was key but I did it on my own.  Miracles happen and I took my half-finished creation home to finish.

Still wondering if I could complete this on my own which entailed creating and putting bows on and anything else to create the look I wanted, I set to work. First I had mesh to make fill in butterflies with to cover any holes. Next, I visited Hobby Lobby to find bulbs. I went out on a limb and picked ones different than plain silver ones finding a color that complimented the ribbon even better! I decided on a tree topper instead of having mesh bows lining the top of the tree also. I came home, bags in hand, and set to work. I did not follow instructions for where to put things going off a feel more than anything to complete the project.

Presto, done and I love it! If anyone else had created this, I would say it was beautiful. Since it was

me, I have to say it was a Christmas miracle, this early in the season! I will still leave the crafting to the crafty but learned when we put aside our fears during the holiday season, Christmas miracles ring true!

Leaking the Truth

With a recent water leak under our home that hit the bedroom floor causing damage to the floorboards underneath, life has been out of sorts. We are displaced, living out of a guest bedroom temporarily.  Imagine two single beds in a smaller room with a chest of drawers, a large dog cage between the beds, a desk and a nightstand.  You probably guessed correctly there is scarcely any floor space left! All of this is the new norm until reparations are complete.  It is only when things are in an upheaval that we truly realize that none of the stuff we are surrounded with matters all that much. 

Suddenly, we are downsizing what we are wearing based on which drawer we can reach into the easiest and finding this works well. In fact, it is a lot less stressful than having many options!  Never is there a time when we go to bed saying we didn’t spend quality time together because, with a room shut off and another room housing all the bedroom furniture, we are in close proximity in our home a great deal of the time.

As we move things around to shuffle what we need to access, the question keeps popping up, where did this come from?  Do we need this followed by can we get rid of it? Life is much simpler with less.

As you watch your TV mounted on your wall in the bedroom, know that we are watching one sitting atop of our dog’s cage.   Don’t feel badly for us for we are having a memorable time just hanging out in close proximity without the showiness of dressed up decor.  Though it will be a welcome relief when the bedroom restoration work is done and we can move out of this dorm room, we have learned that less can truly be more!

Birthday Puppy

My husband says everyone loves babies and puppy dogs.  I think he’s right. What a shame they grow up to be dogs and teenagers and can learn to talk back or rather, bark back! Often I have heard that at two years, dogs quit being puppies.  Kinda odd how people throw out definitive timelines like that.  Do you know you are ineligible for the Newlywed Game after 2 years?  Yeah, like everything is figured out by then and you know everything about the other person already!  People are not like dogs, they surprise you more. Dogs are there for you when the rest of the world is too busy with stuff.

My puppy turns two this month. Minus the first 8 weeks she was with the breeder, all that time she has been with us.  And it has been a whirlwind of fun and love for the most part. Of all the dogs I have owned, this is easily the best one, behavior-wise and listens the best. Oh, that does not mean all the time or she wouldn’t be a dog now would she?

As she celebrates in a few days turning 2, the memories of Tessie grabbing shoes, accidents (though few!) and running from bath time come easily to mind.  They now are replaced by adult dog behavior, the list of nots, things she does not do:

• Not getting in the refrigerator when the door is open
• Not grabbing clothes when drawers are left ajar
• Not joining me in the shower if the door is open accidentally
• Not counter-serving to see if there is something better up there than in the dog bowl
• Not biting during playtime

And yet why do I find myself somewhat missing them, or at least the sight of a tiny puppy verses the long-legged creature I now have?  With hair in her eyes that always wear a sad expression no matter how happy she is, well, Tess is a mess.  Grooming her myself, every 4-5 weeks and that hair of hers still gets ahead of me constantly needing cut, trimmed, brushed or just overall groomed! As a puppy, her hair didn’t grow as fast and there wasn’t as much there to manage.

Now I find myself remembering the day we brought her home to our home to make it her home, you follow? She was loving but whimpering something she only does now when her feelings are hurt. It’s all relative too because hurt, in her mind is, “I’m on the leash, there is a potential new best friend over there, four legged or two, and I need to be free to greet them my exuberant way!”

