Dogs & Friends

The past few days have been somewhat hectic. Went to Sandpoint to have my glaucoma checked (I'm doing great.) and left Baby Rocket Dog with Lucy, her Airedale friend in Sandpoint. Patrick & I met Jon, Lucy's owner, while he was walking her last year and we were amazed at how much she & Baby looked alike. Turns out they are only weeks apart in age. Jon gave an invitation to bring Baby by anytime we are in town and let her play in his & Mary's back yard with Lucy. The 2 dogs haven't seen each other since last October but immediately became partners in crime. They acted like sisters. Sweet. It was a good thing for me, as the ophthalmologist appt. was for 9 & 10am, so I didn't get out until around 1045am. I then stopped at the Litehouse store and picked up some yummy cilantro salad dressing. They were completely out of cheese curds. I guess that was a good thing for me. When I picked Baby up she and Lucy were still nosing around together and they got really wild when I opened the gate. Two 55# dogs vying for ones attention. I forgot to take a picture. I'll try to remember next time. It is so nice of Jon & Mary to let Baby visit. My buddy, Cathi, had decided kind of at the last minute, that she wanted to fly up here in June with Mandi. We were both excited about it for a few days, but it isn't going to work out, so the excitement has faded. Next year will probably be best, that way she can get advanced airfares that should be a lot less expensive. We hope. She & Mandy visited me when we were renting on Schweitzer Mountain & her hubby was good with them coming again. I told her I think she should make the trip with Mark too, because if he falls in love with the area maybe they will buy some land. Also, I'm not sure Cathi has any idea how "rustic" our cabin is....there is still so much that needs work and she is a city girl. It'll be interesting to see how she reacts when she does make it up here. Okay, I must go now. God bless you all richly. love from the top of the U.S., Cassie

Freebie Friday - Really Good Deals

Today Larsens had a terrific Memorial Day sale & to top it off, they had JoJo Baker (a local personality) cooking and giving out FREE giant hot dogs. I bought Patrick several items of clothing for super deals and got David (my son in law) some flip flops and bought a cool, wool purse I have had my eye on for over a year......All on sale. Before that I went to the hospital and got my blood drawn using a FREE coupon we picked up at the health fair last weekend. A FREE cholesterol test. Patrick and I like FREE things. I am sure you have all heard that you can't get something for nothing, but that really is not true. I've just mentioned a few freebies I have gotten. Now, I know that a few of my friends & family who read this blog are Christians, so you understand the concept of a FREE GIFT. But, for those of you who do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I want to ask you a question. Do you know where you are going to spend your eternity? Heaven or Hell? If you are saying well I might go to Heaven because I've been a pretty good person. Or if you are saying no way I'll go to Heaven because I've done too many rotten things in my life. I've got good news for you!! God has a FREE GIFT for each and every one of us. All you have to do is accept it. That gift is His son, Jesus, who gave His life for our sins. That is a big YIPPEE! Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he that hears my word, and believes on Him that sent me, will have everlasting life." John 5:24. I'll talk about this more later on, right now the computer is running low on power so I must sign off. Oh, by the way, I am using the Visitors Center FREE wireless Internet to type this blog. We love FREE!!!! Blessings to you who read this. Because He Lives, Cassie

Greetings From Far North Idaho

Greetings & salutations from far North Idaho. Baby Rocket Dog & I are sitting here at a picnic table at the Selkirk International Loop Visitors Center. She just got her first grownup Airedale haircut today and looks like a different dog. Much less puppy-ish. Spent the day down in Sandpoint while she got groomed and did all kinds of errands for Patrick. He stayed at the cabin working like a slave. He is sanding (& sanding) the inside logs. It's a tough job, but saves LOTS on hired labor. We are in no big hurry, so should be done by 2014....about retirement time we're thinking. He does all the sanding by hand, then the two of us treat the logs and clear coat them. I am the official chinker and that job should be done by 2020....or upon my death! I chink a little, then sit back and enjoy the beauty of it for a few weeks, then chink a little more. Basically I'm enjoying the trip. hmmmm. The temp in the cabin has been "brisk" and I am loving it. It will get warm soon enough so we are just enjoying the cold. A fire in the fireplace heated the place up to 66 degrees, so I didn't do that again. Up until 3 days ago was working like crazy on all sorts of odd jobs. He fixed the dog kennel (which had a badly bent upper brace), picked up several bags of bark from the ground, hoisted the dog house (for me to paint) and many more 'honey-do' jobs. We have had some relaxation too though. Went to Montana and spent time with our friend Ilse for Mother's Day. Spent the night Sat. night and had a nice, but short, visit. Well, I better get back up to the cabin and get to work too. Patrick deserves a nice meal after eating saw dust all day! May our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ bless and keep you. Have a great day & rest of the week. Love, Cassie

