An Amazing Present

Merry Christmas everyone. Actually I just spent  the day with my dear friend Peggy who I've known for 15 years. Her son Darrel, was the guy who was like a brother to me, who passed away last month. Since he died a few weeks before Christmas last year, Peggy and I exchanged presents today. It was more special to learn that before Darrel passed, that he helped pick out a blanket for me. On it was a big picture of a kitten who was the same color of my cat Gracie who recently died. They never got to see Gracie because he was sick the last 2 years so they had no idea what color she was. It's amazing that he picked out a blanket that would comfort my heart in the future because of losing him and Gracie.  He had no idea but I bet God had his hand in this.

It is interesting how things happen in life. I am doing better than I was from all the losses. Yet I know I have gained 4 more loved ones in Heaven, one of whom is very furry...oh and my dear Buttons greeted them all..he was another furry one in Heaven...he got to show my Gracie and more loved ones, the golden streets and the amazing vivid green grass. One day we will all be united. Until then, I'm living my life and enjoying being with loved ones still on earth.

January 2019

Stop and Listen to God

God has been telling me to get up early to pray the last couple of days. Sometimes I don't know what to pray...and He says: "that is okay....because I want you to stop and listen...Listen to me...Listen to the birds chirping. Yes I made those birds....Watch the sunrise....Yes I made that sunrise....Look at the grass and the trees....Yes I made those too. Do you see the humans driving by?... I made the human race... Do you hear the noise?...I created noise...and yes, I created you to hear because I created the ear...and if you ever think, well some people might be deaf, and not hear...Well, I gave them other things that are extra special...You would have to be deaf, to get to know what that is."

 

There are many gods out there but has any of them ever made the sunrise?  No they haven't...because I am the true God. They can try to reproduce what I make but some things are just impossible.

Changes in my Pet World

This year I have had several changes in my life in the pet world..

Last November 17, my fur baby Buttons had to be put down because of his declining health.  I grieved but I needed a pet companion so I adopted a cat late last year from the animal shelter who I didn't know was so sick. She had ringworm and sarcoptic mange which she gave me both. At the beginning of the year I had to clean my whole house from top to bottom, twice, due to those incidents. ...which also means cleaning every single clothing and linen in my entire house. I was so exhausted.

Then my health was being compromised due to the cat so I gave her to a friend who wanted to keep her in spite of (and help her with) all her health issues.  I ended up with another beautiful and very talented cat but he missed his owners so much that he cried loudly which increased my headaches to migraines. So I sadly had to return him.

Then I was given a cat in April who I now call my fur baby. Little Gracie is such a delight and her silly antics keep me laughing.  I've had her for 7 months now and she finds ways to get my attention.  She has given me a love bite in the buttox (lol) to opening my cabinet doors just to get my attention if she wants to eat or for me to pet her. I have woken up to her laying soundly asleep on my tummy and sometimes I wake up to her outstretched on my hip when I'm on my side. She has licked my arm with her sandpaper tongue and pulls at my hair with her tiny teeth.

She also has a way of communicating as she is very  vocal but her cute, yet quite voice brings laughter to my ears and heart. Don't let her cuteness get you though,  she tends to put her teeth softly around my wrist as to tell me when she's done needing petted or she just wants to be left alone.  My former cat, Buttons, didn't have any teeth so I forgot what love bites and warnings felt like.  Lol

It has now been a year that Buttons has been gone and I sure miss that little toothless, 20 year old Fur Baby (or should I call him Grandpaw. He was around 96 years old in feline years). Yet if I didn't let him go, I would have never had a chance to meet my little 3 1/2 year old Gracie who we share the same birthday.... (oh by the way,  before I changed Gracie's name, it was Ethel and her sister's name is Lucy which is funny because sometimes I feel like Lucy and Ethel when I get in my silly moods). Gracie is such a delight and I'm grateful that she is my pet companion after all I had to go through with the pet changes.

Signing off,
The mother of Ethel Magillicutty a.k.a Gracie

Pets are Great Companions

There is just something about hearing a purring cat or watching a dog's  tail wag that can put a smile on a person's face. Some even like to be licked in the face; but not I.
Petting our furry friends can lift our spirits. They tend to do funny things that makes us crack a smile.  I am a lover of those funny cat videos. I tend to watch them if I'm down or sad, at times. They will lift me up and make me want to laugh or smile.
There are even organizations who take therapy dogs into nursing homes to help cheer up the residents.

When a person doesn't have children, like myself, an animal can be more than just a pet. It becomes a baby, a fur baby. My cat, Buttons, who I had to put down a few months ago due to his failing health, was my baby. Then after he died, my place seemed so empty. I have stuff in my home like electronics,  books, art supplies to do my hobbies, etc...but it wasn't the same without Buttons.

It's been three months without him and I miss the little things he used to do like laying on the remote controls when I wanted to change the channel. Also he would lay on my cell phone when it were ringing. Sometimes I would miss a call from a friend because I couldn't get him off of the cell phone. I miss him on my Bible as I tried to turn the page and couldn't because he was laying on it. I also miss his different ways of saying meow.  He would say "magow" instead,  when he wanted something.  I miss that friend and companion, even though he was an animal.

I think pet companions are important especially for people who have physical pain. Soon, I will be adopting another furry friend who will become my fur baby. I can not wait for that day when I  will have another pet companion to fill my home.

I have Survived Much.

Life can sure have distasteful adventures at times. The last four months have been one fast roller coaster ride I wanted to get off of.  In October of 2015, I ended up going to urgent care because part of my leg went paralyzed. Turns out it was from major anxiety due to some stressful family situation that I was not handling properly in my life. I had no idea that my body could actually become paralyzed due to stress. I knew that anxiety is also a symptom of fibromyalgia, but I never wanted to admit it...I have to use techniques to lower the anxiety.

 

Also, I ended up gaining weight and having all sorts of new health issues and symptoms, due to the lovely gifts that I was presented with, due to my age.  And that wonderful doctor said I have abnormal perimenopause. Wow. When I deal with new health issues, it seems to always be abnormal for some reason. Doctors have told me that it might be because I have Fibromyalgia.  I should know better; why would this be any different? I ended up having to replace all of my clothes because nothing fit anymore.  I have been fortunate all my life and never have had to deal with gaining weight until now.  It's all because of, oh, what's it called again? Oh yes, perimenopause. Oh and I never knew what a true hot flash felt like until recently. Wow what a new adventure I'm having.....but I'll spare you the details on that subject. I know this article may be long, but please read it to the end.

