FUNK

I'm in a funk.
I thought I had pulled myself out but... truth be told, no.
It's not because of Squeak, although his passing didn't help.
It's just...............

I need a change.
Or maybe just some sleep.
Or maybe just a new approach to life.

I seem to remember an episode of Seinfeld where George, whose life was always a major fail, decided to do the opposite of his natural instincts and suddenly everything started working for him.
Although I can't remember how it ultimately turned out for him, something must have gone wrong as he was back to his never-do-well life by the next episode.

But...
Yesterday when I got home from work it started to storm.
Really high winds, over 50 miles an hour and then hail.
The weather people on TV were intense.
They had their jackets off and their sleeves rolled up and they were showing diagrams on where to seek shelter in your home.
Last year we had a tornado in our region, something rather rare here
and they told us to seek a safe place.
At that time, I went to the basement door and walked down a couple of steps and sat there, holding 2 of my little dogs, Poppy and Ping.

I had motioned Blue to the doorway, I knew he'd never go down the steps, so he sat there along with Nora and Jimmy. I called to the others, I called to my cats...but mostly I called my cats Harry and Ghost.
Strange how I made my Sophie's Choice....
I remember that I had thought if I heard a "train" noise as they predict, I would just set the two little ones down on the icky basement floor and tug Blue as far down the stairs as I could.
I would think if I did that, some of the others would follow him down too.

But last night, curled up in my big chair covered in critters,
I watched the Tornado Warnings and thought about my Dad.
When there would be storms, he liked to open the garage door and sit in his lawn chair and watch.
He never ever was concerned. He never told us to go downstairs.
Of course, the downstairs in my childhood home was nicer than the whole of my home is now.
And MY current downstairs is dark, damp with cinder block walls and it's filled with stuff.
Stuff being old furniture, cat carriers, Rubbermaid containers full of more stuff.
I really didn't want to go down there.
So I pulled up my ottoman and stretched out my legs and more little ones crawled on top of me.
Blue was laying on the sofa

and Nora was pacing.
Nora was the only one that seemed concerned so I called for her to lay down next to the chair.
I figured we'd just wait and see.
I was so tired that I started to drift off to sleep.
I remember thinking just before I drifted off that I hoped the hail didn't dent my car
and that if nothing happened to us, that I needed to pitched the stuff in the basement
and repaint the walls, maybe put down a piece of sheet vinyl flooring...

So, I woke up and the threat had passed.
Apparently 5 tornadoes had touched down in several areas.
Down on the far end of my street, a tree had come down and brought down power lines and people were trapped inside a restaurant.
I was lucky that we still had power in my section of town.
I got up and threw a load of laundry into the washer.
I let the dogs out to potty and the night sky seemed eerie.
They hurried back in and we all went to bed.

I got up this morning and went to work and I cried.
Nothing big really happened or anything but I just cried.
I don't think I'm alone though.
Many people that I work with feel the same way.
And there's other people I know, outside of work, that feel like crying too.
About different things
Maybe it's just the time of year.

Maybe it's that I get home and only have a couple of hours
to clean the house, sort through and get rid of the clutter,
do the laundry, feed the dogs, groom the dogs,

scoop the poop and clean the litter boxes,
read the blogs and the books I want to read and
oh, create Art
and I need to get to bed and get some sleep.
Seems like I never have time to do what I want or the energy.
Maybe it's just that I feel overwhelmed.

Do you feel like that too?
Is it the weather? The time of year?
The horrible things in the News and on social media?
See,  I told you I was in a funk.
Sorry.

LAST NIGHT -

This morning -

(My apple tree)

The back yard dog area -

Blue clearing a path for Ping -

And then Blue hurried back to the door, leaving Ping by herself!

But Ping didn't dilly dally.

She was quickly behind him, running to get back inside.

None of us are too happy about this latest development.

