Miss America and friends at the mall

It's such an impressive sight seeing so many beautifully behaved pups walking the mall.

Five ***** for South of Broad

I absolutely loved this book. It's one I could read over and over.
His imagery with words takes my breath away.
Laugh and cry - doesn't get any better than that!

Some favorite lines:
entering a room at a country club where he knows he's not wanted, "I feel like a booger on a kleenex."
During a tough football workout, Leo's teammate, Ike, the Coach's black son is punished for calling Leo a forbidden name,
Leo takes his part, "When my cocaptain runs, I run."
Describing a time when the mass was said in Latin and the only part spoken in English was the priest's homilies,
When it came to their homilies, there was nothing living that a Catholic priest could not put to sleep."

America had a busy Halloween

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Davielle, the artist

I'm so proud of Davi.
PrincessMagpie
She's become a true artist.
This was "just a little something I put together" with 'stuff' from Lisa Bebi,
Pimpmyspleen
a local, oft-published artist.

Davi's creativity is inspiring!

How to start a Zentangle

takes me back to first grade - a very nice place to be!

It's here!

Pioneer Woman's cookbook has arrived! I've aleady tried and 'died for' many of the recipes from her blog/website
PioneerWoman
but what I love about the cookbook are her stunning, yet heartwarming, photos that tell her family's story of living on a cattle ranch in northern Oklahoma. If you love cowboys, cowboy kids, horses, dogs, sunsets I know you'll love this book!

A Gracious Man

Dean Koontz spent hours at CCI signing these two wonderful books, which chronicle the life of his beloved Trixie, a CCI released graduate pup.

He was very sweet to pose with America, who is half sister to his current pup, Anna

Family Gatherings

Here we are celebrating my brother's 70th birthday.


You might remember the collage I made way back in June

It was great fun to be able to present it to him in person.

The next day we headed to Santa Cruz to celebrate the wedding of Rosie (Rod's youngest sister of the 10) and Darren.  What a special occasion!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Two Book Recommendations

This was recommended by my sister-in-law, a school librarian.

I'm in the middle of reading this eye opening book. It's particularly appropriate for parents of middle school girls, but has much to say about how we raise our daughters and how we can give them tools to become intelligent, confident, independent thinking women.

A backyard visitor

Nice to have a jay back.
I was afraid if I moved any closer to get a better photo he'd leave.

The Jesus Prayer

I've heard Fr. Timone speak often of the Jesus prayer, but not until yesterday at his retreat on prayer, was I able to make it my own.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.
I've taken some of its history from this website:
St. Vladamir's Orthodox Theological Seminary

It dates back to the 6th century.

Father gave many examples of the power of prayer, but for some of us prayer does not come easily. If that is true with you I suggest you try the Jesus prayer. In the classroom I used to ask the children where could they pray, and predictably they answered anywhere, not just in church. I've always been a car radio listener, but lately, prayer, particularly the rosary and now the Jesus prayer seems to be more what soothes my harried brain.

From St. Vladamir's: The Jesus Prayer is recommended in the morning, following our prayer rule, for some period of time, perhaps 10 or 15 minutes. If that is impossible, then sometime before noon, or in the evening. This might be called "formal" use of the prayer. The second form of the Jesus Prayer is the "free" use of the prayer. This means at any and all other times of the day, or night. This is especially true for the semi-automatic tasks such as driving, doing dishes, walking, being unable to sleep, etc. The Jesus Prayer is notably useful in time of extreme concern or upset.

We are all called to pray without ceasing, says St. Paul in 1 Thess 5:17.
The Jesus Prayer provides one good way to pray constantly.


Once again I'm so grateful to be living my life in this moment, spending time with the people I love. Yesterday was another example of my blessings, praying with Pam and Rose and Mary, under the guidance of Fr. Timone, the most Christlike priest I know.

Make a difference

This is one bandwagon everyone should hop on! President Obama has the right idea!

Even the comic strip artists see the value.

Pat Lawson is awesome!

here's the slideshow Pat made of several CCI pups:
CCIpups

Lila, out and about

Just two more sleeps till I get to see her!!!

