Sensible Life is promoting this book because it deviates so significantly from the norm, and I believe it’s a writing tool that will resonate with everyone who reads it in some way. Most writing books I’ve read give you methods to achieve the writing goal and ways to flesh out your characters and make your scenes sparkle, but Cec Murphey gets at the very essence of the writing process –tapping into your inner writer. Even though I’m a seasoned writer, just in the first couple of chapters of this book, I recognized where I’m having problems with books I’ve attempted to write. I have so many ideas for both fiction and non-fiction. I’ll start on them, and get to a point where I stop and don’t go back to it. Murphey provides insights in this book that helps the writer move past these issues. Even if you are a successful author, if you struggle in an area of your writing, I would encourage you to read this book. It may the key to unlock the door that’s blocking you from success in that genre.

RECYCLED CRAFTS

https://www.google.com/search?q=recycled+easter+crafts&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=KUNsT_WFGorXtgewuOSmBg&ved=0CFUQsAQ&biw=1440&bih=696

RECIPES

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/holidays-and-events/easter/

EASTER WREATHS
https://www.google.com/search?q=easter+wreaths&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=U0RsT9P7DYmItwf06byqBg&ved=0CKIBELAE&biw=1440&bih=696

EASTER AROUND THE WORLD

http://www.playgameshavefun.com/2010/03/easter-around-the-world/

This year will be the year I’m challenging myself to put extra spending on hold for as long as possible. I envision this to be a year-long challenge, but if I make it 6 months, I’ll be satisfied. If I last longer, it will be awesome.

To date, my new budgeting plan has lasted through the end of March, but I still have a lot of challenges to go. Spring styles are out, and the catalogs are stuffed in my mailbox, not to mention home improvement ads and seed catalogs with irresistible specials. Enticing as they may be, I’ve taken a more analytical stance to this visual influx of temptations.

In order to make this work, I have taken inventory of all the “stuff” in our house –general inventory, not a detailed, 400 page spreadsheet, or anything like that. I’ve noted all the “extra” stuff we have lying around, sitting in storage boxes, or stuffed in closets. Rather than taking the common stance of getting rid of everything that we haven’t used in the last two years, I’m taking a closer look to see what can be recycled into something new and more useful. Utilizing search engines to find craft ideas for recycled stuff, or perusing Pinterest for decorating ideas out of recycling, I’ve found numerous ideas for storage and home décor. For example, making a picture frame out of an old window frame, or a bookcase out of an old ladder, or perhaps wall decor from recycled magazines. Check out the websites below and let your imagination flow.

http://www.craftaholicsanonymous.net/t-shirt-pom-poms-tutorial

http://www.google.com/search?q=recycled+magazine+crafts&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=7o93T6KTHOOA2wWk9om2Bg&sqi=2&ved=0CDQQsAQ&biw=754&bih=555

http://inspirationforhome.blogspot.com/2011/10/ladders-repurpose-reuse-and-recycle.html

http://www.google.com/search?q=recycled+light+bulb+crafts&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=R5B3T4CFHYHcggez1bn6Dg&ved=0CGoQsAQ&biw=754&bih=555

http://www.google.com/search?q=recycled+wine+bottles&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=tZB3T7qxF8_rggfc4uEN&ved=0CGMQsAQ&biw=754&bih=555

In the news this week is Kris Jenner’s fashion faux paux of wearing an outfit similar to that of her daughter, Kim Kardashian. At Kris’s age, skin tight, hot pink leggings, a black leather jacket and leopard mules are a bit over the top in trying to regress to those youthful years.

http://tv.yahoo.com/news/kris-jenner-s-inappropriate-outfit-copies-daughter-kim-kardashian.html

I’ve heard numerous times that people should not be judged by what they wear, but that concept in years past was more geared toward those with a meager income not having the means to dress in the finest fashions. Often, a person’s success was judged by how well they dress, or the possessions they had. Thankfully, this doesn’t occur as often as it did when I was growing up.

Now, we are judged by what we wear, but in a different manner. Even if you shouldn’t be judged, it’s just a fact that you are. If a woman of Kris’s age dresses in youthful styles, it actually doesn’t make them look younger, but quite the opposite. They are perceived as trying to recapture their youth. If only they would opt for age-appropriate styles with sleek lines and modest embellishment to enhance, not overpower, it provides a more sophisticated look. In the photo at the link above, Kris appears to be reliving her teen-age years, and this is not a look that gains respect –except maybe by those in the same age group who are wearing the same type of fashions.