 

For a year, I had to spoon feed my precious fur baby Buttons because he was acting like he couldn't see the food that was in his bowl. Yet when I put the food up to his mouth he would devour it like he was starving. I rearranged my schedule to always spoon feed him and make sure I had a cat sitter, if I wasn't home.  I even had to put a bowl of water up to his face for him to drink more. I knew he was getting older and was a ripe old age of 96 years, which is 20 years in human years, so I had to keep an eye on him.

 

In November, I was scheduled with an exterminator to spray my apartment. Dealing with fibromyalgia and other health issues, I had to try to pace myself as it took me three days to pack everything up and put a sheet over it all.  After they sprayed the kitchen, I had to spend another three days to unpack everything and put it all away. It took me a few days to recuperate. That weekend, the gas company came to check the gas pilot on my heater. They said it was producing carbon monoxide so they shut it off and red tagged my heater. Then the apartment office personnel had to get an outside company to install a new heater. I thought everything was great until I kept smelling gas from the new heater. I called the gas company again. The gas man said that whomever installed the heater, put in the wrong gas valve. They put in one for the "propane tank" instead of a regular gas valve. He red tagged my heater again after shutting it off. This time the supervisor of the company came to replace the gas valve to the proper one to make sure it was done right. I wanted to make sure it was accurate so the gas company tech came a third time and approved it.

 

Then I noticed Buttons wasn't eating or drinking enough. I thought maybe it had to do with the exterminator or the gas leak, although I did take him out of my apartment for both incidents.  After a vet visit, I found out that he had chronic kidney disease, his kidneys and liver were shutting down, plus his bone marrow was suppressed, amongst other things. I ended up having to put him down because I didn't want him to suffer any more. That was very hard because I love him so much.  He was my fur baby and pet companion. He was the one that was near me when I was in intense pain and comforted me often. He left a paw print on my heart. (After he died, I wanted to give myself a chance to grieve before getting another pet companion even though a couple of my friends wanted to give me a cat. I was grieving lots and couldn't think of having another pet at the moment).

 

On December 2, there was a terrorist attack that was in a nearby city. I was supposed to go to two doctor appts that day, but fear gripped me so much that I didn't want to leave my place. I couldn't go near the horrendous incident, although, I did make myself go for a walk the next day. Three days later,  I was grieving from losing Buttons and had anxiety over the massive shooting, so I thought I should adopt a cat to help calm me down. I have always wanted to adopt a cat from the animal shelter. When I was there, this loving cat who I named Gracie kept purring when I held her. That's when Gracie, my new pet companion, entered my life. She helped ease the fear and anxiety I was having and gave me something to keep me busy.

 

I didn't realize it until later, but I was itching all over my body since I got Gracie. Turns out she was diagnosed with sarcoptic mange, intestinal parasites, respiratory infection, and more....plus ringworm later. So guess what?  What I thought were flea bites on me, were actually scabies that I got from the cat. Gracie had to be isolated and we both had to be treated, including my whole apartment. I had to put everything in plastic bags for a week to ten days. After going to the doctor due to 2 spots that didn't heal from the scabies, I found out I also had ringworm due to the cat.  What a mess!!

 

During that time, the bank contacted me due to a fraudulent charge so I had to get a new credit card and they put my account on hold for a week. Thankfully I already did my Christmas shopping. When I was getting over all of this, we ended up having a major gas leak in my apartment on the third floor. My adrenaline took over and I called the gas company and was instructed to have the third level residents evacuated. It was so thick and I have a sensitive system in my body that I had to get fresh air or I was going to pass out. I felt nauseated and lightheaded yet I got Gracie, my cat, to the first floor and then try to tell everyone on my floor to evacuate. It turned out to be one major gas leak in one of my friend's apartments. It's actually a miracle that she is alive.

 

I was trying to fight for Gracie's life that was full of health issues. I knew if we took her back to the animal shelter, she would be put down. I didn't want that to happen, yet I couldn't handle the 5 medications a day, at different times a day, and the cleaning up after her sickness, etc... plus all the care I had to encounter over my own chronic health issues.  It was too much for me to bear; and I was so worn out. I felt bad but I had to give her to someone who could take care of her with all her health issues. And yes, I made sure my friend knew all the health issues and medications that Gracie was on before she took her into her home.

 

I ended up getting treatment for ringworm, had to bleach my bathroom where Gracie was isolated, had to disinfect my whole apartment again, steam cleaned the carpets with tea tree oil to kill all mites and ringworm, and wash all dirty and clean clothes, linens, pillows, throw rugs, jackets, etc.. in tea tree oil. Thankfully a couple of friends helped me at the laundry mat or it would have been even a longer ordeal.

 

I finally have put all my belongings away, reorganized my place, and am getting my life back to normal. I probably have the cleanest, most disinfectant apartment there is.  I am no longer contagious...yay me. I have dealt with a lot but I keep telling myself it could have been worse. I have grown from these losses and crazy happenings in my life. It was not (and is not) easy going through all that I went through but I have had to keep leaning on God through the process. I also learned  that when I was disinfecting my place and washing all the loads of laundry, that it is just "stuff" and do I really need it all?  I ended up letting go of things. I had too much and sometimes it's time to just let things go. (Now I have that song in my head "Let it Go" from the animated  movie Frozen). 

 

I have done a lot of grieving lately. Not only did I have to say goodbye to Buttons, but I have known 12 people and a friend's animal have died in the past two years. I could only get myself to go to a few of the funerals/memorials because it was too much for me. The hardest was having to let my fur baby Buttons go. I still cry because he was very special to me. I have to picture, in my mind, those 12 people and two animals in Heaven. It's what gets me through it, besides God's strength....I am still looking forward to that big reunion in Heaven where I will see them all, face to face again. Boy, I can't wait to go to Heaven; it is going to be one big family reunion, for me. And for the near future, I'm looking forward to getting a pet companion..
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Come to Me

I was calling my cat, Buttons, to come to me.  I called his name several times,  even vocalized some meow words, but he wouldn't come.  As I walked over to him,  I kept thinking,  how stubborn my cat can be.

Then God, with a quiet voice, asked me the same thing. Why don't I come to Him when He calls my name?

God's Painted Artistic View

I awoke to the smell of a skunk that showed himself in my neighborhood. No, I don't like the smell of a skunk, yet God created the skunk.

