But I can write a song.

"I am searching for a stay-put serenity to replace my brash wanderer's self-satisfaction." - Vivian Swift, "September" chapter of When Wanderers Cease to Roam

 

"I was a terrible believer in things, but I was also a terrible nonbeliever in things.  I was as searching as I was skeptical.  I didn't know where to put my faith, or if there was such a place, or even precisely what the word faith meant, in all of its complexity.  Everything seemed to be possibly potent and possibly fake. 'You're a seeker,' my mother had said to me when she was in her last week, lying in bed in the hospital, 'like me.'" - Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From lost to found on the Pacific Coast Trail

 

I love when I read something that describes exactly how I feel, in a way I would never think to articulate.  I fail miserably at playing the role of both believer and nonbeliever.

***

Over the years, I've changed my opinion as to who is my favorite.  Stanley has taken top honors. I went through an Andy spell.  Michael and Holly together made me happy.

 

Ultimately, though, it has always been Jim. 

***



 Oatmeal-Apple Dog Treats

2 cups flour (whole wheat or all-purpose)

1 cup oats

2/3 c. water

1/8-1/4 c. minced apple

Spoonful of peanut butter

Spoonful of yogurt

1 1/2 tbsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tbsp. ground cloves

1 tbs. oil

1 1/2 tbs. honey

 

Mix all ingredients and roll dough to 1/4" thickness.  If you own one, use your dog bone cookie cutter; if not, use a small knife to hand-carve bone shapes.  Bake at 325 for 30 minutes. 

I'm just kidding about the hand-carving.



Fred Bumpus

In honor of "Pet Appreciation Day," a holiday likely celebrated only by those in the Awe-Manac journaling community (and on the heels of St. Patrick's Day, a holiday that most know nothing about, but inexplicably wear green and/or skin-tight shamrock shirts and drink a bunch anyway; see long-ago post about arbitrary or poorly- understood holidays), I offer a tribute to Lucy and Willie.

Reasons I appreciate my pups:
*They always seem excited to see me, whether I've been gone 20 minutes or 2 days.
*They love to sleep with me. And I love that I can tell which one is flanking which side by feeling the thickness of their ears.
*They make me laugh, even when Willie is being jealous of the attention Lucy is getting and proceeds to jump on her, in the water bowl, or into the baby gate that divides dog land and living room land.
*They would protect me if I were in any danger. I don't doubt this at all.
*They know when I'm sad and amp up licks and cuddling.
*They have been by my side through the toughest moments of my life. They always made me feel needed and gave me something to focus on.
*They will wrestle like any brother and sister, but they also sleep on each other in the car and sometimes share the same bed. They are precious.

*They give me something to which to be 100% devoted. They remind me that I can unconditionally love.
*They get excited when we go for walks, no matter if it is just to the creek down the road from our house or long strolls through Marrowbone. They don't mind that DC likes to go with us.
*They are quiet company. Sometimes it's really nice to have someone here...but, two someones that aren't asking questions or bothering me.
*They love at all times and forgive daily. They never keep a grudge if I fuss or take out frustration on them.
*They truly brighten everyday.
How amazing is my sister, Leigh Morgan? She took these last Sunday at Mom's farm, pretty much perfectly capturing how much we all love each other.
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I'm definitely not the only Turner girl who loves animals...

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Janet Hume, one of my wonderful co-workers, wrote the following tribute after the passing of the beloved Hume/Melton family dog named Fred. She kindly made me a copy and gave me permission to include here.

Excerpts:
Brandon was about two years old when he went to Billy Jo Thomas' house to pick out a six week old beagle puppy. He found just the one he wanted from the rest of the litter. Fred was the runt of the litter and Rick wanted Brandon to pick another puppy, but Brandon had found the one he wanted. He brought it home, wrapped it in a towel and brought it down to Ma's house to show her his tiny puppy dog, which he named Fred. (He certainly didn't want Fred to make a mess in Ma's house). Brandon loved Fred and Fred loved Brandon. As Fred grew into an adult dog, we all grew to love Fred and he seemed to love all of us, as well. We would now like to share some special memories of our favorite beagle named Fred.

When fishing with the Meltons, Fred couldn't be still in a boat. He went to sleep on the boat and his ears would perk up and run around when Brandon got a bite. That was the last time he went camping and fishing.

Fred was very, very scared of thunderstorms and lightning. He could sense a storm coming even before the black clouds appeared. One night, it was storming. Charlotte and Ricky had their screen door open for some fresh air. They didn't pay an attention to Fred on the outside, scratching, whining, yelping - wanting to get in out of the storm. All of the sudden Fred appeared in the living room. He had made a running jump and had come through the screen on the door, tearing the screen all to pieces. He came in, lay down in the doorway and seemed to make himself at home.

Pa had a golden retriever dog, named Ginger. She and Fred liked to run together on the fame, especially down by the river. Fred would get so tired of running with her that he would come back home, lap up lots of water and lie down to rest and sleep for a couple of hours. Fred and Ginger liked to go hunting for rabbits, and oftentimes they would bring in rabbits to the house and chew on them all afternoon. Ginger liked to ramble around and one day she was in the road and a car came along and hit her. The first Pa knew of that was that Fred came up to him and began his "talking" trying to tell Pa that something was wrong with Ginger. Fred missed Ginger terribly for several days. He would to to her pen looking for her.

