Happy New Year... A Dog's Purpose

This is an email story sent to me by a friend. If you're a dog owner/lover, you'll understand this completely! I know I love my dog, Skeeter. Read on......


''A Dog's Purpose?
(from a 6-year-old)

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.''

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.

He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?''
The Six-year-old continued,''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''



Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy..

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.


Always love your dogs as much as they love you!


Happy New Year to All
Ruff...Ruff...Ruff

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The Weekend Report!

WOW! Here it is Sunday already! Time certainly flies, huh? Friday Jerry & I took a road trip with friends to a couple little towns in Kansas: White Cloud & Sparks - for a flea market. White Cloud is a tiny little hamlet near the river...the winding drive to get there is quite lovely! I'm not sure my traveling companions thought the same as there were comments made about the housing (shack, shack, tailer on blocks, shack, shack...) and "I think I hear banjos". One old abandoned house we saw was so creepy... we were sure it was from the 1980 movie "Motel Hell" - where people check in but they don't check out. Hmmmm! And the guy who ran the motel made the best grilled meat (I thought it was sausage). YIKES!!! (... there are LOTS of creepy old abandoned houses all over...so I'm not just picking on this one!)

There were several vendors there Friday... we shopped a bit then headed back to Mound City, MO to eat dinner at Quackers Steak House and to get a good night's sleep at the Super 8.



Yesterday morning we got up & drove back to White Cloud. More vendors had miraculously appeared overnight! White Cloud is a hilly little town... there is very little parking on the main street so parking / walking / carrying treasures to a vehicle parked on a hill is equal to a good aerobic workout! Buns of steel here I come! I was really surprised that the main street was not closed off to traffic... but I don't recall seeing another way to get into town besides the main street.

One building in town was absolutely FULL of stuff... so full it looked like the place where garage sale & auction rejects go to die. This place also featured a "wall of wigs". Again, to be fair, it wasn't the whole wall... but we were walking thru the cramped aisles and looked up to find at least 25+ wigs on styrofoam heads stuffed into cubby holes on a wall. We secretly wondered where the bodies were!

Local dogs ran up & down the street... between shoppers... in & out of booths. And there were a few shoppers who brought their dogs - on leashes - because their dogs like to shop? (I just don't get it!)

Our friends shopped and bought LOTS of stuff that they collect... we, on the other hand, have 1) become very selective, 2) are too cheap, or 3) plain just don't want to move more stuff... and didn't by much at all. (My vote is for #3!) I did, however, find two more large cream enamel pans with green trim (I just love this stuff - but really don't know what I'm going to do with it all! Surely it will have some function!); Jerry bought some bullets and another kerosene lamp (how many is that now?). While we were walking / shopping we came across a man who was selling a flatbed trailer. Did I mention we'd been looking on Craigslist, BuyItNebraska, the American Classifieds & the local newspapers for a trailer... and had friends & family watching for one as well? It was a deal too good to pass up & Jerry made the deal... and we are now the owners of a trailer!



Around noon Saturday after some BBQ we felt like we'd shopped all we could in White Cloud... and drove a few miles down the road to Sparks, Kansas. Sparks is barely a spot in the road... literally a ghost town...(although we did notice on trailer house with a mailbox in front... and a guy who actually looked in it & went back into the trailer house. Maybe he's the caretaker?) Two weekends a year the abandoned houses & buildings (there's a church & bank and a few other "public" buildings) are opened up for shopping - some are crammed so full of stuff one has to wonder where it all came from, how it got there & how long it's been since any of it was dusted! A lot of the offerings resembled things we've thrown away because they were in such bad shape... but people are funny (strange?) & will sell and/or buy anything! In between the houses & buildings there were tables & tables of stuff. People everywhere... and DOGS!! Why do people HAVE to drag their dogs along to things like this?? It was really quite overwhelming! We walked the grounds... lost each other... found each other... bought a few things (not us but our friends)... and finally decided about 5:00 that we were exhausted & we'd done all the damage we were going to do.

We headed back to White Cloud to pick up our trailer. As we were leaving town... a voice came over the PA system... swearing up a storm. It seems that while he was outside "messin' with m'dogs" someone stole the money out of his strong box. In several colorful words he explained that this happened to him last year as well... losing $3500 for his weekend of selling. You'd think that he would have learned a lesson from last year... don't bring the dogs and keep your money on your person instead of leaving it unattended!

We got back to Lincoln about 8:45... just in time to park the trailer in the driveway and head to the airport to greet my son Alex! He is home on R&R for two weeks after being in Iraq for a year. He was glad to be back on American soil... and happy to see his family! Sounds like he will be coming home a month earlier than expected - July instead of August.

After all this excitement... I'm pooped! Tomorrow Alex & I will go pick up Skeeter from the Doggie Hotel (aka the vet) so he can see "his" dog.

Sunday morning musings...

Living in the city (can you call Lincoln a city, really?) our neighbors are quite close. Every morning when I make coffee I'm greeted by my neighbor's cat who sits in a window across from my kitchen window. My cat, Miss Ruffles, was a 14-year old long haired black cat with amber eyes I had rescued from the Humane Society.

Having 100-pound Skeeter, I've not really thought too much about getting another cat since Miss Ruffles passed away two years ago on New Years. Jerry thinks that we'll need at least a couple outdoor cats to keep down the mouse population at the cabin.


Yesterday Jerry & I went with friends to the tiny town of Venice, Nebraska looking for bargains at a favorite antique store. This store does have very reasonable prices on antiques & collectibles - but you have to look for them!! My "big" buy was a glass tea jar (the kind Hoosier cabinets used to hold) for $5.00. We then drove another 20 miles to Fremont & browsed the antique stores there. Most of the prices in these stores are WAY more than Jerry & I wanted to pay, however I did find two more glass jars (one is a medium/large Hoosier jar)... not quite the bargain I found in Venice, but they are utilitarian & will be put to good use storing food in our pantry.

I've looked for canisters that I liked, that are not too expensive but have not been able to find any. So on a trip to the farm in Kansas last year I scrounged through my mom's cold room (where the canned goods are stored) and latched onto several big blue canning jars with zinc lids. I use these as I would use canisters. They're primitive, rustic & antique-y... and utilitarian...fitting in with the look we hope to achieve in the cabin.

Last nite we celebrated the birthday of a friend. Our group of friends met at a local nightclub (read: it has a bandstand, dance floor & bar). It's always fun to get together. I hadn't really realized how much I had missed our friends last summer until we came back for a couple weeks in October. Now, however, I'm feeling kind of homesick for Colorado, for the friends we met there, and for the space we have to wander around without being able to see the neighbor's cat in a window.

I've been staying up late at night, tired but can't sleep, reading blogs of people who are living green, off-the-grid, organic lives. I've bookmarked some who make their own soaps, candles, and cheese. These are things I'd like to work toward... how difficult can it be? Ha!

I had some other things I wanted to say this morning but my brain is foggy... the coffee hasn't taken effect yet. I guess those things will wait for another time.
Have a great Sunday!