Oh Thundershirt Come QUICKLY!

Our "new" baby - Goofusmarufus (aka Calypso) - has her share of quirks.  I've heard that happens with rescue dogs.

Calypso came to us rather unexpectedly, shortly after Queen Bee died and when we weren't really sure we wanted, needed or could deal with a new dog.  But sometimes Dogs choose us.  And she did.

Having only ever raised pure bred pups, I had a lot of learning to do dealing with a shy, feral, 9 month old unknown mixed-breed mutt.  She understands life as:

•  Yelling means you are mean and I won't come near you for days, even if you're not yelling at me. 
•  If you come at me too quickly I will assume you are going to do something evil and I will bolt and avoid you for hours. 
• Food is a trick to get me to do something I don't want to do. 
• Puddles, not dog dishes, are for drinking. 
• If you ever do make me do anything I don't want to (like go in the water despite having "water dog" breeds heavily in my blood), I will remember it forever and if you even say the word "pool" or "swimming" I will disappear faster than jelly beans on Easter.

After two years I have learned how to live with her, how to give her love and training, but sometimes, I still can't give her comfort.

Lately, Goofus has decided she's terrified of thunderstorms.  Living in South Florida, this is kind of a problem.  I've heard about the Thundershirts and decided to give it a try.  Their website offered free shipping and a moneyback guarantee, so how can I lose?  Yesterday I finally ordered one.

Apparently I waited a bit too long.  It will be here in 7-10 days.

Meanwhile, last night we had lightening strikes all night long.  Guess who was running around the house crying all night long.  Guess who wanted to cry this morning when she had to get up for work?

We do have a large bathroom with no windows where Goofy Callie likes to hide during most storms.  Apparently that wasn't good enough last night.  Apparently she wanted to run around the house crying until I woke up.

Hurry Thundershirt and get here quickly.  And please let it WORK.
 

Being Loved. It CAN Happen!!

Sometimes when I'm procrastinating, when I'm learning from my past life, I like to go through my old posts and remember how far I've come.

Today I read this.; an old post from a day I recall so vividly after re-reading that post.  And I remember how unlovable I felt.  Not just unloved, but truly unlovable.  That was the lesson I took away from that disastrous thing I called marriage, "I am unlovable."

Fast forward a few years.

Enter the Captain.

Enter BLISS.

Enter unconditional LOVE.

Yes folks, it does exist, and not just from your dog.

Every day I awaken next to a man I fell asleep giggling next to (or something else maybe...)  Every morning I look at him and thank God for the indescribable joy that has come into my life.  Throughout the day we sent text messages, emails or even pick up the phone and chat.  Just because we miss each other.  When we sit on the couch in the evening and read, I put my legs in his lap just to be near him.

OK OK some of you will say, "Yeah you've only lived together 2+ years." 

But really?  I know THIS IS IT.  Because he knows I get crabby, he knows sometimes I leave my shoes all over the house, he knows sometimes I rush dinner and burn stuff.  He knows that when I drink too much I get a little mischievous.  He knows I like to get up on stage and sing karaoke badly.  He knows I have a big, loud, game-playing family.  And he loves all that about me and more.

He also knows that I love deeply.  I laugh often.  I care about the hurting and injustice in the world, both near and far.  He knows I am the absolute mama bear to my cubs.  He knows my family is my most important world.  He knows my religion and my beliefs are important to me but that I will not push them on you. 

He gets me.  And it Loves me, as is.

It is so wonderfully, joyfully satisfying to look back on my life and look at today and see how satisfying the journey continues to be.

Thanks truly be to God.

More Committed than Marriage - WE BOUGHT A HOUSE

I realize I'm writing this for myself as I'm pretty sure no one remembers me anymore, but we've hit a major milestone and I'm so excited that I want to post for posterity if nothing else.

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE TOGETHER!!  (UGLY but front remodeling on hold until next year when major repairs inside are done)

Hells yeah.  For 2 years we lived on a little island in South Florida - found quite by accident when I suddenly had to rent instead of buy in Florida back in 2011 when I chucked my former life and moved south.

After about 9 months on the island we realized we'd really like to live here permanently.  But we wanted a house 1) on the water 2) with beach rights.  Yes I said beach rights.  See that header on my blog?  that's the private beach that came with the rental.  Only the first 3 streets on the island have access, most of them being land locked.

So we waited.

And prayed.

And another year passed.

Then one day I noticed through my job that a house on the water with beach rights was going to foreclosure sale.  I briefly tried to jump in that crazy auction pool and said, "Nope, I'll hope the bank buys it back and deal with their REO department." 

Then it didn't go to foreclosure, something happened and it was pulled.

Damn, it was April and I really wanted to buy something.  My house in MD had an offer on it, closing in May.  Time to buy something here.

So then I found the owner's info (it's an investment property, sitting empty) and called him.  Turns out he's "in the business" sort of and was agreeable to a short sale if I could convince the bank to do it.

Game on.

LOOOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGG very difficult story now behind us, after thousands of phone calls, emails, hundreds of documents uploaded, tears, nightmares, frustration, eviction (oh yeah, in the midst of this my landlord decided NOT to let us renew on a month to month and said "YOU, OUT by July 31), we bought it!  (during this time my former mother-in-law passed after a long illness and the Captain's mom passed after only 6 weeks of her cancer diagnosis - yeah it was a tough time.....)

Yes it "needs work."  So far in a month we have replaced 2 air conditioners (it has a dual system),

fixed the pool (it was black, no filter, covered in chicken wire),

ordered a new kitchen to be installed prior to Thanksgiving (she said hopefully),

measured for new hurricane sliders all across the back, power washed the roof and all patios and driveways, painted two rooms (the rest are being overhauled),

 bought 12 samples of paint because we have trouble deciding on colors for the tiny cabana bathroom, bought appliances, um...yeah and other stuff. 


Tired?  yes.  Estatic?  Definitely.

By the way, Captain is incredibly handy.  HE designed the chemical-free pool filter system and installed it.

Reason number 357 why I love him so much.

THIS is the true beginning of the rest of my life.  And I couldn't be happier.