The Accidental Puppy

I can't believe we got a dog. I was driving by my neighbor's house the other day and saw 2 little black puppies romping in his yard. I stopped and remarked on their cuteness and my neighbor said, "You want one?" I thought about it for a few hours and decided to take the plunge. I took Mal over there and he picked the female. He named her Sophie and has taken charge of the training duties. Her birthday is probably April 26. Her mother is a registered Boykin Spaniel--the official state dog of South Carolina! My neighbor's have an electric fence which keeps the Boykin in...but it doesn't keep the strays out. They think the father is a terrier of some sort, but they aren't sure. Sophie looks like a tiny version of a lab, although she does have a sweet spaniel face. She's really good natured and smart and seems to be fitting in with our insanity quite nicely. The cats, Karl and Wally, are highly annoyed, but they seem resigned to the fact that Sophie is here to stay. I'll be SO glad when she is potty trained. We didn't have this issue with the cats. I think once she has figured out the toileting routine we'll have to pull up the carpet and burn it. Actually, she isn't doing too badly...for a puppy.

25 Years on the J.O.B.

June 16, 2011, we helped Denise celebrate 25 years at Blue Cross. I've been working with her and sitting next to her for most of the past 10 years. She's not only a coworker, she's a good friend. I love her a lot. She's the best. I'm sorry to say she is having to go through chemotherapy again for her cancer. As part of her anniversary celebration--we all wore pink--and I got a haircut. In fact, I got my head shaved. My daughter did the honors and she did a pretty good job. I feel kind of naked, but it will grow back. Denise was surprised. Now she won't be the only bald chick in the office!

Palmyra, NY

Last week I took a church history tour in and around Palmyra, NY with a couple of friends. We went to Kirkland, OH a couple of years ago and since we are such good traveling companions, we decided to do another trip together. We left on a Thursday afternoon and stopped overnight in VA. Drove up to NY along the banks of the Susquehanna arriving on Friday evening. We stayed at a lovely bed and breakfast. The weather was beyond wonderful, cool and cloudy, just like I like it. Of course, I return to NC and it's been 100 degrees everyday. I want to go back up north. It was nice to see that my family was able to survive without me. They didn't burn down the house or starve to death. I understand that my darling cats were inconsolable. It's nice to be loved. The plan now is to take a trip to Nauvoo, IL, maybe in 2013. That is provided if the world doesn't end as planned in 2012. If so, I guess the trip is off.