Teather

3 years ago whilst attending a doctor’s appointment in another city, I decided to look on line for another dog….just out of curiosity more than anything. Well after a few posts and some missed connections , I came across an ad for the most adorable little pup I’d ever seen! He was a rescue, abandoned by a puppy mill once he was no longer useful as a stud. The ad said he was 8 years old, loved to play with his toys and that he was a big time cuddler. My wife and I immediately fell in love and decided that this little guy would be a perfect companion for our young dog Tuukka and immediately inquired about teather. So after filling out paperwork, giving references and making arrangements to return to the city a week later, the process had begun.

A meet and greet was scheduled for December 12th, we were excited and a little nervous! When we arrived we were taken to a large room with concrete floors, there were a couple ratty old toys there and not much else. As we waited with Tuukka beans we wondered what sort of personality this new little love would have.

The doors opened and a lady walked in with this tiny little pup (5lbs!!) Wearing a little red sweater she put him on the ground, and he RAN as fast as he could to my wife and jumped into her arms. It was LOVE.

Worried about how the two boys would interact we called tuukka over, well little teather wasn’t afraid and chased tuukka off!! It was a funny start to their and our relationship.

After many tears and goodbyes from the wonderful staff at pawsforlife/dogspaw edmonton, we began our journey home…

5 and a half hours, that’s how long the car ride was. We stopped at every rest stop, but little teather refused to pee or poop lol. So upon arriving home, we opened our apartment door and like a flood the pee came …all over the floor….WELCOME to your new home Teather!!!

Over the course of the next few months and years we got to know his intricacies and how to respond. He would sometimes yelp or snap for no reason as we were petting or cuddling him, something we attributed to flashbacks from his unknown past. But over time we won small battles and passed milestones that were huge to us. From having him come around with me and accept me to getting him to give his momma a kiss. He was genuinely the sweetest little forever puppy we had ever seen.

Back to the first night he came home, when bed time hit, he learned how to use his doggy stairs and clime right up in bed with us! And that night, as with almost every night after, he cuddled into my chest and settled in, we noticed afterwards how he lay on his back, little head on my pillow with his two front paws pulled up and folded over….kind of like a little person.

As I am writing this, smiling and sometimes tearing up, My little teather is still here with us, diagnosed yesterday with congenital heart disease….and we are devastated….trying to cope with a loss that is yet to come….

The miracle that is kids

So recently my wifes niece has needed a bit of extra help watching her kids while she works. Most people would be glad to help out in this sort of situation, and we are no different. The different part is that we havent gotten to spend as much time with the kids as we would like, we visit when we are able, but life is very hectic and it gets hard. Well, this past week we got the opportunity to spend a LOT of time with these wonderful little monkeys, and it has been nothing short of awesome.

I will never have children of my own, I am blessed to have an amazing step child, however, said step child is 24 years old and we have the relationship that friends would have. He has a great father and I am not needed as a figure in any traditional sense…which is cool, because i can hang out with him and talk and just be my self (mostly) LOL. 

Having said that, the current lot of children that we have been fortunate enough to spend time with have been having a bit of a hectic life since the wildfire, and given all of lifes little stresses , it has maybe taken a small toll on them. They have a great family, but they never really got a chance to see  their auntie, or my self very often. After getting the chance to spend quite a bit of time with them as of late, we have gotten to see such a change in their little selves. So smiley and happy, they all get along very well, and they look forward to seeing us very much. It has been very satisfying and humbling to see or think that we have had any sort of positive impact on them, but I have been told that I am The young guys favorite uncle, and both the lil princesses adore their uncle and love to spend time with him. 

Kids are amazing little creatures, and its very humbling to be any sort of impact on them, so please just remember folks, kids are a blank slate. they learn from us, they react to positivity, caring, understanding and kindness. There is no such thing as a bad kid, or a depressed kid or a mean kid. there are only kids that need direction sometimes, and other times….they just need some completely undivided attention. These kids were not lacking in anything, they have an amazing mom and a good life, but having auntie and uncle around certainly seemed to help bring some big smiles to some little faces

Two Cream, No sugar

The sirens were getting closer.

