Don't celebrate the HOLIDAY if you don't believe there was a HOLY DAY!

OK, I have simmered down enough to write this. The other day I was in the office of my daughter's school and the principal was talking to the secretary about which books were approved for volunteers to read aloud to the kids at the school. He said ( I am not going to put it in quotes, for I don't remember EXACTLY what he said.) that we only want the volunteers to read the books that focus on the HOLIDAY of Christmas, not the HOLY DAY of Christmas. He said that the books about Santa and parties are fine, but we don't want any about the birth of Jesus. I was standing there and I paused, and thought, " Don't do it Anne." But I had to. I said, " But Dr. So and So, if there was no HOLY DAY, there would be no HOLIDAY." He said, " Oh, I don't want to get into that with you." Now, keep in mind that this man is CATHOLIC. But of course, he has to abide by the rules of the St. John's County school system. I wanted to throw up. I have over the years watched good Jewish friends observe Hanukkah and not observe Christmas and I have thanked them. I have said, " Thank you for honoring your beliefs and not cheapening mine." Then I have had Jewish friends who are married to Christians who do both- that's OK, I guess, but when people who are ATHEISTS or who do not believe that Jesus is the son of God give presents on his day, it just makes me furious. I don't celebrate Hanukkah, because I am not Jewish. I don't celebrate Ramadan because I am not Islamic. I don't celebrate Kwanzaa because I am not an African American. While I respect these people and understand why these people celebrate these days, I do not celebrate them, because it is not my RIGHT to celebrate them. I would never cheapen someone else's religion by celebrating their holidays just so I could feast for seven days or open eight nights of presents or whatever. So, if you are celebrating Santa but don't believe in Jesus, pick another holiday or go investigate the manger. You might find that the HOLY DAY is a whole lot more life changing than the HOLIDAY. :)

Rehoming and a "NEW HOUSE!"

Oh my heavens, I am tired. In the last six weeks, we have rehomed six of our foster dogs, repainted our daughter Emily's room (after 10 hours of wallpaper removal) and painted the girls' bathroom (finished today) and gotten new carpet and a new couch that DON"T REEK OF DOG PEE. For the first time in 14 years, I can lie on my carpet and KNOW that there is not one drop of urine on it. Praise be to God. We found great homes for the dogs and the only dogs in the house now are Quinn, Samson, and .......................... Maggie!!!! I am way too tired to tell the whole story now, but basically, I grew up with a mom who bred and raised Ibizan Hounds. They are the love of my life. I always wanted one as an adult and Maggie was in rescue and now she is here and she is just amazing. She reminds me so much of one of our dogs, Hotep and is named for our last surviving Ibizan, Maggie. My old school and college friends will remember the Ibizans at my mom's house. Here is her picture. More later after I die and resurrect.

I'm back with a bang!

Well, every fall I get into a "funk"- my depression kicks in with the cold weather and so does an old neck injury, so I have been going to PT and sleeping alot, but I am up now and ready to be creative again. I guess I will write about the things that have gone through my head alot lately. You may agree or you may heartily disagree, but here's my take on two things- Michael Phelps and pink ribbons. The idea for this starting rolling around in my head after I bought some club crackers and there was Michael Phelps. On the box. What box has HE NOT BEEN ON??? What magazine cover, what TV show, what newspaper? "Yea, well he won 8 gold medals in swimming, Anne!" SO WHAT. There is one thing in this world that I think indicates how screwed up our morals are as Americans. What honor and glory we give athletes and how little glory they give God for their talent. I just looked up the top NBA salaries and they START AT $24 MILLION DOLLARS A SEASON. Am I the only one who finds that just a bit ridiculous? Now, Michael Phelps worked hard, and he trained hard, but the bottom line is that God gave him the talent He has. And who does he thank??? HIS MOTHER. His mom was probably was a huge influence on him and I have nothing about his mom or him, but I just think that there are some other people who should be on cracker boxes, cereal boxes, and magazine covers. How about Jimmy Carter, who has been promoting peace in the Middle East for the last 20 something years- where is he? How about the missionaries who give medical help to those in Africa dying from malaria? Have you seen THEM on the cover of People lately? Have Katie and Matt Lauer interviewed THEM?? No, they interview a girl who got herself into $22,000 of debt buying Gucci purses and Prada shoes at $200 a pop and getting her hair done for $300!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT??????????? For God's sake, Matt, get a life, get some priorities and quit making heroes out of idiots.
My second question is this- why is everything around me pink? Now, before you go getting all testy about me not being sensitive to breast cancer, let me say this- I love and personally know some very WONDERFUL AND FINE breast cancer survivors. So I am not against breast cancer research. BUT, why aren't there purple ribbons, blue ribbons, orange ribbons, green ribbons, and black ribbons all over stores? Why doesn't Cystic Fibrosis have green ribbons all over the paper, the grocery store and magazines? Why can't I buy Prostate Cancer coffee in an orange can? Why can't I buy a blue umbrella to help fight Lung and Throat Cancer? You know why??? BECAUSE WOMEN ARE DETERMINED. And they will work their butts off to get a cure for what affects them most and I think that is AWESOME. However, I think that if you were to look at mortality rates ( I tried to do this and couldn't find it fast enough) you will see that there are LOTS OF DISEASES with much higher mortality rates than breast cancer and where are their ribbons??? Get some women on that, would ya? I want to see Cystic Fibrosis knocked out too.

A new chapter in life begins, and an old one closes.............

After long and careful deliberation, we have decided to stop rescue permanently. We are rehoming the foster dogs we have and keeping our personal dogs, most of whom are old, (over the age of nine). Pharaoh's Haven was started to help older and abused dogs find a permanent home, and we have helped place over 100 dogs in that time. We now are looking forward to spending time with our parents, our kids, and attempt to have a "normal" life. We have downsized one other time but this will be permanent. We have 6 dogs to rehome. We have several good leads but could always use other names - people who know IGs and would give a dog a forever home. I won't be writing alot in the next few months as there is much work to be done here- reviewing applications, rehoming dogs, visiting my folks, and making plans for the holidays. I am here, I am fine, and this is a good step. Prayers are appreciated as always. Love, Anne

Kids are doing great- adjusting beautifully!