I peak out the window as I close it to block the putrid smell lingering in the air. Then I see this majestic site from my third story window. The hues of primary blue, cobalt turquoise,  and yellow light temporarily fill the sky while titanium white highlights the cobalt blue mountains.God you created this spectacular scene.

The trees of various sizes and shapes have what appears to be a dark Prussian blue yet the color is just an illusion due to the early morning shadowing hues of carbon black. The trees are looking up beyond themselves as if to praise the creator.

The speckled grass, of  permanent  green and yellow medium colors, down below hasn't felt  an y humans walk upon it  this morning. This is a new day of hopes and dreams that haven't yet been awaken for most people's lives are in bed to capture what zzzz 's they can. 

The many birds are singing their tunes in the distant and adjacent trees.  I wonder what they are thinking. Their melody is like an angelic choir to my ears.  They are not alike but of different notes and pitches, singing their best for the creator. Maybe they are praising their creative conductor.

After fifteen minutes,  the sky has lightened up with various shades of white that makes every  thing so vivid. Also Titanium white, off white, and hints of yellow light, grays, and not-so-yet sky-blue hues are canvassing the tiny miniature trees atop the mountain. This glimpse of the morning is a reminder that God is the creator. 

God, your uttermost being fills the earth, the whole universe and beyond. Thank you for this new beginning to start over and to learn from yesteryear. God, may I always know who you are: a breath of fresh air on a crisp, fresh morning, well, except for the scent of the skunk you brought to wake me up. You brought the smell of that one-white-striped animal to focus on you as a reminder that you created it all.

(Written on June 17, 2015  at  4:45 am)

Friends Forever Passing Into Eternity*

It's not the best job that will be remembered most, or the clothes a person wears....It's usually the friends or family that come our way....Yet life somehow takes them away when you least expect it..Friends may move away. Some lose communication...and some may even pass through to eternity.
It's just a part of life yet it can be hard to deal with, at times. I couldn't figure out why I have felt sad in spurts, recently, but then I realized I have dealt with a lot of losses in the past 17 months. So I guess I have a reason for these emotions I feel...Yet I do know that I need to get out of the sadness and into focusing differently. I have had to turn on funny movies or videos, watch clean comedy shows, listen to uplifting music, and keep myself motivated because losses can get a person down...

Seven people I know, plus a neighbor's dog that I loved, passed away in this season of my life. I have to focus on the great memories and what I learned from them so the sadness and grieving process would minimize. I want to share with you something from each.

There was Lois Arneson. She was one of those ladies who treated everyone with love and kindness. She would call me "dear little one" for about 13 years.  She was like a grandmother to me. She has a special place in my heart for she showed me who God was by her actions. . The love, the care, and the kindness was truly genuine...I love her lots and miss her. She has written me many times in the years I have known her. I appreciated when she sent me Christmas cards and birthday cards with poems attached to them.  I cherish the letters, cards, blankets and other items she sewed for me.

Roy Vasquez.  He taught me to minister and show love to various types of people.  He was a former neighbor and was a big brother to me. He would call me "Tiny Tot," I think it was because I am short and it was close to Tater Tot. I sure do miss that brother of mine. At that time,  his brother Bobby and another brother, I can't seem to remember the name) started calling me "t-bone...I guess you can say that Roy's family loved Food.
I enjoyed helping Roy in various activities and ministries, such as:the prayer ministry, and the Water Splash Extravaganza. My only regret, is that I couldn't get a hold of him the last year when he was dying. I wish I could have seen him. Yet I am thankful for the last conversation I had with him a year before he died. He is one family member I will never forget, as you see, he was "my brother from another mother," as he would say.


Katie, a neighbor. I will learn from her boldness and I will always remember her beautiful smile. She taught me that when you go through tough pain, it's okay to smile. She was Aunt Katie to everyone who know her. I appreciate the talks we had, especially toward the end of her life and how she allowed me to pray with her during some painful days. I was so impressed that a women of her age (80 or 90 something) would be online. We laughed a lot when I was trying to fix her internet connection because her computer was in the bedroom and the modem was in the living room for some reason. So I kept running back and forth, wearing myself out, as the Verizon Tech, on the phone, kept telling me to push the buttons on the modem and the computer when it wasn't working right. Funny memories. I miss you, Aunt Katie...

Charlotte, a neighbor- I didn't know her that well, but I did watch her get around. She silently taught me that even though she was going blind the last couple of years, she still kept on going.

Bill Hammontree- a friend.  He was a man who loved to help people and showed kindness. Him and his wife would help me with rides I needed to church, at times. I am grateful to be apart of their kindness. I am one of many, they have helped give rides to church.

Bill Faulkner- a man with a great sense of Humor...I miss joking with him on facebook and church events. He was one of those guys that just made you laugh. I enjoyed his humor over the ten years that I have known him.

...then there was little Taffy, I miss my neighbor's dog who died last year. She was also apart of my life as well. I used to take her on walks and pet her many times each week for over 3 years. It's so nice how a dog can show you much love. Some may say, that it's just a dog. I say they are wrong, because a pet, can be a family member.



My dear Friends that left this earth. You will not be forgotten....you have left fingerprints on my heart.

I had written this blog about a week ago, then I found out yesterday that another friend of mine died this week or last. Her name is Virginia Thornburg. Virginia was a sweet, little lady; she was the one who started my nickname about fifteen years ago. She would see me in the foyer on Tuesday mornings. I was helping with the youth office work and she was leading the ladies Tuesday bible studies in the morning. She had a hard time remembering my name so she would associate my petite-ness with my name and call me "Teenie Tiny Tanya."  Then sure enough, others started calling me that, but then it was shortened to "Triple T (by Jon Llera)."  and then eventually I got the nickname "Teensie" which people continue to call me and I even started this blog called "Teensy Tidbits". These nicknames all started because of lovable Virginia. I am grateful for the times we have talked on the phone. I eventually started going to the ladies Bible Study that she taught and gained a lovable friendship. Her late husband was also dear to me. He was like a spiritual father; he would call me his daughter. I miss the both of them.

Thankyou for listening.

A Beautiful Hawk*

I was so fascinated by this hawk that was flying toward my 3rd story window..
and coming closer and closer.
It was awesome to see this beautiful creature
until I saw what he was holding.....
his lunch...
....a rat....
 a long rat's tail hanging and poking though the claws of the hawk.
The hawk let me peak at the rodent.
Eeeeewwwww that just grossed me out and gave me the creeps.....
he came up to my window to give me a great view
and swooped over to the roof....

