The Tennyson Adventures

Sunset's story

2009-11-05T06:47:26Z

They say laughter is the best medicine for us all. This story took place ten years ago while I was training with my second guide dog, Sunset.

I knew I wanted a change of scenery for the time I was in class at Guide Dogs for the Blind to receive my second guide dog. Going from sunny California to cold, wet Oregon was most definitely a change for me. The day I arrived in Oregon it was raining. Right then and there I knew that I had not brought enough warm pants and other items to keep from being soaked the whole time I was there. I was determined to get through and really all I cared about was getting my new dog.

It was so exciting having the instructor come to my door to take me where I would meet my new bundle of fur. Heather guided me to a chair where she had me wait while she went to get my dog. I remember the whole dorm was quiet accept for the sound of the rain as I sat in that big room all alone wondering about my dog. “Would he or she like me? Would I like my dog? What color was the dog?” All sorts of questions went through my head as I waited. Since I have some vision I entertained myself with using what little vision I had to look around at the room I was in.

Then I heard the door open and the jingle of dog tags and doggie feet walking on the tile floor. I turned to the right to see the most beautiful yellow lab coming around the corner with Heather. This fantastic dog was wagging its tail so hard that the tail was spinning like a helicopter propeller.

"Mary Beth, this is Sunset." I was told.

”WOW! What a beautiful name!” I thought as I opened my arms to let Sunset know that I wanted her to come over to me. She did not hesitate at all. The next thing I knew this wonderful dog was putting her head in my lap and looking up at me with happy anticipation. I was so happy at this point that I was beginning to cry. I held it back as best as I could so that Heather could tell me all about Sunset before letting me go back to my room with her.

As soon as we were in the room with the door closed I sat on the floor crying and loving Sunset up for an hour. I was missing my previous guide dog that had died just three weeks before. Knowing that Sunset had willingly come to me ready to embrace a new life with me just made me the happiest person in the whole world. By the time I went on that first walk with Sunset I felt as though we had been together for years. I also found out really fast that Sunset was not big on getting wet.

One of the routes we did involved us starting our walk from the bus and working the dog to the lounge. It was raining as usual when we parked so I prepared as best as I could to get to the lounge without being overly wet in the process.

I was the second to last person to leave the bus. I kept going over the route in my mind so I would not forget where I needed to go. One of the instructors came to the bus after the first person had left to let us know that at this one corner there was a high curb, and we should be prepared for that. "Ok", I thought as I waited. Then the instructor came back a second time after person number two had left the bus to tell us that the dogs might angle to the right some because of the configuration of the street crossing. Again I was thinking, "Ok" as I waited. Finally, the instructor came back a third time to tell us that there was this pole at the up curb to watch out for. Once again, I filed this piece of information in my mind. Finally it was my turn.

I got off the bus, paused before picking up the handle, and then I gave the "forward" command to Sunset. At this point it had not been raining too badly but as we walked along it started raining harder and harder. I was smiling at the fact that it had stopped raining while I was on the bus but now here I was out walking and the skies were opening up and letting all the water out. In the part of California where I live, I don't see the amount of rain I was now experiencing as I walked down the street.

Finally I made it to the corner about which I had been told all those things. As Sunset stopped at the curb I praised her and reminded myself to be careful of the high curb. I told Sunset "forward" once I determined that it was ok to cross the street. As we started across I remembered that this was an odd crossing and that pole. Sunset suddenly stopped! I had no idea why. All I heard was rain.

Using skills I was taught I checked to make sure there was nothing I could run into. When I didn't find anything I told Sunset to "hop up", a command given to keep moving. She would not go. So I listened to see if there was a car. There was nothing. Finally, I decided that I would take a step forward to see if this would get Sunset moving. As soon as I took that step I landed knee deep in water.

"Oh gees! It is cold!" I yelled. At this point, I really started using my vision to figure out where I was in relation to the curb. This is not a good thing to do regularly, but I knew we were in the street and needed to get out of there and onto the sidewalk. I could not see the curb but knew it had to be out there somewhere. At this point I totally forgot about the pole we’d been told about. All I knew was I was soaked from the knees down. I just kept moving and in the mean time Sunset was not following. I finally found the curb and got onto the sidewalk. I turned around with the leash in my hand and was begging and pleading with Sunset to come to the curb. Sunset was thinking, “Absolutely no dice! I’m not wading through that mess!” She wanted nothing to do with that lake of water. She gave me this look of horror! As if to say, "are you crazy"? "I am not coming through that water for anything".

At this point I realized that someone was calling my name. I looked up while trying to get my dog on the sidewalk. Suddenly, I started laughing for no good reason I could think of. All at once several things happened. An instructor was running to get to us from a block away. Sunset finally decided to get onto the sidewalk. Her version of doing this was to jump from the street to the curb. Unfortunately for her she did not make it and landed chest-deep in the water. She was now soaking wet! I was now laughing even harder because I knew Sunset really wanted nothing to do with that lake in the street to start with. She finally came up on the curb to my left, which, by the way, ended up wrapping us both around that pole we were to avoid. By this time, however, I had totally forgotten about the pole again.

The instructor came up to me at this point to ask if he could help me get the rest of the way to the lounge. I was so beside myself with laughing that I could not even answer yes or no. Finally, I was calm enough to tell him that I was going to finish this route even if it killed me! We were so wet that all the towels they had did not make a dent in drying Sunset and I off once we got to the lounge.

To this day when I cuddle with Sunset I fondly remember this story. And every time it rains I have to laugh a little because I know that when it is time to relieve the dogs that I am going to have to take Sunset out in that rain.

If you would like to learn more about guide dogs you can go to www.guidedogs.com.

This is my week three submission for [Bad username: âtherealljidolâ]. Thank you for reading.

LJ idol week two, uphill

2009-10-30T04:41:57Z

From the get go my life has not been an easy one.

When I was born I was one of four cats. But by the end of the first week my mom had moved two of my sisters and I waited for mom to come get me and my brother but she never came back. I thankfully was rescued from the humans I call mom and dad now. I would have died if it were not for them.

Until this year I have lived a happy and healthy life. I have never liked any humans other then my mom and dad. As a matter of fact I am more likely to scratch and bite you if you come into our house. My motto is stay out and we will get along just fine. This displeases my mom and dad to no end. I have no idea why though. Gee, I just want it to be our happy little family that is all.

Earlier this year though I started to not feel well. I got so bad that I stopped eating my food. A friend of mom and dad had come over and saw that I looked like I might have lost some weight. Right away they were checking me out themselves and they got all worried about me.

Since mom and dad can't see me they would follow me around to see if I was eating and drinking ok. Once they realized I was not eating at all they called the vet. I in no uncertain terms like going to the vet. But if mom and dad insist that I go there I can not do anything to stop them from taking me. Although over the years I have done all sorts of things like hiding under their bed, getting behind the entertainment center, or hiding behind dad’s big desk. Every single time they found me though. I sure wish I knew how they got to be so smart at finding me.

