A Birthday Remembrance

October 18, 1940 was my husband's birthdate.  He would have been 71 today.  

Over the years the month of October meant Birthdays to our family.  Our oldest daughter was born on Oct. 14 and the youngest on Oct. 28.  So, it was just our thing to celebrate one big birthday for all three of them.  Of course, when the girls were smaller, they did have their own parties for their special days but for the family, it was one big celebration.

Now, he is gone and the girls are scattered so today has been a quiet day but not forgotten by any means.  It is one of those days that will always be remembered and celebrated in one way or another, mainly like it has been today.  Quietly, as we remember him and the birthdays past.

I want to wish him a Happy Birthday and I know he is watching over us and knows we are thinking about him and remembering him today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY!   I miss you and love you .

OCTOBER -Facts & Trivia

When October arrives, we usually think it is Fall, even though the official first day of Fall is in September, somehow October just seems like the beginning of Fall, just as we think of December as the beginning of Winter.  But October has its own distinction, somewhere between late Summer and early Fall.  With the roller coaster of temperatures, it eases us into the cooler months as well as giving us a colorful exit of Summer.

October is also noted for some notable and some not so notable celebrations.  October is Class Reunion Month, Frugal Fun Month, National Crime Prevention Month, National Positive Attitude Month, National Cookie Month, National Seafood Month, National Dessert Month, National Popcorn and Popcorn Poppin' Month, National Pretzel Month, National Pork Month, National Stamp Month and National Chili Month.

Of course, we all know about Columbus Day on October 12 and Halloween on October 31.  But did you know there is also Mule Day on October 26 and Punky Night before Halloween.  Punky Night is when the pumpkins are carved and in ancient times, the children would carry the carved pumpkins throughout the village asking for candles to light them up and then they would carry them as lanterns.

More presidents were born in October than any other month: John Adams (1735), Rutherford B. Hayes (1822), Chester Arthur (1829), Theodore Roosevelt (1829), Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890) and Jimmy Carter (1924).

A few interesting facts:

Henry Ford introduced the Model T on October 1, 1908.

The first message sent between two computers in California on October 20, 1966 (The first E-Mail)

The Great Chicago Fire started on October 8, 1871 and lasted for 30 hours.

Thomas Edison had his first successful demonstration of the electric light on October 19,1879.

Sam Houston was inaugurated the First President of the Republic of Texas on October 22, 1836.

The Erie Canal opened for traffic on October 26, 1865

The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886.

The moon in the month of October is called "A Hunter's Moon."

Opal and Tourmaline are the birthstones.   Calendula is the flower. 

Folk Lore Sayings:

Rain in October

Means wind in December.

If the October moon comes without frost

expect no frost till the moon of November.

When birds and badgers are fat in October,

expect a cold winter.

When berries are many in October,

beware of a hard winter.

If ducks do slide at Hallowtide,

At Christmas they will swim.

If ducks do not slide at Hallowtide,

At Christmas they will slide.

Always will there be Twenty-Nine fine days in October

October Quote:

October gave a party;

The leaves by hundred came;

The Ashes, Oaks and Maples,

And those of every name.

Source: George Cooper - taken from World Book Millennium 2000

Happy October!

REFLECTIONS

Today, September 11, 2011, is the tenth anniversary of one of the most atrocious attacks on America ever.  True, Pearl Harbor was atrocious but at the time it was not part of our country but the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11th was on American soil and not only were innocent Americans killed, but many who came from different parts of the world, so in a way, it was not only on Americans but on the world as a whole.  Only because one man thought he had the power and was doing God's work.  The only problem was he worshiped a false God, one who has the principles of Satan.

It was a beautiful September morning ten years ago.  As I sat in my living room watching TV waiting for the local station to come on with a weather report before my husband and I started our morning gathering of eggs.  We were living on the farm at the time and he had gone to check the poultry houses so I was alone when I heard the first report.  I was watching the Today show and I can remember Matt Lauer saying, "A plane has hit one of the Trade Center towers."  His voice echoed his concern and the curiosity as to why a plane would hit one of the towers.  They went to a film footage taken by someone, I don't even remember who now, as the shock of seeing the plane hit was so overwhelming.  The Today Show managed to get a live shot of the tower and then with horror, not only to me and millions of people watching but to the cast of the Today show itself, we saw the second plane come in and head straight for the second tower. It was like it was a movie and it didn't seem real at first and yet we knew it was.  

