Thursday, March 11, 2010
A Boy and His Dog
I remember always hearing people say "a boy needs a dog." I never understood what that meant until I watched the most beautiful dog/boy relationship with my son Chance and his Chilidog. Chance suffered with an extreme dog phobia. We aren't really sure where that fear came from. From birth to about 5 years old my stepmother babysat him when I worked. She had a dog and Chance seemed to get along with it okay. But once he was no longer with Cleo the fears set in. I remember at around the age of two, I was shopping with him at Target and put a shirt with dogs on it in the cart and he promptly removed it and hung it back on the rack. I put it back in the cart and he put it back on the rack! After several tries I gave in....that is my earliest clue there was going to be a dog problem.
Chance always loved to watch movies with dogs but would panic if we even drove by a dog. He did not want to be afraid of dogs so he asked for a dog. It was our first year of homeschooling. So I told him if he did well with his end of year test I would buy him a dog. So along came Chilidog. I had never had a dog before. I remember his first week at home. That puppy cried all night long to be with us. I was pregnant with Shepard. I remember thinking how in the world did I get talked into this? No one told me they cry like babies, I am never going to sleep again!!
That little puppy soon worked his way into all of our hearts. As much as Chance loved Chili and enjoyed watching him from afar he still could not bring himself to connect with him. Five years after we brought Chili home, Chance finally found his way to his dog.
The most beautiful friendship unfolded right before my eyes. Everywhere Chance went, Chilidog was there. If Chance was in the shower, Chili layed on the floor of the bathroom and waited for him. Chili slept with Chance at night, slept next to Chance's feet while he did his school work, he was on Chance' lap while he watched tv. When we had snow, Chance carried him outside like a baby, because Chili hated the cold, rain, and snow.
During the last big snowstorm we had Chili protected his boy. Chance had gone outside to play in the snow with Jacob, of course Chili went because Chance went. The boys and a friend had taken an old camper shell the previous owners left and made it a fort for Nerf Wars. Chance decided to hide from Jacob and went underneath the camper shell. He got stuck in there. Somehow with the snow still falling he got into a position he could not lift the shell back up. Jacob came inside and reported he was calling for Chance and did not get an answer. Chili sat between the house and where Chance was and barked and barked. I thought he was trying to find Chance, silly me, he knew where his boy was. I had called Rion in the room and was starting to get a bit freaked out that we did not know were Chance was when Rion's cell phone ring. It was Chance calling his dad from his cell phone to ask for help. Thank God he had that cell phone. But I know even if he didn't, Chili was on the job. When Rion went outside and Chili saw him coming, he kept barking and lead Rion to Chance. I was so touched by Chili's love for his boy. I had a sense of peace, he will always protect Chance.
Last Monday, March 1, 2010 on Chance's 13th birthday Chilidog did something completely out of character....he left the backyard and ran down the driveway and into the street. He was hit by a car. We tried to help him. We took him to the emergency vet, but there was too much damage and he had to be put down. This time I was so impressed with Chance. He stayed strong for Chili until the end. He held Chili and talked to him the whole way to the vet. When we knew what had to be done, he stayed strong for Chili. He stayed with Chili until the end, telling him how much he loved him and what a good puppy he is. I know Chili was comforted by having his boy with him. Chance held it together until she told us Chili had passed and then he let out the deep pain he was feeling.
It was the hardest thing as a parent I think I have gone through yet. To watch this child who had been so terrified of dogs and had come to this place of the sheer love of his dog, to lose his best friend. And of all days, on his birthday....I will never know why Chili wouldn't stop when called that night and ran into that road. I will never know why that day, Chance's 13th birthday, when we are supposed to be celebrating his growing towards manhood, he had to lose his best friend. But I will be forever grateful Chance and Chili had that last beautiful year together.
