A Life Deeply Appreciated

  My Rody

This is my ever faithful friend and companion of nearly 10 years.  He was born on October 26, 2000. 

The young lady who came by with the Christmas puppy for my daughter was a true salesman. She would have only one more puppy left and we were new to the area and from the "city" and felt like an acer was a BIG piece of land, lol. I took one look at that fur ball and fell head over heels in love! Dang girl, lol.

My daughter was anxiously waiting for her puppy to get old enough to come live with us. When the day finally arrived I have to admit to being a little excited too.  I'm a true sucker for a sweet furry face (on four feet).

In present times, if there is a new litter of kittens or puppies I make sure I stay far away from them! LOL, I can't afford any more children at this point in my financial life. I really love them ALL!

At any rate the reason for this Blog Entry in particular is that my Sweet Boy, as I call him, and the dear boy answers to it.  You know, he must think I'm gettin old too since I  don't call him Rody as much as I use to.

I guess that I just wanted to get it out in the world how wonderful a companion he has been all these years. I am feeling a little melancholy and I tear up every time I think of my life without him. I couldn't be expected to speak coherently on some occasions lately.

You see, he started having seizures in April of this year and he'd never had one before, that I was aware of. They got to be pretty often and then slacked off again.  I took him to the Vet while we were living in Asheville, NC and the Vet couldn't find anything wrong, but I couldn't afford the battery of lab tests.

I was afraid that the moving about the country could be a factor, but he's traveled with me a few times and had no ill effects. He's in the middle of a good spell right now, only one since we've been here, since the 19th, and none for two weeks before that.  He's begun to cough lately. Just little ones every once in a while, but dogs don't cough, not unless there's something wrong. He's been a pretty pampered dog as far as being exposed to the elements and diseases and he's gotten his shots every now and again, but not very timely due to the cost of just walking into a vets office, not to mention shots too!

When I hear him cough sometimes, I cry and I try not to let him see me because he knows I'm upset and that it's because of something to do with him. No matter what anyone says, these animals ARE NOT STUPID, they may not be able to add 2 +2, but God gave them that extra "something" to protect them from things they can't understand.  Truly, if your dog or cat doesn't like someone for no apparent reason, PAY attention.  There is something you don't know, but they feel it.  I can't tell you how many times one of the many dogs and cats in my life have proven to be right.

I know I am about to be in serious financial straights, but it's only money and I love him too much to let it hurt him, whatever it turns out to be. Gotta pay for the new place this month and then I'll be able to do a little work to supplement the Military Widow's Pension so I can get a full battery of tests to see where we are. I would be beside myself with joy to discover that I'm being silly, but there have been dogs in my family's homes longer than I've been in one of our family homes. I'd be willing to "bet" there have been dogs in my family as far back as the early days in Scotland. My father's people come from there and my Mother's are Native Americans with a little French and Irish thrown in just to be sure we get fired up instantaneously, lol. The point is that they have a long history in my family and I trust my instincts.

Since I'm writing from my step-Mom's computer I don't have a lot of good pictures of my Rody, but I always set up the computer as one of the first things when moving. You know, the bed, kitchen, and the computer, oh yeh and the bathroom  ;)

The Reunion and Lasting Impressions

As I have mentioned in previous posts, this trip turned into a Journey. Mom was the one to say that and it is so true, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

I met Rachel when I was 16 yrs old. My Father was a truck driver for most of my life. On one of his trips through he called ahead, as I later learned, that's how truckers do things so you get to visit with them while they are there :)  Anyway, he had Rachel with him.  He'd mentioned a woman that he was head over heels about and that he wanted me to meet her. Well I did, and that was that, as they say.

I fell in love with her too and during this reunion of her children's, fathers side, I learned that there were a LOT of others that had known her since childhood and they loved her too.