So off to the vet we went where they put me on the scale to see how much I weighed and then of all the awful things they took me into the back room where they poked me with a sharp thing that took blood from me. Talk about ouch. Boy was I glad to be brought back to mom and dad. I was really mad but seeing them made it all better some how. Once we got home I wasted no time in running for one of my hiding spots to clean my poor ruffled fur. Darn, why must they do such things to me?

The vet called a few days later to tell them what was going on with me. I was found to have this thing called hyperthyroidism. From what mom and dad talk about it seems that my losing weight, not eating, and not feeling well is a part of this. The vet told them they could do a couple of different things for me, none of which sounded great to me.

The first thing they talked about was doing a surgery to remove my thyroid gland. I had no idea why they would want to do such a thing at all. But mom and dad said no to that idea. So the second thing they talked about doing is having me go to a special vet to have a treatment done to kill my thyroid gland called radiation iodine treatment. This sounded totally awful to me but this is what mom and dad decided to do. While waiting to go and have this done though they were given a prescription that I had to take two times a day. This was torture to me. They would find me each morning and evening to make me take this liquid stuff. Yuck, did it taste awful. But I put up with it because at least this stuff made me feel like eating again. And anything that made mom and dad happy was a good thing.

The day finally arrived when I was able to go and get the treatment done. I was once again made to get into that terrible carrier and then put into the moving thing they call a car. Gee, it seemed like forever that we were in the moving thing going to the special vet. I have no idea how long it took but finally we showed up at the vet’s office where I was to get the treatment.

Mom and dad were really sad to see them take me away and I was afraid I would never see them again. Things got worse when I was put in a cage and just left there. Later on someone came and got me and took me to this room. Some humans were in there and I was put onto a table. I growled and clawed at them as they worked to give me the treatment. As a matter of fact they did not get all of the medication in me. This concerned the vet a great deal. They then took me back to the cage where I was left once again. After a while a lady came and brought me some food. I saw my chance for revenge so I ran out of my bag I was hiding in with the hope of getting her with all my might as a cat. No such luck it seems. She was smarter then me, darn it. But boy was the food yummy.

Day after day went by without my seeing anyone but this one human. It sure got boring really fast. I got so bored that I finally started making friends with her just to get attention. Gee, was I desperate or what? Yeah, I was at the point where I just wanted mom and dad to come and get me.

Then the day came when I was put in my carrier again and taken out of the room where I had been stuck in for so long. They brought me out of the back and as soon as I heard noises one of them was mom and dad talking. MEOW! I was so happy and excited. Once they finished talking to the vet people they put me back in the moving thing and after what seemed like forever again we were back home. You have never seen a happier cat as I was that day.

For the next week mom and dad had to ware these things called gloves to do everything for me. They used them to clean my box, to feed me, to pick up after me when I got sick. They at least would pet me without those things on. They said they had to do this to stay safe from the radiation. What is that again? Even that ended though and life has got back to what I call normal.

As I mentioned I have never liked humans other then mom and dad. The one thing that has changed though since all this has started is that I now like humans much more. I appreciate having a lap to get in, having people to talk to me, and getting petted by willing humans. I love this so much that I look forward to humans coming to our house.

I am still fighting an uphill battle at this point. Mom and dad tell me that my thyroid levels have not gone down like they are supposed to. They are still concerned over me like no get out to the point that they give me treats just to encourage me to keep eating. I love eating again and hey, treats are wonderful so I sure am not turning that down. They say they may even have to take me back to that special vet again to do the treatment all over again. I really don't like the idea of having to do that again. They don't seem to like it either. But since I was a fighter from the beginning I am not going to give up yet. I have lots of years to live and mom and dad want to do whatever it takes to get me well. So onward and upward I will fight this.

To learn more about hyperthyroidism and the treatment given to our cat Jackie follow the link below.

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/hyperthyroid.html

This is my LJ idol Entry for week two, uphill, both ways, barefoot.

Thank you for reading.

This is a photo of Jackie sleeping in my lap.

The loss of a good friend and advocate - Ed Eames

2009-10-25T22:01:31Z

I am most greatful that Ed did not suffer.

I have known Ed and Toni for over 20 years. Gee, just thinking about it I realize it has been over 21 years. WOW! Ed and Toni live in the same town as I do so I worked in person with Ed on lots of advocacy issues concerning guide dogs, ADA issues, and so on. He was a big help to me with my first guide dog and I have enjoyed the friendship of Ed and Toni both over the years.

You are going to be missed Ed.

It is with great sadness that I report the death of my colleague and one of
the assistance dog movement's greatest champions, Ed Eames, Ph.D., IAADP's
(International Association of Assistance Dog Partners, www.iaadp.org)
co-founder and President.

Ed's spouse Toni (also blind and partnered with her guide dog) has asked
that in lieu of anything, contributions in Ed's honor to IAADP would be most
appreciated. We have set up a special Memorial section with a few photo
highlights to remember Ed by, as well as an opportunity to make a memorial
donation at www.iaadp.org. We also invite you to leave a personal message
that Toni would like to collect for a keepsake book for our organization.
Alternatively, your gifts or cards can be mailed to: Toni Eames at 3376 N.
Wishon, Fresno, CA 93704.

Ed had successful heart surgery two years ago. Very recently a blood borne
infection sent him to the hospital. Recovery looked very positive until ten
days ago, when several debilitating strokes occurred and quickly claimed his
life. Ed was called to our Lord at dawn on Oct. 26.

IAADP was launched in 1993 at a historic meeting organized by Ed, Toni and
Joan Froling in St. Louis, held in conjunction with the Assistance Dogs
International Conference. Its overall mission has been to empower disabled
persons with guide, hearing and service dogs to work together to foster the
assistance dog movement through our global networking publication, "Partners
Forum," many important advocacy and education campaigns, peer support
projects, our website and conferences that enabled partners and programs to
learn from each other. We have grown from a handful of advocates to more
than 2500 Partner members over the last sixteen years, led by a volunteer
board of assistance dog partners elected by the membership.

Ed was our friend and an extraordinary advocate. He forged relationships
with corporations around the world and with his easy going "ask" brought
untold benefits to us. Ed knew full-well that the majority of us teamed
with guide, hearing and service dogs were on the lower income scale. His
advocacy to garner support for our canines was only matched by his tireless
advocacy for our access rights. Among other things, Ed and Toni also
traveled throughout the USA each year and to other countries with their
guide dogs, lecturing at veterinary schools and veterinary conferences about
the special role that veterinarians play in maintaining the team, to educate
them about IAADP, raise disability awareness and to ask veterinarians to
consider free or discounted veterinary services for assistance dog teams.

