CLOVER!!! AND I HAD A FUN DAY YESTERDAY

We got up early (I LOVE being retired!) to be at the car wash when they open at 8 am. A SPRING DETAIL was sorely needed!  It's the first time that CLOVER!!!'s been to the car wash - we had to wait for 90 minutes - boy oh boy was I impressed. She was SUCH a good girl with the people and one other dog (who was NOT on a leash - oh my!!)

A CLEAN CAR!! Unfortunately it won't last long - dog hair is ALWAYS flying off of CLOVER!!!........

NEXT STOP - 

STARBUCKS for a HOT CHOCOLATE. For ME. If you're on Facebook, you may have seen these recent photos of CLOVER!!! having enjoyed the other half of my STARBUCKS HOT CHOCOLATE when I was out of the car for a VERY short while........... not enough chocolate to do any harm, thankfully. 

And yes, the CHARLES BELFOURE book here, "HOUSE OF THIEVES" was a GREAT read and survived the hot chocolate spill. His previous book, "THE PARIS ARCHITECT", is one of my all-time favorites! I can't wait for his next one.......

Does she look GUILTY or what?!! Notice that she won't give me ANY EYE CONTACT.......

Today, the STARBUCKS BARISTA asked, "Would you like a FREE PUPPUCINNO?"

I had to ask "WHAT IS THAT?"

"It's WHIPPED CREAM in a cup - for your dog."  

"YES, PLEASE!!"

Have you heard of this??? Naturally CLOVER!!! LOVED it......

NEXT STOP - 

CVS for my 4TH ATTEMPT at a decent PASSPORT PHOTO. UGH. I never realized how vain I am, but seriously, the 3 previous attempts were ATROCIOUS. Goodness, do I really look like that?!!  Their fluorescent lighting and old cameras - I mean think about it - the photo is gonna be with me for the next 10 YEARS, so I don't want to CRINGE every time I show it! 

Well, I wouldn't say "SUCCESS", but at least this time we got one that is better than the previous attempts. And NO!!!!, I'm NOT going to share ANY of them here on this Blog post!

NEXT STOP - 

OUR GROOMER - for CLOVER!!!'s BATH and MANI/PEDI. She loves MELANIE and her mom, DONNA!! The family is very involved with local dog rescues and they truly love all canines.  

Just starting her business, MELANIE is all set up in the family home. Because of her size, CLOVER!!! gets her BATH in the bathtub upstairs. They said that yesterday, when MELANIE let her off of the leash, CLOVER!!! ran up the stairs and was waiting INSIDE THE TUB, when MELANIE got there. I would say SHE LIKES IT, wouldn't you?!

Photo credit - Melanie Werbos

Photo credit - Melanie Werbos

When I came to pick her up, MELANIE, DONNA, and CLOVER!!! were all waiting on their front porch, enjoying the gorgeous day we had. How cute is she with MELANIE'S handmade EASTER EGG bandanna?! Always "Holiday" appropriate. 

Photo credit - Melanie Werbos

Of course, WE highly recommend MELANIE. Ask me for her phone number if you'd like to give her a go!

HAPPY EASTER!!!

JOAN

MYSTERIES IN LIFE - AND DEATH

A non-smoking friend of mine was shockingly diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer a year and a half ago. She had the best care possible, but a week ago it was determined that the treatments were no longer working. She was sent home with Hospice Care. I was BLESSED, not only to have had many fun times together over the past 15 years, but to also have had time with her twice this past week. 

Sharing a love of reading, she and I regularly exchanged books with each other. The morphine was keeping her very sedated, so her husband suggested that I read to her. It calmed her quite a bit, for which he was thankful.

My visits were emotionally hard after leaving. It's simply heartbreaking when someone and the family is going through this "LETTING GO".  It's so final.

Before my MOM passed away in 1999, she told me that she would be certain to communicate with me from "THE OTHER SIDE", but that I would have to "PAY ATTENTION", because naturally she wasn't sure how it was going to work. I've had many instances since then when I feel certain that she's succeeded.

For instance, I had a dream last night....... my MOM and DAD (both deceased, yet in fairly regular contact with me spiritually) were both in it. In my dream, I couldn't figure out why they were visiting. They were telling me that they had been working on some SPECIAL TRAVEL PROGRAMS to wonderful, far away, obscure places - where LIFE is SIMPLE and CAREFREE.  

"SIMPLE" was made clear as we spoke while my mom showered (odd, but you know how dreams are.....). She was still wearing a batik cotton dress in the shower. She soaped up the dress on herself after she washed her hair, saying it was so she was most efficient in cleaning up.

This morning when I opened my eyes, my first thought was that perhaps my friend had passed away overnight. 

I showered, dressed and went downstairs. The first thing I did was check my texts. She DID in fact pass away peacefully, late last night. WOW. 

I have been "COMMUNICATED WITH" in unique ways (several times in dreams) when someone has passed, therefore I strongly believe in the mighty power of our spiritual lives. I choose to believe that my MOM and DAD APPEARED in my dreams last night to let me know that my friend is being well taken care of in her "TRAVELS".........  very comforting.

A "HIGH FIVE" and sincere THANK YOU to GOD, the UNIVERSE and my TEAM of ANGELS for the ABUNDANT GIFTS I receive EVERY DAY.

PEACE,

JOAN