When I Am Old

How many times during the procession from "childhood" to "adulthood" did I declare in bold voice, "Well, when I grow up...", ending as often with what I would not do as with what I would do.

Not so oddly there is a poem about "When I Am Old I Will Wear Purple" by Jenny Joseph.

Never at any stage have I feared wearing purple. I even had a bright orange leather coat along with a bright yellow one for Spring-wear. As I have grown older my color range has broaden to include wacky patterns and Zebra glamor galore. From jewelry, shoes, purses, wraps, dresses and yes pant suites. Breaking with the expected and the norm is just my way.

So Purple smurple.... who knows what I will wear when I grow old. Like Ms. Joseph, I still have a rebel soul that is unwilling to bend to conventional forms just because someone says this is what should be.

As I face what some would say are the later years in this procession of life, I continue to explore just what it is I really want to do when I grow up. Which is my way of saying growing up and/or older is one in the same.

To never loose the wonderment of a child at a new discovery is something to hold on to dearly. To have dreams for a tomorrow that can fill your todays is something to strive for. Keep a rebel spirit and you can not go wrong.

Ask questions. Do not be satisfied with "pat answers". Continue to seek your truth!

Follow you gut! Go with what you know in your heart is right. Don't look back... keep a forward stance and know that somewhere someone will look and say, "There is someone who is living life their way!"

When I am old I will not only wear purple and zebra prints but I will be young enough to wonder who it is that determines who is old.

Hard Work + Love = Special Treats

AJ HoosierHugPug enjoys the Snow Patrol

He dreams of the special treats he earns for doing the job of keeping cats out of his yard.

It is a long and never ending job as those cats can be hiding behind the next snow mound!

Thoughts of the Chicken Livers sautéing on Moms stove fortifies the working pug to push on!

The aroma greets AJ, sending tantalizing sensations through out this excited pup!
"Oh boy! I am all set for this!," thinks the salivating Pug.

After being told that the livers need to cool, dad suggest they take a ride.
"Oh Boy! This is really my lucky day!," AJ barks.

There is nothing like Puggie Love as AJ snuggles with moms on his ride.
"This is the life! Hugs from moms and chicken livers to eat when we get home!"

"Ah! Now I can just relax and dream of what I will do when I catch that cat! Wonder if moms will give me a whole chicken when that happens!"

Snow and More Snow

Images from the latest Lake Effect Snow that has been hitting us for 24 hours now. It is still falling. Even if we wanted to surrender no one would see the waving of a white flag. Think about it!

A Gift of Love

On Loan From Heaven

The Creator in his wisdom allowed you to enter this world through us and to give us 12 and a half years to know your love, kindness, laugh and joy.

Too soon we had to return you to your home with the Master of All. We find it hard to believe it has been 33 years since we heard your laugh or felt your hug. So often we seem to hear a faint whisper or feel a gentle warmth that can not be explained and we know you are here with us to let us know everything will be all right.

We love you even more today and know you and your brother wait together for us to reclaim our place in our circle of LOVE!

Until then, "Good night sweet prince." We slept, with hopes of pleasant dreams!

Snow Birds (aka Wintering in the South)

Canadian geese march through Washington Park as if on a holiday picnic. Hundreds of geese and "wild" ducks have come to reside year round on the Southern Shores of Lake Michigan as locals have fallen into what could be a bad habit of feeding the flocks of once migratory birds.

Here three geese head for the parkinglot as vistors drive through the park and despense bread and corn to the hundreds of geese that gather to block the road ways. The birds have become to acoustomed to human contact that many will approach your car, eat from you hand and always try to imped your forward movement.

In the frozen waters of the boat basin two geese stroll across the ice as they head for the roadway and scraps of bread and corn.

Flocks of geese and ducks huddle on the ice and under the now winter abandoned piers to protect themselfs from the cold fridged North wind that whipps across the frozen Great Lake Michigan during the long winters in Northern Indiana.

As a way to provide fresh water for these water fowl the port authority has allowed a "bubbler" pipe to run in a small area for the birds to have the ability to drink, and continue to eat the plankten and fish that come into the basin.

Late Tuesday afternoon (4:30 p.m. CST) a Winter Storm sent Lake Effect snow back into the area. This is a photo of our side yard that has been white since early December. By 11 p.m. CST there had been an additional seven inches of snow added, with predictions of at least another seven to ten before dawn on Wednesday.
The frozen fingers of winter seem to not want to release their grip on our homes gutters, as snow continues to fall and temperature again plunge below zero wind chills.