Buddy

We have dog-sat Buddy since his puppyhood. When his family needed to find him a new place to live, we stepped right up.

He goes back to his 'first family' when we travel. One dog- two loving homes. Lucky dog!

His favorite hang out is in our 'window room'. At the front of our 70's two story house we have this odd little room that is actually a hallway between two bedrooms, but has floor to ceiling windows.

There Buddy does sentry duty. He watches the front yard and neighborhood most day and night. We feel safe.

He is a great dog, very sweet. Only dog I ever had who asks permission before coming in a room, jumping on a bed or taking a treat out of my hand. Love you, Buddy!

The Dachshunds of Lent

Thank you Sabine and Jan for alerting me to This Article.

Humm.. Lent, Journeys, Dachshunds, dog-sitting business... how in the world could you have related that to me?!

I enjoyed This Article immensely as the dog-walking, philosophizing author considers how walking his charges with various temperaments, reminds him of the struggle we all have with our virtues, vices, personalities and desires as we live in a world with excesses the ready and are constantly urged to do 'what feels good.'

I love reading about the personalities of the two dachshunds he walks along the streets of Manhattan. I can't profess to be as deep or quite the writer he is, but I could relate and resonate very much to his words.

I love our petsitting business. I must admit I generally enjoy the dogs more than the cats, (because most cats won't play), but they are convenient for my schedule with their litter box system in place.

What do I love about it?


- Sharing it with my sons

-I love dogs. As a little girl I would cut picture of dogs out of magazines and had an ever-growing gallery scotch-taped to my bedroom wall. oOe of my goals in life is to get to know one of every breed. (better get busy)

-Love the families we serve.

-Feel like we truly help them. I am the petsitter I have always wished I had. (really)

-My sons enjoy the extra money and it is teaching them about business, professionalism and customer service. When a visit was missed, (first time that happened) the responsible son had to fess up to the owner in person and offer retribution.

-Spiritual growth. Yes, I never dreamed! One thing we tell our clients (or their owners) is we fit the sit for them. What does THIS dog need to keep him/her de-stressed. Could be: walks, throwing a ball, sit and scratch ears, or just showing up.

-It is humbling to serve the needs of a dog. (Think poop. Or getting up early on a day you otherwise would not have to.)

-These visits cause me to slow down. Sometimes when I visit a dog and we sit in the empty house, he just wanting some lap-time or ear-scratches, I will bring my reading and have quiet time to think and pray. Unlike home, there are no dirty dishes, laundry or computer calling me. We sit, talk, and just be. Sometimes I sing to them.

- The walks are wonderful. We are out, and I am always conscience of their safety and they are just having a blast. Sniff-fests, meet and greets, devouring the neighborhood. Like the author, I see a lot of life and personalities. I have to adjust the walk for the dog, help him keep safe within his temperament, but have as much fun as he can without 'sinning', as St. John Bosco would advise.

Best of all, when we show up to a house, with the owners far away, across the state, country or world, or maybe just off to work all day, our clients are always happy to see us.

Can't beat that!

A Little Way of Homeschooling

I think a big part of my spiritual journey, and the ongoing journey of raising children has been beautifully summarized in , St. Therese' Liseiux- "Little Way"

Now it has come back to me, gently, with love and friendships in a new book, just published

A Little Way of Homeschooling:
Thirteen Families Discover Catholic Unschooling

I wish you could see what went on the the background of the creation of this book. I only have a small glimpse of it, the glimpse of being one of the homeschool moms Suzie Andres approached to see if we could 'write a chapter'. I have known Suzie through email lists and forums for years and we *almost* met a few times, :)

The other 11 moms and I have known each other for years and years as well. Some I know just as fellow posters on various lists, others I have become very dear friends with and met in person. We all have one thing in common. We are in love with our faith, in love with our vocation and struggling mightily each day to raise our children, understand them and help them be who the are called to be.