America, out and about

in the hood



watching LaCosta Volleyball with buddy Francie

The blessing of the animals at St. James, with Prado, Kane, Francie and Hefner

Our Lady of the Rosary

I started praying the rosary on my daily walk in the late 1970's, spurred by some war threat, now an everyday occurrence.
I've said it countless times since, sometimes with utmost reverence, sometimes with impatience, sometimes with pleading, but always with comfort. It is my first thought in my wakeless nights. Often I think, well if I can't sleep, at least I have more time to pray.
I have several rosaries that have great value to me, one my mother used daily, one my dad always carried in his pocket, one from my First Communion (teeny tiny silver beads) and one with gorgeous Swarovski crystal beads handmade by my dear friend, Pam, on the occasion of my retirement, but most often I use my fingers to count the prayers.

I am fascinated by the request of Our Blessed Mother in personal appearances to the children at Fatima and the visionaries at Medjugorje to pray the Rosary. I know she has been the instrument in my life to bring me closer to her son and I'd like to think the rosary has been a small steppingstone in that quest.

Cindy's show coming up!

Blessings on the feast of St. Francis

so many legends surround this holy man.

Many do not know that the origin of the Christmas creche can be traced to him.

I pray his well known prayer daily, but here's a lesser known one this is equally as beautiful:

Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord,
All praise is Yours, all glory, all honour and all blessings.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.

Praised be You my Lord with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour,
Of You Most High, he bears the likeness.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
In the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
And fair and stormy, all weather's moods,
by which You cherish all that You have made.

Praised be You my Lord through Sister Water,
So useful, humble, precious and pure.

Praised be You my Lord through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You my Lord through our Sister,
Mother Earth
who sustains and governs us,
producing varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.

Praise be You my Lord through those who grant pardon
for love of You and bear sickness and trial.
Blessed are those who endure in peace,
By You Most High, they will be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord through Sister Death,
from whom no-one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Blessed are they She finds doing Your Will.
No second death can do them harm.

Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks,
And serve Him with great humility.

This is a beautiful book written by Robert Kennedy Jr. on the Life of St. Francis

Magnificent species of orchids

from the orchid show at San Diego Botanic Garden, aka Quail Gardens

Aggies didn't win yesterday, but...

Lila will always be a winner!

The long anticipated chenille party

The hit of the party - the chenille that Cindy was kind enough to share
Cindy demonstrating her unique afghan stitch
Joyce showing Carrie how to crochet
Shauna, Stephanie and America
the sweet bracelets Davi brought for Cindy and I

It will be fun to see the results!

Thank you, Cindy for your hospitality.

Feast of the guardian angels

Angel of God, my guardian dear
To whom God's love commits me here
Ever this day be at my side
To light, to guard, to rule and to guide.

I am so grateful for the countless time angels, both here and from above, have been my saving grace!

I guess it's autumn

These trees in my neighborhood seem to think so, but what's with the 90 degree weather? It's just not right!
It must be very confusing if you're a tree.

I only had my phone to take the photo and sadly it didn't do the magnificent color of the leaves justice.

America makes the big time!

Pat Lawson, the magic behind many successful CCI events, was sweet to use America's photo on a tee box sign for the upcoming CCI First Annual Invitational golf tournament.

Many thanks to Allie's Party Equipment Rental, Inc. for supporting our cause.

Here's a link in case you'd like to join the fun

GolfTournament

As we turn the calendar to October

let us be aware of the many who have and who continue to suffer, not just from breast cancer, but cancers of all kinds.
There are reminders everywhere that this is breast cancer awareness month, I got mine from Yahoo this morning.
I was encouraged to read about the Athena project beginning at UCSD.
Athena
It seems likely that this will lead to a breakthrough.
I can't help but remember those who have returned to heaven after suffering with this disease, but everyday there are more and more who are cured. I also would like to pay tribute to the hundreds of thousands who have walked thousands of miles to help raise money for this cause. Surely it was your steps and your blisters that have brought us this far.

The perfect reminder

of God's goodness





It's time to put away the worries, abandon the undone must do's, and just remember how good God is, how much He loves us and trust that He will take care of us!

