A Story....

Thursday, July 24, 2008

A long long time ago....
Okay, it was only June 3, 2002.

I had been living with my cousins as a nanny about 2 1/2 hours from home. It was the end of the school year and, since their mom is a teacher, I was no longer needed to watch them. It was time to move home, and it was decided that I would move into my grandmother's house, which was empty at the time. It would be the first time I lived on my own, and more than anything, I wanted to get my very own dog.

So, I did what any girl like me would do....I prayed for one.

I prayed that I would be able to find the perfect dog. I had a vision in my head of the "perfect dog," even though, for me that was just a mutt. It was medium sized, a bit shaggy, with a fluffy tail, and soulful eyes. I would name it Beasley. I envisioned getting settled in my new home, then heading to the SPCA, where Beasley would be waiting for me to take him home to play fetch in the yard. Right.....

I decided not to be too specific in my prayer, because I knew that God would send me whatever He wanted me to have anyway. So, I just asked for a dog that needed a loving home. My only request was that it not be a rottweiler (eek) or a little 'fru-fru' dog. If you know me at all, you know that I'm not exactly the 'fru-fru' type!

So, as I drove home, my car packed with a year's worth of stuff, I prayed.

I was supposed to be meeting my mom at a restaurant for dinner that evening. I don't even remember where...Chi Chi's maybe?? I took a wrong turn, forgetting that it was 'one way' and I wouldn't be able to get where I wanted to go. So, I took a shortcut through the parking lot of the Weis Markets. I drove around the side, and was going to scoot out the other side, when I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye.

There, in the way back of the parking lot was a small black dog. At first I thought it might be a cat, until I saw it walk. Being a dog lover, I couldn't just drive past (no matter how hungry I was!). I turned right and circled around the edge of the parking lot to where the dog was. I parked and got out of the car. The dog, which I could now see more clearly, was very shaggy and matted. It's fur grew down over it's eyes so that I couldn't even look into its face. Upon further inspection, I saw that it was a . . . . . poodle.

It looked at me and walked away. I tried calling to it, but it only glanced at me and walked a few more steps further. I started to get back in the car, figuring I couldn't catch it if I tried, but all of the sudden, it turned. It walked right up to me and sat down.

I talked to it. Naturally, it didn't respond, but I still felt better about the situation if I was friendly toward the poodle. It just looked at me. Well, I guess it looked at me....I couldn't see its eyes.

By this time, my mom had called my cell phone when I didn't show up at the restaurant, and when I explained what happened, she joined me in the parking lot. She lifted the poodle up and we saw that it was a girl. She was wearing an old ratty cat collar with a bow that had seen its better days. It looked like she hadn't had her hair cut in years.

There was no one around. It looked like someone may have left her some crumbled up doggy biscuits and a small dish of water. But, upon further inspection, we saw that she only had four very crooked teeth. I picked her up and put her in a basket that I had in my car. I drove up to the front of the store to see if anyone might know of a lost dog.

The first thing she did was pop up out of the basket and put her paws up on the dashboard.

Some people said they had tried throughout the day to catch her and she wouldn't let anyone get near her. They had left the dog biscuits and water for her, but didn't know where she came from or when she came. No one had reported a missing dog. I left my phone number with a store employee and took her home.

I didn't have a leash, so I tied a long string to her collar, but she didn't need it. She followed me everywhere. I called the SPCA, the animal rescue, the animal control, and various other 'official animal people.' No one was looking for a small black poodle. I left my name and number, but no one called me back. One person told me I had to take her to the SPCA, but if I did, they would probably just put her to sleep because she was old.

Meanwhile, she had made herself at home. When it was time for bed, she trotted down the hall, looking back over her shoulder at me, as if to say "Come on!" When we got to the bedroom, I presented her with a nice crate with blankets and pillows just for her. She inspected it, and promptly jumped up onto my bed and curled up.

Now, I know I had prayed for a dog. That day even. But, I had said no 'fru-fru' dogs please. And I thought, "God, a poodle???" But, God had answered my prayer in a way I could not have even begun to imagine.

No one claimed her, and she made her home with me. I gave her the name Erma. She got a haircut and came home with bows in her hair. She went to the vet and we found out she was about 14 years old!

Today, over 6 years later, she is still with me. She still follows me around everywhere. She still sleeps on my bed, snuggled by my feet. She is almost blind, and mostly deaf, and has to wear a diaper most of the time. She gets disoriented some of the time, and I have had to rescue her from some funny situations. But, she still loves me with all of her heart. And I love her with all of mine.