Chance always loved to watch movies with dogs but would panic if we even drove by a dog. He did not want to be afraid of dogs so he asked for a dog. It was our first year of homeschooling. So I told him if he did well with his end of year test I would buy him a dog. So along came Chilidog. I had never had a dog before. I remember his first week at home. That puppy cried all night long to be with us. I was pregnant with Shepard. I remember thinking how in the world did I get talked into this? No one told me they cry like babies, I am never going to sleep again!!
That little puppy soon worked his way into all of our hearts. As much as Chance loved Chili and enjoyed watching him from afar he still could not bring himself to connect with him. Five years after we brought Chili home, Chance finally found his way to his dog.
The most beautiful friendship unfolded right before my eyes. Everywhere Chance went, Chilidog was there. If Chance was in the shower, Chili layed on the floor of the bathroom and waited for him. Chili slept with Chance at night, slept next to Chance's feet while he did his school work, he was on Chance' lap while he watched tv. When we had snow, Chance carried him outside like a baby, because Chili hated the cold, rain, and snow.
During the last big snowstorm we had Chili protected his boy. Chance had gone outside to play in the snow with Jacob, of course Chili went because Chance went. The boys and a friend had taken an old camper shell the previous owners left and made it a fort for Nerf Wars. Chance decided to hide from Jacob and went underneath the camper shell. He got stuck in there. Somehow with the snow still falling he got into a position he could not lift the shell back up. Jacob came inside and reported he was calling for Chance and did not get an answer. Chili sat between the house and where Chance was and barked and barked. I thought he was trying to find Chance, silly me, he knew where his boy was. I had called Rion in the room and was starting to get a bit freaked out that we did not know were Chance was when Rion's cell phone ring. It was Chance calling his dad from his cell phone to ask for help. Thank God he had that cell phone. But I know even if he didn't, Chili was on the job. When Rion went outside and Chili saw him coming, he kept barking and lead Rion to Chance. I was so touched by Chili's love for his boy. I had a sense of peace, he will always protect Chance.
Last Monday, March 1, 2010 on Chance's 13th birthday Chilidog did something completely out of character....he left the backyard and ran down the driveway and into the street. He was hit by a car. We tried to help him. We took him to the emergency vet, but there was too much damage and he had to be put down. This time I was so impressed with Chance. He stayed strong for Chili until the end. He held Chili and talked to him the whole way to the vet. When we knew what had to be done, he stayed strong for Chili. He stayed with Chili until the end, telling him how much he loved him and what a good puppy he is. I know Chili was comforted by having his boy with him. Chance held it together until she told us Chili had passed and then he let out the deep pain he was feeling.
It was the hardest thing as a parent I think I have gone through yet. To watch this child who had been so terrified of dogs and had come to this place of the sheer love of his dog, to lose his best friend. And of all days, on his birthday....I will never know why Chili wouldn't stop when called that night and ran into that road. I will never know why that day, Chance's 13th birthday, when we are supposed to be celebrating his growing towards manhood, he had to lose his best friend. But I will be forever grateful Chance and Chili had that last beautiful year together.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Another example.....
I watched the movie Julie and Julia two days ago. I was very excited about renting it. I love Meryl Streep and Julia Childs. It was a good story, great acting, in all a good movie. Except for just one little thing, the Republican bashing. It was just a couple of lines in this one. It is so frustrating; does Hollywood not think that Republicans spend money on movies????
I realize it is a predominately Liberal industry. As theater person, I realize in just the small world of Richmond Theater I am the conservative exception. I realize almost everyone I am going to work with is not going to see the world from the conservative viewpoint that I do. I do not hide my political leanings; anyone on Facebook can see where I stand by my profile page. I will discuss it if asked. I do not think at this level it affects my ability to get jobs. There is the Veronica who works in the community and then there is Veronica the consumer.
