Audie's Blog: Audie Unleashed

April Fool's Day 1990

My husband Dave and I decided to pull a prank on our 3 children ages 8 (twins) and 10.

At the time we were living in a not so desirable neighborhood and a very small home. We had talked about building a home and the kids were involved in the design of their bedrooms etc. So they knew it was for real that they would be moving eventually.

The English Tutor house that we had decided on was beautiful, we would all look at the plans often and imagine what it would look like on the inside. The girls had their colors and decor chosen for their rooms, our son was interested where all his electronic gadgets would live. Needless to say they were having a great time.

A few months into the house building idea, Dave and I were driving through a really nice neighborhood one day and saw the mirror image of the exact same house we were going to build. We couldn't believe our eyes. At that moment we both thought of the April Fool's prank we could pull on our unsuspecting children. I know it sounds a little mean but read on....

Being the type of parents that we are, raising our kids to go with the flow, we decided that they were secure enough to handle this somewhat nasty prank, and moved forward with our plan.

So we set the stage ... It was the morning of April 1, we told them not to ride the school bus home that day we would be there to pick them up, because we had a huge surprise for them that they were sure to love.They had all day to imagine just what the surprise might be.......

We picked up 3 very excited kids that afternoon. We didn't share the surprise until they were in the car. We told them we were not going to build the house that they had come to love (on paper). Our children are pretty good at expressing their opinions so you can imagine what kind of reaction that brought. When the noise level dropped we proceeded to tell them we had a much better idea than building a house that would take a long time to complete and we really weren't up for all the stress involved in building..... etc. At this point we were turning the corner towards the mirror image of the house that we were going to build, the house they were very fond of by now. We said the reason we are not going to build is because, as we pulled into the driveway, we bought this house, instead.!!!!

The noise level was back in the intolerable range once again....
Dave and I were enjoying the moment but suddenly we realized we had to break the April Fool's news when they went charging to the front door to go inside and take a look at their new home. This wasn't so good because it wasn't even for sale it was occupied! The words 'April Fool's' loudly came blurting out of our mouths just in time before the front door was bombarded. I never did find out if the owners were watching this or not, it is probably best I don't know.

Remember the noise level I spoke about before... didn't even compare... this one was off the charts!!!!
As you might guess they were a little upset but after the initial shock of the news wore off they began to laugh really hard (I love to hear them laugh) and all was well when we said we were still going to build....they are really good sports.

Fast forward 2 years... It is now April 1992 and we are moved into our new home with most of what they had imagined for their special places and Mom and Dad's 'nasty' trick wasn't so bad after all.

Every April Fool's Day for the last 17 years all 5 of us remember the prank of 1990.

Happy April Fool's Day to all

Audie
Kids and Pets community

"Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing, that we see too late the one that is open." Alexander Graham Bell

This quote applies to a health challenge I have been dealing with for a few years.

I have been diagnosed with osteoporosis. The physician I had only offered me drugs that had many side effects. Because I was not willing to take them he said there was nothing else he could do to help me. I have been on my own searching for ways to reverse it or at best stabilize it. Being that I do not have a medical background I didn't have much success. All the while I am losing more bone density.

I have come to realize that I was focusing on having the disease and not moving forward by taking charge of my own health. I am happy to report that I have found a physician that is interested in my total health and has experience in the alternative and conventional treatment of osteoporosis.

To relate to the quote; the closed door that I was staring at was staying with a physician that didn't have what was right for me.

I am trusting that I am not too late on seeing the door that was open and am on my way to having strong bones.
The best part of my story is the person that was at the open door was literally my next 'door' neighbor.
What is the saying 'If it was a snake it would have bitten me'

My next scan isn't until Oct. 2009. I will share my great results with you then.

Pawsitively yours,
Audie

 

After much publicized deliberation and debate, the Obamas have finally chosen a White House pet. It's not a dog. It's not a cat. It's a bird.





GOTCHA!!!!! April Fool's

Audie
Kids and Pets community

 
I have come to recognize on days when my creativity just isn't flowing the reason is almost always.... I am simply overwhelmed with too much information.

Wouldn't you agree the internet is a big player in contributing to this information overload? One simple search on Google can provide you with hundreds of thousands of answers to sift through. Then you have all the social media sites that need attention as well as keeping up with the ongoing changes in technology... the list goes on.

One thing I like to do and that works for me is to choose one topic and focus on it until completion and say no not now to everything else that is vying for my attention. I find that creativity comes to me when my mind is on a clear path.