MY BIG NEWS

OK, You might want to grab a beverage, and get comfortable because this is one of my longer post! LOL!
So, here is my BIG news.
Actually it's two things, but they are sort of tied together.
At least in my mind.
The first thing is, I am no longer going to feel like this:

I've been feeling like this for a very long long time.
Much too long and I'm finally going to do something about it.
No, I'm not quitting my job.
Well, not quite yet.
But I shall see what manifests and then be OPEN to it.
I'm talking about practicing the 
LAW of ATTRACTION.
If you aren't familiar with it, I found some definitions and clarifications by Remez Sasson
and you can find more HERE

1. This law is a manifestation of the creative power of the Universe.
2. It is through this law that everything is created: galaxies, planets, metals, rocks and even plants, animals and people.
3. Like attracts like.
4. Thoughts attract corresponding situations and circumstances.
5. You get what you think about.
6. You attract into your life whatever you focus on.
7. Positive thoughts attract positive events. Negative thoughts attract negative events.
8. If you entertain feelings and thoughts about hardships and obstacles, then this is what you get.
9. If you keep thinking and expecting success, and don't allow doubts enter your mind, you will eventually achieve success.
10. It is not enough just to wish for something, you need strong desire and faith to manifest what you want.
11. In order for your thoughts to manifest, you have to repeat them often, and add feelings, desire and interest.
12. The mind acts like a magnet.
13. Similar energy attracts similar energy.
14. Your thoughts determine the way you live.
15. This law is used by everyone, though mostly unconsciously.
16. Filling the mind with worries and anxieties brings stress and unhappiness.

17. Filling the mind with happy thoughts will attract happiness into your life. 

So, you might be asking what made me decide this and the answer is...
I'm tired of petty people sucking the joy out of my life and causing me stress and unhappiness. 

I had ANOTHER incident happen (I won't go into it here but) and I had to defend myself and straighten out what had actually transpired and... I'm done.
Done with the politics, cliques and general meanness.

Life is too short.

I'm focusing on what I want in my life and kicking the negativity behind me. I'm going to visualize myself into a better happier life!

Now, for the second part of BIG NEWS.

I've used visualization before but not a huge grand scale.
I've done it without actually even thinking about it.
I thought about my little Poppy when she was someone else's dog and boarded with me often. I was actually driving home and the thought of her popped in my head and I found myself thinking about her when my cell phone started to ring and I pulled over and it was the receptionist from work calling to tell me that Poppy's owners wanted to know if I would adopt her.
Another time I was at work and saying that I won't mind some day having a little dachshund, I was very specific. I said I wanted a smaller one, a female, a dapple and her temperament had to sweet and loving. Not even 10 minutes later, a woman walked into the clinic with a dog that was exactly as I described. The co-worker I had been talking to got wide eyed and then we were both shocked when the client told me I could have her if I wanted her.
So I guess I visualized them into my life.
A few posts back I was saying that I wish I had a energetic playmate, a poodle for my toy poodle Ping.
Pretty much all my other dogs are elderly and just don't want to play with her.
So when my friend who works at the Humane Society, asked me to paint her little dachshund (the painting I just posted a few days ago) I told her that I'd give her a discounted price if she'd keep her eyes open for a Toy Poodle with LOTS of energy and it had to be female. She laughed and said "Of Course!"
Now I want to point out that I am almost daily turning down dogs. 
You would not believe how many people offer to give me their dogs and I say No!
Recently I helped find homes for 2 Labs and now I'm trying to find a home for a Doberman.
(The Labs were victims of divorce and the Dobie, the owner is moving out of the country.)
Then the other day, four little tiny Shih-tzu mix puppies came in to be fixed from the Humane Society. One of the little females didn't have a home yet and one of the techs held her up to the window to me and I mouthed the words back to her
"She's not a Toy Poodle" and shook my head No.
I telling you this so that you know I don't drag home EVERYONE, although it might seem so.
Well, my friend text me again that she loved her painting and she had a little dog for me to meet but it wasn't a poodle. I told her I'd stop by on my way home but I highly doubted it because I wanted someone like Ping.
When I got there, she took me to a room and brought the dog in. I was told she was just over a year old and they thought she was maybe a  Shih-tzu mix?
After meeting her I think she's likely a Yorkie and maybe Affenpinscher mix.
The little dog walked in on a leash as my friend slipped it off and she just zoomed around the room! She was so happy! She jumped up and down and all around and when I called to her she flew into my lap. I couldn't help but laugh at her.
Apparently she had been fostered while she had her puppies!