I heard there is a hawk nest behind my apartments.
For some reason, I didn't feel like finishing my breakfast

God Used a Cricket to *Save My Life*

In December of 2014, I was having problems with feeling very weak and nauseated. I do deal with Fibromyalgia (Fibro) and a list of other health issues so feeling weak and nauseated is not new to me. Even Fibro sometimes feels like the flu. Yet this was weird because I couldn't get up off the floor of my lounge pad on that Monday.  Usually I can go about doing things a little at a time, but something was different this time.  I thought that it was just another health issue I have to endure so it didn't really bother me too much. On Tuesday,  I felt a little better but I could barely do my laundry. I just sat by the dryer and pulled out the clothes and threw them over my head to the table because I was too weak to get up. I didn't even fold all of them. I don't normally act like this.

On Wednesday, I saw a cricket in my kitchen. I don't like crickets because I have a hard time sleeping with the sounds they make of chirping or chiming in the middle of the night.  I tried to catch it with a cup I found nearby, yet it hopped to the back of the stove.  Grrr, I thought. I am never going to be able to get it. As it hopped behind the stove, I leaned toward the wall to see if I could see it.  All of a sudden I smelled gas coming from behind the stove.

I immediately called the gas company, and sure enough the gas repairman confirmed the gas leak coming through the regulator of my stove.  As he was fixing it, I looked around, behind, and under the stove to locate the cricket, but no luck. After the repairman left, I opened the windows and felt fresh air fill my lungs immediately. I even noticed that my cat Buttons was walking around more after I opened the windows.

The next day I saw the cricket hopping out of the kitchen. I ran to catch him because I didn't want him in my bedroom making those cricket sounds. Yet I felt sorry for him. Poor little guy; I didn't hear him make a peep the night before. He probably felt sick, too, due to the gas leak. It was because of him that I smelled the gas leak, so I decided to capture that little guy and bring him back to the good outdoors where he belonged.  I walked down the three flights of stairs, opened the door, and released him. I gave him a second chance as I got one too.

God sent that little cricket to save my life and also my cat's life. If I didn't see him hop near the back of the stove, I wouldn't have known I had a gas leak.  I have heard people say that animals (cats and dogs) have warned people when danger was close by. God must have a sense of humor, because he sent me a cricket.

CRAZY Circle of Events *

The other day I was trying to get more sunlight for my cat and I so I decided to move a tray table that I use for my plants because it was blocking the sunlight spots in my living room; well I accidentally tilted the tray table, which made the plant fall to the ground, which made the soil fall on my carpet, which made me have to re-pot that plant, which made me re-pot 2 other plants, which made me get the vacuum out to clean up the dirt, which made me notice the dusty inside window sill that was near the fallen plants which I then decided to vacuum, which made me notice the other dusty living room window sill, which made me vacuum that one, which made me think since the vacuum is out, I need to vacuum my apartment.

And all I was trying to do was get more sun on my aching body. 

I learned from my cat, that when I can't get out of the house, I lay in the sunlight because it feels good on my body. He does it all the time, I didn't understand it until I tried it out...lol... it feels good.

I am so Over the Owls*

Well, today my neighbors said that the screeching owls have moved on. I had to go check it out so I peaked out the window down the hall from where I live. Yup no more screeching sounds. I loved those beautiful owls that I was able to observe for a week or two.

One day, I looked on the sidewalk, and lo and behold, there was a creature sitting there. This brown animal's eyes were looking at me..it wasn't a cat or a dog. I couldn't tell what it was. At first I thought it was a brown owl. That is so awesome but Was it hurt? Why is it on the sidewalk?  Yet it was so cool to watch...It looks so curious with its white face and brown body, just looking around and turning his head from side to side.. Oh I wish I had my camera.  I went and put a note on my neighbor's door and went back to the window and it was gone. I am a curious person, by nature so I had to go investigate that animal.

I forgot I had my camera phone so I got it ready and I went downstairs as fast as I could and out the door to go see if I could get a closer look, but that animal which was about as big as a kitten or puppy was nowhere to be seen...

Then I moved closer to where it was originally standing, and I heard a sound as if something creaked open, then all of a sudden this beautiful brown owl flew about 100 ft away from me, but it was carrying a smaller animal...his dinner....oh gross. I immediately got nauseated and felt like I was going to puke when I saw that animal being carried away to be eaten,,,just the thought of it made me not like that owl any more...I know they have to eat, but that was too much for me to see..

As I walked back to my apartment, I had this bad taste in my mouth, and felt disgusted by the owl....as I am writing it, it's still giving me chills down my spine...I am a city girl...I don't like to think of  animals killing other animals for food....Okay I know I eat certain meats, but like I said. I am a city girl...If I had to kill it, I would be a vegetarian...

so long, furry friend; I hope you had a good life.

We Have Visitors*

About a week and a half ago,  I was at my neighbors apartment around 9 p.m. which is in the same building as my place. I sat on her nice couch and while we were chatting, I heard screeching sounds. I asked her to listen and we were quiet as the sounds enhanced. I suggested that I thought the noise was a screeching owl. She laughed as she said that she hears that noise a lot at nighttime and thought it was her neighbors making that noise. I kindly said, as I chuckled, "that's not your neighbor; that's a screeching owl." As we continued to talk, the noise would become louder and then lower a few decimals. I said goodnight to my friend, and went on my merry way. I totally forgot about the lonesome owl. 

Last week, one of my relatives came over to visit me. While he walked back to his car around 8:30 p.m., he heard the same noise that my friend and I had recently heard from her apartment.  He called me and told me that he thinks there is a nest of owls in the palm tree where I live.  I thought that was cool, but eventually forgot about the owl again...Yes I get fibro fog (a.k.a. brain fog).

Then the next day, I went out for a few hours and visited with some friends.  After I was dropped off at 9 pm, I heard an increased number of screeching sounds coming from the palm trees. I decided to investigate the noise.  I went up to the third level of my apartments and looked out the hallway window...and lo and behold, there was one owl, then another, and another, and one more...than I think there was even one more. They were on the palm tree branches, some were flying in the air, and some were peaking out of the palm tree...So I called my neighborly friend and told her "you have to come check this out...There are 4 or 5 owls in the palm trees on the property."  She was amazed and came as fast as she could up the stairs. It was a sweet moment to share this surprise with her.

