What I Believe
QUOTE OF THE WEEK

 

Compare yourself with those who on the Lord’s Day hear nothing except the dismal sound of the world. What a privilege it is for you to hear the proclamation of the gospel!
Bakker, Frans.

 

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Compare yourself with those who on the Lord’s Day hear nothing except the dismal sound of the world. What a privilege it is for you to hear the proclamation of the gospel! Bakker, Frans.
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It is difficult to define Hiraeth, but to me it means the consciousness of man being out of his home area and that which is dear to him. That is why it can be felt even among a host of peoples amidst nature's beauty. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

. . like a Christian yearning for Heaven. . .

Entries in Ivy (25)

Wednesday
Feb052014

Playing catch up

So much has happened since I stopped blogging.  Here is a list of some things in no particular order, just off the top of my head:

Elliott is 5 and in Kindergarten.  He is such a charming little kid.

Madelyn will soon be 4.  Here she is in her recital dress.  Isn't she adorable?

Elliott and Maddie will be getting a new brother or sister in July and I will have another baby to love.

We said good-bye to our dear, dear Ivy to bladder cancer in May of last year.  I still can't even type those words without choking up a little.  Oh, how I loved that ornery dog.

We also lost Buster in September.  He was a sweet kitty.  We are now cat-less.

Ivy can never be replaced but we now have a new red dog to love.  Meet Molly.  She's a stinker.

I suspect Molly will be frequently featured at Hiraeth if I do end up catching the blogging bug.

Sam is now taking the train into Chicago for classes at Tribeca Flashpoint College, majoring in film.  He loves it!

Our 'Narnia' tree died last year.  We replaced it with a White Fir.  It's a  nice little tree, but it's not magical.

I have become a TV watcher.  Never thought that would happen.  I blame Downton Abbey. . .and American Pickers.

My business has grown every year.  It's nice to be fully booked and turning jobs away.  I have the best job in the world.  Every day I get to do what I would otherwise be wishing I could do.  That is a good thing.

Our little church is growing! Everyone warned us about how stressful starting a new church was going to be but it really hasn't been stressful at all.  It is a joy to have been there at the beginning of our church's history, but Christ Covenant OPC is in very good hands with Reverend Wilkins and our overseeing church, Hope OPC in Grayslake, IL.  What a blessing it is to be a part of such a loving church family.

I am growing older.  It's shocking.  I took a 'what is your real mental age' test a few weeks ago and got 28.  Add 30 years to that and you have  my chronological age.  Like I said; shocking.

Want to know something else that is shocking?  Most of the books I 'read' are recorded books.  I'm so busy with my work that by the time I close up shop in the evenings, I'm too tired to read.  But I devour recorded books while I am working.  (Just finished 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' and I loved it!)

I'm getting ready to repaint and redecorate my kitchen.  It will take me forever because I can only work in between jobs and on the weekends.  I probably should hire someone to do it but I like painting.  At least I think I do.  At least I used to.  We'll see.

Right now, I'm working on a marriage proposal letter for a client to be given to his girlfriend, soon to be fiance, on Valentine's Day.  Did I tell you I love my job?

There is so much more. . .I regret that I didn't keep it up, if only for the family memories.  I'll try to do better.

Sunday
Dec182011

Just that quick

Got up to pour another cup of coffee and when got back, this is what I saw--Ivy noodling around on the internet.

Friday
Feb262010

Ivy

Tuesday
Jan192010

I get by with a little help from my friends

The sweetest thing happened this morning.

I had to run some errands.  Eve was sleeping on her pillow; Ivy on the couch.  I called both dogs to their crates.  Ivy ran straight to her crate, but Eve had a hard time waking up.  I had to call her loudly (she is very deaf) because she becomes afraid if you touch her when she's asleep or in that confused state (she is nearly blind).  I finally got her to a standing position and she immediately took off for the space between a chair and the TV cabinet, thinking it was her crate (which is in the next room).  After some struggles, I got her turned around and headed in the right direction, but she missed the door to the room and got herself stuck behind a chair near the door.  Again, I had to call her name and gently get her turned around so she could be led into the room.  When we got to the door, Ivy was standing in the office, watching Eve blundering about and me blundering right along with her, trying to lead her into her crate.  She tried to go into the open space in the computer cabinet.  She tried to go under the desk.  Ivy was standing there, taking it all in.  Once she had sized up the situation, Ivy sprang into action.  She helped me herd Eve into her crate and even opened the crate door wider for Eve.  Once Eve had entered her crate, Ivy stuck her nose in and 'kissed' Eve before I shut the crate door, then she turned and ran to her own crate.

She got an extra cookie.

