Good morning dear friends {smile}

Just popping in to start new string for February. It is white frost outside at the moment though at least the snow seems to have disappeared {smile}

Will be back a little later today.. til then wishing all who enter a very good start to the month (and week as it is a Monday) {smile}

much love always

mermaid...xxx

Hi folks.

Bobbi laid the law down and told me to at lest say HI; HI, HI YA'LL.

Mermaid, happy the snow is gone though I suppose you really miss the stuff. Hope all is well. Hi to Paul.
ENJOY {{{HUGS}}}

LIGHT, LOVE & PEACE; Kermit and friends {{{HUGS}}}

Hello dear friends {Smile}

I received this in my email inbox this morning from one of our friends Down Under and thought I would share it here... words of truth indeed. {smile}

A Dog's Purpose (from a 6-year-old).

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The Six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.'

So live like a dog:

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet hem.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass..
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY

much love always

mermaid...xxx

Hello dear friends {smile}

I hope that all are well - it has been fairly challenging here as little Shula has had an upset tummy which turned into a full blown case of gastro enteritus. She went to the vet this morning and hopefully is now feeling a little better thanks to an anti biotic injection and a pain relief injection as well. Actually she was very good bless her though she did jump onto my lap when they tried to give her the pain killer intravenously so we gave it into the muscle so she just had a quick little ~sting~ from that. She is now on a course of anti biotics together with the kaolin and morphine that she has been on for a few days so hopefully she will soon be back toher usual self again. {Smile} Needless to say the washing machine has been going full tilt with bedding and sheets from the pups room though we won't go there! {smile}

Am waiting for paul to come home so that we can go shopping for the weekend and so will write up a longer post this evening... til then leaving a {{warm group hug}} to {{all}} who may enter...

with love always

mermaid...xxx

Oh poor Shula, I hope she is on the way to a quick recovery Mermaid. Such a painful ailment for dogs. Just one of the many things we go through for our pets.
We are going on a 4 day cruise on Monday and I am worried about how Scooter will do while we are away. Our neighbor will come in to walk him and feed him but it is not the same as having us here all day and night.
He wakes me up at 6 every morning and the neighbor will not be here until about 8. It is still better then leaving him at a kennel. Here he has all the comforts of home and my furniture to sleep on.

I attended a lovely luncheon and fashion show yesterday with my friend Georgia. It was for the Regional Cancer Center. The fashion show was nice the food great but the door prizes were fantastic. I didn't win one but sure do wish I did. Perhaps next year.

The weather here is still not the best, hoping it gets warmer for the cruise on Monday. We will be in Key West on Tuesday and Cozumel Mexico on Wednesday.I plan on going snorkeling in Mexico. I haven't been in awhile and I really love it. Being underwater with the fishes is so relaxing.

Well I better go and get some housework done. Sassy from AC said she talked to Maggy the week and she came through the operation well and is doing OK. I continue to send her healing energies. I hope she recovers quickly.

Waving to the room with a special hello to Kermit and Bobbi.***

I hope that Shula is recovering nicely by now.
It is Super Bowl Sunday here in the states so a big party day and evening for many....we are going to our friends house to watch the game this year. It is also a big snack eating day. I am making Chili and spinach feta filo wraps to bring. Georgia and John are great cooks so they will probably have lots of different items to snack on. I know she loves hot chicken wings so they will be on the menu for sure along with many other tasty treats. Heart Burn medicine will be needed for sure.
I am almost finished packing for our trip. We leave early tomorrow. I am really looking forward to a nice relaxing time. Not much other news, just dropped in to say Hi and happy Sunday. I'll be back on Friday so until then....be happy, be well.

{{{elfina}}}} I hope that you have a brilliant cruise and want to hear all about it when you are home again! {smile}

I have been immersed in esoteric astrology writings this weekend which has been brilliant! {smile} I hope that Scooter doesn't miss you too much and that he will be able to spend some time with your neighbour as well so that he isn;t on his own too much.

Sorry this post is so brief yet was about to go and sort out things in the kitchen yet saw the notification thingie in my email inbox so thought I would pop a quick post in now with the hope that you see this before you leave in the morning {smile}

Enjoy your Super Bowl party today (am sure you will) and hope you don;t have to travel with more than a little smidge of a hangover! {grin}

.. sending out {{{safe journey and happy holiday thoughts}}} for you together with a {{{big warm hug}}}}

much love always

mermaid...xxx

PS Shula is on the mend thank heavens though think Kirri has it now - I hope it won;t be as bad though. {smile}

Just a quick pop in to say hello to all.

Not much time these days for posting as the auditing at work is in full force.

Love to all and will be back later on in the month when things have calmed down some.

Diana

Good morning dear friends {smile}

Popping in to leave a little something to wish everyone a very Happy Valentines Day. {Smile}



Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails...... –Corinthians 13:4-8

Will be back later with a longer post… til then leaving a {{{warm group hug}} to {{all}} who may enter {Smile}

With love always

Mermaid…xxx

Wishing you all a very Happy Valentines Day.