The beautifully white colored owls would circle around and come for a landing on the palm tree that was right in front of me.  I couldn't believe it's beauty of how it soars through the sky with no effort.   A few of them soar in the sky, some sit on the palm tree branches, and a few stay in one spot that looks like a nest in the palm tree.  It's so amazing. I have seen owls before, but they usually glide into the palm trees and hide.  So it was magnificent to see these beautiful creatures God created.  When they were flying, I wouldn't hear any sounds from those owls. Only when they landed on the branch; it was then that they would start communicating with each other in this high pitch screeching sound. When two particular owls would join the nest, the owls would get so excited and the screeching would get even louder as though they were the welcoming committee or the hungry committee...These two, I think were the younger ones. They didn't seem to take off anywhere but flapped there wings and were extremely excited when I assumed mom and pop came back...These younger ones, looked just a tiny bit smaller than the other owls, and even a little bit rounder.  But don't let that stop them, they sure have lungs...They get just as excited and loud as the adult owls.

I ended up calling one of my other neighbors on another day and told him about them...I said, "You have got to see these owls." So he came up and we saw at least six owls... Out of the six I saw, five of them were hanging out on the branches and some would fly and come back to the same tree while one (I will name the Rebel) decided to fly to the opposite palm tree.  It was so magnificent to watch...

One of my new nightly routines is to see these beautiful, peaceful creatures.  Six beautiful, fluffy white owls right where I live...Amazing...and the best part is, the owls are on the other side of the building so the screeching sounds don't wake me up....lol...yet I do feel a little sad for my neighbors on the other side....if they aren't getting a great amount of sleep from the group of owls.  The owls seem to come out from 8:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.  Yup, about the time people are either trying to relax or sleep.  

I have been google-ing information about owls. Did you know a group of owls is called a Parliament (ask.com). I also found out that there are over 200 different species of owls too (ask.com). Who knew? I had no idea. If you want to see a list of the owls, check out http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=all

Okay I have to go now and spend sometime with my new friends.

the picture of the owl is from: picturesfrom http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/PHOTO/LARGE/3160392778_1e4fd6e031_o_TimLenz.jpg

Are you like a Cat?*

I have noticed that my cat Buttons has a mind of his own. Buttons comes to me when he is hungry, when he wants love, and when he wants to play yet ignores me when he wants to, like when I want to pet him. Yet he always comes running when I am cooking or if I give him his food.  He comes to me when he wants attention, like when he wants me to pet his long-haired fur. Many times, even in the middle of the night, he will meow to get my attention while I am asleep and wake me up, just for me to pet him.  I won't allow him on my bed, so I tend to sleepily, throw down my arm and try to find him in the darkest of night to stroke his gobs of fur.  During those times, he just starts purring as though he is content because he has made contact with me and then he will go off on his merry way. There are other times, I just ignore him because I am too tired to reach down to where he is even though he will be persistent in his meows. Sometimes I wake up with him just starring at me while sitting beside my bed.  I wonder how long he watches me.

During the day, I enjoy petting Buttons. He has this beautiful purr that touches my heart.  I like to cuddle him in my arms and pet him. I don't have children, so this is the next best thing, or is it? lol. Half of the time, he tries to jump out of my reach so I can't touch him when he doesn't want to be petted. Most of the time if he wants to be petted, he will come to me so I will pet him. I love it when he throws his body down, and lands belly up; it's my invitation to rub his belly.  Yet there are those times that he still wants to be rubbed but he will lay just far enough so I have to move closer to him so I can pet him... Even when I give him treats, at times, he will sit or lay close to me, yet far enough for me to have to reach him.  I decided he may be trying to play a game or outsmart me, so I put the treats where he has to move.  I have seen him become so lazy that he won't even get up; he will lay down while he eats his treats or food.

My cat can be a "scared-y" cat at times.  If I turn on the vacuum cleaner in the living room, he will run as fast as he can and go hide under the bed. Then when I am vacuuming the bedroom, I know he is under the bed and I know he will jump out and run to the living room.  He scares me at times when he jumps out from under the bed even though I know he will do it. It's like I know he is coming, but I never know just quite when. He hates those vacuum cleaners.

I have a recliner. I have to be careful with the recliner. Because when I pull the leverage to recline the chair, Buttons runs as fast as he can to the other room as though the recliner is alive. He is afraid of the mop, the broom, and even anyone that comes to the door. He will growl when he hears the doorbell ring.  I kind of feel sorry for the 15 lbs of fur.  I try to console him when he is afraid.

If I pet Buttons too much, he voices his complaint. If I don't pet him as much as he wants, he starts meowing even more. Yet I have learned to understand the different ways he meows to know what he wants. I know when He is hungry, doesn't want to be disturbed, when he is sick, wants attention, when he is afraid, wants to be petted, or just misses me.

The more I think about it, I realize that sometimes I am like Buttons. I go to God when I want something. I want him to nourish me, keep me healthy, and console me when I am afraid. I want him to take care of my needs and my wants when I want them taken care of.  I know there are times that I do not want to be bothered, don't want to pray, don't want to do what God wants me to do, and I even will vocalize my complaints to him. I may do everything else that I think I am supposed to do while I am in God's presence but then I realize I haven't shut off the Internet, the cell phone, Facebook,  the radio, and maybe the TV.

Today, I had to make a special effort. I turned off everything for 1 hour and had a candle light dinner with God. I realized that my mind was racing because of all the advertisements I had seen today. All the bright lights that are on the high-tech things I own felt like it was making my brain literally light up.  Then I had all these ideas running through my brain of all the to-do-lists of things like, I have to check my emails, my Facebook, my Blog, and all the other stuff I do with all these high-tech things I own and use daily. I had to keep refocusing on God and his presence.

 I realized I haven't been spending a lot of quiet time with God. I am either reading about Him, writing about Him, etc...but I haven't had quiet time with him. So again, I turned the high tech things off, and decided to spend more time with God. I decided to lay face down on the ground, and pray.  I  sensed God tell me to just keep silent before the Lord before I spoke a prayer to Him.  The only thing I heard was the buzzing sound from the air purifier in my living room. I remember thinking, wow this is so nice and peaceful as I had my head face down on the blue pillow I had on the carpet.  But then I started to think about other things.  