I am happy to report that the first two weeks has been pretty free of bumps in the road. Both kids like or love their teachers and their experiences have been pretty positive. Homework isn't drowning anyone yet and we've ALMOST gotten into a routine. Sunday school, junior high, and all the "extra" stuff starts right when school starts, so we were thrown from a "no schedule" into "oh my gosh, we are supposed to be there RIGHT NOW!" kind of mind frame. That's kind of a bummer, but that's life. Now if I can just straighten out which nights some of us will be home, none of us will be home and two of us will be home, I'll be fine- means I can plan real dinners when we're all home and lighter ones when it's just one or two of us here. :) I would really prefer Oprah's chef, so when you see her, tell her the delivery address for dinners is 2819 St. Road 13. I'd really appreciate it.

Angels among us- amazing song and here are some of my angels!

My dear and very loved friend, Becca, who owns 14 birds and has a pretty tough life of her own, knew I was going through some struggles and made me four homemade cd's. There is Christian, gospel, country, and feel good songs on there- she makes me laugh- she's got a praise song and then the next one is "When Doves Cry" by Prince. :) She has been such an angel to me- always a kind word, a hug, and lots of encouraging emails. She didn't specifically mention this song when she dropped off the cd, but it was the third song and I was driving and played it three times in a row. It's such a comforting and true song- I encourage you to find it online and listen- it was done by Alabama, written by Becky Hobbs and I think Randy Travis does it too. Here are the lyrics.

I was walking home from school on a cold winter day.

Took a shortcut through the woods, and I lost my way.

It was getting late, and I was scared and alone.

But then a kind old man took my hand and led me home.

Mama couldn't see him, but he was standing there.

And I knew in my heart, he was the answer to my prayers.

Chorus

Oh I believe there are angels among us.

Sent down to us from somewhere up above.

They come to you and me in our darkest hours.

To show us how to live, to teach us how to give.

To guide us with a light of love.

When life held troubled times, and had me down on my knees.

Theres always been someone there to come along and comfort me

A kind word from a stranger, to lend a helping hand.A phone call from a friend, just to say I understand.

And aint it kind of funny that at the dark end of the road

Someone lights the way with just a single ray of hope

Chorus

They wear so many faces, show up in the strangest places.

To guide us with their mercy, in our time of need.

To guide us with a light of love.

I have experience these angels- whether they are TRUE angels disguised as humans or whether they are just exraordinary humans, it makes no difference- they have been my angels in times just like the lyrics above in bold. I know I have been their angel as well- angels always stroke each other's wings, it is never a one way deal.

Proverbs 18:24

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (or sister, this is my paraphrase)

Becca- I have told you- we talk each day and she is a beautiful person. Becca- you are such a blessing in my life. I love you.

Sari- a young but OH SO WISE dear friend who has gone above and beyond the call of duty and has listened to me pour out my heart many times and takes my kids on dates when I am sick. I love you Sari.

Felicia- a friend from high school who has never lost touch with me even though I have been reclusive at times- positive, fun and she and Mark love us very much. I treasure this very long friendship with all my heart even if I am slow to show it. I love you Felicia.

Debs- a highschool roomate- has always loved me for ME- interested in my life and always sends a birthday card EVERY YEAR with such dear things written in them. Thank you Debs- I love you.

Laurel- a new but old soul friend who is my twin seperated at birth. She understands me so well and is such an encouragement when the idiots in life get me down. I love her so much and her move to Texas just about killed me, but maybe she will come back. I love you Laurel.

Belinda- my friend from Jax that used to homeschool with me- she has offered such Godly advice and really cares about my mental health. She got an IG and learned what loving a dog can bring to your life. We love to talk about makeup too! :) I love you Belinda.

Kay- a rescue friend in Ocala who is wise beyond her years and a kind loving soul. We got Trego from her and then had to return her when she became a bird eater. :( Kay has offered me such wisdom in times of great sadness or confusion. I love you Kay.

Christa- another rescue friend who got into rescue because of me ( I am sure she rues the day.) We've had our spats and crap, but we love each other very much and we are the ones who "speak the truth in love" to each other about animals. (We both tend to want to keep everything that comes in the door, but she is much more adept at adopting them out and has helped me adopt out alot of my dogs.) I love you Christa.

Steph- a mother of five special needs adopted children who is a SCREAM. She makes me laugh on my worst days. Her blog is Raising the Hoovers and it is my daily perk me up. I love you Stephanie.

Donna-my friend here in Jax who has taken in my kids during tornado warnings and has listened to me pour out my frustrations over my health. She and I are very different but I need her quiet and calm advice alot. I love you Donna.

There are many more and I am sure I am forgetting some, but these are the gals that I talk to or email at least once a week and they are the ones WHO KEEP UP WITH ME and I keep up with them. An angel always has time to care, no matter how busy their wings are. :)

What's the facination with birds, anyway???

The pics are- me with Freeman, my blue quaker- named after Morgan Freeman, my favorite actor in the world. Dudley in the dog food and doing the "eagle" show. Pepper looking terrified.