Saturday
Dec262009

Ivy Claus

There is more to this than meets the eye.  I'll post the rest of the story this afternoon.

Saturday
Nov212009

On her throne

Maybe we should have named her 'Queenie.'

Saturday
Nov072009

It's a Dog's Life

 

Friday
Sep252009

Dictionary Word of the Day:  Cavort

cavort
\kuh-VORT\ , intransitive verb:
1.
To bound or prance about.
2.
To have lively or boisterous fun; to behave in a high-spirited, festive manner.

No dog I've ever known cavorts better than Ivy. . .

 

Thursday
Jun252009

Goofy Dog

Ivy's Perch

Wednesday
Apr152009

Waiting for Dad to Come Home

Ivy was pacing back and forth, waiting for Tom to come home from work. She kept sidling up to me and 'grumbling' and talking, so I reached in the drawer and pulled out the camera:

Eve finally woke up and had to find out what was going on!
Tuesday
Mar172009

Isn't she pretty?

She doesn't look like a dog who would bark at the mailman and jump on visitors and swipe food from the counter if your back is turned.  She's a challenge, but I love her.

Thursday
Mar122009

Public Service Announcement: Dogs and Chocolate

Dogs and chocolate do not mix.  We know this by personal experience.  Our little three pound Yorkie once ate a bag of M&M's that she stole out of one of the boys' Easter baskets and spent an overnight at the vet for observation after a stomach pumping.  Good thing we found the empty bag under the couch and put two and two together.  We know of a Vizsla that died after eating a pound of chocolate left on the porch as a gift for his owner who was in the hospital recovering from an accident.  No one was there to see the signs and by the time the dog was discovered, shaking and trembling, it was too late.

Why am I telling you this?  Maybe you didn't know this.  Maybe you've never explained it to your children.

Here's an interactive chart that will show you just how much chocolate is too much, based on the weight of your dog and the kind of chocolate consumed.  (There's a little orange tab on a slider right to the right of the cute little Doberman Pincer puppy that you can scroll with in case you have trouble figuring it out like I did).

Chocolate is stored on the top shelf in our house.  If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know why.  We live with an unrepentant thief:

Sour Cream

Coffee

Cherry Cheesecake

8 oz. block of cheddar cheese

 

Here are some other 'no no's' for dogs.

Wednesday
Oct012008

A Shoe Will Do

When you are Ivy, comfort is paramount.

Tuesday
Sep162008

A Letter a Week:  'I'

I just couldn't resist including a small nod to my dog, Ivy, in this week's letter.

For more ABC Wednesday click on over to ABC Mr. Linky Blog.

Or, if you prefer, you can also check out the ABC weekly no comment site and browse all in one place.

You can see the rest of my Alphabet by clicking on the 'A' in the sidebar or the "A Letter a Week" category at the bottom of this post.

You can find the answers to last week's challenge here.

Thursday
Aug282008

A Demand for Equal Time

Ivy and Eve heard that I had imported all my old blogspot blogs over to Squarespace and they were offended that I hadn't brought their pictures and stories along with me.

So now you can find the Ivy and Eve Archives in the navigation bar at the top of the front page of Hiraeth.  If you've never browsed Vizslocity before or if you just want something goofy to smile about or if you have five or ten minutes of time on your hands and your feed reading is all caught up, the girls would like you to check out their antics.

Monday
Jun302008

Today is Monday, today is Monday

Monday wash day

Everybody happy?  Well, I should say!

That's a song we used to sing at church camp.  Maybe you sang it, too.

I%20wont.jpg







Ivy is not happy this morning.  Nobody reminded her that it was Monday before she settled into our cozy, unmade bed.  She absolutely refused to move when I started stripping the sheets from the bed. 

I reminded her that if she didn't get off, I'd roll her up in the sheets so she could visit Mr. Kenmore. 

She was not impressed.

Friday
Jun132008

If it were possible

 ivy%20embarrassed.jpg

If it were possible for a dog to blush, Ivy would have been blushing in this picture.  She is not sleeping, but she refused to make eye contact.

You see, she gets embarrassed.  Ivy knows a faux pas better than any of my grown boys.

Last night, we were watching a re-run of Frasier and it happened again.

Let me explain.  Eve was raised in a house with a door bell, so when she hears a door bell, she gets up and goes to the door, barking and wagging her tail.  Ivy, on the other hand, was raised in a house with a knocker and so she has no idea what it really means when someone rings the door bell.  She just thinks it's time to get up and join Eve in random barking, because Eve still barks at door bells--every time Roz or Niles rings Frasier's door bell.  Which happens in almost every episode. 

So now Ivy barks when she hears a door bell and thinks it's great fun.  

