Thursday, July 31, 2008

Sir Hutch of Cottage Hill

My husband has been saying for months that we need a dog. It was something like "we neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed a dog, please please please, we haaaaaave to have a dog!"
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Well, do you know my mom? Growing up we had NO animals; aside from a gerbil, some fish, and a hermit crab. ALWAYS a pet that could be kept in a cage or a tank that had little to no poop. The thought of fur on her couches, barking, meowing, or constant upkeep caused my mom to deny us a 'real' pet. I'm sure at this point you feel incredibly sorry for me and think I have a cold hearted mother. Lol. I do not. She is amazing....and a neat freak:)
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The thought of a dog a couple months ago worried me. My mom's right, you have to clean daily, hourly even, to stay on top of the fur, muddy paws, etc. Nick and I are travelers. Love to be out, see, do...when we vacation we would now have to find a place for our pup. That costs money... Would it be a good dog? Would it be a bad dog? Will it love me? Will it obey? Will it poop or pee on my stuff? Will it? Won't it? Might it?
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My mother in law recommended I read Marley and Me and before I even had time to finish the book...I wanted a dog. We started researching breeders for a breed of dog Nick and I ADORE: The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. Let me tell you, they are hard to come by, and it took a while before we found one.
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We got Hutch (Sir Hutch of Cottage Hill, per our current residency and the name of one of Nick's bosses, whom I should add, we love him, and his name, lol) on a Sunday. He immediately became our 'baby'. I never realized how much I could love a pet. I didn't know that you could grow so attached.
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My favorite thing about this dog besides his adorable/playful habits, gorgeous look, personality, and temperament is that this dog loves Nick and I with the most unconditional love and it is fully reciprocated. It makes me feel so good to have him follow me around, tap me when he wants to play, cuddle me when he wants to relax, and basically just be near me all of the time.
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After we have him trained and get to our next unit we will happily add another addition to our family, a girl wheaten, so Hutch can have a friend and partner in crime! For now, our family of three couldn't be happier!


This is from the day we got Hutch.



Also the day we got Hutch. Even at 10 wks he was a little to big for me to hold, haha.



Ready for his [long] car ride to his new home!



His daddy was so proud with how quickly he was crate trained!





He got his first hair cut!




And Hutch makes 3:)

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Death.

Death brings so many different things for people: joy, sadness, hope, anger, loneliness, emptiness, etc.

I am fortunate enough to still have SO much of my family left. Only two relatives in my 23 years has died. One a step grandma and the other a great grandma.

My great grandma passed away on Sunday and after the sorrow passed...and the guilt....

Lets go off on that note-

Guilt. Since I was 10 years old I lived 1.5 hours away from most of our extended family (Great grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) I went whenever my parents went, but when I had a license and my parents trust to drive longer distances alone...I never really CHOSE to visit. I could have...often...and didn't. Now as I get older and their time left is limited, I'm in Alabama...9 hours from them...oh guilt.

So, after that and the sorrow passed I felt inspired, realizing any day could be your last. It made me want to be a better person, want to express my love and gratitude more often and more extravagantly. It made me think of ways to 'live up' every moment and appreciate all the little things.

But of course...life gets in the way. I will forget how strongly I felt when inspiration hit. I will forget the things I wanted and planned to do to make my life a little more significant...until of course the next person passes and I experience it again....When do people say OK. When do people feel strongly enough to put a plan into action? I love my life, but this death made me look at my life as an outsider and evaluate where I can grow...but then it's time for work, time to cook dinner, walk the dog, relax...it's so easy to think, to map things out in your head, but then time gets away from you...and before you know it...it's your turn to go. Will my death inspire someone? Will it inspire them enough to think all the things I thought or potentially inspire someone enough...or inspire the right person that they will take the initiative to make the positive changes they felt necessary?

Here's to hoping I have plenty of years left. Plenty of years to grow. Plenty of years to change. Plenty of years to share my time with those I love. Plenty enough to make that time count. Plenty of time to inspire my husband, my family, my friends, potential students, and my future children. So that maybe, when I do go, I would have made an impact on someone somewhere.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Keep low expectations, so you're not dissapointed.

Why not keep high expectations so everyone is left raising the bar?

I don't know if it's how I was raised, but my family never expected little of me. The highest of expectations were always demanded and only for valid reasons. Mainly to survive in the real world where I could not only be a well functioning human being amongst the rest, but be liked as well.

Be smart, be appreciative, be honest, generous, kind, sincere, loving, energetic, funny, and fun. Have integrity, compassion, strength, and patience.

Do I expect you to believe I posess all of these qualities on a day to day basis? NO! And I don't. We're all sinners. No one is perfect. We have weak moments where we're not quite what we would like to be.

But why expect less as to not be dissapointed?

If we expect little we're telling people 'No need to be the best version of yourself' or 'Do the minimal to get by'.