A fitting end to a wasted day thought Graham with a chuckle. Sweat trickled down his brow as he methodically made his way down the corridor. Carefully checking each room on his way to the big office.

………………………………………………..

Three hours earlier:

It was the 11 o’clock meeting, the same meeting Graham had attended for the last 13 years straight, everyday, Monday thru Friday. With the exception of yesterday, when Annie called him to tell him she was leaving him. Then he just went home and lay in his bed collecting his thoughts. But here he was again today, just like clockwork. As usual the coffee delivery showed up 5 mins prior to starting, and like usual, his was wrong.

Normally he let this slide, what’s the big deal right? Instead of his requested 2 cream, he once again got 2 milk, to which normally he could handle, but today….well today 2 fucking milk wasn’t going to cut it. 13 years, and many overtime hours punched, dinners and special occasions missed, and yet again this fucking smug looking little bitch had the nerve to bring him coffee with 2 milk instead of cream?

After several conversations with Kim about this, Graham was convinced she was either plain stupid, or had some kind of problem with him. He spit his coffee out, all over the table. “What the fuck Kim?…are you retarded?” he yelled, his face becoming flush with rage. “ta ta two milk, just like you always have Graham” stammered an obviously taken off guard Kim.

Kim had only been fucking up his coffee order for the past 3 years, but before her it had been Joey and before him was Sam. But he saw no difference, today in his fit of rage, it was Kim who had been fucking the up for 13 years and he had finally had enough. “it’s been 2 cream, no sugar since I was 19, how did you get 2 milk from that?” he was shaking with anger now.

“Graham, that’s enough” big Jim, the executive director and Grahams boss spoke up. “May I see you outside, NOW” he said.

After giving Kim a smoldering glare, Graham stood up and followed Big Jim into the corridor, noticing Kims face and thinking she didn’t look so smug now. “Graham, what the hell were you thinking?” demanded Big Jim

“sorry sir….I just lost my cool…it won’t happen again” replied Graham, tripping over his words. “sorry sir” mocked big Jim. “who do you think you are? You can’t talk to a coworker that way” Big Jims eyes began to bulge out of their sockets as he said this. “you didn’t just lose your cool, you lost your job” mocked big Jim again.

“You fat, stupid cocksucker” the words were out of Grahams mouth before he could stop them. The look of surprise on big Jims face was worth it though. “After all these years, an all I’ve done for you and this company?” He wasn’t stammering anymore. “Mike from accounting fucked your wife by the way” he was on a roll now “and guess what? I saw her at the Christmas party, oh yeah, she was having funnnn, I think she even fucked him in your office while you were busy filling your fat fuck face”

“Get out…you have until end of day to clean out your office” he sounded weak, and this made Graham smile. “or what big Jim? I’ll be leaving now, have one of your cocksuckers clean it out….oh..and fuck you” Turning on his heel and walking away Graham had a huge smile on his face, stopping into his office only long enough to grab his car keys.

He made the 20 minute ride home in record time, amazing just how quick his old camaro could still move after all these years. He went inside, poured himself a stiff drink and sat on the couch to think.

After two and a half hours and a couple more drinks, Graham made his way back to his old camaro. The 20 minute ride actually took him closer to half an hour, he drove very carefully on the way back. It wouldn’t do to hit a pedestrian on his way back to work now would it?

Everything appeared normal as he walked onto the elevator, you could hardly even notice the slight gleam from the metallic object in his pocket, barely visible as he held his hands close to his side. BING! the door opened, and walking out to the corridor he noticed it was less busy than usual. he made it five steps before Mike stepped out of his cubicle in front of him. “Graham! I thought you…” his sentence was cut short by the gurgling sound as blood escaped his throat. his surprised eyes stared at Graham with an accusing look before his knees crumpled and he fell to the floor. In the distance he heard shouting and screams, but he was focused now like he had never experienced and they sounded far away, like background noise.