To see them scoop her up and hug her so long and tight brought tears to my eyes and made my heart feel like it was going to swell right out of my chest. They even treated me like family even though she and my father had parted ways AND I had a scarf on my head, granted an expensive, really pretty one, but still a scarf and they treated me like I was still part of the family and by blood.

There aren't that many seniors alive in my family and it was really wonderful to sit amongst them and be told the old stories. Really, who cares how many times it may have been told! We are blessed to get to hear it again, because they won't be there at the next one, maybe.  I use to sit and listen to my Father tell the same stories about the Army or some event from before my time or during my diaper-hood days and I never felt like I had heard this one too many times.  It was the same with my Mother, I could listen to her tell of her childhood for hours and how my Grandmother would take her downtown "window shopping" and then she'd make those new styles for the new school year. My Mother use to say they didn't realize how lucky they were.

I am blessed to have had the opportunity to meet a really special woman , one Mrs. Emma L. Spence at the young age of 91, soon to be 92! She would say that she didn't remember things as well or joke about being senile, but she is sharp as a tack, let me tell you! I did the driving on the day we went to Camp Shelby, then to the thrift store and to lunch, and she sat right next to me and directed. Very, on top of things and no messing about, either (Insert big grin here.)

The incomparable Grandma Spence and Dixie

 

Dixie is the name that Mom was known by and apparently is still referred to.  I like it and it's very applicable. These two ladies can really cook, I can't believe I didn't gain a ton while I was chauffeuring her around, lol.

Here are a couple more pictures of the reunion, one of them is where Mom get the crushing hug.

 "The Archer Girls"

Mom asked me to wear that Kamez set. I don't think she'd ever seen me in it other than in pictures, lucky for me I brought it with me just in case I needed something special. It is very special to me because a lady that I use to work for gave it to me as an Eid gift and it is really pretty close up.
I became quite attached to the lady to the left of me and behind Mom. Her name is Lavern and she told me some of the stories I was referring to earlier.

On to Mississippi

My co-pilot, comfortably ensconced

 Rody even has a travel bowl of water and two kinds of treats all on a comfy blanket. Talk about traveling in style! Yep, him is spoilt, but he doesn't know it, he thinks this is the way all dog people live. Shame it isn't.

Mom, Rody and I loaded up our stuff the night before so that we were able to pull out first thing in the morning.  Of course, there were a couple things to do first, stop and see Mom's husband in the nursing home, grab a few supplies and then we were "On the road again" :-D

The little door to the right of the driver's door is the door I opened to get that picture of Rody.  The handle doesn't work and hasn't for some time.  Mom is the one who taught me how to do the trick with the screwdriver and is amazed when it works, lol.

TUPELO, MS!! Birthplace of Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll.

I wanted to stop there soooo bad, but "time waits for no Woman", lol.
You know there are dates that will be stuck in my memory until I die, like the death of President Kennedy, or Elvis' death.  I can tell you were I was and what I was doing during both.

This was a pleasant trip and we got to talk and listen to music. For me, it was very special because I had been in fear of losing her for so long, I would look over and see her reading and munching on her Cheetos and marvel that she was even there in the first place! Allah is truly Great!

Hendersonville, TN in June

One happy camper! Me, that is.

Finally arrived. As you can see I was very happy to be there and even happier to see how good and healthy she, Mom, looked,

After getting settled in the very next day my ever faithful companion, Rody and I went to the local park in Hendersonville, that there would be many more pictures of except my Blackberry's software freaked right in the middle of a really good picture of Rody!
As we were heading back to the truck it began to rain, so I dropped him off at the house and went to Verizon.

Mom in July of 09

(This is Mom in July of 09 in the hospital.  She stayed cold most of the time, so while I was sitting there i knitted the wristers and crocheted and knitted the coverlet)



Bless them, because  I bought my phone on the 2nd and it malfunctioned on the 9th and they replaced it with no questions asked.
So these are the only pictures of that day that got onto my memory card before the phone went kaput  :P



 This is a walkway that is quite long and very nice.  The Drakes Creek Park is so nice I wish I had, had the time to go get more pictures but we were off to Mississippi the very next day :)

This is the link to the Google Map if you will be in that area.  Drakes Creek Park, Hendersonville, TN

When ever I am in town with my Rody, we always make a point of coming here.