There will be a memorial service for Ed in the near future. I'll provide
further details about that as they become available.

Please join me in saying Good bye to my dear friend, Ed Eames. And to Toni,
join me in support of the next chapter of her life. We can not fill the
void left but we can walk with her.

Yours truly,
<>

Kevin Frankeberger, Ph.D., CFRE
Board Member, IAADP
www.iaadp.org

LJ idol, season six, week one, empty gestures

2009-10-19T06:33:17Z

As I walked into the room the bitter sick smell of death was in the room. The whole family was there so that we could say our final good-bye to Tom's dad.

Six years ago, Dick had been told he had cancer. It was attached to his bladder, kidneys, and intestines. They really should have not even done surgery but the doctors wanted to give it a go and so Dick agreed.

He underwent the surgery and several hours later the surgeon came out hopeful that he had got it all. As we went into the room that evening I remember how white Dick was laying in his hospital bed. The next day though Dick was awake and alert, wanting to talk to everyone who came into the room. It did not take long for him to improve. He went home in record time according to the surgeons.

Over the next months and years he went through chemo and survived it all.

But what ended up killing him in the end was pneumonia.

It was such a shock to get that phone call that we needed to come and see him as soon as possible. We were planning to go up just after New Years to spend several days with Dick and Jackie. So we were so unprepared to have to go up to Tom's folks in the middle of December like this.

So many things had to be done. We needed to make sure that the animals were taken care of. We needed to pack. And what to pack became the question. I had to find someone real fast to watch my retired guide dog. And I had to get stuff ready for my current guide dog so he could go with Tom and me. But how much food and other items I needed were so unsure. All we could do was our best.

Thankfully, it all fell into place. And the next afternoon we were off to see Tom's dad as fast as the train would take us.

On that cold December day we had no troubles with our travels at all. Talk about a blessing. And we got there in time to be able to talk to Dick for a few minutes before the pain and breathing got to be too hard for him to take.

We planned the rest of the night right there with family and after dinner we stayed in the room with Dick and two of Tom's brothers remembering stories about Dick. We knew it was just a matter of time but did not know how long it would take before Dick went home to the Lord.

What does one say to a man who you know will die at any moment.

I remember telling Dick "I love you". I even remember telling him that there was no shame in just letting go. Dick was a fighter though so giving up was not in his nature. Were those words an empty gesture to help me get through this? Maybe, but just before seven the next morning Dick went home to the Lord as we heard the rain coming down outside at Tom's sisters house. It was as if the heavens knew that we would be sad this day.

So we went to the hospital that final time an hour after he passed to say that final good-bye. Again, this seems like something one should not have to do but it is. Family, friends, and others all need a way of saying good-bye. To me there are no empty gestures in holding the hand of a person who has just died. Sometimes we need that closeness to somehow come to terms with having someone we love and care about leave this earth.

idol voting

2009-10-15T09:10:15Z

The week zero vote is up. Please stop by and check out lots of great stuff. This is just to get folks into the groove.

http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/259192.html?style=mine

LJ idol, week zero, introduction

2009-10-13T05:36:08Z

You may be asking who is this creature_girl08 person.

Well, I am a lot of things.

I was born here in California. I have lived here my whole life of forty plus years. I am blessed to be married to one of the most incredible guys for almost fifteen years. These are just statistics though.

I am a care provider for a person who has multiple disabilities. Even though I myself am blind and have a number of other disabilities of my own I knew even back in high school that staying at home was not going to be what I wanted to do. Right after high school I had my first job baby sitting. Yes, I know a lot of kids do that while growing up but since I loved children I wanted to look after them. It was doing this that I realized I was not sure I ever wanted my own children. But I enjoyed that job and it helped me to be there for my over 20 nieces and nephews over the years.

Once I finally figured out that school was not for me I then got a job working in a company that helped businesses to comply to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. It was while I had this job that I discovered my passion for advocacy and helping others in general. So my life has been filled with doing just that by being on committees, joining groups, and stepping up to the plate to work on fixing the injustices of the world as best as I can.

Another big part of my life is my animals. I have always liked them and so I was delighted when my mom finally let me have my first cat. We had a dog when I was little but it was the family dog. So having this one thing be mine was a big deal. Over the years between my husband and me we have had all sorts of cats, dogs who are my guide dogs in general, and reptiles. Every single one of them has been special in their own way. Listing out all those animals would end up making this really longer then I want. I hope that I can share some of the wonderful stories about my cats, guide dogs, and reptiles as the weeks go by here in idol.

My faith as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ is also a big part of my life. If I did not pray every day, read my Bible, and spend time at church I know I would easily give in to so much of the bad stuff that goes on around me. This may sound odd to you all but again I hope I can have an opportunity to share this aspect of my life.

I hope this makes you want to get to know me a lot better.

This is my week zero entry for therealljidol. The topic for this week is introduction.

LJ idol

2009-10-09T06:41:40Z

Well, I finally decided, what the heck. I am joining LJ idol for season six.

Voice Post

2009-07-13T18:45:38Z

Voice Post

2009-07-13T18:40:46Z

Writer's Block: RIP Michael Jackson

2009-06-27T05:20:15Z

In honor of the King of Pop: What is your favorite Michael Jackson song?

Submitted By deathbylies

View 507 Answers

So for me my absolute favorite is Thriller. Yeah I know, everyone loves this song. But for me it was the first time I was introduced to the great Vincent Price. At age 13 I was enthrolled not only with Michael Jackson but I was also finding out how awesome all sorts of people were.

So enjoy, hope this works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-TZnNXXQrI&feature=channel

And

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En-cHBv7UpA&feature=related

BTW, I was not able to embed the video as planned because they had that disabled. Darn! But hope you click the link and check out the video.

Help if you can

2009-05-31T04:23:52Z

imafarmgirl

This weekend, tru2myart, her daughters,
clauderainsrm, moonstone_fae and
fidgety are all blogging for the cure. Encourage them if you have time. Support them if you wish. Donate money if you have it.

Cancer fucking sucks. I agree with imafarmgirl about the last line.

Remembering Dick

2009-05-16T09:36:32Z

On August 27, 1922, a boy was born that would grow up to become my father-in-law.

Richard (Dick) Randall was a man that one could only wish to have as a part of ones life. He grew up during the depression doing his best to help his family out during those difficult years. One of the things I remember being told that he did was mowing lawns. As a matter of fact he lost the first finger on his left hand as a result of doing that job. Something had got caught in the mower and he reached down to get it out. In the process he moved the mower and his hand got caught in the machine. He always stressed the importance of safety while being around any kind of machinery to all who he talked to for his whole life after that.

