Sweet Abigail

A couple of days ago, we had to say goodbye to our sweet Abigail. She was a young foxhound that came into our family at just the right time and touched our hearts forever.

Abigail loved each of us so very much but in very different ways. At four o'clock every day, she sat right at our picture window waiting and watching for Peter to come home from work. And every day she did a happy dance when she saw him. He was the one she woke up every night to take her out and she woke him up every morning at 5:30 - even on the weekends. She loved being with him when he was working out in the yard. Whenever our son, Geoff, sat or lay down on the floor, she was right on him. Literally, she would plant her butt on his back or lap so that he wouldn't be able to get up, trying to give him kisses. And whenever he left his bedroom, she would sneak in to try to get up on his bed. Sometimes she would be my shadow, following me around the house and hanging out with me, keeping a close eye. But Lacey was her true love. They had a special bond. Abigail loved Lacey so much - she would snuggle with her and she was extremely protective of her. Whenever I tried to hug Lacey, Abby would squeeze between us. If I walked into Lace's room to wake her, Abby would race to her side to get to her before me.

But, Abby developed epilepsy this year. At first the seizures were occasional. Then they became more frequent, and in September we put her on medication. The seizures continued and another medication was added. The seizures persisted and became more intense. A couple of weeks ago, we even rushed her to an animal hospital in our state where she stayed for a couple of days. We were so hopeful that an increase in the meds would be what she needed. Sadly, though, the meds were ineffective and she continued to have intense seizures, just hours apart.

We know that Abby was too good and sweet to have to live this kind of painful life. She was changing.....I could see it in her eyes. She was there, but not really. We were afraid of leaving her alone; afraid of what we may come home to.

On Wednesday, Abby went to sleep peacefully. With Peter and myself holding her and loving her. We are so grateful that she was a member of our family. Our hearts are broken, but we know that we are all better for having her love. I know that, in time, healing will come to all of us.

--Liane

Parenting Skills or A Skillful Parent?

This week I'm taking a break from work to slow down and, hopefully, accomplish some put-off-too-long projects around the home. As I was working downstairs in the family room, I was thinking of where I happen to be in this life of mine.

I have two teenagers. My son is 18, and my daughter is 16. Terrific kids - couldn't ask for better. But I remember the anxiousness of having a baby and a toddler - two in diapers at the same time. The sleeplessness. The being up before the sun no matter how late I crawled into bed. The endless laundry and cleaning up of toys. And being in-tune to their health. Monitoring them when they had a cold - taking temperatures, wiping noses, administering medicine, giving baths, making sure they were eating and drinking properly. There was a LOT to know and a LOT to do. And it took me, personally, some time to gain the confidence of being a mom to these little ones.

And yesterday, I realized why I truly needed that confidence. Because, when these adorable ones were little, they looked up to me like I was the most wonderful being on the planet. No matter what I did or said, I was adored.

And then I had teenagers:

"Mom, don't make that face."
"Don't make that face when you say that."
"Don't make that face when you laugh."
"You sound funny when you laugh."
"Don't move your arms like that when you talk."
"Don't stand like that."
"Don't buy any new clothes unless I see them on you first."
"Don't talk about me to any one or tell any embarrassing stories about me to anyone."


And, of course, when I make a joke, no one laughs - but if they make a joke and I don't laugh I get - "Did you hear me? or Are you paying attention?"

My biggest fans have become my harshest critics. I blame the hormones - theirs not mine, of course.

It's okay though, I'm just biding time until they become parents and suddenly I will become the wisest mother of the world again. I can wait........It will be well worth it.

Have a blessed day!

--Liane

Autumn Colors .......

Today is a day off for me and I couldn't have a nicer one. It's sunny, breezy, and cool - the perfect autumn day.

I haven't spent all morning lolly-gagging about though (is that a real word at all?) - so far I've baked some mini-muffins: cranberry and walnut YUM! Then I was super efficient and made some meatballs and tossed them in the crockpot with tomato sauce for tonight's dinner. Then, I went ahead and made myself a baked apple to go with lunch. Scrumptious! My house smells so good right now. (Not that it doesn't every other day, but you know what I mean....).

All this mind you, while doing laundry too! I know, I know, my arm is killing me from patting myself on the back!

I was admiring the beauty of autumn from the kitchen window while I was cleaning up my baking mess and thought I'd share some pretty:

Don't YOU just love an autumn day? Well, now I'm off to the parlor to get some beauty!
Blessings to all for a wonderful day!
--Liane

And the winner is........Oh, another Celebration!

As promised, today I am announcing the winner of my very first Give Away! Wahoo! Are you excited? I certainly am! I have been so looking forward to today - I've had so much fun selecting the items for the giveaway, and anticipating who could it possibly be.....

I apologize for the delay - I had to work this morning, then go grocery shopping, then run by the church, then put all of the groceries away, then run by a friend's house, and THEN, my computer started acting up and it took me almost an hour to fix it.