Think about how you look in what you are wearing. Make sure you do a full circle in front of the mirror and see how you look from all angles. I’ve seen so many fashion issues from people not doing this, I couldn’t even begin to count them. I’ll never forget the embarrassment of one lady who was sent home from a private college she was attending to change because she showed up in a min skirt with a slit so far up that it was very risqué. She was older and trying to fit in with the more youthful attendees. Her hair was dyed jet black, and she wore heavy make-up with the black, thick eyeliner and added to that look a mini skirt. She was on the heavy side, and the skit was a bit too snug, so what she hadn’t realized is that the manufactured slit in the skirt had ripped further up, slightly revealing her underwear and the panty part of her hosiery. If only she had given herself a closer, more critical eye, she would have been saved the embarrassment of this ordeal.

As you age, your hair changes –even if there is no gray yet, your hair still fades and loses pigment. Your skin changes as well, and colors that looked great on you at 25, may not look so great at 40, or 50. Make-up looks different at different ages. There was a period of time where I had word blue eye colors and tawny blushers and lipsticks, but as I aged, these no longer looked good on me. For the longest time, the best, most natural look for me was in beiges and peachy colors. Now, I’m back to where I’m able to wear some blues and tawny colors again. Just be sure you’re taking a look at these things as you age. If you don’t, you will only make yourself look older, instead of more youthful.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/12/do-christians-have-right-wear-cross-crucifix-british-government-trial-case_n_1339460.html?ref=religion&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl8%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D143089

I am sitting on the floor of our spare room upstairs.  The smell of apple is drifting through from the only source of light, a small votive candle.  I have come to embrace the dark.  Trying to capture the attention of my seven-year-old ferret I wave a treat at him.  He ponders the offering, and then makes his way to my hand.  The door is shut so he doesn’t escape and run into the cat.  Those interactions usually don’t go well.  Or at least that’s the excuse I use.  In truth, I need solitude. 

Finished with his treat, he stretches to climb onto my lap.  Rather than watch him struggle, I lift him up and lay him across my legs.  Usually, he’ll tolerate affection in small bits, but tonight is different.  I don’t know if it’s the tears, my erratic breathing or a chemical imbalance only animals can sense, he knows something is wrong.  He lays still as I slowly run my hand across the length of his back.  I calm myself with deep breaths and get lost in the simple act.  I study his fur as my hand passes over it and feel his sides contract with each breath.  His nose is in constant motion searching for new smells.  With nothing interesting in the air, he rests his head on my arm and closes his eyes.

 An act that I have performed countless times, with an array of creatures, has become my escape.  I can go to a place where bills don’t matter.  My dead end career doesn’t exist.  Everyone I love has perfect health and it’s okay for me to feel good about myself.  I don’t want this moment to end.

All that it takes to pull me away is the telephone.  Mental anguish turns to physical pain as I prepare to face reality again.  The financial devastation.  A job I detest.  And worst of all, a husband trapped in his own dark pit, and I can’t help him.  Rather than waste time pondering all the wrong turns that brought me here, I just accept that this is where I belong.

At work I have become a ghost.  My manager will walk past me in the hall or on the floor without any acknowledgment.  He will stand behind me to perform a “time study” or  “measure my efficiency” without uttering a single word.  Some day’s I wonder if he evens sees me.

I am highly skilled at what I do, but that doesn’t matter anymore.  My only value is in how many pieces I can produce in an hour, and how much overtime I am willing to perform.  To be honest, I’m tired.  My numbers are adequate and my desire for overtime is limited.  After twenty years I have been beaten into submission.  I don’t look for praise anymore or expect recognition.  One thing I get to experience at work is fear.  Our management staff is very good at reminding us how lucky we are to have jobs.  Hearing this after three bad quarters in a row doesn’t do much to to encourage a good nights sleep.

Early on I was able to kept the emotions brought on by a stagnant career and dehumanizing environment at bay with the support of a loving husband that provided me with a wonderful life.  Embracing his creative side, he earned a very good living working in the Graphic Arts.  With him it wasn’t about the company or position he held, it was being in a career he loved.  One thing I learned from him is that to find happiness at work, you have to love what you do.  Rather than get lost in my misery, I grasped onto his happiness.  

There are days I can look back on and recall in vivid detail.  The summer of 2003 holds one of those days.  I was downstairs with an iced coffee debating if I really wanted to turn the stove on for supper.  My husband was working upstairs so he was the one who picked up the phone when it rang.  A  moment late he was standing in front of me with the color drained from his face.

