Ole' Bud

He was blind.  He was deaf.  His knickname was Granpa.  And he could be grumpy for sure.  But he was old.  Still, Buddy was one of the most loyal dogs I've ever known.  I got him in December of 1996; he was a rescue dog who we took in and loved immediately.  He came into our family at just the right time, a little over two years after my Daddy died.  Goodness knows he sat with us Miller Girls on our back deck and watched many tears fall, heard a few squabbles, and saw more than I care to ever admit.  We have always joked that we'd be in a heap of trouble if Buddy ever learned to talk! 

He loved nothing more than a trip to the groomer.  Those shaves literally added years to his life.  He would prance out of there like he was King.  It amazed us every single time how much spunk those shaves gave him!

He was such a good dog, and we will miss him dearly.  RIP, Bud.  There'll never be another one like you.

sNoW!!!

Here in Middle Georgia, we don't see much snow.  So, whenever weather seems favorable for snow, folks tend to flip out, rushing to the grocery store, schools close and everyone plans to stay home and wait it out. 

The thing is, the threat of winter weather rarely rings true.

But it did on Friday!  And this nay-sayer was busy working in my office (that has no windows) when I heard coworkers down the hall talking about the snow. 

"It's snowing!  It's snowing!"

I still didn't believe them.  I thought maybe there was snow mixed with the rain, but I seriously didn't think it would stick.

And then, we got an email from HR:  our offices were closing at 3pm in an effort to allow all employees to get home safely before the winter weather.

What?!?!?  Seriously?

Seriously. . .  By 6:30, our street looked like this....

Our home looked like this. . . 

Tim and I decided we'd see what our dogs thought of the snow.  We both pictured them loving it, frolicking through the snow. . . .No. Such. Luck.  They couldn't stand walking through the snow!  Belle would walk only when she absolutely had to and had this pitiful look on her face the entire time we were outside!

We thought the snow was beautiful and enjoyed it while it was here. . . 

The dogs were much happier inside where it was dry and warm.  Here's where I found Buddy while I had the bedsheets in the washing machine. . . 

On our new comforter!?!?!

Needless to say his nap was cut short there! 

What a great weekend full of snow and fun!

Wednesday's Walk: A little of this, a lot of that!, and Blogger Appreciation Week

Whew, lately it’s been like I’ve rushed to get up some blog posts just so I can stay connected. I’ve not really put a ton of myself into this blog, and I miss it!!!

So, in honor of Wednesday’s Walk, I’m going to tell you all about our Memorial Day weekend, how we accomplished oh, so much, about my art project, and maybe even I’ll throw a little blogosphere-games in the mix!! So hold on tight, y’all, here we goooooooo!!!!

This past weekend, Tim and I were stoked to be at home for an entire weekend! Add to that fun that we had Monday off, and we were chompin’ at the bit to figure out what all we could get into! I did work Saturday morning, but other than that, it was all fun times for us! We watched three – yes, three! – movies over the course of the weekend. The best one? Marley and Me. Hands down. If you’re an animal lover whatsoever, you’ll surely enjoy this family movie! Just make sure you have your tissues (or a big ole' comfy afghan will do, if you're like me and you spontaneously cry throughout the entire movie. Cry bigtime. Like Boo Hoo Cry.) handy.

We also painted the final room in our house! Well, actually Tim really did most of the painting. I don’t mind painting the big areas with a roller, but I was little messy on Saturday. Eek?!? So, I was quickly excused from that project to tackle my own arts & crafts. . .

Ah, yes, the door sign. So I’ve sort of seen similar, much more detailed things recently, and since we’ve painted our front door Posh Red, I decided I would prefer something simple, clean, and crisp on our front door and forego a wreath for a little while.

Enter the need to go to Hobby Lobby.

Tim obliged, so Saturday we headed to Hobby Lobby so I could load up on supplies. Only after, though, we visited Lane Packing Company and enjoyed some delicious homemade strawberry ice cream!

So, check out my creation! Whatcha think? Seriously, artsy folks, give me any tips and suggestions you might have. Melissa, be thankful I don’t know your phone number, otherwise I’m sure I would’ve called you a million times asking a million questions as I painted! I really have a new, refreshed admiration for your talent! Only straight lines for this chickadee, and it still has room for improvement!