Veronica the consumer is so tired of the cheap shots taken by Hollywood of conservatism, Christians, and even homeschoolers. If you find a homeschooler in a movie or cartoon they are usually socially inept and nerds. Really?? How many homeschoolers do the writers know personally that they are making those judgments on? Because personally I find them some of the most well versed, neatest kids I have ever met.
So, YES Republicans go to movies, rent them, and even BUY them. We DO spend money on the Entertainment Industry. Although it does become increasingly harder to find movies I want to spend money on. As a matter of principal there are certain actors I just cannot justify giving my hard earned money to because they have spent so much time bashing me for my beliefs. I do not want to know their beliefs one way or the other. I just want to be entertained! I do not turn to Hollywood actors to find out how I should think. I think for myself.
Oh, and for the record, I as a Republican Manager would NOT have fired Julie for calling in sick to remake the dish for the critic.
I realize it is a predominately Liberal industry. As theater person, I realize in just the small world of Richmond Theater I am the conservative exception. I realize almost everyone I am going to work with is not going to see the world from the conservative viewpoint that I do. I do not hide my political leanings; anyone on Facebook can see where I stand by my profile page. I will discuss it if asked. I do not think at this level it affects my ability to get jobs. There is the Veronica who works in the community and then there is Veronica the consumer.
Veronica the consumer is so tired of the cheap shots taken by Hollywood of conservatism, Christians, and even homeschoolers. If you find a homeschooler in a movie or cartoon they are usually socially inept and nerds. Really?? How many homeschoolers do the writers know personally that they are making those judgments on? Because personally I find them some of the most well versed, neatest kids I have ever met.
So, YES Republicans go to movies, rent them, and even BUY them. We DO spend money on the Entertainment Industry. Although it does become increasingly harder to find movies I want to spend money on. As a matter of principal there are certain actors I just cannot justify giving my hard earned money to because they have spent so much time bashing me for my beliefs. I do not want to know their beliefs one way or the other. I just want to be entertained! I do not turn to Hollywood actors to find out how I should think. I think for myself.
Oh, and for the record, I as a Republican Manager would NOT have fired Julie for calling in sick to remake the dish for the critic.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Reflections of 2009
It is now January 2nd and it is the first time I have had time to stop to write since Thankgiving. December is always so very busy and this year I added a show to the mix! I did sound for Miracle of 34h Street at Henrico Theater Company. It was a good production of an old Christmas favorite. While I learned more about sound and enjoyed meeting some new people, it was not the best choice. I didn't get to actually do my Christmas cards until after Christmas because we didn't get around to doing the picture for the Christmas cards until the 22nd! While I was busy shopping and wrapping I did spend some time thinking about 2009.
As always you have the good and the bad and through the grace of God good came out of the bad. My New Year's Resolutions for 2009 were to buy a house and to lose weight. I did both! Yes, there is a first time for everything!
I lost 30 lbs and still am not at my goal weight. The way I am wording that resolution for 2010 is to actually reach my goal weight. I have faith that one is going to be seen this year.
We worked really really hard at paying bills off so we could get out of a miserable living situation. We were doing a really good job at that and then we had a little curve ball, Jacob was admitted to St Marys with an unknown illness that was causing high fevers and joint inflammation. We were worried the added expense would delay our dreams.
We actually had identified a house we wanted to buy the week before he was admitted and made an offer from the hospital. But they had just accepted another offer. We were feeling a bit defeated....but God had the perfect house for us, we just didn't know it yet.
Thanks to Tammy Gray, my cousin and friend, of Cloverleaf Realty and Paul Jones of Creative Mortgage, we did it! And we did it by my goal date of my 40th birthday! I turned 40 August 29th and we closed August 28th! Whew....that was close!
We saw God really blessing us during the move. First we were blessed with many helpers. I was so worried about how we were going to move because of Rion's arthritis. Our friends from Winn's Baptist Church along with some good friends and family members helped us get the furniture and everything not in a POD moved on Friday night. And then my birthday was spent with our friends from Centerpoint Church and some childhood friends who helped us empty the PODS and unpack boxes. Our friends and family really rallied around us and helped so much with their time, sweat, free furniture, a free big screen TV, and even financial blessings.
