Leaping Through Time

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day: 

"Time does not change us. It just unfolds us."

Max Frisch

Maggie puppy (April 2011)

  Today I received this photo of itty bitty Maggie from my daughter reminding me of how small Maggie once was. Laying next to Bobby, the 9 lb Toy poodle, she looks pretty small. Looking closer I see Maggie's calm demeanor that she still has today. I realize now back then her look of calmness was a precursor to today. She loves a good time and a playful romp like yesteryear, but inside her soul she's a calm peaceful being. Weighing in around 45 lbs on this Leap year day; Feb. 29th, I can see she's grown leaps and bounds in stature. Time itself has slowly revealed to me and to those that know her, her true personality and core essence. Maggie's just a bigger version (inside and out) of the sweet little puppy that came to me last year. 

Happy Leap Year Day Feb. 29th

Paws To Love

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"There is more hunger for love and appreciation

in this world than for bread."

Mother Teresa

Maggie paws of love

  Maggie and I have our ritual of appreciation and love. In the morning I play the jazz station softly, and I drink a cup of coffee with Maggie at my side. We check our email. I read Maggie's to her. She hasn't mastered her vowels or consonants yet. I rub Maggie's paws when I'm on the laptop. I've done this since I first got Maggie as a puppy. It always settles her down while her big hazel eyes look at me with love. Her head drops down on her salmon colored plush pillow. Her eyes get sleepier and sleepier with each rub. Then she passes out in pure pleasure. If she doesn't have this appreciative love ritual Maggie hungers for her dose of loving from me. She loves it so much. I love Maggie's paws. It's comforting to paws to love her in the way that makes her feel appreciated and special. She double paws me back to show her love for me.

doubly loved

Raining Leaves of Fun

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day: 

I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things.... I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind.

Leo Buscaglia

Maggie

  The more the leaves fall, the happier Maggie gets. It's her smorgasbord. Enthusiasm becomes her middle name as she belts outside with joyful anticipation of another batch of new leaves. I might not get crazy about the leaves (Hello, I have to pick them up), but her joy is infectious. So, I start kicking those leaves around pretending they're mini soccer balls. Together we smile running against the wind. I love the wind. It's electric. I'm reminded it's the wind I love that feeds Maggie's thirst for leaves. Our loves are symbiotic. We spell this joy of life: F-U-N! 

PS. Confession: Enthusiasm is my middle name too!

I Can Do Something

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.

Helen Keller

Maggie learning obedience

Sometimes it's paper, rock, scissors

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing."

Anon

Maggie 

Shivering Snakes....tomato tomahto

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightening and a lightening bug."

Mark Twain

baby rattlesnake

  The song that comes to mind is Let's Call The Whole Thing Off by George and Ira Gershwin. Shivering snakes...tomato tomahto; a snake crossed our path. Maggie and I paused out of range to let this creature cross our path. iPhone intact; I took some photos. In hindsight, maybe not the brightest idea of mine since I thought it was a harmless garden snake. 

What do I know? 

Lightening or lightening bug? It took a suggested text from my offspring "might be a rattlesnake." Holy lightening! My favorite mentor Google to the rescue. Jumpin' jehosafats! It is was a baby rattlesnake. Although a baby rattlenake, I've since learned baby rattlesnakes do bite, they do have venom from birth (uncontrolled amount of venom), and they don't have the usual warning rattle sound like the adults. DANGER DANGER. I say to Maggie; let's call the whole thing off! 

coiled baby rattlesnake

*No creature was harmed from taking these photos. iPhone zoom setting used.

Maggie and Me

Soaring Spirits

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"The ones that matter the most are the children." 

Lakota Proverb 

erupting mushrooms

  Looking down on the ground at some big mushrooms popping through the earth's surface made me think of the Lakota (Sioux) children of St. Joseph's Indian School in Chamberlain, South Dakota. I was thinking of how these Lakota (Sioux) kids' precious roots stem from such dark adversities as parental alcoholism, poverty, and hunger. Yet, their spirits soar when hope, love, and warmth surround them. They get their nourishment for their spirits to soar at St. Joseph's Indian School. The Lakota way is taught to them.

Lakota (Sioux) shawl dancer

In America, the supposed land of opportunity, many, many Lakota children of the plains are suffering. The Lakota youth suicide rate is rampant; 10 times the national average. Maggie and I encourage others to contribute and help these children stay safe, warm and loved. There are two few spots for the Lakota kids at St. Joseph's Indian School, and the waiting list is long. Maggie and I support St. Joseph's Indian School, because we believe the children are what matters most. 

Maggie 

Blue Skies Smiling

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. 