You know, I used to wonder what all the fuss was about birds. I was pretty much a self proclaimed bird disliker. Not a bird hater, just a "could care less" kind of person. Then we got Ranger- our blue headed pionus. He only furthered my view that birds are mean and beastly animals. He preferred Jon and became quite nasty with anyone else. We'd had parakeets and cockatiels, but please, they are just THERE. Then Em got Kito and I watched this amazing bond develop between them. He truly LOVES HER. He ADORES HER. And Emily has never loved another one of our animals with the passion that she loves that little bird. He preens her eyelashes, he kisses her, he snuggles with her. HUH??????????? Now we have taken in 5 other rescued parrots and I see now what the big deal is. Birds are pretty darn amazing. Now, this isn't to say that I am crazy over all my birds, because some of them annoy me to death, but I have to say- they are very smart and very affectionate animals. How is that you ask? Well, my blue quaker, Freeman is a vocal bird. He fears many things and his normal response to anything strange or unknown is this LOUD "ACK ACK ACK!!!" Annoying to say the least. But, when I pick him up and make soft clucking noises to him, he clucks back and gently nibbles my nose, eyebrows or ear. He ADORES ME. He will sit on my shoulder for an hour and just cluck and nibble. No, he can't talk. No, he doesn't do tricks. I don't care- I don't care if any of the birds ever learn tricks- I don't have time or the energy to homeschool parrots. Pepper, our rescued Amazon Grey is a closet talker. He talks up a storm when noone is around. Here are some of his vocalizations. We have no idea who Arnold is, by the way, if you were going to ask. :)

"Hey Arnold!!! Come here, Arnold!!"

"Goodnight Pepper bird!"

"Come here, hey, come here, come here!"

"Good morning Pepper bird"

"ooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhh"

can imitate a car alarm, says hello when the phone rings, and makes lovely whistling noises.

He has 3 different voices- the deep voice of a man that we don't know, HIS voice, and a high pitched voice. It's hysterical.

Dudley, the severe macaw is more limited in his speech but he is HYSTERICAL. He is in love with Emily. She is his "wife". He will protect her with more fervor than a bulldog. Come near her when he's on her lap and you will be missing a finger. He plays peek a boo under the covers, can hold the tip of his wing in his beak and look like a ballerina or yoga expert, and says, " DOOP DOOP DOOP". He dances to music. He's a scream. He makes us all laugh.

So, now I am a bird person, and I realize why so many get sold or given away or neglected- they are the emotional and intellectual equal to most 2 year old humans and need a ton of stimulation and interaction to keep them happy and content. That's why we tell people to really research birds before getting them- they are a high turnover pet. And they don't do well being rehomed over and over like dogs do- dogs adapt, birds don't always. It took Pepper 4 weeks to talk here and 6 weeks to step up without shaking all over like we were going to beat him. Even now, we are not sure if he will ever allow us to pet him. He is terrified of someone touching him ANYWHERE. Birds take patience, love and more patience. Because they are more intelligent than the average dog, they are more suceptible to mental illness, especially if not given the stimulation and 'mind exercise" that they need. When left in a back room and ignored, they can become mean and hateful animals. And it's hard to spend time with them if you have the average work schedule of most adults. You get home, you are tired and the last thing you want to do is take the bird out and play with him. But, like a child, you MUST DO IT or the bird will become a brat, just like a child who is ignored. God made them to fly and we caged them and asked them to be content. Hardly a fair deal, if you ask me. But since I cannot free my birds, I try my best to rotate toys, give them new foods, and take them out and challenge them. Jon and the girls are also a HUGE PART of this. That's why we tell most working people to not get a bird, and if they must, to get a smaller bird such as a green cheeked conure or a cockatiel- the bigger the bird, the bigger the needs are. We are not perfect bird owners BY ANY MEANS, but because there are more of us and we are home more, the birds do get a good bit of attention. They are an integral part of our humane education program in the schools and the kids get a kick out of Jon's funny stories of how many times a bird poops or "when you get married in 20 years, what if your wife HATES BIRDS??" The kids just die laughing, but it is a good point for the kids to think about before they go home begging for a pretty macaw. :)

Sassy tries to become an IG

This is our beloved Pomeranian Corgi mix, Sassy. She normally has long bushy hair and is groomed by a groomer every five weeks. However, with the recent events of our life, I just have not had time to call the groomer. Yesterday I got desperate. I started with scissors and cut and cut and cut. Then I buzzed her to the skin. She doesn't look at cute as she does when my groomer does it, but she is one HAPPY DOG. She runs around and acts like she is FREE. She resembles a Gremlin when she sees something and her ears are up- all eyes and ears. It gave me something to smile about today, which I desperately needed.

Middle school stupidity

Ok, I heard from friends that it was coming. People I trust told me that middle schoolers are mean. People told me that middle schoolers are fickle. So I thought I was prepared. But last night when Em's best friend's best friend from Chicago texted, " BYE LOSER!" to my sweet daughter, I thought I would KILL SOMEONE. Emily has never met this girl, but has been told by K (Em's best friend here in Jax) that she is the "nicest, sweetest girl." Her mom also insists that this girl is nothing but light and kindness. So she texted Em last night, " HEY!" Em texts back, "Hey!" This girl texts back, "BYE!" So Em, confused, texts back "Bye, why?" and this nasty little chick texts, "BYE LOSER!" We saw the texts. We have the texts. There is no dispute that this girl wrote this ugliness. But does K defend EMILY?? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO. She defends her friend in Chicago who has now lied and said she never texted that. So my child is crying because HER BEST FRIEND is defending a mean and lying girl. This is awful. And what is worse, Em begs me not to get involved. I want K's mom to know what a nasty and lying little witch this Chicago chick is, but no, I have to just sit here and watch my kid cry. I am so tired of watching this kind of trash play out. My kid is not perfect, but she is NOT MEAN and she is LOYAL TO HER FRIENDS. And she said, " K gets mad at me when you interfere, Mom." So I have to just watch while K picks the wrong side AGAIN and keep my mouth shut. WHY????? WHY DO KIDS DO THIS??? So, now I am thinking of calling these wonderful Chicago parents and telling them to tell their "nice and kind" kid to leave my kid the heck alone. At what point does a parent just need to CONTROL THEIR KIDS??? AND AT WHAT POINT DOES ANOTHER PARENT NEED TO SIT DOWN AND TELL THEIR KID WHAT MISGUIDED LOYALTY IS??????????????????????????????? So I go to God and pour out my heart and the heart of this little Emily who is caught between a mean girl in Chicago and a girl she loves here, who won't believe BLACK AND WHITE. I hate mean girls.

