Sunday Surprises

We woke up this morning and found out that our son Donny is in the local paper! You can find the story here
these are the two dogs he has adopted and keeps at the shelter..the larger one is Bruno and the smaller one is Lady...
its a nice photo too of Don and we are very proud of him. Whatta go, Donny!
that was a nice surprise..
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Not so nice surprise.....
Ant Attack!...they were all over the dry cat food this morning and trails all through the dining and living room....we will have to get some spray I guess, I am not fond of using poisons but this problem has been going on for several weeks and we've tried all the natural means we know of..
today was the worst yet...not fun to make coffee and find ants in your cup...or sit down a drink for a few minutes and come back to a swarm...they haven't gotten into the food cabinets but its only a matter of time...I have everything in Tupperware so there will be slim pickens for them when they make their way into the cabinets. One year they got into the freezer...odd to find tiny frozen ant bodies in there...what were they thinking? Ice skating on the ice cubes? Snow forts in the frost? Snowants instead of snowmen...
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Saturday

As I came down the hall the other morning, this scene greeted me and I thought I'd share..Bandit is making herself at home, loves to look out this window..outside is the fig tree.
Its grown tremendously this year, it's just 3 years old and is a fast grower..
The two green elephants were brought over from Vietnam when my dad was stationed there..he sent over two sets, I picked the green ones as our house is mainly in greens and my brother got the more colorful set in shades of terra cotta, reds, greens, and browns......the bamboo plant was one of those lucky bamboos...Donny gave me one years ago and it grew too large so I planted it in a pot...its doing well.
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I read that McCain chose a running mate, I am not familiar with her but what I read today made me think he made a good choice...she certainly is not one of the "good old boys" and has courage to stand up to them. She also knows that it's like to live as one of the little people, coming from a ordinary working family.
I am not going to say too much about the election as it approaches as there are some who just get nasty and vulgar...I really do not understand that but its the society in which we now find ourselves......I was on the high school debating team and we learned to deal with actual facts not just call each other names...do they even having speech and debating classes anymore? I do not understand the TV debates either, they are not real debates at all...not how I understand debates. I don't like most of the political commercials either for the same reasons...and we just don't watch much news during these times but get our info from online sources, newspapers, etc.
I think both parties need to clean up their own parties and not be slinging mud across the isles..as I've been in a few mud fights, everyone gets dirty....
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Still haven't been paid much, Alan has gotten calls from more individuals who just bought homes the last few days and some referrals which is always nice....this week was slow as it always is before a big holiday weekend.
Donny has been asked to move out to the rescue as they need someone there at night...they have a little vintage trailer out there he can stay in...its small, has a kitchen, dining area, small bathroom/shower and bed...it could be rather cute if it were remodeled....we were telling him there is a movement to fix these little trailers up but he doesn't believe it...he will home several nights a week and bring his laundry home of course...I think it might be good as a first taste of living on his own...he is 20. He gave them terms, said he wanted a raise, internet access and cable TV...they agreed to everything. After Elizabeth passes (she is 89 and the owner) he will inherit the trailer (plus) so any work he does on it will profit him later. I am not sure what kind it is, I only saw it once..we are thinking we will take a look at it..Alan is such a good handyman, he may be able to help make it more comfortable.
Through these all, we look to the Lord for guidance, provision and grace...He is in control and its exciting to see things unfold, not only in our own lives but in these last days.
"Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!" James 5:7-9

Friday Musings

I only rarely speak about political doings on.......I pray and vote as God leads me and check to see if what I vote for is scriptural when at all possible....
when there are two candidates in an important political race, I look at their records and experience to make my judgement, not age, nor race nor personal charisma ...in fact, I really distrust charisma. There is danger in voting in someone only because of their looks and charisma.
Frankly, I am not too happy with either candidate to the highest office this year....I think Obama is all flashy talk and big promises, he is a good man with no experience.....I think McCain is maverick, a war hero, a good man, a little old perhaps, but with loads of experience.