We had a very relaxing and enjoyable time on our cruise. The weather could have been warmer but all in all it was a good time and we came home rested and happy. Pat picked up our new motor home yesterday and I love it. We are going to have fun getting it ready for our first camping trip. I hope it will be soon.
Pat and I went out with friends for a lovely dinner last night for Valentines Day. We are spending today doing a whole lot of nothing which is just the way it should be. Perhaps we will go out for a little supper soon.

Good morning dear friends {smile}

I thought I had best sit and write a post now before I start my day else another day will be gone again! {smile} After all the nonsense of last weekend and the remainder of the week with the dogs they all appear to be fine now. Dear Chakotay is getting rather creaky in his joints though – it is strange to think of him as getting old as it only seems like yesterday that he was a pup himself! {smile}

Paul has been getting ~creaky and crochety~ himself yet I do feel for him as his joints, back, neck, feet (don;’t think there is anything else left!) are playing him up and he doesn’t know how to deal with the effects of the ageing process. I was going to sit and write a post last evening yet ended up sitting and talking with Paul to see if he could work a way out to help himself with his physical stuff. It is so difficult for a Fixed sun sign to be able to change attitudes yet change he must if he wants to be able to live comfortably in his body. {smile}

Strangely enough I have been feeling fairly fit the past few days… I spring cleaned out the study, and went through the laundry room and really started getting this end of the house spick and spam. That has been good to actually have some energy to do it rather than feeling tired so easily. I am so luck to have the girls do the main part of the house so I can keep on top of that with the day to day things. With Spring on the way then it will be back to more outside work with the garden. The snowdrops are out now together with the winter aconites and the daffodil and bluebell leaves are poking up through the ground. The keep getting snowed on yet it doesn’t seem to bother them at all. {smile} the blue **** are popping in and out of the little nesting boxon the bird table though I don’t think they are quite ready for family life just yet with the cold weather. {Smile} We also have an absolute abundance of robins here at the moment together with lots of blackbirds and sparrows. Fortunately hawk has been visiting elsewhere so he hasn’t been using my feeding area for the birds as one for himself. {smile}

As it is getting light now I think it is going to be a bit of a grey day out there although the weather is forecasting some sunshine so that will be good. Michael is here today so I think we will get one of the flower beds sorted out in readiness for the spring. At least we are not clearing snow and ice again as we were last week! Talking of snow I saw on the news that the East of the States across the Pond has been having some huge amounts of snow. I am not sure what the powers that be are talking about with global warming after this winter! {chuckle} Hopefully we won’t have the amount of snow cross the Atlantic to here as I have just about had my fill of snow for this winter. {smile} It is lovely to sit and look at the winter wonderland when you don’t have to see to animals and can just pop out for a bracing breath of air and then get back into the house and sit by a log fire burning yet of course it doesn’t work out that way as we have to get on with our daily lives the best we can. With the ice and snow last week and the untreated roads it was fairly awful to get about for a few days again.

{{elfina}}} it was lovely to read you had a nice time for your cruise. I think it would be lovely to hop on a ship again though that will hve to wait for another year as Paul has booked the boat for September now as well as May. Mind you it will be lovely as it is a more modern one so has a few more home comforts than the one we usually have had in the past. {Smile} I hope that you had a lovely Valentines Day yesterday. We had a fairly lazy day here with Paul watching the Rugby all over the weekend – no wonder he was seizing up! {smile} How was Scooter when you got home? I should think he was beside himself to see his mom again or did he ignore you completely! {smile} You know I would have loved to had your old motor home as I thought that was fantastic ! Will you take it back up to the north with you for the summer? That would be a nice trip in itself wouldn’t it? {Smile} I would love to drive from one end of the States to the other… hmm thinking I am having a bit of wanderlust popping up here. {grin} thank you so much for leaving the news about dear Maggy and I hope that she is doing well and it won’t be too long before she is recovered enough to be able to sit and post again both here and in AC {smile}

{{{diana}}} I hope that things are easing up a tad on the work front for you sweetie and also that you and Ed had a lovely Valentines Day. {smile} How are the family doing? Now whilst I remember it, is this the year you and Ed are tieing the knot? My memory is getting somewhat muddled at times right now – think I must behaving a Neptune transit somewhere or of course just ~early senior moments~ {chuckle}

{{{kermit}}} hope all is well with you too sweetie and how is {{bom Bobby}} doing?

Now that it is light outside I see the ground is white again, although that is frost so more breaking the ice on the water trough again. Thank goodness Michael is here so that will give me a break today from the outside stable chores. {Smile} The pups are coming and nudging me so I think I had best pop this post in and go and sort out their breakfast before the nudges get a bit too much! {chuckle}

Wishing everyone a good start to the week and will look in later today. I see it has been quiet in here as we have all been busy in our own ~nows~ yet I will make more time to write in here as am feeling rather remiss at the moment about the lack of posts from me. {Smile} Anyways enough of my rambling for now will head off to make a start on my day and am leaving a {{{big warm group hug}}} for {{all}} who may enter…

With love always

Mermaid…xxx