LoveZao

Well~ this is going to be harder than I thought!

2011-11-08T16:06:00.000-08:00

We adopted an Alaskan Malamute named Ryker from Northern Lights Sled Dog Rescue, this weekend. He is just delightful! And gorgeous, (red and white) I might add! I saw his picture and video on Petfinder before they even got the profile up, and applied quickly. And we got him! (the process to rescue a whole 'nother story... later.)
Ryker has obviously been in a home. He's housebroken, gets along with our cat Figgy, (as well as Figgy will allow,) and has a sweet, sweet temperament. I knew when I adopted Ryker that he has his own place in my life, and is his own doggy self... but tonight, I went to the front glass door, which we installed for Zao, and I was petting him and loving on him and suddenly I said, " do you know there was a big big dog who used to lie right where you are, and his name was Zao?" And I burst into tears.
I do already love Ryker for himself! He's a doll! He looks sort of like a Snickerdoodle, has a long drippy tongue, and he's sleeping at my feet right now.

But still, I miss Biggy Bud.

Free as a bird... in so many ways!

2011-11-04T16:48:00.000-07:00

I drove again today for the first time in months. It was wonderful! I tend to be a homebody, so the "no driving restriction" wasn't as terrible as it could have been for some, (for instance my husband, who might have gone mad!) But autonomy is a marvelous thing!

I heard today that I have been replaced in my job. I wonder what I will do next... something fun I hope! There was a bit of concern about how I'd feel after "retiring," but I know I made the best decision. I'm so looking forward to "staying in" this winter, during ice and snow storms! I was much more worn out with that position, and the drive it entailed, than I realized.

We found a dog we may adopt, his name is Ryker. It should happen next week if all goes well, and if he's not the one, we'll proceed along.

It's all good!

Except that I wish our Biggy Bud was still with us...however, I'm thankful for the time we had together. ((**)) to you, Zaybeeozer~wherever you are!

Time for a change.

2011-11-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

So many things have changed in my life in the last year...
My mother in law died of complications from Alzheimers.
My stepdad died of old age. (88)
My sister died at 68 of... well, I'm not sure~ multiple factors.
:({{
Zao died at 10 from diabetes and kidney failure.
:{{{{
And then, I was hospitalized with Grand Mal Seizures. Which caused my BP to drop to 68/42... my kidneys failed, and now I have many specialists, Neurologists and Nephrologists among them. I could have died but I didn't, but my ability to drive my car was taken away.
Because of this, I resigned from my job as Children's Director for CBS, a job I've had for 5 years.

Well, whoever knows what will happen? Autumn is my favorite season by far~ and truly, last year could have been my last autumn. And I felt so young, then! I wonder if this will be the last autumn for me.

I'm looking forward to a quiet winter of reflection, with no icy 5:30 a.m. drives, and spending time discerning what is next.
I really, really, miss my Biggy Bud,~ how CAN I replace SUCH a cosmic guy?
And Betty..... sis where are you???????? I need your wisdom! And if not that, your temper! lol

I GUESS THIS IS LIFE, TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT AS YOU GO.
It'a time for a real change for me, a change which will hold me in place for the future. No matter what. Cause "what" is on it's way.

((**))

PAULA

Can you ever relax?

2009-11-22T19:00:00.001-08:00

2009-08-05T06:22:00.001-07:00

My first quilt block

2009-01-26T16:27:00.000-08:00

Bless it's little heart, it has issues. I am going to remake it.. as it's a bit crooked and I pressed the seams open instead of to one side, which seems to be a key piecing rule.

Oh well, it's an adventure!

My Day

2009-01-22T16:29:00.000-08:00

We have had all sorts of issues in the last month because one of our teachers quit to have a baby. We are one teacher short, so I have been considering all sorts of options- blending classrooms, moving teachers around, etc. I finally decided that I could leave all the teachers in their respective places, if I taught, not the entire class day, but just the lesson (story), in one room.

So that is what happened today. It remains to be seen what everyone else thought, but I am not usually TOO far off the beat.

After class, I went by our Teaching Director's house and covered some issues on ordering curriculum for next year, and then came home and straightened up the house, (not too bad at the moment!)

I have started a quilting project, called Second Saturday, with a friend. Here is how it works. You go to the quilting store on the second Saturday of January and pick up a quilt block kit for 5.00. Then, you make the quilt block. The second saturday of February you show them the quilt block you made and they give you the next one for free. Theoretically, you have a quilt at the end of the year , for 5.00.

So after I straightened the house, I started working on my quilt block. It is HARD!!!!! It turns out to be a nine inch block and has and has 51 pieces, ( think- my math is not the greatest.) All those quarter inch seams! I worked on that for a couple of hours- talk about intense!- and then helped Rich hang valances in our keeping room as part of a home improvement project.

I am BEAT! FIZZLED! I think mostly from quilting, or should I say piecing....it is INTENSE- at least at my level of ability!

Fear and Arrogance

2009-01-16T06:02:00.000-08:00

In the movie Bull Durham, Kevin Costner plays Crash Davis, a baseball catcher in the minor leagues who is coaching an up and coming pitcher, Nuke La Louche. Bull Durham is one of my favorite movies ever. It is just so much fun! And more than that, it is a study of how people grow and evolve.