Who will I vote for?
well....I look at it like this...if I were facing a major surgery...a life/death surgery...which surgeon would I choose? A young intern just out of medical school with 143 days of practice, never done major surgery (who by the way, has a very angry stressed out nurse) or a older surgeon close to retirement with 30+ experience who has done many surgeries? (whose nurse was highly skilled and calm)

Ebay Thursday - Frstyfrolk Treasures

My friend Cyndi, has a great eBay store....if you have a dog or know someone who does, she has wonderful leashes, collars, etc.....she also stocks all sorts of Coca-Cola collectibles and other cool stuff......her eBay store is called Frstyfrolk New and Vintage Treasures.
she sells the dog related items in honor of their Golden Retriever, Megan sadly who passed away suddenly this past spring...
She also is a blogger and it's By the Light of the Moon, they have a new dog, a Golden Retriever named Emma......who by the way has her own blog.....

I am drawn to her Coca-Cola collectibles would love to show you a photo (they are protected) so you will just have to check them out for yourself. If you see the oval tray with the pretty lady, that is my favorite...
I thought every Thursday I will highlight one of my friends Ebay store or auctions...I no longer sell on Ebay, do buy occasionally, we got a really good deal (we hope, haven't got it yet) of a cat Furminator deshedding brush for Bandit...its supposed to be very good, Donny uses them at the pet rescue so we will see....they are usually over $30 at the pet stores and we won one on Ebay for $20 including shipping.
This is a stock photo, when we do the deed with Bandit we will let you know..she sheds quite a bit, she might weigh less...I keep telling Matt," she's not fat... she's fluffy."

Wednesday Pet of the Week

I decided to feature this little guy...he is the same dog that Donny brought home yesterday that was being bottle fed...the rescue is calling him Benji...he needs a home so badly and so darling I don't think he will be there long..if we had not already just adopted Bandit, I would have really liked to have kept this little one...as I said yesterday, he is a toy poodle/chihuahua mix so will be under 10 lbs when full grown. If you live in the Southern Californian area, and are looking for a small dog to love, Benji might be for you..you will find Benji at the Sun City K-9 Dog Rescue
just click for further details, adoption fees, the phone number, etc. They are the only nokill shelter in the Menifee Valley area, donations can be made through Paypal.
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Bandit's vet visit was a complete success..she was a good patient, didn't get upset going into the vet's office and cooperated with the doctor...I say this thankfully as the other cat we have is a wild thing and its almost impossible without sedation to get him into the vets.. Bandit is completely healthy and the vet wasn't too alarmed about her weight, she weighs 10 lbs.9 oz.
She's up to date on her shots so we don't need to go back for until next February. She also was tested for feline leukemia and is perfectly healthy. No fleas either!
The Ramona humane society is where we got her, they are a good group and do their best to make sure every animal is given the best opportunity to get a forever home but there are so many. Bandit was there for almost 6 months. and yes, they do put animals to sleep there, but its done reluctantly. We are so glad that they wait for a considerable time for most pets..this is their website, Ramona Humane Society
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On another note, Cora from Hidden Riches in Secret Places
is having her second chemo treatment today so please please keep her in prayer...she was very tired and discouraged yesterday....if you can, please leave an encouraging comment on her blog too...this cancer journey is rough.
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I have two good videos on my crafting blog today so hope you will head on over there after here.....I am not getting many hits and hope you remember to check it out too....
China Lake Needlework/Crafting Newsletter

Further Pet Aventures

Donny brought home this tiny puppy today...he is very young and should still be with his mother but somehow found his way to the rescue....Donny is bottle feeding him and he will go back to the rescue tomorrow...there is no one there at night to bottle feed him and he didn't want to leave him...the puppy is half Chihuahua and half toy poodle so he will be tiny when full grown.
I was just noticing that the last few posts have all been about animals! Just what we are going through right now I guess....
we got Boots ashes back and they packaged them so nicely, they even took a paw print for us in plaster...

I am planning on framing a photo of Boots and attaching the pawprint to it somehow...
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We are discovering Bandit is quite the Diva.....she has Smoky a little buffaloed and sits on the back of the sofa like Queen of All She Surveys...she will let you pet her for a time, then lets you know that the Queen no longer needs your service...LOL...
I made an appointment at the vet for a checkup for her tomorrow....we get one free checkup visit so why not take advantage?
Another hot day....so far the lettuce seedlings are holding their own....

We called yesterday to the shelter and they said our kitty was at the Pet Smart so we dropped by there and well, you can see the outcome! Isn't she pretty? At first, Alan wanted to call her Oreo, but after bringing her home, decided on Bandit as she has a little mask over her eyes like Zorro...she hid under a chest we have in the living room most of the afternoon yesterday but is coming out today more and more...Alan just loves her and keeps her on his lap as much as possible...our other cat hissed and wasn't too happy but is tolerating her...I think he will be OK in a day or two. She looks like she must have had an accident with her tail at sometime as its crooked and short...maybe slammed in a door? Ouch!