My husband came in and I told him what had happened.  We sat there as they replayed it and talked about it while trying to get information.  Just as we were about to leave, they broke in with the news that the Pentagon had been attacked.

We sat there looking at one another and then to the television screen, not saying a word.  I think we were in shock and numb from the visions before us.  How could this be happening?  What was going on?  Were we under attack and by who?  Were we safe?  What about our children and the rest of our families?  The thoughts racing through our heads were limitless and the fear inside us was nothing like we had ever felt before.

It was a feeling of shock and horror.  It was unbelievable.  How could anyone attack us?  I can remember that it wasn't just us who felt this.  We could hear it in the voices that came from the television set.  They were as numbed and shocked as everyone watching.  It was the unspeakable and it was hard to believe that it had happened even as we watched, it just didn't seem real.  But it was.

We had to go to our gather and rushed through it so we could get back to find out what was going on.  Our propane delivery man arrived just as we finished and was going back to the house.  I went on as my husband stopped to talk to him.  He hadn't heard the news as was out on his route.

I turned on the TV to hear about the plane crash in Pennsylvania and that they thought there could be more attacks in our large cities.  I hurried back to tell my husband, breaking down in tears as I thought about my brother and his family in Chicago, my oldest daughter and her family in Tulsa, his family who lived in the Dallas area and Wichita, Ks. area.  Friends we had over the country and the fear was almost more than I could bear.

We stayed in front of our television set as much as we could during that first day and the days following.  We watched in horror again when the towers fell and again the silence as we could find no words to say.  Our hearts were heavy as we thought about all those innocent victims on the planes, those in the towers, the Pentagon and on the plane that went down.  We prayed and hoped that more had survived.  We prayed that there would be no more planes with terrorists who had no regard for life, not even their own.

The days that followed were as numbing as we watched them clear the rubble from where the two towers had stood.  We saw the ground where Flight 93 went down because of the bravery of the passengers who knew they had to do something and gave up their lives in doing so.

It was a time when all America came together as one.  We had been violated and it affected every single one of us whether we had a loved one or not in the tragedy.  It was our fellow Americans so it was a strike on us as well.  The flags flew, people gathered together and prayed and our country was strong as we forged ahead.

The evil man who thought he could bring us down was hunted down and his henchmen were eliminated and it took longer but in the end he was caught and eliminated as well. But the terror does not end as he seeded the hatred in many of his followers so they continue to fight his war.  Yes, it is a war.  As part of his belief, he felt that anyone who didn't believe as he did was an infidel and needed to be killed.  That is not God's way.  But it is Satan's way.

We have been fighting this evil for ten years and will go on fighting it.  The bonds we made immediately after that horrific day have lessened but as we remember today, perhaps some of them will return to us and we can become strong again and continue this fight.  We can't let the devil win.

I sat quietly this morning listening to the quiet outdoors.  No one was moving about and only the birds were signing, as I imagine they were on that fateful day.  The sun was shining and the sky was clear.  It gave me time to reflect on that day and what has happened since then.

I don't think I was alone in my thoughts and even my prayers for those who died and the families they left behind as it was later when I first heard a vehicle and then the sound of children's voices as they came out to play.  For two hours, the quiet was a time for reflection, for prayer and for a renewed hope that our country would be safe and we would never face such horrors again.

Sometimes I think television has opened up a whole new way we see the world.  During WWII, we didn't have that option.  We relied on the radio and newspapers with reporters who were on the front lines giving us details and descriptions.  The news reels we saw in the movie houses showed the horrors of war too.

But then television made it possible for them to be there and record the events, good and bad.  The assassination of John Kennedy.  People were horrified and again when we watched the shooting of the assassin.  All from the comfort of our living rooms.  How could this be happening?  We asked ourselves then just as we did ten years ago.  We watched the funeral procession of the beloved president.

We watched the news every night about the war in Viet Nam and the demonstrations against it.  We watched as the Trade Center was hit before, the embassies around the world, the ships, the planes.  It was all there before us.

But on September 11, 2001, it was a horror beyond horror and we need to find that strength and courage we had following that attack on our country and stand together as Americans to defend our freedoms and our way of life or those who died on September 11 died in vain.  Our soldiers who have been fighting this battle on foreign lands and who have given their lives because of this atrocity have given them in vain if we do not stand together.

I saw something this morning that I want to end with.  GOD BLESS AMERICA -- AMERICA BLESS GOD!

Septembers of the Past

I think I like September the most of all the months.  It is the only month with so many changes but they are usually subtle and most enjoyable.

