I miss Raton

I'm In Raton! - watch more funny videos

I do miss it. Living there were some of the best times
of my life. I know it's easy to forget what's bad about
it and remember what is good about it - I know absence makes
the heart grow fonder. The house, the land, the air, the
sky, the weather, the in laws......just miss it.

This video was shot mostly on 1st street, a 'dead' area
for the town. The action was on Second Street, that's where
most of the businesses are, etc. Some of this was also
shot at Goat Hill, where the Raton sign is. And I know I
lived there long enough when I can look at any of the mountains
in the background and know what mountain it is, what is in
that direction, etc.

Thankful

Forgiveness

Ah this is a tough one isn't it?

I have been screwed over moreso than probably most.
Mainly because I am a go getter for what I want,
including the people in my life. I do have common
sense and lots of street smarts, so I've never (thank
God) been robbed or lost money or anything to that nature.

But many have done me wrong. Most wrong doing I forget
about (life isn't worth it) and move on, having little
or no contact with the person after that. But sometimes
you have to continue to have contact, or sometimes you
have no contact with them but are still reeling in
the injustice of it all, and have trouble getting past
that. Hate them forever? Hold a grudge? Be miserable
cuz someone did something wrong?

I hate very very few people. At present I would say
one person who is still alive I can honestly say I hate,
and will hate, for the rest of my life. Okay two...but
the second person doesn't even deserve hatred, pathetic
loser that the person is.

And as I've said I've been screwed by many people.

For one it helps me to realize that I've done stupid
stuff as well. We all do stupid stuff. Not always
intentional either. Who knows what I was thinking at
the time I did stupid stuff? For two karma is a bitch,
and it is a great (secret) pleasure to sit back and
watch karma in action on someone who did me wrong. Hehe.

Three - if someone did me wrong, moreso than not they
did someone else wrong, and that person or persons might
not be as fortunate as I am. Think about that, it's a
little deeper than the other stuff I'm saying. Four
life is short, I mean, REALLY short. Do I want to spend
it hating someone or holding a grudge? Not really.
Besides, living well is the best revenge of all :)

Relatives are tougher - if they are still alive I still
have to see them, interact with them to a point. I
learned in my 20's to put on a game face in any situation;
shake hands, smile, talk, whatever; and not mean a word
of it. I have one relative that I will be friendly to
him in front of the others but have nothing to do with
him in private - and I do have a reason. I have another
relative that I will banter and kid with but wouldn't
trust her one bit again. And these people pretty much
know what I think of them too. But then when I'm on
my own away from them I'm fine, not thinking about them
or worrying about them, not holding anything against them
to speak of but at the same time I wouldn't do much
for them if asked. I hope that made sense!!

I think the key here is to be at peace with oneself and
have a life outside of the circle that any of these people
are involved in. So one doesn't really give a rat's
butt what they think of you. Have several circles, that
way if one breaks you can jump in another one without
hesitation. I don't believe in allowing what someone
did in my childhood to affect me in my adulthood, now
that I'm in my 40's. Especially parents. Parents are
human too, and many times are ignorant about decisions
and child raising. I guess I didn't realize this until
I became a parent myself...we do the best we can as
parents and hope to hell the kid turns out okay and without
emotional baggage. But he'll go through that stage just
like we all did of questioning why I did something the
way I did, or worrying if his childhood was ruined because
of something. It happens.

Forgiveness. It's a tough one. While I write this on
forgiveness let it be known that I NEVER forget, I just
won't let the issue drag me down for long, otherwise they
continue winning throughout my life! Forgiveness.

Dogs part two

top photo - Dusty chewing on a bone, the poodle monster saying,
"Hey I want that!"

Middle photo - Miss Ginger squeezing into Tommy's bed.

Bottom photo - Storm giving a doggy sniff to baby Jacob.

Dogs

l to r - Storm, Levi and Casey

I've had 13 dogs in my adult life.

Tiffani - Lhasa Apso and Cairn terrier mix, she was
purchased when I was 12 years old for $25. She was
put to sleep with many health problems at the age of 14.

Bimbo - I met this dog
when Bimbo was 13. Bimbo was a mixed terrier, and was my
husband's dog. He had quite the personality and bonded with
me almost instantly, becoming KCRT's official mascot. I had
an automobile accident in 1991 and Bimbo sadly broke his back.
It was a terrible day when Bimbo had to be put to sleep at
the age of 15.

Levi - A collie who came to live with us at the age of 3, via my vet. Died at the age of 9 from diabetes
related complications.

Spot - A fox
terrier type of dog. Levi (collie) took him for a long walk
(on purpose) and left him. He never returned. This dog
also came to us via my vet at the age of 2 months.

BJ - Another doggie
that came via my vet. She was an older terrier type dog
who was overweight and very lazy and unmotivated. 8 months
after we got her a neighbor lady accidentally ran over her
in our driveway.

