Point of view ...

I don't know about you, but I've been up to my belt loops in crap before and I was serving myself a heaping helping of "woe is me" when I realized that where I was and what I was experiencing was just a matter of perspective. 

"Once you've seen there is another perspective, you can never not see that there's another point of view." (Ellen Langer)
 Hooah

On this day in history...

Charles Schulz passes (2/12) ...

Last of the original Peanuts strips published (2/13) ...

 

Schulz died at his home on February 12, 2000 at the age of 77, of colon cancer. The last original Peanuts strip was published the next day, Sunday, February 13. Schulz had predicted that the strip would outlive him because the strips were usually drawn weeks before their publication. Schulz was buried at Pleasant Hills Cemetery in Sebastopol, California.

 

As part of his contract with the syndicate, Schulz requested that no other artist be allowed to draw Peanuts. United Features had legal ownership of the strip, but honored his wishes, instead syndicating reruns to newspapers. New television specials have also been produced since Schulz’s death, with the stories based on previous strips; Schulz always said the TV shows were entirely separate from the strip.

 

Schulz was honored on May 27, 2000, by cartoonists of more than 100 comic strips, who paid homage to him and Peanuts by incorporating his characters into their strips that day. (Information borrowed from internet postings)

For those of us who grew up reading these and identifying with all of the characters, February 12 and 13 were very sad days. I can't count how many times I've had the football pulled out from in front of me by some "Lucy" character. And the "World War II Flying Ace" was my hero and inspiration when I was getting my pilot's license.

  

Good stuff to grow up with. Sure beats a lot of the junk in this arena that is out today. Learned a lot of "life stuff" from Mr. Schultz and his cast of characters. One line that I like that is attributed to Charlie Brown goes like this: "SOMETIMES I LIE AWAKE AT NIGHT AND ASK, 'WHERE HAVE I GONE WRONG.' AND THEN A VOICE SAYS TO ME, 'THIS IS GOING TO TAKE MORE THAN ONE NIGHT.'

 

"In the book of life, the answers are not in the back."  (Anon./attributed to Charlie Brown)

 Hooah

Almost like losing a human family member...

It has taken me a week to be able to write this entry.

Our dear friend, Bailey, left us a week ago.  She was 16-1/2-years old and was the most loyal, faithful, loving dog two people could have.  As part of our prayers before meals, we would often thank God for her and wonder how we were so lucky to get such a friend.  But she was old, her back legs were giving out, and in the last week,  her arthritis was causing her to fall down frequently.  She was diagnosed as being diabetic about 4 years ago and the vet told us that she might lose her eyesight because of that.  But we were able to nurse her through these last 4 years.  But now, she just had too many ailments to overcome and still have a good quality of life.

As you can probably tell, this came over her (and us) rather quickly.  We had been to NY to see the kids and she had been in the kennel for the three days.  This was nothing new for her, but this time, when we went to get her, she couldn't walk and I had to carry her out and put her in the Jeep for the ride home. She didn't move the whole way home.  There have been times when she would be a little worse for the wear while there, but we have always been able to nurse her back to good health.  Well, this time, she didn't come back well.  We made progress for a couple of days, but I could tell this time was different.  Her right front leg also appeared to be uncontrollable and she would lose it as it slid out from under her, causing her to fall.  She also started to run into things around the house that she had been able to maneuver around before.  She would run into doors and walls, and I could tell she was just so disoriented.  I knew these had to hurt as she would sometimes just backup a couple of steps and stare at space.

It all boiled down to I didn't want her to suffer.  She didn't deserve that.  So Pam and I took her to the vet's office and talked to them about options.  They said that maybe they could try a localized laser treatment program but there were no guarantees that it would do any good.  And they said they could give her a pain pill for her arthritus, but the side effects would cause her to be sick and possibly have loose bowels, and again there were no guarantees.  Basically, they were telling us that there was nothing they could do for her.  So we had her put down. God, that was one of the hardest things I have had to do in a long time.  I haven't felt that much loss since I lost my parents.  Needless to say, we cried quite a bit that day and have once in a while since. 

I told Pam that Bailey sure had a bit footprint in our house.  Just about everywhere we would go, there was something of hers -- her food and water dishes in the laundry room, her treats in the cupbard, her milk bones in the pantry, her toys in the bedroom, her insulin in the refirgerator, etc., etc.  She sure had a big footprint on our hearts too. 

We first got Bailey when we lived in Troy.  As soon as we got her, Pam took her to obedience classes.  She didn't want anything to do with discipline, she was there to play with the other dogs.  Needless to say, she was not a graduate with high marks.