Like I said earlier,  it  is so easy to get consumed with all this stuff now-a-days.  I remember when I was younger, I used to just think about like what is for dinner, or what is on my to-do-lists when I would try to pray and I would have to refocus.  Yet now it seems like it is so much harder to focus on God even when praying. I try to pray through out the day when I am doing things around the house or even when I go out, I acknowledge God in my mind and heart daily.  Yet I noticed I need to get back to having more quiet times with God.

Well, there I was, I finally was refocused on God. Then next thing you know, I felt a plop. Well, if anyone could hear a plop, I could...I look up from the blue pillow that I was leaning on to find Buttons' back, right at my face.  I told you he has a mind of his own. I began to pet him, and of course, he started purring. But then I realized, I had stopped praying and lost my focus on God and started to pet Buttons.  It was then that I realized I am a lot like this cat when it comes to doing what he wants, when he wants, and how he wants to do things. It is so easy to get distracted when praying. Well, I stopped petting the pile of fluff that was in front of my face and started praying to God.  

I love Buttons so much, and I know he loves me. He knows that I will take care of him.  God loves me so much, and I love Him and yes, I know that He will take care of me. When I go to touch Buttons, I realize that God reaches out to me, just as much, and even more. When I hear Buttons purring his contentment. It reminds me that God knows how much I love him. He hears my delightful heart.  But then again, when I know Buttons is ignoring me or wanting to do things his way, it makes me realize that God knows when we ignore Him and want to do things are own way. It is hard, but I need to stop acting like a cat, and really focus my attention on my God who loves me and takes care of me just like I take care of my cat.  

All pictures of Buttons where taken by Expressive Praise. 

What Do you Smell?*

God, you made the beautiful fragrance of blossoming flowers that enhance my senses.

You created our sense of smell to enjoy even the different foods we prepare.

You flood our souls with peace like rivers and unconditional love that is oh so good.

You have even made the hint of rain producing some kind of scent.

You created our nose to behold the most beautiful aromas of this world.

You made even our senses to enhance life so much more.

Even the smell of meat barbecued, outdoors, makes our mouth water.

Lord, thank you for thinking of even small things like this to pleasure us.

But God, why?  Why did you create the skunk?

Don’t you know that the skunk stinks?

Remember, you created the skunk to spray and be smelled for miles?

It’s not a pleasant aroma that feels my nostrils.

           

And yes, I am grateful that I have a sense of smell. 

Thank you that you made our senses to enhance life so much more.

Thank you that I can smell, see, hear, taste and touch.

I think the skunk was made to remind us....

Actually I can’t think of anything good that it could remind me of,

Except that I still have my sense of smell. (lol)

One time my friend and I saw a skunk coming towards the building;

We jumped out of our seats so fast. God, I bet you even chuckled that night.

Not only do you have all your senses, you have the best one of all...the sense of humor.

8-20-2012

3:30 am

A Promise is a Promise*

Sunday, I went to The Ark. Yes, it's true. I found Noah and we are traveling back in time. All those animals were pretty hungry, so Noah decided it was my job to feed them, uggh...not my cup of tea. The smell of the elephants and camels were too much for me to bear with my strong sense of smell. After I talked to God about it, he gave me one of those filtered masks to wear. It made it much easier for me to breathe. He told me to spend time with all of the animals, and not just the monkeys. Although I did like to look at the spider monkeys; they so fascinated me.

Even though God told me to spend time with ALL the animals, I would not go near anything that looked or smelled like a bug or reptile. I left that up to Noah. I had to draw the line somewhere. Well maybe that's why God didn't choose for me to be on the ark. I have way too many allergies and stubbornness. He probably thought, "Nope, I cannot picture Teensy (a.k.a. Tanya) on the Ark, she just wouldn't make it out alive”. Lol

Well actually my new church is called "The Ark." If you look up at the ceiling in the sanctuary, it may resemble of what Noah's ark might have looked like. I know the church just changed its name to the Ark so I am pretty sure the ceiling had nothing to do with it, but sometimes my imagination takes the best of me.

Okay, so I went to church Sunday and the pastor talked about covenants with God. He had mentioned about how God may make a promise with you personally, but you should wait on God’s timing for the promise to come to pass. He said don’t do like Abraham and Sarah did. Don’t try to make God’s promise come to pass in your own way.
   

I will start out with Genesis 12; God tells Abram that he will make him a great nation. But Abram’s probably thinking: I am 75 years old, childless, and how can I make a great nation without children or descendents. Sarai didn’t feel that God would make Abram a father through her so she tells her hubby, “hey I’m old and gray, and way, waaaay up there in years. God won’t let me have children, so here is my maidservant. Go marry her, and have a child like God said even though it’s not happening with me.” (Okay she probably said it a little differently).

Abram says "okay, if I must. I mean God said he would give me a son. Right? So I have to do my ‘duty.’ It’s not going to happen unless I do something about it.” (emphasis is mine, again.)  

Notice that he didn’t stop, and say: “I love you; I don’t want to “sleep” with anyone else.” He goes and marries the lovely Hagar. I am sorry, but with a name like Hagar, I am picturing an ugly witch with a wart on a long nose. Hagar doesn’t sound pretty to me. Lol Abram gets married, has a honeymoon with his new wife, than out pops a baby 9 months later.  Sarai is bitter, and hurting. I can almost understand her pain, of wanting a child so badly, yet seeing someone else with a baby. It is very hard. Although she did put it on herself when she told her hubby to go have a baby. But now she’s so bitter, that she is mistreating Hagar.

In Genesis 17, God tells Abram,

“As for me, this is my covenant with you; You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram, your name will be  Abraham. For I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful...As for you, you must keep my covenant... As for Sarai, your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai, her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations...” 

Here’s my favorite part.  Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “will a son be born to a man of 100 years old. Will Sarah bear a child at the age of 90?”

God told Abraham and Sarah that they would have a child. Well they weren't exactly at the childbearing age of 70, I mean 40 years or under. I mean Sarah may have been around 89 and Abraham about 99 years old. Can you imagine having a child at that age? I mean nowadays that's at your death bed, or umm...about to get your ticket to heaven, hopefully. If you know what I mean. Well they might have laughed, but maybe they were a little scared. Can you imagine a 90 yr old lady pregnant? She probably couldn't or didn’t want to think of it. I wonder if she still had the aches and pains of an older lady and dealing with pregnancy too! Was she having a hard time walking with a walker made out of rods and rocks? Being pregnant might have seemed like a big joke. Did they have C-section’s back then?  Probably not.