Storm - Arrived at
8 weeks of age, when she and her sister Cloud decided to
walk to our house from a neighbor's. Neighbor sold them
both to us for $25 each. She was a husky, german shephard
mix, died at the age of 9.

Cloud - Arrived
in 1992 the same time as Storm. She was given away a
year later as she was a fence jumper and sheep chaser,
and she was headed for disaster.

Lucky - Someone
was giving Lucky away at the age of 7 or 8 months. Lucky
was a poodle/chow mix and he was trouble, but extremely
intelligent. I worked so diligently trying to reroute that
trouble part. I taught him anything and everything. Sadly
he died at the age of 3 after someone poisoned him. The
person I am almost sure that did the poisoning met his
death a couple of years after Lucky, after a very quick and
very painful bout with cancer.

Shiloh - Shiloh was
a corgi/terrier mix. He belonged to a rancher and decided
to keep trekking to our house, as it was more exciting. We'd
call his owner who would come pick him up and by the next
morning there would be Shiloh again. Eventually the owner
gave up, although he was saddened not to have his dog anymore,
and Shiloh was ours. Age he arrived was uncertain, guessing
about 5. He was with us for six years before he was sadly
killed one night on the road.

Casey - A border collie/
aussie shepherd mix, Casey came to us via a veterinarian (and
not our usual one, go figure) at the age of 3 months. He
was put to sleep at the age of 14 1/2, after health problems.

Dusty - A chow/collie mix,
Dusty was another neighbor's dog when he decided it was more
fun at our house. He was but a few months old. A year later
he was officially given to us when his old owners just gave up
(Yes this sounds like Shiloh's story but we had moved since
then go figure). Dusty died at the age of 12 1/2 after health
problems.

Tommy - Tommy is
my poodle monster. I call him that by the way he turns into
a snarling vicious monster when I'm grooming him. Tommy is
an 8 pound toy poodle. He came to live with us in 2004 after
(get this) deciding it was more fun at our house than at his
own house (do you see a pattern here?). He was given to us
almost right away by the neighbor (hehe did I mention
the monster part?). Tommy is old now (probably around 12)
but he's still ornery and kicking.

Ginger - Ginger was
a dump/stray that decided our house was where it's at.
It was MY HUSBAND's idea (I want to make that clear) to
keep her. She arrived April 17th, 2010. The vet puts her
birthday at August of 2009, and says she is a dachshund,
miniature pincher, and JRT mix (oh the joy).

Fall

It is my second busiest time of the year. Spring
is my busiest (or should I say, has been in the past,
I'm changing some things).

Sometime in September, I start in with 'fall' cleaning -
I give the house a good cleaning, I wash the windows,
light fixtures, valances. Clean the refrigerators and
oven. I then take care of any doctor or dentist appointments
if needed. There is a bit of a break after this (depending
on how quickly I work) but then things start popping.

Leaves fall. They need raked and burned, or mowed or
mulched. I'm talking millions of oak leaves. They are
still falling, so it's an ongoing project. There is
baking to be done - banana bread and your basic chocolate
chip and peanut butter cookies for the freezer, to be
used for party trays at holiday time. A poodle monster
(when being groomed) that needs groomed, a many day process
as you can only work on him for ten to fifteen minutes
at a time, once per day (to keep from losing fingers).
Thanksgiving to prepare for - food bought and prepared,
china washed. Christmas gifts planned and bought then
wrapped. And the regular everyday stuff going on too -
laundry, trash, dishes, cooking, housework, telephones.

Right now I am in the cookie baking for the freezer stage,
the latter stages of grooming the poodle for the winter,
and lots and lots of leaves yet to do (we've been so windy
and so dry, plus leaves are still falling). Many Christmas
gifts have been purchased as well. Soon it will be just
winter and I'll be goofing off more!

Enough already, we get it

Was reading an article earlier in the day. It was about
meals and snacks we feed our kids that we think are healthy
and nutritious, but really are not. On the list were
peanut butter sandwiches, applesauce, whole milk, and
more.

Yesterday it was announced that the mayor of Springfield,
MO wants to push to raise cigarette taxes in the state
simply because ours are the lowest in the nation and
apparently we can't have that happening. He wants to
do this by enforcing the Hammond Law, which goes ahead
with a tax despite it being voted down again and again.
A cigarette tax increase has repeatedly been voted down in the
state.

Today it is announced the FDA is putting graphic images
on 50% of a cigarette pack - images of people dying.

San Francisco is trying to ban toys in Happy Meals.

Oh I could comment on all of these issues, but I will
just say this:

I get it already, shut the hell up. We are all fat
smokers who drink too much.

By the constant bombardment of everything we do wrong,
we get to the point of "What the fuck?"

Is it any wonder why more and more people are flipping
out? Hell I'm surprised more don't. Unemployment being
on the rise, taxes constantly increasing, housing and
living expenses rising out of sight, but hey, let's worry
about something really stupid. Especially if someone else
is doing it.