 “What’s wrong?” I asked

His eyes locked onto mine as he gave me the news.  His department had been cut.  Their work was being transferred to the home office in Europe.  Our lives had been shattered by a conversation that took less than a minute.

The hardest thing to deal with was his sadness.  As time passed he started slipping away and I didn’t know how to help.  All I could do was remind myself that things would be okay.  He’s a highly educated professional with a solid career, we have enough in savings to last for a little while and he got some severance.  How bad can this be?

It was worse than I ever imagined.  I didn’t grasp how bad the economic collapse was until my life was part of the rubble.  The agony and frustration he went through trying to find a job in his field was heartbreaking.  As desperation approached his standards got lower and lower.  Soon, he was praying for anything.  He needed a job, any job.  Just before the brink of total disaster he found something that would be just enough to keep us afloat.  Now, he works for my company in a job beneath mine, he is a machine operator.  As they say, just when you think things can’t get any worse, they do.  I I’ll never forgive myself for getting him in that place.

Seeing how he was treated, and what he was going through finally pushed me over the edge.  As I fell deeper and deeper I searched for something to grab hold of.

My affinity for animals stretches back to my childhood.  I was fortunate enough to grow up in a house that hosted a menagerie of creatures.  We had the standard dogs and cats, but it was the small ones that fascinated me.  I could spend hours with the bunnies and was the only one the squirrel seemed to tolerate.  Dreams of becoming a veterinarian were only natural.  As I matured I let life pull me away from that dream and put my on another path.  But I never lost the desire.  At one point I gave serious thought to going back to school to become a veterinary assistant.  When that dream crumbled, I was left with the simple desire to work with animals in any capacity.

Sinking farther into the abyss of depression, this desire turned into a need.  I had long contemplated volunteering at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the MSPCA, but never had the motivation to take action.  Now, I needed to make that a reality in order to survive.  I couldn’t live trapped in my own dark thoughts any longer.

I don’t know what it was, but one day something triggered in me to make the twenty minute ride to pick up an application.  With more stringent requirements than some jobs, it took weeks to hear back with the good news.  I had been accepted into the program.

The first person I met was an adorable young woman filled with the kind of fire and passion that’s contagious.  It took me all of two minutes to warm up to our volunteer coordinator.  As a new volunteer, she explained, my tasks would be limited to changing litter boxes and checking on food and water.  Not a problem.  In a few hours  I realized that this was going to be much more rewarding than bending resistors or soldering diodes.  At the end of the day she did something I wasn’t expecting, she stopped by to say thank you.  I hadn’t heard that from an employer in a long time.

Three years later I am standing in the front hall with everyone gathered around me.  The full time staff is here, volunteers and even the shelter director.  The coordinator, Amy, thanks me for my service over the the past few years and hands me a long awaited treasure, my permanent name tag.  The next time you walk into a shelter and see a volunteer wearing a name tag, keep in mind those can take years to get.  I put it on as the crowd applauded and held back the tears.  It had nothing to do with actual value of the plastic badge, it was the attention and recognition.
 Now that I had earned my place on the permanent roster, people began paying more attention to me, and what I did.  They discovered that a majority of my time was being spent in the small animal room caring for the abandoned pets people tend to overlook.  The hamsters, bunnies, chinchillas, rats and of course the ferrets.  The staff also learned I was an avid ferret owner thanks to my husbands obsession with these unique animals.  Twenty years of experience with them has given me a breadth of knowledge.

In a discussion with the coordinator about some of the small animals and possible improvements we could make  she posed a question to me.  She told me that the shelter was putting together a task force dedicated to small animals, and asked if I wished to join it.  I considered her offer for about two seconds, then gave an emphatic yes.  If you want to find me at the shelter now just look for short haired blond woman with a blue t-shirt that say’s SATF (Small Animal  Task Force).  I can tell you those shirts are reserved for a select few.

This experience taught me a very valuable lesson when it comes to managing people.  If you want to encourage someone to work harder, and strive to excel, make them feel like they are an invaluable member of a team.  It worked wonders for me.  Not only do I attend the monthly meetings, but if there is an issue with any of the small animals, I do whatever I can to help.  All I need to inspire me is a simple thank you.

For the first time in my life I am performing tasks I truly enjoying.  Not just because I love animals, but I get something out of it.  At the end of the shift I have that long desired sense of accomplishment.  The feeling that I have done something that actually made a difference.  Whether it is an 18 pound Bull dog or  2 ounce hamster, my work has had an impact.  When you add in praise and recognition, this has become the most rewarding experience of my life, to date.

