A Wonderful Weekend!

We had a really good weekend! We went up to Mick’s town and attended Anna Elizabeth’s Dedication Service, and a lot of family was able to attend. Both of my sisters went, along with my Brother-in-law and one of my grand-nieces….

Another thing that was great, was that my eldest son, Charles was able to attend, too. He had spent the last week driving out from St. Pete, FL, and he got there a couple of hours before church started. He’d driven 28 hours straight from E. TX, from my son, Jay’s house to get here. He is out here to visit and to attend his 20th High School Class Reunion.

A lot of my daughter-in-law’s family were also able to come up, and we got some great “5 Generations” pictures.

Their church is a lot like ours on their Baby Dedication Services. We know that a baby can’t make an informed decision about following Christ, but that it is the adults around that child that have the responsibility to lead and teach that child in the way they should grow. We choose to make a covenant with God that we will do the best we can to accept that responsibility. It is not JUST the parents, but the extended family AND the church family that seek to be good role models and teachers.

It was so great to see Charles, as well as my newest grand-daughter, and it was a fun visit for everyone. Jenn’s family are all wonderful people and we all get along really well.

My grand-niece, Jamie, is the one that looks a lot like Kody and is close to the same age. They really love to play with each other, too, so it was a good day for Kody and he got a lot of attention, too.

Robert had to work at our church, so he wasn’t able to go, but he took OC, Dott, BG and Mercy into town, to my sister’s place, so OC was taken care of and didn’t have to go with us. (We can’t leave her here by herself because she needs her wheelchair to go outside with.)

I just Praise God for His goodness and mercy that my kids are following him and teaching my grandchildren in the ways of Life that are promised to those that follow Him. I am so very thankful that Charles was able to make it out here safely, and am praying that he has a great visit and makes it home safely too.

God is so good! Sometimes it is hard to put our beloved children and grandchildren all the way into His hands, but it really is the very best place for them, for, though it seems impossible, He loves them more than we do, and He knows the paths their lives are on more than we do. Some of life’s lessons are hard and some are glorious, but all are in HIS hands.

If you would like to see more pics of Anna and the Dedication, you can click here:  Anna’s Dedication Facebook Album

An Explanation for my Blogging Absence…

I thought that since I haven’t had a chance to blog very much lately OR visit my friend’s blog much either, I should post a bit about what’s going on so everyone will know what’s up.

Many of you know that my husband’s Auntie passed away in March. There was a Will stating that she wanted my husband to be the Executor and sole heir of her estate. We thought that would take care of things, but apparently, at least in the state of California, “A Will is just a ‘suggestion’ to the court of the wishes of the deceased” as explained to us by our lawyer (which we had to get) THIS state has laws about exactly how much of an estate the lawyers are to get and the State is to get, and they want their share!

We had to find a lawyer, and they had to petition the court for a Court Date for a Judge to “appoint” Hubby as the Executor. THAT took until June 10th to get the Court Date, and then it took until mid- August to get the paperwork back from them so that Hubby had authorization to start getting things liquidated, etc. He’d already had her neighbors, which had wanted her house for 20+ years, asking and asking about it, but we couldn’t clean it out or do anything else with it until we could get some money to be able to get a c-train (large metal storage container—10 x 10 x 40 ft.) to store everything in.

Meanwhile, there were break-in after break-ins until almost every thing of any monetary value had been stolen. We finally got the c-train about 3 weeks ago, and since then, Robert and I have had to make the 2 hour round trip over to the town she lived in and work on cleaning up the mess the burglars made. They had dumped every closet, drawer, etc. onto the floor, overturned beds, etc. looking for places an elderly lady would hide stuff. There were 40 years of stuff all over that had to be gone through, to at least get the “treasures” like pictures of family members that were all that was left. Auntie was also a “hoarder.”

We found so many pictures with nothing on them that are very old. Some of the old pics had things written on the back and so we were able to figure out who some of the other pictures contained. For your kid’s sakes and family members sakes, please try to include names, dates, etc. on the backs of the pictures you take. We found pictures of Hubby’s grandfather that had passed before he was born and that he had never seen, as well as things in his precious Grandmother’s handwriting on family tree info, etc.

These things were all mixed in with newspapers and old cards, and junk because of the burglar’s sifting through the drawers. It has taken us quite a long time, and we have not been able to clean a lot of the things like many, many stuffed animals and clothes, etc. We have just had to pack them up and haul them out here to be put into the storage container. She collected stuffed animals as well as so many other things that were stolen. The burglars didn’t take the stuffies, and once washed, we will be selling them and donating proceeds to our local Animal Rescue as Auntie was all about saving dogs and animals.  Here are just a very few with Dott hiding in them...

