Diplomas and Recitals

My sister-in-law, Susie, graduated from college today. We were all so proud of her. Here she is with her parents.

The Two Connelly Girls. (Note the scrapbooking magazine under Connie's arm. She knew the speeches would be boring. We both read the scrapbook magazines she brought and I was quite glad for the diversion. Rude? Maybe a little. But definitely more polite than the people conversing loudly during the speeches.)

Then we ran to get a bite to eat, then went right to the place for Morgan's piano recital. No pictures from that (Steve was manning the camera), but we got some good ones afterwards. Here's Morgan and Susie.

A proud father and his daughter.

Three generations of Connelly women. (Brooke was manning the camera.)

It was a busy day, but a good one!

Makeover Time!

Once upon a time, there was this little blue-eyed girl....

...with long hair...

...who decided she wanted a new look.

So off to the salon she went. And three and a half hours later, a young lady emerged.

This young lady looks sophisticated, chic even.

:::sniff, sniff::: My baby is growing up. :::sob:::

Sad, Sad Day

On March 10, around 10:30 at night, my cell phone rang. When I saw who it was, I knew it wouldn't be good. Calls that late usually aren't to impart happy news. The manager of our barn said Lady was colicking.

Brooke took these pictures of the horses on 2/17/2009. All three horses in a row - Punkin, Honeybee, and Lady.

If you don't have horses, you probably wouldn't know that colic is a VERY bad thing in a horse. I didn't. You think of babies with colic and you think "tummy ache." Nothing serious.

Later, when Brooke was looking at the photos, she was shocked to see that Lady was mimicking Honeybee's every step. In almost every shot!

But with a horse, colic can be deadly. I was still working, so Steve and the girls went immediately to the barn while I made phone calls to the veterinary service.

It is like they were synchronized - every step the same.

The vet contacted Steve to get the scoop once Steve arrived. After trying a few things that help for a minor colic, and those things not helping, they decided to bring the horse to the equine vet - a trip 45 minutes away. And it was now midnight.

Even here - all four feet off the ground at the same time - both horses. Weird.

The news at the vet's office was not good. It was very serious and she likely would not make it.

"I'm gonna get you, Honeybee!"

Steve and the girls arrived home around 4 a.m. Everyone was upset. By morning, things had worsened and Steve had to make the decision that no pet owner wants to make - we had to put her down.

Brooke with Lady in January 2009

Writing this today (1 April 2009), I still can't believe she is gone. She was just a few weeks shy of seven years old.

Me with Lady in 2007

I suppose it is every little girl's dream to own a horse. I didn't realize that "little girl dream" until I was 41. But while I owned her, she owned all our hearts. And we will all miss her dearly.

What is it about BOXES?

Kids and cats just love them! My kids are now too old to want to play in the boxes, but my cats are very glad I get regular shipments for them to play in. And they think the crinkly paper and packing peanuts are pretty cool, too.




Is it just me or is Stewart smiling in his box?

How Old is the Groom?

No, we're not marrying Morgan off at 12. She has been bugging me to try on my wedding dress for a while now. She thinks she'd be interested in using the dress for her wedding, but she says, "These sleeves have GOT to go!"




Kallie will help with the train!




If you want to use that dress, Morgan, you best not grow much. It almost fits! I can't believe I weighed only 88# when I got married! I'll never see THAT weight again!

This is What We Think of the Groundhog....

....and his six more weeks of winter.

A Few of My Favorite Tuesday Things

Delilah's cold nose. I love to kiss the top of it. I love it when she lays it on my leg...or on the arm of the chair so I can give her some love.

Delilah's Smile. She can smile when you tell her, but I love it when she smiles just because she is happy. Like when Morgan kisses her nose. Or gives her treats.

Delilah's favorite treats. They're Fruit Loops! She loves them better than anything!

My Hubby! He's my Favoritist Favorite thing. It's his birthday today!

Cookie cakes made and decorated by Brooke. Yum!

Back in the Saddle Again

We've rearranged our schedule...again. Brooke now has a job six mornings a week working at a barn in the next town. She gets picked up between 6 and 7 in the morning and works for a couple of hours. She calls me when she's done and Morgan and I drive to our barn, where Brooke gets dropped off. The girls ride, then we come home, eat lunch, and start our school. Then I work (at home) from 5 to 11 at night. Busy days, but they work for us.