The work is just part of the experience.  One thing depression does is effect your personal relationships.  Trapped in a morass, people tend to shy away, and I don’t blame them.  The problem is you don’t realize they have disappeared until it’s too late.  In the factory, I don’t bond with people because there is no common interest.  Nothing pulls us together.  At the shelter, it’s different.  I am with people who share the same drive and desires.  With a shared interest we connect on a different level.

In one instance I was sharing with a woman I had become close to that our cat had just passed away.  After offering her heartfelt condolences she asked if we planned on getting another one.  As embarrassing as this is, I told her yes, but right now we couldn’t afford the adoption fee.  The next time I saw her she handed me a condolence card.  Inside was a $140 gift certificate from the MSPCA, enough to cover the fees for a new cat.  I think about that every time Oreo hops up onto the bed at night.  It was one of those moments I have learned to treasure.

Another scene I have placed in my minds scrapbook is an occurrence that took place with one of the veterinarians.  We were talking about the condition of a sick ferret when she asked what I thought.  I told her the best course of action might be Pepto Bismol and to keep an eye on her to watch for dehydration.  She smiled and said, “okay, let’s do that”.  The next week I was able to tell her with pride that my course of action had worked.  Her warm smile and praise let me know our relationship had changed.  She wasn’t just a doctor anymore, she had become my friend.
 I have learned to treasure moments like this as my husband and I rebuild our lives.  It is a slow process filled with disappoints and regrets.  But I don’t focus on those anymore.  What I do is look for those glimmers of hope.  When I find one, I treasue it.  If it vanishes, then I wait for another.  I have the strength to do this now because I have discovered the only thing I really need to fight through and survive anything.  Self-worth.

The time was somewhere around 2011.  Things were starting to get pretty rough for all of God’s creatures.  We had had a couple of bad Presidents and each one had made matters worse. There didn’t seem to be a way out of the mess we were in.  Each decision made just made the situation worse. It didn’t seem as though there was a right-thinking person in power on the whole planet.

Doug and Sara Harris were in their latter years and just trying to keep body and soul together.  They had both worked hard and cut out a pretty good life for themselves, their children and their animals.  The latter were like children to them and in their later life gave them great joy and company.

Hadji and Sully were standouts in their lives.  Both dogs brought something special into the Harris family.  They were two completely different souls, but each in their own way was a Godsend when they entered the Harris family.

Hadji was first.  He was a purebred Basenji and as smart as a whip.  He had all kinds of papers.  AKA registration, the works.  He never tried to pull royalty on them, though.  They taught him how to use a counter bell they set on the floor for him to ring when he needed to go out (the breed doesn’t bark).    He came in early on and gave such undying love.  He kept the wolves at bay and the family happy and pretty well contented.  When he passed, he was mourned as if he were a child or a brother.

Hadji had provided entertainment and joy his whole life.  When he died, a part of their souls went with him.

Sully came along in their later life.  He was a mixed breed German Shepherd and Rottweiler.  He had the coloring of the Rottweiler, especially his eyebrows.  The double dew claws was another trait of the Rottweiler.  Sully lived a very hard life for his first fourteen months on this earth.  He had been badly mistreated and beaten early on.  When he showed up at the animal shelter, they had to express his bladder so he could relive himself.  Luckily, Doug, Sara and he came together one day and the rest was history.

Sully was a grand watchdog.  He taught himself to let them know when the mail man came; he would let them know when the phone was ringing and all kinds of things like that.  He would always check on everyone and the house all the time.  This was about 2006 and Doug had been retired for two years or so.

Sully was an active dog and needed daily walks.  That honor fell to Doug, which he didn’t mind at all.  The winters were kind of cold, but it was refreshing and it gave them plenty of time to talk during the walks.  During one of those walks, two German Shepherds took exception to them being on their street and came tearing out of their yard, hell bent for leather.  Sully planted himself in front of Doug and gave them what for.  Doug didn’t know what Sully told them, but there was a lot of gutteral growling and snarling involved.  Both dogs stopped about three feet from Doug and Sully.  They didn’t know what to do.  They looked at Sully, then looked at each other and turned tail and ran back to the safety of their own yard and watched Sully and Doug go on their merry way.

Life was pretty good even though everything was going downhill.  It was a gradual thing and, with the everyday struggles, very few people paid any attention.  In 2008, Obama was elected president and I’ll be damned if he didn’t get elected in 2012.  The second year of that term, 2014, things started to going to hell in a hand basket.