He then went off to world war two where he became a decorated veteran for being one of too few who made it through D Day. After coming home from the war he married the girl he loved and started a family. One of those kids he had is my husband Tom. Tom is the youngest of the six children and each one is special to me. Dick glowed when talking about any of the kids. And if we were all over visiting, he made sure to spend time with each person there.

Dick worked very hard all his life selling washing machines, fixing them, and trying very hard to be there for the family who loved him so dearly. Even after he retired Dick loved fixing things and whenever he could he was out on the golf course having a good time.

He tried really hard to raise his children right. One of the memorable stories
I have of Dick is of the time a business associate’s visit to the house. The man had parked his car in the driveway and was in the house. In the meantime Tom only about three at the time went outside somehow and got into the car. He was playing in the car when he pulled the emergency brake off and suddenly the car went backwards down the driveway and across the street, crashing into a wall. Tom thankfully was not hurt but when Dick and the other family members at home heard the commotion outside they ran out to see what was going on. There was Tom still sitting in the car as happy as any child could be. Dick in his firm fatherly fashion took Tom into the house and gave him a well deserved spanking. To this day though, the whole family still remembers that story with a smile.

I first met Dick in 1990. I had been dating Tom for about seven months at this point. Tom was graduating from college with his BA in history and the family was throwing a party for Tom. When I arrived, his folks were at the door to greet all the guests. I remember Dick grabbing my hand and then hugging me like we had been the best of friends forever. That is how Dick was with everyone he met. Right from the start I heard him tell stories of Tom as a child, his stories of being on the road as a salesman, and how much he loved the game of golf.

In 1995, Dick was diagnosed with stomach cancer. By all rights he should have never survived past six months. But because of a doctor, who took a chance, he had a surgery to remove the tumor and Dick was given twelve more wonderful years with us on this earth.

It was December 14, 2007, that we got a call from Tom’s sister Amy saying that Dick had been taken to the hospital. She was really worried so they were planning to go up the next morning as soon as possible to see him and to get a better idea of what was going on. Tom and I had asked if we needed to come. At the time Amy wasn’t sure but told us that if anything changed she would give us a call. We went through the rest of Friday praying and hoping that Dick would be ok and that he would get to go home. We were planning to come up just after New Years Day to see Dick and Jackie, Tom’s mom. It would be tough if we needed to travel now because of how tight our finances were.

The next day Dick seemed to be getting better. This gave us hope and so we thought all would be fine. Then Amy called from the hospital to tell us how bad he had gotten in a few hours. She told us to work on getting up there as soon as possible. We were frantic. What to take? Who would watch the cats, the reptiles? Where was Sunset, my retired guide going to stay? How in the world were we going to pay to get up to his folks house? Answering those questions happened one at a time. We called two friends who agreed to help with the cats and our reptiles at home. Another friend was willing to take Sunset for as long as possible. We found the money to pay for our train tickets. I just packed stuff in the suitcase and figured we could get anything else we needed up there.

The weather that weekend was awful. On Friday night it had started raining cats and dogs. By the time we were in full swing of getting ready to leave on Sunday it was still raining. And up where Tom‘s family lived it was threatening to snow. When the whole family was trying to desperately get there to see Dick as fast as possible, the last thing we wanted was for more people to be possibly hurt while traveling to see Dick.

That train ride was the longest train ride I have ever been on. Neither Tom nor I slept well Saturday night. All we could think of was getting there as fast as possible. We called more times then I can count on the way up. With each call Dick was getting worse. Now Tom and I were both worried that we would not make it in time to see Dick alive to say goodbye. We knew in our hearts that it was a matter of time. But would we get there?

Even with the weather being as bad as it was we arrived on time to the train station and a friend of Tom’s sister Rene was there to pick us up. We went straight to the hospital where everyone was waiting. Tom and I were the last ones to get there. Dick had been in and out of consciousness all day. But for each child he woke up so he could talk to them. We were no exception. We got to tell him we loved him and that we were there.

As we sat with Dick and the rest of the family we told stories and talked with Dick so he knew we were there. I could cut the tension in the room that night with a knife. Finally at about eleven we went to Tom’s sister’s house for the night. It had stopped raining and snowing higher up where his sister Rene lived. As if we had not slept bad enough the night before we really slept bad this night. Outside the window I could once again hear the rain as Tom and I lay in bed. Were the heavens crying for Dick? What would the morning bring?

The phone was what woke the whole house up. It was Amy calling from the hospital to tell us that if we could we should get to the hospital now. We quickly got up and dressed as fast as possible. I realized while dressing that it was not raining outside. I thanked the Lord that it had stopped raining so that we could have a fighting chance of getting to the hospital. Then the phone rang again and it was Amy telling us that Dick had just passed away. Our hearts sank as we realized he was really gone. If it had been possible to do so I would have ripped my heart out at that moment just to have had that one more time to say I love you to Dick.

Since we didn’t need to hurry at this point we took our time to eat and just talk while finishing our first real meal in over twenty-four hours. During this time I also took care of Tennyson my guide dog. As I went outside to relieve him the sun was coming up and I saw a rainbow among the threes. That beautiful rainbow was up in the sky just sitting there as if to say that all was going to be ok. I felt at peace looking at that rainbow. I knew Dick was finally out of all the pain he had been in for the past year. The cancer had come back with vengeance. Finally he no longer had to ask for others to help him with the smallest of tasks.

The rest of that week was spent planning the funeral of a man that so many loved. We shared many tears, laughter, and quiet times together. Those of us who had drifted apart from one another fixed relationships that needed fixing. When it was all done we gave Dick the send off he deserved. We had a military funeral. It was wonderful to honor the man who not only loved his family, but his country too.

We still miss Dick and always will. But as long as we remember him in our minds and hearts, he will never be forgotten. In the glory of the early day Dick was born. And in the end it was in the glory of the morning that Dick left this earth. He will never be forgotten.

Asperations

2009-05-09T05:51:08Z

Being a child
So young and innocent
So many thoughts
So many desires
Excited at the prospects
Of doing great things
When they grow up

The child gets older
Still having those dreams
Wanting to be
A doctor
A veterinarian
A teacher
A nurse

The teenager graduates
Ready to take on the world
Getting ready for what comes next
Hoping to do well
Wanting to please others
Yet afraid of failure

That young person finishes school
Things are not as they had hoped
Life is much harder then ever expected

They did things to change the way life would take them
Meeting someone who took advantage of them
Now they have responsibilities they didn’t plan on

Having a child that needs them
All the sleepless nights
Walking them
Feeding them
Making sure they are okay
Helping teach them right from wrong
This is now what takes up all that extra time
They thought they would use
To go get those childhood dreams

Life moves on
That person got older
They work a job that they do not like
Live in places they never thought they would
They have no one to turn to for help
Begging for hand outs
When there is no other way

Now they are old
Sitting alone
In a house they do not own
Waiting to die

Their child is gone
They never write
They never call
They feel so alone

What happened to those dreams?
Of that long lost childhood
So long ago

The thing they do not know
Is how their life
Helped people they have met
As they went through that journey called life

A young boy became a teacher
A young girl finished school
Then became a writer of books
A man stopped drinking
And went back to his wife
This person’s parents were proud
But never got the chance to tell them so

The reason this is so
Is because they took the time
To sit
To listen
To give advice
To simply be there
No matter what
In their lowest of times

Do you have aspirations?
Dreams you want to see fulfilled?
Do not lose heart
If they are never to be
Never fear
You might be just the one
Who helps someone in need
To succeed in life

Getting Involved

2009-02-19T01:22:36Z

When I was growing up my mother and father were both very involved in the National Federation for the Blind. I went with them to meetings, fund raisers, and I even participated in selling things for the local chapter that they were in. It was something I just did with my family. I never realized how important getting involved was to anyone.

