CLICKASNAP, SHEBA AND MR. SCROOGE

A full stomach and sunshine makes me satisfied and sleepy. Somebody else is that way, too. Sheba is curled up peacefully on her bed. I should not speak too soon. You know how that can jinx a situation. Shhhh!

Yesterday I came upon someone’s post about Clickasnap, a photo sharing site that allows free hosting of your photos and opportunity of sharing and earning some money. It all sounds great as I have had to upgrade my free WordPress plan to a paid personal one because I ran out of storage space. Clickasnap sounded like the perfect soloution. But on second thought after reading about it, it sounded complicated to my non-techy brain. It would take me a long time to figure it out.

I will perhaps keep it in mind to investigate at my leisure. Since my plan gives me priority support, I might ask the Happiness Engineers about it. That would be time consuming, too. I really want to concentrate on my writing. My free plan lasted 5 years before I ran out of space. If I am not such a clutterbug, had organized my photos and not duplicated many of them, I am sure my storage space would be fine. It pays to be more organized. I will not fret about it. $5/month will help keep me in line. I will be watching my GBs closely and editing and labelling photos.

The furry monster has woken and has ears on back of her head. She hears people on the street from the back of the house. She can hear me peel a banana in another room. She barks alot and loudly. We have another hour to go before her supper. We’ll see how patient and consistent we are today. I have the kettle on for another cup of tea. Somehow that always help. It’s better than lighting up another cigarette like the olden days.

We are making good progress. Sheba knows the drill now. She is whimpering softly but she is obediently doing her ‘down.’  She is very cute and causes me to smile with her little whimper. It is hard to resist her but I do. I know she is not that hungry. Only 3 more minutes before chow time. She gives another little whimper.

So it goes. 3:00 pm. She forgets herself and rushes at the bowl. I almost forgot, too but admonishes her. She sits back and waits till I’m finished pouring her kibbles and gives her ‘okay’. See how easily things can slide back if you are not paying attention?

It is the first of December. I have been thinking about Christmas. I have done away with the gifting part of it. How will I celebrate it? How can I make it meaningful and joyous? And exactly what is its true meaning? We talk so much about it. We talk a lot about simplifying but often it ends up more complicated. I wonder, too, how my ungifting Christmas will affect my family. I like to think that it is just about me, but it does affect others. It’s that pebble casting ripples through the universe. Christmas is not where I want that effect to work. I do not want to be the Scrooge who ruins everyone’s Christmas. But to be authentic, you have to be brave and do what you say you want. I’m doing it.

Now it is time for our walk.

LIKE PEELING AN ONION

Not so much after-lunch cleanup to do today. Leftovers are always great for that.  Besides being less prep and cleanup, I find them more flavourful. As you can guess, I am not a fussy eater. I don’t have fanciful discerning tastes. Maybe I should develop some and stop my many ‘good enoughs’. It probably won’t ever happen. I can’t fuss.

I’m just not that kind of a person. I could never make anybody jump through hoops for me. Nor can I make a salesperson, waitress/waiter ‘work for their money’. It’s a demeaning behaviour. It embarrasses me to see someone do that and enjoy it. I was an audience to such a display. I didn’t want to watch but I couldn’t help but see my friend’s smile. The waiter had to tell and describe to us all the desserts offered. We could have very well gone to look at the dessert case. It wasn’t like we had to walk a mile. But then that is just me. It’s no big deal and it was his job. Sometimes no big deal bothers me a lot. I should get over them.

It is 3 pm. Sheba has been fussing but I’ve quieted her. She is still quiet. I will wait till she barks again before giving her food. It is not like she is starving. We can both learn to sit and stay together. Do you know how difficult it is to stay in the moment? I always want to get to the next moment. My mind is already there. That’s what winners do, right? Always a step ahead. Or that’s what we’re led to believe.

I’m always thinking ahead of what I should be doing, where to go, what to striving for. It makes it difficult to be HERE. It is as if I, by myself in this moment, am not enough. I’m trying to change that. It takes patience and time. It is really difficult if you don’t know what the problem is. I’m beginning to understand just the tip of it. It’s like peeling an onion, a layer at a time. Oh, sometimes I do cry with the layer. Change is painful.

Sheba has been rewarded with her supper. She waited till I had poured it into her bowl. She did not rush at it like her usual self. You can teach old dogs new tricks. I am not so sure about myself. I am not consistent with her or myself. Therefore, our bad habits prevail. What I must do with her supper is 1) She has to wait till 3 pm at least. 2) She must sit and wait till I’ve poured the food in her bowl. Do I have the fortitude?

Her barking can make me cave in. It does make me cave in most times. She knows it. But today she has demonstrated that she is capable of doing a down/staying if only for a few minutes at a time. I had demonstrated I had patience to repeat the procedure a few times till Sheba herself stayed down longer each time.

We both can do it. We just have to stick to it. One layer of the onion peeled.