As he turned the corner he seen a large shape coming towards him. It took only a second for him to recognize Big Jim and before he was any wiser, Big Jim had a big knife shoved in where his dick was supposed to be. He let out a terrified howl and dropped to his knees. Before he could manage another sound, that big knife was shoved straight into his throat and he couldn’t make another fat sound. “Fuck You” said Graham before spitting on the back of Big Jims head.

Stepping out of the blood that had begun to pool around Big Jims body, he slowly made his way down the corridor. poking his head into each room as he went, Graham was a little disappointed that he wasn’t seeing more people. But when he poked his head into the lunch room he did indeed find someone. It was Danny, the young office intern who he had noticed taking a shine to Annie at the Christmas party. “Graham! you’ve got to hide in here, someone’s doing bad shit out th…” he stopped before finishing his sentence as he noticed the blood covering Grahams body and the knife in his hand. “Please Graham, please don’t hurt me” he begged as Graham walked to him. Cowering down in the corner, Danny covered his head with his arms. A few seconds later Graham emerged back into the hallway, his squishy footsteps leaving a trail of bloody footprints down the hall.

He could hear the scared sobs and labored breathing of people in the big office. It was funny how these sounds stood out to him over the warble of approaching sirens. He reached out and turned the handle, letting the big door slowly glide into the room. There was Kim, looking terrified now, no sign of smugness on her face. “Gram…puh please..Gram, I’m suh suh sorry, wuh wuh why are you doing this?” sobbed Kim.

“I said two cream and no sugar you smug bitch”
The end.

The tree in the corner of the yard

Looking out her window, Gloria couldn’t help but let her gaze wander to the corner of the yard. Even at two pm in the middle of June, that corner of the yard remained dark and ominous. The rest was so well lit, the vivid green of her well manicured lawn, the reds, blues and yellows of her flowers in the gardens. The lush rusty reds of the maples stood out in stark contrast to the black shadow that was the spruce in the corner.
Jack had always hated that corner, he said “it just doesn’t feel right”. Twelve years in the grave now, Gloria often wondered if Jack now knew why he hated it so much. They had been married in June of 1980, Gloria a widow, Jack a former cook in the Navy. They had met at the local church during a spring picnic and after a whirlwind romance were married less than two months later.
Being a solitary sort Jack never questioned or bothered Gloria about her past, and she never volunteered much. Jack knew all he needed to know, and that was fine by her. She spent her days tending to the gardens (almost obsessively) and he spent his days in the workshop, crafting fine handmade furniture of all sorts.
Once, when he was really drunk, he had asked Gloria about her former husband and life. That was when she had told him about Darrell and the life they had sought to build. She never made mention of their failed attempts to start a family, nor their interest in helping unwed, pregnant teens seeking sanctuary and help.
How blissful Jack was in his ignorance, spending his days in the shop, his evenings in the parlour, listening to the radio because “TV was a waste of time”. Had he been bothered to pay more attention to his wife’s past or investigate her sewing room in the attic, things may have gone very differently for them. But Gloria was great at keeping secrets, and it was those secrets that kept Jack alive for as long as he had.
As far as he knew, he had enjoyed 13 loving years with his wife, and no one would be able to say otherwise….no one except Gloria that is. She alone knew that Jacks blissful fairy-tale marriage was a front, to keep prying eyes from seeing what dark horrors were right in front of their eyes.
You see, Gloria, as Jack had said quite often, was “one hell of a cook” and she had a penchant for always winning best in class for their local church’s chilli and stew cook offs. People raved over the beautiful mixture of spices combined with the absolute tenderness of the meat. Often she was asked “what’s your secret? I won’t tell” and “is it veal?” to which she would always reply “a good cook never gives up her secrets” and they would laugh and carry on. Little did they know…
When Darrell had been alive, he had some peculiar tastes, and he had been a very decisive and sometimes cruel man. When the pregnant teens would come knocking, he would always answer the door with a gentle smile on his face and a kind word on his lips. He would tell them that what they were there for was not evil, and that God would forgive them their choices.
Then after the work was done, sometimes it would take several days to as long as a week, the girls would go off again, convinced they had done the right thing and feeling as if they had a new lease on life. Darrell would wander all the way up to the attic, into his wife’s “sewing room” and open the large freezer with the false bottom and stare at his prize.
Within a day of the girls departing, Gloria would have on a large pot of stew (or chilli if that’s what Darrell wanted) and the smell of delicious spices and veal would fill the home. And once they had enjoyed their meal, the leftovers put in her garden compost or distributed to the neighbors, Gloria would take her bag of scraps out to the corner of the yard and bury the small bones and bits of cartilage around the base of the ever black spruce tree.
Jack would rave and the Church goers would rave and even the Priest would rave over how delicious her cooking was, and once she was even complimented by how vivid and beautiful her flowers were! Stem cell research in Glorias mind was the modern equivalent to what her and Darrell had begun all those years ago, and no one would ever know the secrets to her cooking, the quality of her gardens nor the darkness of the tree in the corner of the yard.

