Snow, Snow, and More Snow

Snow is only good for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and maybe a few snowplow service's. Oh and for skiers, and snowmobilers, and men who just got their new boy toy blowers, and tire stores, and overtime for city salt truckers, and sledders, and retired folks who do not have to drive or walk in it, and oh yes its good for Frosty the Snowman/men/women. Then there are the other people that too much snow might just cause issues for....ME! And my dog! She screams when she has been standing in snow for over 60 seconds, yet she wont poddie until she smells the podie of the other twenty dogs in the building. Too late, her feet hurt and she tears out back to the building screaming all the way and without poddie-ing. Back to the poddie pads. This unreasonable snow is a pain in the everything. It belongs in the high mountains where people can go visit it vs it visiting us univited! I need to Google where the birds go in these overboard snowstorms and ice storms...... It is even cold in the house. Running the useless gas fireplace with no blower, a heater in the bathroom, a heater under my computer desk, and regular heat and it's still cold in here.... My two sons live in Los Angles! Need I say more. I wonder how much a UHaul cost these days. This MaMa is thinkin' hard if her "Lovely Lemon" could make it to Cali!

The Red Plaid Blanket

( Last year I wrote this true story and then lost it in cyberspace somewhere never to be found again....along with the computer it was written on. I am going to attempt to re-write it once again hopefully with the same passion.)




The Red Plaid Blanket

It was a freezing beyond cold winter evening around Christmas time last year, something like this below zero night in the North Plains of America. I was making some deliveries that took me around the Capital Square in the heart of our city, when I noticed a man sitting inside one of the Plexiglas bus waiting areas. He was half sitting and half lying down. In our city the homeless can go to a large church close by, but they may not go there for warmth and shelter if they have been drinking. I am sure this gentle-man had been drinking. Either way he was also freezing. There was a lady sitting on the other side that seemed to know him but she didn't say anything, she just starred at him. As I was doing momentarily. Without any forethought whatsoever I turned and walked to my illegally parked car, opened the back passenger side door, grabbed my emergency Red Plaid Blanket, ran back to the bus stop and covered the cold, uncared for older gentle-man. He reached for me with tears streaming down his face and these words coming from his heart to mine, "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you....and more tears, as I held his hand in mine. I tell you I got in my car and cried so hard I couldn't see. I started out driving around the square again and couldn't seem to get away from the previous scene. A sad man with an addition that was killing him, but in between killing him it was torturing him. I had only covered up the pain with some kindness and not enough to take care of the problem, or so I thought. I continued driving around hoping to see him stand up and be alright, or be gone, but as I passed the same bus stop he was still laying on the bench covered with the emergency Red Plaid Blanket. I continued to pray and talk to God about this man who needed help. I went around the square one more time still praying...... it was this time that I saw the lights flashing from the ambulance and police cars. Someone had called 911. Why didn't I? I didn't because I thought he was not allowed into the shelter and this was the best anyone would do for him.....but I did keep praying! The last thing I saw was the gentle-man on the stretcher with the Red Plaid Blanket draped over his body like an Angel of warmth and love. For all I knew he had passed on. I tell you I drove off that square that night knowing I was a small part of God's plan to help that old fellow. God loved him sober or not sober. He helped him in his true time of need.
The next day I called the EMT's and inquired as to the gentle-man they picked up at the Capital Bus Stop.....the man with the Red Plaid Blanket. They told me he was taken to detox and was warm and getting some help. Of course he was.......... When God is involved to the degree I experienced that previous evening, I know ALSWELL. (my trademark word spelled just like you see it!) And last week I purchased a new emergency blanket...........

Chihuahua, Madison Wisconsin

As you all know I love big dogs! Big men, or forget I said that.... One day I stopped at the Madison, Wisconsin Humane Society (after loosing my best dog to cancer) looking for the greatest and best dog in the city and I found Grace! She was shaking and coughing in that huge grey prison cell called Humane! Not. Sooo after three hours and $300 I was supposed to get back and never did....she came home with me. She weighs 5 lbs. Screams when her feet get near ice, screams and tries to kill when anyone tries to cut her toenails....refuses to wear a jacket, or be put into travel bag. Basically she screams at all the above. Go figure, I get a dog with anxiety...... She doesn't eat so well either... I am not laughing. If my grown children read this they will say I never fed them this well. The picture is of Grace's breakfast... Yup for real....better than mine too... Organic ham, Carr Valley apple smoked cheese, Natural Harmony Farms Salmon Dinner with Garden Vegetables, Gourmet Wraps of all natural premium Carrots wrapped in Chicken Gourmet all natural DUCK jerky with glucosamine and Chondrointin, and gourmet Duck soft sausage stick, and all natural small doggie biscuits. Those square orange deals are hard cheese flavored biscuits. Oh and the nail brush has some organic peanut butter spread on it so she can brush her teeth and chew away for hours. I tried toothbrushes but she ended up eating the bristles within two days. She is not spoiled, she is rather taken care of. I feel guilty leaving her for so long during the day so I leave her with plenty to do on that plate. Grace actually saves some of her food throughout the day. Rations! Hey its winter in Wisconsin and not much to do. I leave the TV on the Animal Planet Station for Grace and Lucy cat for company. Hey I am not the only one that does that deal...
Maybe its time for me to get back to some real writing......