The next election, a dimwit from the Deep South was elected.  The people were so desperate that they latched onto his campaign slogan: “I Can Bring America Back to Glory” and they somehow got him elected with just 7000 votes to spare.  Everything he tried either blew up in his face or simply fizzled out.  Then there were two more elections and the little men with scruffy beards with those funny names kept showing up.  By then we were all knee-deep in it and could hardly get anything done at all.

By 2016, Doug and Sara were struggling just to keep body and soul together.  To make matters worse, that was the year that Sully-man passed over.

Doug and Sara struggled through life one day at a time.  They thanked the good Lord when they woke up each morning and had another day together.  By this time, the whole world was divided into sections.  The first section was for the filthy rich, which were all the dictators of the world, and that included the President of the USA.  Next came the rich, followed closely by the well-to-do.  The comfortable were next in line.  Laborers were next, followed by other useful people.  The bottom was taken up by the old people of the world and the dysfunctional.

Part of their everyday struggle was getting to the feeding station.  At the front of the line were the laborers.  They were fed pretty well, but they always wanted better and more.  The useful   people were next in line.  They, of course, got less and worse food than the laborers.  By the time the old folks got there, they more or less got scraps.  The older the old folks got the farther back in the feeding station they were and the less they got, til one day they wouldn’t let them in the feeding station at all.

Within four years, Doug and Sara reached the back door and weren’t allowed in anymore.  Now they must forage for themselves.  Luckily, they had always been good neighbors, and for a while their neighbors helped them out.  Things kept getting worse and worse, til even the neighbors couldn’t help.  Now they were strictly on their own, no help from anyone and they had to find their own food and shelter.  Absolutely no help was available for them anywhere.  When things looked their very darkest, Sully-man showed up.  He was young and strong and bright as a penny.  They were so happy to see him that it didn’t dawn on them that Sully had died several years back—not til weeks after his arrival.

Sully took them away from the cities and civilation into the wild where God’s bounty was everywhere.  He took them to clean clear water and edible berries, fruits and vegetables in the wild.  Life was good and everybody was happy.  It was getting harder to keep body and soul together.  Winter was coming on and they were usually very harsh.  They took shelter in a small cave and rested, very glad to be in out of the wind.  One day Sully returned without anything to eat.  He was very sad and laid his head in Doug’s lap and kind of whimpered.

After awhile, Sully jumped up and was anxious to get on the way.   Doug and Sara gathered what rags they had managed to glean from different sources.  They put on everything they had, but the last garment was for Sully.  It was a child’s sweater and Sully really appreciated it, too.  He licked both their faces in thanks and took Doug gently by the wrist and led them out of the cave and on the next leg of their journey.

They followed Sully for two days and one night.  As the sun set on the second day, Sully walked out of the thick woods into a small clearing.  Smack dab in the middle of the clearing was an old building.  As they made their way to the building, they passed a lot of rubble of other buildings that used to stand as a community of some sort.  As they drew closer, lights had been lit as if they were expected.

Sully scratched at the door and, moments later, a lady in a starched white uniform opened the door.

“Yes?”

“Would you be so kind as to let us come in and get warm, ma’am?  I am Doug this is my wife Sara and this fine young man is Sully.”

“Hello, Sully.

“You are more than welcome to stay as long as you need.  Please come over here close to the stove and knock the night’s chill from your bones.

“Oh, my!  Where are my manners?  Are you hungry?  I have plenty of food and water fresh from the spring.”

“That would be delightful, ma’am.  Sully has been feeding us here lately and he’s a darned good provider too.  We are getting too old to be of use to anyone anymore.  No one except Sully cares if we live or die.”

“Oh, I imagine there are at least one or two more that care about you very much.”

“You seem to be one of them yourself, ma’am.”

“I most certainly am.  Now, how about I get you folks something to eat and a nice warm bed for the night.”

“We would be so appreciative, ma’am.”

She disappeared into the back room and came out with a great steaming dinner of beef, potatoes and corn.  She set it on the small wood table next to the stove.  She placed a special bowl on the floor at their feet for Sully-man.

They all ate as though they were hungry, though never showing that they were all about to starve.  There wasn’t a scrap of anything in any of the bowls, not even a smudge of gravy on the edge of any of their plates.

The nurse returned to the back room and came out with two cotton ticking mattresses.  She went back again and returned with three army blankets.  There were five cots on the other side of the stove.

“It’s not very much, but it should do the trick for a good night’s sleep,” she said.