In high school I was losing more vision which finally got so bad that I needed to learn how to use a cane. Being a teenager and having to carry that stick around made me feel self-conscious. I didn’t like having that cane with me one bit. But I learned really fast how important knowing the skills of O&M was. If I wanted to get out in the world and do things I had to use my cane to keep myself from getting hurt. So after leaving home at age eighteen I embraced using my cane. With that I learned another lesson. There were other kids my age who didn’t like using a cane either. We got together just so we could grip about using a cane. By getting together with them we all found a way to encourage one another to keep on trying.

The biggest thing to ever happen to me in my life was moving to where I live now. Knowing how to use that cane came in pretty darn helpful when I first moved here. I did not know anyone but a few family members who could not always just take me places and one other person. And she only used the bus to get around. If I was going to learn this town, I needed that cane to get around. That cane and I became fast friends.

It was about a year later that I met the first person who used a guide dog. It was because of them that I made the life choice to get my own guide dog. Having a dog in my life opened a lot of doors for me but it also brought discrimination into my life as well.

One particular time I can remember was while visiting with my sister and brother a year or so after getting my first dog. We wanted to go camping and in a town near where our camp was set up, had some shops to check out. We went into this clothing store only be accosted by a lady about my dog. She as good as threw us out of the store even though I tried to explain about my guide dog and the laws pertaining to guide dogs. We all were really upset. As we stood outside my sister wanted to know if we could do anything at all. I said lets call the police.

A very nice police officer came to our aid that had not heard of the laws about access for guide dogs. But he was willing to read the information I had and verified that information with other police officers as well. The officer finally went in on my behalf to talk to the lady. He was in the store for what seemed like a very long time. Finally he came out a bit frustrated but satisfied.

He told us that the lady argued with him about the laws and simply said that she did not care one bit about allowing “that” dog into the store. Finally, he gave up and said that since she was arguing with him that he was writing her a ticket for arguing with him. At this point she finally gave in. But the cop was done and still wrote out that ticket which ended up being a five hundred dollar ticket. Boy, if I could have seen the woman’s face when he gave her the ticket.

At this point the owner showed up too. When she found out what had happened she really got mad at the sales lady right there in front of the cop. She came out and asked us all in and proceeded to give us the choice of two outfits each. That really made my day too because I found two wonderful summer outfits that I wore proudly for three summers.

It was this situation that started my days of helping others. This happened in 1991, just after the ADA (American’s with Disabilities Act) was signed. After coming home I got offered a job at a company where we went and helped stores and other businesses comply with the ADA under title III, public accommodations. I worked at that job happily for five years before the company went belly up and I lost my job.

I did not want to stop helping people so it was at this time in 1997 that I joined two committees here in our town that was devoted to helping transportation and the whole city comply with the ADA. As a part of the transportation committee I got involved in teaching bus drivers, both fixed route and for paratransit about dealing with people who have a disability. This has been one of the most rewarding jobs I have had so far on the local level.

In 2002 our town formed a chapter of the CCB (California Council of the Blind). It is an affiliate of the nation wide group called the ACB (American Council of the Blind). It did not take long for me to find the one thing that made my need to do something for others to fall into my lap. I joined a special interest group that is apart of the CCB called Guide Dog User’s of California. This special interest group has all sorts of people from the state with guide dogs that are from the different schools here in California. Becoming a member of GDUC also made me a member of Guide Dog User’s Incorporated, (GDUI). That group has guide dog users from all over the nation and the world too.

Since joining CCB, ACB, GDUC, and GDUI, I have helped a lot of people. Everything from helping someone who was told to leave a restaurant because of her dog to just being there to listen to someone who was not sure if the guide dog lifestyle was for them. I still teach bus drivers and from time to time I see one of them on the bus. It makes me feel good to know that they remember me and the things I taught them in one of those two hour class sessions.

What my parents started in me as a child has carried on throughout my life. I plan to keep on fighting and being there for all people who have a disability for as long as I am able to do so. I also hope I am able to help the public as well. Doing what I do makes me happy even it is frustrating. It is my passion. May the fight continue.

NOTE: If you would like to learn more about ehe American Council of the Blind, go to www.acb.org. To learn about the California Coucil of the Blind, go to, www.ccbnet.org. To learn about Guide Dog User's Incorporated and Guide Dog User's of California, go to, www.gdui.org. And to learn about the National Federation for the Blind, go to, www.nfb.org.

This is my home game intry for week 21 of therealljidol.

Blanket

2009-02-06T23:13:58Z

I remember the very first thing I could see as a child. It was a rocking horse my parents got me for my first birthday. I both loved and hated that rocking horse.

When it seemed that I would never ride or play on it my parents gave it to the nursery at church. I was fine with that until I showed up at the nursery the next week after they gave it to the church.

As soon as I saw the rocking horse I ran to it and would not let any other kids get near it. Today this makes me smile and wonder what must have been going on in my head.

During this part of my life I had pretty good vision. But as I grew older I started losing vision and needed glasses to see better. When I was thirteen I lost the vision in my left eye all together. I adjusted but life was never the same after that.

As I went through my teenage years I lost more of the vision in my right eye. I never lost it completely but throughout the past twenty-five years I have had several surgeries to try and keep the vision I do have. My most recent one three years ago was the most successful of them all.

All people use their vision to do every day tasks. Reading, writing, driving, watching TV, riding bikes, playing games. I do all those things too but have learned to use my other censes as well to get through life.

Our vision is not only our blanket that gets us through life. The other censes we have are also blankets too that if we lost them we would feel pretty lost in life.

Today I can see lots of things. My guide dog is right next to me as a matter of fact as I write this. I can see that he is yellow, that his eyes are expressive, his blue collar that I purchased for him, and that his tail is wagging as I pet him. But no longer can I see the color of his eyes. That part of the blanket of life has been taken away from me.

