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"Once upon a time your mama knew what it meant to shine." - Hope Floats - Birdee Pruitt (Sandra Bullock)
My life has changed again. My mom passed away last night. She was a grand old dame and 100 years old! I'm posting her obituary here, as her life was incredible:
"Our beloved Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, and Great-Great-Grandmother passed at the age of 100 after a long and full life of devotion to her family. Her memory will be cherished by her four children, seven grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
Mama was born in 1913 on a small farm in Mississippi. After graduation from high school, she moved to the Gulf Coast to take up a career as a hairdresser, which she loved. Shortly afterwards she met and married our father. The first time she met him, he turned to a friend and announced, "I'm going to marry her!"
After the birth of her first child, she gave up her career to dedicate her life to being a loving and devoted wife and mother. Mama was enormously proud of her children’s successes and accomplishments, in particular the fact that they all graduated from college. For Mama, education was paramount - she always told her children, it’s not IF you go to college, it’s WHEN you go to college.
Mama enjoyed gardening, sewing, quilt-making, reading, crossword puzzles, Elvis, baseball, and, perhaps most of all – ICE CREAM! She attributed her love of ice cream to a family tradition: every Sunday afternoon her mother would bake a cake and her father would churn up ice cream in a hand-crank ice cream maker as a special treat for the family. Mama loved ice cream so much that she ate it for breakfast!
The daughter of a great cook, Mama always looked forward to family gatherings where she could exhibit her own mastery of cooking. Her fried chicken, French fries, fried shrimp, gumbo, pies, and German Chocolate Cake were all legendary.
A lifelong Methodist, Mama cherished her women's Church Circle meetings, which she attended regularly until Hurricane Katrina forced her from her home. After Katrina, she lived in Austin, Texas and Gautier, but often commented about how much she missed living in her own home and attending Circle meetings with her friends.
Thank you, Mama, you lived a life full of love, laughter, and service to your family and that family will miss you forever!!
(Quite a lot of content borrowed from my big brother, Charles!)
My life has changed again. My mom passed away last night. She was a grand old dame and 100 years old! I'm posting her obituary here, as her life was incredible:
"Our beloved Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, and Great-Great-Grandmother passed at the age of 100 after a long and full life of devotion to her family. Her memory will be cherished by her four children, seven grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
Mama was born in 1913 on a small farm in Mississippi. After graduation from high school, she moved to the Gulf Coast to take up a career as a hairdresser, which she loved. Shortly afterwards she met and married our father. The first time she met him, he turned to a friend and announced, "I'm going to marry her!"
After the birth of her first child, she gave up her career to dedicate her life to being a loving and devoted wife and mother. Mama was enormously proud of her children’s successes and accomplishments, in particular the fact that they all graduated from college. For Mama, education was paramount - she always told her children, it’s not IF you go to college, it’s WHEN you go to college.
Mama enjoyed gardening, sewing, quilt-making, reading, crossword puzzles, Elvis, baseball, and, perhaps most of all – ICE CREAM! She attributed her love of ice cream to a family tradition: every Sunday afternoon her mother would bake a cake and her father would churn up ice cream in a hand-crank ice cream maker as a special treat for the family. Mama loved ice cream so much that she ate it for breakfast!
The daughter of a great cook, Mama always looked forward to family gatherings where she could exhibit her own mastery of cooking. Her fried chicken, French fries, fried shrimp, gumbo, pies, and German Chocolate Cake were all legendary.
A lifelong Methodist, Mama cherished her women's Church Circle meetings, which she attended regularly until Hurricane Katrina forced her from her home. After Katrina, she lived in Austin, Texas and Gautier, but often commented about how much she missed living in her own home and attending Circle meetings with her friends.
Thank you, Mama, you lived a life full of love, laughter, and service to your family and that family will miss you forever!!
(Quite a lot of content borrowed from my big brother, Charles!)
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"Live spherically...in many directions." - Under the Tuscan Sun - Katherine (Lindsey Duncan)
Finally! We have a name for our chacra. After many hours of thinking, hair-pulling, and endless questioning of friends, we have a decision. Drumroll, please…..BESO DEL SOL. This means sun-kissed or kissed by the sun. It seems appropriate, with our chacra's full view of the sun - sunrise and sunset. The sun is even on the Uruguayan flag, complete with human face - the better to kiss you!
The sun on Uruguay's flag is the May Sun, named for the May Revolution of 1810 when Spanish Colonies along the Rio de Plata gained independence from Spain. It is said when freedom was proclaimed, the sun came from behind the clouds.
The symbology of the May Sun dates even further back in time to Inca traditions (think Peru and Machu Picchu) and the Incan sun god, Inti, the son of Viracocha, the creator god.
In the weird cosmos of our lives, one of the reasons my husband and I visited Uruguay was the love of South America induced by our trip in 2012 to Peru. We attended the Inti Raymi Festival in Cuzco, Peru (see above photos) and visited Machu Picchu with friend and archaeologist, Dr. Ed Barnhart (www.mayaexploration.com).