Widow of the South

The 2nd Battle of Franklin, was the deadliest of the Civil War. 2,500 Northern casualties, and 6,700 Confederate casualties.
The Widow of the South tells the story of that day and subsequent events. The McGavock plantation was seized as a hospital, where hundreds were cared for and buried. Already devastated by the loss of three of her children, Carrie McGavock is thrust into the middle of the dead and dying. She devotes the rest of her life writing letters to the relatives and tending the graves of more than 1,500 fallen.
It's a fascinating story, heartbreaking, but a testimony to a woman's strength.
I shed many a tear, but that's criteria for a good read in my estimation.

Happy Fall

sweet image courtesy of:CountryHeartDesigns

It's a start

This is my first find in my attempt to find a wine o'clock clock:

It's official!

Blessings on a new little Deinhammer, scheduled to join the family in early April.

Speaking of a million

This from the CCI newsletter:



Dean Koontz Memoir A Big Little Life

Dean and Gerda Koontz have been generous donors to Canine Companions for many years. Canine Companions was pleased to receive a $1 million donation this month, with over $6.5 million given to Canine Companions over the past few years.
Everybody knows Dean Koontz. He is an enormously popular novelist with eleven #1 New York Times bestsellers to his credit. But do you know Trixie? She was the Koontz family’s beloved golden retriever, and she had quite a following of her own. A BIG LITTLE LIFE: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog (August 25; $24.99; Hardcover) is Dean Koontz’s first ever nonfiction book and it chronicles the love shared between Dean, his wife Gerda, and their inimitable “Trix,” and the life lessons learned from this unbelievable dog with a megawatt personality.

Trixie Koontz, or “Short Stuff” as Dean often called her, has a unique story. Dean and Gerda adopted Trixie after an injury released her from Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit organization that trains dogs to assist people with disabilities. As a guest blogger on Dean’s Web site, Trixie attracted her own loyal contingent, and went on to author three books. Her most recent book, Bliss to You, was a New York Times bestseller. Trixie passed away in 2007, and the Koontz family remains a major supporter of Canine Companions. In fact, the Canine Companions campus in Oceanside, California, one of five training centers nationwide, is named the Dean, Gerda and Trixie Koontz Campus. All of the author proceeds from sales of A BIG LITTLE LIFE will be donated to Canine Companions.

The private life of Dean Koontz has never been the focus of his books—until now. A BIG LITTLE LIFE gives Koontz fans and dog-lovers a never-before-seen look into Dean’s home and family life. He talks about his own past, the inspiration for his writing, his and Gerda’s marriage and business partnership, and their life in southern California with Trixie. Dean’s sense of humor is at its best as he describes his own habits and those of the people closest to him. He is also not afraid to get serious, imbuing the book with a deeper meaning by opening up about his personal beliefs.

In often humorous and always touching language, Dean describes Trixie as a little dog with a huge heart, one that inspired him in many ways. He weaves in stories about the golden retriever’s uncanny ability to recognize good character, her adventurous nature, her love of practical jokes, how well she vogued for the camera, and her stoicism. Trixie became a critic, writer, and entrepreneur and caused Dean to rethink everything he thought he knew about animal psychology. This heartwarming memoir makes it clear that Trixie’s winsome and caring personality was contagious. She affected everyone—human and animal alike—who was lucky enough to cross her path.

For the Koontzes, Trixie was more than a pet. She was a teacher, a furry daughter, and a constant companion. Most of all, Dean says, Trixie restored a sense of wonder to his world. A BIG LITTLE LIFE is a powerful tribute to a beloved family member and will remind readers everywhere that the love of our canine best friends is a love that lasts a lifetime.




Word on the street is that the book is captivating!!! Can't wait to start it.

A Million Minutes for Peace

I hope you'll submit your name to the United Nations
PrayforPeace
and join millions of others at noon on September 21 praying for peace.

Here's one prayer for peace, written by Ken Hamilton, based on the Prayer of St. Francis:



Dearly Beloved,

Make me an instrument of your peace.