As a young girl, it always meant that school would start the day after Labor Day.  I always looked forward to that first day of school so I could wear my new dress and shoes and socks and carry my tablet and pencils and crayons in a sack.  We didn't have backpacks and a plain brown sack worked just as well for all that we needed.  As I got older, I remember adding a ruler, a compass and eraser to the supplies.

And we never knew what the first day would bring.  It could be a warm day, the lingering of the summer as fall peeked around the corner.  Or it might be cool so that a sweater was needed for early in the day.  I don't remember a rainy day but I'm sure there was one or two.

But the excitement and just the feeling that summer was over made September a welcome month.  I could even smell the difference in the air.  It was crisper and seemed fresher.  The cooler temperature made the days pleasant even though it was sad not to have the long evenings of summer.  It seemed that as soon as September arrived, the sun wanted to set early so the time we had after school was really the only play time we had.  Once supper was over and chores done, it was dusk so we seldom went out plus the evenings were effecting a chill with just a touch of dampness.

It wasn't just the start of school and the end of summer, but it was the beginning of the change between summer and winter.  Fall.  That beautiful time of the year when the trees display an array of color and the grasses turn from green to beige, the Mums burst forth in multiple blooms and the best of all, the smell of burning leaves as the smoke curls upward and hovers over the neighborhood.

September is the month that brings these changes and allows us to make that transition from those hot lazy days of summer to the pleasant days of fall and before the hibernation of winter.

To this day when I rake up a pile of leaves, I can hardly resist that temptation to run and jump right into the middle of them.  I can laugh about it now but when I was young, I can remember being told to help rake up the leaves and then either my brother or me would immediately jump into the middle of the pile scattering them again with our laughter and glee until our parents called out to quit playing and start working.

There is no spookier sound than to be walking alone with a wind blowing making the leaves travel down the road with their swishing sound.  You can almost hear the footsteps of the unknown and the heart quickens and the breathing becomes labored until you reach your safe destination and feel the relief that you have escaped the unknown whisperer out there.

But my biggest memory is the burning of the leaves. All the color has disappeared leaving the dry brown leaves littering the ground waiting to be raked up into piles. The crackling of the flames as they devour the dry leaves along with the smoke rising from the burning piles signal fall is here.  And by the end of September as we look forward to October, the air was always heavy with the smoke from the numerous piles of leaves.

The cool mornings and evenings are like a sandwich for the warm day in between allowing us to get out and enjoy long walks, children playing or just sitting on the porch watching, listening and smelling the scents of the approaching fall.  September will always be my favorite month and bring back those many memories of childhood and the innocence it held.  September, the gateway from summer to fall.

Throwing in the towel!!!

I really hoped that Maggie and me would make a pair.  We started out good but once she was "at home" her true colors came out.  I'm happy that she is attached to me but she is my shadow and that is our problem.  She will not let me get out of her sight and she has discovered she can climb the chain link fence.

The first time I thought she had jumped it as I parked the golf cart close to it but the other evening when I went to visit my neighbor to inquire about his wife and how she was doing, I watched as she literally climbed over the gate.  Once she was in his yard, she found a place where she could climb over his fence and when I came out of the house later, there she was laying in front of his front door.

I put her back into the yard and we stood there and watched as she climbed up and over and was right back to where we were.  I managed to get her home and into my yard and scolded her and for a couple of days everything was fine.

Well, as fine as it could be.  Since she is a puppy she is in to everything but she decided the cats bowls were something that needed to be destroyed and she did a good job on them.  I started putting up the others overnight but have to keep an eye on her during the day.  Since the cats are nibblers, their food lasts most of the day while she manages to gobble hers down in nothing flat.

Since Maggie has discovered she can go over the fence, anything or anyone who attracts her attention is fair game and she is gone.  Having a neighbor who thinks he has to be the best friend to every dog in the area by giving them treats or special attention, he has aggravated the situation since she has learned how to get into his yard now.  He has been warned by every dog owner around here to please not give treats or try to make friends with their dogs as some have them as watch dogs and when he does that, he is ruining them as they will overcome their protectiveness thinking a stranger will give them a treat.  He just doesn't understand and insists he is doing nothing wrong. 

Well now he has ruined my dog and I am going to have to throw in the towel and find her another home or take her to the shelter so maybe they can find a home for her.