We were happy to see several dogs were being adopted also, at least 4 while we were there...
the lady said they were getting so many pets coming in that had to be given up because of the foreclosure crisis.....good to see them going to good homes.
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We were able to pay all our bills, thank the Lord....just barely made it but we did it...we will have about a weeks grace and then it will start again for September...Alan had meetings this past week with the company who owes us so much...they are getting a new accounting system in and promised they will get in the black with us soon. They were rather shocked when they saw all the previous invoices and realized they owed so much!
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It was very warm today, 103...I just checked outside and my little tiny lettuce seedlings were all wilted, I watered and hope they survive but I was taking a chance planting them now...we've had a cool few days so I guess I was hoping it would continue. They are in complete shade but its still warm.
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Alan has some good stuff on his blog today, so please check it out.

Alan says he wants to pick out our next kitty...we had Boots for 9 years. The boys and I picked him out so I guess its his turn....he saw this beauty online at the humane society and liked her...he likes long hair cats, a little more work keeping her groomed. Not sure if she is the one for us, they have so many cats, it will be hard to choose, and I think its better if the cat chooses you. The good thing is that all the cats have been spayed or neutered, had their shots and are checked out by the vet. They only charge a small fee to cover the vet bills so its a good deal and we will be saving a kitty from a bad end.
Smoky has been lonely, he keeps looking for Boots, checking out his favorite places every day...he is sleeping alot more too and know he's feeling the loss..they were best buddies and often slept together, groomed each other and watched out the windows together. It will take a few days to get used to a different cat but with patience I think he will do just fine...we will keep them separate until the right time.
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Our weather has been cooling down...its in the high 80s, and feels like fall...I have been doing some gardening, lots of weeds to pull...got the main lawn done and the rose garden..just have to do the upper terraced levels of the retaining wall...Matt mowed the lawn and edged..it looks really nice...the photo I posted yesterday with our little charge shows the lawn...I hope fall comes soon....so looking forward to cooler weather, aren't you?
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Alan was driving to San Diego yesterday and a huge something hit the front of our car...he doesn't know what it was, says it looked like a car bumper almost but it sure made a mess out of the drivers side fender and front bumper when it hit...we are thankful it didn't hit the windshield as Alan would have been hurt...our insurance will cover most of the damage..we just have to pay a small deductible..so tomorrow I will take the car to the body shop in Lake Elsinore.
Speaking of insurance, we've been blest with the best insurance man in the world...our world anyway, Rich has been our insurance man since we were married...37 years and will probably retire one of these days.....we also have the greatest insurance, Allstate, they've been there for us every time and I can't say enough good stuff about them. We have our homeowners insurance with them too, including earthquake insurance. Donny is with Allstate too under his own plan not ours and they don't rake up high prices because of his age (20).

Matt is pet sitting this adorable little Yorkshire Terrier puppy...isn't he cute? He probably only weighs a lb or two....loves to run and play and so far is very quiet...Matt's been having alot of fun with him...while he was sleeping, Matt put his hair into a mohawk...his name is Gizmo...he is already potty trained too...
He loves the backyard and was running all over exploring..must have seemed like a huge park for him as he's so small....

Wednesday Pet of the Week

Introducing Bobo, an Australian Shepherd mix...he is only a year old, still a puppy in some ways and loves kids...his owners had to give him up as they moved and then new place wouldn't allow dogs...Australian shepherds are great dogs, and his coloring is typical of the breed. They are also
known for their blue eyes...he's an active intelligent dog who with the right training would be a great working dog and family pet.
Bobo can be found at the Sun City K-9 Dog Rescue
We are missing our Boots, especially me as he always used to sit by the computer when I typed..Matt put a wallpaper on my computer of Boots so he is with me in spirit on the computer....we are comforted knowing he is out of suffering and in the arms of our Lord...before he went, I told him to curl around Jesus's feet
Last night, Donny came home with carne asada, tortillas, tomatoes, guacamole...I had some refried beans and shredded some cheese so we had a feast...Matt grilled the beef so I didn't have much to do....do we have great kids or what?