How I got into rescuing squirrels and some cute stories and pics of squirrels we have had. Story of poor little Lazarus-

The pics above are- me with Fay after a feeding- Soleil sat on my shoulder the whole time and watched but never had any intent on hurting or even coming near the squirrels. Fay was the smallest squirrel we got. The next picture is of Gabriel eating. The next is either Lucky or Sadie, I can't remember which. The last picture is Lazarus before he died. :(

April and August are squirrel nesting and "hatching time" in Florida. April is a very stormy month with high winds and August is of course, hurricane season. So we get a lot of squirrels who fall out of their nests in these two months. Fay was particularly brutal for the babies this August. I called some local vets and gave them my name and cell phone number for rescuing baby squirrels. I am not a licenced wildlife rehabber, but I certainly have done my share of rescuing baby squirrels and raccoons over the years and have known how to do it since the age of nine, when I found a baby flying squirrel in my yard.

My folks were in Mexico and I was in the care of our dear black maid, Naomi. Now, Naomi did not care for critters of any sort, so I knew when I found that squirrel that I was on my own. I thought in my nine year old mind, "Who would know what to do?" So I called the zoo- looked up the number and asked for someone who knew about baby mammals. This dear person told me exactly what to feed and how often and that baby flying squirrel, whom I named Skitterray, thrived for a week. He would glide from my shoulder onto a hanging rug in my sister's room and scamper all around- he ate well and was very healthy. He was fond of sleeping with me and being nine and loving all animals, I let him. One morning I awoke to him under my knee, dead. I was devastated. I looked him over for any signs of respiratory infection, blood, etc. I knew that he had suffocated and I was just crushed. I went outside to bury him and on my way back I heard a squeaking, and there on the ground was another baby squirrel- a regular grey one. Even at that age, I thought surely God had placed him there just for me, to ease my pain, so I picked him up and proceeded into the house with him, much to Naomi's dismay. He then bit me very hard and ran off. I decided that he was NOT in any danger, and needed to be outside. So I freed him and he was fine- wet and angry, but fine. So from that day on, I have rescued squirrels. People who know me know I know a bit about wildlife, so over the years we have gotten calls from folks with baby raccoons in their garage, squirrels on their grass, etc. Jon and I have nursed many mammals back to life in our bathrooms. It's such a joy.

This year, we were inundated with squirrels. I have two friends that help me with the squirrels- one is Becca, my dear dear bird friend and the other is a new squirrel friend named Alana. One woman had kept the baby squirrel she had found, bathed him, and fed him for two days. She described him as "healthy and running all around and eating great." When she got here, and I took the squirrel out, Jules immediately said, " Oh gosh, Mama, he's SICK and he smells WRONG!" The lady looked at her like she was out of her mind. I said, " Yes he is, baby." " I just changed that bedding though." I explained that the smell was not urine but necrotic tissue- rotting skin. I asked if she had seen any wounds when her DOG BROUGHT IT TO HER. She answered no. I turned this precious baby over and there were three gaping wounds, one on his stomach and one under each armpit. I told her we would do the best we could and I would get back to her. Upon further inspection, we discovered (don't gag) that this baby had maggots in all three wounds. So we immediately went into action- Emily held the flashlight, Jon held Lazaurus still and I picked out the maggots with tweezers. It was AWFUL. I called a friend who is equipped with antibiotics (Alana) and she came immediately. We worked on him for 40 minutes. He had over 50 maggots under his skin. She said, " He needs to be euthanized." I agreed but it was Sunday afternoon and all the vets were closed. He lived for two more days. No one could have saved this squirrel- his wounds were just too bad and he was too weak to endure SURGERY and you don't sew up puncture wounds anyway. It was just an example of how people think they are doing good and they don't realize that there is more to it than just feeding the squirrel.

On the other hand we have had great success with the rest of the squirrels- they have all lived and are now with Alana and will be released into the wild when they are ready. Here are some pics of them - they are so small and frail and precious. Thanks to Becca who took them from me one night when I had a sinus infection and a migraine and was throwing up and kept them alive until Alana could take them. I LOVE YOU BECCA!!!!

The little things people say................... judgemental or not??

Today was an ordinary day. I went shopping and when they asked, "Plastic or paper?" I answered, "Paper, because I use it once for my bird cages and then use it again as mulch." The girl doing my groceries whom I know, said, " You are just a joy to be around!" I looked at her and said, " Is that a joke?" She said, " No, Anne, you are truly a joy to be around- you are always smiling and you do so much good in your little part of the world." I am telling you I almost hugged her. Life lately has been filled with some people saying some pretty ugly things to me, thinking I am off kilter, and picking me apart about truly STUPID THINGS. So when Patti said that today, I thought, " Thank you God for that nice compliment." You see, alot of people like to judge me without being here or without knowing my situation. If there is one personality aspect I HATE, it when people are judgmental. Jesus hated people judging others as well. The Pharisees were Jewish leaders of high standing in the Jewish community and they despised Jesus as they didn't believe He was the son of God. They tried to trap him in mind games, word games, and judged him unmercifally. In his sermon on the mount, Jesus spoke to this many times-

Matthew 7
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

Luke 6:36-38 (New International Version)
36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

In Psalms and Proverbs, mention is made hundreds of times of the fact that God alone is the judge of the entire earth and all that inhabit it. Go read any Psalm and almost without fail, God as judge is mentioned.

This leads me to believe that when we judge others, especially without knowing the specifics of THEIR SITUATION, we are not pleasing God. It doesn't matter how often we go to church or how often we teach Sunday school and it doesn't matter how good we look on the outside. If we judge others, God will use that same measure (kind or not kind) to judge OUR ACTIONS.

