Friday, November 25, 2011

Sunset on the Day after Thanksgiving!


Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day! We all had a good day at my sister Dalila's house in Wakefield, RI. Everyone enjoyed the great hospitality she and her husband always provide. It was indeed a good family day!
My Special Thanks to both of them. ♥

Dalila here with our Mom and another sister Dulce.


Thanksgiving as we all know, is a day to give thanks and remember how fortunate we are to be able to enjoy good things in life. It is also a day to remember the less fortunate and to reflect in our lives, and find out what we can do for others, that we have not done yet. It is a day to ask what we can help them with, and not what they can give to us. It is a holiday here in USA, it falls on the last Thursday of November. It is a "day off" for anyone who works in most industries, so everyone can enjoy family time, a good dinner, which consists of the famous turkey, relaxation and of course american football. It also represents the beginning of Christmastime, the Holiday Season, Singing of Christmas Carols, Sending Greetings to family and  friends, and of course the Chaotic Shopping which starts with certain stores opening  their doors late at night and remaining open all night on Thanksgiving Day, until Christmas Eve, on December 24th. It is a very busy time for the retailing industry. This includes restaurants, commercial shopping centers or malls, as we call them here. Every store is opened trying to boost the weak economy, with special sales and open door prizes. Crazy, crazy! Friday after Thanksgiving is called and is known as Black Friday! I think it means that at the end of the day, the stores' sales' revenues will help the monetary figures move from the red (deficit) to the black (profit). The reason they call it Black Friday. People actually look forward to shop all night looking for the best deals. Personally I have never done it! I am waiting to retire first, and then see what happens. I am always working on Black Friday. And when I am not, I use the day to start decorating the house for the season, the Jolly Season. This year I had to work. And look at what I encountered with, when I finished my working day, and opened the door to the outside of a great Black Friday evening! I saw this great Sunset! So red, it amazed me! I stared at it.... and I asked? Did I miss a good day? I know I did!!!


I don't want to work another Black Friday ever again I thought to myself! I'll do my best for that to happen in the future! I was locked in all day long! Yikes!!!
But then, I would never have seen this amazing sunset if I had not gone to work all day! It would have been a total different picture here, maybe me waiting in long lines at a store... or at home decorating in pajamas... Each experience is a unique experience!

Thanksgiving Day always has its own magic glow around family time. But when the day after ends with a multi color sunset, it definitely makes it even more special.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And here are some memories ...
from our Family Thanksgiving Day♥
Of course, I got yelled a few times, for being
The Annoying Paparazzi! Well, they are missing and not in the picture. So there... Happy Holiday Season! Enjoy! It goes by too fast.
Don't take any sunset for granted! Go shopping and look up in the sky to find amazing things.

I hope you all had a Great Thanksgiving Day with your Family as well. 
I am sure you also have some great memories to share.
♥

Curious Justin.

Beautiful Sydney.

Family Gathering.

Relaxation Time

Teacher and student learning time.

Cousins.

Momma Paula.

Tall EJ.

Dulce and David.

Paula and David.

Mae holding on to Melissa .

Cousins enjoying time together.

Dinner Time.

Sarah's pretty nails. 

Melissa showing her Dad some pretty nails.

It's all about nails I guess... LOL

Melissa talking to auntie Dalila.

Fashionista Melissa.



Momma and Justin.


Melissa and Sydney looked more alike as children.

He is thinking of what darn thing to say next! 

Kids'  PlayTime.



And I think Sydney had too much sugar.
But for now look at Justin's position. The kid is a little man at 4 years old!

 See you at Christmastime with more ,,,


Sunday, November 13, 2011

Bubbles Taught me Dogs Love! RIP♥ 11/13/2011

And that I should not be afraid....
Bubbles, the Loving Dog, The Amazing Dog, The Phenomenal Dog. The Only Dog, who could teach this Girl that Dogs need Love, Play, and much more.... He taught me such a Huge Lesson... Thank you Bubbles!♥                                                                                                                            RIP Bubbles Baxter Entered Dog's Heaven on 11/13/2011
Bubbles waiting patiently to come back in! His dog sitter is a  photo camera maniac!



