The Happiest Coincidence!

I do not remember if I mentioned it here, but I know I did on my other blog. My husband has finally said that he thinks that getting a dog would be a good idea for the family especially for Zac and me. Hubby is not really an animal person as I have mentioned before, but I think that the unconditional love that comes from a dog will really melt his heart and do him a world of good too. His job is so stressful, especially some things that have come to light lately that I am unable to  disclose at this time, plus our living situation with his oldest son and his family moving it. It is all very stressful, even though things are leveling out somewhat.

With all of that being said, I went onto Facebook and asked my friends if they knew of a reputable rescue in my area, so I could start looking for a puppy. I decided that I wanted to go with a puppy, because of Lily. I did not want her to be threatened by a big dog. My First Grade Teacher, Peggy Purcell, who I have always loved dearly and who made a HUGE impact on my life whether she knows it or not, answered and said that she had a teacher friend that ran a rescue called Mutts & More, Inc. So I thought if Miss Purcell recommends them then they must be top notch, so I went to their Facebook page and asked if she had any puppies. She told me that she just got some in that morning, and she posted a picture. I picked out my Micah right then and there. She invited us to come and meet her anytime, and she gave me her phone number. I told her I would be in touch soon.

The next day, Kendra, Zac, and I were out running some errands, and I asked them if they wanted to run and see the puppy while we were out, and of course they both screamed "HECK YEAH!" So, I gave Lori a call, and she gave us directions to her home. (In our county the do not allow free standing rescues, so she runs the rescue from her home.) When we got to her home we were greeted by Lori who has one of the greatest smiles I have ever seen and one of the bubbliest personalities I have ever had the pleasure of being in the presence of AND one of the biggest Great Danes! She invited us into her home which was immaculate, and I thought to myself, "she must keep all of the dogs outside."

At this point she took us to the garage where she was keeping Micah, and her mother Moody and Micah's 5 siblings. The pups were only about a week old at this time, and their eyes and ears were still closed. She let us hold Micah, and I knew I had picked the right puppy for us. She also let Zac hold the other puppies too.

She had to take her Dane to the vet so our first visit was very short, but she invited me back so we could chat more. She had said that she needed someone to apply for grants for her via the computer and to help her out with fund raising. I told her that I could do that no problem. I told her that all I do all day is sit on the sofa and get on my computer. She got really excited, and she said she would be calling me soon.

Three days later I get a phone call from Lori and she asks me if I could come over. I told her I sure could. So notebook and pen in hand I drive the few miles to her house. It is all back roads, so I feel very comfortable driving those roads. We sit down at the table, and we start talking about things. We were getting to know each other, and I told her that Miss Purcell had given me her Facebook page, and if Miss Purcell trusted her then I knew she was to be trusted. She said, I thought the same thing, because Miss Purcell had contacted her about me. She asked me how old I was, and I told her that I was 42, and she said she was 48. I asked her what High School she had gone to, and she told me Heritage. I said, "You probably knew my sister Kim." and she said, "Kim who?" and I said, "Kim Vernon." She nearly started jumping up and down, and she said, "Kim and I were best friends in Junior High and High School!!!!" She said, "I remember her little sister, THAT WAS YOU????"

I said it was. Of course I was too little to remember one of my sister's friends, but what a happy coincidence it was! Lori and I have become friends, and I have been over to her house many times now, and we chat on the phone.

I know there are no coincidences that everything is carefully orchestrated by God and this time Peggy Purcell. LOL I'm glad it happened. I found the perfect puppy, and the beginnings of a great friendship, something that I really need!

I Should Be in the O"Limp"ics!!!

Well, I think I am in another full blown Sjogren's flair. I woke this morning at 0515 with horrible reflux. You know, the kind that wakes you up by coming out of your nose. I know, I do NOT have to be so graphic, buy why should I spare you the details? I am the one living with the boiling hot acid shooting out of my nose and throat as I try to make it to the bathroom in time, and YES it IS that bad and that is with the 3 different medications I am taking. Sounds fun huh? Anyone want to change places with me? I did not think so.

My eyes and mouth are always dry, but for the last 2-3 days I have awakened with the feeling that the insides of my eyelids are lined with sandpaper. Every time I blink I can almost hear my lids rasping over my poor red eyes. They look like I have been riding in a van with Cheech and Chong for about a month. That would be much more pleasant than what I am truly experiencing. My mouth is just as dry as my eyes, so I have been drinking probably more than a gallon of water a day, but it only helps for a few minutes. I COULDN'T spit on you if you were on fire, so PLEASE be careful with the lighters and matches around me ok?

Lastly, since Sjogren's attacks moisture making glands it also attacks my joints periodically. It usually prefers my hands and feet for some reason, but this time it has gotten those plus my right hip. It is killing me. Maybe I need to an extra gallon of water for the hip. LOL I am going to floating if I drink anymore water not to mention washing all of my potassium out again and ending up in the hospital again.

So, I will still defy gravity, but I am doing so with a slight limp. Adds character I think or maybe I just look like a 42yo with a limp. HaHaHa. I'm still not going to let it get me down though. I would be hell in a "Walking in a circle" contest, but for now I am still content with Defying Gravity!

Uphill Climb Literally! Yay Me!

I have decided to start taking walks again. I am still wobbly,and because of the risk of falling  I cannot walk by myself,. Also, my husband has been banned from running by his doctor, because of several ruptured discs in his back, so he will be walking with me. We are also getting a new puppy in  September when she is old enough, and she will need to be walked on a regular basis. So, no excuses for me anymore walking it is.

The funny thing is about walking out of my drive and hitting the road is I have two choices: uphill or uphill. We decided to walk....drumroll....UPHILL!! We took a left hand turn out of the driveway which is the steepest hill, but it is the closest route to the next road and has the fewest home and the least traffic.

The walk to the end of our road is at least 90% up hill, and it is not a gentle rolling hill. It is a STEEP hill. I thought I was going to die on the way up, and my husband asked me several times if I needed to stop and turn around. I told him that I was NOT going to let this hill beat me, and that my mind, body, soul, and new puppy(LOL) needed me to start walking. I meant I was going to make that hill!

I was wobbly, and I was holding my husband's hand. I did not stop! I was telling the hill out loud that it was not going to beat me, and I continued walking until I made it to the top. After I got to the top I yelled "YAY!" and my husband laughed at me, and said, "That is a hell of a hill isn't it?" I said, "Yes it is, but we made it.

We walked the rest of the way to the end of the road, and then walked home. It was all down hill from there. LOL I suppose the entire walk was a bit over a half a mile. Not much in the grand scheme of things, but for me with my physical limitations, I felt like I had climbed Mt. Everest!