It is not difficult for me to not judge others. My mother and father, while not perfect did drill one important thing into my head. "Don't judge a man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins." I think of that ALL THE TIME. I am not perfect, and I know I am NOT GOD. So when others make a judgement call about me or my life based on my blog, the fact that I have depression, or the way I dress or the number of animals I have, they are missing out on ME. That's sad. I tell my kids on a daily basis if they mention that someone is weird or scary or whatever, to remember that they don't know THE FIRST THING about that person's situation. That makes them stop and think, " Hmmm, maybe she dresses that way because she is depressed." or "Maybe his mom isn't home to wash his clothes and that's why he smells bad." In such a sad and miserable world, wouldn't it be nice if we could all just stop for a minute and put ourselves in other people's moccasins?? I am sure God would be pleased.

No blog entries for a while

Hi friends,
Life here has gotten real busy with school starting and I am swamped. So I am taking a 2 week break from the blog to get myself together and keep the world turning here. I'll be back.

More post Fay pics................

The first picture is the road between us and our neighbor, Doug. If you look carefully, you will see a blue heron on the left. Doug got a great shot of him catching a fish this morning and printed it and brought it to me as a thank you for being the FPL lady of the night, so to speak. ;)

Next we have our missing top board of the fence- no big deal- no dogs can escape, just a minor pain in the tush. The next picture is our hibiscus bush- again, not a huge loss, just a pain. The last picture is the generator in it's final resting spot on the pool porch. It's not going anywhere for a WHILE. I want to see 2 good days of sun and no wind before I put that sucker away.

Post Fay pics.................

Here are some post Fay pics- first these are pictures of Sadie, the little squirrel that we've had for three weeks- she is with a rehabber, scheduled for weaning and release pretty soon- she was an ANGEL. We all miss her and love her very much. The next picture is of the "cat station" in the garage- Izzy and Cookie are hanging out, trying to ignore the loud generator- they have a litter box nearby so they wouldn't have to go in the rain. The next photo is a picture of the tree that fell on the power line BEFORE FAY. We lost power for eight hours that day but Lee the magnificent restored it by nightime. Dang big tree.

FPL, smell, and hell. (Rated G) Not to be believed, but every word is true!

PS. I was going to add pictures to this post, but my kids used it during the storm to take pictures of all kind of things and AMAZINGLY they didn't put it back where it goes- big shock, eh? I'll post pics of this lovely event later, after I sift through the extension cords and flashlights and find the dang DANG camera. (Using all my self control here.)

Well, I cannot even begin to relay the events of the last 48 hours. But I will try. Our power goes out when the wind blows or when the rain falls on a good day. FPL is our service provider. They came out two days before the storm (we lost power for eight hours before Fay even came near us) and trimmed back some trees hoping that it would keep our power on. No such luck. I was in full disaster preparedness action- filling up water jugs, filling up old flashlights with new batteries, buying a family sized camping lantern, bleach, etc. Thank God for a dear FPL employee named Lee- he was our knight in shining armor twice. Well, we didn't have power for 12 hours- I call my sister and beg her to let the girls sleep at her house- she happily says, " Sure!"- during this time I got 2 calls from people with baby squirrels. Bridges were being closed and all hell was breaking loose outside. One couple came here and the other gal I met. So I had 5 baby squirrels that needed power for their heating pad. Easy- I'll go to Mama's- she's got power. But no air conditioning and it's 83 in her house. So Jon stayed here with no power and hooked up the generator and took care of the rest of the zoo and I slept at Mama's with no air (window open and Fay winds blowing through- it was fine) and got up every 3 hours to feed squirrels. (If you are feeling bad for Jon for being left here, don't- he got the better end of the deal.) It is MY CHOICE and I AM GLAD I AM SAVING THESE TINY LIVES, but I was SOOOO TIRED.
I call Lee on his cell phone ( long story, but I did not flirt with the man, I swear!) and beg him to come. So then dear Lee restored our power at 9:30 am- we cleaned, washed clothes and flushed toilets- BAD IDEA. You see, we are on a septic tank- and our drain field was flooded from the FIFTEEN inches of rain we got. If you are not familiar with the system, basically you have a huge tank in your yard that holds all the solid waste from your home- shower, sinks, toilets- the works. When the water level outside of the tank gets too high, the solids mix with the rain water and back up into your toilets or your yard. Now, this doesn't mean we had solid waste in the yard or the toilets, but it smelled like we did. So all toilets were off limits- we had to close them, close the doors to the bathrooms and not use sinks, showers or washing machines, lest we add MORE water to the already flooded field. So, now we are going to the bathroom, showering and doing laundry at my mom's . THANK GOD SHE HAD POWER. My girls are still at Aunt Susan's from the night before to sleep in a cool house. Thank God for sisters with power and patience. So our house is hot, the dogs are not happy to go out in the POURING RAIN and there is this vague methane odor in the house from the septic system. NICE. JUST LOVELY. Now mind you, during this I am totally focused on the POSITIVE and saying, " Thank you Lord that the kids are safe and comfortable, thank you Lord for Mama and Daddy's house having power, thank you that we have a generator- etc. I am not complaining and whining. I am getting a TAD stressed out, but I am a grateful girl for everything that we DO HAVE.
So when the power comes on, we clean and clean and vacuum and do everything we can because I KNOW IT"S GOING OUT AGAIN. Sure enough at 3:30 that day, the power goes out. But this time the house is at 75 degrees and it's clean- I WAS READY. Lug out the generator again (Jon is at work) and take the girls to ANOTHER friend's house to spend the night. (My dear sister called to let me know we were under a tornado warning and I didn't want the kids here under 150 foot, 100 year old oak trees.) I call Randy and Donna and say, " Can you keep my kids until our power comes back on? We're under a tornado warning and I do not want them here under these huge trees!!! (Keep in mind I am still going to my mom's every two hours to feed the five (six including Sadie) baby squirrels who are thriving and completely unaware of any stress. (I have to insert here- I am still having my intestinal problems and I am having my monthly blessing that tells me I am still capable of populating the earth. I am so so hot, I have cramps, and I have to run to Mama's every time I have to go to the bathroom. Are you getting the full picture here?) Then there's a tornado warning. I take the girls QUICKLY to Donna and Randy's and tell them, "Keep them safe for me, I'll be back when there is power." It is 7:30 pm. Thank God for friends with power who take pity on us. On the way home, I see an FPL truck. I think, " Now, there is a tornado warning, but there is your power saviour." Easy choice, I turn around (it's POURING), get out of my van and knock on his window. Scared the poor man to death. He rolls down his window and I tell my story of woe, very clearly and without emotion. ( I am soaking wet and am clearly no threat to him.) He looks on his computer and THERE WE ARE. He chooses BLESS HIS HEART to come do us now (seven houses are without power in our little area) and without going into the agonizing detail that I could (it was hell and involved calling 4 different neighbors, my husband, etc) I find out where the problem is and he flips a switch and WE HAVE POWER AGAIN. At this point, I tell him which Walgreen's my hubby works at and that if he EVER NEEDS ANYTHING medicinal to call me and that Jon will fill his gout medicine in record time if he ever needs a favor. It is 9:30 by now and it is still POURING. I am soaked and I haven't been home in over 3 hours. (By the way, sometime in all this mess, I called a squirrel rehabber and said, " PLEASE TAKE THESE SIX SQUIRRELS!!!! She met me at Walgreens and took them- thank you Alanna. I was so relieved- I had kept Sadie alive for three weeks and the little ones for almost 48 hours- and I was SO DONE. I walk in the door to LIGHT, AIR and lots of dogs who have either waited frantically for me to come home, or lost their patience and their bladder on the floor. NO BIG DEAL- I AM A HAPPY GIRL. Nothing can make me sad now, because KENT FROM FPL has restored our power. Praise the Lord. My neighbor has moved his car to our driveway because the road from our house to his house is under 20 inches of water. YES, 20 inches. There are fish swimming across our road and a huge gorgeous heron standing there looking regal. Em got pics on her phone. My brother and sister in law saved our kayak from being washed away as Mama and Daddy's little dock was completely under water and the big dock was about to be. So, here I am now, in a cool, clean house, with my dear little computer and a cup of coffee. We will be using Daddy's house for toilets and showers for a while and a septic company comes Tuesday- it's just the rain though, I know the tank doesn't need to be pumped out. The dogs are calm, fed and can now go outside because the RAIN HAS STOPPED. Now, if a certain branch leans on the power line, our power will go out again, but my thermostat is on 73 (mind you we keep our thermostat on 78 or 79 ALWAYS) and I am READY for the power to go out again. I think.