That's why we call it the present.

Babatunde Olatunji

local daffodils

  Walking in the sunshine with Maggie I stepped lively to the song in my head playing from Ella; Blue Skies. Flowers were bursting out everywhere. The sun was so bright I had my sunglasses on. Fresh temperate air filled our lungs. Excitement in the air. Not too warm and not too cold; I felt like Goldilocks; it was a perfect day out with Maggie. All the flowers seemed to have popped out all at once. I swear I didn't see them yesterday. Maggie and I absorbed all of nature's gifts in that present moment. Blue skies smiled on us while we walked. The moment we came indoors it clouded up, no sunglasses needed. WOW, we were blessed living in the present moment when we went for our walk. Sing it Ella! 

Maggie checks out the first Blue Lupin

* Please view The Life of Flowers

Maggie Mooseology

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?” 

A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh 

photo credit

  My dog Maggie is constantly nibbling on sticks, leaves, and twigs. It likens her to the herbivore Moose family. If I take her out for a walk, especially on an early overcast morning the dewy grass has a strong pull for her. Like today, gray as gray gets. Sorry Maggie-no grass. The only bright spot visible on this gray walk was the white blossoms on a tree along our walk.

As I shot the photo of the tree filled with white blossoms Maggie found herself some nice little twigs for a breakfast starter. The real deal (dog food) was at home. Maggie's favorite conversations with me originate with food (the only exception being the word BALL). She knows the words EAT & TREAT very well. Her little Springer spaniel tail wags back and forth upon hearing them. Our friendship grows with few words and some good times together. Winnie-the-Pooh's; "What about lunch?" just about sums it up with a walk tossed in to toast to our health! 

Maggie grazing as a little Mooselet.. he he

Pine Cone Trimmings....

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough. 

Author Unknown

 Tigger Backpack

  Maggie and I have been spending time de-cluttering stuff we don't need anymore. Our neighborhood is getting all the trees trimmed too. Lots of pine cones and pine tree saplings are scattered everywhere. 

To my chagrin; Maggie loves a good pine needle!

During our clutter excavation Maggie and I came across many treasures from years of memories of my girls growing up. Maggie sniffed everything. I could tell she was wondering about these things and who'd all the smells belong to? These treasured items & their memories all remind me of the song The House That Built Me by Miranda Lambert. ..."won't take nothing but a memory, from the house that built me..." Our journey is one of simplicity now. Maggie and I only need to take our memories with us. Like iCloud helps me journal my life, our journey will be light of load like the puffy cloud moving across the sky.

The lyrics from The House That Built Me  sing "...under that live oak. My favorite dog is buried in the yard...." It reminded me of our dog Scotty. I found his Sherpa carry bag. My heart stopped still. His Patagonia like fleece coat...and much more left behind lay on the floor in front of me. He was our family's faithful friend for many years. He ran the treadmill with me, went to the girls' water polo games, barked at people that shouldn't be here.... Scotty was before Maggie. I believe Scotty led me to Maggie from the other side high up in the clouds.... Thank you best bud. I'll never forget you. You're still in our hearts. <3

Scotty and Me on treadmill

  I found my daughter's Tigger backpack that she saved all these years. I picked it up and an old photo of me fell to the floor. It was a Polaroid photo taken through the car window. I was at the gas station with map directions from Mapquest to Coffee Creek Guest Ranch. We went there more than once for a dude ranch vacation. I won "Best Dressed Cowgirl" the first year at their awards ceremony. At the talent show my girls sang and danced to Shania Twain's songs like; "I Feel Like A Woman."  It was our motto for life;  "....The best thing about being a woman, is the prerogative to have a little fun..." And us girls did have FUN through the years!

Photo of me from Tigger backpack

I found a paper heart cut out. It was under the bed from years ago. The writing was in pink & red ink with written promises of love together forever. It's from one of my girls (I'm leaving the details out 'as promised' sweetie). Today my girls are all grown up while my Maggie is growing up. 

Maggie and I de-cluttered together as a team. What was left was closets a little leaner, and an empty room with some treasures stacked to the side awaiting their destination. For our new journey, we got a loveseat to fill the empty hole from items gone. It came with two serious looking small pillows. Not for me. I picked up some vibrant looking pillows instead to splash some color in a room once filled with life from another time. I lay the two serious looking pillows on the floor trying to decide what to do with them next. Imagine my surprise when I came back in the room and Maggie had put the pillows to good use. A life of simplicity when you only pack a tennis ball for the journey and choose two pillows as your ride! 