One night Charlotte and Rick were asleep in bed. All of the sudden, Charlotte felt something big jump on the bed and land on top of her. She jumped up, screamed, felt fun, and slung whatever it was clear across the room. She then got up to see what it was, and there was "poor Fred" shaking over in the corner of the room. Somehow, Fred had sneaked in the house when someone came in or went out the door earlier in the night. He had hidden somewhere in the house until 2:00 am when he decided to get in bed with Charlotte.

Another time, Charlotte was cleaning and straightening the living room when she saw something black sticking out from behind the couch. She couldn't imagine what it was until she looked and there was Fred lying back there wagging his tail. He had again slipped into the house when nobody was looking.

While Rick and Brandon were four wheeler riding over on Raft Creek (a few miles from home), they looked around and there was Fred trotting along following them. Brandon had to hold Fred in his lap the rest of the ride. Fred seemed to like Brandon better than anybody else. He somehow knew that Brandon was his "buddy."

Fred was the father of a couple of liters of pups with Travis's female dog, Scrappie. Pa asked Brandon one time, "Where is Fred? I haven't seen him for a while." Brandon, who was not very old, said, "Guess he's got a girlfriend."

Fred was a "picky" eater. He'd look at his food, put his nose down and think about it. Every morning, Fred would cross the road, looking both ways, to visit the neighbors. He wanted to see what kind of food they had thrown out. Fred liked turkey. Last Thanksgiving, Ma had fixed her turkey the night before, wrapped it in Reynolds wrap int he pan in which she was going to cook it the next day. Her refrigerator is small so she decided to put the turkey in the pan on a table on the back deck for overnight so it would stay cool. She was finishing up in the kitchen when she heard a big "thump" on the deck. She ran out and there was Fred just about ready to drag the Thanksgiving turkey out the gate. He had chewed and gnawed on the corner of the tablecover, then pulled and pulled on the corner of the cover until the turkey pan had fallen off the table. There was Ma's turkey on the floor of the deck. She wasn't to be outdone, however. She just picked it up, brought it back in, washed if off good and rewrapped it for cooking the next day.

We all miss Fred, but we know that he lived a long life and that he's not suffering anymore. We'll always remember Fred, the "talking" dog, and the many experiences and incidents that happened during his time with us. Fred was a "smart, little dog" and we were fortunate to be his friends. But most of all, we're glad that Fred was a friend to us and that he'll be remembered by all those who knew him. Thanks, Fred, for being such a remarkable dog!
***
I just think this is so endearing. What are some of your favorite memories with your dog(s)?

"The dog is a gentleman; I hope to go to his heaven, not man's."~Mark Twain, letter to W.D. Howells, 2 April 1899

Addendum to my "Here's Stuff I Find Awesome" post many months ago...
- Leslie and Eric Conner

Your generosity, your warmth, your kindness, and your "take charge" attitudes have literally saved the lives of at least five animals (cats and dogs) over the past year. You have taken them in, regardless of medical condition, size, or breed; you have paid for vet bills, medicine, and food no matter the cost; you have given puppies warm beds and the attention they deserve; you have made strays feel both wanted and loved; you have welcomed the motley bunch of critters into your garage and your family; you have done all of this without ulterior motive and never in search of praise...you continually restore my faith in goodness and love.

PLUS, you collect antique lanterns (tastefully displayed in your beautiful cabinets in your breathtakingly classy, yet inviting, kitchen) and you plan to have some of the girls of '98 over for a slumber party. Could you get any cooler?

Leslie, I truly think you're awesome. Thank you for being you.
"Brutus" is going to make it, thanks to Leslie and Eric.
The neighbors' dog...I don't blame him for wanting to hang out at Leslie's instead.
He's even up and playing around.

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Look, Leigh Ann!! Leslie lives across the street from one of our childhood hangouts. That's right, folks, Mom was a big fan of Crowe's. I'm pretty sure this is where I got my pink, pinstriped OshKosh B'gosh overalls. Hot.

The Baha Men May Have Won a Grammy, but that doesn't mean saying "Who Let the Dogs Out" is clever or funny

Lucy and Willie showing Isabella a thing or two. C'mon, admit it, this is cute.

I often hear people say, "You never know how much you'll love your kids until you have them." (I may have, in all actuality, heard that once or twice in my life; hyperbole never hurt anyone). Well, I don't know about kids, but I sure feel that way about my utterly untrained, of unknown breed, completely cost ineffective dogs, Lucy and Willie Turner. Or, as also affectionately referred: "Luce" (pronounced "loose"), "Lucy Lou," "Lucy Baby," "Willis," "Will Pickle," "Mr. Pickleton," "Pickle Sticks."