She was out this morning and I got a call at 8:00 AM from another neighbor to tell me she was out.  I tried to get her back but a trash company came and she was off again with the men petting and loving on her and she refused to come home.  I had to leave as I had to go to the grocery store and she only came back so far and laid in the yard but would not go into the fenced yard.  I left not knowing if she would be here when I returned or not.

To my surprise, she was in the neighbor's yard.  The gate was open and I don't know if he purposely opened it for her to go in or not.  But he was paying her attention as I drove up.  I opened the gate and drove in and left them open in hopes she would come home.  Instead, he went around the side of his house and she followed.  Not sure if he coaxed her or not.  When I saw him go inside later, I went out to call her and finally got her home.

It is a shame as I thought maybe she might be what I was looking for and needed but I don't think it is going to work out for us after all.  I just hope we can find her a home where she can have the attention she needs and the freedom to run and not be a bother to anyone

I know I'm not the most patient person but I have tried and now I will give up.  I've done all that I can do but until I can control the outside sources, our relationship will never work.  The saddest part is that I really like the dog.  But she is still a puppy and I'm not sure the two of us can survive each other for another year and a half or maybe more.  And she may never grow out of this as she is a very friendly dog who does not know a stranger.  I guess I should have realized this the day they brought her and she just came in as if she owned the place and never once was leery of me or barked at me.  But I chalked it up to being a puppy and wanting to explore new surroundings.

I want the best for her.  She deserves it.  So I'll throw the towel in and guess I'll buy a security system since I can't find the right dog for me.

Maggie

It has been a week since Maggie arrived.  She was dumped at a friend's house so we have no idea where she came from or what kind of life she had.  But when they couldn't keep her, I volunteered to take her since I've been looking for a dog and finding that she was a German Shepherd mix was perfect as I wanted a German Shepherd.

When they brought Maggie into the yard and let her go, she immediately took off like gang busters to see the cats.  Well, that didn't go as well as she planned as several ran for the trees while a few brave ones hissed and spit and ran towards her.  So then it was off to explore the new surroundings.  She had to check every corner and every inch around the fence, the outer shed and buildings and then moved back towards the house.  She hadn't discovered that there was more yard on the south side of the house.

Her attention was brought back to the cats.  Now, she only had good intentions.  She saw them as playmates but of course they saw her as a threat and since this was their territory, they were going to hold it and let her know they were in charge.

The first day was her day to investigate and that she did.  She finally discovered the whole yard and when I would go check on her, she came running, so glad to see me.  That evening, as I went out to water the Cherry tree and shrubs, she climbed up on the golf cart with me and rode for a ways.  She didn't seem to mind it but when I got off, she got off.  She had to help as I filled the watering can.  She thought the water was for her and tried to drink it from the sprayer.  I think she must have some Lab in her as she sure loves water.

I wondered how she would do that first night as I had not heard a whimper or bark out of her since her arrival.  She was so curious about those cats and learned in a hurry that she was not to invade their territory.

When I got up the next morning, I had to go to the store to get some food and I wondered how I would get the car out without her running out the gate.  I did find out that she knew a few commands, one being "Stay" which she would move away from me and either sit or lay down until I moved and then she would come to me.  As much as I hated to do it, I knew I had to let her know that the open gate was off limits.  So I got the BB gun and it only took one pop to the hip and she didn't come near it.  Now, all it takes it the shaking and she knows she has to go back and stay away.

When I returned, I managed to get back inside the fenced area and when I got out of the car, I could hear the cries of a kitten.  I went to investigate with Maggie walking along side of me.  I saw the kitten high up in a tree, along with two other cats who were a little older.  Two of the mama cats were on the ground, worried about the crying kitten so high up.

Maggie felt safe by me but as I walked closer to the tree, the mama cats didn't like her being there at all and came at her.  I heard a loud yelp as they both got to her.  She tripped over the cement blocks that were stacked up from my daughter's trailer spot and as she got up, the two females cats went after her as she ran for her life around to the back of the house to hide somewhere.

I came inside, put my groceries away and went out to give her some of the puppy food I had bought.  She was being very cautious and had learned to make a wide berth around the cats.

The one thing I have noticed was that Maggie never does anything slowly.  It is fast and faster.  She will run and not walk, unless I am with her and she has to walk with me.  The rest of the time, she is on a trot or run.  I found some dog toys that I had from my other dogs and gave them to her.  The favorite is a rubber bone that squeaks.  She will run back and forth with it, not wanting to play catch, but just running back and forth until she drops.

