When things don't go the way we want.

As a mother, mother-in-law and Nana I want things to run smoothly for all my family. I don't like to see ripples in the water. And for sure, I hate seeing the water white cap.
When that water gets to stirring around my first instinct is to jump in and see if I can help. I am sure that isn't what my kiddos want to see me do but by now they know me. If there is a situation I think I can guide them about, well, I speak my mind. Sorry, that is my mother coming out in me.
Life is a little rocky for some of the younger Davis' right now and one of my little wise daughter-in-laws just really gave me a slap on the face last night. Ouch!
Life is changing drastically for them and I ask her what was in the plans for the near future. Her answer.."I don't know. We will just have to wait and see what God has in store for us". Now that is a double ouch.
You see, sometimes I really want to help God take care of things. I want to help micromanage what happens in our family. The need to feel in control is strong.
The choice to sit back and wait for God's direction is hard. The reminder from someone half my age to do so is even more painful. However, it does make my trust in their decisions so much better.
So today I am learning a lesson from the younger generation that I have preached but have not practiced.
Still trying,
Vera

I am looking for Advice

Today I am seeking advice from all who may read this blog that knows anything about a lab puppy. The Davis house is at our wits end with the most loving, stubborn 8 month old half Black Lab, half Newfy dog. She refuses to be potty trained, she gets things she knows she is not suppose to have....just to get us to chase her. It is her game. She does chew everything in site and most things we couldn't even begin to find. She jumps up on us every time we come through the door and she is so big we have trouble making her mind. Help!!!

We would take any advice anybody has to give us. Someone told Doug today..."Chew til two, then shed til dead." I don't know if our house can stand another sixteen months of puppy. EERRGGG! We try to keep her on a schedule but that doesn't always work. She gets up at least one if not twice in the middle of the night to go outside. Yep.... I get to take her out in the wee hours of the morning. She won't do her business unless we go out with her and give her a treat after she finishes.

I have tried things like pepper sauce on things she has chewed and she just licks the pepper sauce off. When you spat her with the fly swatter she thinks it is a game. Everything in the trash can is fair game for her to get and chew up.

I thought when we got her that she would be more Newfy than Lab but obviously, she has turned out to be mostly Lab.

Delilah goes on point so very easily that if she were trained and not so stubborn she would make a great hunt dog but since we don't hunt that is a moot point at our house.

Tried and true plans of attack would be great and you might try this type of idea would also be appreciated.

Mama is getting close to the snapping point around here and when mama snaps everyone knows.

I keep thinking that one day all the do's and don'ts will click in. Nope , hasn't happened. Like I said, she is a sweetheart when she is asleep but when she in on the prowl, no rest for the weary.

Until next time,

A dog trainer I ain't,

Vera

Love and Tears

For the past year, I think I have been on automatic overdrive. I don't think there is such a term but I hope you get the picture. There are things I am responsible for, I do them and move on to the next chore. Whether it be at home, church, work or play. I take one project at a time, finish it and move on to the next. Never planning to far ahead.
My emotions have been in the same gear. I cannot remember the last bout of tears. My thought process has only assimilated the immediate project at hand. I knew I had not turned callous but I have become matter of fact. Yes, my heart still hurts at things but I simply choose not to let emotions get involved. You know that when a young mother comes into your place of work and has to order a casket spray for her stillborn babe there is no way you don't want to walk around the counter and give them a hug.
My week just seemed to come tumbling down this week. My boss had yet another surgery this week. I worry for his health, and when he is gone, my day consist of being inside the four walls of the shop from 7 or earlier to 4:45. I miss the getting out and seeing people as I deliver flowers to them. I sat on pins and needles waiting on updates of my boss. I found out this week a long time acquaintance has some very serious health issues. I have ladies in my Sunday School class that are dealing with family issues. Three of them have encountered deaths in their family in the last few months. Three of them are dealing with aging parents on a daily basis. Then I have the friend who had a nephew killed and I know her hurt along with her daughters' hurt as well as knowing the young man that was killed. Then I had a friend tell me last night he was having a health flare up. The weather has been bad and Doug has been dealing with his asthma the last few days.
To add the fact that there was a job change in our house a couple of months ago and I constantly worry about my grown children and everything that happens in their lives. One daughter-in-law has been having health issues that have not been diagnosed. Another has a tear in her knee requiring surgery probably pretty soon.
In saying all that, let me explain that when I care, I worry, I take everything to heart. I guess I am the martyr of worrying. Last night after I found out about the death of the young man, that was my melting spot. All the tears that I had pent up for so long finally broke loose. The tears have been in abundance. Maybe it is good. Maybe it is bad. At present it is simply a fact. I cry as I write this.
As I prepared to teach the Sunday School lesson this morning the lesson was from Philippians 4 . The wrap up of Paul telling us to be joyous in every situation. Funny (ironic) that this was the one morning that I couldn't plaster a smile on my face and take Paul's word to heart. There were simply too many people hurting in that room.
Funny, the song I am listening to right now is "The Way we Were". Memories. Good ones, bad ones. They all shape our lives. Don't worry about me. I will be okay and put my shield back up. May take a day or two but I will put back on my strong persona and keep on trucking. I may not be as good a friend as I need to be to all while I am having my pity party but I will rebound.
I love my family...I love my friends...and there isn't anything I wouldn't do for those I care about if it is within my realm of capabilities. If I count you as friend, know that you are loved and there is a spot for you in my heart. My heart will grow with every friend I meet. There is room for you all. I hope you feel the same way.
If you are my friend or my family I hope you can come to me with what is on your heart and talk and know that I will listen and not judge. My ears are always open for friends and family. I might have to squeeze a time slot in for you but I want to be there for all that I love.
So until I write a touch of prose again...
Love makes the world go round !!
Vera

