"Hurricane Grays"

I think they should start naming hurricanes after puppies instead of women. In the middle of December, I came home one day after working for 12 hours...to THIS!

It was a really snowy day so I decided to leave the dogs in the house. Since Grays cannot be trusted in any room except for the kitchen (which is mostly puppy-proof), I put Grays in the kitchen and left Sophie in the front room. I closed the pocket door between the two rooms and only left a small opening so they could see each other. Evidently Grays was very "mouse-like" in squeezing her way through the door and wreaking havoc in the front room.

I lost 3 strings of Christmas lights,

a library book from my school library (it's SO embarrassing when this happens at the LIBRARY TEACHER'S house...a parent came in the next day and was aplogizing profusely because her son had lost a book which she came to pay for and I was VERY understanding as I confessed what had happened at my very own house the day before), and the cover to my scriptures was chewed up. Luckily the book inside was OK.

I went to plug in the string of lights in the front window. Oops. Can't. No plug!

How can a puppy this cute be so destructive??? Actually, if you look at the bright side, I didn't lose any furniture that day, or drapes, and she didn't touch the small Christmas tree or my nativity set which I brought back from Mali. I suppose there's always a silver lining.

All I Want for Christmas...

My wishes for Christmas are so much simpler than when I was a kid. Nowadays all I hope for is...

to be around kids...

...and dogs,
children smashed in a cupboard,
to spend time with my family,

and to keep my focus on the Savior.

I guess my big brother's priorities are a little different than mine. But, hey, each to his own.

Canine Escape Artists

What a week! Apparently I have a little black escape artist (remind you of another dog, Kathy?) On Monday when I got home from work Sophie met me at the gate, but no Grays. I looked around the yard then in the house. Just when my throat was starting to freeze up and I forced myself to take a deep breath, out of the corner of my eye I saw the phone flashing indicating there was a message. It was from the UPS guy. "Um, yeah. Your puppy was running back and forth across 17th South and almost got hit so I just found a fenced yard and put her in there. Here's the address."

After I got her back to our yard, I went over into the the neighbor's driveway, called to her, and watched her do a soldier crawl under the wire out through this hole. So I patched it up with more fencing.

Next morning at 5 am when I was out stealing bagged leaves for the garden, Sophie gets out through the gate and starts ripping up the neighbor's garbage. I go over to get her. Grays, not one to be left out, comes shooting through the bushes through a NEW hole. So dad put an old stump in that hole. Don't you like the way we Joneses monkey-rig things?

You GOTTA love THIS fence which, at one time was sufficient to keep Sophie and Addison out of the garden...withOUT the extra support of the lawn chairs and garbage cans. But little Grays just puts her front paws on it and bounces until something gives way.

Dad came over the other day and rigged up a "trolley" during the rain and snowstorm so that at least I won't be getting any more calls from the UPS guy or find my cute puppy squished in the street. And guess who dad found in the front yard sitting on the lawn when he arrived? Sophie!

Yesterday I had a guy come and give me a bid on taking out the hedge and putting up a REAL fence! I'm getting serious now! Luckily, my new neighbors were thinking about asking me if I wanted to split the cost of putting up a fence. YES! YES! YES!

I'm Thankful

A few years ago, Dr. Phil challenged a "whiney" woman to come up with a list of 500 things she was thankful for. I wanted to try it and see if I could do it. The first 100 were easy. I never did get to 500. I only got up to 408 but it was a great exercise. I challenge all of you to do it before the end of the month! Even if you only get 100.

Here are a few from my list:
1. Karen Carpenter’s voice
2. Hugs from the little kids at school
3. I’ve never been sexually abused
4. Ice cream
5. Pay at the pump
6. Glasses
7. Strong batteries (not ones that are made in China)
8. I had to take care of Marv and Kathy when we were young
9. I never was in a car or motorcycle accident in Mali
10. That my job is never boring
11. The difficulty of my divorce that brought me closer to God
12. Flannel sheets
13. My ability to read
14. Strong women who came before me
15. Clean, cold water to drink
16. That I was adopted into this great family
17. The courage and sacrifice of our founding fathers
18. Yellow
19. Repentance
20. Hope
21. Personal access to Heavenly Father
22. Christmas lights
23. The chance to come to earth
24. Swings
25. Robert Frost’s poetry
26. A baby’s giggle
27. Sitting on the couch, drinking hot chocolate, watching the snow fall
28. My parents raised me in a strict way
29. My mom taught me to be careful with money
30. Music that “speaks to my spirit”
31. A father who honors his priesthood and is ready to give me a blessing at any time
32. My high school seminary teacher, Br. Swain
33. The way the people in Ouelessebougou accepted me and allowed me to live among them
34. Not growing up rich
35. I was not raised to hate anyone
36. To have learned from the Malians to slow down so I can keep my life in balance
37. My washing machine
38. The soft spot in my heart for Uncle Grayson
39. The way the general authorities talk about their wives and how they revere women
40. The fact that mom and dad are still married
41. Sparkling snow at sunrise
42. Wildflowers in mountain meadows
43. My girls: Kily, Addison, Kenzie, Sophie, and Grays



I am thankful for all of you!!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Poor Baby

Grays got spayed a few days ago. But she doesn't seem to be in any pain and doesn't even seem to mind the ridiculous cone around her head.

