HAPPY MATRIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY !!

Today as we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I watched Selma for the first time. Yep I know I am very late. I have even had the DVD in my house since it was released.  For whatever reason I never watched got around to watching it.  It seemed fitting to watch it today.

I felt it was a GREAT movie and I really liked the humanness of Dr. King and all the people involved in the movement. The relationship between key people in the movement and Dr. King.  I loved the fact that they showed that everyone did not always agree with Dr. King.  They also showed that being non violent was a struggle for the movement participants. I loved the scene where a black man is looking for guns on Bloody Sunday.   He was told is has nothing to do with was is biblical or what is right but just as soon as 2 whites are killed 10 blacks will be because they (whites) have pump guns, airplanes, tanks, and a whole army and that is FACT.  

Over all Ava DuVernay did an AWESOME job!


After watching this movie, I was compelled to go visit and ride my horse Felix.   Because of their fight for equal rights, I am able to enjoy my greatest joy ...riding Felix! I am so glad that I get to own and ride my boy! We owe them so much for the many things that we almost take for granted.  Choosing to stay where you want to stay, driving the car you want to, sitting on the bus, train, or whatever where you choose to.  Going to school whatever.. and so many more!
My mother always ask me the same thing whenever I move Felix to a new barn like did just last week.  Her question is always "Are there any other blacks?"  My standard answer "No".  I have only ever boarded at one place where I was not the only black there. (There was a total of 2 that included me.)   I am okay with this. All I care about is that they treat me and my horse well. I can tell sometimes people are kind of surprised when they see me but soon after chatting with me are totally fine.

TREADING WATER

I am really a home body in a lot of ways.  If I had Felix at my house and did not have to work, I would probably never leave home.   I have noticed that if I do not go see Felix for awhile I am officially in some kind of a blue funk.  I normally go see him about 2-3 times a week. 

I do not have any idea what starts this cycle.  I do know that it has to stop.  Tomorrow I will be going to see him.  I LOVE my big guy dearly.   I just wish I did not have to drive 45 min to see him. Maybe I need to start taking a really good multi vitamin.  Any suggestions??

 Eat Work Eat Sleep and Repeat.   I am going to make more of an effort to go see Felix and to start back walking my dogs even if I have to walk them after dark in my neighborhood.

I also have a  GAZILLION leaves in my backyard.  I will be blowing those and bagging them up.  I have other house projects too.

Now I have said it I must just do it!!

Today, I have spent the whole day at home reading and watching tv.  I found this series on Netflix  "Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce".  The characters are all women divorced or getting a divorce. It just follows how the handle life and kids during and after divorce.

Hmm Now that I think about it ... I need to find some happier programing.

THAT MOMENT WHEN ....

That moment when your dogs put you to bed !!

Diesel saying "Come on Mom!  It is bedtime!"

Scenes  from the Peanut Gallery
Diesel and Solomon are reluctantly posing for this pic

I AM STILL HERE.. I AM STILL STANDING!!

HEY YALL !!

I have been away for a good long minute.  A whole lot of stuff has happened both good and bad.   Anyhow I am back !!  I am going to share some of my best news. I am sure that this post will make you smile and laugh.  Get ready it is probably going be long but have plenty of pics. I got to catch yall up on a major development.

MEET DIESEL  :) 

8 weeks old

 



This pic was taken before he even had a name. I held pup naming contest and everything. We had all these cute potential names like Bentley (tuxedo dog), Axel, and a few others. I have even forgotten most of them along with which one I was leaning toward.  This little guy when put in his crate, he would try to climb the corners of the crate and slam his body against the crate.  Soon it just was clear that he needed a tougher name than any of the ones I was considering.   So the choices became Rambo (bc he rams the crate), Tank, Diesel, and Samson.  I picked Diesel.

 

I took Solomon with me to the pre - adoption meet and greet.  Solomon ( 11 yrs old) was trying to figure out who and what this little thing was that kept trying to jump on and bite him.  So he started practicing avoiding him  but watching from a far.