So in the end, I suppose with Tessie turning two, many will consider her non-puppy.  With her quirky personality and classic labradoodle looks, she is something special.  As she hops on my lap still convinced she is small enough to sit there though I feel pinned down, I lovingly hold her and will continually call her ‘puppy’  well beyond this month!

Tessie

Pour Me Another Cup!

Writing and coffee go hand in hand to me. Am I alone?  Apparently not, I found out quickly in doing some research.  As Samuel Carlton in Why Coffee Remains the Lifeblood of Writers Everywhere points out (Medium. Com, Sept. 26, 2018) “It’s not just the caffeine it’s the extended stimulation.”  He goes on in his article to give various reasons why coffee seems a hallmark to writers’ toolbox. To quote T.S. Elliot, playwright, essayist “I have measured out my life in coffee spoons.”  Famous writers throughout the ages are known for frequenting coffee shops and then writing with a pen in hand and a coffee cup close by the other one.

I was curious, with all the writers in America, how much coffee is consumed?  400 Million Cups a day which ranks America as the leading consumer of coffee in the world. (e-importz.com/coffee-statistics, 2019) There are greater than 150 Million daily drinkers according to Importz.com.  We are a nation of coffee drinkers for sure!

Now it starts to make sense, you might be thinking, why there are so many coffee chains all over the place.  64% of Americans drink the stuff!  But you might be surprised to learn that 79% still brew at home. (Foodandwine.com, March 19, 2018, Elizabeth Sherman) However, with such a large number of drinkers, coffee shops still have a large market share.

I would surmise that many writers are working from home and brewing their own as I am. That said, I need to refresh my cup!

Young Protestor - Stay Engaged!

I turned on the tube and saw children of all ages marching for Climate Change.  I hope the spirit of getting involved in government and policies covers over to all areas and not just to this one issue.  I believe climate change is supremely important but I also feel the underlying fact remains young people need to be engaged in issues that affect their future and our government.

As a nation, we did not encourage participation in policy making with young people enough in the past. Look at this situation of no term limits. We have congressional candidates literally sitting on their hands in seats doing nothing for the American people but taking up space getting reelected on name recognition.   Young people must become aware of this and demand change. The movers and shakers are the ones that need to be in government, no matter the age.  Non-participators need to be pushed out. Inactivity in government should not be a choice. In business, stagnancy is going backwards. In a highly competitive international world complacent representatives hurt us all from growth opportunities.

May the protestors of today use their enthusiasm for climate to spearhead participation in all areas of government. Our nation was founded on the backs of relatively young men and women and it just may be their backs again that can unify it.

Things a Mother Should Say to a Daughter

I had a very open relationship with my children and talked very frankly. Below are things I think should not go unsaid between a mother and a daughter. I covered this pretty well with mine. I hope you agree with my list!

Christina Lynn Glasmeier-Lewis

 

1. Your beauty inside is more important than the outside
2. Never let someone else define you
3. Always keep your eyes and ears open to God
4. Be diligent with your goals you have set for yourself if you are truly passionate about achieving them.  Worthwhile achievements seldom come easily.
5. Each child you bear will not come with a cookie cutter instruction book so do not expect to ace parenting. Do the best you can do and trust your instincts. God gave them to you, not somebody else.
6. Sex does not equate to love. Know the difference between a one night stand and a lover & friend that's committed for life.
7. Boys can be rude but girls can be flat out mean, at any age. Know it and expect it so you aren’t caught off guard. Don’t take it to heart. Just be selective with your inner circle of friends. Less is more.
8. Society will try to tell you what makes a woman. You need to decide that for yourself and not be held back by labels and everyone else’s expectations or you will always fall short or satisfy everyone but you.
9. It’s okay to cry. Tears are cathartic and can be healing, at any age.
10. Be forgiving of others. Grudges create hate in the heart. This will hurt you more.
11. Do not fear using your voice. It was given to you for a reason.
12. There is no such thing as too much education. Never stop learning new things.
13. Be happy in whatever you choice to do, in your choices. Being happy and positive is healthy.
14. Be self-accepting and have self-love. Without them, you can't truly reach your potential or love someone else unconditionally. 
15. I will always love you for you.