I remember one time after we moved to Anna that we took her for a walk over at Lake Loramie (that and "flying" in the Jeep were two of her most favorite things to do) and we were walking down a trail when a squirrel ran across the path just behind Bailey.  Pam had the leash at the time and Bailey bolted after the squirrel pulling Pam down and almost dragging her a couple of feet.  She was a strong dog.  Funny thing was I had our camera on taking a video of the two of them -- one of those nice woodsie videos -- and caught the whole thing.  We could laugh at it a couple of days later and thought of sending it in to the "America's Funniest Home Videos" show. 
When Bailey was younger and could see, she loved to swim in the pond.  She could retrieve pond toys two and three at a time and would also swim beside me when I took the canoe out in the water.  She was such fun to be with.

When I was gone to Iraq, Afghanistan, and when I was assigned to the Pentagon, Bailey was Pam's companion and I always felt better that she was there to keep Pam company.  She would sleep on our bed with us, curled up next to Pam, keeping her warm.  Boy that bed seems big now.

There are lots of stories I could tell you about her.  She was the most gentle dog when little kids would try to pat her (more like hitting), and was really smart.  She just seemed to smile and walk away and never growled or appeared to be angry.

If you have had a "friend" like this, you know what we are going through now, and the loss we are experiencing. At times, something will come up and I will think she is right there.  I know that is silly, but she was such a part of our lives.  We really miss her.  She will be buried out back beneath the Bailey's Harbor sign next to the pond -- her pond.

We'll probably get another dog at some time down the road, and it too will be a good companion.  But for now, we mourn the loss of Bailey and are glad she didn't suffer. 

There was once a guy (and I can't remember who it was) who said all dogs go to heaven when they die.  But he added, if there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they go.

I put these lines in a blog entry a long time ago, but I think they really need to be said again at this time:

A PET'S TEN COMMANDMENTS.........
1. My life is likely to last only 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.
2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.
3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.

4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.

9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.

Good bye, dear friend.  You are truely missed.

 My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog already thinks I am.

Hooah

This was a one-dog night...

Just a note to my friends who are either in North Carolina or Florida, I just want you all to know that we have not had a single day since late in November here on McCartyville Road where the temperature has gotten even UP to freezing (or close to it for that matter). 

So it was not too surprising one night when, just as Pam and I went to bed, our dog (Bailey) -- who normally sleeps down at the foot of the bed -- must have had enough of the cold and decided to head up to the supposedly warmer climes at the head of the bed.  The only trouble was, that's where we were.  Well, it all worked out OK -- my snoring didn't keep her awake, and hers didn't keep Pam or me awake.  Even thou we have a king bed, it was still a bit crowded, and, as you can see from the "morning after" picture, she was quite happy being right there.

Properly trained, a man can be dog's best friend.
Hooah

A break from my usual writings...

Al, an old friend of mine who thinks like me on lots of issues, who is almost as rabid a conservative as me (if that's possible) sent me the following. I have used only one forwarded item before in this blog, because I know how people hate forwards. But I thought these were pretty good. I don't know where he got them, but Al is a preacher, so maybe he has some insights or insider info that the rest of us don't. Anyway, enjoy.

A PET'S TEN COMMANDMENTS.........

1. My life is likely to last only 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.

4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.

9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.

Take a moment today to thank God for your pets. I see dogs as a direct gift from Him to us. After all, what is dog spelled backwards? Enjoy and take good care of them. Life would be a much duller, less joyful experience without them in our lives.

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.

Hooah

Amber waves of grain...

This week has been an interesting time around here. Kurt, who rents the land behind our house, began to harvest his wheat crop. Well, actually, he started the other night, making a couple of passes with the combine until it got too humid and damp.

That was funny 'cause Pam and I and one of the neighbor families happened to be sitting around the fire ring when he came up for his first pass. It was a sight worthy of an old time, wild west sideshow-- cutter bars whirling, headlights aglow, spewing chaff everywhere in a big rolling, clanking, pulsing cloud of dust. Bailey, our dog, knowing her role of protectoress of the homefront, lit out after this big dragon, barking and demanding to know what made it think it could come around her territory acting like that. We all had a good laugh, especially when she did her business there, started wagging her tail and strutted back to the fire with that "Look you guys, I guess I showed him who is boss around here" look in her eyes. It would stay on it's side of the fence if it knew what was good for it.
Today, in the daylight, she wasn't interested in it at all. She had fought that fight and won. She did, however, give its partner in crime (the tractor with the straw rake) a piece of her mind when it came raking up the straw into rows for bailing.

We all had fun watching her guard her territory. But I couldn't help thinking of our son, Doug, knowing how he would suffer if her were here. He has a terrible time with allergies and while he might have enjoyed the laugh too, he certainly would have been paying for it.

I wonder where this wheat will end up -- in a bakery, in a gas tank, in some foreign country ...