 

SHEBA, THE HUMAN CANINE

Sheba is not a fool proof dog. She has failed as an alarm on a few occasions, like this morning. She has an annoying habit of waking us up anytime around 6. She would nuzzle with her wet nose me, then him. If that doesn’t work, she would bark and bark till we can’t stand it anymore. I never worry about sleeping in. This morning our alarm didn’t go off till 7:30.

It’s not that we have a job to go to. It’s Saturday. I go swimming Saturday mornings when I can look forward to having a lane to myself at the pool. Imagine my surprise when I saw that it was 7:30. I suppose I could still get to there for 8. It’s a bit harsh to jump out of bed, get dressed, pack my stuff and dash to the car. So I fed the beast and put the kettle on. In the back of my mind I probably had a secret wish of sleeping in. Saturdays I am always torn between the love of the swim and nesting at home. The latter won today. I shelved the guilt and decided to enjoy.

The other time that Sheba flunked her dog alarm duty was this summer. We/our block had a break in. Our garages in the backyard were broken into. The doors were jimmied. The thieves made off with stuff. They even took a bike under the deck which was by our bedroom. The window was opened. Sheba never made a move or whimper. We were quite ignorant till after breakfast when the guy was taking Sheba for her walk. The garage door was wide open. Quite a few things were missing including his cordless drill which he had just purchased to replace the one stolen in his truck.

So nothing is fool proof including a dog who can hear me peeling a banana in a different room. She can see out the back of her head. She sees things happening in the front street when she’s in the back. Yet 2-3 thieves can sneak off with a recumbent tricycle right under her nose. I guess dogs do sleep in and sleep on the job.

I swear sometimes she is more human than canine. Did I tell you about the time she was wracked with anxiety? It was the most awful time. It started slowly. The first time she was humping her pillow. Suddenly she stopped and came running, squealing to me. She was like a child. Then it escalated from occasional bouts to all the time. She wouldn’t eat unless someone was sitting with her by her food bowl. Even then she was checking over her shoulders. She stopped playing with her toys. Then she wouldn’t sleep. She would be standing by our bed in the dark, panting. I tried sleeping with her on the floor but that didn’t work well either. It was time to see the vet.

She checked out physically. Then it was behavioral modification. We kicked her out of the bedroom. We listened to her whine through the closed door. I noticed that she had a lot of dandruff and was shedding a lot. I googled and googled. I started to give her Jamieson Wild Salmon and Fish Omega-3, 1000 mg./day. It took awhile for the dandruff and shedding to improve. Her anxiety was to the point of me ready to medicate her. She must have sensed it. She started sleeping at night. I held my breath. Things improved gradually. She started eating by herself and playing with her toys again. Now, she’s completely her old happy self.

 

SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU

We should all be like our pet dogs. We were gone for just 2 days. It could have been weeks. When we got back to pick up Sheba at the sitter’s, she was beside herself with happiness. She ran out the door and galloped around Carol’s front yard. Back and forth she ran, kicking up her heels like a donkey, squealing with delight. She let us know that she was so happy to see us.

Why can’t we be like that, not afraid to show our feelings. If you care about someone, don’t hide and be coy about it. Show your appreciation. We might say  and do all the right/polite things, but our body language gives us away. Let me tell you, there’s no mistaking Sheba’s body language. She loves us and she’s not afraid to show it.

Sheba has taught me much in our lives together. Love transcend many boundaries. You cannot measure love in the dollars or sense. Love touches you in that special space inside. And she surely has touched us there.

MY MAGIC BULLET – Day 118 in a year of…

Day 118, November 20, 2016 @2:19 pm

img_8440I am sure that Sheba is the most photographed dog in the world.  I can’t help capturing her multiple times in a day.  She is my fur baby and she is pretty. She is darn smart, too.  Those things have saved her from going to the dog pound.  She was not an easy puppy.  I was not a trained owner.  We had a very rocky beginning.

She was destined to be mine so no amount of difficulty could separate us.  We were stuck like glue.  She could sit so pretty and look at me with those expressive eyes.  She could shake a paw, then the other one.  She could roll over, do the crawl.  She could even pick up her leash and carry it over the doorway.  She would do anything for food.

As a puppy she was full of zest, too much zest and so full of opinions.  She was like the Lone Ranger thundering up and down the hills at the dog park.  She was a bunny hopping in and out of the snow.  She is still full of it. She could still thunder but only a short distance.  But she is as vocal as ever.  She’s gotten us into trouble numerous, numerous times being a black exuberant energetic dog who likes to jump and bark.

img_8439After ten years, she is somewhat obedient. I’m somewhat trained.  We are still together after ten years.  She is my magic bullet, keeping me safe and spirited. She gets me up and out even when I don’t want to.  I have raised her from a 2 month puppy – a complete job. She is loved and exercised religiously.  Though not obedient in some ways, she is perfect in others.  She does not go on furniture or destroy them.  She is exuberant and lavish in her loving.  And she is barking now:  Time to go to the park!