Those puppies were HER babies.
Then she was adopted for 2 weeks, only to be returned because she had an ear infection and the people didn't want to deal with it.
So my friend had been caring for her at the shelter, treating her ears and she had just been given the OK to go to the Adoption Floor by their Doctor that very day.
My friend was in love with her and wanted her to go to the right home after all the little dog had been through in her short life.
The Director of the Shelter came in and laughed at me. She is a very good friend of mine too and she said
"I thought you wanted a Poodle!". I told her yes but most importantly I wanted high energy and a SWEET dog.
She knows me very well and she said she thought the little dog would be a perfect playmate for Ping. 
So here's the funny cosmic part. Or at least I believe it to be so.
Her name is Toodles! I told them that I had been thinking and saying POODLE but apparently the Universe heard Toodles!
Everyone laughed and I took her home last Thursday.
She walked in and greeted everyone right on the spot..
She was a bit of a mess from all the ear meds and being in the shelter.

She immediately started playing 

and then a miracle happened, she wore out Jimmy Chew.
When he gave up, she and Ping played

until I grabbed Toodles and gave her a good bath which she loved. Then I set her down and she was back to playing.

Every day since, all she does is play with Ping. they are even sleeping together.
The best of buddies.
Blue just watches her from his sofa and sometimes she will grab Nora's ball and RUN and Nora will chase her around to get it back and finally she will drop it and go back to Ping or Jimmy and play.
In fact as I type this, all three of them are tumbling and bouncy around the room.

It's amazing how this just clicked and worked.
I do plan on changing her name. I've tried out several.
I thought about ZIGZAG but she doesn't answer to it.
I've called her Tallulah but that's kind of a long name to say.
I tried calling her Tammy, because she's so sweet but she didn't come to that either.
I like the name Swoosie but I find it hard to say repeatedly.
Today I've been calling her Evie. So that might be her name.

So, maybe it's a stretch in some peoples mind but I clearly see this as a product of positive thinking and the power of visualizing the perfect dog to fit in the final puzzle piece of my fur family.
I think it was so easy because I believed it could be so in my heart.
Now, I must work on the rest of my life.
To remain positive, to have faith in knowing it WILL be so!
That HAPPINESS is in my power!
So, to me...that's BIG NEWS.

A BIRTHDAY AND A GARDEN

Just a quick post before I go outside to work in the yard!

Today is my baby girl's birthday.

PING PONG

She's only 2!

I usually talk about Blue and my other dogs don't always get proper mention

but I do love them ALL dearly.

To be honest, Ping has a very special place in my heart even though I haven't had her as long as my senior dogs.

Sometimes that just happens. Someone creeps in under the radar and steals your heart

and she and Poppy have done that.

(SSSSSH, don't tell the others).

Poppy is the second youngest,

only 4 years old but she refuses to play with Ping.

In fact she will close her eyes if Ping runs up to her to play.

I'm not sure if Poppy is trying to just ignore her

or maybe wish her away.

I know this sounds INSANE but I have thought about getting Ping a playmate!

The others will play with her for a couple of minutes but then just walk away

and Ping is still ping-ponging around the room until she stops and sees they have all left.

Anyway, I love this little one.

She is FEARLESS!

(This is a photo of Ping when she somehow jumped up on top of the cabinet

and got into one of the cat beds so that she could look out the window!)

Other news

Yesterday after working the morning at the clinic, me and my sister took a little road trip.

We try to go to Sunnyfield's Garden Center every Spring

and last Christmas I had given my sister a handmade "gift certificate" which said

I would buy her one flower/plant from there.

So I bought her a plant and she bought some more!

and I bought a couple for my garden.

Speaking of my garden...