The kids and I prayed every single night for more than a year for a house. What a testimony to my children the whole experience was.
After much prayer we made the decision to leave Winns, a church we loved and had only been at a short time. We started attending Centerpoint Church so I can do drama there. First you have to know I prayed for more than a year that God would show me his will for my life and how I can use my talents for him. He answered. First he took us to Winns. I worked with the actors during their annual production of Judgement House and felt God calling me to full time drama minstry in a church. Some months later God sent Mike Cauthorne to invite me to do drama as a regular part the service at his new church plant, Centerpoint! Wow! It is so amazing to see how he puts it together and you had no idea what great things were in store for you.
Centerpoint has been a blessing to our family. We LOVE our weekly life group. The kids count down the days. We have made some GREAT new friends! We LOVE the Sunday morning service. The band is great. It is like going to a Christian concert every week. And Mike, our pastor, well you just never know what he is going to say next....and that IS a good thing. He keeps us on our toes and we are never bored.
I have learned so much.
And I cannot forget Facebook. It was so awesome to reconnect with so many old friends through Facebook. What a great way to stay in touch. One connection in particular is so very special. It is an answer to prayer itself.
I am very pleased with 2009. I feel as though Rion and I finally made some good choices and are headed in the right direction. mmm....maybe we are finally starting to grow up? Nahh....
As always you have the good and the bad and through the grace of God good came out of the bad. My New Year's Resolutions for 2009 were to buy a house and to lose weight. I did both! Yes, there is a first time for everything!
I lost 30 lbs and still am not at my goal weight. The way I am wording that resolution for 2010 is to actually reach my goal weight. I have faith that one is going to be seen this year.
We worked really really hard at paying bills off so we could get out of a miserable living situation. We were doing a really good job at that and then we had a little curve ball, Jacob was admitted to St Marys with an unknown illness that was causing high fevers and joint inflammation. We were worried the added expense would delay our dreams.
We actually had identified a house we wanted to buy the week before he was admitted and made an offer from the hospital. But they had just accepted another offer. We were feeling a bit defeated....but God had the perfect house for us, we just didn't know it yet.
Thanks to Tammy Gray, my cousin and friend, of Cloverleaf Realty and Paul Jones of Creative Mortgage, we did it! And we did it by my goal date of my 40th birthday! I turned 40 August 29th and we closed August 28th! Whew....that was close!
We saw God really blessing us during the move. First we were blessed with many helpers. I was so worried about how we were going to move because of Rion's arthritis. Our friends from Winn's Baptist Church along with some good friends and family members helped us get the furniture and everything not in a POD moved on Friday night. And then my birthday was spent with our friends from Centerpoint Church and some childhood friends who helped us empty the PODS and unpack boxes. Our friends and family really rallied around us and helped so much with their time, sweat, free furniture, a free big screen TV, and even financial blessings.
The kids and I prayed every single night for more than a year for a house. What a testimony to my children the whole experience was.
After much prayer we made the decision to leave Winns, a church we loved and had only been at a short time. We started attending Centerpoint Church so I can do drama there. First you have to know I prayed for more than a year that God would show me his will for my life and how I can use my talents for him. He answered. First he took us to Winns. I worked with the actors during their annual production of Judgement House and felt God calling me to full time drama minstry in a church. Some months later God sent Mike Cauthorne to invite me to do drama as a regular part the service at his new church plant, Centerpoint! Wow! It is so amazing to see how he puts it together and you had no idea what great things were in store for you.
Centerpoint has been a blessing to our family. We LOVE our weekly life group. The kids count down the days. We have made some GREAT new friends! We LOVE the Sunday morning service. The band is great. It is like going to a Christian concert every week. And Mike, our pastor, well you just never know what he is going to say next....and that IS a good thing. He keeps us on our toes and we are never bored.