"The true harvest of my life is intangible -- a little star dust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched." (Thoreau)

Hooah

Waiting for the rain to stop...

I know I have been remiss in doing some writing lately. However, if you are familiar with Ohio summers you know that pop-up storms can really ruin a day of golf or fishing or canoing, so one has to get them in when he can. June saw some pretty nice days here, but of late we've been getting into the pop-up storm cycle.

They're not so bad during the day, but at night they can be troublesome, especially for our dog. If you know anything about labs, you know they go spaz when storms come. Well, the other night, we got a storm and Bailey lit out for the basement door. The storm didn't seem that bad, but she knows it's cooler down there, she doesn't see the lightning and she almost doesn't hear the thunder. Down she went.

We kinda left her down there for a while and forgot about her. I thought I had better check on her between innings of the Reds game, so down I went. Guess where I found her? Under a table in the furnace room. Is this a smart dog or what!! She gave me that "Why aren't you two down here too." look.

She stayed down there, under that old table for a couple of more hours, waiting for the storm to pass, and then she walked upstairs, wagged her tail, and seemed pretty proud of herself. What a dog.

“If dogs could talk, it would take a lot of fun out of owning one.” (Andy Rooney)

Hooah

Bailey is doing better...

You may recall that I mentioned on May 2 that our chocolate lab, Bailey, who is almost 12-years old, wasn't doing very well. In the span of a little over a month, she had lost over 10 pounds and was really looking thin. She was also hobbled by her arthritis and had lost some of her appetite. Her eyes were also getting cloudy. She was one sick dog. She was also urinating about every two hours and was having some accidents in the house when she would sleep.

We took her to the Vet who said she probably had some sort of kidney or bladder infection and either had a cancer or diabetes, but he wouldn't know for sure until he could run some tests. Whichever it was though, he said it wouldn't be cheap. He kept her overnight and it wasn't a good night's sleep for us. The next day he called and said Bailey had the bladder infection and diabetes which was common for dogs. We could treat her condition or put her down.

Well, those last words smacked like a hammer. This was the dog who licked my face while I lay on the floor waiting for the paramedics while I was having a heart attack. This was Pam's companion for about two years while I was deployed for military. Bailey is more than a dog to us, she is one of the family. I guess you have to have dogs like this to understand. Anyway, short of mortgaging the house, we were going to take care of this good friend. We committed to taking care of her, giving her her medication and insulin shots, taking her to the vet more frequently, and changing our lifestyle if necessary to ensure she had a good quality of life for her remaining time.

Well, after a week of TLC and insulin shots, I am happy to report that she is doing much better. She has put a couple of pounds back on and is able to get around much easier. Her bladder infection is gone and she is back to more of her old self. I think the key is in her eyes--they are clear and her old sparkle is back. Her walks with Pam are still pretty short, but she's making progress.

I haven't added any of my dog wisdom to this space for a while, so this might be a good place to get back to it. Dave Berry once said "You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'Wow, you're right!! I never would've thought of that!'"

And finally, even though I am repeating myself on this one, "My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog already thinks I am."

Hooah

Some thoughts from my dog...

During my years in the Army, I always carried around a little green book and wrote notes, minutes from meetings, observations, briefing notes, other military stuff and administrivia. Some of the notes -- sometimes called SNOWFLAKES (because their importance or clarity could melt away in an instant) or GOBIs (General Officer's Bright Ideas) -- seemed pretty important at the time and I thought they some day just might keep me out of jail (or at least off the cover of TIME Magazine). Keeping these notebooks is a time-honored military tradition and every officer and senior NCO I ever knew kept them if for no other reason than as a CYA measure.

However, not everything in there was necessarily related to the war effort of the moment. Sometimes in the middle of the most inconsequential meeting you could ever imagine or perhaps at the point of getting way too keyed up by something one of the lawyers or administrative aides would bring up , these gems would allow my mind to wander just enough to get reoriented and refocused, as it were. To me they were certainly no less important than some of the really significant things in there. If you were ever an officer or NCO, you know what I am talking about. There were a lot of times when people would look over at me and wonder what I was smiling about. While they may need some personal interpretation or interjection, the ones below dealt with me keeping things in perspective.

* Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful. (Ann Landers)

* If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. (Will Rogers)

* There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. (Ben Williams)

* A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. (Josh Billings)

* The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. (Anon)

* If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man. (Mark Twain)

* My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog already thinks I am. (Anon)

I know some would think these are pretty foolish things for an Army officer to be thinking about -- or at least way too simplistic. But you know, sometimes when I would look around at my work, at what my Soldiers and I were doing, and what the implications of of a job done poorly could be, I welcomed these little thoughts that were randomly scattered throughout the book's pages. They helped me keep things on an even plane. I've got lots more of them that I will share in this space later.

HOOAH