Blessings & Surprises in Dillon, Montana

It's a small world after all. Yesterday when we stopped for gas and to peruse the Rocky Mountain Country Store in Dillon, MT Patrick was surprised when someone said from behind him, "What's going on here?". He was checking the oil & turned around to see Lou Lanton, a young serviceman who used to go to Pastor Manny's Bible study down in Phoenix!! Lou & his wife of 6 years, Nicole, were traveling from Mt. Home Air Force Base with their two little ones to Helena to visit Nicole's Uncle. What a wonderful surprise for us. Pat said God knew that we always stop at that same gas station/store every trip we make to & from Idaho so that's how Lou was guided there. We had a nice mini-visit while pumping gas and got a cowboy to take a group picture of us. If I can figure out how to transfer the pic I will post it at a later date. Oh, Lou now has his bachelors degree and he plans on going into the ministry in the future. For now though, he is heading back to Iraq for another 6 months. Please remember to keep Lou in prayer and also his young family. The children are little Louie, 3yrs, and Eliyana, 2 years. We are getting ready to leave Missoula, MT right now. Spent the night at the Red Lion Inn, a tradition we started years ago while traveling with our daughter, Jessica and our 1st Persian, Surprise. Chuck the Cat was here every year we had him and Baby Rocket Dog is now on her 2nd year here. She was really noisey last night. Every strange noise made her bark.....lots of strange noises I guess. Anyway, Patrick is all packed up, so I better sign off. Really wanted to tell about our Dillon blessing while I still have access to internet. May the Lord bless and keep all who read this blog. Always in His care, Cassie

On Our Way

Here we are in Provo, Utah. Not quite half way to our place in Farrrrr North Idaho. Patrick read our morning devotions and that will have to do as church for this week. Had a tasty buffet breakfast around 630am. Patrick did all the driving yesterday, so I will probably help out today. I was SO zonked yesterday. Got zero sleep in preparing for the trip so had a free pass to be the passenger on Saturday. Of course, the Subaru is packed so full my floor space was minimal...purse and large goodie bag took up most. Quite uncomfortable, but better than being the driver! ;<) We are getting ready for check out now. Stayed at the Hampton Inn. Quite acceptable. Baby had sudden bursts of barking which we found were caused by a yappy little dog across the hall. So much for a peaceful night sleep. Better sign off now. Keep our journey in your prayers please. This might be the last one for a while. No land line at our place in N.Idaho but might be able to connect at the Visitors Center. love & peace, Cassie

Goodbye Chuckie Boy

I wasn't able to say goodbye to Chuck today. Baby Rocket Dog & I went to the dog park and Patrick picked him up while we were gone and took him to the Humane Society. He had to fill in a form that told about who Chuck is. He said the ladies who waited on him were very nice and didn't act judgemental. I couldn't say goodbye to him, because I tried for several days in a row and got myself all upset. Yesterday was going to be the day, but by the time Pat got home from work I had worked myself into a tizzy. I was crying all day long because even though Chuck has been horrible lately....[Peed several times on bath mats. Defecated in the bath tubs. Bit my wrist when I was petting him. Etc, etc.]....I still love him and hoped upon hope he would straighten up. He is already on Prescriptive c/d food that we could only purchase from the vet and the last 2 times we had his urine tested it was clean with no crystals, stones or infections. It was obviously behavioral and just was not getting any better. We had discussed the problem over and over and knew that the best thing for us to do was to give him up. It was a really hard decision. This is no normal Persian cat. He knows how to beg, sit and lay (all for treats of course). He is very smart and absolutely beautiful to look at. I hope that someone adopts him quickly. He hates to be in those cages that they have at the vets. They make him become more surly than usual. He hisses and acts like a wild cat. That won't endear him to any perspective adopter. Well, it is done and I just hope he gets a nice home that makes him happy. A lady I spoke to at the dog park works at the shelter Pat left him at and she said if he isn't gone by next weekend she will feature him on Pets On Parade, the local Saturday TV show for the Humane Society. We'll be up in N. Idaho by then, so will miss his TV debut. I actually felt like a load was off my shoulders for a time today, but once again I'm feeling very sad. To you who read this, please say a little prayer for Chuck the cat, and for me too. Thank you in advance. May the Lord of heaven and earth bless you and keep you. Because He lives, Cassie

Using Gas = Good Times = Empty Pockets!

The past few days have been busy & fun. Friday night was Pastor Manny's Bible study (we are in Joel) and as usual we were challenged. Steve V. was the guest leader of the worship team and did a terrific job. He and his wife, Carey, actually met at this Bible study 10 years ago, so he said it was like a sweet reunion. We sure miss our Phx. church when up in N. Idaho. Saturday we awoke quite early & Patrick & I attended our Credit Union annual meeting. We got to sit with some friends we hadn't seen in several years & it was great catching up with Sylvia & John. It was held at a Marriott and the breakfast buffet was very yummy. Pat and Sylvia each won a door prize too.....Very cool! I'm always surprised more folks don't attend these things. After that I drove to Casa Grande to meet with my dear friend, Cathi and her 8 yr old daughter, Mandy Sue who were driving up from Tucson. The trip to Casa Grande should have taken about 45 minutes but due to road work (freeway finally dwindling down to a single lane) ended up being almost 2 hours. Yikes. The trip was worth it when I finally got there. We ate at Macayo's Mexican Restaurant and gabbed. Then, we did a little shopping before parting ways. It was the last time we'll get to see each other until Patrick and I return from Idaho in December. Luckily we both have AT&T cell phones so can talk every day even when thousands of miles away. I was exhausted when I finally got back to Phx. & really dislike driving in that kind of traffic. This afternoon Patrick and I went out to Red Lobster and chowed down. After that we went to a few stores and I found some of my treasured Polish pottery. Got 2 more steins and 2 mugs. I really need more dinner plates, but haven't had much luck with that. I am flabbergasted at the price they command on line, so will continue to look at department stores. Blessings to you, my friends, Cassie