IF NOT FOR – Day 82 and 83 in the year of…

Day 82 and 83, October 15, 2016 @8:26 am

There is a bit of sunshine this morning.  Thank the Lord for small mercies.  I am feeling a little blue and discouraged.  Too much in the news and social media last evening and this morning.  How do you not pay attention to what’s happening in the world?  You would want to know if disaster is coming and prepare for it, wouldn’t you?

img_8074The question is, What do you do in today’s climate?  Our world is a minefield waiting to be detonated.  Which way to go?  It is likely that we all are tiptoeing carefully in our personal domain.  We are careful and silent till the explosion goes off.  I am tired of it all, aren’t you?  I am tired of the Trump-Clinton dramas, of the media circus, of the corruption, racial slurs and inequities, of personal conflicts.  If only I could vomit it out. I guess that’s exactly what I am doing!

Please do not worry about my state of mind.  It’s my writing mind and my fingers tapping out what is in my body.  But are they true feelings?  It’s helpful to put them on the page and let the light shine on them.  I have been accused by many people that I say what most people would only think.  That has puzzled me. What is wrong with what I say?  They are not vulgar.  They are not lies.  I do not gossip. Others have said I’m brave.

I do not feel particularly brave.  I love words.  I love their sound as they fall from my fingertips.  If not for them, I would find it harder to breathe.  I would find life more difficult.  If not for life’s adversities, I would not be as adept with my words. As I am now tapping, I hear the Byrd’s lyrics.

To everything – turn, turn, turn
There is a season – turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under heaven

Yes, sometimes it is hard to watch what is unfolding before me – chaos, distrust and hatred.  But I have to believe in purpose and the beauty in our lives. Sometimes I moan and groan about Sheba, but if not for her, I would miss a lot of nature’s beauty, the stuff that can heal a battered and disillusioned soul.  She insists and drags me out to witness skies, blue or grey, to feel the wind rippling my hair, the rain on my face and in my shoes.  She’s like a bunny hopping through the snow, a little black seal in the river …. She brings me utter joy.

But now she’s barking.  Enough already!  It’s time to go for our walk.

WHAT IS

IMG_2204It’s the 6th day of the new year.  Can I say I am weary and Sheba is getting on my one nerve that is left?  She is the neediest dog ever, wanting to be stroked, cuddled and held 24/7, always nudging, cajoling.  Come on, come on!

Enough already, Sheba!  I’m trying to write.  Her hair is everywhere – stairs, living room, kitchen, on my keyboard.  What we put up with for our critters.  I hope my Roomba comes this week.  The severe weather has delayed its delivery.  I am seriously disappointed that it didn’t come today.

 

IMG_2088But life goes on and so does the cold.  It is still just January.  I better readjust my attitude and hold on.  There is still a lot more to come.  At least there’s sunshine and I have a warm home.  The fireplace is working.  The larder is full and the wine is fermenting.  What more can I ask for?

Okay, a cold wind is blowing but Mr. sun is still shining and the snow ever so white and clean.  The garden isn’t blooming but all the beauty and the potential is there.  Soon it will be time to order the seeds for planting. For now just sit back, relax and appreciate what is.

 

THE SHORT AND THE LONG OF IT

I started this blog with a goal of writing a thousand words a day. Most days all days, I fall quite short of that.  I am a short and snappy gal.  I would probably have more success in writing for Hallmark Cards.  Now, I’m upgrading my goal to writing a thousand posts, one a day.  How long would that take?  Do I have time?

Life comes to me in photos and snatches of words.  They come to me like live streaming.  There’s no skill or ability involved.  I am just wired like that.  Curious, isn’t it?

Today, there are no photos and few words.  But I present to you the amazing Miss Keirha and Miss Sheba, right from our living room.  I hope you will enjoy.

ON TOP OF THE WORLD

IMG_0508

“I’m on the top of the world lookin’ down on creation
And the only explanation I can find
Is the love that I’ve found ever since you’ve been around
Your love’s put me at the top of the world”

Funny how photos trigger words and snatches of songs in my mind.  That’s how I’m feeling looking at this picture of Sheba – on top of the world.  The Carpenters got it perfectly.  Sheba exemplifies perfect love.

No matter how long or short I’ve been gone, she is always exuberantly happy to see me on my return.  She is never cross with me, except when I try to trim her nails, clean her ears or brush her undercarriage.  But she forgets when it is over and never holds a grudge.  With love like that, how can I not be on top of the world?

IMG_0485So what if I’m greeted by snow and grey skies first thing this morning?  They will pass as all things do.  So I am not feeling quite perky and ready to conquer the world but this, too shall pass.  In the meantime, it makes a good excuse to cuddle up with my tea and book and just enjoy the slowness.  Wars and battles can wait for another day.  For today, I am happy sitting on top of my world watching Sheba IMG_0479play.

FOR LOVE OF SHEBA

Sheba WaitingI am not a dog person by nature.  When this unexpected visitor came, I did not expect that we would have such a long love affair.  Seven  years later, we are still going strong.

She taught me about unconditional love.  She showed me I had a heart.  She was such a beautiful baby that I could not give her up, no matter how hard and tough the going was.

So we muddled through the years – the cold and snow in winter, the slush and mud in spring, the dirt in summer and colours of autumn, the season of her birth.