July 11: Doggone Dog

Today’s post is dedicated to Jackie Wheeler, my sister-in-law because she is inspiring and she is beautiful. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2000. Her condition has progressively gotten worse, but she doesn’t let it stop her. She goes and does whatever she can or is able to do. She is sweet and compassionate and deserving of the love with which my brother showers her.

“It does not matter how slow you go as long as you don’t stop.” Confucious

Hobbit House

Kayla's dog, Piper. So smart and so sweet.

Buffy, the micro pig. So smart, but not so friendly. Jean-Luc is perplexed by this weird looking dog.

Max

Pine Grove Diner, Granville

My dad, Bruce Wheeler. They are sitting that way because that's how much room there is due to all the crap around them. It's like the stuff is more important than everything else, including their health and safety.

The little campsite that my brother made for made for me.

Terry woke me up around 9ish (I had been up twice already to take, first Bobby and then Jean-Luc out to potty. I got dressed and we went out for breakfast at Pine Grove Diner, a little restaurant in Granville. It felt nice to sit outdoors and leisurely eat breakfast. Seemed that everyone who was there, including our waitress, knew Terry and most were his former students or parents of former students. I thought the sun was going to come out today, but it only peeked out for a short time and then it began to sprinkle and rain. I AM SO SICK OF THE RAIN - Sooo much rain!

Terry and I put up my screened in doggy yurt. I was able to do some writing. I walked the dogs off leash up to the little Hobbit House that Terry and Kayla built. So cute. Then I was throwing the ball for Jean-Luc in the yard when a fast car came by and he took off after it. He hasn’t done that since he was a puppy. WOW, he is so fast. We were all yelling at him, but he didn’t hear us. He was single-minded. When the car out ran him, he heard me and trotted back like it was nothing. I made him sit and watch cars go by with me commanding him to “leave it.” Then, he was in a time out for an hour. He had to take a nap in the trailer. It was scary, but there really wasn’t anything to do, but let it play out. He won’t be off leash ever again. He blew it.

Terry made us a nice meal of boneless pork ribs and caesar salad. It was a very pleasant meal with Terry, Jackie, and her father, Phil who I just love. Good conversation and just very relaxing. Phil is going to be 90 in a month or so and he’s out there in the garden and also throwing the ball for the dogs. He has such a wonderful attitude towards life and he has great Italian skin. He has fewer wrinkles than I do. The dogs were eyeing and smelling the pork. They knew what they were getting for dinner - spoiled brats. ;0) I love them.

I did see the old folks next door, as they have been deemed by their own behavior. They don’t come out of the house except to go to the doctor, pharmacy, or the grocery store. It’s like they’ve given up on actually living. I mean the opposite of living is death and if you’re not living you may as well be dead. I spent some time in their apartment and it was just like what you see on hoarders. I may have to stay longer to just help them clean it out. My brother has tried, but they won’t let him. I think the dynamic here is the same as the one with Ninfa, Ben, Yvette, and I. She would make me out to be the villain and when Debbie came into town she couldn’t do anything wrong, while Yvette, Ben, and I couldn’t do anything right. My dad and Max have become bitter towards Terry and Jackie for really no perceivable reason and that is just sad. They’ve done so much for them. Number one was putting a roof over their heads. As we did with Ninfa, they were invited to be part of their grandchildren’s lives, but they were grumpy and sometimes cruel, which I have experienced first hand and they alienated their grandchildren with whom they could have had a great relationship. Now as I sit with them and talk about “old times,” they are full of regrets. My dad says that he should have stayed in the Navy or he should have followed some other business associate to another company. Max’s health is very bad. She is on oxygen 24/7 and she seems to be in a great deal of pain in her back and feet. She has been on oxygen for about a year, so she really can’t blame the way the house is on that, but she does. The house didn’t get that way in one year. When Ninfa passed away her children were burdened with the amount of papers and (let’s just say it) the amount of crap left that should have been disposed of long ago. We all really do need less things. I explained to them that I am only going to be here for a short time. I am happy to help them, but if they don’t let me help them, their “worst nightmare” will happen. They will die and Terry will throw it all away. They don’t want him looking at their stuff and I don’t want him to be burdened with it when they pass away. Getting old sucks, but we can do it gracefully and not hurt the ones we love in the process. There is a quote from a Maya Angelou book that I really like, but I can’t remember the name of the book. Anyway it goes like this:

“She said, ‘I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love warm hugs, or just a friendly pat on the back. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’”

The Rascal Flatts song, How They Remember You goes, “It ain’t a question of if they will, it’s how they remember you” and “You're gonna leave a legacy, no matter what you do” “Did you stand or did you fall? Build a bridge or build a wall”… Look that one up. It is meaningful to me. Really, words to live by. Rascal Flatts - How They Remember You (Lyric Video)