Tapadh leibh

~ Thanksgiving Day, 2011 ~

Today, Thanksgiving Day, was beautiful...bright, sunny, warmish and such a delight. We've had cold rain and high winds much of this week and today was a gift! Much of last week was sweater weather for the dogs and jacket weather for me. It's a foretaste of what's to come and I think, and have been saying for months, it's going to be a harsh winter. In more ways than one.

~ Abbie, warm and toasty ~

The dogs don't put up much of a fuss when it's time to put on their sweaters. All I have to do is let them out the door and they rush back inside as if to say, "Mom, did you forget??" 

~ stylish Sadie ~

Abbie feels the cold because she has old bones and Sadie feels it because she has a short coat.

~ manly Sam ~

Sam isn't wearing his sweater yet; he has a longer coat and doesn't feel the need to don his cold weather togs.

~ Sophie Lauren Butterball ~

We have a new household member; she's a seven year old broken coat Jack Russell by the name of Sophie Lauren Butterball and she's a handful. Dave and I had planned on adopting Sophie and just because Dave passed away is no reason not to give Sophie a home at Thistle Cove Farm. Sophie's human Pa had cancer and died and her human Ma had to find homes for Sophie and the other dogs. Sam, Abbie and I first met Sophie at the vet's office where Sophie dragged her Ma over to meet Abbie. That was the first test; Abbie was fine with Sophie and Sophie loved Abbie. Perhaps because she saw "one of her own kind"? I wonder. Anyway, here it is a few months later and Sophie now lives with us and appears to be adjusting very well. She loves doing chores, loves sniffing around, loves the beef bones I roasted for them for Thanksgiving and loves sleeping with the pack all in one bed. Well, okay, maybe she doesn't love this as much but she's okay with it and we'll take that for now.

~ ready for chores ~

Sophie has been good for us, I think. Sam was, still is a little, depressed and it's been good for all of us to "get outside ourselves". A few days ago, I told someone the most courageous thing I've done lately is get out of bed in the morning. Your prayers have aided me and God has given me His strength; for all I am so grateful. Please forgive me for not saying 'Thank You' more frequently. When God brings you to mind, you're tucked into prayer; when you do a kindness for me, you're tucked into prayer. I so greatly appreciate each of your comments both here and on your blog. So many people have left so many kind notes; truly, it brings me to tears. 


My heart has been broken and your prayers are the glue that's putting me together. I'll never be the same, not sure I'd want to be the same, but please keep praying. When I'm in a puddle on the floor, sobbing my heart out, God hears your prayers; He sees you standing in the gap for me and He answers and we are both blessed. Oh, don't think my halo isn't tarnished; I've said a few bad words lately; sometimes the emotions are just so blasted overwhelming the bad words act as an outlet and I succomb then tell God I'm sorry. No, I'm not proud of failing but also don't want you to think my halo is on perfectly straight and hand polished. Ahem. It is not.


Friends came over today to make sure I wouldn't be alone and to share the meal. We had such a good visit! They are all animal people and don't mind the dogs loving on them and Jo and Mel even took home the latest kitten I rescued. Another blessing! 

~ it's good to be alive! ~

Tapadh leibh to each of you! My prayer is your Thanksgiving was full of joy, laughter and love, shared with family, friends or both. If I never get a chance, this side of the veil, to look you in the eyes and say 'tapadh leibh', know that I'll be looking for you in heaven to let you know what a difference you've made in my life. 

Tapadh Leibh!

Blessings ~ Lord, for those past, present and yet to come, thank You ~

Thank you...

Perhaps this seems a strange photo to place on my blog but, from where I'm sitting, thanks are in order. Each and every day, brave people, truly brave people, put themselves on the front line for you and me. Soldiers, medics, EMT's, police, sheriff's and deputies - they all put on their boots and go to work in the morning not sure if they'll be home to eat supper that night.

Thank YOU!

And, thank you if you've prayed, thought kind thoughts, sent a note, e-mail or card, thank you. The outpouring of love, sympathy and Christ-like caring and concern are all most welcome, needed and appreciated. I'm stunned, in the truest sense of the word and each day brings new opportunity to grieve. Most nights I can sleep but there are those nights, like last night, that are bone crushing weary in their length and exhaustion is no guarantee sleep will come. Or, if sleep does come, it will be restful. Is that an oxymoron? Perhaps.

I'm treading all over the first rule of blogging: blog every day. I cannot. What I can do every day is, remember to take deep breaths, count my blessings and I try to get two things done that move me forward. It doesn't sound like much but, most days, two things are such a large number and I'm happy, very happy, when that goal is reached. The paper work is nothing short of staggering! I'm keeping notes and want to write a post later about what and how you can prepare you and yours for such an eventuality as a beloved leaving you behind. 

Oh, did I just lose someone? I'm sorry, but it is meant to be helpful and trust me, if any of us are able to learn from someone who has walked this path, it's better to learn than, maybe, make costly mistakes. 

Blessings ~ another day ~ prayers ~ family ~ friends ~ furry friends who keep my feet moving forward when it would be so easy to slip behind ~

Paint Lick and Thanks

 ~ Indian paintings in Tazewell County, VA ~

 On October 17th, Sunday, the Cove Community Association hosts a wagon ride to the Indian paintings at Paint Lick. We've done this several times and it's always fun at a beautiful time of year. It's usually cold but we have the ride after a frost to ensure snakes aren't stirring. Wagons are pulled by tractors driven by men who live in the valley and each wagon is staffed by other valley residents. The paintings are on private land and we have permission to take seventy-five guests to the paintings. The ride takes several hours and we depart from the Cove Center, formerly the Cove School, and travel several miles down the public road until we enter a private dirt road. Then, more fun...we cross several meadows and pastures, enter the woods, ford a river and begin our steep ascent up the mountain. When the wagons are able to go no further, people climb down and begin their scramble up the mountain. It is a scramble too! One either has to be in good physical condition or very determined to get to the top to see the paintings but it's worth it. The paintings are several hundred ??? years old and beginning to fade so each wagon trip could be the last, we just never know.

The cost is twenty-five dollars a person, warm layered clothing with hiking shoes and hat are encouraged and first come, first served...so to speak. Tee shirts are for sale and all proceeds go towards building upkeep and educational programs.

Have you noticed some fabulous changes on my blog? Misha, over at My Front Porch In The Mountains, had some beautiful changes to her blog and, when I inquired, she recommended Diane at Blue Ridge Gal. So, I visited Diane and she **volunteered** to make a button, put followers at the top of the page AND she put a frame around my header photo! That frame is so beautiful and really sets off the header photo, don't you think? My header photo is always the same view but changes with the seasons. I never tire of the view, do you? I've never liked the followers on the side because only a few could be seen at a time. I also wanted the HTML language with the button so folks could, more easily, take the button for their blog. If you have taken my button, please let me know so I can return the favor. Please visit Diane as well, either link on her blog name or search for her button on the right hand side of my blog. She's a great photographer and does a lot of videos as well; unfortunately, I don't have bandwidth to see her videos and that's my loss.

Diane, thank you...I love the changes you've made!


Blessings ~ Misha ~ Diane ~ changes...of a good sort ~ Paint Lick Ride ~ wagon rides ~ Autumn ~

Grace and Peace,
Sandra