I grew up around dogs. But, these were "outside dogs." Even some of our favorites - Dottie (bet you can't guess the origin of that name), Butterscotch, Emma, Waffle - ventured in the house only when Leigh Ann, Adrienne, or I created a diversion with spilled milk or a fistfight. On the rare occasion, said distraction provided just enough time for the pup of choice to stealthily tiptoe, with reckless abandon, past the house despot. Otherwise, Jackie was having none of it. Mom didn't care that Waffle was afraid of thunderstorms or that we liked Dottie more than we liked each other.

Fast forward 20 years:
- Lucy, Willie, and Tucker (Mom and Dad's Yorkie-poo) occasionally take up too much space in the bed.
- Lucy and Willie have a permanent water bowl that attaches to the back of the passenger seat. And seat belts.
- Tucker goes to a place called "Doggone Classy" for monthly groomings. I had Lucy's teeth professionally cleaned.
- I take Lucy and Willie to puppy day care on days when Heartland is holding themed parties...Examples: "Superbowl Extravagance," "Easter Egg Hunt," "Fall Festival."
- One of my favorite Christmas pictures of all time is of Santa holding Lucy and Willie (who, naturally, are in Elf costumes).
- Tucker gets his food microwaved, allowing the expensive wet dog food to coat the also expensive, dry dog food.
- At the last vet visit, Dr. Rowland, who is one of the nicest men you can imagine, had to fuss on me a bit. Lucy had gained some weight (I shall just leave it at "some") because I had been giving her excessive homemade dog treats and table scraps (Is it still considered "scraps" if the food is in fact cooked solely for them? So I may scramble them a few eggs now and then, big deal).

Bet Dottie, Scotch, and Emma read L,W, and T's Facebook statuses and also think "oh, shut the hell up".

I truly love my dogs like they are my children. I love to see them get excited when I drive up. I love that I can fuss on them and then five minutes later, all is forgotten and they want to sit in my lap. I love that Willie gives "good Willie bites" first thing in the morning. I love that Lucy was my first dog. I love that they love Isaiah and he, them. I love that they really do seem to think of Mom and Dad as Nonna and Pa. I appreciate that they have been with me through some of the most horrible moments of my life, always cuddling with me when intuiting that I was sad or hurt. I love that they have shared most of the best moments.
This was discovered laying beside Lucy and Willie's food bowls a few days ago. I first suspected that someone had helped them with it. I then remembered how smart and capable they are.

So, today is a tribute to Lucy and Willie Turner.







It seems many of the Pillow Book followers are also "dog people." Here is Alexus and her dog, Buster. I adore these pictures.


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Dessert for those trying to use up stuff in their freezer and/or refrigerator

Ingredients:
Puff pastry crust
Peach & Strawberry preserves
Cheesecake filling of your choice (I just grabbed a recipe online)
Crushed almonds/pecans

Directions/Rationale:
I decided to throw this together because 1) I had a puff pastry and some cream cheese that needed to be used and 2) I had homemade peach and strawberry preserves that were too delicious not to share.

Preheat oven to 400. Spray muffin pan with non-stick spray.

I rolled out the puff pastry crust and used a pizza cutter to divide into 12 squares. I then shaped each piece into the muffin pan. Egg wash. Bake for 20 minutes or so (golden brown).

Remove crusts from pan and allow to cool. Put spoonful of preserve/jam in each cup and refrigerate.

Put together cheesecake filling and bake. (I just put mine in a buttered pie plate - no crust).

Allow cheesecake to cool. Remove pastry crusts from refrigerator. Use ice cream scoop to dollop cheesecake mixture on top of crust and preserves. Top with nuts of choice.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (I actually put mine in the freezer for a bit).

Homemade Dog Treats

My two dogs, Lucy (beagle mix)and Willie (part basset hound, part tiger we've decided), admittedly will eat anything; thus, these may not actually be that great. Nonetheless, making homemade dog treats (that while not exactly "organic" have to be better for them than most packaged treats) makes me feel a little better about feeding them far too often. To see them gobble them up as though they are in fact quite good is also fulfilling in a odd (some might suggest "sad") way. It is something I can put on one of my many "to-do" lists that is easy, takes little time, and produces an immediate and uncontroversial response - I never wonder if they really do like them or if they're just being polite; I don't have to worry about odd facial expressions or curious sighs; I don't have to question the sincerity of a verbal response. For at least a few minutes of the day, I actually, with no hesitation, tell myself that I am a fantastic cook. Homemade dog treats are also my apology for occasionally dressing them up in holiday costumes.

I have played with the original recipe so much that I have reached a point where I honestly have no idea how much of each thing I put in them. It really is a matter of looking for the "right" consistency (shoot for something along the lines of "no-bake" cookies). The amounts below are estimates of what I think I put in (definitely the start of a great recipe, I know...)

Ingredients:
1/2 c. all purpose flour
3 c. quick-cooking oats
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. apple cider spice
2-3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 egg
1 - 1 1/2 c. pumpkin
1/2 apple finely chopped
1 c. peanut butter
2-3 tbsp. honey

Preheat oven to 325. Mix all ingredients and spoon onto greased cookie sheet (think no-bake cookie size). Bake for 25-30 minutes (I typically take a fork and flatten down at 15 minutes).
* If push comes to shove, these really aren't that bad if you can't find any other snack for yourself.