Here's a picture of the girls one COLD Louisiana morning. (I spend my time in the warm car, doing my Bible study homework or reading a book.)

Happy 2009!

New Year's is always a quiet celebration around here. Steve usually has to work - and this year was no exception. *I* also had to work, but thankfully I can wear my PJs to work if I want.

Morgan spent the night with a friend and Brooke and I watched a movie and then went outside to view the neighbor's fireworks display (which is NOT pictured above - that's a stock photo from the internet).

Here's wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and blessed 2009!

Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland!

My cell phone, as well as Steve's, started ringing right at 6 a.m. this morning. "Wake up!" yelled Joshua, "it's SNOWING!!!" Okay, it had been raining for four days and, although snow was forecast, I said last night that "I'd believe it when I saw it." So I had to walk outside and THIS is what I saw.....





Okay, I'm a believer! My father-in-law said it was coming down when he woke up at 4:30 this morning. A steady snowfall with very LARGE wet flakes kept up most of the morning. Very surreal for a Louisiana gal whose biggest amount of snow seen in her home state was not even two inches!

My little mailbox, all covered in snow.

Morgan rarely gets up at this hour. Only something like snow would have her up by 6 a.m.!

Everything was SO beautiful!!! It was truly like a winter wonderland! Although I wouldn't want this every day, all through the winter. It was definitely a nice treat, though!

My handsome hubby looks even more handsome when covered in snow! HE couldn't even believe how hard it was coming down!

My puppers have never seen snow. Abrial and Cosette were not sure of that white stuff, but Delilah loved it!

She would jump at it and bite it and then run back to Abrial and Cosette to try to get them to play with her.

Eventually they did. The kids, however, didn't need any encouragement to play in the snow. They went through quite a number of outfits after they became soaked to the skin.

My poor southern children were reduced to digging in their pajama drawers and layering as best they could. This will explain Brooke's unusual outfit. Look! A REAL snowball fight! In Louisiana! With real snowballs! Amazing!!!

Of course, with all this snow, us deprived Louisianians were able to make a snowman that stood taller than 18".




Whoops! By this time, the snow had changed to sleet! And our electricity had gone out at about 7 a.m. - trees that were weakened by the two hurricanes earlier this year started losing branches left and right. The entire top of one of the large trees behind our house fell. It sounded like a gunshot when it broke!

My girls and the neighbor children with their biggest snow guy yet! They were all cold and wet and decided the fire and some hot cocoa were in order. I agree!

A Letter to President Elect Obama

****Disclaimer****The following post is my opinion. I can state it. This is MY blog. You may disagree with me, but if you leave me an ugly comment, it will be deleted. I moderate my comments.


Everyone who knows me knows I'm a poodle person. Standard poodles. Owning three myself makes this an obvious statement.

I belong to a Standard Poodle email group. After last week's election results, someone posted that the Obamas were on the lookout for the "First Dog" and, because of one child's allergy issues, they were perhaps looking at a Doodle - a something crossed with a poodle. I shot off a reply saying I hoped he didn't. I have NOTHING against mixed breeds. But I do have a big problem with people breeding two dissimilar breeds ON PURPOSE (not a "father jumped the fence" issue) and then selling the "designer dogs" with very high price tags. If you want a mixed breed, go to the pound. Or get one of the puppies someone is giving away in front of WalMart. Please don't pay $1000 or more for a mongrel. If you're going to spend the money, get a well bred Poodle or well bred SOMETHING.

Today I discovered a letter from the Golden Retriever Club of America. They have written a letter to President Elect Obama. I hope they mailed it to him. I wanted to post it here, because it says it very well.



Dear President-Elect Obama,
It is well known that you have promised your children a puppy when you move into the White
House. Due to consideration of allergies, it is rumored that the selection may be a Goldendoodle.
As President of the Golden Retriever Club of America, the largest AKC member breed club, I
discourage this choice as well as the selection of any deliberate crossbreeding of AKC breeds.
The current fad is the production of “designer” dogs, most of which are bred without consideration of genetic problems and sold to consumers at outrageous prices.