I woke up to rain this morning

and when it started to let up I went outside and took a couple of photos.

Here's my Gerber Daisy that I kept inside all winter.

My Lilacs are in full bloom and are almost done.

All my Hostas are growing HUGE and I'm not done transplanting them!

And this is one of my birdhouses sitting on one of my wooden boxes that I have "collected".

It's surrounded by my Lilies, a burning bush and a clematis

(It cost me $2.00 and is sitting on a stool that cost me 50 cents.)

I have decided to use all my STUFF that I can in my garden.

I plan on painting everything different colors.

Yep, I'm going to use what I can and donate the rest.....

that's the plan.

OK!

It's not raining any longer!

I MUST get outside.

Have a wonderful SUNDAY!

XOXOXO

WINTER HAS FINALLY SHOWED UP...

SUMMER IS HERE.

and it's HOT.
but I am NOT complaining.
I said if it would only warm up, I'd be happy.
So...
I've got the fans going and I made some new screens for my front storm door.
A very nice girl at the hardware store told me how.
I'm usually ignored at those stores or else talked to condescendingly. 
It was so very nice to talk to a helpful sweet person.
That motivated me, so she helped me pick out a screen door for the back of the house too,
and the hardware to go with it.
What I really liked about her was that she said to me - "You can do it!".
Yep, really nice to be treated with cheerful optimism instead of bored dismissal.
So today I will cutting down the screen door and sanding the edges and painting it.
This coming week is suppose to be more bearable, only in the low 80's.
I really hate to stick the window air-conditioners in if I don't have to.
But on THAT note, my gang was been getting their summer grooms.
Ping-

Vera- 

Louie-

I always take my Poodles in to be done because I want them to be pretty.
Sadly I do the rest of my little ones myself and it ends up looking like a real hack-job
so therefore, no photos!

I even got Nora shaved down.

She doesn't appear to be too happy about it
and she's terrified to be up on the chair where I put her for this photo.
I'm thinking her previous owners must have not allowed her on the furniture
because she was very afraid sitting there.

None of my other pets have that problem.

Then I gave Blue a good bath. 
I use that bluing shampoo to keep his coat snowy white
and I finish up with a creme rinse that I massage in and it makes his hair drop out in hand fulls.
Then I gave him several good rinses and towel dried him and then blew him out with the high-power blowdryer.
He doesn't mind the dryer like a lot of dogs but I suppose that's because he can't hear it.
I bet it feels good too, all that air blasting his hair free.

He feels SO SOFT!

So, everyone is done except Ruby.
I washed her face the other day and she went into a huge seizure fit thing again.
Her eys bugged out and her mouth and tongue went grey and she was drooling.
I really thought that was it. I thought she was passing as I held her in a towel.
She couldn't walk afterwards, so I just laid in her bed with her paws curled in.
Of course this happened just before bedtime and I sat with her until I couldn't stay awake
and then finally went to bed myself realizing she could be gone in the morning
or if she couldn't walk, well... I would probably have to have Doc release her from her little body.
But in the morning, she was trotting around the room like nobody's business.
Yeah, I might not shave her down
or if I do, just do a little at a time.
Maybe later today I will shave my long haired cats Harry and Charlie.
That's always fun.

I'm Painting

and painting and painting.
I have so many paintings started that you would think me insane if I told you how many.
But they are everywhere.
Stacked on the kitchen table, stove, cabinets and all over the laundry room.
I'm trying not to THINK and just DO them.
I've turned on the ceiling fans and the stove in an effort to get the layers to dry quicker.
But I have nothing finished yet to show.
I've taken breaks between layers and gotten on Facebook but trying not to let myself get lost Internet surfing.
The cats are rattling the basement door but I can't let them upstairs or they will ruin my Art mess.
Actually downstairs is the warmest place in the house so it's not like they are in a dungeon.
The dogs have been pretty good.
I snapped this photo of Ping and Vera sleeping on their big PILLOW.

Too bad I have to work tomorrow.
I hate to stop when I'm on a roll.
More later!