I no longer worry about this though. For me what counts is just being able to get around. And I am able to do that whether I can or cannot see.

This is my home game entry for therealljidol, week 19. The topic is blanket.

Please go vote

2008-12-13T06:34:06Z

Hi,

It is voting time at therealljidol. Anyone can vote and this weeks topic was sexual healing. Brave people writing on that topic.

So, please go read and vote on the ones you like for this week. I am sure they will appreciate it very much.

Here is the link.

http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/209479.html?style=mine

The chaos of cookie baking

2008-12-07T06:04:20Z

The alarm goes off at six in the morning. On a normal day this would be just that. But this is a Saturday. I only get up on a handful of Saturdays willingly.

As I get dressed I wonder why I am doing this, but then a smile comes to my mouth as I remember the reason why I am doing this. It is family cookie baking day.

By 8:45 I get picked up to go to the appointed house for this year’s cookie baking. My cousin who is hosting the cookie baking this year is a special favorite of mine and has been for all of my life. After she married her husband they lived in an apartment for a while before buying a house. They still live in that house 34 years later and I have wonderful memories of their house.

I am the first to arrive which surprises me but I know it will not be long before other people start showing up. Over the years I have learned the recipe for these cookies from the masters of the recipe. I have learned all the correct ingredients to add, how to tell if one needs more flour in the dough, and when the dough is just right to roll and put on the baking sheets to be baked.

As people start arriving, we all stand around talking. Catching up with one another since the last time we saw one another. All at once we realize that no one is getting any work done. People scurry around to get aprons on and find their places to do the parts they know they are good at for the cookie baking. You would not want to be caught standing still during this process. What could happen if you are seen standing still is that you get assigned to the one task you know you really do not want to do.

The bowls are lovingly pulled out of the box to start making the cookies. The ingredients are all lined up ready to use. I am good at mixing so I get started with this process right away. As I mix things together we keep on talking. The only part about talking is if you are not paying attention, you can forget what you have put in the bowl. Oh, the number of times I have wondered what I had already put into the bowl only to find out later that I missed one thing.

This is a photo of the bowls looking inside the bowls.

This is a photo of the bowls from the side so the pattern can be seen.

So, over the years we have worked out a system where the person starts with the first ingredient. One other person uses other bowls to put the correct amounts of other ingredients into so that all the primary person has to do is add what they need from those bowls. It works good accept in small kitchens where people walk back and forth talking, and trying to get up close to see what is happening.

This is the dough being mixed.

With this recipe it is best to ware an apron at all times. It is a messy endeavor to be sure, but the result is well worth getting all dirty.

So, now that the dough is mixed and ready to roll it gets sent to people who do nothing but roll the dough and put the cookies on the baking sheets. The biggest problems found at this area is often people are talking and do not pay attention to what size they are making the cookies. Some are larger then others and have to be moved around so that only cookies of one size are on the same cookie sheet. Sometimes the cookie has to be done again because the cookie has too many cracks in the dough from being rolled. Then there are the cookies that are to small. Eventually, all the dough is used up and the pans of cookies are sitting waiting their turn to be baked.

The dough is being rolled here to put onto the pans.

A photo of the cookies on the pan, not yet baked.

Then the process starts again with another batch.

There are about twenty people at this family event every year. That is right folks, twenty people all squeezed into one person’s house just to make cookies and after it is done, eat lunch.

Once lunch is over the cookies are all cool, so now comes the best part. Getting our tins and filling them up with the wonderful goodies we have worked to make all morning long. It is quite a site to see everyone scrambling around from cookie sheet to cookie sheet getting what each person feels to be the best of what there is to offer on each pan. Some cookies are lighter then others, so very often there is a great discussion while getting cookies to which ones are the best.

Here are a couple of photos of cookies that are baked and ready to put into tims.

These are the cookies after being put into tins.

Once the cookie sheets are empty, people pack up and leave for home pretty darn fast so, as to not lose any of their precious cookies. This leaves only a few people to finish cleaning up so that the host does not have a lot of work to do by themselves after the last person leave.

The dirty pans after all the cookies are taken off and put into tims.

You may wonder if this is all worth the getting up early and hard work to make these cookies. I am here to tell you, yes. I love my family on my dad’s side. This is one of the times of the year we get together to catch up as I mentioned above. We have had some of the best times making these cookies over the many years I have now been doing this.

My grandmother made them when I was little, so for me by being able to make these cookies I can still hold onto that little piece of happiness that she gave me during the years I was growing up.

The chaos of this first Saturday, every December, is a tradition I will never miss as long as I am able. The wonderful memories are worth it all.

This is my entry for week two of the December contest in
brigits_flame.

Unity

2008-12-04T03:21:32Z

When you think of unity, you may think of a group of people like the Lions club or something like that. For me I think of the bond that I have with my guide dogs.

Every single morning I wake up and the first thing I notice is the pain in my neck, back, right arm, right hand, and left leg. Staying in bed is not an option though since I have Tennyson my working guide to take care of, along with Sunset my retired guide, and our four cats.

On this day I have three meetings to go to and it will be a two-hour ride there and back for these meetings. So, there will be no relief from the pain today.

When I received my first guide dog Hindi in April of 1990 I had the deafness in my left ear to think about and then I didn’t talk about it with anyone because I was afraid of having my guide dog taken away from me. So I just made it through class and did my best to deal with making sure I heard all that the instructors had to say while in training.

Hindi was a challenging dog for someone like me who had not really had a pet dog since childhood. And on top of that I was not the primary caretaker of that pet then. So I had to learn a lot and if nothing else Hindi taught me a lot about being a handler and about myself as well. It made getting my second guide dog Sunset so much easier and fun for me.

By the time I did go for Sunset I had messed up my back several times and had found out about the degenerating discs in my back and neck. I also found out about my dizzy spells as well. They are sure it is denier’s disease but since I never was able to get to the doctors office while one was happening they could not do the test needed to diagnose them. Because of the dizzy spells I now have balance problems. I never know when a dizzy spell is going to happen and sometimes for no reason I lose my balance.

I was able to be more open about the issues I had the second time I was in class which helped me and the trainers a great deal. One of the things I did not know while in class with Sunset was that I was also a diabetic. When we came home Sunset responded by taking me to places such as a bus bench so I could sit down. I had no idea why she did this sort of thing until I went to the doctor and got officially diagnosed. I was very thankful I was given Sunset. She saved my life more times then I can count during those few months between coming home and being diagnosed with my diabetes. She was the first dog to help me with my balance problems as well. I will always be grateful to her for that. GDB did a great job of matching us up.

In December 2005 she saved my life in the biggest way possible. She helped pull me back enough from a car that was coming onto the sidewalk to keep me from being killed outright. It did not keep me from being injured but I just know it would have been worse without her by my side. Because of the accident I now have permanent problems with my right arm and hand. I can no longer give affective corrections with the right hand. My left knee is weak and does not always bend very well. And because of the accident I am now in pain 24/7 days a week.