Family

I’ve written about my wife, my rescue Puppy and the state of the  world. But I have not written about my wonderful family. 

I was blessed to grow up with two awesome sisters  (I’m the middle child) and a fantastic mom and dad. My parents sacrificed so much for us, in order to make a better life for us than what they had growing up. We never had a whole lot of extra money, but we always had food on the table and a roof over our heads. We had the clothes and supplies we needed for school and we were given the tools to become whatever we wanted. We were always encouraged to read books and to play outside. We never went without hugs and love, and we never lacked discipline .  Sometimes our father would have to go away to work and we would only get to see him a couple times a year. Though he wanted to be home with us, he sacrificed everything to make sure we had what we needed. 

When we got older, we looked out for each other, if someone couldn’t afford Christmas presents, the others would help out and make sure they were able to gift each other. My mother worked incredibly hard as well, and even went to school for business, diploma in ministry, and journalism. 

I may not have come from much in the way of money, but I came from a ton of love, respect, understanding and encouragement. I have  such a great caring family and would not trade one second for all the money in the world. 

Thank you, mom, dad and sisters, you’re the best family a person could ask for and you made me everything I  have become. 
#family 

Eternity

So we have all read that story of the man who asks his wife for a divorce because he is having an affair and all she wants is 30 days of normalcy and for him to carry her like he did at their wedding, every morning. then he smartens up but comes to find out she had cancer and has passed. it’s a nice story and I’m not ashamed to admit that it tugs on my heart strings quite a bit. 

When I think  of my own wife, I often wonder how someone could do such a thing, treat someone they once loved with such disrespect. Let’s be clear: I believe marriage is for Life.  She is such a delicate, compassionate, loving, caring and soft woman. Every day I have the good fortune of actually waking up, and getting to see her beside me is such a gift, a blessing. 

She shows me how sometimes two souls are just so intertwined that you can’t bear the thought of being without them for even one moment. She is the air I breathe and the sun that shines. I’m literally speechless sometimes when I see her smiling at me. Just such a perfect vision of beauty and kindness. I can’t even imagine life without her in it. 

I also can’t imagine finding out I’d lost her one day, how I could live without her here with me, to share this journey that is life. It terrifies me to no end. The point being of all this is that if you have someone, and you love them, you need to show them, tell them. 