“They will do just fine, ma’am.  It’s been a long time since we’ve had sleeping accommodations this good.  Thank you, ma’am.”

Doug struggled with moving two of the bunks together til Sully moved up behind him and barely touched his nose to Doug’s leg.  Doug gave a mighty heave and got the two bunks together with their feet toward the stove.

Doug heaved a big sigh of relief and said, “Let’s put the mattresses crosswise and all three blankets on top.  That way we can all sleep together.”

“Where is your bed, ma’am?” Doug asked.

“My bed is in the back room and I have a small stove myself.  Good night all.”

With that, the nurse went to the back room to her own bed.

Doug and Sara crawled in and called Sully-man up between them.

They were happy to be together, with good food and a warm bed.

Doug, Sara and Sully stayed for three more days with the nurse in the white starched uniform.  Sully stuck with his people, especially Sara.  Ever once in a while, Sully would nudge or lick Doug, but he spent the majority of his time fussing with Sara.  She seemed to have good times but slip right back into bad times.  On the third day, Sara was doing pretty well and was always up beat.

The morning of the fourth day, Doug and Sara slept in til well after daybreak.  They arose as usual but something was different.  They talked with the nurse and when she brought them breakfast daylight dawned.  She didn’t put down a bowl for Sully-man.

“Where is Sully?” Doug asked excitedly.

“He had to leave just before dawn.  He had completed his mission,” the nurse replied.

“Mission!  What do you mean, his mission was completed?  We’ve all got to get back to the Rainbow Bridge.  We must all go into heaven together.”

“Didn’t you know?”

“Know what?”

“Am I supposed to tell them?” she asked no one in particular.

“Ok,” she said.

“Sully begged the Lord to let him come back to help you and Sara.

“The Lord told him if he went back, he would be giving up his spot at the Rainbow Bridge.  Sully readily agreed and tore off to help you and Sara,” the nurse finished.

“No!  NO!  That’s not right!  Sully should not be penalized for helping us!  Come on Sara, we’ve got to get back to the Rainbow Bridge and get this all straightened out.  Sully needs to be with us in heaven from now on.”

Doug was beside himself, but he never quite went off the deep end.  They got all their clothes on that they had and were ready to start out.  The nurse came out of the back room and handed Doug a knap sack.

“Here.  You will need provisions and these will see you through.  It was a pleasure meeting you.  Good luck, Mr. and Mrs. Harris.”

“Thank you, ma’am, for everything.  You are what we call fine people.  It has been a pleasure meeting you.”

Doug and Sara set out for the Rainbow Bridge with a hustle in their step.  After the first day, they found a spring and an old hunter’s shelter.  It had a few holes in it, but Doug found some branches and covered them pretty well.  They ate from the knap sack, drank from the spring and huddled for warmth.

Winter had seemed to let up quite a bit and the night passed ok.  The next morning bright and early they were on the road again.  The hustle in their step had slowed, but they were on a mission and were determined as ever to get this mistake taken care of.
The knap sack kept providing them with food and they had filled the canteens at the last spring and were making good time.

Sara was starting to flag a bit more with each passing day, but Doug would have none of that.  He kind of carried her more each day and they stayed the course for the Rainbow Bridge.

By the sixth day, they were resting and finished the last of their rations and the water.

“Are we just about there, Doug?” Sara asked.

“Yes, dear, I think we might be.  We need to be, that’s for sure,” he answered.

Doug got to his feet rather slowly and laboriously, helped Sara to her feet and off they went, putting one foot in front of the other, still heading straight for their goal.

Twilight was coming when Doug saw it in the last rays of light.

“Sara, we made it!  We’re here, honey, we made it!”

Sara opened her eyes and looked.

“Oh, my, it’s beautiful!  Look Doug!  There’s Hadji!  He has seen us.  Look at him come!”

Sara closed her eyes and slumped to the ground taking, Doug with her.  He more or less was able to cradle her descent and sat on the ground holding her in his arms.

Doug rocked her in his arms and the tears streamed down his face like a small waterfall.

“I’m sorry, Sara, dear.  We didn’t get to set things right, but I promise I will, no matter what I have to do.”

Hadji came scampering up like a ball of joy.  He was all over the place at the same time.  He stopped and looked at Sara lying quietly in Doug’s arms.  He cocked his head to the right and looked at the scene before him for the longest time.

Hadji came to a decision and walked to Sara and licked her face twice.  Sara stirred in Doug’s arms and sat upright.  She was so happy to see Hadji, so young and healthy.  They played as they had when he was alive.  Sara slowly realized there was a presence beside her.  She turned and saw Doug still holding her lifeless body, crying his eyes out.