If you have any thoughts or ideas you would like to share on keeping those pores open...join in.

Pawsitive thoughts,

Audie
Kids and Pets

 

Last week I visited with my daughter Lauren in Chicago. She is moving and wanted to get a few items for her new apartment. It seems that Ikea is the place to shop these days and it was only 24 miles away from her apartment. This seemed doable so we printed out a map with directions and reserved a car for the next day.

We awoke Sunday morning to 6 inches of fresh slushy but beautiful snow! This weather event wasn't going to change our plans so we set out, without boots, to walk 7 very long blocks to the car rental. By the time we got there we could have wrung out our sneakers they were so wet.

We started the day early enough that we would beat the 'crowd', because everyone knows that Ikea on a Sunday afternoon is only for crazy people.

It was 10:30AM , by my calculations we should be there at 11:00AM...... WRONG!!!!! Well do you want to take a guess how long it took? Try 4 hours!!!!!

Unfortunately my daughter has inherited my sense of direction. It was definitely a case of the blind leading the blind. How could this be possible we only had to drive 24 miles!!!!

We had to resort to calling my husband to give us directions which isn't good because he has no patience with people that can't read maps even if they are his wife and daughter. We only had to call him 4 times..... It would have been more but my cell phone battery went dead. Bad sense of direction or not we did know we were going the wrong way when we saw the Wisconsin state line. By this time we were laughing so hysterically we decided to stop and have lunch and regain our composure.

Refreshed, we started out again and I really lost count on how many of the same toll booths that we went through twice maybe even three times. but our spirits were high and our intention was to get there, no matter what. We finally had Ikea in our sites from the highway, there was one last toll to pay and it was one of those coin baskets without an attendant. Guess who only had 38 cents left and the toll was $1.00.... we threw the change we had in the basket and drove off!

We arrived just in time for all the babies that completely had enough shopping along with their equally tired parents and those giant shopping carts that don't fit in the aisles..... It was total chaos, but Lauren and I were two very determined women on a mission so we prodded on.

Lauren did come back with some really cute items for her apartment and you will be happy to know that we made the trip back to Chicago in 25 minutes. I still don't know where we went wrong on the first part of our trip.
The way I chose to look at our adventure, if we wouldn't have gotten lost look at all the places we would have missed seeing!

My motto; Make the best of every situation

Stay pawsitive,
Audie
Kids and Pets community

"Everyone has to contribute to the common good.... when we're connected to others, we become better people." Randy Pausch


I was reading the Ladies Home Journal and came across these stories. They brightened my day and I trust they will do the same for you.

True Story; Molly O' Byrne, of New Fairfield, Connecticut, drops pennies and nickles on the ground. She hopes little kids will find them since she loved to find money as a child.

True Story; Madison Levitan, of Chappaqua, N.Y.works at a clothing store part-time. She says that when she goes into a dressing room and finds that a customer has taken the time to put the clothing back on a hanger, buttons buttoned and zippers zippered, she feels touched."It warms my heart because I know someone went out of their way to make my job a little easier."

It doesn't matter how large or small the act of kindness is, if you can touch another human in a positive way you have made an important impact in their life.

Consider your own potential to spread a little joy and happiness today.

If you have anecdotes like these feel free to share.

Stay Pawsitive,
Audie
Kids and Pets community

 


This is my daughter, Alex and I in Portland, OR. She is my youngest child by 7 minutes. (she has an identical twin sister, Lauren)

Growing up Alex and Lauren were very close, they did everything together.
As adults they are still very close at heart but are separated by over 2000 miles. It is challenging to say the least for all of us.

The 5 of us represent 4 time zones in the U.S.
My husband and I are in Pa. (EST)
Lauren is in Ill. (CT)
Ben is in CO. (MT)
Alex is in OR. (PST)

With the aid of Skype and IM, we bridge the gap as best we can. but nothing takes the place of being with them, hearing their laughter and receiving and giving plenty of hugs.

I would have fun just spending time with Alex but she wanted to do something special so we went to the Broadway Musical 'Wicked" The untold story of the witches of Oz.

It was an excellent production. If you are any where nearby and it is in town, Alex and I would highly recommend it. The way the story is told is very heartwarming, funny and inspiring. We thoroughly enjoyed it!

Here's to making special memories with your loved ones

Pawsitively yours,

Audie
Kids and Pets community

P.S. In June I will be visiting my son, Ben. I will be posting a photo of the two of us you will meet him then.