The clothing, once clean, will be donated to the Thrift Shop for our local Battered Women’s Shelter. Those things as well as the furniture that wasn’t broken or stolen are all in the storage container and at least are now out here for me to work on. 

We have to wait another 4 months for any creditors to petition the State in case they feel she owed them money, and then another couple of months for the NEXT Court Date to finalize things.

Hubby and I have found out that the way to go, at least in THIS state, is a Revocable Living Trust because then you don’t have to go through the courts at all because your estate is handled like a company and the “CEO” and Successors to that post, just handle things according to what is written down. I’d suggest to everyone that doesn’t know about these things, to find out, because it’s a mess otherwise. At least she HAD a Will that stated “without bond” which helped a bit.

We finished the house yesterday, but still have several weeks/month(s) of stuff to go through and clean that is now stored out here. This is all on top of regular life and sick and injured corgis. Praise God I HAVE Him to lean on!

THIS is why I haven’t been on and the corgis haven’t gotten a chance to blog much either. I just wanted to let you all know that we love you all and really miss reading your posts, keeping up with your lives, and letting you in on ours. I hope that this will help you understand… It may still be a while before we are back regularly, but what’s got to be done, has got to be done. Grammy, from Corgi Country

Tuesday’s Show and Tail… Field Pups

It’s time "Tuesday’s Show & Tail" time again! Angela, over at West Virginia Treasures, has been hosting this special time for several months, and it is always a lot of fun to see all the interesting posts of the people who join in! This is the 39th week that Angela has hosted this meme to share about past or present pets, animal friends we’ve known, or interesting stories about animals. If you’d like to join, here is the link to the Guidelines.

Today, I thought that I would tell you one of the stories from the Unity Thrift and Outreach files. My sister and a few other people work together, volunteering their time to help save lost, abandoned, neglected and abused dogs in and around the Taft, CA area.

Last year, they received a call that there was a pack of dogs that people had let loose in the hills on one side of the town. There were several big dogs running the in pack, including one that looked like a Mastiff, and another that looked, at least mostly, like a Shar-Pei.

One looked to be mostly Rottweiler and another looked a lot like a Bernese Mountain Dog. They were told that the Animal Control officers would be going out to shoot these dogs if they could find them, but that someone thought that there were puppies up in a den on the hill. My sister and her friends searched for them and finally found them, pulling several pups that were approximately 6-8 weeks old out of the hole.

They took them in and fostered them with some of their volunteers. My sister took care of one of them that she named Smoochie. They were taken to the vet for their puppy shots, and after several weeks of socialization and care, they were taken to some No-Kill Dog Rescues on the coast where they all found wonderful homes.

My sister has kept in touch with the people who took “Smoochie” and he is well loved and cared for.

The Animal Control officers weren’t able to find all of the wild parents and U.T. & O recently had to rescue another litter from out there.

A couple of these pups were taken to another Animal Rescue where they were able to get surgery done on one of the pups that had inverted eyelids (A common problem with Shar-pei’s from what we understand).

They were adopted out shortly afterward to good homes. These rescues do home inspections before they will adopt out, and then they do follow-up inspections as well.

I really respect the dedication of people who do this kind of work, going out day and night at times to help save some of God’s creatures that need help.  These pups all have happy stories because of them.

Forgiveness is the key!

I was reading my devotional today, and this scripture came up talking about obedience and forgiveness. I know that we are to forgive those we have things against, and that Jesus said in his prayer example, that we should forgive so that we can be forgiven.

2 Corinthians 2:9-11 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. 

So often I have made so many excuses about forgiving people that have hurt me, and in particular one situation where I blamed someone for changing my whole life that I’d had planned out. It took me a long time to realize that even if I didn’t FEEL like forgiving them, like in this verse, I HAD to forgive them to be obedient to God. 

It had become a habit after so many years to go over the bad things whenever the name came up in my head/heart, and I had to make it a HABIT to NOT go over the bad things, but to pray to God for help to forgive, and to pray for God’s Blessings on them, knowing only He can heal my hurting heart.

This scripture goes on to say to me that God forgives them AS I forgive them, and then it goes on further and says that it is for OUR OWN SAKES that He has forgiven them, because Satan can take advantage of us through our anger… at least that is what I believe this is talking about. 

At the time, I prayed and prayed for what I wanted to happen, but it didn't.  It wasn't that God didn't listen or answer my prayers, it was that He knew best and said, "No." In other situations, He has said "Wait."