New arrivals at the zoo- one is an old new addition! Tips if you find a baby animal in your yard after a storm!!!!

Here are the new arrivals at the zoo! First we have Janie- Janie is about 7 years old, is very very tiny and frail and is a SWEETHEART. She belonged to a woman who used to be "into" Chihuahuas and IGs and then got "into" blue heelers and was going to take Janie and her other two small dogs to Animal Care and Control. Someone who is a mom to one of Jules' friends told her, " Don't take Janie- I will take her to someone who I know will take her in." So here she is, so happy to be an inside dog and grateful for a quiet spot to sleep and food to eat. She is so little but she loves to eat. The next arrival is a baby squirrel named Sadie. She was brought to us by someone who found her on the ground in her yard. In these pictures, I had just woken her up so her eyes look sick, but she's NOT- she's just tired. She came about 2 weeks ago, after the pinkies died :( and she is doing great. She is eating 8 cc's of formula at each feeding and is close to being weaned to solid foods, and then we will release her in stages at my mom's house, as we have too many cats and dogs here for her to be safe in our yard. FYI- if you should ever find a baby bird or squirrel- look for the nest FIRST and put the baby back if you can- if not, keep it QUIET and WARM and DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FEED IT. Then call your nearest vet or zoo and ask them who is a rehabber in your area. Most baby animals die from shock. You can prevent that by putting them in a box with a heating pad on LOW with lots of towels to keep it from being overheated. Baby animals have to be warm for 2- 3 hours before you feed them or they will die. Don't handle it unless you have no other way to keep it warm- I have been known to put baby birds under my shirt and lie down or sit there for 2 hours, if I don't have access to a box or heating pad. Keep your energy QUIET. Breathe slowly and don't freak out- that alone can cause an already stressed out little one to stress so badly that they die. I know for a fact that my holding one little bird on my heart for an hour is what kept it from dying. It was in major shock and it needed the comfort of a beating heart and warmth. The last picture is of course,Berkley. He was going to a friend from a vet, but she rapidly discovered that trying to keep up with a 10 week old puppy while working is IMPOSSIBLE. Since she worked at a vet and I know her well, she was a great option, but it was just too much. So he is here, and he is like our consolation prize since Max and Willow went to my friend in Cape Coral to be adopted out, which KILLED US. We hated to bust up that little family after everything they had been through. We don't keep young dogs EVER, but we just feel he belongs here and we easily have 3 dogs that will be gone before December. :( ( I mean die from old age or be put to sleep.) That sounds so morbid, but you can just tell when they get to a certain stage that things aren't going to get any better. Anyway, we're thrilled with our new zoo members and they are adjusting REALLY WELL. With Fay coming or not coming? we may get in more squirrels, so we are prepared- we have a box all ready with syringes, milk, heating pads, etc. The girls love this!!! They don't have school until Monday due to the storm, so we're going to have a nice long weekend. YAY!!!!!

Finally back on and here comes Fay!

Well, we were without power for eight hours and without phones and internet for six days due to a huge tree falling. I thought I would lose my mind without the computer. So now we are back and Fay is coming. I hope we don't lose them both again. Things here are just "weird". It's raining, we don't know whether school (the girls are supposed to start Friday) is cancelled or not, I am still sick with diarrhea, and it's forcasted to rain for the next SEVEN DAYS STRAIGHT. Owning 15 dogs with that forecast is NOT FUN. Am I complaining? No, because it's not a big deal- I just feel kind of "off". I don't know where my kids will be, don't know when to let the dogs out, have a baby squirrel who needs to wean but won't and I feel tired and blah. I can't even write coherently today- dang. I will post pics of Sadie on the next post- she's a new baby squirrel that came about a week ago, right after the pinkies died. She's doing great and very healthy. Berkley stayed here- we had someone who was interested in him but realized that he is too much work for them with their work schedule. So we got a consolation prize named Berkley. Here he is, so cute and smart. He is half poodle (the smart part) and half Ig- the cute part.