Make them a nice supper for when they come home from work, hold their hand when they’re scared at a stupid show or hug them tight when they have experienced a loss. Words are pretty, but actions are real. Small things like making their favorite food or picking up their favorite flowers or even just writing a little note can make all the difference. Show them as often as you can how much you love them. I have no fear, in this life and all others, I will be sure to find her, because love isn’t just a lifetime and death isn’t an ending. I will Love her for all time, and when that ends I will love her still more, because I believe our souls are intertwined and we will love together for eternity. 
#loveislove #lovewins #life #marriage

Failure

We all get there sometimes, feeling low, like everything is absolutely horrid and will never get better. Personally I lost my job through a combination of the YMM wildfire and a shoulder injury that the Dr’s can’t seem to diagnose beyond arthritis and tendonitis. The rational side of me knows that things will get better, and opportunities will come along. Who knows, maybe I’ll get the job I moved here for 6 years ago (driving a heavy hauler) 

But then the rest of my mind comes in. the part that makes me feel weak and useless as I watch my wife slave at a hard job to make ends meet. The part that laughs at me every time I have to sell a beloved piece of my music equipment to pay some bills. AND that’s where the trouble comes in. That darkness effects most of us at sometime or other, but it’s a particularly cruel thing to experience when you’re prone to depression. 

You see my wife loves me, as does my family and friends. however they don’t know how much this peculiar little demon effects me. I often  don’t want to leave my home and interact with anyone, I will spend my days trying to find a job and develop a more positive outlook. But it’s always there, making me feel small and powerless. reminding me that financially I am worth more dead than alive. Making me think that I am letting everyone down, and not pulling my weight.

However , being a somewhat intelligent individual (really I am, I swear) I realize that this is just the depression demon fighting to win. And as difficult as it can be, it’s a battle I can win…because I’m in control of my life, my happiness and my state of mind.

Please don’t give up, and realize that no matter how down you’re feeling, there are people who know you and know your worth. They can tell you how much of a success you are to them. They also love you. 

Better things WILL come and nothing stays the same forever. YOU can do it!

#ymmfire #depression #helpisthere#needheavyhauljob

Tea biscuits

Home made ham & cheese tea biscuits! Sweet lord it doesn’t get any better than this! 

It may seem a small thing, but make no mistake, it’s not. Things like home made tea biscuits or even a clean kitchen may be taken for granted by most of us every day. But sometimes it’s easy to remember how much care and love go into tasks such as these. Sure love may not be a physical ingredient but you can definitely taste it! 

Sorry for the tease with this amazing picture….hopefully the joy I’m feeling at these amazing bundles of bite size heaven transfers through to you. A huge thanks to my beautiful wife for making me these bits of love. I love you baby girl. 

P.S. No, you may not have her recipe……yet at least, ha ha. 
#Food #foodie #recipe

Teather

December 12 2015

That is the day we got to meet this little man in person for the first time. After an anxious 4 and a half hour drive we arrived at our destination Paws for Life animal rescue(Edmonton, Alberta). We had an apointment for 12 pm if I remember correctly, and sitting in the car listening to all the dogs inside the shelter was driving our Min-Pin Tuukka crazy! 

Our contact arrived and the three of us began the short walk to the big life change we were about to receive. After exchanging pleasantries and the usual remarks of how adorable our Pup was we were taken to a “meeting room”. It was very large with a concrete floor, and basically empty other than a few chairs. Then the door opened and little 5lb, 8yr old Teather was placed on the floor. 

He immediately ran across the room, straight to my wife, little nub wagging and jumped in her lap. She picked him up and he cuddled right in. We then of course had to have the little man meet tuukka, and they never had a problem…though it was clear who was boss immediately as little 5lb Chipin Teather, growled and pushed Tuukka to show him who was boss. 

We stayed for all of 40 minutes, as we left the building, all of the workers and volunteers gathered in the office. In his short time there he had made quite an impression on all these people and the tears were flowing freely. You see, little 5lb 8 year old Teather had been rescued from a breeder (maybe puppymill, we’re not sure) he was under weight, obviously had not been to the vet very often and showed signs of neglect. when his usefulness was up he was surrendered and this hurts us the most as he is so loving. The Angels at Paws for Life rescue and their partners got him taken care of, he had 33 teeth removed (he still has a few and they work really good! haha) was given all his shots and placed in a caring foster home. 

Fast forward to us leaving again, the crying eyes and well wishes behind us, we went straight to a pet store, time for all new toys, treats, clothes and dishes! After a short stop we made a dash for the highway, it’s winter and mild though it is, we don’t want to chance hitting a snow storm or icy conditions. 