At one point, Crash tells Nuke, "You have to play this game with fear and arrogance."

Something happened it my life this week which brought that to mind.

We are experiencing some extreme weather around here. This morning it is MINUS 13 degrees. Now that is cold!

On Wednesday, Rich was in Goshen, Indiana on a business call. I was here at home, alone with Zao and Fig Dig. Zao is getting older and he has always had a very weak foreleg, which is now arthritic. He is F.A.T. and weighs 170 ponds. In a way he is like a horse trying to walk around on that leg. I am positive this issue will shorten his life. It's vicious cycle. He can't walk so he gains weight, which makes it harder for him to walk.

That morning, he woke up and could hardly get around. In order to get to our backyard, he has to go down a flight of stairs, which were icy. He would not, or could not, do it!

I was freaking out because I can't get him into the car to go to the vet, if he can't jump up. I was also unwilling to drive in the ice with snow coming down, enough that I didn't go to a weekly meeting which is part of my job!

I called our son at 7:30 a.m. and asked for help with Zao and he was "unhelpful," to say the least. (Well, it WAS a bit early in HIS version of life.) (However he DID acquire Zao while we were in Florida and later "gave" him to us when he moved out!)

I wanted Rich to be home to handle the D.O.G.- however, Goshen is two and a half hours on a good day, and between the two cities was a MAJOR lake effect snowstorm.

So there I was, a mass of little anxieties and fears. On the other hand, Ricardo doesn't tend to change his mind. He despises worry. (Oh dear!) Once he has decided, that is what he's going to do. I benefit from that in many ways, but it frustrates me. I consider it arrogance to say, "I am gonna drive through this snowstorm because and I planned on it, I am a GREAT driver."

Which, he is... On the other hand, what about all the crashes that happen on highways during storms? What about all the "Paulas" on the road who didn't grow up driving in snow and could crash right into him?

Most of my irritation stemmed from fear. After I hung up I was fretting about it all. I remembered Crash's statement, "You have to play this game with fear and arrogance," and realized in a new way what a challenge he was handing Nuke. Fear and arrogance don't really go together. They are somewhat opposing traits. Most people have tendencies to one or the other. Opposites attract and we spend our lives learning the opposing point of view. To play the game of baseball, (or life) really well requires the full spectrum of experience. What Rich and I learn from our relationship translates to a fuller understanding in many arenas. It is part of why we are together.

That's not the first life lesson I have learned from Bull Durham, just the latest.

P.S. Now I have written an entry that I would like to keep. Better back it up!!!!

Peyton Manning and Co.

2009-01-04T20:24:00.000-08:00

They lost their wild card game yesterday.

I love our local team, the Indianapolis Colts, and love our coach, Tony Dungee. Peyton is my fave Q.B. of all time, maybe with the exception of Roger Staubach from the old Dallas Cowboy days. I was sad when they lost. Maybe another year. One year I would love to see Peyton be our coach, with Jim Sorgi as our qb. And Tony around here giving them advice and helping our city's youth!

I really appreciate quality people who, instead of just glorying in their abilities, try to give back.

Peyton was named the MVP this year, for the third time, and is quarterbacking the pro bowl with his brother Eli. First time in history that bothers have been chosen to QB the Pro Bowl!

I love football anyway and watched the Vikings/Eagles game today with interest. Though it did take some heart out of watching, since our Colts won't be playing again this year.

Today the temperature dropped about 45 degrees. We're in for some more cold weather! Abby is home til January 12th. I surely am enjoying that!

It's been a lovely weekend!

Cozy

2009-01-02T14:23:00.000-08:00

This morning I had difficulty getting out of bed. I dragged myself to the Monon Center, where I (and seemingly everyone one else in our little city) worked on my New Year's Resolution to get in better shape! Then I drove home- and crawled directly back into bed. I told Abby I was "burrowing."

She shrugged cluelessly and left, and I cuddled the pillows and wondered why. Then I realized, I put flannel sheets on the bed yesterday!

They are so soft and warm.

With the mystery solved, I got up and got busy with laundry, cleaning, and trying to find a volunteer teacher for our preschool program. It looks like that may turn out to be me! I love kids but am not the best behavioral scientist on the board, so we shall see.

After dinner, Rich and I are going to see Valkyrie, and then... I guess there will be some more cuddle time!

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T12:50:00.000-08:00

Zao
January 1, 2008.

I found out last night that my blog at journalspace, LoveZao, has vanished. My reaction bemuses me. I'm not a serious blogger, by any means, but I had some entries I loved. I find I was much more attached to my journal than I realized. I started writing over two years ago and chronicled quite a bit of my little part of the universe there. Shame on me for not archiving more frequently. I feel somewhat bereft, so I thought I would begin again. That is one thing we humans can do. We can't recover lost time, but we can start fresh... January 1 happens to be a great day for that type of enterprise. And we can learn... to archive!

Today I am making corned beef and cabbage, something I do ONCE a year, on New Years Day. It smells good! It's cold outside, but the house is warm. We are doing a bit of home improvement and reorganizing, and I erged for half an hour on my WaterRower. I'm wearing my new Christmas gown and Rich is watching football in the den. Abby is home from Purdue and watching T.V. in her room, and Zao is on the porch enjoying the weather. All in all, it's a very happy day.