Help me to see by the graceful light of forgiveness,

To hear in the blessed silence of inner peace,

To feel with the loving heart of compassion,

And be free through the power of faith and love,

That I may serve in the glory of your love

Bringing peace, love, and meaning to the world

This day, for this day is thine, forevermore.

—Ken Hamilton

Woof if you love America

Davi and Willie, you're such instigators!!!

We all got a message from Davi yesterday, asking us to vote for her photo that she submitted to Aaron Brothers' Show Me Your America contest. It's a great shot of her grandson, a baseball phenom, throwing out a runner at first base.

So, of course I followed directions as I'm wont to do. But at our CCI outing last night Willie said I needed to submit this famous photo of Mer. I didn't give it much thought, but she, being the encourager that she is, followed up with an email. Once again I followed directions because that's what I do.
So now Mer and I are asking for your votes. You can't vote until Sept. 16th, but you can rank the photo, which will move it up in the ratings.
voteforamerica


I also hope you'll vote for Davi's photo!

votefortrevor

Here's another to vote for:

voteforbubba

and another, Nona, being raised by Sharon Crawford and her girl scout daughter as part of silver award

voteforNona

update

I'm only half crazy - #24 was in the scanner,
too bad, it was one of my favorites..
still looking for sewing kit:-)
if anyone goes to encinitas panni, will you let me know if sleeves are selling?

Can't wait to meet Suzy again

It's been 22 years since I've seen her in person. Looking forward to meeting her again.

Follow-up for Enviromedia's Pay It Forward Day

This from Enviromedia's blog Enviromedia
Today, Friday, September 11, 2009, more than 40 EnviroMedians in Texas, Oregon, New York and Wyoming set out on a journey of goodwill, in teams of two, armed with a $100 bill and this card:

Then, later that afternoon, we gathered together to share our experiences. While you’ll be hearing more about those experiences in subsequent posts, here are some of the creative and compassionate ways our staff put those $100 bills to work:

Purchased groceries for people at supermarkets
Funded the adoption of a homeless cat from an animal shelter
Provided supplies for an elementary schoolchildren’s vegetable garden
Presented more than 100 red roses to residents of a senior center
Paid for music lessons for three aspiring young cellists
Gave out restaurant gift cards at a facility for unemployed jobseekers
Contributed toward physician co-payments for several patients
Bought baby supplies for residents of a homeless shelter
Contributed to the (Matthew) Shepard Symposium on Social Justice
Paid admission fees for people at an art museum
Provided flu shots for people without health insurance
Helped to sponsor senior trips for underprivileged high school students
Provided gifts and bedding to a resident of a women’s shelter
Picked up tabs for people at a sandwich shop, taco stand and coffeehouse
Made a cash donation to a blood bank
Provided free coffee for firefighters
Made a donation to NYC’s Ground Zero Museum
And purchased a commemorative brick to raise funds for the expansion of a facility for neglected and abused children. The brick will bear the inscription, “Kindness is a boomerang; Pay It Forward.”

Pay It Forward 9/11

This is Katie's boss at Enviromedia, who instituted his own idea of pay it forward after experiencing the kindness of strangers on 9/11.

The next post will tell you more of the story.

Pay It Forward 9/11

This is the company Katie works for. Hopefully I'll have some more feedback when I find out how she and each of her co-workers spend their $100.
Here's the link that explains the story better and describes what people did last year.
enviromediapayitforward

I got to go with Katie this morning to the Austin Children's Center where she and her partner chose to buy a brick commemorating 9/11 and the pay it forward story.
It's still under construction, but we were given a tour. The multiple buildings include and infant/toddler center, villas for older children, a charter school with a gymnasium. Ultimately it will be able to care for 78 abused children of all ages until proper, caring homes can be found for them.





This afternoon I'll get to hear the stories of her co-workers and how they made this better place.

The land of the lost

why is it I spend so much of my time looking for lost things???

I had counted and recounted 24 coffee sleeves, but when I went to deliver them there were 23.
Not in my car, not at home, not at Rita's where I stopped...
Such a mystery.

Today it's my sweet little black hello kitty sewing kit, which contains one of the few remaining pin cushions knit by my mother and my grandmother's gold thimble. I used it Monday to finish afore mentioned sleeves and didn't take it anywhere, but it's vanished.