I have learned so much.
And I cannot forget Facebook. It was so awesome to reconnect with so many old friends through Facebook. What a great way to stay in touch. One connection in particular is so very special. It is an answer to prayer itself.
I am very pleased with 2009. I feel as though Rion and I finally made some good choices and are headed in the right direction. mmm....maybe we are finally starting to grow up? Nahh....
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thanksgiving Thorns
When searching for a Thanksgiving skit to direct for Centerpoint I never thought I would find anything that would really make me reflect life as the one I found. Thanksgiving Thorns is by playwright Paul Joiner. It is about being thankful for the thorns in your life because through those thorns you really learn about how good God really is. The poem the play closes with is:
My God,
I have thanked Thee a thousand times for the roses,
but never for my thorns.
Teach me the glory of the cross I bear:
teach me the value of my thorns.
Show me that I have climbed to Thee by the path of pain.
Show me that my tears have made my rainbow.
George Matheson
This passage and the text of the skit have brought a new light to Thanksgiving for me this year. I reflect the past 12 months. And fortunately this year we do have good things to be thankful for. We have the purchase of our first house. After many "Job" years we were finally blessed with our house which is everything we wanted in a house.
Rion and I have had many "thorns" since we have been married. His Ankylosing Spondilitis brought both physical, financial, and emotional thorns to our life. We deal with his pain and the days he has trouble walking. I had to go back to work to support our family because the disease affected Rion's ability to provide. This was NOT AT ALL our plan. I have not always been gracious about it. I do see how God has provided for us. He provided a job for me with a tremendous amount of flexibility. In some ways I think our marriage is stronger because of the change. Rion worked 6 days a week and we didn't have much family time.
Then we have our children. With children it is always an adventure. When our middle was born the doctor estimated the due date wrong and did a scheduled C-Section to find a baby whose lungs were not developed. Those were very scary days. He had to be placed on 100% oxygen and spent 10 days in the NICU. The same child this past summer spent 2 weeks in the hospital while the doctors were trying to determine what was causing his high fevers and joint inflammation. So many good things came out of that experience and we can look back and see God at work. During the hospitalization we received an answer to prayer about God's will for where our family is to worship. When our car broke down while we were at the hospital He made provisions for us and our Pastor "happened" to be in the lobby of the hospital and knew a tow truck company and a mechanic. A good friend helped us with the bill. And when Jacob was released from the hospital before he was ready, the home healthcare nurse happened to get "delayed" at another house and didn't arrive at our house until 10:15pm just in time to see that our thermometer was not reading correctly and he had a fever of 104.8 degrees. This lead to him being readmitted and finally getting the treatment he needed. It scares me to think about what would have happened to him if she had not been there that night and his fever had continued to escalate.
When things are rough sometimes it is hard to remember you are not alone. But the only way I have found to get through those times is by "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms."
My God,
I have thanked Thee a thousand times for the roses,
but never for my thorns.
Teach me the glory of the cross I bear:
teach me the value of my thorns.
Show me that I have climbed to Thee by the path of pain.
Show me that my tears have made my rainbow.
George Matheson
This passage and the text of the skit have brought a new light to Thanksgiving for me this year. I reflect the past 12 months. And fortunately this year we do have good things to be thankful for. We have the purchase of our first house. After many "Job" years we were finally blessed with our house which is everything we wanted in a house.
Rion and I have had many "thorns" since we have been married. His Ankylosing Spondilitis brought both physical, financial, and emotional thorns to our life. We deal with his pain and the days he has trouble walking. I had to go back to work to support our family because the disease affected Rion's ability to provide. This was NOT AT ALL our plan. I have not always been gracious about it. I do see how God has provided for us. He provided a job for me with a tremendous amount of flexibility. In some ways I think our marriage is stronger because of the change. Rion worked 6 days a week and we didn't have much family time.