Genesis 21 it says that the Lord was gracious to Sarah and gave her what he promised. She became pregnant and bore a son to her hubby in his old age. He named him Isaac. I like what Sarah says: “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” So she finally gets her baby; she is 100 years old now, and breastfeeding. Yes, Sarah, we can laugh with you; it doesn’t seem possible, but what God promised, he had it come to pass.

So many times we try to do things on our own. When God promises us things, we do what we can to make it come to pass. It’s like when I bought an emergency window ladder the other day. I had priced some of them online for $100 -$200 dollars. Well I found one at the second hand store for $10.  Instead of saving my money and waiting to buy one, I saw what I thought was a great deal. Well I purchased this ladder. It only is for 2 story buildings. I live in a 3 story building. I figured, just maybe I can jump down the ladder one more story. It was actually a useless purchase for me and I wasted my money. There is no way I can use that ladder if there was a fire at my apartments. So instead of waiting and buying a better one, I am stuck with one that doesn’t do what I need it to do.
We need to wait on God’s promises. When God promises us something, He will do it. We just have to be patient, and not try to make the promise happen like Abraham and Sarah did by trying to have a baby through their maidservant or me trying to buy an emergency ladder that is one story too short.
Did God promise you something special? Something that is just for you? Or maybe did he promise something for your family? I know that God has personally promised me things in my own life that haven’t come to pass yet, but I have to do my best and wait and not try to make the promise happen on my own. We have to let them go, yet have faith and hope that they will come to pass, in God’s timing. Even if we have to wait until we are 100 years old for the promises to be fulfilled, it will be worth the wait, when God’s involved.  

Calmness in the Night *

TO DO LIST:
*Do change of address (check)...
*Buy groceries (check)...
*Call Verizon (check)...
*Secure and tie down rabbit cage and plants...

I woke up at 2:40 a.m. and jumped out of bed when I heard the effects of the high winds. The day before I had looked at the Weather forecast online and it didn't mention high winds. Daily I had been keeping a mental note that I needed to tie down the rabbit cage and my outside plants before the high winds start up yet I kept procrastinating. I didn't want my rabbit cage (along with my rabbit) to blow away with the gusty winds we get over here.

I ran downstairs, grabbed some scissors and rope and jetted for the rabbit cage. My plants were blowing frantically and swaying crazily. A nearby heavy object flies past me along with some other debris. The wind takes my long, brown hair and circles it like a tornado and twists it into a complete mess. The leaves cling onto the trees, not wanting to let go. It was a chaotic circus of events that affected natures quiet time.

Swoosh, whirl, boom are the noises all around me. A distant tree bark that was long in length collides with my forehead. After I look around at the surroundings,
I decide to take a peak at my velvety rabbit under the blue, torn tarp that had been covering his cage. Precious, which is the name I gave my precious rabbit, was completely calm and at peace, in his little shelter I had made for him. He looked like he was a rabbit in a hole or even a cave protected from the outside world. Precious was just sitting there munching on his rabbit food as though nothing was going on around him.

I decided that I should still secure the rabbit cage. I took some white rope to hold down the metal cage, and then I paused. I look up and I saw the most beautiful sky above me. It was so clear, yet deep and dark. It portrayed peace and calmness above. The winds had emptied the sky of it's fog, mist, and white puffy clouds that hide the universe; for all you could see were the very things that God created. The sparkling stars were numerous in the heavens way above my head. I took a moment to say "Thank you God" and acknowledged his peacefulness.

No matter what the chaos is, God may show up with his calmness and serenity that relaxes your soul and you know without a doubt, that there is nothing greater than God Himself.

(11/11/10)
Picture by Expressive Praise

This is so "Precious*

I have been doing a lot of changes in my life since March 26. Trying to get all the negative junk out of my mind and be a more positive person. Trying to focus on positive stuff and not all the negative ones that I tend to dwell on. I didn't say it was easy, but I am a work in progress. I have been learning about attracting positive things and thinking in positive ways about my now, my past, and my future. I have been learning that I may attract good things by being more positive and a lot more that I may have to blog another day. Well, all this positive stuff is making me more understanding and closer to God.

Well, today God told me today: "go outside I have a surprise for you." I first thought, nah just my imagination. Then I thought okay, I will after I clean my breakfast dishes and fill up a water bottle. But I just kept hearing God say "go outside now, I have a surprise for you. I was picturing myself by my tomato plant but I went to one of my plants outside and was pinching off the dead flowers to cause more growth. While I was doing that, I had this urge to go toward my tomato plant that was on the side of the house. I walked over there, looked to see if any new strawberries have grown and then I went to my tomato plant. I knelt down and was admiring how big my tomatoes were growing. I said thank you, they are bigger since I moved the plant to this area. I thought that was my surprise.

Then my roommate comes walking through the gate adjacent her car. I watched her as she was coming towards me. I then looked under her car and spotted a black ball, the size of a soccer ball. Yet as I was staring at that ball, I kept thinking that I never saw this color of a ball in our yard. My roommate asked what I was staring at; I just told her I think there's a black ball under your car. I kept staring at it because I was confused of the ball.

To my amazement, the ball moved out of the shadow and I saw this beautiful brown bunny with remarkable ears. I leaped with joy and told my roommate. She grabbed some carrots from the house and I lured him closer to me so that I may catch him. He let me hold him.

He is so soft, with brown fur, not to mention his beautiful crystal like brown eyes. He is very gentle, calm, and tamed. He is so precious.

My roommate thought he must belong to one of the neighbors, so she called some of them, yet no one claimed him and no one knew where he belonged. As I was trying to catch the bunny, I remembered what God said, "Go outside; I have a surprise for you."

It totally made my day. I named the bunny "Precious" because it was a special gift from God. and Yes, He did surprise me.
Thank you God!!!!

Thanksgivng Day - funny moments*

I had a good Thanksgiving Day especially since it was peaceful and relaxing; well it didn't start that way.

I had spend the night at my sister's house; I slept on the couch. Couches are not always comfortable, but I didn't complain and I tried to fall asleep. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have sensitive ears. I could hear two clocks ticking and the water heater making some loud sounds. Then the refrigerator would run. Before I went to bed, I asked my sis if she minded if I take the battery out of the smoke detector that was upstairs and would beep once, every minute. She was surprised that I could hear that, but she knew that I have sensitive ears. Anyway, I finally fell asleep.