 
A flower doesn't turn toward the sun because it needs to, but because it wants to, and so the process is effortless and joyful.

Maybe we should pay attention to Mother Nature on this one.

Pawsitive thoughts,

Audie

 


"If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. Don't be surly at home, then go out in the street and start grinning 'good morning' at total strangers."

Maya Angelou
Poet, Writer and Performer

This is a cute story about Thomas Edison that Dog Lovers will relate to.

Pawsitive thoughts,
Audie

Thomas A. Edison was once reluctantly persuaded by his wife to attend one of the big social functions of the season in New York. At last the inventor managed to escape the crowd of people vying for his attention, and sat alone unnoticed in a corner. Edison kept looking at his watch with a resigned expression on his face. A friend edged near to him unnoticed and heard the inventor mutter to himself with a sigh, "If there were only a dog here!"

Edmund Fuller

 

Easter is a blessed time for the faithful to celebrate the life, death and resurrection of the Savior... and a magical time for children to enjoy marshmallow chicks , jellybean-filled Easter eggs and the Easter Bunny.


I have a favorite Easter story from when my children were young. I would give them undeniable proof the Easter bunny came to visit while they were asleep.

After they were in bed I would make stencils in the shape of a giant bunny foot. Then make a path with the stencils from the front door to their Easter baskets, dusting baking powder on each footprint.

They awakened with delight to see the footprints that led to their special gifts from the Easter bunny. My son had the most vivid imagination and was sure that his stepping in the magical bunny dust made him able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. My husband and I thought it was the sugar from his candy but we weren't about to burst his bubble.

Have a blessed Easter

Hug your kids and pets today and everyday

Pawsitively yours,

Audie

  This image tickled my funny bone.




A female lowland gorilla digs to the bottom of an Easter basket for treats given to her by her keepers Thursday at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Treats in the baskets included peanuts, raisins, popcorn, sunflower seeds, and granola, along with hard boiled eggs placed around the exhibit for the gorillas to hunt for.


Pawsitive thoughts,
Audie

 


To all my Braveheart sisters;

with love,
Audie


THIS SAYS IT ALL:
Time passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.

Jobs come and go. Love waxes and wanes.
Men don't do what they're supposed to do.

Hearts break. Parents die.
Colleagues forget favors. Careers end.

BUT......... Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how
many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away
than needing her can reach.

When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end.

Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you...Or come in and carry you out. Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters,
daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family, all bless our life!

The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each other still.
Author unknown

My feelings are that every Dog should have a Kid and two very famous kids, Malia and Sasha Obama, should be no different.

The special bond that kids have with their pets is something they will hold in their heart for a lifetime.

I'll bet right now when I ask...do you remember your first pet? You would instantly have a very vivid memory of he or she and you probably have a wide variety of thoughts and feelings that would surface.

Take some time to rekindle those special memories, it will be time well spent.

Choose pawsitive thoughts,

Audie

 


Increased interest in organics has filtered down to the dog world.
There are several cookbooks that tout healthy or organic home-baked goodies for canines.

Supplementing a good quality kibble with organic recipes can have positive impact on your dogs health.

A word of advice from Martha Smith, Director of Veterinary Medical Services at the Animal Rescue League of Boston. Cooking for your dog is fine, but a diet that is exclusively home- cooked can be dangerous." I just know there is no well balanced diet for a cat or a dog that you can simply make by adding grocery ingredients."They have specific needs for calcium and other nutrients."

Dogs can eat what humans eat omitting strong spices and onions. And of course no chocolate, grapes ,raisins, or caffeine.
Macadamia nuts and mushrooms are also a no-no. Garlic is debatable, but a small amount of crushed garlic powder for flavor is fine.

Bring the kids in on cooking for the dog, it can be a great family activity and it will teach them to be conscious of healthier food choices for themselves as well.

This recipe is chosen for its simple ingredients and perceived speediness.

Magic Muttballs
1 pound minced chicken
5 ounces dried breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 egg

Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a greased baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven, 350 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oven... cool
Store in airtight container and refrigerate or place in freezer bags for up to 6 weeks.

For more 'mouth drooling recipes' check out these books:

"The Healthy Dog Cookbook" by Joanna Anne
"The Everything Cooking for Dogs Book" by Lisa Fortunato
"Pupsnacks" by Stephanie Mehanna

Bone appetit!

Audie
Kids and Pets community