There are several AKC breeds which are less likely to exacerbate allergies; these breeds may be
found at www.akc.org/about/faq_allergies.cfm. A Parent Club rescue is also an excellent source
for dogs that, because of varying circumstances, may need a new home. This can be a
wonderful opportunity to obtain a nice dog, with out going through the trials of puppy hood.


I would like to share with you a statement which is published on our web site at www.grca.org.
The Golden Retriever Club of America is dedicated to the health and welfare of the Golden Retriever breed while conserving the original breed function - that of a "working retriever." A purebred dog offers to his owner the likelihood that he will be a specific size, shape, color and temperament.


The predictability of a breed comes from selection for traits that are desirable and away from traits that are undesirable. When a breed standard or type is set, the animals within that breed have less heterozygosity than do animals in a random population. The Goldendoodle is nothing more than an expensive mongrel. Because the genetic makeup is diverse from the Poodle genes and the Golden Retriever genes, the resultant first generation (F1) offspring is a complete genetic gamble. The dog may be any size, color, coat texture and temperament. Indeed Goldendoodles do shed. Their coat may be wiry or silky and may mat. Body shape varies with parentage but tends to be lanky and narrow. Behavior varies with the dog and within a litter with some puppies poodle-like in attitude and others somewhat like the Golden Retriever.


The Golden Retriever Club of America is opposed to crossbreeding of dogs and is particularly opposed to the deliberate crossing of Golden Retrievers with any other breed. These crossbreds are a deliberate attempt to mislead the public with the idea that there is an advantage to these designer dogs. The crossbred dogs are prone to all of the genetic diseases of both breeds and offer none of the advantages that owning a purebred dog can afford.


Compared with the problems you will face when you assume office, the selection of a pet is very
minor. However, this choice will have a far-reaching effect in the dog community. I urge you not
to endorse the crossbreeding of any “designer” dog, especially Goldendoodles, by bringing one
into the White House.


Respectfully,


Dianne Barnes, President and the GRCA Board of Directors


Well said. Very well said.

On the McDonald's Side

Did you do this today?

You better!

I voted right after getting up this morning. I had to wait about 45 minutes in line because I live on the McDonald's side. Yes, you read that right. When the line finally got into the school cafeteria, there was a large pole with two signs. One pointed to the left that read "This line if you live on the Burger King side of Hwy. #." The other sign pointed to the right said "This line if you live on the McDonald's side of Hwy #." LOL! This is Louisiana, people. We don't need to know no stinkin' "east" and "west."

Okay, in smaller letters, it did say east and west. And, for those who are DYING of curiosity, the line was longer for the McDonald's side of the highway. I guess those folks are just more civic minded than those Burger King guys.

Oh - and did I remind you?

What is All That White Stuff???

Could it be snow flurries? In South Louisiana?


Wait! It's not January! That's the only time there are ever possibly a few flurries. But they never stick on the ground. What is that?

Ah. Yes. Packing peanuts from the boxes that were stacked outside. Who knew a cool front would literally BLOW through? There are hundreds of packing peanuts now scattered over our backyard.

Any teenage girls want to be sassy? I have the perfect punishment. Muhahahahaha!

Where'd She Go?

I have been quite the absentee blogger, haven't I? So sorry. Our Internet service transfer to the new house was put to the back burner by the cable company, as they thought getting hurricane-ravaged areas' service back in business more important. Although I do agree. But I missed my online access!

To make matters worse, my main computer received a zap when the electricity blinked off and on two weeks ago. And the camera was plugged in when it happened, so now my computer AND my camera are not working.


Computer goes to the hospital tonight. Working on the camera issue. I'll keep in touch!

Landscaping by Gustav

Last year, I took this picture of the little path from our new house through the woods. Gustav thought we needed a little challenge.

Here's the same path, only with the new "pond and bridge" look. The pond is all the water from the torrential rains. The bridge obstructing the path is an enormous uprooted oak. When things dry up, I'll have to walk the path with my camera. Morgan looked out from the back patio and said, "What happened to the woods?" Gustav happened, Baby.

Gustav also decided our neighbor needed a new fence. He did the "deconstruction" for her. This picture was taken during the storm.

The "landscaping" in our backyard.

Thankfully, no branches or trees hit our roof. The damage is relatively minor. Just lots of stuff to pick up. Some of it will require a chainsaw to cut into manageable pieces.