I don't care so much about the sleeve, but I do care about my little black case.
Guess I'll put it in St. Anthony's hands.

Dear St. Anthony, I pray
Bring it back, without delay.

St. Anthony, St. Anthony
Please come down
Something is lost 
And can't be found 

I did it!

I finished the 24 coffee sleeves for the Pannikin.



These are my favorites.

Such a privilege

to be invited to the nuptial mass for Christy Peters and Terence Hoeft

homework assignment #1

After working all day I've finally finished my homework in suziblu's class for this week.

meet Gloria


She's far from perfect, slightly chubby and her eyes and head are a tad too big for her body, but I love her just the same.

Next step: learning to color her in with colored pencils...

I think she's a toddler now!

but still as beautiful and sweet as ever.

Going to be a reader too I'm sure!

Our last Betty day

Lucky to have Rita's mom, Lizzy from CT join us.








I think I'm about 2 weeks behind in posting this and am having a miserable time getting my text to match my pictures.  Somehow they've changed blogger.

Anyway I do think you'll see how much fun we have on these days.

Sarah, I'm sorry the pic I took of you didn't come out.

You'll see that we had apron makers, Willie and Rita, quiltmaker Chris, who gifted me with the lovely heart frame and fabric. Cindy's only in a background pic, BUT look at the goblet she brought.  I should have used it for her Tuscan Lemonade that was quite a hit.

The rest of us are just chatting/admiring.

If you look closely you'll see the tiny heart in my Stacy's chip apple crisp - apples from Chris, recipe from PW.

Hope those of you locals will join us one day.  It's totally random skills - and even if you think you can't knit, crochet, sew, quilt, the rest of us will convince you otherwise!

America was happy to have pups Garden and Helena to play with!

Quail Botanical Gardens

Quail Botanical Gardens

This is a favorite hangout of the Hilsabeck/Krenkler gang.  America and I were lucky enough to join them.

We snacked on green tomato cake, made from the bounty of Tracy's garden which she's so generously shared with me.

Spinning, alive and well

When was the last time you saw someone spinning or have you ever???
On my last trip to Common Threads, an uncommon knitting store, where I purchase nearly all of my yarn, I wandered into the back room and it was packed with lovely ladies spinning, on all kinds of spinning wheels, some old fashioned, some modern. It did my heart good to know that this skill is vibrantly alive.

A special day

Bram and Kimberly graduate as a skilled companion team with handsome Zeeland.

America certainly approves!

The lovely flowers Rod gave me for our 39th anniversary

and even better, upgraded my computer! whooee!

Still time to sign up

These slides are some of her students' work
Davi, you were 21, but now there are more posts, but you're definitely included.

Find more photos like this on Suzi Blu's Les Petit Academy

Pinxlady to teach drawing class!

·       

 San Dieguito Academy

 800 Santa Fe Dr. 

Encinitas 

 Wednesdays 6-9 p.m.

  September 9^th–October 28^th

·        COST: $150.00

·        REGISTRATION: 

San Dieguito Adult School  

walk in,

 or online at – sdadulted.com   

here's a link to my first encounter with Cecie:
meetingcecie
and here's a link to her website:
pinxlady

I can earnestly say Cecie is a gifted artist, a gentle lady, and a good friend.
I'm just bummed that the class is at night and y'all know i don't do nights!

What would you add?

Our baby is one

and more gorgeous than ever!

America's best bud

This was at puppy play before graduation.

America loves Daniel - he often provides her with shade.  She trusts him implicitly, knowing he would never back up over her.  She will seek the shade of his chair whenever she's had too much play and it gives me great joy to be his friend!

K9 tribute

Gorgeous tribute to our beloved companions!
Goosebumps for for all 6 minutes!

Calling all fans of Cindy McQuade

Cindy will be selling her remarkable glass pieces here.

Here's a sample of her one of a kind pieces

Such an eloquent tribute

This was written by Mark Kowalski, puppy raiser of Kaelen, selected as a breeder, and shared by Marianne Hymanson, a CCI puppy raiser in Phoenix.