Then we have our children. With children it is always an adventure. When our middle was born the doctor estimated the due date wrong and did a scheduled C-Section to find a baby whose lungs were not developed. Those were very scary days. He had to be placed on 100% oxygen and spent 10 days in the NICU. The same child this past summer spent 2 weeks in the hospital while the doctors were trying to determine what was causing his high fevers and joint inflammation. So many good things came out of that experience and we can look back and see God at work. During the hospitalization we received an answer to prayer about God's will for where our family is to worship. When our car broke down while we were at the hospital He made provisions for us and our Pastor "happened" to be in the lobby of the hospital and knew a tow truck company and a mechanic. A good friend helped us with the bill. And when Jacob was released from the hospital before he was ready, the home healthcare nurse happened to get "delayed" at another house and didn't arrive at our house until 10:15pm just in time to see that our thermometer was not reading correctly and he had a fever of 104.8 degrees. This lead to him being readmitted and finally getting the treatment he needed. It scares me to think about what would have happened to him if she had not been there that night and his fever had continued to escalate.
When things are rough sometimes it is hard to remember you are not alone. But the only way I have found to get through those times is by "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms."
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Life's Acts
okay, here we go, my first blog post......about a year ago a friend (thanks Sharron) said, you should blog and I have a name for your blog that fits your life, Life's Acts. This brings many parts of my life into play. As a Christian there is the book of Acts in the Bible, as an actor and theater lover plays are done in acts, the act of homeschooling my kids, and my conservative and other types of activism. A disclaimer now, I am not a secretary so there may be commas found in the wrong places. Here we are a year later and I am finally doing it!! I have given alot of thought about my intention. That is what actors do, live in intentions, and I am simply going to share the never dull moments of life.
I have three boys, Chance 12, Jacob 9, and Shepard 5. Things are certaintly never dull with them around. They are each so unique and wonderful. I have my relic hunting husband, Rion. We have quite a romantic and dramatic story, but these days you have to be into civil war history and metal detecting to appreciate his excitement. He is a good man and a loving dad and husband. I work as the Business Office Manager for Hallmark Youthcare, a residential treatment facility for at risk youth. I oversee our homeschooling. Rion is disabled from Ankylosing Spondilitis and stays home with the kids. Jacob and Shepard have also been recently diagnosed with arthritis. Our family worships at a wonderful new church called Centerpoint Church. We meet at Kersey Creek Elementary School at 10:30am Sunday mornings (a shameless plug.) I do a drama ministry for Centerpoint. I also work in the theater any opporuntity I get. And I am a conservative and when time allows like to volunteer to advance those causes. After many years of struggling we just bought our first home. It is everything we could want with 3.3 beautiful acres and our very own pond. We are loving it!! Now this busy wife and mom has little ones wanting her attention.
I have three boys, Chance 12, Jacob 9, and Shepard 5. Things are certaintly never dull with them around. They are each so unique and wonderful. I have my relic hunting husband, Rion. We have quite a romantic and dramatic story, but these days you have to be into civil war history and metal detecting to appreciate his excitement. He is a good man and a loving dad and husband. I work as the Business Office Manager for Hallmark Youthcare, a residential treatment facility for at risk youth. I oversee our homeschooling. Rion is disabled from Ankylosing Spondilitis and stays home with the kids. Jacob and Shepard have also been recently diagnosed with arthritis. Our family worships at a wonderful new church called Centerpoint Church. We meet at Kersey Creek Elementary School at 10:30am Sunday mornings (a shameless plug.) I do a drama ministry for Centerpoint. I also work in the theater any opporuntity I get. And I am a conservative and when time allows like to volunteer to advance those causes. After many years of struggling we just bought our first home. It is everything we could want with 3.3 beautiful acres and our very own pond. We are loving it!! Now this busy wife and mom has little ones wanting her attention.
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