It took us 5 hours to get home, my wife sat in the back of the car to spend more time with our new fur baby. both pups would alternate climbing into the front with me while I drove. We stopped often to allow the boys to use the bathroom, but little teather just wouldn’t go. 

Immediately upon walking in the door, he walks in the kitchen and pees on the floor! 

That was the beginning, he was supposed to be house trained, but like most rescues, you have no idea what they have been through. he would sometimes snap at our face or hand when he got startled, sometimes he would have freak outs where he would cry even if you didn’t touch him…he was scared, he obviously had been through a lot. but even with all the accidents and freak outs and nips, we were determined not to give up on him, we knew what we were getting into (kind of) and we were solid in our resolve to make sure all the last year’s of this boys life were filled with love, patience and kindness.

We’re fast approaching the one year mark, and as I type this, our little Teather is 7lbs and asleep on his bed in front of the fireplace. He hasn’t had a freak out in 3 months, if he starts to nip at us he catches himself and gives a lick instead (even this rarely happens now) He is using his pee pads very well, he gets excited when he uses them and spins in circles to tell us. He still has accidents still but nothing like when he first came home. Tuukka had been very standoffish but by June even he was coming along, he loves to chase Teather and play with him, he even gives little Teather kisses when asked now (sometimes without being asked!)

All in all this tiny little being full of love, is in his forever home. He loves to cuddle…like his life is cuddles, that’s what he lives for. I can’t comprehend how someone could ever be mean to him or not love him and want to keep him forever. 

This has been his story of coming home, eventually I will tell of how he has changed our lives and made us even happier. 

This is Tuukka, his 12lb 4yr old big brother and together they have brought more joy and love than anything we could have hoped for 
#discoverwp #Dogsofwordpress

Little man! Teather 

Cuddles by the fireplace 

#rescuepup #RescueDogs #dogs #puppy’s 

My Wife

Have you ever stepped back and truly appreciated someone? It’s not something any of us do often, which is why it’s all that much more significant when you do. 

My wife is a normal wife, loves the small things, likes her home clean and smelling nice, bakes bread and tries to make everyone happy. Most of the time she succeeds in this, but unfortunately people don’t always notice….her husband included.

What he does notice is how she can bring a smile to any sad face, or how she always has the time for a child to show her something or tell her about their day. How she goes to work, body aching, tired and sore, yet doesn’t miss a beat, makes everyone around her happier and gives 110% all day because she has to much integrity to be a slacker and needs to take care of her family because her husband was laid off. 

He also notices the little shade of sadness in her eyes when she hasn’t seen her child in a long time, or when her husband didn’t notice how hard she worked all day to make him a nice meal. 

He notices how no matter what life throws at them, she retains her resolve and looks for the positive in most any situations. If she does slip and have a mild breakdown, it only lasts a short while and then she comes back with more fire than ever. 

He notices how beautiful her smile is when she is truly happy, how her eyes light up and her face seems to shine. How her eyes will well up with tears when someone has done something thoughtful for her. The appreciation she shows to everyone for any act of kindness no matter how big or small.

He notices how tough she is in the face of adversity, how she will dig her heels in and fight for what’s right, or how she will let something go that’s not productive to a happy life. 

He notices just how beautiful she is when she wakes up in the morning with a smile, or how loving she is even when the puppies jump all over her at 5 am because they want breakfast and damn the time anyway. 

He notices how much more he could be doing to make her happy, to help her around the home and to keep her from having to hurt her small body working day in and day out. 

He notices how proud he is to be able to call her “his wife” and how ashamed he is that she seems to be taking care of everything and he isn’t contributing.

Most of all he notices how much he loves her, and how he would do anything to make her smile. he notices how much love is inside of her and that puts him at ease, knowing that come whatever may, he will have the love of this woman to keep them strong. 

To my loving wife, I have never deserved you, yet I’m so proud to be able to call you “My Wife”

I love you

#love #loveislove #marriage