Family.....sometimes their best left behind

I remember a time about twenty one years ago when I gave my heart, (I should have just used it) to pull a family back together. My mentor always told me to be an observer and not a participant! It doesn't matter the reason the family was torn apart, but it was. I forgave, and gave, and pulled and plugged and lost most of myself on that darn journey only to discover they aren't going to change at anything I do. Nope, not , nadda. Especially stubborn German's and Norwegians and then add some of those "dead people" generational cells that LOVE to carry on the crap....and that they do with magnificence... (Wouldnt want to give them too much glory, ssshhh) Today I decided to divorce my emotions from all of them before my heart takes a dive and Mommie Dearest might just try for the last win and bury me in the dirt vs cremation as I have requested. She feeds me things she knows I am allergic to so why wouldn't she bury me in the dirt? She would so they could have a big luncheon dealie. That's what Lutheran's do you know. Back to my point. D I V O R C E.....where is George Jones wife when I need her! What was her name? starts with L...no a T, Tammy Wynette..... Divorce... stands for a legal and final separation. My mentor told me when I got divorced I should maintain decency and kindness....she said, "Treat him like you would treat the Grocery Store Checker Boy!" Most people barely can do that in many families. I say dysfunctional families are more like an egg... They "start out ass-es" and they stay ass-es. If you read my blogposts you know how I dislike the raw egg laying in the pan with that white milky umbilical cord waiting for me to eat it. I wont! Family is the same....we start out with the umbilical cord, someone cuts it but the spiritual milky cloudy (ghosts) still try to hang on and hang out! Some can let them go and some cannot and some just try to work around the darn things.(Ghosts) I did that and it didn't work. I did do something wrong. I tried too hard. I should have just been nice (Grocery store bagger boy) and let God work on it. Today I wanted to play like Marie Osmond and drive up the coast (we have no coast) until there was no end to it. It was a long day. Lots of "Stinkin Thinkin" and allot of Drama Mama like a soap opera. I like creativity, not so much drama. Had a lifetime of it and enough is enough. "Paper or Plastic?"

Its Cold in Wisconsin

I cant think of a thing to write about today because I am COLD... Cold outside, cold inside even with a little heater at my feet I am cold. I don't care for hot hot like Mexico and Texas but I also do not care for this below zero shiet.....you can respell that! I took a shower, yes with another heater in the bathroom, and with the hair still wet one gets quite cold...then add the Tuna Salad I paid a million for today at Whole Foods FULL of the onions..those little critters that make people around me think the farmers are spreading manure in the fields... Wait, I took BEANO so ALSWELL as my trademark license plate states. Add to this real scenario the fact the dog, Gracie Allen will not podie or poo outside...Too Cold.... I don't blame her, I wouldn't either! So Walmart we went for Podie Pads. And what do you think? She podie's next to the podie pads. Oh God Lord Jesus Mary Mother of God .........What to do? Maybe just go to bed and deal tomorrow. By the way, there is a winter storm warning AGAIN.....up to three inches. Oh goodie. They say we might get more snow than we did last year. Its cyclic I have discovered....we get the same weather for a few years and then it moves on elsewhere. That being a fact we may get 150 inches which is disturbing ...... I need a four wheel drive snowmobile. Just kidding..I need a Hummer until gas goes back up...."S H U T - U P" all I need is my duck down top to bottom coat still packed at the grainery. crud! Not driving 32 miles to get that coat at the funny farm grainery.. I am not going anywhere! We are all fine with the heaters, and podie pads, and nice cushy down comforter from The Company Store! We're just fine. Looking forward to Spring....That is after Santa uses all this snow to do his deal!

I had a big day yesterday. I met these wonderful people who sing like birds and then some for the Lord. I tell you I starred at that young man named Justin for over an hour or two. He played the Yamaha and has the spirit of God all about him. Something I used to have and want it back. It's that authentic self Oprah tries to teach but no one can teach it like God. (No offense Oprah, cause I know God uses you too) God has a thousand ways when we cant think of one. He showed me a few....like Candy is the one with the "fluffy" hair I plan on having soon. John is her brother who is eight years older she makes sure we all know. John was in jail and various other troubles until age 29 when he was miraculously delivered. Mary Jane Carter has the voice of ten Angels at least all packed into a jar and shook up... What a show these four people "put on," "Showed off," "Handed us," "Offered!" We can read books, go to church and fall asleep, (in some churches, OK) "Gave of themselves and beyond!" They carried the spirit of God and they transferred it to all in the audience who allowed it to move on them. Me, hey, I already have it, but let me tell you I sucked up a whole bunch more of it. It, being Love, compassion, kindness, forgiveness and on and on with the good stuff. John gave me a kick in the spirit to not give up on my son in prison or anything else....Candy gave me a kick in the hair-do dealie and humor city role.....Mary Jane restored my faith.....that I CAN! When that woman sings the walls move, glasses break as well as spirits. And Justin, the little big man, I just loved that kid...he must stand 6'4" and he is the dry comic....Suddenly he is "Pitching" candy into the audience....he has a gentle giant walk, talk, and an abominable snowman strength... God really uses Justin. I wanted to take him home and call him the sixth son of mine. Any Mother would. He restored my love and faith in my four boys. God has a great sense of humor and honesty and strength and I got a chance to see it again. I missed it.....I missed you God. Thanks! DianeO