THE LOVE AND EMOTIONS ARE REAL

I went out for the afternoon. Lucie is old and sick. I was going to be gone for several hours, I left Lucie with my neighbor. My neighbor loves Lucie and Lucie loves her. I knew she’d be okay. 

During the afternoon, I wondered how Lucie was doing. Was she barking too much? Was she crying to come home as she’d done in the past? Was she having accidents in my neighbor's house? I tried to push these thoughts from my mind, but they kept coming back.

I couldn't wait to see Lucie. We even went to eat at a restaurant close to my house so we'd get home faster. 

When we got to my neighbor's house to pick Lucie up my neighbor said she'd bring her home later that evening. It got later and later and my neighbor still had not brought Lucie home.

Finally, my neighbor called to ask if I wanted her to keep Lucie overnight. She knows my caregivers are not required to care for Lucie. My neighbor wanted to give my caregiver a break. I was not sure about this as Lucie had never been away from home overnight, but I agreed.

We had a thunderstorm during the night. I worried about Lucie because she's afraid of storms.

My neighbor called this morning. Lucie had done none of the things I had worried about. She had been the perfect dog.

Lucie is home now. asleep on the floor next to my bed. Her presence keeping me company as I type this.

I expected her to want to jump into my lap, so happy to be home, but she barely acknowledged me. Perhaps it was because my neighbor had dog treats.

After my neighbor left, Lucie went to her spot in my room. She knew she was home.

I  realized our separation was a lot harder on me than it was on Lucie. I was the one who was a wreck. She was fine. 

A mother worries and wants their child to be able to handle being away from home. It doesn't matter if you're mothering a child or a furry friend. The love and emotions are the same.

I will never have the experience of parenting a child. I am sure it is very from looking after a pet. Lucie has given me the opportunity to experience emotions that I may not have had the opportunity to experience were it not for her.  Fo that I am grateful   

Have a safe and happy Mother's Day.

MY BUCKET LIST 2014

I saw this story on the talk show, Katie, this morning/ It's the story of nine-year-old Ben Pierce who is gradually losing his sight. They don't know when but they know it's coming. His parents are trying to give him as many experiences as they can so that when the inevitable happens, Ben will always be able to see the experiences through his mind's eye. Katie gave him a fun-filled day in New York City as well as other surprises/

 If we knew we were going to lose our sight or were told we had a terminal illness, what would we want to do or see? What would be important to us?

I started a bucket list. There are only three items on it.

1. To have an article published in a magazine
2. To visit California again
3. To see Cher in concert again

My list isn't very long. The things I thought of seemed inconsequential.

I depend on others all the time. I think a good entry for me would be to try and help others in some way.

 I'd, want to do help all homeless, abused and neglected dogs. I would love to volunteer at the Humane Society. I can't give money, but I can give love.

Writing a bucket list motivates you. It makes you think about what's really important to you.

I hope that Ben Pierce gets to do as many things as he can before his vision fails. He'll have plenty of pictures to view in his mind's eye. Plenty of memories.

 What's on your bucket list?

EMAIL FRUSTRATIONS

I only type with one finger. Staying signed in to my email account is a lot easier for me. I have had the same email provider for a very long time and never had an issue. Periodically, I would have to sign in again, but that was no problem, I would just re-enter my password. Everything was fine. Until this past month.

I was prompted to verify who I was by retyping my password. I did. I was told what I had typed was incorrect. I tried several times. I changed my password and thought everything would be fine.

I enjoy composing and sending emails on my Kindle.  I type slower and have to proofread them really well because I make more errors. I like to sit at my kitchen table and send emails. That proved to be a problem because when I tried to enter the new password on my Kindle my email provider wouldn't recognize it.

I tried every password I'd ever used. Eventually, I got locked out of my own account. Twice. I guess they thought I was a hacker. I found a toll-free number, called, and was going to explain my situation, but all I got was a busy signal. I envisioned a future of being locked out of my own email account once a month forever. I was very frustrated. I called my internet service provider. They were of no help.

I have switched email providers and things are fine with my Kindle and email I have a problem with an update not installing. I'm thankful that I have family and friends to assist me with computer issues.

I love my laptop. it allows me to stay in touch with friends and family, play games, and do research for stories. But when there is a problem I sometimes feel like throwing it out the window.

I have tremendous respect for those who can diagnose technical computer issues and fix them.