Much better morning

6/16/07 Saturday
It’s a much better morning than it was with yesterday’s evening. The puppies are doing a great job of helping us with our goal of getting up earlier. In fact they insist. That’s what we get for letting them overhear our conversation on that. “Kids”, go figure. The little whippersnappers just don’t respect their elders. In fact they have gotten papa (me) to do his aerobic exercises the doctors wanted years ago.

I spent a lot of time yesterday making a little wire fence to keep them out of the flower garden. Cherie has a magazine on Border Collies, which is half of our guys’ lineage, that declares them the smartest dogs on earth. So what do these seven week old little shits do??? They find their way through the fence in short order. First it was Rascal. After I scolded him with the word he recognizes most “NO” and pulled him over the eighteen inch high fence by the scruff of his neck (This is humane and how mothers carry puppies for those of you who may think it’s abuse) Trixie commenced to pace the fence looking for a way in. I stood close and watched, ready to explain the error of her ways the instant she found a flaw in this hastily erected barrier made out of whatever I could find. That didn’t take long. Hearing a clear and forceful “NO” she recognized this was not a good idea. Yeah, these guys are smart and yeah we’re in for it as they grow up.

I got two E mails yesterday that have me thinking and rethinking. They were both E mails sent to others and CC’d to me. It seems that a small group of well respected members of Midland’s blogging community are getting together to enjoy each other’s company face to face versus through the blogosphere. It appears I am invited. This just blows me away and I will E mail Eric to make sure I am not misinterpreting the E mail being forwarded to me. In my mind I don’t come close to the caliber of these other’s work. My blog just talks about me and our life while the other blogs discuss local and political happenings as well as deep intellectual subjects like gnats in the teeth as one rides a bike grinning. It has me thinking. What I am contemplating is reviving my “What about bob” blog, that has languished with only an occasional commentary on my view of social issues. In it I will expound on things other than myself with the delusional idea that it will better mankind and have a profound effect on the lives of those who read it. You know, the ranting’s of a brain damaged mind.

As I cook breakfast for Cherie, who gracefully endured the ugly that sometimes comes with the partial seizures I am pondering more on this. I realize that a lot of what I talk about in the Walked with Angels blog can be depressing. No one likes to hear someone bitch, whine, and complain all the time. At the same time we are incredibly blessed and I am unsure if I convey that well. I’ll have to go back and read to see as I can’t remember what I wrote for the most part.

But on the other side of the coin is one of the purposes I have for this blog. That is to illustrate the problems that come with a traumatic brain injury, to raise awareness of this. Then there is the fact that this is a daily journal of our life and the reality is it is not easy. We are poor by most standards though there are many who are in worse shape. In revealing this it is not my goal to gain sympathy at all. Having experienced a dramatic change in life circumstances, going from a successful and respected business owner to being a homeless man wandering with only part of his mind has given me a glimpse of a world few who read this have seen. Not only do I desire to raise awareness of brain injury but I wish to illustrate the strength and will of many who’s lives are a daily struggle. Actually that doesn’t hold true to this blog. It is a desire I have but this will require another avenue to accomplish, perhaps a book. Again I have desires and visions that may never be done.

But I ramble so back to thoughts on this blog. Yes things have not been a paved road for us but the blessings we get on the way are better exemplified when shown with the hardships. You see white better when it is on a black background. America loves the story of triumph against impossible odds, of good overcoming evil. In my imagination I like to think our lives touch on that. I picture myself as a man who refuses to give up, as a man who prevails over that which would mire him in a mud of despair. I know I don’t even come close to what others have overcome but still think this is a better way to view and approach life.

So a simple perceived invitation spurs these thoughts. That is the power of being accepted, of someone saying “We like you, we want to include you”.

I know it is a bit of a dig but say it in the hope of spurring improvement. It is a shame we haven’t felt this from some in Stanton. Not all, just some. I hope you will learn to better open up and include others who will be new in this community, to show the love of Jesus up close and personal, not from a safe distance.
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Had a short slowdown. Only lasted about a half hour. It came with a headache as they often do and that promises to be around a little longer.

I worked on the living room, sanding down where I had patched the drywall. As I feared some of the tape didn’t stick and the plaster on top was too thin so the sander went through to it. Didn’t look pretty. I’ll have to play with it some. But for the most part the walls are ready to paint. The windows will take more work. I’ll have to scrape the loose paint and put masking tape on.

I’m having to work to remember what else I did this afternoon. Can’t come up with anything other than playing with the puppies and taking pictures of them. Pretty tired from the slowdown and the headache is still there but it never got real bad, just stayed lurking, threatening to get worse but not doing so.

So here’s some pictures of our kids. It’s time to go to sleep. We’re going to get them out from under the bed and to the puppy room for the night. Cherie picked up a baby gate we can use to confine them. Night all.