As to that other situation, over the years, that person and I have again become friends, AND God has shown me that HE had a different plan for my life, for I wouldn’t have met and married Mike or had my wonderful kids and grandkids if things had gone according to MY plan… 

(Pic. from 1995)

Tuesday’s Show and Tail… My Shadow

It’s time to share another "Tuesday’s Show & Tail." Angela, over at West Virginia Treasures, has been hosting this special time for several months, and it is always a lot of fun to see all the interesting posts of the people who join in! This is the 36th week that Angela has hosted this meme to share about past or present pets, animal friends we’ve known, or interesting stories about animals. If you’d like to join, here is the link to the Guidelines.

Today… if I can get through it… I want to share about my old Shadow. He was a very special dog (but so many have been) that we got originally for my son, Mick. We first saw Shadow at an old Safeway Grocery store in March of 1990. He was in a shopping cart with a BUNCH more brothers and sisters. He was the skinniest of the bunch, and looked like he was mostly head (as do most animals who are starving) I couldn’t take all of them home, but decided we would try to save him as he was in the worst shape of them all.

He was part Border Collie and probably had some German Shepherd and/or Queensland Healer in him. He was TOTALLY smart, and learned very quickly. Of course, with good food and a lot of love, he grew into a very handsome, healthy dog and, since we moved out here a few months after we got him (one of the reasons that I knew we COULD get him) he and Mick had lots of room to roam. Mick lived on, and for horses, and they spent many hours riding the hills around here for miles with Mick’s brothers.

One day, when Shadow was a year or so old, I heard what sounded like a horrible struggle outside about 6 a.m.. It sounded like someone was being strangled. I jumped out of bed and ran outside (without my glasses), tripped in a hole and crawled to where the two dogs were struggling. Our other German Shepherd, Midnight, and Shadow had been playing when she got her jaw tangled in his choke collar and it somehow twisted around her jaw she couldn’t let go and it had tightened down on his neck and was strangling him while threatening to break her jaw.

I was yelling to try to wake one of the kids and praying desperately when suddenly one of the links broke! ( a TOTAL miracle as those were heavy, welded links) Midnight ran dripping blood from her mouth, and Shadow lay on his side, not breathing, his tongue blue, and he had already soiled himself. I gave him CPR ( I worked with little special ed. children, so had been taught how) Within a minute, he started to breath again, and we laid there, side by side, me petting him, crying and thanking God, and him gasping until he got his breath back.

His neck was cut and swelled up quite badly for several days, and Midnight had lost one of her front molars, but they both survived. From that time on, if Mick wasn’t home, and after he graduated and left home in 1996, Shadow was literally, in my shadow, until he got to the point where he could no longer walk and started to be in pain, at the age of 17. I took him to the vet and was with him as he went to the “Rainbow Bridge.” Mick drove out and buried him in our front yard, under the trees in his favorite spot.

Besides her Mama Mist, Shadow was OC’s favorite, and she followed him around and looked up to him totally. He was great with everyone and with other dogs, too, once he was told they were "ok." The only thing he feared was gunshots. I remember one day, the neighbors were practicing shooting out in their side pasture, and I heard a bang at the front door. I looked up and there was Shadow hanging from the flyscreen that’s on the upper half of the screen door. He reminded me of those old Garfields that used to have the suction cups on the feet that you could hang on windows… poor baby.

I wrote a poem about/for him the evening we buried him:

Goodbye My Shadow

3/90 to 7/9/05

That silver muzzle is no longer here

To nuzzle my hand as I shed my tears.

Old friend I will miss you so

As through this life I continue to go.

I remember your big head at six weeks old

Attached to that tiny body of bones.

We took you home and fed you up

And you became a sturdy pup.

And then when you were one or two

I shared the breath of life with you.

You’ve been my Shadow from that day to this

And you’re loving presence I greatly miss.

Today I freed you from your pain

I hope that my loss is your gain.

I looked to throw you a treat tonight

But no trusting eyes greeted my sight.

Later I reached to scratch your old ears

Then couldn’t hold back the flowing tears.

I know you’re in a better place

And smiling again with your doggy face.

By Linda Brock © 7/9/05

Showers of Blessings…

We’ve had so many “Showers of Blessings” lately that sometimes I’m not sure I should share in case someone thinks I’m bragging… BUT it’s not by OUR doing, it is things that God has been blessing us with, so I decided to share anyway because maybe seeing God's love and faithfulness to us will encourage someone else who is waiting for their showers to start…

A couple of weeks ago, we went to the BIG Fundraiser of the Year for Alpha House, the Battered Women’s Shelter that our church helps sponsor. My Brother In Law does all the cooking each year because everyone in town LOVES his BBQ Tri-Tip and Chicken so just knowing that he is cooking brings in people. After dinner, they have a silent auction and a regular auction. That is always fun too because our “Goofy, but wonderful” Praise Leader from our church does the auctioning off of the things that have been donated.