HOW DO YOU DO THIS????????????????

Most people are very complimentary of what we do here. I get the following comments all the time-

"You are surely doing God's work." (Well if I was a missionary I'd be CLOSER to doing God's work, but this is where He put me for right now and I do talk about God with almost everyone I talk to so it is God's work.)

"I am in awe and amazed at what you do."

"How do you do this? I can't keep up with one dog."

"Thank God you and Jon do this."

"How do you do this, it's unbelievable"

"I am so proud of the work you do."

So for the most part, I get positive marks for my work. Occasionally I get some angry and bitter person who thinks I am a nut, or that I am wasting my life. That doesn't bother me, though. I am really in touch with what is right, good and what God wants me to do. We don't live in filth, our kids are well taken care of, and the animals have the best care available. So, it's our work and we are happy doing it. The only job I remember loving more than this one was taking care of my infant and toddler girls and working with crack babies. ( I know, that sounds horrid, but taking care of innocent babies of all kinds has always been WHAT I DO BEST.) I loved holding those tiny black (most of them) babies and helping soothe them through withdrawals, feeding them, changing them- all of it. I LOVED IT. I would love to do that again one day. The work is the same - you are loving, nurturing, calming, stroking, feeding, murmuring to, and holding a tiny defenseless creature- whether human or animal. It's exactly the same work. It's gentle and loving work. (Of course, there is a larger responsibility when raising human babies, of course, but the actual motions are identical.).

Now as for the actual, " HOW DO YOU DO THIS?", I think people want to know- how do you schedule all of it and how do you have time for your kids or yourself. That's easy most of the time, with the only difficulty being when new animals arrive - and then that takes about 48 hours to find the "new rythym". So I thought I would let you see the schedule here- now granted, it changes if a child is sick, a dog is sick, or if we have a brand new zoo member who requires extra TLC. Surgery throws everything to heck and back. (Pica's surgery threw us off for a good three weeks.)

5-6:00 am- I awake or Jon awakes- whoever wakes up first does the morning shift or one of us wakes the other if we are running behind or not feeling well or just plain tired. The greyhounds get let out first, then let back in and given two dog biscuits. Then the porch dogs are let out and let back in. Porch dogs are fed breakfast. Greyhounds and inside dogs are fed breakfast. Then someone takes Pica out on a leash to do her business, as she is still on restriction. The cats are fed. The baby squirrel is fed. (Somewhere in here, for me is a piece of Ezekiel toast and coffee and my ADD meds- the sooner I have that, the better I feel to do all of this.) The girls wake at any given time and I make their breakfast or they make it themselves, depending on what they want- we do stress independence in our kids and we think that it is a GOOD AND HEALTHY thing for them not to think they have a waitress, maid and butler working for them. The kitchen looks like holy you know what in the mornings- it just does and I know that once the girls are at school it will all get cleaned up. So I just ignore it until the girls are gone.

7:30-9- roughly, the girls are taken to school and I uncover all the birds' cages and take out all the bowls and give fresh food and water. The girls are required to take care of their own personal birds before they leave for school. No tv in the morning unless you are ready to leave and your animals are fed and watered.

9:00- all dogs who are on meds get their meds, all dogs go out if it is sunny- they run and play and have a great time. I vacuum every day and clean the kitchen, start a load of laundry. From 9:00- 12:00 is when I am inside, doing my wifely and motherly duties.

12:00-3:00-Dogs are crated on porch with AC if it is hot. If weather is nice, they may stay outside. On rainy days, obviously this schedule is a joke- I am constantly running back and forth putting dogs out and letting them in, to avoid 13 wet dogs. It's no big deal- a pain in the tush, but we're all used to it. During this time I catch up on phone calls, laundry, scheduling, or nap (rare, but it happens).

2:00- 3:00- varies by day but I always try to feed all the zoo BEFORE MY KIDS GET HOME. That way I am open to JUST MY KIDS from 3-5 or 6. When the kids get home, I am mom, not zookeeper. I make a snack, they sit and tell me about their day and I ask questions, help with homework, etc. When the kids are done with homework, they have afternoon chores and then they can play or get on the computer etc. Their afternoon chores are easy like "feed the cats" or walking the greyhounds, or taking out the trash. Nothing too stressful. Dogs are out from 3-6 pm.

5:00- this is when I always feel like exploding or losing my mind. I don't know WHAT IT IS about 5:00 but I am tired, hungry, and it seems that EVERYONE WANTS TO CALL OR COME OVER. I HATE IT. I take the phone off the hook, I tell people not to come over between 5-7 and I am much calmer that way. There is some frantic energy in the air between 5-7 if I don't take the phone off the hook and allow people to come over. So I have learned to work with that. I have also learned to snack with the girls at 3:00 so I don't get low blood sugar at 5:00. The birds are vocalizing- they get some special treat to shut them up- like a piece of fruit or a small cracker- that solves THAT problem. I fix dinner and wait for Daddy to get home, or if Daddy is working late, we have easy suppers. I long ago quit beating myself up for my kids not getting five fruits and veggies a day- I don't, Jon doesn't, they don't, it's ok. IT"S OK. :) The do get fruit at least twice a day so if veggies are 3 times a week, that's fine.

6:00- zoo is closed. Birds are covered, dogs are porched for night and lights in house go off. (Encourages birds to rest.) This is a nice time of day here- the girls watch TV quietly or read or get on the computer or sometimes we play a family game. It's peaceful. On rough days, I may go to sleep at 7, or stay up until 9. Everyone is in bed by 9:30.

