Doggie Love

Many of you know that I am a proud mama to my three little canine kids. There is this “love” thing that goes on between dog owners and their pets.

What is there NOT to love?

Nothing against little kitties, but to me, nothing compares with the unadulterated love that you receive from your dog. It doesn’t matter how you’ve treated them~good, bad or indifferent. It doesn’t matter if you’ve over-fed or starved them. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been by their side every waking moment or gone for a month. As soon as they hear your car pulling into the driveway the symphony of excitement can be heard and seen through the windows.

When I walk into my house after being away for the day, the first ones to always greet me are my doggies! They’re little bodies are dancing with sheer exuberance at my sight. It’s amazing how much rhythm they have stemming from their little tails. (I have small dogs) Then, the show begins. Whom will I greet first? They begin to bicker and fight amongst themselves for my affections! They’re duking it out to be first in line!! Hilarious. They always bring a smile to my face and are a welcome sight particularly after a stressful day. They just love you. Who doesn’t want or need that kind of love?

I’ve buried a dog or 2 in my lifetime. Those are excruciating moments. Those of you that are dog lovers know what I’m talking about. But, this is life. It’s about living and ultimately dying. I have a personal belief. It might be crazy to some, but it’s my belief. One day, when my turn comes to enter the Pearly Gates, I believe that I will hear the familiar symphony of excitement as I near that gate. I believe that all my little furry (and not so furry~Yes. I have hairless pooches) friends will be running once again to greet me. Honestly, I get teary eyed just thinking about it! Maybe I’m wrong about that one. I don’t know. I’ll find out one day.

You may think that it’s quite presumptuous of me tho think I’ll make it to the Pearly gates. I have a deep, personal and quiet assurance about that. The real question I pose to you is, “Will YOU make it to the Pearly Gates?” I really do hope so. Your canine family will be waiting.

Yep. She's a Nude!

My Little Lovelies!

Our Kids Are Like The Federal Government

That’s right. You heard me correctly. Those of you who are parents out there know EXACTLY what I’m talking about!

Friday night. My husband and I take our two boys out for dinner. A new place for us. Right on Hollywood Beach~A place called ‘Oceans 11 On The Beach’. (You can purchase a “half off” gift certificate like I did by clicking HERE) Decent food. Fair prices. Fantastic service~Our server was Cari. Did I mention it was right on the beach? Absolutely beautiful weather. So far, a very a nice evening.

 

The View From 'Ocean's Eleven on The Beach.'

 

So, after dinner my eldest says, “Hey, why don’t we go down to Jackson’s Ice Cream Parlour? It’s just down the street!” My youngest chimes in on the brilliance of the idea. He too, is convinced that his older sibling has had a momentary incident of GENIOUS! Well, I’m not really opposed to the suggestion but I inform them that the bank has run dry. If they want to go, then they will have to treat. In other words, they must pay for the entire bill!

All systems come to a  grinding  HALT! Of course, that rule changes things a bit. It’s not that they didn’t have the money between them, it’s just that now it would require something of them. Sacrifice. Sweat equity. Counting the COST. Was it worth it? Was it a good value? SHOULD they spend their money on this costly ice cream escapade? Hmmmm.

Sounds a lot like our Federal Government at work with our dollars. So long as Uncle Sam doesn’t  have to break his back earning it, he goes right along spending it with seemingly little to no regard. Much like our kids do to us~right?

After a little talk between the two brothers, they agree to share the cost and we embark on our journey to the famous ‘Jackson’s Ice Cream Parlour’ for desert. It has easily been over 20 years since my husband and I set foot in that place and everything looked exactly the same! The Tropical Coconut Ice Cream on my banana split was the best. We really enjoyed ourselves and had a great time with Mikey~the little Monkey who set up shop outside on the parking lot collecting coins for a handshake. Now, that’s one smart monkey!

 

'The Turtle' Sundae at Jackson's Ice Cream

 

It took one good look at the menu for our boys to learn a quick lesson on the cost of nostalgia and ice cream at Jacksons. We agreed that sharing two ice cream creations between the four of us would be just fine. Honestly, one banana split would have been plenty. They are very generous with their servings.

So, there you have it. The rantings of a South Florida tax professional! The moral of my story? If our Federal Government could take a lesson from two brothers~counting the cost of ice cream, I think this country would be in a much healthier position. (No pun intended) I wish that I was not so cynical when it comes to this subject. Short of a miracle (and I do believe in those), I don’t see our elected officials having very much, if any, thoughtful contemplation on how they tax and spend the money of  the American people. (You and me!) I have no doubt that if it was their money on the spending block, they’d have a lot more conscience about things. Maybe we should send two brothers to address Congress on this issue of cost & spending.  ???  Just my opinion here.

If you have any thoughts or ideas~by all means, post and share!

What can Little League teach us?

I went to my son’s little league baseball game last night. I always look forward to them. They are a highlight for me in this season of my life.

So, I arrive at the park in time for the top of the 1st inning. Our team is on the field and our pitcher is really struggling. One hit, two…three, five….Before you know it, the opposing team is up by five runs~ Top of the first!

It’s starting to become crystal clear to me at this point, that our pitcher is mentally out of the game. His body language is screaming, “D-E-F-E-A-T-E-D!” With his shoulders slumped, he tosses the ball across the plate. BAM, another 3 runs come across home plate. The rest of the team has caught on by now to the pitcher’s lack of fight. They have had their fair share of errors on the field to help make this one of the longest opening innings in little league history! (OK, maybe I’m exaggerating just a little, but it sure did feel that way!) They are all beginning to show signs of defeat as well~It’s the TOP OF THE 1st INNING!!

I can’t help to think of the metaphor illustrated by this little league baseball game. How often are we the catalyst for defeat? In our families? In our workplace? In our personal relationships? The list goes on and on.

The opposite is just as true. Whether we see it or not, we have influence. PERIOD! Everywhere we go, everyone we meet~we have influence. It may not be a life changing event for most. It’s those little seeds we plant along the way. An encouraging word. A nice gesture to a stranger. A reminder to someone complaining in a longer than usual grocery checkout line~”If this is as bad as it’s going to get for you and me, I’ll take it!” We all have influence and we all contribute to setting the tone for our lives and the lives of those around us. The question is, which side will you choose? Victory or Defeat?

So, back to the game. Somewhere around the 5th inning I said to my husband, “It just takes ONE! One believer on this team to go back into the dugout and make them BELIEVE. Convince them that it only takes ONE GOOD INNING!! Then, someone has to spark that belief with a good crack of the bat. That’s all it will take for them to have a fighting chance.”  I started to yell this theme out loud. To make them hear the words. I was looking for just “one” to catch the vision. The next at bat for them was better. We scored 2 runs. It wasn’t enough to win, obviously. But they were trying better and harder than they were before.

We won’t always win the game, but we can be winners in the journey. By not quitting. By playing harder and smarter. By getting up when we fall down. By helping someone up, who has fallen down.

So, what has this got to do with death and taxes, you may be wondering? Nothing and everything. We’ve all heard the cliché, “There are two thing for sure in life, Death and Taxes.” Pretty true statement. But there’s also a lot of living that goes on between those two events. Little league is one of them!