She was still trying to get those cats to play with her but due to the heat, she found a cool place and spent most of the afternoon into early evening lying in the cool spot.  We went out to do the watering and I decided I wanted to see how she would do on a leash.  No problem.  She walked along as if it was the most normal thing ever.  I was really pleased but still had a doubt since I had not heard her bark and I was concerned that maybe she couldn't bark.  I wanted her to train as a watch dog so I was trying to think of something that would make her bark but nothing was working.

That evening I went next door to visit my neighbor and parked the golf cart near the walk through gate between our yards.  I told Maggie to stay and she sat down next to the golf cart as I went through the gate and over to the house.  I was about ready to step up on their porch when I heard her bark.  I was pleased but hoped she wouldn't bark the whole time I was there.  She didn't because when we came out a little later, we found her in their yard.  We still haven't figured out how she got there unless she got onto the golf cart and jumped over the fence or gate.  But she was there waiting for me to come out.  She came with me and rode on the golf cart on the way back to our house.

Since then, it has been a daily routine of feeding her and then the cats and making sure she understands that she has her own food and has to leave theirs alone.  She rides with me to go water and we have play time in the evening.  And she has barked a few times since then so I keep hoping with some training, she will learn to bark to warn me if there is danger.

She knows her name now and when I tell her 'no', she seems to learn after a couple of times, except for the jumping but today she was better so again, maybe we are making progress.I think one day we will be close friends and will understand what each of us wants and will have a great relationship.  Just as she is working towards one with the cats and has made friends with a couple of them. Again her only problem is that she comes up on a run and they aren't sure what her intentions are so are on the defensive, but I'm sure that will end soon too, once she realizes they don't like her running up to them or maybe they will just get used to it and ignore her and she will stop.  I'm leaving that up to them to work out as I don't want to be in the middle of a mad cat and a playful dog.

I admit I'm not a person with patience and since I'm not a real big dog fan, this is a trying time for both Maggie and me, but I will say this, she isn't going to leave me alone and demands my attention and maybe there is a soft spot in this old heart because I may get angry with her when she is being kind of bad, but I can't help but love her.  I know she loves me.

Sunrise to Sunset

Being alone gives me a lot of time to think.  Now, that might be a good thing or maybe not but at least it keeps the mind active and that is good.  When I'm not sitting here at the computer writing, I like to do something to keep the cobwebs away.  I have a stack of books just waiting to be read but will probably save those for the winter time when I can just curl up on a cold day and get lost for a few hours.  I enjoy working Cryptograms and try to solve a couple of them every day.  The rest of the time, I find some way to "think".  Even watching TV will trigger thoughts some times and remembrances.

I think this really hit home last week when my very good friend collapsed and had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance.  I've watched over the last few years as she has slowly slipped away into her own world, one in which she couldn't share with anyone and occasionally try to come back into ours.  The world of Dementia is a cruel thing, it destroys the mind in such a way that the person is still there, still caring, still being cared for but not completely whole.

But my friend refused help from her family and friends.  I think she knew and was afraid to admit it was taking over.  She was losing control and I think all of us would fight as long as we could too.  But when she fell and still refused help, her husband knew it couldn't continue and called for help when he couldn't get her up.  She's been put through test after test and discovered she'd had a small heart attack.  She'd never had any heart problems so it was a shock to all of us.  However, medication and rest seems to be helping her and now that she is back on her Diabetes medication, which she had not been taking, her physical health is improving.  But not the mental health as with Dementia, there is no cure.  They may be able to give her something to help a little while but it will never go away and it is only delaying the inevitable.  But with our loved ones, we want to do everything we can and keep them with us as long as we can.

So as I sat on my porch one night enjoying the warm night, I thought about life.  It is kind of like a day.  We rise at Sunrise and we go to work or school or play during the day and then after Sunset, we go to bed.  Life is a lot like a day.

Sunrise is the birth of a day and also represents our birth and just as the sun inches its way up over the horizon, as infants we slowly grow and change until the day dawns bright and we continue to grow.  We learn, we work, we play and we spend the daylights hours living our life.  Sunset brings that time when we begin to slow down.  We retire and become less active as we reflect back on what the day has produced and as the sun sets we go off to slumberland.

So our lives are like a day.  Just as the sun rises and sets each day and brings with it the sunshine and the rain, the warmth and the cold, we laugh, we cry, we love and we grieve.  And when the slumberland comes, I know that I will have lived my day to the fullest.

I've had my Sunrise and I'm having a wonderful day as I head for the Sunset.  I have the love of my family and my friends and wonderful memories that can never be forgotten.