Nobody Gets Left Behind...or Forgotten

The blogger world is a little sadder today with the loss of Lilo. And what makes it even harder is it comes shortly after another grand lady, Molly O'Mally left us. I never had the honor of meeting either of these two fine ladies, but I do know that reading their blogs brought a smile to my face. I remember finding Lilo's blog - Tales of the Great Rock Eater. 'What the heck?' I asked myself. Then I read her story and yep, she ate a rock! On O'Mally's blog I mostly found Hank taking charge, but every so often, O'Mally would wiggle her sweet little face into a post. Now there will be a few less smiles, a few less sweet faces, an emptiness in the blog world. But as with the other losses this past year, these sweet girls will not be forgotten. As a different Lilo once said, Ohana means family; family means nobody gets left behind.....or forgotten. Lilo and O'Mally were part of the bloggy family, and will not be forgotten.

A Pug Beach Day, Sorta

This morning looked foggy and dreary outside, but I knew it was going to be an exciting day. I was taking the train north about two miles to get to the Montrose Dog Beach to meet two puggies I hadn't met before. I arrived and spotted Michele and Gerry (Tiffy's mom and dad) and met Jami and Shaun (Apollo's mom and dad) and then I got to meet the puggies! Things were chilly and foggy at the dog beach, but the dogs didn't seem to mind. And after a few days of really hot temps, days that were definitely not pug-friendly, this cool day seemed perfect for running.

The pugs were going in every direction! Tiffy? Apollo? Where are you guys going? Tiffy loved running with the big dogs but would come running to daddy if they scared her a bit. Apollo stayed closer to the people, not running far from his parents.

Apollo finally sat down to rest for a minute, without other dogs running past and sniffing and barking.

Tiffy finally got to cuddle a little with her mom after running off on her own with the big dogs. Look at that cute little tongue!

After a while it was time to get out of the wind and the cold and the fog on the beach and get some food! While Apollo had some yummy oatmeal and fruit, Tiffy tried a few sweet potato fries and a piece of banana (though she may have helped Apollo clean his plate, too). What a great day for the puggies -- off leash running, people to meet and greet, and food! Thanks for letting me tag along and meet two wonderful puggies and their parents!

Of Weddings and Wizards and Waterfalls

At the end of the first week of May, I packed up the car and drove down to Florida for a family wedding. Well, it was actually two weddings -- once in the church, and once outside by the water at a lakeside Inn. The best part about the whole trip was getting together with family -- we all came in from several states and were able to spend some quality time just visiting in between the wedding festivities.

At the end of the Florida trip, the day before I drove back home, I went with my cousin Susan to Universal -- more specifically, to the Harry Potter Experience! We did the Castle ride three times, stopped for a break twice for butter beers, and had lunch at the Three Broomsticks. Of course we had to stay hydrated -- it was somewhere around 95 degrees!

After three days of being home from the Florida trip, I boarded a plane for Manchester, New Hampshire and went hiking in the White Mountains with a friend. We saw numerous waterfalls which were running quite nicely thanks to a wet winter and spring. From Ripley Falls to Arethusa Falls we climbed over roots and rocks, through brush and mud, but managed to see some great sights. Along the way we saw that elusive New Hampshire moose in the wild and a farm with alpaca. This spring has been quite busy so far! What have you been up to?

The Times They Are A-Changin' But Oh the Possibilities!

The other day I went to the bank to make a deposit, and couldn't help overhearing a conversation between an elderly woman and a bank employee. Apparently the bank has recently started charging for check images on monthly statements and the woman didn't understand how else she could get to see the checks that were paid. The bank employee, patiently trying to assist her, said her statement showed the check numbers that were paid; but I wouldn't see the front of the check, said the woman. You could always get a free picture of your paid checks through online banking; but I don't have a computer, said the woman. Change had come, and this woman wasn't able to handle the change.

Back when I was little, I remember adults talking about 'the good ol' days' and about how "things today just aren't the same." But things never can be the same. Change comes, life goes on; people adapt, even if they don't necessarily consider it progress. Maybe it's not quite as drastic as the Borg's message of Assimilate or Die, but change eventually has to be accepted, because change is coming whether you want it to or not, and if you don't accept it, it will roll right over you.

I was talking to a family member yesterday, and mentioned the last Harry Potter movie coming out in July. She said she was sad that the series was ending, that it wasn't going to be the same without a new movie/book. Wanting to hold on to something from the past isn't unusual, but before the Harry Potter series started, some other comfortable thing was coming to an end; some other comfortable thing made us sad that it was ending or going away or changing into something...else. And that opened up the way for Harry Potter.

Change comes. Sometimes we have a choice, sometimes not. What defines us, however, isn't the change itself, but how we respond, how we conduct ourselves, whether we allow change to bowl us over, or allow ourselves to roll along with the change.

I meant to post this the other day, the last day of April, since April is National Poetry Month. But, I guess I'm taking a different road, and saying that everything doesn't have to be done the way it's always been done. So, as a late acknowledgment, here's a poem about choices, and about not always doing what's always been done.

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Earth Day and Easter

It's spring, at least by the calendar, and by the amount of rain we've been having lately. It's all part of the cycle of our Mother Earth, isn't it? April showers bring May flowers they say. And this year a late Easter falls just after Earth Day, which is today. It's a time of renewal, Easter is. Of rebirth. And just like the renewal of life in spring, we can all renew our commitment to the planet. There are little things you can do, and big things you can do, but it's important to do something. Thanks to Angel Stubby we all became more aware of our impact on our world, and with the 'Green Stubby' report, Winston is carrying on that good work. I've become more aware of all the plastic we use in our everyday life. You know all that plastic is made from oil, and we all remember the devastating effect oil had just one year ago. So why are we using all that plastic? I already use reusable bags when I go to the store (you know the kind, just like Dutch wore on his nose in Puglet's green video last year!), but I've got plastic containers, and plastic wrap, and plastic CD holders, and so many other places where plastic is being used. My goal is to cut down on the plastic I use, and the plastic I buy (and that includes all that extra packaging that is in nearly everything in stores these days, including that hard plastic wraps to prevent theft that cut your hands when you try to open them), So, what are you doing? What changes are you making? Earth Day and Easter, a weekend combination of renewal, rebirth and recommitment. And a time to smile and remember, too, with a picture of Rainy (now Lola) I received yesterday from her mom. Happy Easter and Happy Earth Day!

Birfdays and Hatch Days and New Pugs, Oh My!

Since I've been busy following the antics of Butler Blue II, there's been a lot going on in the bloggy world. Macaroni has joined the Smushie Ranch, little bitty Archie joined Melissa's family and is watched over by Angel Emmitt, Tiffy joined Michele's family and is being guided by Angel Stubby, today is Salinger's fourth Birfday (Dude!), and Gilbert's 10th Hatch Day. And just like spring brings in all that is new, the bloggy world is sprouting, and growing and flowering, bringing new life, new dreams, new hopes with every new day.

Keep It Going

I have some things I want to blog about, but for right now, I have to keep it going. What is "it"? Why it's Butler Basketball! And who's that cute pup? Why that's Blue II, the Butler mascot! Tomorrow night, for the second year in a row (!!) Butler is playing in the NCAA Finals. And for the second year in a row, there has been an exception made and Blue will be allowed courtside to support his team! Go Dawgs! And Go Blue II!