10-12:30 pm- Jon comes home if he has worked late, lets all animals out for final rest stop and then all are back in crates or house for the night. Jon is a night owl, so he doesn't mind doing the last let out and let back in of the day. Thank God for that. I am still asleep unless a squirrel needs to be fed or someone gets sick- then I am up feeding or cleaning up. Then the next day we start all over. As Kate says in Jon and Kate plus 8 (I hate her attitude and I don't endorse the show) "It's a crazy life, but it's OUR life!!!"

Willow and the pups off to new home sweet homes!!!

Saturday I am meeting my dear friend Christa, who runs RocketAngel Italian Greyhound Rescue in Cape Coral- her website is listed on my sidebar. She will take Willow and the puppies and Daisy and find great homes for them and get them all sterilized. She is a pro at this and has successfully placed over 130 dogs in the last four years. She has alot more time at her discretion than I, and has an application and screening process. We are meeting in Orlando and I hope to see my brother and sister in law while I am there. It has been great watching them bloom and play- My bathroom floor will be free of "pee pee pads" and pee pee. Heavens, puppies pee ALL THE TIME. It will be hard to see Berkley and Willow go- we have all gotten attached to them- Max is a bulldozer- you get the feeling from watching him that he will be FINE no matter where he goes- Willow and Berkely are a bit more tender and vulnerable acting to me. But I am grateful for the help placing them. Have fun in your new homes, little ones.

Sisterly love

Here are my girls yesterday after a long day of pinky duty. :) (They watched, I fed.) Emily had been thrown in a pool and landed on someone else's head with HER HEAD, so she's had a headache for a couple of days. THANKS UNCLE RANDY!!!! :) Anyway, Em wanted to sleep THERE with her sister and Jules was quick to let everyone know to BE QUIET, EM IS SLEEPING!!! (That should have quotes but I am tired.) These girls have their moments of anger and arguments but I have to say that they love each other deeply and would defend each other to the death. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU TWO!!! They truly understand the love of God. I want to say a huge thank you to Randy and Donna Clark, some of our dear dear friends from church who watched the girls all day Sunday so I could rest and get over this bug. They took them to church and kept them until 9pm. What love that is. Thanks guys- we love you. Randy and Donna are the ones who adopted Lainey from China this spring. They are great folks.

PINKY SQUIRRELS!!!!!!!!!!!! My kids are young wildlife rehabbers!!! YAY GIRLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Update on Tuesday- Charlotte the little girl is doing great!!!!

Well we never know what God is going to surprise us with on any given day. Today was extra special. While I was in the shower, Jules ran to me, " Mom, I checked the messages and someone called about three baby squirrels!!!" I am in mid shower which becomes end shower VERY QUICKLY. I yell to the girls- "Call her back and tell her I am coming." They were too shy. I called her and basically she had three pinkie squirrels that had fallen out of a nest that was so high up that we would need a cherry picker to put them back.Putting baby squirrels BACK is always the first priority. But that wasn't happening. So, I said, "Keep them next to your body and stay calm- don't let anyone hold them and stay in a quiet place away from loud kids." :( So 15 minutes later, me and my very trusted helpers were at her house, getting the squirrels and rushing to my vets for syringes and Ebsilac. We got home and waited for 30 minutes to make sure they were warm and then fed them. You have no idea what a PRECARIOUS job it is to feed pinkie squirrels- one wrong move and they aspirate the formula, get pneumonia, and die. My girls benefit in so many ways from our rescue work. They gain self confidence, compassion and responsibility. They also gain knowledge that might help them in future life if they ever take care of animals. Here are the pics of the 2 little boy squirrels and the little sister squirrel with my children. You can tell how tiny they are by the size- my friend who is in wildlife rehab guesses 10 days at the most. They will go to her soon And my kids know that they are CAPABLE and TRUSTWORTHY WITH A TINY LIFE. Good stuff. PS. Update- the two boys died- we got to them too late- they had fallen 30 feet out of a tree and both had injuries. I am in charge of the little girl and seem to be doing better.

Our purposes in life..............

WHAT IS OUR PURPOSE???

A recent disturbing phone call prompted me to write today. It made me think about what people's purpose in life is. As a Christian I believe that my purpose is to love God with all my heart and love my neighbor as myself. I also believe that whatever I do should help other people and not hurt them. My free time should even be proof of this. In other words, everything I do should be helping, loving, and good. I am not always successful at this, but I am careful not to say things to people that are mean or untrue or hurtful. Now, I have to admit that if I have been off my medication for depression for any length of time, I can say ugly things, but I am careful to quickly apologize and explain that I am truly a different person when I have not had my medicine.

Our purpose is to help other people, to love them, to treat them as we would like to be treated. My kids have grown up around this and just this morning Emily and Julianna were apologizing to each other for their short tempers as we ran late for church. I was so proud and I told them why. Kids need to know that apologies are God's pride. We all can be grumpy and say things we don't mean. The important thing is to recognize that and humble ourselves and say "I am sorry." My kids are the joy of my life and I could not be prouder of the fine young ladies they are turning out to be. They have grown up in love, constancy, and forgiveness. I know one day when I stand before God, I will not hang my head in shame over my parenting of those two.

What we spend our money on and what we spend our time doing tells the world what is important to us. If we watch sports all the time, that is important to us. If we read, that is important to us, if we nurture kids and animals, that is important to us. I believe that at the end of my life I want to know that I spent my time well on things that matter. I don't want to think that I wasted my life on things that have no value. When I die, noone will care that I didn't miss one hour of the Olympics, but they will care that I saved 100 animals from being killed. When I die, noone will care how much money I earned in the stock market, but they will remember that I loved my kids well. When I die, noone will care that I had the biggest or best house, boat, car, etc. But they will care that I told the truth and was willing to be a four in the morning friend. I am always thinking of how I can do better- how can I please God? What is my purpose? It's a good question to ask. This post was not so much to praise myself but to allow all of us to think, " What do we do with our time and how will that matter when we are gone?" I have a long way to go, but I hope God honors the efforts I make now.