“Oh, Doug, I’m here!  I’m fine!  Please don’t cry.  Everything is alright now.”

“He can’t hear you, my child.  You have passed on and he has much work to do before he can join us.”

“Oh, Lord, must he cry like that?”

“Yes, my dear.  He is in much pain right now and he must work his way through it before he can start setting things right.”

“Doug, are you ready?” a voice said.

“No! I’m not ready at all.  I have to make You understand that it’s not right to punish Sully-man for helping us in our time of need.”

“Sully made that decision of his own free will.  He wanted that more than anything else in heaven or on earth.”

“I know.  I know that.  I must go get him and bring him back for another shot at this thing.”

“You’re sure of this, Doug?”

“Yes, Lord.  I’m sure.”

“Ok then.  You are free to go.  But what am I supposed to do with Sara?  She refuses to go with Me into heaven without you.”

“Sara, please take Hadji across the Rainbow Bridge into heaven.  I’ll be there before you can get settled in, I promise.  Please, baby, you know I have to do this.”

“Ok.  That is settled.  Safe journey, my son.  Sara and Hadji will await your return, as do I.”

Doug got to his feet, took one last look at the Rainbow Bridge and turned, heading back for his Sully-man.  He walked three days back to the building in the clearing.  He knocked gently at the door and waited.

The door opened and the nurse asked, “Yes?”

“Hi.  Do you remember me?”

“Of course.  You’re Doug Harris.  How is Sara?”

“Oh, she’s fine.  As a matter of fact, she’s with the Lord, waiting for my return.”

“That’s very good.  How may I be of service?”

“I am looking for my Sully-man. You were the last to see him and I need to know which way he headed out of here.”

“West, he was headed west.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

With that, Doug set out for the west.  He got about forty steps away and he turned to wave.  As he threw his arm up, the building and the waving nurse simply disappeared.  Their work was done and Doug wouldn’t need their help anymore.

Doug walked for two more days and, as he rested on a small hillside, he thought he heard a slight whimper from the trees down on the right side of the hill.  He went to investigate and the closer he got the more he thought he saw a large black dog lying about three feet from a stream flowing gently on down the hill.

“Sully-man?  Is that you?  I’m coming, boy.  I’m coming to get you and take you home.”

Sully was excited and wanted to come to him, but he was in no shape to get up, much less run to his man Doug.  Doug knelt beside Sully and took stock of his damages.  He was as skinny as a rail.  His feet were cut up and bleeding a lot. He couldn’t stand, but that didn’t stop him from trying.  Doug caught him in his arms and Sully was so happy and licking Doug’s face a mile a minute.

Doug carried Sully to the edge of the stream and dipped water for Sully to drink for thirty minutes.  When Sully had enough to drink, Doug set about tending to his feet.  He cleaned them in the stream and bound them with strips of cloth torn from his shirt.  Sully was resting in Doug’s lap as they sat and talked.

Doug did all the talking, but Sully understood and conveyed his thanks nicely.

Doug found some berries and fed Sully all he could eat.  They were some special berries, because you could see Sully perk up and gain strength.  Before long, Sully was trying to stand.  He didn’t have the wherewithal to do that, but he was ready to travel at least.

Doug gathered Sully up into his arms and set out for the Rainbow Bridge.

Doug carried Sully for almost a day before he stopped to dip water for Sully to drink.  Sully drank his fill and Doug rested from his labors.  Soon Doug gathered Sully to him and they got on their way again.  Doug’s footsteps were anything but long and strong, but they were making good time.

At the mid point of the second day, Doug was resting again.  Sully was less active than usual, but he kept thanking Doug for coming back for him—little things, but full of meaning.  Sully would lick Doug’s hand.  He lay still so he wouldn’t be a burden for Doug to carry.

They started out again and now Sully’s head hung over Doug’s arm.  The further they got, the more Sully’s head drooped over his arm.  Doug stopped and adjusted Sully up onto his chest with his head on his shoulder and his muzzle lying on his neck.  His breathing was a bit jagged but very reassuring as it caressed Doug’s neck.

They rested twice more, but Doug never disturbed Sully, just kept him in his arms.

About ten minutes later, Doug couldn’t feel Sully’s breath on his neck at all.

“Talk to me, Sully.  Please, talk to me, boy.”

Nothing.  But Doug kept walking and talking to Sully.  Tears gently stole down his cheeks as Doug continued on his mission.

