I have an important meeting today. The possibility of moving could be in our future (which is a GOOD thing, but also a scary thing because I HATE moving).
Tomorrow I head out of town with the kids to visit my family. Hoping the husband keeps the house standing while I'm gone and the dogs don't end up tying him to a tree with their leashes. At least I'm not leaving him with the kids, then he really WOULD end up tied to a tree.
I have to right my grocery list today (for Easter dinner, as well as stuff for the boys 5th birthday party that is next weekend but I have to plan stuff now). We also have Easter celebration stuff we're doing this weekend. So it's all going to be a chaotic mess.
I had to let my babysitting family know I wasn't going to be available after last night for the rest of the week. I hate doing that, but I just have way too much on my plate right now and it's hard to babysit when you aren't in town, and my kids only get ONE day off of school for their Easter break, soooo yeh we have to do this trip now.
There is also stuff going on for my daughters Girl Scouts, and stuff for my volunteer work (that I have been sadly VERY LACKING IN LATELY). Just having trouble finding motivation to get involved in my volunteer work again. A little frustrated with a few things here and there, and sometimes it's just better to give yourself some space and clear your head and come back to thinks with a happier mind. So I've been distancing myself a little. I hate it, but it's what I need to do right now. I love helping the dogs, and it's nothing against them, it's some of the people I get to deal with that get on my last nerve, and they are all nice people, just you know...sometimes people get on your nerves. When you are all WORKING TOGETHER for the same cause (to save the lives of dogs that would otherwise DIE), it kind of helps if your "team" is meshing together properly. You can't mesh well if your brain is frustrated and you aren't getting along with the ones you are working with. At least in volunteer work you CAN distance yourself a little and take a breather. Cannot do that in a job. You HAVE to keep plugging along and deal with it anyway, which can make for miserable employees.
I've been doing this volunteer work for basically 3 years now. It can be STRESSFUL. I've been there since DAY 1. Literally. Some days I just feel like a piece of equipment, and that's not a good feeling. I think people often forget that volunteer work is just that VOLUNTEER work. It's ok to say NO. You don't HAVE to do everything. If you have too much on your plate, put some back. You aren't getting PAID to do this, you only take on as much as you feel you can handle. (Granted the dogs pay you in doggy kisses and muddy paw prints, snuggles and their ever adoring loving puppy dog eyes, and that my friends is a VERY rewarding feeling knowing you just helped a dog out that couldn't help itself). I get to help dogs like these ones :) These are all dogs I've photographed and assisted and I've fostered a few of them.
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| This gorgeous girl we've named Maizey was ditched in the country. Some people kind of took her in, but can't keep her. We came out to get a quick pic of her (which is why she's chained to a tree, she isn't normally kept on the tree they just didn't want her to run off). We have NO idea what kind of dog she is, but she's so ugly, she's adorable. She isn't very old either. Our best guess, is she is some kind of boxer mix. |
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| These two GORGEOUS ladies were a dream. LOVED them! I fostered them for a few hours after we picked them up from the person handing them over. It's one of those tough, sad situations where they did not want to give them up, but sadly there was no other choice, and our local shelter couldn't take them because they were out of city limits. So I brought them to my home and took a DARLING set of photos before they left for their transport (FYI the one on the left has been adopted and is doing great). |
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| This sweet guy I fostered for at least 2 days before he was adopted. He was a sweet guy and we loved having him hang out at our home. Though my daughter INSISTED his name was Baseball (I have no idea why). |
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| Little Paco here is a senior Chihuahua, he was at his foster home for quite awhile hanging out before he finally got adopted out. Now, if only he would stop being such an escape artist and quit running away from his new home! |
My kids are getting older, and are getting busier and are in to more activities. My daughter is in Girl Scouts, and all three children will be playing baseball this summer, as well as we will hopefully be going to visit some family more often so this all kind of takes up a lot more time . My time isn't as open as it was before. Above all else, my kids come first. My family comes before my volunteer work, always.
My husband made me promise that I wouldn't foster another dog for a month after our last foster pup left. He's not all that big into fostering, he tries...he just doesn't like the added stress and headache of an extra animal, ha! It can be a lot of work to foster, but it is also very rewarding.
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| My latest foster pup Jazmine, this photo was taken RIGHT before her transport pulled away to take her on to her next leg of her journey. Look at that smiling happy face! She will get a great family. She went to a fantastic rescue group. Going to miss her a ton. |
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| This was the photo I took of miss Jazmine when she first came to me. She was a scared pup from the country. They got a puppy thought it would be "fun" didn't like all the "work" a puppy is and they were going it kill her if someone didn't take her, so yes, obviously we took her in and fostered her and worked our butts off to find her an AMAZING rescue. She grew quite a bit by the time she finally left us. |
I asked if I could foster a fern. *sigh* He even said no to that. He said I would kill the poor plant off anyway (as I have a horrible time keeping plants alive). So sorry, if you have a plant in need...I cannot help it. Hahahaha! Maybe I can point you towards the gardening aisle of the store, or near a good green house?
*sniffle* I cannot foster a fish or hamster either (not that I get a lot of that anyway, hahaha!)
It's mainly dogs and cats that need foster homes. The last cat we fostered/adopted turned out to be a jerk wad and is a very thankless cat full of attitude (ok so not ALWAYS true he can be painfully loving, he has claws like a freaking scythe!) Main Coons...are a rather BIG cat. He is also a cat that doesn't believe in bathing. The ONLY thing he keeps half way clean is his BUTT and boy parts. So can you say....smelly cat. If you want to give him a bath...be my guest. When we tried it did NOT end well. My husband almost needed stitches.
So we just have a stinky dirty cat. (Did you know Main Coon cats are supposed to be okish with water?? Someone forgot to tell this big guy that)!
When he DOES decide to grace us with his presence in the house, he makes sure to yowl his head off until you fill his already full cat food dish. He will ONLY drink water fresh, as in whether his water dish has water or not you have to dump it out and give him fresh EVERY single time he comes in. He jumps up on my desk and decides to lick his nether regions directly in front of my screen so I cannot see anything, other than his love for licking his nethers. Thanks Haggy baggy (that's our nickname for Hagrid the Cat).
Finally he will sleep. He will be out like a light on the desk, covering my calendar and any other important paper work I may be needing. Reach out to touch him....and he will grab your arm in a Hagrid bear hug and pull you close to him so he can snuggle you. Again...his gigantic claws are like meat hooks (I understand why people declaw their cats!!! I'm not saying we would ever do that, but I understand why people do).
The moment you get out of your desk chair to get the phone or tend to a child or start on supper....you turn back around and that "sleeping" cat is suddenly "sleeping" in your desk chair (Keeping it warm for you????). There's no point moving him, he'll just get you with his meat hooks again (trying to use you as a snuggle toy). So you are best to sloooooooowly love the desk chair away from the desk....and just use a less comfy kitchen chair at your desk, or give up trying to check your email and just go on about something else (besides it's not like you don't have 2 loads of laundry waiting to be folded and put away anyway, so I guess the cat is really just doing you a favor).
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| My sweet loveable Hagrid, adopted from the local shelter. He's a loveable cuddleable fur baby! He loves to take over my desk. He's lounging on one of my daughters library books, and some of my kids school paper work, and my desk calendar is under that mess too. |
Uuuuugh I guess it's time to get stuff started around here....fun times. Fun times. Lots to get done and I don't want to do it.
Mae