Granted, it's a little tougher to do some things with the cone.

But I'M the one you should feel sorry for, not Grays. I have cleaned up SO MANY MESSES in the past 2 days. Grays is supposed to stay inside except to briefly do her "business" outside. She's used to having free access to the backyard. So when she encounters a closed door, she just "takes care of business" in the house. She's also started dumping over the HUGE water bowl...the one that theoretically is too big for her her to dump. I've mopped up swimming amounts of water in the past 2 days.

Sophie is NOT amused either since one of Grays' favorite places to pee is on SOPHIE'S BED! I'm sure that Grays will come out of this just fine. I'm not so sure about Sophie and me though.

Havens

Friday night I went down to hear a piano concert at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square. There were 2000 people protesting around Temple Square because they weren't happy about the church's involvement with the vote in California regarding gay marriages. Because of construction, I had to walk down the same sidewalk that the hoards of protestors were walking up. I felt like a salmon swimming upstream and my progress was VERY slow. Then, just past the Lion House, I turned off into the interior of the block because I know it is church owned property and the protestors wouldn't be in there.

The contrast was stark and I was struck by the difference. I could hear a loud din reverberating off the buildings surrounding the courtyard, but it was so peaceful on the interior of the block. There were protestors all around me. There was anger and agitation. There was dissension. But I felt protected, peaceful, safe, and free. Free to progress much faster to my destination.

I felt like I was in the eye of a storm. It seemed like there was so much "swirling" around me, but none of it was in the middle where I was. It was just peaceful and empty.

Photo from: http://s3.amazonaws.com/estock/nasas1/5/71/46/everystockphoto-nasa-space-57146-o.jpg
(I know, don't laugh at me because I put the source where I got this picture. I CAN'T HELP IT! I'M A LIBRARIAN NOW! I spend SO much time telling kids to do it, I figure I'd better be doing it myself.)


As I walked toward the temple, I realized that that structure is another haven. I had been there just the day before. Whenever I’m in the temple, I feel like I’m insulated from the craziness, busyness, evils, terror, and the dizzying pace of the world. I feel like nothing can touch me and I can focus on spiritual things without distractions.


My home is another haven. I think of it as a place where I am safe and loved. And no matter what horrible things are happening outside, I will be safe in my house (because I have 2 big dogs…OK, 1 big dog and one pip-squeak that will GROW into a big dog sooner than you know.) It’s a place where I can get away from rude people at work, noise on the streets, evil influences (if I’m careful about what I allow to enter my house), and the hustle of moving about with more and more people every day (yes, Salt Lake is getting CROWDED!)


I did finally make it to my destination, Temple Square, only to find out that it was locked down and everyone had been sent home. I’m grateful for the havens in my life where I can find peace. I think the older I get, the higher value I place on peace.

The Many Faces and Nicknames of Grays

Squeaker

Little Black Sambo

Smarty Pants

Busy, busy, busy

Sweet Pea


Curly (like in Oklahoma)


Silly Willy


Rascal


Little Kid

Snuggle Bug

Baby Bug

No nickname. I just wanted you to see me with my hair up in curlers.

Bein' a mom

Sometimes I think being the "mom" of a new puppy is very similar to being the mom of a new baby.

I've seen plenty of little kids do this. Grays has moved on from just biting the toilet paper roll, to unrolling the whole thing. And then there there's the sloppy rolled up mess for everyone in the family to use after she's performed her little antics. Because everyone knows that you can't roll up toilet paper exactly the way it came off the roll! The look of my bathroom has changed in the past few months. The toilet paper is now kept on the hamper. The bath mat hangs on the shower rod, out of reach. The plastic liner of the garbage can is always kept tucked in.

And how about the "stick your whole head in the water bowl" routine? Reminds me of kids playing with their food instead of eating it. Grays doesn't play with her food, but she does do about 100 other things during meal time. I think this is the way her brain works: "Ohh! Food! Eek, I have an itch. Oh! Food! Look, here's my toy! Oh! Food! I think I'll sneak up and attack Sophie while she's not looking. Hey, where did this toy come from? Hey, Sophie! Get out of my food bowl!! That stuff is MINE! Hey, where did this leaf come from? I think I'll go bite mom's toes. Oh! Food!"

Now, this one is JUST LIKE KIDS. You buy them a bunch of toys, and what is it they want to play with most? The pots and pans out of the cupboard!


This one really drives me nuts! Granted, children don't bite the couch, but they are really hard on furniture in other ways.

How about, "I'm a big girl in the library!" SO BIG!

And after all the mayhem of the day they can give you just one look like this, and all is easily forgiven and forgotten.