To honor a faithful one.

It's a bit of work to get the curve of the tail just right. Takes time.....
A picture of patience.


He has been with us for 13 years and ever faithful in his dedication to what he did best.
When we first arrived here in Houston we set up a home in a old Art Gallery in the nightclub district. We all agreed it would be nice to get a watch dog. Our property was big and woodsy. When we went see the litter of German Shepherd pups, the owner asked what we were looking for in a dog. Our request was a watch dog that was great with kids. We had 21 kids there at the time. This one little black pup followed us so closely that he wouldn't get off our shoes!. We took him home he has been close by us ever since.
The Lord anointed him for the job as we only had one incident in 8 years while a lot of exciting things happened in the area. He had a commanding demeanor and no one really thought to risk bothering our home.
He loved children and I think a lot of young people may remember playing tennis with Ziggy when they were kids. We lived next to a tennis court and had a non -ending supply as no one dared to come get their balls back. Ziggy and Lady (his mate)hid them all in their secret hole under a tree until they felt like using them. When we found their stash, there were 33.
His 15 minutes of fame came when 2 teens from an apartment complex behind us, jumped the fence into our back yard and were fighting with knives. The police were already chasing them, complete with helicopter and Ziggy quickly treed the bad guy. The 15 policemen had to politely ask us to call off our dog so they could climb the fence and apprehend the fellow. So, he then had the nickname of Ziggy, the police dog.
Mark has retold this story numerous times with all the rest of us chiming in with details.

He was strong. Jason was thinking kind thots when he let Ziggy spend the night in one of our cars. He actually forgot he left him in there. Ziggy hates being in small places and demolished the complete insides of the car overnight. We found him the next morning. There were wires and stuffing everywhere. We sold the car for $100 after that. The tires were still ok.
He hates thunder and fireworks. He's tried to break into the house through breaking glass windows and has chewed wood off of our outside doors as well as removing a garage door when he accidentally got left inside. Recently he has developed milder techniques and chewed up the round metal door knob so well that he can just turn the knob, enter the house and he actually turns around and closes the door behind him.
He has a gentle heart towards anyone young. He seemed to live to play with the multitude of kids that passed his way over the years. Besides watching over umpteen kids on Get Outs, he had plenty of pups with Lady and he has taken care of my Boston's and the others pups I take care of from time to time. They all love to play with him- especially his long fluffy tail. Recently I had a little 1 lb. Schnauzer pup that I was taking care of and the first night she was alone in her kennel, I was expecting a big fuss. I wondered why she was so quiet. I went into our laundry room, Ziggy had opened (and closed) the door behind him and was lying beside the little one. She wasn't even as big as his nose.

Well, recently, our faithful guardian is having trouble chasing anything and new pups have to learn their limits. Greeting and touching noses are okay but no tail tugging and energetic licking of his face. He has a lot of trouble walking - especially on cold days and barking at the Meter man takes all he has. He just does it sitting down now. I don't think he will be with us long now. Someone pointed out he was 96 in dog years now.
I just wanted to share this little bit as he has been a part of a lot of people's lives. In his own way, he has taught me a lot. We have always had an open house and had so many brethren pass through. I just wanted to honor Ziggy a bit as one of our faithful missionaries. He welcomed so many with unconditional love. He has done his job well over the years- his mission of watching over God's children on Fairdale and here.

Wonders never cease....

I hope Mia doesn't mind if I borrow this pic. Of course us Grandmas are all alike. Their grandkids are always the cutest.

Arwen,she is one of my November grandaughters. She's beautiful like her mom, Charlene, and seems so wise and thoughtful- like her dad, Tim. She's soon to be 5. She's in Romania.

A few pics from some relaxing time in a friend's beach house in Galveston.

The pic of the flower is actually from a Papaya tree that grew in our back yard. The fruit grew quite large. We made an interesting little discovery (at least for us) the other day. We made a papayas /soy smoothie and put the left overs in the fridge. After a few hours it resembled creamy jello. With a dab of whipped creme we could see a kid's healthy delight! We looked up a bit about papaya and it has a special enzyme (the only plant that does) that aids people with cystic fibrosis and pancreas problems. I suggested to Maya that they put in a green house up there in Joplin and start a few for Valorie! I just successfully transplanted a 3 ft. tree here so I can make the first tree donation!
A cheerful note from Houston. It was actually cool last night! Autumn is finally showing itself.

New School Year

Well, I am once again a High School Teacher and Teresa is my new student. Of course we will do the required core subjects but we are all set to have fun with electives. That is the big deal right now. This is our rough draft. This is what happens when there is only 1 teen in the house.


Art Drawing ( James started this with her but we haven't yet found a new teacher or course)

Pets and care( I thought of calling this Pre-Vet Science) We have access to books but her first hand experience so far has included hands on experience with emergency care, administering vaccinations, treating and diagnosing common diseases and ailments (dogs, small animals) mostly. We also volunteer at Cypress Stables where we help care for 50 Arabian horses. It is very close by our home.

Nutrition: She is currently in charge of the kitchen and has taken charge- Michelle is helping her to research diets and foods for healthier living as well as menus for people with special needs. This also includes developing exercise plans.


Carpentry: First project- constructing a bow and arrows. We googled this but haven't gotten far on this although it sounds like a lot of work and fun and perhaps useful if we do any wilderness camping in Canada. It's a hereditary interest.

Computer graphic and upkeep: Any ideas on this?

Writing short stories (creative writing courses)
Mail Ministry: Organization and letter writing

Instrument; Flute ( She is doing well but needs a teacher to make more progress. There are on line classes. Her teacher moved to Iceland!

Landscaping: This is starting tomorrow. We are visiting a Stone Supplier and starting with making pathways. We live right by the Arboretum and they give classes.

Language; Japanese (Okotteru!) Having Michelle here is a definite plus. She is not only fluent but a good teacher- having been born and raised in Japan.

Disaster preparations: CPR, First Aid and Lifeguard training as well as planning for a variety of possible emergency situations.

Dancing (Ballroom and other forms)

Dog grooming: We have our own kit for this and she has done Poodles, Schnauzers and Maltese. It is quite a challenge and fun. There are on line classes as well.

Home Economics:

Electronics: She fixes things! We will probably need to get a tutor for this so our house doesn't fall apart.

Typing: She really does type well but she wants to get faster.

Therapeutic Massage: Michelle is teaching her this.

Digital Photography: She has a new camera and already has a small portfolio.

Home schooling is the greatest!
Well, this is just a few beginning ideas> As you can see- we are both excited about the coming year!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIDDO

Happy birthday kid.
Hope it's tons of fun.


PS.
To tell you the truth, this isn't claire at all.
This is teresa and you are out of luck.
(Muahaha)
Never mind that, Have a happy birthday anyhow.
:)