This year, my hubby was determined that he would win a “Bed and Breakfast” stay at the big ranch that our friends have up in the mountains near here. These wonderful people are the ones Mick cowboyed for, a couple of years before getting married. This picture is of a “flying mount” onto my Cory while up at the ranch during a day of branding. He had run up from behind like the old cowboy movies and jumped on. Anyway, they open their ranch house for a “Bed and Breakfast” stay once a year for the Alpha House Auction.

Mike started bidding, and then another friend of ours also started to bid. Our friend suddenly realized that he wasn’t going to be in town during the times that were available, so he quit bidding and we got it for about ½ the regular price it goes for! Praise GOD!!! 

We had SO MUCH FUN!!! These people are so very dear to us, and we ate such wonderful meals and talked about the Lord and what He was doing in our lives and our kid’s lives. It was WONDERFUL! The worst part of it was that I FORGOT MY CAMERA!!! Can you BELIEVE IT!!! They had so many beautiful wildflowers out all over their place that I missed. They had a bunch of these blue lupine bushes growing all around the area. I got this picture off of the web, but it looks just like it was taken on their ranch!

Anyway, after the auction, Mike wanted to rush home because it was late, but an elderly lady from our church asked him for his help to take some of the things she’d gotten out to her car for her. He did that and then we headed home. About half way home, we came across a big car/truck accident that had happened maybe 5 minutes ahead of us. If Mike hadn’t helped that lady, we could very well have been in the midst of it!

 

One of the drivers in the accident was walking around dazed (we stopped to help and put up barriers to stop others from running over the debris in the road and until the emergency crews arrived and we weren’t needed any longer) and he was talking about how he had been having blackouts for a while and was supposed to be getting an MRI the next day to find out why… WHY WAS HE DRIVING THEN!?!? 

He had blacked out and hit the other driver almost head on (which could have been us!) Praise God for His angels (the lady) and His protection (the timing.) Luckily, they had both slowed down enough so that no one was killed, though they still totaled both trucks (a big, raised ¾ ton Pickup and a smaller pickup) Both ended up in the ditches, one on each side of the road. Praise God, in this case, for seatbelts! (The pic was taken on Robert’s cell phone at night)

I also Praise God every time I look out of our windows at our pastures which are so beautifully golden with the grain hay that our neighbors planted for us! That was such a wonderful gift, and will feed our horses for at least 6-8 months!

Another thing that happened last night, also has us so happy! Mike came in after work, with a newspaper classified ad section and said, “Someone has a camper shell for sale for only $75!” We have been wanting one for quite a while so that we could put in a back window from the cab in our truck and make a place so that the corgis could have more room when we go on road trips, and we could take them all instead of only a few of them. They would be able to go back and forth into the back if they wanted to lay down, etc. like they do in the car.

We figured it probably wasn’t in terribly good condition at that price, because we’d priced them and a decent second hand one has been going for around $200 or more. I called and asked if it had windows that worked (expecting that maybe they’d be broken out at that price) and he said yes, the windows were fine, and that it was in pretty good condition, so we decided to go ahead and make the hour trip to the big town and check it out.

When we got almost there, I called to tell them we would be a little later than I’d originally thought, and the lady I spoke to then, said that was ok, and mentioned that her hubby hadn’t been very happy that she had put it into the paper at that price, but she’d been told to put it in since they were moving and she hadn’t known what to put it at. 

About THAT time, I decided to get out some extra money because we didn’t want to cheat anyone. We got there and this thing was gorgeous… looked brand new, matched exactly with our truck (which, if you remember, was sold to us by Mike's Christian boss for only $1000) and was PERFECT! We talked with the guy and he helped us put it onto our truck. 

There was a garbage can open right by where he’d had this SnugTop stored, and it had some artificial turf type stuff in the top of it. I asked him if he’d mind giving that to me as we needed to put something like that on the ramps to give OC more traction, and he gave it to me. I'd thought I was going to have to buy some...

He was really nice and was going to give us everything for the price in the paper, and even helped us put it on our truck. I told him that since the Lord had blessed us so much with such a wonderful gift, that I thought He wanted us to bless him, too, and we gave him $100 instead. That was still half or less than half of what we would have had to pay, and we were able to share some of God’s love with them. Maybe the Lord gave us a chance to plant one of HIS seeds… I know WE got a blessing!