This is the creek that we went wadding in. It was fun. I had to push him in, but then he was very happy to be there. It is quite shallow but very refreshing.  The day was very hot and muggy so a dip in a cool creek was just the ticket.

On our way back out, then on to the Verizon store.

All in all, it was a pretty productive and fun day.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN....

Three mountains in one shot!

This is the beginning of what became a  wonderful journey.


In the first picture you see part of The Smokey Mountains.  This section is called The Cherokee National  Forest, very beautiful.

Screened in for protection.

Here in the second picture, you can see where there is, literally, a kind of chain-link fence to keep as much as possible of any debris that may fall from landing on or in the lanes of travel below. This is a stretch of  Interstate Highway 40 that runs east and west across our nation.


In the third picture you get to see the actual repair work.  Earlier in the month the interstate was closed here because of fallen debris that landed on the road and caused the Department of Transportation to close it temporarily.

Repairs in progress.

Welcome to Tennessee! Yes!

Entering into Tennessee where My step Mom lives. She is known as Mom or Wife #4 or Mamaw to my kids. This is my first destination on the journey that she initiated.

Being that she was a whopping 89 lbs the last time I saw her and not going on any of her usual jaunts about town to the thrift stores it was an extreme pleasure to be going anywhere with her, much less "traveling".

Coverlet for a Friend

This is the current project under construction. I have a friend/customer that is so sweet and she is retired due to a back injury which means she doesn't move around a whole lot. She is capable, but it is painful.

I noticed the last time I was in her home that she uses a little lap blanket so I had a brain storm the other day thinking about going home to visit. I intend to visit her and she is so nice to me when I come to clean her house, I thought I might be able to do something for her.

The pattern came from the first Debbie Bliss knitting magazine. That issue was fall/winter 2008. I'm sure you could find it in one of her books for babies. It's called the Contrast Border Blanket and is all moss stitch. The intention by Ms. Bliss is to use her natural fiber products, which I'm sure are wonderful, but alas, again I must rely on what is available to me at my price point.

Thank God for Wal-Mart and Red Heart Yarns. You have to be very selective with Red Heart because if the completed project isn't going to be washed a lot it won't be soft. They also make a "soft" line now, but I am still in the middle of nowhere in AL and I think the closest JoAnns is in Mobile and the closest craft supply is Michael's and that's about 60 miles south.

Sooooo, I used Red Heart supper saver, Aspen Print and the "contrasting" colors from that for borders. It and they were in my stash and when I needed more of the Aspin I found it at Wal-Mart.

This is the close up so you have an idea. I plan to use the dark sage you see, light sage, dark rusty brown and a beige. I really think it will be nice and because of the yarn it'll be washable. If you knit, you know that natural material can be a hassle to clean because you have to have somewhere to lay the item out to air dry. You also must wash it by hand or on Delicates in cold. I wash everything in cold anyway, but that keeps it from felting.

ok, rattled on enough, Fini .

Just a litte Flourish

I did this, this afternoon. I was looking for a button for a little knitted cell phone holder I'd made and the ribbons and trimmings caught my eye.


I wear Hijab everywhere, but in the sunshine my eyeglass shades don't keep the sun from coming in over the top, so I wear hats over my scarf. 28 years after becoming a civilian, NOW I love hats? Go figure!


It's not very bright, but I needed it to be neutral while also being pretty so it wouldn't matter what color my clothes or scarf were. Any decoration I add is always worn in the back of the hat.


This is another one the hats I wear with my scarf. This one is hand made in South America. I got it a few years ago at the Florida State Fair. The back is shallower than the front, which means I can drive with it on. =D