Bailey week, day 1

It's Bailey week here on Life by the Hill. Each day this week I'll post one of my favorite photos of Bailey. Enjoy!

For day one I've posted a 2003 photo. Bailey was in the back of my car awaiting our departure to Tennessee for Christmas at Nana's. He had just had his sixth birthday.



"Grief is like the ocean. It's deep, and dark and bigger than all of us..."

Bailey remembered

My parents and my brother's family came to town to have dinner with me Saturday night. I was supposed to go to them, but I've been quite a mess lately, so it made more sense for them to come here.

Abby brought me the drawing below. It is another of many drawings she's given me of Bailey and/or Zoe and I love all of them. In this one, I particularly admire how observant she is. She has me in a Life is Good t-shirt after all!

This is Bailey and I at the beach.

Of course her drawings don't usually make me cry, but this one did. I love it just as much - if not more - than all the others that have come before this one. Thank you Abby!

Quote of the day

"Dogs don't know about beginnings, and they don't speculate on matters that occurred before their time. Dogs also don't know — or at least don't accept — the concept of death. With no concept of beginnings or endings dogs probably don't know that for people having a dog as a life companion provides a streak of light between two eternities of darkness."

-Stanley Coren

Farewell Bailey: Dec 1997-June 2010

I had to send Bailey over the rainbow bridge today. I stayed with him while he slipped away from me. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I know I made the right decision, but it still hurts so much.

I found the poem below online and thought it appropriate to post here because it was inspired by a Norse legend and Bailey was, after all, a Norwegian Elkhound.

I love you buddy.


The Rainbow Bridge
inspired by a Norse legend
By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
When their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,
Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.

They romp through the grass, without even a care,
Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.

For just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, these friends from long past,
The time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart,
Has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
And then, side-by-side, they cross over… together.

When hair removal goes wrong

I used to have a widow's peak. About a year ago I shaved it off and continued to pluck the new growth with tweezers. Then one night after perhaps a glass too much of wine, I took the clippers a bit too far into the hairline. Now I have bangs - the only option to cover up my shaving mishap.

I haven't had bangs since high school. I don't like them, but I've received a decent reception to the new style.

My favorite compliment is, "It makes you look younger."

I'd do just about anything to look younger, so for now I'll keep the bangs. I have to until the "tuft" underneath grows out anyway.

The morals of the story are:

1. Think long and hard before making cosmetic changes to your genetically determined appearance

2. After thinking long and hard about the aforementioned changes, make certain that you are sober when/if you decide to carry out said changes.

Calling all angels for Casey

My brother's dog, Casey (a Shetland Sheepdog), hasn't been well. He's relatively young (8 1/2 years old I think), but he's been on meds for high blood pressure and kidney issues for a while now. He is apparently in the late stages of kidney failure from what I understand at this point.

Casey's parents have been keeping him in and out of the vet, on fluids, etc, for a couple of weeks. As for his "normal behavior" I loved my mom's email stating that Casey looks pretty ill, but that when she arrived at Todd's house, "Casey still walked over and barked at me."

Aww Casey. He will apparently never completely warm to Grammy and Fuzzpa. I'm happy to say his barking at me weakened long ago.

I never imagined that my brother would be going through this before me since Bailey is much older than Casey, but that's how the ball bounces. It all sucks in any circumstance.

Casey's hanging on. Send him love. He needs and deserves it!

Quote of the day

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

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

T Gardener

My neighbors have been heavily stroking my green thumb ego for the last couple of days so I felt the need to post some updated pics.

Pardon the poor photo quality - pics were taken after sundown. The first is of my most recent planting: trailing verbena, petunia and vinca.


Next are those baskets I posted earlier, which have filled out quite a bit.



And lastly - my hydrangea - that which I have been bragging about for weeks.

My neighbor came over with her daughter last night to ask me to "teach her how to make that lovely plant." Of course I told her I didn't make it - I acquired it with a rewards certificate from Lowes - and that I truly have no idea how it turned out so well. I parked it in my back yard and left it there all winter without any care whatsoever, but lo and behold it sprouted a brood of lovely flowers.



Hoping to find a place for it in the ground for next season.

Quote of the day

"Be delighted that the future is unsure. That's the way it should be."

-William Sloan Coffin

Breathe Me - Sia

If you've ever heard this song and NOT been emotionally affected then I'll wonder what is wrong with you.

I first heard it during the Six Feet Under series finale in 2005, and was moved beyond tears. The same song has been used for several other promotions, most recently during the 2010 MTV movie awards.

Beautiful - definitely worth a listen.

Bathing Cutie

The girls and I went out for dinner last night to celebrate Kerry's February birthday - but like she said, that means she just now turned 3X-years-old. :)

She and I both enjoyed seeing Miss Ansley after way too long. Ansley is such a happy baby and she loves bath time! One of her favorite parts of the bath is apparently catching "shower-drops" in her mouth via the removable shower head, as you can see below. Bathing beauty indeed!!!

Tank update

The cichlids are doing well, although I think the convict cichlid (the blue one with stripes) would appreciate a body guard. Mr. Orange is pretty aggressive, but I've learned how to assure they both get enough food. It involves a great deal of thought and timing.

I've thus had more luck caring for cichlids than goldfish - geez those goldfish can be a pain. So I'm back in the aquarium game. No more goldfish, that's for sure.

And I'm glad I didn't give up the idea of having a fish tank due to my goldfish funeral marathon; because watching those little cichlids flit all over the tank is more entertaining than one could imagine. I've thought of adding another but I don't want to push my luck. For now I'll nurture the two cichlids I have as best I can!

Quote of the day & new blooms

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does."

- William James

I took some more blooms from my hydrangea. They're pinkish now. I am so proud.

Quote of the day

"Between the wish and the thing life lies waiting."

- Unknown

Fresh cuts

I have a beautiful hydrangea in blooming prime so I took a few cuts for a vase. I might have to take a few more because the plant is completely laden with blooms, or what many people call "snowballs". I'm pretty proud. I just hope it doesn't shrivel up and die when I go on vacation this summer - my aqua globes only last a day at best. Gonna have to find a hydrangea sitter!

What'dya think?