So when Sunset retired I had a lot to talk about with GDB about my next dog. And that is how I got Tennyson. He has been such a wonderful dog for me with all that I have to deal with now. He helps with my balance, walks slow when I need him too, I can correct him with my left hand. But most of all he has become a light in my life after what seemed like a long time of darkness.

After the car accident I knew that the car hitting me had affected Sunset. I knew I would have to retire her and this really scared me because I felt they could never give me another dog like Sunset. So when that time did finally come, I was terrified of going to class and getting a dog that would not be all that I needed. There are not enough words I can say to thank GDB for all they have done for me and with all the training they do to prepare these dogs to work with people who are not just blind and visually impaired. They help breed and train dogs that will also help people like myself who have other disabilities.

The unity between a person who is blind and their guide dog is one that is not easy to express. But one thing is for sure, no matter what I plan to use a guide dog as my way of getting around in life for as long as I can.

NOTE: GDB means Guide Dogs for the Blind. If you would like more information about guide dogs and what they do, go to www.guidedogs.com.

This is my week one entry for brigits_flame, the December contest.

The Giving of thanks

2008-11-27T03:07:26Z

Until I was six years old I had what would be called the perfect family. I had a mom and dad, brothers, and a sister. I also had lots of aunts, uncles, and one set of grandparents.

Once my parents got divorced I did not stop loving my family. I spent Thanksgivings with my grandparents, my mom, and my uncle who lived up North. Thanksgiving may have been spent in different homes from year to year after the divorce but that kept my love for my family alive.

When I moved out on my own things changed yet again in my life. The first year on my own I spent with one of my brothers. But after that I did not celebrate a Thanksgiving again with any of my family. Trying to travel cost money, so I worked on creating my own traditions ever since that last year with my family.

Then I met the guy who became my husband. Ever since then my traditions have included him in all my Thanksgiving planning. We have done a lot of fun stuff over the years. We have had dinner out, planned whether or not to buy a Christmas tree, and spent lots of fun times with his family eating great food. This will be the sixteenth year we will both eat with his family for Thanksgiving dinner.

Today I have a long list of things I can be grateful for on Thanksgiving.

--- Tom, my husband
--- My mom
--- My dad
--- My brothers David, Steve, and Tim
--- My sister Debbie
--- My nieces and nephews on both sides of Tom’s and my family
--- Tom’s mom
--- Tom’s brothers and sisters
--- Having a home to live in
--- Being as healthy as anyone can be
--- My church family
--- For God
--- For all the animals that have been and are blessed to be apart of my life
This includes our four cats, the two ball pythons, the one blue tongue skink, and our one iguana, and yes, even a couple of outdoor cats too

The list could go on but I think that the thing I am most thankful for these past 18 years are my guide dogs. Hindi my first dog is no longer with us on this earth. Tomorrow will not only be Thanksgiving Day, but it will also be nine years to the day that I received my second guide dog Sunset. She was a light in my life especially since just three weeks before getting her I had the horrible task of having to say goodbye to my first guide Hindi. Sunset had to retire last year for several reasons so I now have my third guide dog in my life, Tennyson. Sunset now lives with us as a pet and I would have it no other way.

So, tomorrow no matter what find something to be thankful for. Even if it is just being alive. Cause yes, being alive is definitely worth being thankful for.

This is a home game entry for LJ idol, therealljidol. This week is a free topic for anyone to join in on. The topic is "The Giving of Thanks". You can go to the link below to read all the entries submitted. There will be no voting this week.

Here is the link that I almost forgot to put in.

http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/203626.html?style=mine

I hate the post office

2008-11-21T04:06:24Z

Usually when you order something and get a confirmation number you can track it to see where it is in the process of being shipped to you.

I ordered a package of items from a trusted company and even though it took a little longer then usual to get mailed it did get mailed to me. They sent me a message with the confirmation number so I could track my package as it made its way across the country to my mailbox.

It still has not arrived.

The web site keeps telling me it was processed but that is all I get day after day.

I hoped this package would arrive in time for me to have the one item in the box so I could take it with me to a concert last night.

Since it did not arrive I could not take this one item with me and so now I am upset with the postal service.

The place where I ordered the items is just as upset with the post office on my behalf and cannot even seem to get a straight answer from them on what is going on with my package.

Companies like the post office go to great lengths to try and get our business to use them for all our mailing needs. But why would I want to keep using them if they might lose an important item in the mail.

I can pay for return receipt, notification that it was delivered to the proper address, and even extra insurance to make sure it does get there. But why should I pay good money to mail something through them if it is only going to get lost.

One thing is for sure, it is making me think twice about even wanting to mail Christmas packages to family and friends this year if this is how the items I mail are going to be treated. A lot of time and love goes into finding and getting that perfect gift for people I care about and so I want to make sure that they do get what I bought for them.

I do not want to hear excuses of any kind. I do want apologies for any problems with the shipping of my packages though.

None has been given. All I have received is “oh well, keep checking the web site for any changes.”

This really stinks and one thing is for sure. The entire postal service is going to hear about this from me if possible. From anywhere in the US today, it should not take over a week to mail a package to an individual. And yet it does.

So, buyer beware the next time you order something and have it shipped to you through the post office.

This is a home game entry for LJ idol therealljidol, week 8. The topic was sit down and shut up LJ style.

Hope

2008-11-18T22:19:15Z

On November 6, 1999 I had to do one of the most difficult things in my life. I had to say good-bye to my first guide dog Hindi. She was a wonderful black lab who had great work ethic but did have awful house manners. Her whole life was spent getting into one thing or another. But despite it all I really loved that dog and on my fifth wedding anniversary she had an awful stroke which led to my having to put her down. Which made for one very awful anniversary.

It broke my heart in ways that words cannot express. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. She was supposed to go and live happily until a ripe old age with friends who loved her and wanted only the best for her too. But this wasn’t to be.

How was I supposed to go on from here? I had to make it until the 27th when I am going to the Oregon campus of Guide Dogs for the Blind to receive my second guide dog. Retiring Hindi was very hard even though she was eleven and going blind. I didn’t want to have this kind of emptiness in my life in between my dogs. How dare she go and do this was all I could think for several days after she was put down.

Each day was a struggle to get up at first. Seeing her dish in the kitchen made me sad and cry. Her harness hung on the door knob of the closet in our hall along with her leash. I would briefly forget and then all the memories would come back like a brick only to crush me down. I would look for her only to remember that I would never find her again getting into the trash or laying in the worst place possible, the middle of the hall.

Finally the day arrived and even with delays in my flights I made it to Oregon and not even two hours later I had in my hands the leash of a very beautiful yellow lab named Sunset.