But first let me give you another reason why today is special:
That right there is my sis, Robin (of bittersweetpunkin) and her beloved, James, on their wedding day 17 years ago today! Look at those happy, smiling faces! And I am so pleased to say that they are still happy and smiling!! Happy Anniversary you two!

All right, drum roll, please. The winner* of this give away, is.......Terra!! You can click on her name to visit her blog.....and here's what she's won:There's a nice green tote bag, set of 3 nesting boxes, a tea lite or votive candle holder, a harvest decorated loaf pan (not mini - full size), a bag of simmering potpourri, and greatest of all, a bag of dark chocolate Godiva gems, and (not pictured) a pair of custom fall earrings.

I don't consider autumn to be 'over' until after Thanksgiving, that's why I chose autumn-related gifts. And, I'm actually surprised that I didn't break into the Godiva's and eat them myself (I'm really proud of me!).

So, Congratulations, Terra! Please e-mail me (go to my profile) so that I can mail out your goodies on Monday.

*The winner was chosen by all names of those who left a comment on my last post being placed in a hat and the lucky winner was plucked out by my daughter, Lacey.

So I hope that you all have a wonderful, blessed weekend!

--Liane

A Celebration . . . . . . and Give Away!

Today, my husband and I are celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary.

It all started 25 years ago when I walked into my kitchen and saw this guy in a black leather jacket talking with my brother. I walked on by into the living room and asked my sister Robin who he was. He happened to be a friend of my brother's - they car-pooled to work together.

A couple of weeks later he asked me out - and I was firmly warned by my brother to 'stay away'. Well, that date - we went to the movies (his mom had to drive us because his car broke down) - turned into five years of dating before we married on October 21, 1989. I was 20 and he was 24. I was a few sizes slimmer and he had a little more insulation on the top of his head.

We've been through a lot of tough times - financial issues, loss of jobs, health issues with both him and my daughter - but God has seen us through. We've decided to postpone a night out for dinner because we don't want to miss our Bible study class tonight. And if anyone had told us 20 years ago that we'd be going to church on our anniversary we wouldn't have believed it. We celebrate our marriage every day by communicating and working together - each of us giving 100% - and making sure that God is at the center of this marriage. We want to glorify Him in our love for each other.

That being said, I've been thinking of a Surprise Give Away, and our anniversary celebration is a great excuse for one. To enter, please leave a comment on this post between now and Friday the 23rd. I will choose the winner on Saturday. I'm keeping the goodies a secret until Saturday!

Have a blessed day!!

--Liane

Happy Birthday, Robin!

I want to wish my wonderful sister, Robin, a very happy birthday today!!

Robin and I are very close and I hold her in my heart every single day, even though we live on opposite coasts. She is a great friend - the kind of friend that will tell you her opinion when asked for it and the truth when it is needed.

I am so very proud of the life that she has carved out of this world for herself and her wonderful family. She's not only my (older) sister ;o) - she's my sister in Christ, too.

So, many, many, many, birthday blessings to you, Rob!

I love you,

Lee

An Active Weekend

I am so loving this fall weather. The leaves are just about at their colorful peak - we have an amazing yellow and orange tree in the front of our church that just about took my breath away on Sunday morning when I saw it.

We did not have much of a warm, sultry summer as usual here in New England this year. It was quite dampish and iffy for the most part. But, thanks to all of that spring and early summer rain, we are enjoying quite the colorful display of autumn now. The air is cool and breezy, and the sun sits a little lower now.

Friday night my husband and I went with some friends of ours to hear Creflo Dollar preach up in Massachusetts. It was a great opportunity to go and hear a powerful message - he preached about fear and faith. There were a lot of people there and we were fortunate to have found seats for us all. On our way home though, we experienced a flat tire (yes, in my van) on the highway. At about 10:30 at night. Now, I've never had a breakdown in a car before. Never had to call AAA (I'm a member). I will honestly say that my nerves were rattled and my knees were shaky. BUT. We were all safe. Our friend, David, who was driving the van was able to navigate our 3-wheeled van safely off the highway to a well-lit area on a dead-end street. The weather was very mild and dry. We had all of the necessary tools to put on the spare tire. Our friend, John, helped my husband jack up the van and change out the tire. Even though this event was an inconvenience, I know that the Lord was providing for us and protecting us. We all made it home safely.

Saturday, I worked in the morning and then (after a brief nap at home) went to our church to help blow up balloons in preparation of our community's Columbus Day parade on Sunday. We live in an area that is predominantly Italian and Catholic, so Columbus Day is a big deal. Our church marches in the parade to show our support and presence in the community. The theme of the parade was volunteerism and we let everyone know that New Song Assembly has a heart for giving.

Sunday after church service, about 30 members of our church body marched the 2.5 miles through town - up, down, and all around. It was a lot of fun - everyone should take advantage of the opportunity to march in a parade!!

Monday was a holiday, so as I had the day off, my daughter and I took a nice long drive to Middletown, RI. We had to cross the Narragansett Bay, which was full of sailboats and even a couple of ocean liners (!).

Needless to say, I'm a little tired today. I hope you all have a blessed day!

--Liane