Home is where you want to be...

Ahhhhh... Home and all of the images that the word conjures up.  I am away at my mom's for our monthly visit and it makes me wonder how and why my parents ever moved to the location I am presently sitting.  The answer is known, but still, I wonder, why here and how did I ever manage to survive growing up in such a tiny town?  Survival came from keeping to myself and my tight group of friends and learning early on, as one of my long-time childhood friends so succinctly put it, to stand up for ourselves and what we believe and not take any crap for it.  She is smart, that one! (You know who you are! ;-P) 

They say you can never go home and in some ways this is so true.  My childhood bedroom no longer exists and the room I now claim at my mom's house is not at all like the room I now share with my husband in our home, but as I look around its clutter, I am presented with objects and photos that bring forth amazingly vivid memories.  Some are unpleasant, but most are good, and maybe just a bit warm and fuzzy.  There are photos of those loved and lost too soon, weathered letters from amazing people who thought me alot about life and helped raise me in their own way, and momentos of past trips and happy moments.  I do not like to admit to being sentimental and tender, but, those who truly know me realize that is really and truly what I am like and that my somewhat tough and wisened exterior is a facade of careful construct so as not to be hurt or bruised anymore than I have to be.  See me cuddled up with my pups and it is a dead giveaway.  My daddy once told me that he often worried about me getting hurt because I feel and love so much and so deeply.  He was right and I sometimes wish it wasn't true, but more often I am thankful for it because it means I really, really get to have the "human experience" in this thing called life.

My home is not a building, but rather a feeling that I can wrap myself up in wherever I may be and happiness is self-made, and as Charles Schulz said, it is a warm puppy.

Gomez, CB, Lerler and Sammy, I miss you all, but I will be home Sunday!

Ahhhhh...Sunday!

Sunday, Anthony Bourdain No Reservations and being home with all of my boys and my girl.  What a fantastic way to spend a day!  I think I need to bake some brie and really indulge the senses.  Last week was long and difficult, but I must put it where it belongs, in the past, and look forward to a new, hopefully, much better week.  I am off to see my mom on Thursday and hopefully get a good couple days of work in while I am there. 
I could not have gotten this picture of Magnus and Samson if I had tried for a week, but the stars all aligned perfectly and I got this shot.  It is hard to believe that Samson barely tolerates Magnus based on this picture.  Enjoy!

How to Succeed in Business and not Die Trying

Any of you out there who have been in business for yourselves know that it is tough and challenging at moments.  There are alot of things that cause problems, but, in my humble opinion, accepting credit cards is the most nightmarish problem of all.  So you find a processing company you think maybe you can trust... it is okay, quite a bit more expensive than the salesperson led you to believe (he lied alot), but your clients love the convenience, so you grit your teeth and absorb the expense.  Then you stumble upon another company that is, by all appearance, a godsend, so you give it a trial run.  Saving money means not raising prices, right?  Then enter the hapless victim/client.  You charge her the amount for the item/service she receives, but the processing company hold extra funds to make sure the correct amount goes through.  The client innocently checks her bank balance and finds this extra "pending" amount and freaks out, calls her bank and reports the transaction as fraud.  She then calls you to find out what is going on and you explain the situation and that the processing company does this to secure funds.  Eventually she calls back, says the transaction went through before she reported supposed the fraud, so all is well.
The moral of this tale...Accepting checks is safer than credit cards and a whole lot less expensive!!  And have your Flying Monkeys ready and don't be afraid to use them!!

Happy Tuesday, everybody!
Tish

My Pack O' Canines

Sundays are my favorite day of the week, as it usually means spending much needed down time with Gomez and the pups!  Today was filled with "puppy-skin rugs" all over the living room floor and cooking "Coq au vin" for the first time (I will post the recipe on Morbid Morsels soon).  The meal was great, but being home with my family was better!

Don't faint, everyone, I have a blog!

After a fitful night's sleep I woke up this morning and decided to finally put this blog up.  I know at least one person who may faint (you know who you are, KF), but please do not!  I am going to have fun with this and try to include my take on the world, life, etc, as well as share recipes ala Morticia's Morbid Morsels and craft ideas.  I am also trying to stay as anonymous as possible, so please understand that I will not be posting photos or names of anyone I know and love, however, enemies beware!  The Pack O'Canines and my projects will take center stage in that regard.
The above picture is from our amazing vacation to Tombstone, Arizona in May, 2010.  If you look closely, you will see an orb that was following me.  For you skeptics out there, I have had the camera that took this pic for years and have taken thousands of pictures with it and NEVER had anything like this show up!  I will post the photos from the OK Corral at a later date. The Birdcage Theatre is one of the most unusual and unique places we have ever been and we hope to take the nieces and/or nephews someday.
So, there you have it, my first ever blog posting!