THE NEW FAMILY ADDITION, AND WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO???

Two weeks have flown by since I last blogged.  I guess I am posting a blasted, belated blog.  Or something like that.  

Other than our new family addition, life has been crazy, hectic around here.  

Let me introduce you to Olivia.  This little girl came into our lives in a very unexpected way.  

Many of you know that we have one Shih Tzu, Oliver.  He and his brother, the Noah, the cat have been in our family for two and eleven years respectively.  This picture is of the two boys on the dashboard of the motorhome as we traveled to Joshua Tree National Park in California.

John felt that we were the perfect size family with these two critters.  I was thinking that one more Shih Tzu would complete our family.  You see, we have three grown daughters.  Doesn't it make sense to have three pets?    We have been accustomed to a family of five.  So why not?  Right?  

On our way to our trip to Asheville, North Carolina to do a show, we stopped at the bank to make a deposit.  

Oliver goes to the bank with me.  He runs in and they all make over him and give him a doggie treat.  Everyone loves him at the bank.  I do not dare enter said bank without him.  They would deduct from my account if I didn't take him, I'm sure.  

As the teller was taking my deposit, she remarked that earlier, a customer came in and said they needed to find a new home for their grandmother's Shih Tzu.  Nuff said. Right?  Right!

She gave me the telephone number of the person. I made a bee line to the motorhome and my cell phone.  I punched in her number as John sat in the drivers seat trying to figure out what was happening.  

As the person's phone rang, I filled him in on the situation.  

We are now driving down the highway as I talk to the person.  She says.  She had just taken the puppy to the county animal shelter!  

OH NO!  They put dogs down after a time!  This is an emergency!  We've just GOT to turn around and rescue this poor creature!  

John rolls his eyes, makes a left turn and winds through neighborhoods to finally get to the road that the shelter is on.  

We pull up in front of the shelter and I head in to claim her!  Now remember, this is sight unseen!  When she is carried from her "prison:" - cage, she looks at me and almost jumps out of the attendants arms to get to me.  Oh, oh, I'm in love.

After the papers are completed, I carry her out to the motorhome and Oliver greets her at the door.  It's like he was saying "what took you so long to get here?"  They were best buds at first sight.  They played all the way to North Carolina.

She had no idea that she had a sticks and bricks home.  She thought this box on wheels was home.  And that leads to the rest of today's blog.  

WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO?

While we were gone, we decided we were serious about full-time motorhoming.  Is that a real word?  

We came home with a goal in mind.  Be ready to list the house December first.  Whoa!  That's a lot of work in a very short time.  

We have been upgrading the house over the last year.  But, it was at our own pace, not with a deadline.  Suddenly, we pop from first gear to fifth!  

We have adjusted our December goad to hopefully, January first.  We still have a ton of work to do.  John is working hard.  With his emphysema, he has to stop and breathe often.  My body is sore from all the work.  We SHALL overcome!  

This is way too long already.  More to come when I wake up at 4:30 a.m. and can't sleep.  (this is becoming a habit)  But who wants to start laboring at that hour?  It's like let's gear up with a cuppa tea or some hot chocolate first.  

Until next time......

God bless you all