We also took Belle and Buddy to the dog park and then bathed them, so they’re worn out and clean pups!

As for blog games, this week is Blogger Appreciation Week. This week, we have the chance to share with our readers why we blog, why we write, how reading other blogs has touched your heart, what God’s doing in your life through blogging, mention others you’ve met through blogging, etc. . . Shanda even suggesting including titles of some of your favorite posts so that visitors can see what your faves are. Of course, after posting, make sure to put your post info into Daveda’s Mr. Linky.

Make sure to visit other participants while you’re at Daveda’s site, too! We bloggers heart comments and encouragement!

So, I celebrate Blogger Appreciation Week this week for a number of reasons. In high school, I realized I loved to write. While I’m not stellar at it, I do enjoy every minute of it, and I definitely feel the release from writing is phenomenal! I was hesitant to blog because we currently don’t have kids, so I didn’t know really what I’d talk about. I had no idea when I started blogging that themes exist for virtually every day of the week!

Nor did I know the incredible women I’d meet through this blogging world. I love that so many of my blog chums are folks I’d never meet otherwise. Some of you are big city folks, others live on farms and ranches. Many of you are moms, which I definitely admire. And many of you are amazing Christian women who’ve taught me so many things about my Heavenly Father! And that is amazing!

The blogs I most look forward to reading are those that are so popular their authors definitely don’t read my measly little blog, but who doesn’t crave a good dose of LPM every day? And for goodness sake if you believe Miracles Happen, you definitely know all about precious Harper in Kelly’s Korner! Shanda is one of those incredible Christian ladies who I just know would be a fast friend of mine if we lived closer! And Jeriann, I just eat up her posts every day! I love them! So thanks, y’all, for reading along as I live this crazy thing called life. It’s fun times!

Okay, so this has gotten crazy long, so I’m waiting til tomorrow to talk about another blog award / game! Later, taters!

Thankful Monday

So it’s not necessarily a catchy title, but it’s Monday and I’m thankful, so there you have it. I’m very thankful for a number of things today:

• Your encouragement and your support in the comments about my last post are appreciated more than you can know. I am so thankful for the insight some of you shared, for the additional scriptures you pointed me to, and the grace you all reminded me of! Tim said it best Thursday night, when I broke down over so much of it. Tim said, “B, we know the truth, and that’s all that matters!” Praise God it is!

• Our new lawnmower! The old one just kicked the bucket, so Tim spent Saturday researching online and visiting every Lowe’s, Home Depot, Sears, Sam’s in town. Thankfully we found the much desired mower (it had to have a Honda engine!?!?). It sounds like it runs like a top, but Tim cut the grass so I’ve not yet used it first-hand. Oh but I will. . . . I love cutting the grass!

• Belle finally completed her round of antibiotics. I never did post about the dogs escaping and Belle’s return home costing us $250 (or did I?). Her pink bandage has been removed, her stitches are gone, and her meds are completed! She’s back to her old self! YAY!

• The chance to watch Lawson play tee-ball Friday night. What a hoot! Imagine twenty four-year-olds all crammed in the infield of a baseball diamond. Some are throwing their glove in the air to see if they can catch it. One might decide he’s tired and lay down for a brief nap. Another little boy might decide he needs his Pop. Right. Now. (That was Lawson!) Imagine a pitiful mom realizing she’s not sure where her son is, only to find him in the wrong dugout. Dads and Moms alike are sprinkled throughout these kids encouraging them to hit the ball! catch the ball! throw it to first! and anything else imaginable. Only then have you begun to begin to imagine this fantastic, fun time!

• We also got to watch Lawson’s little sister, Bella, walk! She is sportin’ it all over the place! So cute!

• We have a new red door! Pictures to come, but it’s still under construction (Thanks, Tim!). We decided on Posh Red, and I just know it’s gonna be killer cute!!!

• A great dinner with Brian and Ellie Friday night while Jenn was working. Granted, Ellie refused to eat any of her squash from her Aunt B, but we got lots of giggles, smiles, coos and laughs! That little booger was wide eyed and bushy tailed when they left at 9! She heard she was headed to Lovie’s for a slumber party, I suppose.