Finding Erma has taught me a lot of things. First of all, it has taught me that God does answer prayers, no matter how silly they are. He might not answer in the way you think He should, but His way is definitely always the best. I have also learned about unconditional love. Erma loves me no matter what I do. No matter what kind of day I have, or what kind of grumpy mood I am in, she still loves me the same. You can't say that for many humans.

Today, I found out that Erma has cancer. At least that's what the x-ray suggests. My mind knows she cannot live forever, but my heart cannot quite grasp that fact yet. She is too old to have surgery. She will take medications and we will make her comfortable.

But, I may not have her for many more days......and that makes me so sad.

Wet Poodles

Thursday, July 10, 2008

So, last night brought a bit of an emotional event for me.

Dad and I were working up at the garden. I was bent over, rolling up some chicken wire, when Dad yells, "Sarah! We got a dog in the pool!" He takes off down the hill before I can even stand up straight. Then I hear, "Wah's in!!" ('Wah' is an affectionate nickname for our oldest poodle, Erma)

I tear off down the hill and can just see her little head bobbing above the water as she paddles around looking for a way out. Dad, having gotten there before me, has grabbed a broom and is trying to keep her afloat. At this point we don't know how she got in there, or how long she's been swimming in circles...

He yells for me to get the net. I'm thinking..."NO WAY! I'm saving my baby!" I went right down the steps in the shallow end and swam right out to her, fully clothed!!

Now, the reason this event was so upsetting is this -- For those of you who don't know Erma, she is over 20 years old, is mostly blind and deaf, has congestive heart failure, and sometimes has muscles spasms in her legs. So, needless to say, swimming really isn't a hobby of hers.

We still aren't sure how she got in the pool -- probably fell in somehow. And, we don't know how long her little legs paddled before we got to her.

What made my Dad look up from what he was doing and see ripples on the water that should have been still is still a mystery. Well, maybe not entirely... God was definitely watching over her, and us, last night. I'm afraid a few more seconds and we may have been too late. And that is something I may not have been able to deal with.

She had a rough night of coughing and some trouble breathing. She must have taken in quite a bit of water. But we kept her comfy and she is on the mend today.

I love that dog with all my heart. I know that her time on earth is almost up and she's led a comfortable life these last 6 years with me. But, I don't think I could have handled losing her that way.

Have I Seen Those Before?

Sunday, July 6, 2008


No, the purpose of this picture is not to show you my ugly feet! It is only to show off my new/old pants!

I am soooo tired of going shopping for clothes and not finding what I need or want! I don't wear shorts (for modesty reasons), so for months now, I have been looking for some capris / cropped pants / whatever you call them...my great grandma used to call them clam-diggers. :) It has been next to impossible to find ones that fit, that I like, AND that are not too expensive.

So, this afternoon I decided to take matters into my own hands! I had several pairs of jeans that I bought and after a few washings they shrunk and were too short for me. Rather than just give them away, I kept them hanging around, thinking I might use them for some sewing project someday. Well, today was their day! I chopped them off, gave them some new hems (the ones in the pic even got a little cuff!), and now I have two new pairs of summer pants. And, it didn't cost a thing! (Except for the double denim needle that I broke...oops!)

I love my sewing machine!

Ecclesiastes

Today in church, the pastor spoke from Ecclesiastes. Now, in my Bible, this book has its share of highlighted verses, and several have been memorized (probably for a test in high school), but I must admit I don't often turn to it. It's a short book, but so full of wisdom.....especially for today's society.

Ecc. 2:11 Yet, when I surveyed all that my hands had done, and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing of the wind; Nothing was gained under the sun.

No matter what we do or achieve, it really is all meaningless compared to Christ and what He can give us.

Ecc. 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.


Did you know?......statistically, for each year after the age of 25, the chance of coming to know Christ diminishes.

More Craft Show Pics

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Check out Jen right before she yells at the camera :o)




Some Craft Show Pics

Here are a few shots of our space at the Codorus Summer Blast....




She's Growing Up...

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Though it may be hard to see, look really close and you will see the 'M's! My niece, Morgan, has been learning her letters, and decided to try out her penmanship the other day! I received this picture on my phone and was soooo excited! Although I often wish she would stay a baby forever, things like this make me realize she really IS growing up. I am so proud of her!

Random Quote That I Like...


...With all these ways to be different, then maybe that's how you fit in -- by standing out in a crowd...
 
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