TO A FUTURE PUPPY RAISER:

CCI Puppy Raisers are front-line ambassadors for CCI. If you’re not a PR and are thinking of becoming one, you must know and accept this. Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? Ask any Puppy Raiser and you’ll find out it isn’t so simple. For, as a (usually but not always!) able-bodied person in public, handling a dog with a cape, you’ll be the ultimate source for the curious who want to know exactly how these very special dogs get prepared for their life’s work.

This means, that you’ll have to be prepared to answer the top 3 hot questions that many people ask a Raiser:

1. “How do you ever give it up?”
2. “How will you ever give her up?”
3. “How will you ever give him up?”

Oh, and I really have to include the ancillary question: “Isn’t it really hard to give them up?”

These questions are usually followed up by easy questions concerning the dogs a) breed, b) age, c) sex, and d) chances of making it. The answers to these are so simple I’ll just give them to you now:

a) Golden, Labrador, or LGX (“what’s that?”);
b) Somewhere between 2 and 20 months; 
c) One of A) male, B) female, C) formerly A or B; and
d) "Gee, I don’t know. My job is to get Skippy here to the next stage in his life. But you have to have hope!"

So that knocks off the follow-up questions. I’m not saying there aren’t complications. Take me, as an example. Because of the large complement of “extra blond” hairs on my head, my sore knees, and my wrist with carpel-tunnel syndrome, I often must explain that, “No, the 5 month old dog with me is not MY service dog; I’m just raising it and this is one stage in its preparation.” And you must always be prepared to provide the CCI mission statement and summarize the overall training program.

But, what about those hot top 3? I think that we can safely condense those to one question: “How do you ever give them up?” Even though I’m on my 6th pup at the moment, and even though I’ve thought often and deeply about how to answer this question, I still have no solid recommendations for you.

I don’t know what answer people are looking for, or, what answer I should give them.

Should I break down and sob and tell them "Oh, Boo hoo hoo! Yes, it’s just awful!" like some poor victim being interviewed for the 6 o'clock news? After all, if you had to give your pet up, you’d be very upset. I know I would be. 

But this dog is not a pet. It’s the embodiment of a message of love and hope and help and I’m just writing a few introductory sentences into its life’s message. The Breeder Caretaker has already written theirs and the staff and volunteers at CCI added a short note at 8 weeks. “More film at 18 months, folks, stay tuned!”

Well, should I say, "No, it’s OK, my heart is made of stone.", another 5 second TV sound bite? That’s a pretty silly answer, isn’t it? 

But maybe some of the public think a Puppy Raiser is a special make of robot that feels nothing, does not appreciate that every puppy they raise is unique, that does not let the pup into his or her heart and life, that does not worry and fret over every little thing that might ruin their puppy’s chance for success? Oh, I hope they wouldn’t believe that of us!

Do I have the time (and do they), to engage in a serious discussion of the responsibility I feel to help those less fortunate than me? Maybe this amount or type of "donation" is beyond many people's understanding, though lots of people do understand, give us a quiet "Thank you for what you do", and leave it at that.

Oh, I don’t know, I don’t know what to say anymore.

I could drag them off to a CCI graduation and say "Look! LOOK! See?? See? Now do you understand?" Not going to happen too often, is it? But, actually, this does happen and if you can get them there, magic happens! You can always get a graduation DVD and let them borrow it.

When I talk in excess about CCI pups at home, my wife is fond of telling me that "It's not about the dog, it's about the graduate." And, yes, I agree, ultimately it is about the graduate.

“It’s not about the dog?!?” Hmm, well, maybe it’s a little about the dog, too, since it's a graduate TEAM. Clichés aside, I’ve heard many graduates tell us PRs that they’ve accepted their Canine Companion into their life as one of their best and most valued friends. 

This then, might be my latest answer to the Big Question.

When we open our heart to accept its help, the dog is only too willing to lend us its angel wings. Those wings carry us far above our troubles, they beat against the closed hearts of others, and they tug open the gates that have held us back. What a supreme friend we have in the dog! Who among us would deny sharing this friendship with another friend in need? I, for one, cannot. And I think you couldn’t either!