Doug’s steps got weaker and weaker til he stopped.  He stood for a long moment then his legs began to buckle.  He was down to his knees but never lost his grip on his Sully-man.  He went to a half-kneeling, half-sitting position.  He swayed there for a few counts, then just lay back onto the ground, never even jostling Sully’s lifeless body.  Once he was flat on the ground, Doug breathed his last.

Though neither Doug nor Sully could see it, there was a bright white light advancing on their position.  From that white light sprang a small brown and white Basenji.  His bright eyes took in the situation and he went to Sully, still in his man’s embrace.  Hadji licked his face.  Sully stirred and sat up.  He sprang to life and he and Hadji played like children.  They stopped playing and looked at Doug.  They both went to him and licked his face.

Doug slowly opened his eyes and saw his two best buds looking at him very anxiously.  At the same time, the white light stopped about four feet from Doug.  Out of that white light ran a very beautiful eighteen year old Sara Harris.  Doug was on his feet in a flash greeting her with open arms.  They kissed and hugged, then kissed and hugged again.

Sara whispered, “He brought heaven to you and Sully, dear.  He brought it to you both.”

“I must remember to thank Him when next we meet.”

Out of the white light stepped God himself.  “Welcome home, my son.”

“Thank you, Lord.  But now this little matter of Sully giving up his place at the Rainbow Bridge.”

“He gave up his place at the Rainbow Bridge, but he has always had his place in Heaven with you, Sara and Hadji all along, my son.”

“Wow!  You could have told me that in the beginning.”

“I tried to, but you were a man with a mission and there was no deterring you.  So I just let it play out and here we are.”

“Speaking of my mission, you didn’t have anything to do with my not needing to eat or drink did you?”

“Your mission fed you, my son, but I might have played a tiny part in that.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.  Now, my children, shall we all go home together?”

While I’m focusing on our state with these series of articles, the processes described are generally applicable for other states. I recommend that you visit your state’s business developent center to learn your specific requirements.

Officially Starting Your Business with the State

Indiana, and other states, have made it very easy to file your paperwork online with the Secretary of State’s office. Before you file, take a look at this checklist to make sure you are ready.

• Determine the business type (See Part 1)
• Decide on a business name
• Decide about your principal office address
• Have the name and address of a Registered Agent
• Have all the names and addresses of principals involved
• Be prepared to pay the fee with a credit card

Business Name

Most state laws require that the name of a business must be distinguishable from the names of other businesses on the records of the Secretary of State’s office.  Most states have an online search tool that will let you search for your desired name. If your desired business name isn’t available, you may have to think of alternatives. Keep in mind that you will also want to use this name to register a web site address later on. A simple name is often the best.

Principal Address

Each state will want to know your principal office address. This is the physical address of your business. You may also provide a mailing address as well. If you are planning on running your business out of your home, you may want to get a post office box just for your business mailing address.

Registered Agent

Each business must continually maintain in the state of registration a responsible individual called the Registered Agent. An entity’s registered agent is the business’s agent for service of process, notice, or demand required or permitted by law to be served on the entity. The registered office address must be a street address. If an attorney is preparing your business paperwork, often that attorney will serve as your registered agent. It is permissible for you to be your own registered agent.

Other Persons

If you are the only responsible person in your business, then you need not worry about having the names and addresses of other persons. However, if you are entering into a partnership or there is more than one person managing your Limited Liability Corporation, then you will need their information. You should have available names and business addresses of any Incorporators and/or principal officers of the business. Principal Officers would be the highest executive officer, directors, and possibly the secretary of the business.

Paying Filing Fees

Have your credit card ready! Indiana will accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. Check with your state to verify what credit cards are acceptable. States have different fees based on the business type.

Next Steps…

In the next article, we will discuss additional filings that may be required (city and/or county), registering with the IRS and state taxing authoring, and more.

On Pinterest, you can connect up with others, follow others and search by keyword for ideas on just about anything you can imagine. You must receive an invite to join Pinterest, so find a friend who is already a Pinterest member and ask them to invite you. If you do not have a friend who is already a member, you can also sign up to request an invite. You will just need to wait for it, and there’s no specified timeframe to determine when you’ll receive the invite. In the meantime, Pinterest still allows you to search and look for ideas on the site. Just go to www.pinterest.com.

Happy Pinning!

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http://www.environmentalsciencedegrees.net/blog/2010/15-crafts-using-recycled-materials/

http://www.makingfriends.com/recycle.htm