Happy Friday, everyone!! The last days of summer are truly glorious as we await Autumn’s arrival. The vegetable garden has come to an end, with the exception of one very large pumpkin and an equally large watermelon. We haven’t quite learned the trick for deciding when I watermelon is ripe, but this one must be close. It’s enormous.
We’ve started pulling old plants while considering plans for next year. It’s important to rotate crops to experience fewer problems with pests and diseases. I wonder where the Armenian cucumbers will be planted next year? Somewhere where a certain little dog can’t get in to eat them, that’s for sure.
Yesterday, while reading the daily blog from an octogenarian friend in Ipswich, Massachusetts I couldn’t help but be inspired. At 86 years young, her main concern in life is to bring as many smiles to as many people as possible. There could be easier ways to accomplish this. You could walk through Walmart while exchanging smiles along the way. But, that wouldn’t fit Miss C’s style.
Miss C is one of the best dog trainers I’ve ever run across. When she was in her early 70’s, she started a program raising Great Dane’s for people with mobility problems. Her most famous success was a little girl named Bella and her dog George. Such a team, George went on to win recognition and awards through his life with Bella. Truly a beautiful story.
Well, like everything, life moves on. George died. Bella was crushed. Miss C just happened to have an orphan Dane named Ziti. Bella needed something to do. Now, Ziti is in training under the care of a new dog trainer. Bella! More smiles created by this busy bunch.
Miss C has some pretty hefty health concerns but that hasn’t stopped her. Noting that most assisted living facilities are void of smiles, she got to work. She now takes the discarded animals she’s found along the way and makes weekly visits all over her town. It matters not that she has a donkey and foal along for the ride. She just strolls in to provide smiles in some pretty dark places. So many people need a reason to smile.
Her farm is named Goldy’s Animal Sanctuary and she offers delightful videos online. “Goldy” stands for the “Ghost Of the Left Hand Drawer”. So often, mysterious things would happen in Miss C’s office without any explanation except that “Goldy” did it. “Goldy” has always provided necessities in unique ways exactly when needed. She deserves to have a farm named after her after all these years.
Day after day, in between the numerous doctor’s visits, Miss C heads out to find more people and more smiles with her lovely animals. As we all know, smiles are priceless and contagious. Laugher is the best medicine.
Miss C is 86. She’s not in the best health. She’s under tremendous stress. Some nights she doesn’t sleep well. But, with one foot in front of the other, she keeps going in a positive direction. We could all learn a bunch from such an example.
Whatever you do today, consider how you could do a little bit more. It doesn’t take a lot of money or time to bring a smile to someone in need. We all know someone that could use a visit or phone call. It’s a long weekend. Get Busy!
I’ll be back on Monday.