Townhall Forum on April 8th

Patrick & I went on a date to the Townhall Forum at the Maricopa County Event Center on Tuesday, April 8th. It was sponsored by KKNT 960am radio-The Patriot, YourWestValley.com and Daily News-Sun and was terrific. Three of my favorite talk radio hosts (Dennis Prager, Michael Medved & Hugh Hewitt) were on the three man panel which was moderated by Dean Martin, the AZ State Treasurer. If you are not familiar with these gentlemen I highly recommend googling each one and perusing their websites. Brilliant minds and upstanding people.I have loved Dennis Prager for years...used to stay up to watch him when he had a TV show at 2:00am some years ago. It was pretty cool being amongst this large crowd of conservative folks, not to mention the stimulating Q & A with the panel. Pat & I were in the front row, so had some of the best seats in the hall. The only drawback to our great seats was that they had a BBQ dinner (which we did not attend) prior to the main event and the yummy smell of barbecue sauce was wafting through the air the whole time we were there. By the time we finally left I was ready to go home and swill down a bottle of BBQ sauce like a bottle of soda pop! We purchased 3 books and waited in line to have Dennis and Michael sign them. While in line we chatted with a nice fellow named Dean who was there with his teenage son. Dean was kind enough to email us some pics from the night. Thanks Dean. To summarize, it was a good time and well worth the cost of the tickets. Signing off for now. Blessings to all who read this. Because of Him,Cassie

April Showers?

Here it is April already and I haven't written a thing on my blog. No showers here in Phoenix. Actually it has been in the 90's already. Ugh. Even our pup, Baby Rocket Dog, runs out of energy soon after arriving at the dog park. We took her there this morning, then to Smelly Dog where we gave her a bath. She smells like lavender from the cream rinse. Patrick and I have been taking her to Smelly Dog together the last few times because her bath goes much quicker with the two of us working together. It's such a great way to give the dog a bath---they have everything there for you: shampoo,rinse,ear stuff,brushes,blow dryers,aprons. And best of all the tubs are waist high so there is no bending over. Important for us old codgers! Love that dog. Now Chuck, my Persian cat, is another story. We've had him for almost 13 years now and he seems to get more obnoxious with age. He has no patience for kids or Baby. And he has some "behavioral issues" that are becoming harder for us to handle. Namely, he has 'marked' my (large)bath rug with his urine. Not nice. Since getting Baby Chuck really seems nasty by comparison. He had his "issues" prior to getting the dog, so we can't blame his bad behavior on the pooch. With our luck he'll live to be 25. Any suggestions on what we should do with him would be appreciated. FYI: he has been checked out & does not have a bladder or u.t.i....he's just a stinker. On to another subject. Bible study Friday night was very cool. We always look forward to that day of the week because of it. I'll miss the great teaching and fellowship when we go up north. For those of you out there that pray, would you lift up my cousin Ivy's friends Susan and Drew? Susan is expecting her 1st child (at age 42) and her husband of 3 years, Drew, is in the last stages of lymphoma. They are believers and really need our prayers at this time. Thanks. May the Lord of the universe bless you and keep you. Remember, Jesus never fails. love to all, Cassie

Quick Friday Night Post

Got back from Bible Study a few hours ago. Tonight we had a pot luck so Pastor Manny didn't have his usual amount of time to bring us the lesson. Short or long, he is a very great minister of God's word. After eating we had praise and worship through music. Then Jesse,a young man from our group,told us about a wedding he attended with Pastor Manny today.It was a wedding of 2 believers from our church,but the majority of folks who attended were Hispanic,Catholics,relatives of the bride and groom. Jesse told how as Pastor Manny began to give a salvation message several people looked skeptical and hardened. As he told of God's love & spoke of Heaven & Hell the people's faces changed...softened. Long story short,as part of his message Pastor Manny said a sinner's prayer and 26 people accepted Christ as their Lord & Saviour.As Jesse said, it was quite a fishing trip! The Lord calls on us to be fishers of men and each of us should take every opportunity to present the gospel to the unsaved. Our Lord is so awesome. Well, that's it for now. Better get some sleep. I need to work on our taxes tomorrow. God bless all who read this blog. Because of Him, Cassie