I couldn’t believe this dog was so amazing after the awful three weeks I had just been through. I sat for an hour just crying while holding onto this wonderful new dog. She gave love back so willingly in ways Hindi never had from the beginning. I made a vow that I would be as loving if not more to this dog as I was to Hindi. I would ensure that Sunset got all the love I could give and more.

Training was awful. I didn’t get along with my classmates. It rained every single day. It was unbelievingly cold and yucky the whole time I was there. And I could not let go of my memories of Hindi.

Sunset was so patient and loving the whole time. It wasn’t even two days and we had bonded like we had been together for our whole lives. It made me happy to no end. When we went out for our first real walk the instructors were impressed with how great we looked. I needed very little help with issues while in class and when we graduated on December 12th I knew we would have a lasting relationship for many years.

The grief slowly went away and the new relationship with Sunset blossomed into one so amazing that she is now referred to as my soul mate to everyone I talk to about her.

Sunset is now retired. I kept her as a pet here in my home since I was able to do so. She gets along with my new guide Tennyson. He too is now making a place in my heart. I learned a wonderful lesson about the human heart from my experience with Hindi. The memories of a beloved dog never have to be forgotten. We may get a new dog but those other ones will always have a special place in our hearts and minds.

No matter what is going on in your life, do not give up hope. There will always be something to lift you up. I realized how important that word hope was when I was training with Sunset back in 1999. And I was again reminded of how important hope was last year when I went to train with Tennyson.

Never lose hope.

This is a home game entry for LJ idol, therealljidol, week 7. The topic was hope.

LJ going to be down tomorrow

2008-11-18T05:21:13Z

Just a reminder to you all that from 8 AM to 12 noon, that all LJ is going to be down so they can move the whole server to its new home. YUCK!

It is going to be an awful quiet morning over here. Thank goodness I have to do some stuff anyway. But damn!

Here is the link to the info about it.

http://community.livejournal.com/lj_maintenance/121281.html

Alright, out of here for now. Need to see if I can go to bed early. Hehehehehehehehe! I don't think I can, but one can try.

Night,

Dine

2008-11-10T19:57:26Z

Hand in hand the couple walked into the room. They gave one another glances that showed just how much they were in love.

He held out the chair for her after the waiter showed them to their table. She took the chair with grace and smiled up at him as he walked around to the other chair.

It was a corner table so they were able to sit with their chairs close to one another. The chatted quietly as they looked over the menu. They did not seem to be so much reading the menu so much as they were paying attention to one another.

Gently he touched her face as they talked. She smiled and blushed with the touch and in response reached over to give him a kiss.

When the waiter returned the gentleman ordered a bottle of the best wine. The waiter returned with the wine and two glasses. It was obvious this couple was celebrating something special from the way they toasted one another with their first sips of the wine.

Finally, they seemed ready to order dinner. They waited in anticipation of the foods arrival by continuing to talk, kiss, along with drinking the wine they had ordered.

Once the food arrived they ate with purpose. Sharing bites of things from one another’s plates. The lady did not see as the gentleman pulled a box out of his pocket. He put it in his lap. One could tell he was nervous as he held onto the box. His hand kept opening and closing around the box as they continued to eat.

Once the dinner was over they ordered dessert. Waves of nervous anticipation hung around the two as the gentleman waited for their dessert to come. He was waiting for just that right moment.

The waiter came with a covered plate to the table and laid it down with a gentle touch. One could tell that the waiter knew something that no one else did. He smiled at the couple as he left.

The lady was curious since they had each ordered something different. Getting this one plate all covered up was quite a mystery to her. It really showed in the look on her face as she reached for the handle on the lid to lift it off.

Her eyes brightened as she moved the lid away to reveal what was inside. Her face got even brighter as she read what was on top of the cake inside.

She looked that him and back to the cake. At this point the gentleman got up out of his chair and came around to kneel down beside the lady. He presented the box, opening it to show her what was in the box. Once again her eyes brightened and a huge smile shone upon her face.

From his reaction one could tell she had said yes. The gentleman then placed the ring on her finger and got up to go back to his chair, not before leaning over to kiss her deeply.

Everyone in the site of the couple started clapping and yelling out congratulations. They both smiled and beamed with joy as they ate that cake.

This is one story that their children would hear about for years to come.

NOTE: I'd like to say that it was my husband who proposed to me in this story. Smile! But I do know the couple who this story is written about. The is my week two entry for brigits_flame. The prompt is dine this week. This is also a home game entry for therealljidol, the open topic from week five.

Wine

2008-11-07T06:17:15Z

My love, my love
So subtle and sweet
My love, my love

My love, my love
So harsh and dry
My love, my love

My love, my love
So beautiful to look at
My love, my love

My love, my love
So colorful to the eye
My love, my love

My love, my love
So lovely in your glass
My love, my love

My love, my love
So censual in my hand
My love, my love

My love, my love
So many choices to choose from
My love, my love

My love, my love
Wine
My love, my love

LJ Idol, home game, week six, ghosts

2008-11-03T23:28:12Z

Week six, ghosts

This happened about two months before my grandma died. I was asleep and had a vision or dream where my grandpa came to see me.

We were walking in the grass near the vineyards at my cousin’s house. He told me that it would not be long before my grandma would come to be with him in heaven. I was in disbelief, I remember this very clearly.

He told me that it would all be ok, and that he was better now that he was in heaven.

My grandpa had died when I was thirteen of a heart attack and I had wondered for years if he had suffered before dying. My grandpa assured me that he did not suffer and that when he arrived in heaven that he was reunited with loved ones and friends he had not seen in a long time. He promised me that grandma too would be better and would no longer be in pain from the arthritis she suffered from so much.

I started crying. My grandpa hugged me and told me that I should not cry. Heaven was as wonderful and for real as I read about in the Bible. This made me smile, but did not shake away the tears. Then I woke up.

I could feel the hug he had given me, and the touch on my face from him wiping away my tears. I was also surprised at how I could still remember grandpa’s voice even after he had been dead for seven years. I could remember the way he walked, and the smell of the earthy outdoors that was always on his clothes from picking grapes, oranges, lemons, and apples.

My mother is the only one besides Tom that I told this dream too. On Mother’s Day of 1990, my grandma passed away peacefully in the early morning hours.

At the funeral we had an open casket and I can tell you, she never looks so much at peace. I could tell she was where she belonged.

I have often wished my grandpa would come see me again, but I figure that he should only come if he really has something important to tell me. I do not want to know that someone I love is going to die, but he warned me about my grandma’s death even before we knew something was going on with her heart. So, I feel good knowing that if it is going to be someone’s time to pass away, that, if it is my grandpa who comes to see me, then the person in question will be going to heaven.

I miss you grandpa and grandma.