Right around the corner

I'll be back really soon. Promise. I've just been busy with the normal stuff. Dogs, therapy visits, gold parties, you name it. It's all good though...no complaints today.

I just saw this posted - and I've decided I'm going to do it again.

It's fun, it's great motivation to get my camera out, and it makes for a little good conversation.  Want to join me?

Yup, I'll be back and blogging soon - like tomorrow!  I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel of my desk disaster area...it's right around the corner.

Swamped

This is how I feel.

Yeah, I've got a couple of things on my plate right now. I'll probably be off the blog grid for a couple of days...but just a couple. Check back after the weekend, um k?

Smarter than we know!

Wow! Check this out.

I knew dolphins were smart, really smart, but this blew me away! Thank goodness these divers were able to help!

Comforting thoughts, and some Proof...

My friend Linda recently recommended a book to me. It's a book by a neurosurgeon named Eben Alexander. The book is called "Proof of Heaven." If you haven't heard of him or his book, do yourself a favor and look him up.  I did, and found this website and short video from a recent interview he did on a talk show.  
  
Watch the video, and listen - especially at the 3 minute mark. Keep that in mind when you wake up, when you decide how your are going spend your day; how you are going to spend your life.  


I can't remember the last time I flew through a book as quickly as I did this book.  It was around 170 pages, and I read it in one day.  I simply didn't want to put it down. I know the loss of my Dad just a year ago had a lot to do with my interest in the subject matter, but I'm telling you, the book was good, really good. 

Both the book, and the poem below give the same message...and they are comforting thoughts to me. I find comfort in thinking of my Dad, moving from this world to the next, and being greeted by so many others that loved him and made the journey before him. 

This book has helped my heart find some peace. Peace that I've been looking for. 

Thank you Linda.

What is dying?

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength and I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white clouds just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says, "There! She's gone!"
"Gone where?"
"Gone from my sight, that's all".

She is just as large in mast and spar and hull as ever she was when she left my side; just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of her destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at that moment when someone at my side says, "There! She's gone!" there are other eyes watching her coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"

And that is dying.

This poem has been credited to Bishop Charles Brent, but is also noted as a work of William Blake.

A Dog Day

This weekend has been a busy one. We got Pickle back up to school and settled yesterday, and the house is back to being quiet.  If you can call a house with 4 Golden Retriever "quiet" - haha!  We haven't been doing much with the pups lately, other than their normal evening walk, so we decided it was time to give them some attention.  

Of course when I say that we haven't  been doing much, that doesn't include them getting their favorite treats...carrots, raw bones for their teeth, etc. These pups aren't starving, that's for sure! 

They love baby carrots!

Harley is chomping away....

                            "Thank you Mom, may we have another?" 

 Crunch!

 "hey, why does she get to lick the leftovers off of your hand?"

 "More? Did you say there was more?"

 "I am a sad, pathetic, starving boy..." 

So, as I mentioned, we decided to do something fun with the pups today. We went up to the lake for a walk! We didn't go the whole way around (which is 5 miles) since we hadn't walked that far with them in a while.  We walked about a mile & 1/4 in and turned around. It was plenty for them for today, especially since it was starting to get warm.

Once we got home, we let them swim for a bit, and then gave all 4 of them a bath.  Jill was not thrilled with that part of the day. 

 Kona was enjoying the warm sun after his swim. 

 "Hello, Jack, turn this way please..."  ---  "No Mom, I will not...I'm mad, that bath water was COLD!" I'm ready to go back into the pool! 

  "Treat? Did someone say TREAT?"

 "OK, so who is the wise guy that made the rule about 'no wet dogs in the house'?  We protest!!"

Balboa Park-a Different View

Here are a few pictures I took of Balboa Park Thursday.  They aren't the typical "touristy" photos that I've posted of the park in the past. 

They are...well...a bit different. 

Sometimes different is good, right? 

 Any "Dr. Who" fans out there? This reminded me of one of my favorite episodes.... you'll know the one....
"Don't blink!"

My Crush of the Week

After a very long absence...in fact it's been 9 long months since I wrote about my last crush here, I came across someone today I thought was "crush worthy."

Now, you may think it's a bit odd that I have a crush on a 66 year old, married man...but I don't.  He's an awesome actor with a long list of credits to his name. He's been know as Hank Simpson, Howard Hughes, Elmore Pratt, Gary Mark Gilmore, Samuel Gerard, Agent K, Travis Lehman, and Thaddeus Stevens, to name just a few. 

Can you guess who it is? I bet you can. Yup, This fine looking fellow is Tommy Lee Jones.  I saw him today in "Lincoln."   It was a great movie, and he was awesome in it. 

Here are a few of his different looks from over the years. In my humble opinion he gets better looking with age.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

I got to spend a little time at a friend's house today. My friend just happened to have 9 4-week old Golden Retriever puppies! 

I got my puppy fix and fell in love.