If I had more time would I still be Messy????

For someone that works 5 and one half days a week today is a very special day. As a matter of fact this whole weekend has been. I usually teach Sunday School every Sunday and there was no Sunday School yesterday. That gave me a free Sunday. With yesterday being the holiday and me being off today, well today is sheer bliss. I got up when I wanted to....two days in a row. I ate breakfast when I wanted to, stayed up as late as I liked on Saturday and Sunday night. Ahhhhh, sheer bliss.
If I ever have another job, 5 days will be a max for me. I might even strive for a 3 or 4 day work week. Wouldn't that be wonderful for somebody who has been regimented 7 days a week for 33 years. What would I do? Well, let's see. My energy level is at it's highest first thing in the morning. I could do cleaning while no one is home. That is a start. I could shop when the stores are not covered up with angry tired people that just got off work themselves. That would be wonderful. I could Christmas shop without every register being lined up 10 people deep. Oh, the possibilities are endless.
I could win the powerball and I could retire FOREVER. The only problem with that is that I would have to buy a powerball ticket. Can't win without buying a ticket, right?
Next, I could do a little more traveling. Grand kids would be calling my name. Oh, yeah. There is one thing that I would make sure to day that I have never been capable of doing. I would fine somewhere to volunteer. I don't care what it is. It could be an animal shelter, one of the local hospitals or some crisis center. There has to be some place that would need me and I could be the right fit.
But what would be my one project if I had spare time? I would rid my house of junk, junque, and more junk!!!!!!
Every room has drawers and closets that need to have tons of stuff discarded. If I took one room at a time, it could take weeks but I would finally get rid of lots of stuff we have accumulated over the years. Getting rid of stuff might allow me to be a tad more organized, too. You know the old saying a place for everything and everything in its place, or something like that. How I would love to be able to go some place and what ever I was hunting for be right there.
I have so much stuff that has to be organized that I don't even know where to start. Yesterday, I threw away a whole garbage sack of papers and old stuff just out of one room. I am the only person that uses the room and I haven't even dug the pictures out from under the bed and worked on that. I need to scrapbook a ton of pictures so I can put the others away. With so much to do, I just fail to be motivated. One of these day, I will have the energy and desire to do it. But until that day, I have about 4 boxes of pictures and 3 or 4 photo albums that need to be filled. One of these days..... One of these days.
I have a dream. Don't tell any body but some day the flower shop will close or sell and my dream is to not work for the public but to have a wedding consultation business. Work out of my own home. Be a wedding coordinator slash director. I know that would put me to work every week end but hey, I would have other days free. I know quite a bit about the business and I enjoy making brides' special day a easy as possible. That is one of my greatest satisfactions. BUT...if that is to happen....I need an organized office. Where I want my office looks like a bomb has gone off. So much to do, I don't know where to start. Yes, I do. Another "one garbage bag at a time" project.
Aside from that, if you know of a bride that needs a wedding coordinator, I will work cheap until I try to do this full time. Feel free to be a name dropper for me!!!!
Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, makes me happier than to know the bride thinks she has pulled off the perfect wedding day. In case you didn't know it, there is no such time as a perfect wedding day. I have never encountered a wedding that there wasn't at least one planned thing that flopped. I always tell the bride not to get uptight because something will happen.
I heard a story from a friend that they were at a wedding and when the bride and groom knelled to pray, the groomsmen had put "call" on one of the grooms shoes and "911" on the other shoe. That cracked up prayer time. It is gonna happen.
But that is a story line for another day. Everything that could go wrong at a wedding will. I will have to remember that for a blog. Well, my random thoughts are rambling today, so until the next time...
Dreaming of organization,
Vera