The House Guest

We had a visitor! Her name is Linda and she was quite charming. She was very sweet, though kind of clumsy. She was also a pretty big girl, but that's okay. She was very accommodating and didn't mind that we asked her to sleep in the garage. She kept the kids entertained and took quite a liking to Jonesy. Jonesy liked her pretty well, too, but tired of her endless flirting after a while. Before you think I am rude for making our guest sleep in the garage, I should tell you that Linda is a dog. No, silly, a CANINE!! Here is a picture of Linda and Jonesy trying out her sleeping space.


See all that drool in Linda's mouth? She ALWAYS had that going on, and would rub her head on you or shake her head, jowls foaming, spraying saliva...yuck! She is most definitely an outside dog! Have you seen Marley and Me? Yes? Then you know what I'm talking about.

I wish I had pictures of the two dogs outside playing. They were cute. Jonesy is not a small dog, but looked little next to Linda. She is honking big! I took a few pictures on my cell phone, but I don't know how to upload them, so, there they stay!

Oh! Did I mention she was in heat? Yep. What an interesting experience that was. FYI...neutered males still...um...enjoy female dogs in heat. They try to, anyway. Poor Jonesy. Anna kept saying, "Look! Jonesy is hugging Linda!" and "Jonesy is trying to dance with Linda!". Oy!

So, Linda stayed for a week. She really is sweet, and I kind of miss her. My pants are dry, though, and free of slobber for the first time in a week. That I do NOT miss!!!

Loneliness

I've been thinking about loneliness lately.

Sometimes it is a good feeling, to be alone. At the end of a hectic day, to be able to have a quiet moment, the kids safely tucked in, it can be nice.

Whenever I have out of town guests, taking them to the airport or watching them drive away always brings tears to my eyes and an ache to my chest. It is a temporary loneliness that is heartfelt, to be sure, but quickly replaced by the bustle of typical daily happenings.

A dear friend is experiencing the loss of her husband...this feeling of loneliness I cannot even imagine. To know that he will never walk through that front door again must be the mother of all heartsick feelings. How does one live with that hurt? Do daily happenings ever make it go away?

Another friend experienced the loss of a husband to divorce. Spending holidays alone because the kids are with their dad. My heart hurts just trying to imagine it!

I am lonely for Mike. My heart hurts knowing he is lonely, too. The kids keep me busy and he WILL be walking through that door. And soon! It is a different kind of loneliness, because it is tempered with anticipation and excitement.

I have been thinking about loneliness lately. And I can hardly wait for Mike to return to us. I am blessed and I am thankful. I need to remember that and reach out to my truly lonely friends, especially during the holidays. Have you hugged a lonely person today?

Where's Half Pint?

Maggie had a delightful 10th birthday. Highlight? We set up skype and called Mike, who sang and clapped along as Mags blew out the candles from her cake. Ain't technology amazin'?

When we went to see Wicked last July, the playbook announced that in November a new musical, Little House on the Prairie starring Melissa Gilbert would be coming to Tulsa. We thought about it, couldn't inagine it, laughed about it. I mean, HOW could they make a musical based on the Little House books? We couldn't imagine. A quick glance to Maggie, who was suppressing a grin. Later that evening, she confessed, "I REALLY want to see that show! And my birthday is in November." She and her friend Lauren enjoyed the first couple of Little House books and last Christmas we gave Maggie the entire collection. They love watching dvd's of the tv show. They think Melissa Gilbert is awesome. So, I bought tickets to the show for Maggie and Lauren to celebrate her birthday.

Here they are, excited to see the show, super excited to see Melissa Gilbert. The announcement at the top of the show then explained that we would be enjoying a great show and that Melissa Gilbert would be replaced by her understudy. BOOOO!!! The girls were sad, but I am proud to say, both of them said that they were sad to not get to see her, but even more worried about her and hoped that she was okay. Sweet girls, I tell you! The show was fun, the musical numbers cute. Nellie Olsen stole the show and Almanzo and Laura's story was adorable. I think when I have a chance, I'm going to revisit the old books. Honestly, I loved the tv show, but it

kind of warped the true story of Laura Ingals Wilder into Hollywood melodrama. I want to revisit the prairie and find my inner half pint. She's still there somewhere, and looks nothing like Melissa Gilbert!