Except now Eve is nearly deaf and when she is asleep, as we learned last night, she no longer hears Frasier's door bell. 

Ivy hopped off my lap and went into her random act of barking, but Eve did not join in.  Ivy looked from face to face and then, ears drooping, tail tucked and clearly embarrassed, she ran into the office and hid under the desk.  No amount of coaxing and telling her it was "alright" would convince her to come back to the couch.  

Barking for no apparent reason is fine if someone else is barking with you, but barking alone and then being CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON is, apparently,  just too embarrassing for her.  Every once in a while, she'd peek around the door, but as soon as we would call her, she'd go back under the desk.

Poor confused dog.  We finally had to put her in her crate to help her get over it.   Sometimes that's the most merciful thing to do.

Monday
Apr142008

Reluctance

toenails1.jpg

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Friday
Feb222008

Especially for Elle

 Elle left a comment earlier this morning:

My dog died about 4 years ago, and we have not gotten another one yet, instead being currently ruled by two felines. I do wish for another dog, and these quotes make me wish harder. Now I need an Ivy story and picture as a pick me up, please.

Not long after I read her comment, this little Ivy story presented itself.  I had to run for the camera, so I didn't capture the the whole thing, but here you go, Elle:

Ivy's solution to boredom.

Since I had to run for the camera we're missing the first photo, so I'll just take a minute and set the scene.  Eve was snoozing away on her pillow.  Ivy was bored and restless and spoiling for a fight.  She hopped up on the arm of the couch, just to the left of Eve's pillow, with her favorite toy, Leon (yes, Leon, as in Redbone) and she dive-bombed Eve with it, trying to roust her from her pillow and get her to play. 

 pillow%20fight%201.jpg
 
 When Eve only sat there, sleepy-headed and trying to figure out what just hit her, Ivy sprang into action.  The tail is wagging furiously.
 
 pillow%20fight%202.jpg 
 
Here you see the typical doggy "play bow."  Eve is shaking her head and muttering at the 'young pup. '
 
pillow%20fight%203.jpg 
 
Here you see Ivy, mid spin, as she frolics and skips in front of Eve, trying to get her to get up and play!  Check out Eve's expression.  "HEY!  Make her leave me alone!"
 
pillow%20fight%204.jpg 
 
Eve is up and running now, so Ivy scoops up Leon and runs after her.  (See that red blurr?  That's the toy.  Ivy tossed it after Eve took off)
 
pillow%20fight%205.jpg 
 
Here you see her poking Eve with Leon, taunting her with the toy. 
 
pillow%20fight%206.jpg 
 
Eve's not buying it.  She circled back around the coffee table and plopped down on her pillow. 
 
pillow%20fight%207.jpg  
 
Guess who Ivy wants to play with now? 
 
Look at that face.  We call her Doggy Demando.  I think you can see why.
 
ivy%20blurrrrrr.jpg 
 
There she goes again--a big red blurrrrrr. 

Thursday
Feb142008

Every Picture Tells a Story

This morning I stripped the sheets off the bed and threw them into the washer and promptly forgot about them.  I tossed them into the dryer right before I left for Bible Study this afternoon.  Ivy likes to dig a throne for her Queenly Self amidst our many pillows after I make the bed every morning and I could tell she was upset that the bed was not put back together.  She was restless and spoiling for a fight.

I was gone most of the afternoon and Sam was here with the dogs doing school, so he was the one who heard the commotion and ran for the camera to chronicle Ivy's solution to her "no good place to sleep" dilemma.  (By way of explanation, I must tell you that the pillow belongs to Eve, who has been banished from the furniture and Ivy normally wouldn't think of lying on it.)

 usurper%201.jpg
 
After the scuffle, Eve is trying to figure out what just happened and Ivy is securely ensconced on Eve's throne.
 
Im%20tired%202.jpg 
 
Eve turns to Sam and, yawning, asks for help.  Ivy looks away, "Who, me?"
 
its%20mine%203.jpg 
 
Ivy ignores them both. 
She all but puts her paws in her ears and sings aloud, "Lalalalalala, I can't hear you!"
 
get%20off%204.jpg 
 
Sam isn't helping so Eve tries to push her off.  Ivy's still not listening. 
She's the stone that can't be moved. 
 
compromise%205.jpg 
 
Ivy won't be moved, but Eve persists and they share the pillow until I get home.
 
I brought the clean, dry bedclothes up from the dryer and made the bed. 
 
queen%20on%20her%20throne.jpg 

 Having rearranged the pillows to her liking, the Queen is back on her throne. . .

 Eve%20on%20pillow.jpg

Eve's on her pillow. . .

All's right in the world.