Darlin'

There are notes from darling and darling notes from darlin’. Both hit me in the heart. My husband’s notes are few and far between because men are like that. Short on words but big on actions. But granddaughters, they put their feelings right out there to their grandmas and my Ava is no exception! Priceless are her notes.

As I look through my keepsake collections, one thing that keeps reappearing are some of the notes throughout the years from Ava. Her well-crafted messages with heartfelt statements in her own handwriting are beautiful pieces of literature to me. Each with a special memory attached.

They started from the day she could write and the first few are barely legible but to me it is a strong reminder the bond between us was already concrete in its foundation.  As soon as Ava could express I love you, I heard it verbally and then later, in writing as if to solidify it. She wanted to be certain, when she wasn’t near me, I never forgot it.

The messages from my granddaughter are on coloring pages, painted pictures, birthday

cards, handmade pictures and even scraps of paper. One of my all-time favorites is the one she left at our home in Florida on her last visit.  She wrote it on a cute notepad I keep for decoration in the bedroom she and her brother slept in while they visited. I came back home, after driving her back to Tennessee, to find the note in the bedroom  telling me she was sorry she had to leave now with a sad face drawn. She said she missed me already and that she would hurry back and loved me very much. And then it is followed by all those stars and exclamation points kids are notorious for putting on the end of everything for added emphasis. She hasn't been back to visit since but the note is here and perhaps that is all that matters.  That piece of Ava is priceless! Just darling from sweet precious one-of-a-kind Ava.

May you find the short sweet notes written in love from a spouse, grandchildren or a friend a great reminder to you of how you are bringing sunshine to someone’s life and more importantly, the blessing they bring to yours!!!⭐⭐⭐!!!🌟🌟🌟

America I Can Talk Freely

I was told recently that nothing political should be posted on my blog. Well that is hard to do when I am so political by nature. If my blog is about me I would be leaving a huge part of myself out of my blog by never saying anything political on it so here it goes….again. I am into politics but I am open-minded. I care about all people; I have my views but believe my views aren’t the only ones that matter.

So much is going on these days that it is hard to determine who is your friend and who is not. Untrue, nothing has really changed in that regard. Your true friends are still there, society has that wrong and wants you confused.. Just because our views differ on a few things be it religion, parenting or politics doesn't mean the friendship isn't any good. This is being different, something we are called to be; uniquely human. Some of my close friends have varying views from mine but in most areas we agree.  And yes, in politics, it is not always the same stance across the board on all policies.  There does have to be a commonality on enough areas to bond,  obviously. What matters most is the quality of the relationship, like it always does with any relationship.

Similar politics doesn’t mitigate a great friendship either!  That may be the only thing you have in common with someone and the qualities you value in every other regard may differ sharply.  Don’t get so hung up on politics that you aren’t able to step back and see the big picture.  It's hypocritical to not allow for the very differences you are championing in your political views. If you value people than, by definition, you should value those with other views besides yours if their value system mirrors your core system of beliefs. 

My blog is an expression of many of my views on a wide range of topics and I attempt to be relatable to many but I am sure I leave some behind. This is not by choice but it is impossible to please every reader. So with that said I have to say a few things on politics and if I offend a few, I can’t apologize for my opinions.  Everyone has them and has a right to them, including you to yours:

• Gun violence has gotten out of control in America and something must be done
• Both parties in the political spectrum simply must stop taking money from pharmaceutical companies and the healthcare industry. Check their campaign funding and find out where their campaign dollars are originating from then write them and publicize your findings.
• Research what you hear and read. Do not take the news or what others tell you verbatim. Repeating it doesn’t make it true.
• Recognize there are channels that are biased, on both sides of the political spectrum. This is called ‘ratings war” and translated that means advertising dollars. It is not about you or I, it is about making money.
• Be an informed voter. Don’t be someone who complains and doesn’t stay educated. Your civic duty is not to be a blind voter.
• Insist on solutions and not just banter on problems. We can change things with effort and action.

America was a dream that men and women died for to turn it into a reality. I write about it because I think their deaths mean something. That is why I stay concerned about politics; because I think I owe them that, even if it means taking a few potshots now and then. It is easier than taking bullets.  And I believe America is worth standing up for. Do you?