Yet another moment of serendipity: for many years I had an iron wall hanging of the May Sun next to the door of my classroom. I bought it at an antique store in Texas, painted it, and hung it, not consciously thinking that it may be the key to my future. Kissed by the sun!
Finally! We have a name for our chacra. After many hours of thinking, hair-pulling, and endless questioning of friends, we have a decision. Drumroll, please…..BESO DEL SOL. This means sun-kissed or kissed by the sun. It seems appropriate, with our chacra's full view of the sun - sunrise and sunset. The sun is even on the Uruguayan flag, complete with human face - the better to kiss you!
The sun on Uruguay's flag is the May Sun, named for the May Revolution of 1810 when Spanish Colonies along the Rio de Plata gained independence from Spain. It is said when freedom was proclaimed, the sun came from behind the clouds.
The symbology of the May Sun dates even further back in time to Inca traditions (think Peru and Machu Picchu) and the Incan sun god, Inti, the son of Viracocha, the creator god.
In the weird cosmos of our lives, one of the reasons my husband and I visited Uruguay was the love of South America induced by our trip in 2012 to Peru. We attended the Inti Raymi Festival in Cuzco, Peru (see above photos) and visited Machu Picchu with friend and archaeologist, Dr. Ed Barnhart (www.mayaexploration.com).
Yet another moment of serendipity: for many years I had an iron wall hanging of the May Sun next to the door of my classroom. I bought it at an antique store in Texas, painted it, and hung it, not consciously thinking that it may be the key to my future. Kissed by the sun!
Minutes before a solar eclipse at sunset!
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"The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too." ~ Samuel Butler
If you read my last post, you'll have met Pake, the visiting Border Collie and you'll have learned how much we respect and adore the breed. Our resident Border pups are shown above with Sam on the left and Gracie on the right.
Sam and Gracie are very special to us, since we've had them since they were both 8 weeks old. They are about as neurotic as they come, but we still love them. Gracie is terrified of loud rain, thunder, and fireworks. Sam goes berserk when hearing a drill, hammer, or tape measure. (He's had a hard time while our house-building progresses!)
They safely made the trip from Texas to Uruguay on United Airlines after months of planning. One doesn't just put pets on the plane - there are loads of forms and physicals to complete, as well as some kennel-training. We had lots of help from www.petrelocation.com out of Austin, Texas. They handle moves in the U.S. and world-wide; we were lucky to have them right on our doorstep to help. Our longtime vet was also fantastically helpful and patient.
After reading dozens of horror stories regarding pet moves, we did prepare our pets with lots of kennel-training, long talks, and weeks of nail-trimming (in case of scratching on the kennel wires). The folks from Pet Relocation provided us with loads of helpful info and walked us through the entire process.
Sam and Gracie flew a week ahead of me in August (yes, August in Texas). United Airlines "Pet Safe" program was wonderful. They emailed pictures of Sam and Gracie along the way, especially in the air-conditioned pet center at Houston Intercontinental Airport.
Sam and Gracie traveled from Austin to Houston to Buenos Aires. In Buenos Aires they were picked up by a kennel owner, who took them through Customs and on to his kennel for the night. He emailed pictures and a video of them playing outside! The next day, he took them by Buquebus ferry to Montevideo and through Customs once more. It was a long, expensive journey, but so worth it to have them with us safely.
They've adjusted well to Uruguay and are well-loved by builders, neighbors, and friends. Uruguayans are natural dog-lovers!
Sam and Gracie are very special to us, since we've had them since they were both 8 weeks old. They are about as neurotic as they come, but we still love them. Gracie is terrified of loud rain, thunder, and fireworks. Sam goes berserk when hearing a drill, hammer, or tape measure. (He's had a hard time while our house-building progresses!)
They safely made the trip from Texas to Uruguay on United Airlines after months of planning. One doesn't just put pets on the plane - there are loads of forms and physicals to complete, as well as some kennel-training. We had lots of help from www.petrelocation.com out of Austin, Texas. They handle moves in the U.S. and world-wide; we were lucky to have them right on our doorstep to help. Our longtime vet was also fantastically helpful and patient.
After reading dozens of horror stories regarding pet moves, we did prepare our pets with lots of kennel-training, long talks, and weeks of nail-trimming (in case of scratching on the kennel wires). The folks from Pet Relocation provided us with loads of helpful info and walked us through the entire process.
Sam and Gracie flew a week ahead of me in August (yes, August in Texas). United Airlines "Pet Safe" program was wonderful. They emailed pictures of Sam and Gracie along the way, especially in the air-conditioned pet center at Houston Intercontinental Airport.
Sam and Gracie traveled from Austin to Houston to Buenos Aires. In Buenos Aires they were picked up by a kennel owner, who took them through Customs and on to his kennel for the night. He emailed pictures and a video of them playing outside! The next day, he took them by Buquebus ferry to Montevideo and through Customs once more. It was a long, expensive journey, but so worth it to have them with us safely.