While I may not exemplify the best qualities every moment of every day I do have high standards set for myself and for others around me:

-Try to relate.
-Offer productive advice.
-Lend a helping hand.
-Throw a card out to express gratitude.
-Tell those around you that you love them.
-Be honest in any and all situations possible.
-At least at one point during every day laugh about SOMETHING.
-Have morals.
-Have respect for self and others.
-Listen.

I guess I just don't understand why expecting less would get anyone anywhere. We should demand for people to be the best they can be. Force our adults and our youth to live up to higher standards. I feel I have said too often lately that the human race is causing me to shake my head. I don't feel like I'm always looking for 'wow factor', but just for people to be decent...will we continue to do only what's necessary to stay under the radar? Or will we offer something up a little more?

Friday, July 25, 2008

You never know what you've got till it's gone.

Oh, how this can be manipulated for so many situations-
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Does it mean you had something and it's gone, as in, forever.
Does it mean you had something and it's gone, for now?
Is it refering to a friend? family member? loved one?
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I'm not quite sure if it has something to do with being a military spouse and having been in a long distance relationship with my husband prior to marriage. Or if it's the thought of him going underway and being in a long distance relationship in my marriage, but I would like to say, I think I've always known what I had. Not to go off on a tangent, but to mention what I have, to give you a good idea of why I've always known, would start somewhere with: Handsome, passionate, laid back, and end somewhere with generous, considerate, and hilarious. I think the love I have with him has grown every moment since we met. Through our ups and downs and distance...I always knew what was there.















Friends on one hand...may come and go. Sometimes when they go you think of them often, or here and there, and wish maybe you hadn't separated so suddenly, or even if they had been around a while you wish that your lives hadn't gotten so hectic to be unable to keep them as involved. You might think at that point when months have passed that you had a really great friendship and see how much they meant to you. Hence, 'knowing what you had, now that you don't always have it.'
I think I'm working through this now...having moved with my Coast Guard husband. Starting a new life, in a new place, and having to have left some behind. As I make new friends here, who are all truly amazing, it does make me think of the amazing people I had to leave. Fortunately, none were left in haste and it is up to me and them to keep the friendship alive no matter how many states or countries we may hop too.


Family, I think most can agree, you REALLY don't know what you've got until it's gone. I complained about being 'forced' to go to college, their rules throughout my time living at home, my allowance, their 'uncool' thoughts and beliefs. That only covers parents. Siblings are a whole other story. I thought my sister was so young and so immature. We couldn't possibly be friends...and now...she's my best [friend]. After moving off I realized my parents would have done anything to help prepare me for a bright future. All they ever wanted was to instill hope, faith, brains, manners, personality, etc. for me to succeed in the real world.

It's funny because at this point everything I didn't like in my parents is what molded me to be a well rounded person. Everything I didn't like is what I hope I will be and will use in raising my own children. And everything I never thought I could agree with, get along with, or relate to growing up, ie, sister, has become my closest and best friend and confidant.





Moral of my story I suppose, is I'm lucky. If I didn't already know it was there and needed to be loved and appreciated I ended up finding that I should.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

$The taboo topic of money$

It occured to me for various reasons the other day-

Money has always been important, but depending on status, location, time period, etc. it has meant different things to different people.

For example, during the depression, or even more broadly, in the hard ole' working days of some of our grandparents, money was about paying the bills and putting food on the table. Its main purpose, could be said, was for the day to day to pull through.

Now a days, money is more about the social ladder. You need money to live in the big house, drive the nice cars, have the fancy clothes, game systems, and extravagent vacations. For some maybe to spoil their children, ie, buying their love (another blog unto itself). Many people surely believe money can buy hapiness.

We have children believing money grows on trees, men and women trying to 'marry up', basically making people feel like they need to get their next fix (paycheck, allowance, wealthy significant other, etc.) to catch up or stay in with 'that' crowd.

Is love never first? Is it really secondary? Are we too concerned with our spouses/girl&boyfriends/fiances ability to support our exceptionally large spending habits/desires? Are teaching children morals coming in line after offering them all the latest outfits and games? Are we more concerned about impressing others than benefiting ourselves in ways that really matter (education, personality, etc.)? What does this behavior offer our future?

So this blog may seem a little drastic to some, right on target for others, or maybe a little too nice...a mere thought of mine that I have been pondering daily.

A preface:

For those who know me, I am sure you would agree, to say I'm full of opinions doesn't begin to cover it. Some opinions are welcomed...others not so much. Shared or not, at the end of each day whether it be my own personal experience, someone elses, or just a lingering random thought, I'm always left with something to say. Shocking? No, I'm quite talkative, but whether I advertise my site with tons of friends and family or just a few I think my mind would appreciate a creative outlet. So, here it is to those who come across it: my thoughts, my opinions, in my space off...myspace:)