An Award For Me?

I was not planning on posting today, because yet again, life seems to be getting in the way.  Only 2 1/2 weeks until school starts again, and hopefully I'll be able to hop back on the daily blogging bandwagon.  However, as the first thing I do when coming into work is usually opening my email, I was pleasantly surprised to see that one of my favorite bloggers gave me the honor of a weblog award nomination.  All I can say is THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to Thinkinfyou.  I think that if anyone is truly deserving of this award, than it is her.  Apparently, when you are nominated for this award, there are a few rules that go along with it.  They are as follows:

1.  Put the logo on your blog  

So, here it is

2.  Add a link to the person who awarded you

 Already Done!  See "Good Reads" link

3.  Nominate at least 7 other blogs

Now, I tried to search the rules to see if you could re-nominate the blogger who nominated you and nowhere could I find that you couldn't, so my first nomination will DEFINITELY go to Thinkinfyou (please bloggers, let me know if this is a faux pas!)

4.  Add links to those blogs on yours

Most of the blogs I read are linked, so, not a problem

5.  Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs

On that now as I nominate

So, I will leave you with my list of nominees and a huge thank you to Thinkinfyou, even if it is a small token recognition as some of the more negative bloggers seem to think.  It still means so much to me that I have even 1 reader that has any interest at all in the goings on of my daily life.  My nominees are as follows:

Thinkinfyou

So truly deserving

The Gifting Gumshoe 

For all of the great shopping I have found through your site!

Dirty Little Secrets

For posting so many things I can actually relate too

Suburban Oblivion

For seemingly living in a mirrored world of my own

Magnolias, Marriage and Manhattan

Who is actually one of the bloggers that got me interested in blogging.  Also, whose site I use for some amazing shopping

Grosgrain Garage

Whose site I have been stalking for about 2 years now (found her through "Preppy Cafe" my original favorite blog, but no longer up)

Wiping Up Snot

For always keeping it so real

Please Note:  Most of these blogs I just stalk - I never feel like I have anything truly inspiring to say in a comment.  They all are some of my favorites and today, I will let them know just how much I enjoy reading them.  So thank you to all of the above bloggers for keeping me entertained, making me feel like I am not alone in the reality I call my life, and giving me something to do when I am extremely bored or don't feel like doing the things I "SHOULD" be doing.  Also, thank you for inspiring me to blog for myself.  You all deserve an award.  

Weatherproof? NOT!!!

Little Miss Beatrice is doing well and settling in to our wonderful if not hectic family life.  The only problem we seem to be having is when it rains.  When we purchased our little bundle of joy, I did some serious reading and research on her breed.  All the websites and books that I read say that the Bassett Hound is "Water Resistant", "Weatherproof", "Water rolls right of their coats".  This is why many hunters use them for tracking prey.  

I THINK NOT!  Although Little Miss B likes to go for the occasional swim with Mr. P in the pool, she absolutely DETESTS the rain.  And in New England, that is pretty much what you get A LOT of the time.  Our little ritual in the rain goes a little something like this.  

I say, "Do you need to go potty?"  Miss B responds with a wagging of the tail and runs to the door.  Out we go.  Little Miss B hits the ground running, only to stop abruptly, look up at the sky and make a beeline for the cover of the front porch.  When I pick her up and place her in the yard, yet again saying, "Go potty", she then runs UNDER the front porch and looks at me with the sad Bassett eyes as if to say, "You are the absolute meanest mom in the world for making me get wet."  After a few minutes of crawling through the mud, grabbing at whatever extremity on her little body I can reach and pulling her ever so gently (Right!) out from under the porch, we have a moment of World Wrestling Federation worthy squirming to get back to the front door.  It is at this point that I head back into the house, wet, dirty and pissed to find an umbrella, the only one of which we have left is so small that it barely covers Little Miss B's nose, never mind the 2 of us together.  So, out I go again, and while I stand soaking wet with umbrella over Little Miss B, she meanders through the yard, to find that perfect spot and FINALLY does her business.  When finished, she looks up at me with that special look of disdain and again makes the mad dash back to the house.  So dry, relieved and happy, she either lays in her bed or plays with a toy and waits for me to dry off, change clothes and return to pay her the attention she so determinedly feels she deserves.  I need help, I am an enabler.  I can't believe I actually hold an umbrella for my DOG!

So, as I figure out a way to get Little Miss B to do her business in the rain without cover, I will also spend some time figuring out where exactly I can file an official complaint of False Advertising regarding the weather worthiness of my new dog.  

Mr. P's Slow Recovery

Mr. P had his doctor's appointment the other day.  The news was bittersweet.  Although there is now officially bone growth occurring, because the gaps in the broken pieces are so large, the doc says that it will be at least another 6 - 9 months before we see any real progress.  Poor Mr. P.

I think that Mr. P is becoming very frustrated, if not pissed.  He is so done with the cane and not being able to walk well on uneven surfaces.  He is done with not being able to move about freely, get up stairs, lift things, or even walk quickly enough to keep up with the rest of us.  

