So It's Been A Cool Week... in more ways than one.

 A new puppy will change your life. 

The sons are grown and gone; yet

you find yourself babyproofing the kitchen once again.

Those nooks n crannies where mouse spray foam leaked out of cracks .. 

Puppy will find that and never ... I say never leave it alone. 

Myguy cut a couple 2x4 pieces and nailed them up temporarily until

the new baby's eye level grows taller.  

Just when you think you got it all... she finds a new one and digs

until bits of styrofoam looking stuff is everywhere.  

Myguy screwed two little plates of steel in that spot under the cabinets.. an she still digs at it. lol  

Good thing we live in a shabby olde farmhouse that has sheltered five other puppies,

a baby goat, several  totes of baby chicklets, and a hen or two.  

Life is messy and you just 

keep cleaning it up.  

And repairing. 

The new routine has me housebroken..

but not her yet.  

The Christmas tree lights still hang lit on the house,

and that makes late night potty time a joy.

No need for an alarm clock; 

the yapping ... it does the trick and gets you out of bed.

  

Out early thee other morning I looked up and saw 

a setting moon dipping right into the woods. 

I was glad I had my phone to snap this picture.  

It was a moment.. I'd have missed if it weren't 

for an Aspen Rose.  

 We've been getting so many showers here.  

The creek is running beautiful and long walks

fill up more than just dry creek beds.  

Sunday afternoon we drove to Ft Smith. 

It was fun to get away for awhile.  

Myguy dropped me off at Michaels while he ran 

to Harbor Freight.  While I was in there; something scratched me

and looking at my hand,

 I'd lost a stone.  

Myguy gave me this ring in 1997.  

When we  married, we paid

60.00 for our rings together.  

A diamond ... just never mattered

to me. But in 97 Myguy surprised me

with this anniversary band.  

I text him from the store and sent a picture of my hand. 

I was just sick!  He was so sweet about it and said we'd get it fixed.  

When we got home I found my original wedding band but it won't 

fit my finger anymore!  Unfortunately that knuckle is getting big

and crooked too.  Part of aging I guess, or maybe  from getting  bucked off my horse

because  I think I broke the finger next to it.  ??

This afternoon I'm going to vacuum really well and who knows... maybe

the stone will be in the canister?   If not; I hope someone ... somewhere finds it

and that it brings them some joy.    

The picture of my wrinkly old hand?... 

When adding it here,

I  really really really wanted to you know; change it to 

black and white, or crop out my hand and show

just the ring  but ... 

I didn't because of my new year's goals.

 --The Week One prompts at Doc Life were  to use 

Book pages, and Document our Goals.    A few of mine are to

 Love more,

Learn for life.

Be happy in my own skin.  

(and that means happy in wrinkles, grey hair, thin skin,

blue veins, cellulite, batwing arms and God have mercy

whatever else is ahead.)

Be content with what I have.

Give freely

MAKE ART

Keep it real

and Share my journey-

( whatever it looks like. )

 Wanting more papers to fill my pages,

I added more gelli print, and 

painted and stamped ledger paper.

Under that I wrote: 

 Follow Forward

I saw a picture once (maybe Pinterest) that talked about 

falling forward and I love that thought so much?

But I received an email through One Life Maps this week and in it

were the words:  follow forward.  

Following forward;  "that's" 

how to really live isn't it?!

Next is Take up your cross daily.

That's part of following forward too! 

Give thanks in "all" things.  (Not just when life's easy.)

do "today" 

 (not living in the past, or going ahead to the future:  "today!" Do today.

Choose Joy. 

 (Like the advice my Mil gave me once.)

Give grace.

 (Hard to do hanging onto  some anger these days)

Receive Love.  

( it's easier to give than receive sometimes) 

That's all I got on my pages but it started the year off 

recording on a positive note.  

-- I really thought twice about sharing my book today. 

But didn't I just write share the journey?  

:)  

Keep it real... 

Alright then.  

It is what is is.  

 I can only show one page of my doc faith journal.

I'd share the other side but wrote some friends birthdays down using

their full names on the calendar.  

 They no doubt wouldn't want me to share that.

  I learned from that too though.

I'll  record in code for the next pages.  lol  

This is the verse we were encouraged to focus on at doc faith.

I printed it off and pasted it to a gelli prints and it's 

tipped in  the moleskine.  

Don't you just love that verse in Jeremiah?

I leave you with this instagram pic of the sleeping beauty.

I was so hesitant to buy her this dog bed thinking she'd just chew it up-

and yes she chews on it some but she loves it!  

Hedgehogs too.  :)

Tomorrow she gets her next puppy shots.

They warned me when we first got her to be careful taking her places

because of parvo.  Hopefully after tomorrow she'll be good to go. 

I want to start taking her everywhere to get her socialized.

Besides; it's a jeep thing!

Have an awesome day everyone,

L