*Please say a quick prayer for my friend, Jodi. She lost her Bible yesterday, and given the path she’s walked thus far in life, it was laden with notes, highlights, scripture references, and such. She’s so upset over losing it. But we’re hoping someone found it and will return it to the church’s lost and found.

*Why do people always have to enunciate intranet like this: in-TRA-net? Really? I mean why can’t we just say intranet like we say internet?

House Hubby?

This past week, Tim took a few days off work for a much - much - needed time of relaxing and decompressing. Lucky for me, his idea of chilling out is painting and doing house chores!

Wednesday was his first day off, and I came home at noon for lunch to see our television set up all kinds of undone.

And our office / guest room was also destroyed. He was prepping the room for its upcoming paint job.

Tim had first gone to get us DVR. All our friends who have it love it, so we decided we'd check it out ourselves. Just minutes after I got home, Tim returned. He'd also been to his favorite store, Home Depot.

And Kroger. He also ran by Kroger for sandwich meat for our lunch! While unpacking the groceries, Tim was steady giving me his best "I could totally be a house hubby" pitch. He unpacked the fruit and set it in our fruit bowl. As he's setting the fruit, he says, "see, I can even put our fruit out pretty like you do!" No, I don't set it out in such a straight-line, military fashion. Oh but he does. Not surprised, and I loved it!

Friday was also a day off for Tim. He finished painting, and I'm happy to report I'm perched in a freshly painted, totally put back together office. All special thanks to my House Hubby!

He even had the dogs giving me pitiful we-like-dad-being-home-during-the-day looks, too. They loved being inside during the day, which is usually a weekend thing!

Thankfully Tim returns to the grind today. I'm thankful he was able to rewind, relax, and recharge!

My Favorite "B" Things

One of my favorite blogs, Skinkering Hearts, participated in this fun little Alphabet Game, courtesy of another blog. I was assigned the letter B. Fitting, don’t you think? I do! *GRIN*

You can play along, too! If you want to participate, leave a comment on this post and I will assign you a letter. You then write about 10 things you love that begin with your assigned letter and post them on your blog. When people comment on your posted list, you give them a letter and the chain continues on and on.

Yay!

My 10 Favorite Things that begin with the letter B:

Bags: I am definitely a Bag Lady! I love bags! Purses, over night bags, little bags for make up and such, any of it! I love bags! Here’s the bag my mother gave me for Christmas, which I have enjoyed using!

Buble: As in Michael Buble. His voice is just smooth as silk! I love his jazzy tones in his music. Tim and I danced to Buble’s “Everything” for our first dance, and it was honestly the most fun I’ve ever had dancing to one song! We often still play it on our iTunes and dance in our house!

Baking: Since marrying, I’ve fallen in love with being in the kitchen! I feel complete, fulfilled, inspired while I’m baking! And I love, love, love my Kitchenaide Mixer!

Books: I am such the book worm, and I frequent the library often! I enjoy reading anything from Christian literature to fictional novels to memoirs. My most recent books would include the Twilight series; Manic, a fascinating book written by a lady who battled bipolar disorder; and I’m currently reading Love Dare, a great book for improving the way I love my husband. If I had to name one book that has had a great impact on my life, other than the Bible, I’d have to say Perspectives, by Colin Creel. This is the book that the Bible Study group was doing when I joined and met Tim!

BBQ: I don’t eat it that often, as it’s not the healthiest meat around, but I do love some good ole’ southern barbeque. You’ll never catch me turn it down, and I get it honestly, from my Dad. I remember after he died, we had container after container brought to us. We had BBQ in our freezer for months to come. And I remember for a while, my mother didn’t like to eat it. I think it made her sad. And that made me sad. Still, it’s a favorite of mine, and I love the memories of my Dad that flood my heart while I enjoy a good ole’ BBQ sandwich.

Beach: it just don’t get no better than a warm day spent with your feet in the sand, your head on a towel, a cold drink in your hand, and the sun beatin down on you, all while the ocean’s crashing in front of you! I LOVE IT!

Baby Ellie: Helloooooo. She’s like my most favorite thing ever!!!!

