April Fool's Day Came & Went

All day long I fully expected someone to call me or play some kind of prank on me Friday.  Happily it did not happen.  I'm not crazy about pranks, so I never try to play one on anyone else.  

While we were still at Palm Desert, I was sitting outside with my camera one evening, waiting to take a picture, when Millie jumped into my lap, and then turned to look at me.  I'm sorry if any of you folks are tired of my pictures of her, but she's just so darned cute at times.  

Later, we went for a walk, and she romped and played the whole time.  I don't know where she gets all that energy!  LOL




There was a beautiful RV that I meant to take a picture of while we were there, but I kept forgetting to do it before we left.  Much to my joy, they showed up here at Wilderness Lakes this week, and I not only got a picture, but I also got to talk to the man who owns it.  He and his wife lived in New York City in 2001 and had close friends who did not survive that terrible day.  He drew this on paper, and found someone who could recreate it as a permanent remembrance on the back of his motorhome.  We had an interesting chat, and he seemed like a very nice man. 

I have often reported on products, or services that we have been very satisfied with, and I realized today, that I have failed to tell most of you folks about a pair of products we have been using for 15 to 20 years, and continue to be very happy with.  Jim used to have to use an anti-dandruff shampoo, and never got completely satisfactory results from it.  I tried using a number of brands, often whatever was on sale.  Many years ago, a girl friend of mine asked me if we had ever tried using "Mane & Tail" brand of shampoo and
conditioner.  I actually laughed and said "No, I don't have a horse at home".  She said she and her husband had been using it for years, and it was wonderful.  Her hair really looked great, so I was thinking about it, but I reminded her that Jim was using a dandruff shampoo.  She asked me if I'd ever seen a horse with dandruff!  You can get it at many grocery stores, many drug stores, and Wal-Mart and Target carry it.  In Wal-Mart, you'll usually find it in the pet department, but it is still great for human hair too.  It comes in a 32 ounce bottle for $5-6, but it lasts a very long time.  Often we find it on a "buy one get one free" sale, so that's great too.  As for the conditioner, you use only a very small amount.  If you have long hair, you would want to use it in the shower, and rinse it out.  But for those of us with very short hair (or guys with thinning hair too) you can use a tiny dab of it on towel dried hair and then just comb it through.  Don't use too much or it will be a problem, but a tiny dab is really all you should need.  We love how well it conditions our hair, and it smells great too.  We also, of course, use it on the dogs too.  I bathe Millie in my over-sized kitchen sink with the pull out hose faucet, and it does a great job, and easily rinses out too.  Jim has to wait for warm weather so he can bathe Willie outside, as our RV has an outside shower with hot water, and he used a fold-up tub to wash him in.  We really love how clean and fresh it smells (kind of like fresh apples).  Anyway, if you aren't afraid you'll start to whinny, I suggest you might try this economical and wonderful product soon.  It's cheaper than any salon product I know of, and since you use small amounts, the bottle lasts a long time.  Today I gave Millie a haircut, bath and manicure/pedicure.   

I'm pretty sure that is NOT how she had planned to spend this day, but once we were done, and she was blow dried, she seemed happy....maybe because it was over, but just maybe she was glad to be cooler and clean again.  I don't know if I mentioned it before, but the last time we took the canine kids to their doctor, he showed me that she has a congenital knee defect.  At present it is not serious, but some day she might need to have it operated on.  When I bathe her, or cut her hair or do her nails, I try very hard not to take any chances that I could hurt her knee, or further displace it.  Just to be on the safe side, I made her a magnetic necklace this week, and let her wear it whenever we are around.  I think the single magnet would release if she got it caught on anything, but we just can't take a chance on it NOT releasing and she might get hung by it.  So when we go out, or at bedtime, I always take it off her.  She looks cute with it on, and it doesn't seem to bother her to wear it.  

 Willie gets nervous when Millie has a "spa day", and he has to supervise the whole process.  He is close by watching while I cut her hair, and he stands on his back legs at the sink consoling her throughout her entire bath!!  Then he supervises my drying her and dressing her.  By the time it's over, he is EXHAUSTED and needs to rest for a while.  But he IS a wonderful big brother to her.  

Please folks, I need to remind some of you to be even kinder than you think you need to be.  Others may be suffering stresses, or fighting issues you have no idea about.  Please try to always give others the benefit of the doubt, and be kind even when they may not be able to be kind to you.  

I had a very long phone call with my son Matt last night.  He is a wonderful, and kind young man. He and his amazing lady Shannon, are devoting much of their lives to saving and finding forever homes for abandoned dogs.  One message I want to share is that if there is any way you can find it in your heart to give a dog a FOREVER home, please do it, AND PLEASE ADOPT A SHELTER DOG if you can.  Many, many dogs and cats desperately need a loving home.  You won't regret it, and they will give you so much more than you can ever hope to give to them.  Please do NOT support puppy mills, and always please get your pets spayed or neutered to prevent more little animals from ending up in over-crowded shelters, too many of which are forced to euthanize animals if they can't find them homes quickly.  

Another thing he reminded me of, and for which I am again grateful that he is such an incredible person is this.  I was venting about a friend who had hurt and disappointed me, and I was having trouble getting over it.  He reminded me that as long as I held onto negative feelings, I could never be at peace myself.  He told me very gently that maybe she and I might not be able to be friends anymore, but that I MUST let go of the negativity I am feeling.  I knew he was right and I thought about how to do what he said.  I am on the right track now, and I slept better last night because I knew where I am going from here, emotionally.  I will not let the events of the past, spoil my happiness in the future.  Thanks again Matt.  

Stay well, and be happy.  Life is as great as you allow it to be.  Keep the rubber side down and enjoy America.