Maggie with her tennis ball & two pillows

*Special blog dedication to my girls:

Julie & Christy

Shania Twain's: You're Still The One

Looks we made it, look how far we've come.....still together, still going strong.....

Look how far we've come now baby!

Love ya,

Mom & Maggie <3 <3

Sunrise and Flowers with Maggie

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day: 

"Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk."

Walt Whitman

sunrise in the neighborhood

pansies

Maggie smelling the pansies

beautiful Maggie on a sunrise morn

Saturday Doings

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless. 

Bill Watterson

    This weekend our Saturday doings will be completely meaningful and utterly pointless. Maggie likes this. Me too.

Double Birds' Eye View

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us." Ashley Montagu

Western Scrub-Jay nest 

  In our yard, high up little chirps caught Maggie's and my attention. I looked up and saw a Blue Jay (really the Western Scrub-Jay) hop in a nest. WOW! So exciting! Everyone that knows me, knows I love birds. As a kid I was the kind of kid that for fun perused a field manual for birds. I also had a pet parakeet named Pal that could talk. I'm still in love with John James Audubon bird paintings. My happiness in seeing the bird's nest seized me. I still have parakeets (Tommy & Jerry) so, I can always hear the melodious sounds and chirps of birds year around. After the nest sighting Maggie and I took a walk. I saw something big and white on top of an oak tree. What the heck was that? Was it litter? Omigosh, it's a Great White Egret on top of the tree! It looked grand sitting there. I took out my iPhone and pushed the zoom to the hilt-snap went the photo shot. The resultant photo was a humble enlargement of the greatness of this bird.

Great White Egret

Maggie looked bored while I made her wait in the middle of our walk. 

I felt really lucky to be surprised with two magnificent moments of happiness seizing me so unexpectedly. Meanwhile, my faithful friend Maggie tolerated my madness and semi-pretended to be happy for me. I think her happiness was being outdoors in the fresh air while mine was high up on the tree tops with a double birds' eye view. And, of course, with my buddy Maggie too.

(ps. I wonder if I should tell Maggie about the field guides I have for fish, seashells, tide pools, and more?)

To Trust or Not to Trust....like picking pedals from a daisy?

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"We're never so vulnerable than when we trust someone-but paradoxically, if we cannot trust, neither can we find love or joy."

Walter Anderson

Vulnerable Maggie 

  Maggie trusts me to do what's right for her. Big responsibility, because she is vulnerable to the choices I make. One huge charge for me was finding a dependable, trustworthy, and skilled dog sitter who could walk and feed my precious Maggie while I'm busy elsewhere. I had a dog sitter before who didn't show up one night while I was away. That was the most painful thing for me to realize my dog didn't eat dinner or leave her crate as scheduled. Maggie sure was happy when I returned. That night was the first time she slept on my bed instead of in her crate. Maggie was traumatized.  She eventually got over it when her traumatic experience was filled with love by the name of Kendra. I hired Kendra of Kendra's Kritter Sitters. For me, like picking pedals off a daisy making choices sometimes is a paradoxical experience of vulnerability. Maggie LOVED and trusted Kendra the moment she met her. I couldn't keep Maggie away from Kendra! My dog knew a good thing. I had to trust that Kendra was able to meet Maggie's needs of someone dependable and reliable. Sure enough Maggie has spent many joyful moments walking with Kendra or spending time together. For me, the vulnerable trust I put in Kendra has paid off. Maggie is happy if I need to leave her care to another, which fills my heart with joy, because I know she's loved. Thanks Kendra!

Kendra 

Bumble Bees and Tulip Trees

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day: 

"Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway."

Mary Kay Ash

our tulip tree

  A friend told me the other day that she saw tulip trees in bloom. Sure enough the tulip tree hanging over my yard is starting to bloom. It made me think about the quote about the bumble bee and its not being able to fly, but it flies anyway. Does the tulip tree know it shouldn't bloom tulips either? After all, the tulips I use to know came from bulbs in the ground, not from trees. For me, it's a remembrance  to keep doing the impossible. All things really are pawsable. Maggie agrees. She thinks I should look for pawsabilites; whether it's seeing a bumble bee fly, a tulip tree bloom or something else!

Maggie looking for pawsabilities

Heart Full Of Valentine Love

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others."

Frank Morgan

Maggie's heart biscuits for Valentine's Day

  Maggie and I are both single on Valentine's day. This is the day hearts worldwide yearn  to embrace their special someone. It's a day of filling hearts with gifts of candy, flowers, and kisses in order to feel how much one is loved by others. It's a day full of romantic tunes like Unforgettable or Our Love Is Here To Stay. Although both single, Maggie and I are feeling the Valentine's Day love. Thoughtfulness and kindness are at the root of our roses for each other. Maggie through her stomach with yummy dog biscuits while she shares her sweet doggy licks of kisses for me.  The Wizard of Oz's Frank Morgan says it best when he talks to the Tin Man about how "a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others." Today Maggie and I count our blessings. We are loved. 