Bubbles loved to play in my backyard! With me chasing after him!
Another photo please...
 Bubbles♥ was my daughter's family dog! They loved him very much. He was their pet, their family pet.
Bubbles was also very good with the children, EJ, Sydney and Justin.
He also got to know me, as I sometimes babysit the children on Saturdays at their house in Coventry.
I also kept Bubbles with me on certain occasions, at my house in Pawtucket.
He was so easy to take care of, he was a good, good dog! 
I loved to take pictures of him outside in my backyard and inside the house.
I wished I had taken more photos of him. Bubbles was the only dog I said Yes to dog sitting! 
Bubbles at my house in Pawtucket, RI
Bubbles playing with the snow balls I was throwing at him.
But here comes Bubbles, the only dog I did not fear at all!
The only dog who taught me that dogs are nice, if well treated and loved.
Bubbles was 8 1/2 years old! Bubbles passed away today 11/13/11
He lost his battle with cancer.

Bubbles taught me how to Love dogs♥
Bubbles was the only dog I ever cried for!

You see, I was never fond of dogs. I actually was afraid of them all my life! I remember as a young girl being bitten by a mean street dog, on the way to school. I was born and raised in a place where  at the time, dogs were allowed on the streets, wondering around, probably hungry, and not loved at all. So they bit whoever passed by them. I was a school kid, I did not know any better. I thought all dogs were like that. People took dogs for granted and just mistreated them.   There was no dog in the family, when I was born, I wasn't used to have a dog as a pet.

When my parents got a dog, I was almost 10 years old. I wasn't too happy! I was scared. I was never taught how to love a dog. I had never seen anyone love a dog. We moved from the village to the city when I was 9 years old, and sometime later on, we couldn't have the dog for a long time, so our family pet was given to a family member who loved dogs very much! Their own dog had died recently, and they begged for the one we had. My parents gladly gave the dog away. His name went from Benfica to Cochise on that day! Luckily I never got to become too attached to Benfica, so it was easy for me to let him go! I am sure my sisters felt the same way, but I don't remember for sure how they felt about it. We never had a dog before, only for a short time. 

But seeing how much my cousins loved dogs, and obviously missed their dog, that moment remained recorded in my mind! They just kept crying and begging my father to give them the dog. Is it possible to love a dog so much I asked? They are not human beings. Aren't they supposed to live on the streets? I had so many questions. And why no
one ever told me that a dog is a man's best friend? A man's companion? I was just a kid. I didn't know!
I am sure I had many questions, but it never got any better. Years went by, and my fear of dogs continued.
I never found out on my own that loving a dog could be so kind, so gratifying, so inspiring, so appreciative!
When visiting family members with dogs, or friends with dogs, it was such a torture!
Some knew about it and were understanding, telling me how their dogs were so affectionate and  ensuring me they didn't bite. Others had no idea of my fear. With my heart racing and racing, I always kept my distance from their dogs.
Dogs sensed, and I had to leave many times their homes, embarrassed and explaining, until I could not explain no more...


The only dog I ever got close to, touched with my hands was Bubbles.
The only dog I ever played with for hours.
The only dog I ever let sleep inside my room.
Well, maybe only twice... LOL
But I made him a nice bed in my living room.
With plenty of water and food.

The only dog who taught me that dogs are nice, if well treated and loved was Bubbles.
The only dog who told my heart that it's okay to love a dog, and keep him safe.
Bubbles showed me if a dog is safe, you are safe. They will behave if you behave!
That was the big lesson I learned from Bubbles.
And thank God people today are not like the people I grew up with!
Today dogs are loved forever and ever. And they are missed when they depart!
Yes, Bubbles, the only dog who whispered at me:
"It's true girl, a dog is a man's best friend!
You have to believe it... Why don't you get a dog for yourself?

I still can't!!! Sorry Bubbles...
But thank you so much for teaching me all about dogs.
You were the only dog who made it possible for me to get a tear in my eyes... Me♥ Missing you!
And Paula, Eric, EJ, Sydney and Justin, miss you too....

♥

Especially your Momma Baxter!♥