The novelty of the cane and annoying people with it has worn off.  He can't even get a cool cane because he needs the hospital grade to be able to hold up his weight without it snapping in half.  He can't help with our new pup because she still needs to be carried down the front steps and he can't lift her and get both himself and her down them.  And most of all, he is done with all the pain.  Every day, Mr. P pushes himself all day trying to make a living, keep himself going, and work on being able to walk and move about.  And every night, we get home and he is aching, tired and wiped out.  

On the bright side, this lesson has been well learned and headed.  Our philosophy of life has changed dramatically.  We live to get through each day, hour and minute.  We realize that "It is what it is".  We believe that all things shall pass and they will only make us stronger, and we believe that we have all that we really and truly need.  We have 2 healthy children, people who love us and a new beautiful pup who makes us smile every time we see her.  

So in the wake of bad things, I guess I believe there is always that silver lining.  We will get through this, maybe with some frustration, resentment and even a little bit of anger, but in the long run we still have each other, a good prognosis and the hopes of better days to come.  

The Boys Next Door

Our family has been blessed with having our home located right in the middle of two great neighbors.  In each of these homes reside 16 year old boys.  We have known these boys since Kindergarten and have watched them change and grow into extraordinary young men over the years.  They have been best friends for all these years and they have come to be like our own children as well.  I truly believe that they have spent as much time at my house in the last 13 years, as they have at their own homes. 

I bring these boys up, because the other day, it was my mom's birthday.  The boys saw her car at my house and brought her a cake - A HOMEMADE cake.  What 16 year old boys bring their neighbor's mom a birthday cake that they made themselves?  My neighbors, that's who.  Anyway, after my mom left, they stayed and chatted with my family for awhile as they usually do and I was reprimanded that they have yet to make the blog.  They want me to share with the world how wonderful they are and all the funny happenings and events we have shared over the years.  I explained that if I mentioned everything, I would be writing this post forever, but promised that I would start to mention the more humorous and interesting happenings in our neighborhood from here on out.  

Today, Neighbor boy #1 has saved my skin.  You see, Mr. P's right-hand lady, his studio manager has decided to take a well needed vacation for the first time in 10 years.  Of course, it has turned out to be Mr. P's busiest week of work this year and as you might know, Mr. P is STILL NOT on his feet.  So, dear hubby asked if it would be possible for me to fill in for right-hand lady and help him out all week.  Of course, being the wonderful, doting, ever-helpful wife, I said "Oh, not a problem my love."  The only thing I forgot to take into consideration was the fact that eldest cherub is away for the week and I did not think to make any arrangements for the care of littlest cherub.  I mean, NO ARRANGEMENTS AT ALL, NOT ONE.  Littlest cherub is 11 and probably could stay on her own during the day, but my fear is that left to her own devices, not only would I come home to the rubble of a burned down house, but that the entire neighborhood might be in peril of her clumsiness as well.  

Anyway, on Monday, I craftily recruited maternal grandparents for a little help.  They were taken by such surprise when she showed up on their doorstep, what could they possibly say?  Tuesday, I again, stealthily and cunningly enlisted paternal grandparents.  I knew my slyness was getting better because I got not only day care, but she spent the night there as well.  Alas, running out of relations, today came upon us.  As the fates would have it this is Mr. P's most stressful and busiest day of the week.  No care for littlest child.  What to do? What to do?  Do we chance leaving cherub #2 home alone and hope for the best?  Do we bring her to work with us hoping that disastrous events will not ensue in front of one of our largest clients?  We were stumped.  We felt hopeless.  We were stuck between a rock and a hard place and saw no solution in our near future.  Enter Neighbor boy #1.  

As the hardworking, trustworthy and ambitious soul, he tutors on Wednesday mornings for (ironically enough) the summer class that littlest cherub happens to be taking to ready her for Middle School.  He has been the kindest of souls, carting littlest cherub back and forth with him EVERY SINGLE WEEK.  This is not a small task, as littlest cherub usually starts the trip with groaning, crying, moaning and the occasional screech of "I DO NOT WANT TO GO THIS WEEK!"  Many times, neighbor boy #1 will cajole or barter her into the car with promises of slurpees from Cumberland Farms after class.  Sometimes, we place her (gently of course) kicking and screaming in his car and wave happily as he drives off with the grace of her morning moods.  

Today, neighbor boy #1 agreed to not only cart littlest cherub back and forth to school, but agreed to take her to lunch and then on to the mall for some shopping and whatever else might possibly catch her fancy, all so I would not have to worry while at work with Mr. P.  I ask you, where do you possibly find a neighbor like this?  It's the things like this that make me love the "boys next door".  They are always willing to help out, for adults and children alike.  They will spend time with Mr. P, who is 40 to neighbor boy #1's little brother who is 6.  All you have to do is ask.  If they have the time, they are on it.  Moving furniture, getting your mail, watering the plants or just hanging out with you to pass some time.  They are true, honest and trustworthy.  They are wonderful neighbors and superb human beings.  

So I tribute this post to you neighbor boys #1 and #2.  I will be sure to keep posting about you as events of your lives unfold.  And I also say Thank You - Thank You to you for all that you do and all that are to my family and Thank You to your parents for raising you well and letting us be such an integral part of your lives.