I wake up at 1:30 am and feel wide awake; I decide to do something productive til 3am. Then I went back and laid down. I still had a hard time sleeping and as I was about to doze off, I kept hearing footsteps and rattling sounds. Without looking up, I thought it was my sister. I ended up talking to her but she wouldn't respond. After a few minutes, I decided to get up and turn the light on. It turns out that her cat was in my sister's big purse and was digging for something. All I could see was part of his backside and a tail for the rest was in the purse.

I lured him out of it and went back to bed. I kept hearing a lot of rustling, so I get back up, turned on the light just to find the cat back in the purse. He popped his head out and pulled out a baggie with some chicken nugget pieces in a sealed Ziplock bag. I decided to just give him the chicken and put the purse in another room. The cat began to purr as he ate the nuggets and I went back to the couch.
So I guess you could say that I didn't sleep well.

My sister had the turkey in the oven by 9 am. Since I didn't sleep well, I am not in a hurry to get up. I lay on the couch watching the tiny chihuahua drag an  uncooked turkey neck across the kitchen floor to go bring it outside. All I could do was laugh. I guess the cat jumped in the sink and stole the turkey neck and jumped down, with it in his mouth. The dog was thankful. My sister takes the turkey neck from the dog and cooks it for her pets.

We ate our dinner and in the middle of watching a movie, I decide to take a break.  I walked by the dog and notice he is chomping on something that's almost the same size as himself. I bend down to look at it; it's a huge piece of ham; it's humongous. I didn't think anything of it; yet I just happened to tell my sister about it. She said that we didn't even cook ham, and she was right; I didn't even think about the fact that he was chomping on something we didn't even have in the house. So where did he get that ham since he's been in the house or inside the enclosed tiny back yard the whole day? Here's the scenario:

The only thing that could have happened was that the cat jumped onto the 6 + ft tall fence to get out of the yard which we have seen him do a lot. Either he found that great piece of ham in the dumpster or he stole it from one of our neighbors' dinner plates. LOL. It looked like it had just been sliced; maybe the ham was sliced into four pieces and someone gave him a slice. I don't know. Too funny. Can you picture this? A cat with a huge carving of ham in its mouth, climbing on top of a 6+ ft fence, and jumping onto the ground. I don't know, he might have dropped the ham a few times. So he drags it through the opened back door that leads to the kitchen and gives it to the tiny dog. I think the dog had the best Thanksgiving ever, don't you think? lol

FUNNIEST Dog-Sitting* Adventures*

I usually house sit at different friends' houses, but this time I was dog sitting, cat sitting, or maybe zoo sitting a couple of weeks ago. I was taking care of 3 cats and 5 dogs.Thankfully the tortoise was in hibernation.

One of the cats, we will name Crazy Cat, decided to have fun in the field in the back. He came in with fox tails, weeds, and dirt all over his thick fur so I spent a great amount of time picking them out of his fur and mostly out of his bottom. (no fun)

One night, as I opened the bathroom door and was drying my clean and shiny hair, I noticed in the dark living room that the cat dropped a sock near the puppy. I thought it was no big deal; then I thought about it. The cat doesn't usually have socks in his mouth, the dog does. So I turned on the light in the living room and noticed I was staring at a gopher. Yuck, eeek, ooouuuooo. I don't like rodents. So I was about to dodge for something to get rid of it and realized the broom and dust pan were in the kitchen. The 3 dogs and 1 cat were trying to get near the yummy delicacy. As I shooooed them away, I ran for the broom in a sprint.

I took a deep breath and swept up the rodent, but the rodent was soft and limp and wouldn't slide nicely onto the dustpan. I had to keep trying to gather this fresh kill before the animals devoured it. This was not a great day for me; still makes me grossed out just thinking about it. lol

I finally got it and was heading out the front door when I realized there was the huge dog on the front porch. I had to sway her away and put the rodent outside with the dustpan. I am just thankful the dustpan had a tall handle. I looked outside and remembered I already took out the trash cans earlier because the next day would be trash day. As I looked down, I realized I am in my pj's, yet I had to get rid of this rodent before the animals got it. I ran and grabbed a jacket and didn't care how I looked. I walked out to the front of the house, out to the street, and carefully put that limp gopher in the trash can.

So glad that was over. Now it was time to get ready for bed. The owner of the dogs likes her animals to wear clothes, so I changed 4 of their clothes just in case she came home the next day. I put on their warm shirts because it was cold. I felt like I was getting 4 babies ready for bed. Crazy. Okay 2 dogs had medicine, changed 4 dog's clothes, made sure they all went out to potty, and then put 3 in a bed. One of them was missing her owner so she slept on the floor in my bedroom. Okay every body is set, so now I get some time to myself. Man, I felt like a crazy mom. lol
Whew, what a night!!!

I had a hard time sleeping; the dog "Bella" I let sleep in my room, actually snores. Then in the middle of the night, something startled me. I looked on the side of my bed, and the dog was jumping up and down really high, trying to get on my bed. All I could do was laugh. I don't know how long she had been jumping and NO I did not let her sleep with me.

The next morning I realized it was going to be a hot day, so I had to change the dogs clothes again because they would have roasted in their warm clothes. So I ran to the dresser drawer where all the dog's clothes were and picked out 4 more outfits, then threw them on them because my bus was about to pick me up. Then I made sure 2 of them had their meds and all were fed and I was out the door.

(The Next day) I was getting things done in the house, and then made sure the door was locked and the alarm was set before getting ready for bed. A half hour passed by and I kept hearing barking. I told one of the dogs that was following me to stop barking. Yet she wouldn't stop. Actually I figured out it wasn't her at all; it was one of the dogs I forgot about and left him outside. So I had to unset the alarm and open the door and let him in. Then I turned the alarm back on.

A little later, I kept hearing running water. It was bugging me because I was the only one in the house. So I opened the door and forgot about the fact that I had turned on the alarm. So the alarm is now blaring; I run and turn it off. I call the alarm company to tell them that it was a false alarm and didn't want to be charged for it. I dialed the number that was written down. It said the number is changed and to call another number. So I call that number; after following all of the steps and talk to an actual person; they said I have the wrong alarm company. So then I finally call the correct company and the rep said that the alarm didn't register onto the system. I guess if you turn the alarm off within a few seconds, it doesn't compute. I remember running to turn the alarm off. What a crazy week I had!!!
And the owner of the dogs wonders why I was so exhausted after I dog sat. funny. lol.   Stay tuned for more adventures.