 

 

Diesel weighted about 15 lbs  but was well on his way to becoming a puller.  I always said that I will not have a dog pulling me up and down the street. I tried all the techniques that I used on the other dogs I have had over the years to no avail. I did not have the time or the patience this time around especially for such a stubborn, 'never say die'  little puppy. Diesel was just a determined little puller.   I took him to Blake Rashad, a trainer, in my area when he was only 9.5 weeks old.  He stayed at the trainers home where he only takes in a few dogs at a time.  Five days later my pup came home walking much better on a leash and knowing basic commands both verbal and hand signals.  He was a quick study.



 

 

Diesel's first shopping trip at 10 weeks

 

 When Diesel came back home, Solomon acted like he really missed him.  I took them outside in the backyard and Solomon actually initiated play for the first time. Solomon first had to do a stare down and Diesel had to submit by sitting and looking away. Then they could play!!

The Stare-down 10wks
"Diesel can we just play?"

 

Playtime !! 10wks

He was such a chubby big pawed puppy. I took him everywhere I could so that he would get used to people, other animals, and not to get dependent on Solomon. The people at the barn just love him even now when he does not even have puppy breath anymore. He thinks horses are just funny big dogs and everyone is here to love on him.





Chubby Puppy

When Diesel came back from school, I realized that Solomon needed to brush up on his training.  So they both had to practice stays and other commands before dinner, after walks, and other random times too.



 

 I brought a doggy backpack for Diesel so that we can walk the same distance but have him work a little harder. I put a bottle of water in each pocket. So he carries 2lbs of weight, this helps burn more of that puppy energy.  I think Solomon absolutely loves going on walks which I had never done with him on a regular basis.  I felt kind of bad about that because he loves going on walks and he could have been enjoying them all along. I was a bad mommy in that area. Diesel got to go on play dates. My friend has a deaf dog ,Tyke.  She was using hand signals to tell him to sit and my Diesel came flying over to sit so fast. That was when I realized that the hand signals that Diesel learn in school were universal.  How cool!! 





Pals  (Tyke, Reba, Diesel)  9 months

Walk in the Park ( 8 months)



 

Diesel is a great little big puppy. Now his is an energetic television watching, wrestling, boxing, lovable puppy. He loves everybody but is learning how to be a good watch dog from Solomon.  His alert "big boy" bark is already much fuller that Solomon's.  I took him with me to the ATM one night. He saw a guy walking to his car and used his " big boy" bark for the first time and startled me.  He weighs about 52lbs at 10 months old.  He watches the Falcons with me every game day in red and black bandana.

 

My boys on the Deck  about 7months

Halftime Pig Ears  9 months

 

 

Dressed Out for Falcons Game Day ( 9 months)

 

 



He loves riding in the car especially to the barn ( 10 months)
.

I hope yall enjoyed this post about my little big guy. I will be back to posting.

QUICK VENT

 For at least the past few weeks I pass through a construction zone on the way to and from work.  They have one of these signs posted.  This sign backs traffic up something awful sometimes.  It is just crazy because when you get to the actual bump...  it is only 2 inches at the most deep. It really is an area where they have stripped the pavement down about 2 inches. We have potholes worst that this area.   I end up behind SUVs and trucks of all shapes and sizes and they stop to creep over this area like they are rolling into a black hole.  You can clearly see the deep of the area and that is it a nice and neat area .. it is just a bump.  People don't even slow down that slow for speed bumps which are far worst that this area.  All these SUVs and trucks are supposed to be able to handle a bump at speed faster that 1-2 mph.  They slow me down EVERY morning fooling with this bump. Needless to say I roll right over it like it is not even there in my car.  :)

SPECIAL DELIVERY

Look what came in my mail yesterday!!! 



I even ordered a copy for my daddy.  He got his a couple of days ago,  I very sure he will just love it because he loves black history documentaries.  In my opinion this is one of the best collections if not the best.

If you did not catch it when it was on tv ....check it out.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

This year I had the most low key holiday season.  I did not host my mom's side Christmas dinner. Nor did I put up a single Christmas decoration.  I did spend more on gifts this year because I did not do much advance shopping.  Almost all my shopping was done online. 

Well looking forward to this new year, hopefully I will spend less of the year sick or having health issues.  In 2014, there are several areas that I will try to work on.

1. Finances - Need to save more money

2. Health -  Will have a surgery done first part of the year.  Stay on top of my health.

3. Eat better

4. Go see and ride Felix on a more regular basis

5. Work on house