For His Service

Yep... March Madness and I don't mean basketball...  Here are the highlights...   I gave my testimony at The Vine while teaching a group of women to paint....  Super fun night. I finished several paintings for clients... Here are a few. Noah and John Michael both got their braces off. :) Beautiful smiles! Noah had knee surgery to put a new ligament  into his knee and to shave the rough cartilage.   Now... he has lots of physical therapy. Just because Life wasn't CRAZY enough... I rescued a chihuahua from going to animal control and tried to foster him while he received his vet care (neutering/ shots).   He is 1 -2 years old... and in true Chihuahua manner...has a sassy little attitude.   My dogs want to eat him... but he loves dogs.    We are looking for a foster/adoptive mom.     We are reading through the Bible... on Nehemiah and Exodus right now.   There is so much to process. ... we are learn...

My class put on a Christmas play and my son, John-Michael, was a wise man.  I think the children  learned things, had fun, and made memories.   We were sad that Albert, the goat at Save The Horses, ended up dying from Goat Polio.  We was well loved and will certainly be missed.  I tried my hand at pet portraits over Christmas break.  Hopefully, they  will improve the more I do them. It was fun though.  The children eagerly awaited Christmas morning.  John-Michael's favorite gift was a drum set.  Madeline's favorite gift was a karaoke machine.  And ... Noah's favorite gift was a couple of Wii U games.   It certainly has been louder in my house. :)  Dirk, our 10 year old Schoodle had unexpected surgery. We noticed that he have several knots on his chest and back and a red growth in his mouth. He hasn't had his stitches out yet, but the pathology report showed the knots were just cys...

Olivie', my deaf two year old Papillion-poodle on the left, is watching Dirk, my 10 year old Schnauzer-poodle on the right.  She watches his body language to try to figure out what is going on..and how she should respond.  You can see her looking at me and then... watching his body to see what HER next move should be.     She has done this for some time.   As I AGAIN observed her doing this, I thought this is such a good lesson for women.  We have to know that other women are watching us to see how we respond when our children are hard to parent....when our husbands hurt our feelings.... when we get in a fuss with a neighbor...etc.    We also need to know that we can reinforce bad thoughts in our friends.... even on accident.   If Dirk decided to act inappropriately and jump up, Olivie' would as well.  If Dirk started barking, even though Olivie is deaf... she would do the same.   If Dirk ran to the front door, so would Olivie. ...

High Maintenance?  Maybe... but I think everyone would say that they need to know someone cares when we are going through a hard time or just a plain scary time.  In this video clip, a husky is nervous  about a car ride.... perhaps it is the driver..LOL.. or just being in any car..  Either way, the dog is only calmed when she holds "hands" with her owner.  So, who do you have in your life that you can reach out to... send a note..an email... a phone call... or even just reach over and give them the old "hand squeeze".  (You will only get that if you are a church-goer.. LOL)... Let people know you care.   ..one of the greatest callings. John 13:34 A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you are to love one another. John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 15:12 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I h...

So apparently, even my dog has food issues.  He has had at least 8 episodes of vomiting/diarrhea in the 8 1/2 years we have been his owners.   (yes, I take him to the vet each time.  They send us home with meds ..but no reason for the episode to have occurred).   Well, this  Friday- Monday morning...he had another episode.  My husband and I have shown our love for this dog..by cleaning up after him...in a way..no person should have to... and by forcing anti-nausea medication for dogs down his throat..only it to come right back up..before it could take its full effect.   A couple of hundred dollars later.... the vet tells us our dog has I.B. S.  (yep...irritable Bowel Syndrome)... Lucky us!  Even my dog is allergic to what he is eating.  Gotta laugh.   Dirk waiting in Dr. Orr's office In other news....I went blue again... just have to have some fun in the midst of homeschooling, parenting, teaching, painting...

 Olivie'- our newest furry friend- 8 month old Deaf, papillion/ poodle I heard someone say they think they figured out why God makes man crazy about dogs?  So we know how God feels about us... I mean how is it that a furry little face can make us happy and down right joyful?  How is it that when our dog is sick we can get sick with worry?  How is it that we are SOOOO excited because our dog is soooo smart because he can fetch or "shake"?   How is it that a creature so inferior to us can have  our hearts?  I think that is the way God feels about us.  We are so inferior to Him, just as dogs are to us.  He can understand everything and we can understand ...practically nothing, just like our dogs.  We are thinking, feeling, and complex ...compared to our dogs.   Yet, any dog lover will tell you that their little furry friend is just that...a furry little friend. I had Lupe', my chihuahua for 15 years... she di...