Belle: our black lab who’s 5 ½ years old and full of life! She’s a daddy’s girl through and through, too. But I still love her!

Buddy: also known as Grandpa, Buddy’s our 12 year old mix who’s the sweetest dog ever. Buddy’s been with my family through some pretty tough times. If he could talk, we’d all be in trouble!

Being Lazy: Tim laughs often at how excited I get to have some time to just chill out. laying around in my comfy clothes, watching mindless movies, reading books, and napping. I love it! I need it, too. If I go too long without some Lazy B time, I tend to get quite honery. . . . so don’t say you’ve never been warned!

Foster Dog

I cannot believe I've not yet told y'all about Foster Dog!


Last Saturday, Tim and I were about half a mile home after a good long run. This dog came running up to us, no collar, no leash, no nothing. . . he ran straight to Tim, whining and carrying on. We knocked on doors, asked folks working in their yards, tried everything we could to find out where this dog came from. . . and before we knew it, we were home. With Foster Dog. Now, five days later, we still have Foster Dog. After posting 25 signs around the neighborhood, having a friend send out an email to the neighborhood watch association, and spending $57 on a 3 day ad in the Macon Telegraph, we still have Foster Dog. Tim and I both agree we don’t need another dog. Although Foster Dog is super sweet, very well behaved, house broken, sits and shakes on command, and is the best bath taker ever, we don’t need him. As sad as that makes me, I’ve known it all along. Thankfully, I’ve not let myself get too attached to him. Tonight, two of our friends are coming over to meet Foster Dog. They just might be taking him home with them. To be their dog for real. From Foster Dog to Adopted Dog. . . keep your fingers crossed! I’ll keep you posted!!

Runner's Retirement

I, Buddy Ro Miller Slocum, do hereby announce my retirement from running.

Until recently, I have always gotten so excited when I see my mom or daddy pull out my leash. I usually run in circles, jump up and down and all around, and dash like lightning out the door! Belle, my sister, is usually rushing ahead of me; she’s super competitive and believes she must be in front of me. I let her have that satisfaction. . . We love running!

As my mom has improved her running – she thinks she has mad running skills – I’ve gotten slower and slower to her. The last time I ran with her, she was being pulled by Belle while she was pretty much pulling me. I can’t help myself, but I am sure I’m to stop at every possible bush, plant, mailbox, and fire hydrant to mark my territory. We men must do these things, you know? It drives mom nuts! So, she’s begun ignoring my stops, pulling me until I give up. My final run even included my pottying in the middle of the road because the mean ole’ lady wouldn’t let me stop to pooh!

So, I turn over all running responsibilities to my younger and much more hyper sister Belle. Belle, she’s all yours. Run with her like you always do – pull her all around the neighborhood. But by all means, when you return home, there’s no need to rub it in my face. No, just sit yourself down spread eagle on the floor and cool yourself down. That’s how runners do it, Belle.

It's been fun, y'all. . .

Buddy Ro Miller Slocum“Grandpa” to my biggest fans

High Dollar Doggies

Well, I'll bite. . . after reading many friends' daily or weekly blogs, I decided it's high time I jump in and see what this blogging world is all about. I'm not so sure what I'll talk about or focus on. . . I mean, most of my friends who blog have precious babies to brag about daily. Not me ~ not yet anyway. . . .

But I think about how I love to write, and I wonder if this will be something I'll soon love to do each day. We will see!

One thing I know I can talk about it the cost of taking care of animals. Tim and I went to St. Simons for a long weekend earlier this summer, and we boarded our dogs and had the vet give them each their annual shots. We have a black lab, Belle, who's almost 5 and weighs 83 pounds. Buddy is our 12 year old mutt who weighs only 37 pounds. When I picked them up from their weekend at the vet, imagine my surprise when the receptionist told me we owed a hefty $463.00!!!! I thought I might die! I have never!!!! But, I quietly paid, gathered my happy-to-see-me dogs and rushed out the door.

It just adds up. . . That's what Tim said anyway, when I completely freaked him out with the amount we'd just spent on our dogs. But they are happy dogs; that's counting for something, right?!?!? And we love them!

So, I welcome any and all comments from dog lovers and those of you who might think we're absolutely crazy to be spending that kind of money on animals. . .