Well, in addition to that, in one way or another we were drawn to unschooling. My chapter ended up being an autobiography of sorts. I had all these great ideas to really make this incredible insightful, power-packed chapter. But, St. Terese stepped in. Little. Be little. That is what homeschooling for 15 years has finally impressed upon me... I am so little. Life is little. Little is sweet and where the most humongous sweetness is. Bigger love than mighty things can ever bring.

This was hard for me because I was raised in the ME generation of the 70s and 80s and went to business school to learn how to be a VP of something one day.

Big big big.

I am continuing to learn that God does expect big things of us, but we have to be little to let him determine how we are to be big.

Big-little-big-little.. this explains a recurring dream since childhood I have had- almost like an Alice in Wonderland thing.. feeling very tiny, then growing big, then feeling tiny.

Back to the book- Suzie asked, we each wrote a chapter, some of us with more trepidation than others. I had grand ideas, ended up with a rather simple account then I wondered 'who would buy this book'? But, when I read the whole thing, I saw the stories, some simple as mine, were powerful in their simplicity and honesty.

Then, we have the beautiful insights from Suzie and her husband Tony who is a professor at St. Thomas Aquinas Academy in California. I wish he had explained unschooling to me, as he has done in the chapter he contributed, years ago as I struggled with the entire concept, wondering if I was truly loving my kids or ruining them... but then, I think it is all about the journey.

Oh.. good blog title!

I have loved this journey.

I invite you all to read our little book. I will post more about the behind the scenes of how it came together in another post.

But for now, please read, enjoy, share. Your stories are part of this, too.

Lent, Again...

Yes, I have been remiss in blogging.

I blame lots of things: Lack of time, new job, Facebook...

I love my homeschool community dearly and have kept up on the UC list, and many of them are now chatting on Facebook. However I do miss blogging. So now I hope I am 'back'.

Funny as I had to guess at my blogspot password, and finally got back in, my son looked over my shoulder and said, "You haven't blogged in a while. That was back when we had Sprite" - referring to the doggy picture post.

Yes, and also I see I had a picture up for Lent.. as that was Lent 2011.

Well, I am back and look forward to reconnecting and sharing our lives.

Blessings,
Cindy

Awesome student video on Liberal vs. Progressive Educaiton

Reflecting on Palm Sunday

 
"Dear Lord, today we remember Your triumphant journey into Jerusalem, but let us not turn our backs on you in the coming days, weeks, months and years as the rejoicing crowd did after that day! Help us to stay on our journey with You day by day. Keep us ever faithful to our commitment to spend more time with you. 

To give just an hour a day in Your company through prayer and the scriptures, and perhaps even an hour a week keeping You company in front of Your Divine Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. Help us to forgo the temptation to return to our lazy ways when this Lenten Period is over. Into Your Hands Dear Lord I commend my spirit!."

Joy on a bottle of BBQ Sauce?

I guess we are officially fostering the two homeless dogs.  The neighborhood is helping but we don't have a home yet and I today I call shelters in earnest.

The girls have calmed down a bit (they were very jumpy and the rain this weekend turned into a mudfest) but they have calmed. I think they are grateful for shelter, a routine, some love and scheduled meals.  I think everyone appreciates that.

It is still a challenge as our resident indoor dog, Ralphie has lost access completely to the backyard as we have not have them checked for worms or whatever else a stray dog might have.  And getting to our garage is always an adventure, which we do often since we have a fridge out there.

Last night at dinner I proclaimed we need to name these dogs.
"I am tired of calling them Mama Dog and Little Pup." I stated with passion.

So we went around for 15 minutes coming up with names and everyone vetoed everyone else. Dh kept naming them after relatives: first after the grandmothers, then after the sisters in law.


Oldest son was coming up with medievel names or those after characters he has created.

I was going after movie stars.


Finally youngest son looked at the table and said:
"How about Spite for the puppy."  we liked it.
"And Joy for the mom."  we agreed.


Then we laughed- the names came off his soft drink can and the back of the BBQ sauce bottle.  They talk about joy on the BBQ, well that is ok.
So, now to find Joy and Sprite a home.  Dh just told me she is digging out of the yard.  Need to accelerate the search!