They've adjusted well to Uruguay and are well-loved by builders, neighbors, and friends. Uruguayans are natural dog-lovers!
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"It don't care whether I'm good enough. It don't care whether I snore or not. It don't care which God I pray to. There are only three things with that kind of unconditional acceptance: Dogs, donuts, and money." - Other People's Money - Lawrence Garfield (Danny DeVito)
We are in our fifth day of ten in our dog-sitting for Pake, our friends' twelve-year-old Border Collie. Pake has an interesting story, to say the least. Sadly, in Uruguay many sheep and cattle ranchers abandon their herding dogs, as the dogs become too old to work. Pake was one of these older dogs.
In June of 2013, my husband was driving to the market near Portezuelo Beach when he saw a beautiful Border Collie running alongside the highway. The dog looked to be brown, hungry, and dirty, but very noble-looking. This was nearly 20 kilometers from our home.
On the way back from the market, he saw the dog again and pulled over. Said dog wanted nothing to do with my husband! To clarify the context, my husband had been separated from our two Border Collies, Sam and Gracie, for several months and was missing them terribly. He was instantly in love!
On another day, one of our friends saw the same dog, still traveling in the general direction of our chacra, but still about 12 kilometers away.
Lo and behold! Hubs was driving down a different country highway about 7 kilometers from our chacra and there was the same Border Collie in a field, looking as regal as could be. My husband decided right then and there if that Border Collie showed up anywhere nearer, he would be ours! A trip was made to the pet store to stock up on dog food, leash, collar, toys, and shampoo. On the way home, he stopped, took a picture of the dog, and called him to come, but still no luck. Heartbreak...
A week or so later, we heard that “our Border Collie” showed up at the home of friends living at least 10 kilometers away from us. (17 kilometers from the last spotting in the field). When they bathed the dirt from Pake, he turned out to be black and white, not brown. In all, Pake traveled over 35 kilometers from where he was first seen to his new home!
Pake hit the jackpot at the end of his search for a "forever" home. His new home comes complete with a four-year-old Border Collie playmate, Chico, and two loving parents. Pake adores the name our friends chose for him and responds to it every single time. Like his new "parents," Pake is now retired, lives on a 7 hectare chacra, and has lots of time to soak up all the sunshine, love and attention he deserves in his elder years.
We are so honored to have Pake stay with us. Our two Border Collies, Sam and Gracie, are quite jealous, but adjusting. What a great dog Pake is! What stories he could tell! He is brilliant at understanding every command, no matter that we speak English. He and I have started to go on two walks a day; he is teaching me about nature and the patience that should come to us all when growing older. No matter how old I grow, I will never understand how someone could abandon such a noble friend.
We are in our fifth day of ten in our dog-sitting for Pake, our friends' twelve-year-old Border Collie. Pake has an interesting story, to say the least. Sadly, in Uruguay many sheep and cattle ranchers abandon their herding dogs, as the dogs become too old to work. Pake was one of these older dogs.
In June of 2013, my husband was driving to the market near Portezuelo Beach when he saw a beautiful Border Collie running alongside the highway. The dog looked to be brown, hungry, and dirty, but very noble-looking. This was nearly 20 kilometers from our home.
On the way back from the market, he saw the dog again and pulled over. Said dog wanted nothing to do with my husband! To clarify the context, my husband had been separated from our two Border Collies, Sam and Gracie, for several months and was missing them terribly. He was instantly in love!
On another day, one of our friends saw the same dog, still traveling in the general direction of our chacra, but still about 12 kilometers away.
Lo and behold! Hubs was driving down a different country highway about 7 kilometers from our chacra and there was the same Border Collie in a field, looking as regal as could be. My husband decided right then and there if that Border Collie showed up anywhere nearer, he would be ours! A trip was made to the pet store to stock up on dog food, leash, collar, toys, and shampoo. On the way home, he stopped, took a picture of the dog, and called him to come, but still no luck. Heartbreak...
A week or so later, we heard that “our Border Collie” showed up at the home of friends living at least 10 kilometers away from us. (17 kilometers from the last spotting in the field). When they bathed the dirt from Pake, he turned out to be black and white, not brown. In all, Pake traveled over 35 kilometers from where he was first seen to his new home!
Pake hit the jackpot at the end of his search for a "forever" home. His new home comes complete with a four-year-old Border Collie playmate, Chico, and two loving parents. Pake adores the name our friends chose for him and responds to it every single time. Like his new "parents," Pake is now retired, lives on a 7 hectare chacra, and has lots of time to soak up all the sunshine, love and attention he deserves in his elder years.
We are so honored to have Pake stay with us. Our two Border Collies, Sam and Gracie, are quite jealous, but adjusting. What a great dog Pake is! What stories he could tell! He is brilliant at understanding every command, no matter that we speak English. He and I have started to go on two walks a day; he is teaching me about nature and the patience that should come to us all when growing older. No matter how old I grow, I will never understand how someone could abandon such a noble friend.