Happy Valentine's Day

*MaggieMooseTracks posting also on MaggieMooseTracks.wordpress.com

Trailblazing

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 Julie in the Serengeti (Pride Rock)

  I love the song about the windshield & the bug sung by Mary Chapin Carpenter:

Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're just a fool in love

  

  This song in its upbeat rhythmic tones encourages me to take one step forward and not worry about the one step backward. I love being the windshield. The view is far better than taking the backseat. I've been the bug too. Messy stuff. Then too, windshields can always be cleaned. I've raised my kids and now Maggie to blaze that trail, and not follow the path of others. Unlimited pawsabilities. When my daughter Julie went to Tanzania & Kenya for college studies abroad most college students were heading to Europe. In my eyes, Julie chose her life view as the windshield with her decision. I love that Maggie is always up for any new path too. She doesn't care if she gets messy. Me neither.

You gotta know happy - you gotta know glad

Because you're gonna know lonely

And you're gonna know sad

When you're rippin' and you're ridin'

And you're coming on strong

Sometimes you're the windshield

Trailblazing leads to better visibility. My and I will go where there isn't a path. Messy happens, but can be cleaned up. 

Maggie

Relaxation

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval."

Mark Twain

Maggie 

*MaggieMoosetracks also at: MaggieMooseTracks.wordpress.com

Acorns Into Oaks

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"We find delight in the beauty and happiness of children that makes the heart too big for the body."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Family: Christy with Maggie

*MaggieMooseTracks can also be found at: http://maggiemoosetracks.wordpress.com/

Blooming Appreciation

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"Creativity is so delicate a flower that praise tends to make it bloom, while discouragement often nips it in the bud. Any of us will put out more and better ideas if our efforts are appreciated."

Alexander Osborn

Kuan Yin by Megan Wood

  While walking Maggie I sometimes reflect how far she's come in her training. A lot of appreciative effort on both our parts. She has blossomed. It's a creative process discovering Maggie's personality and working together as a team. The foundation in all of Maggie is my appreciation for her blooming pawsabilities. So true is the euphemism that if you treat someone with the belief they will succeed they will, and if you don't, they won't. Maggie thrives on positive appreciation like a budding flower in the rain. She shows me creative pawsabilities are best for her success. Appreciation works. I'm rewarded with bouquets of doggy kisses! Blooms abound!

Maggie 7 months old

*MaggieMooseTracks can also be found at: http://maggiemoosetracks.wordpress.com/

Dreams Your Heart Makes

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"A dream is a wish your heart makes." Cinderella

Tessie 

  As a kid growing up Walt Disney showed me through his imagination that if you dream it you can achieve it when your dreams come from your heart. In his movie Cinderella there's a song I love called A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes. Little Tessie is such a dream and she's looking for a loving home. She'll steal your heart in black & white, but she'll give your life full technicolor. Tessie was born on Walt Disney's birthday: Dec. 5th. Her mom's name is Star (When You Wish Upon A Star). Extraordinary. Speaking of my heart's dream; my Maggie reminds me of Disney's Lady from Lady And The Tramp. Maggie's rugged counterpart is her friend Jack. So, who knows what song someone will be singing if little Tessie is the dream from a wish the heart makes.... 

Maggie and Jack

  Lots of love...... Tessie

*MaggieMooseTracks can also be found at: http://maggiemoosetracks.wordpress.com/

Cup of Tunes With Maggie

Maggie's pawsability thought for the day:

"I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me-like food or water." Ray Charles

  First things first, the coffee goes on, and then the music plays. We listen to our local jazz station JAZZ 91.1 KCSM each morning we arise. This public FM radio station fills our soul with eclectic jazz. We appreciate the notes we hear as the piano keys softly play their chords. A cup of tunes matches perfectly with Maggie and Shirley Horn as she sings A Time For Love. In one hand my Hawaiian hazelnut cup of coffee. On my other side my coffee & cream colored dog Maggie. She likes the soothing sounds of our cup of tunes ritual. It fuels us for our day. A saxophone or trumpet's melody sings through our veins as we wake up and start vibrating. Maggie laying beside me chewing on her toy while I tap the keyboard of my laptop. Music is part of our circulatory system. It gets our hearts pumping. A pure necessity to start our day with a cup of jazzy java tunes we love with all our hearts.