Thursday, August 18, 2011

Back to Life--Did You Miss Us?


I can't begin to tell you how touched I was to receive the many kind and thoughtful comments on the loss of our girl Rudi. Loss can be a lonely time, but your friendship changed that.  Saying thank-you for the cards, candles and e-mails doesn't seem like enough or express how you've made a difference at a sad time.  


Moving on from a loss isn't something we can always just decide to do and I found that I needed a little time to myself.  So that was what I did, I took a break from just about everything.  I didn't read blogs, I didn't cook, I didn't do a lot of things...

But yesterday I started to feel a bit better.  It's time to get back to my everyday life.  At just the right time, I was given the 'Versatile Blogger Award by jodi stone--Life with Sampson and Delilah….The 411  Jodi is someone I have just met and is an every day blogger who writes about her life with her two retrievers, Sampson and Delilah, and a supporting cast member, a cat named Bob. I hope you'll take a moment and pay her a visit!   

While I know they are not true awards I am happy to accept this one because it's given me the nudge to get me started blogging again.  This award comes with three rules which are: 

1.  Thank the person passing on the award
Thank-you Jodi for giving me something to write a post about!!  Also thank-you so much for your kind,  friendly e-mail!  I look forward to getting to know you and your crew a bit better!!  

2.  The second thing when you get this award is to: Write 7 things about yourself
I don't really like talking about myself, so I've decided to change it up a bit, and list 7 things about where I live that you may not know.  

1.  Our property is situated on 3.5 acres at the foot of the Short Hill Mountains in Loudoun County Virginia.
 
2. We have no nearby neighbors and are surrounded by 30 acres of open farmland. 

3. I didn't like our house when I first saw it.  It had been empty for almost 2 years and seemed so void of life.  But what I loved was the big front porch and the outside space which is still my favorite!  The house and I have learned to get along.

4. Where our house is now, was once a cornfield.

5. One of our oldest trees on our property is a huge, beautiful maple tree.  It's one of my favorites.  I love its big, long branches.  
6. I never grow tired of seeing the wildlife we have around.  The picture below is one of two deer that wandered through our yard this afternoon.  
7. A favorite, a Barred Owl has just returned.  Actually, there are two.
The last thing I'm to do with this award is to pass it onto 15 people whose blogs I have just discovered. I am really really bad about things like this. I have found several new blogs lately that I really enjoy but I have a hard time singling them out because I don't want to forget anyone...For me it kind of feels like having a birthday party and being forced to invite only a few friends instead of the whole class!  So, I'd like to invite you to look on the left-sidebar and look at the blogs that I have listed there.  Find one that you're not familiar with and pay them a visit, and make a new friend, just like I did in meeting Jodi!

I look forward to catching up on everyone's blogs!  
I hope you're enjoying your Thursday!  


40 comments:

  1. congrats on your award!!! and welcome back into Blogland. glad you are feeling more 'you' again...

    thanks for the beautiful look into your place. the goldfinch is so lovely, and your barred owl is fabulous!!! i wish we saw deer here.

    you are well-deserving of your award, my dear. i enjoy reading your site as well as your frequent visits to mine. God bless you, dear Kim!

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  2. Thanks for the beautiful blog post Kim (and the shout out.) I think your place is just beautiful. I want to find one just like it where I can just wander the fields with the dogs.

    Perferably with a body of water on it. :-)

    Welcome back!

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  3. Glad you're back. Is Todd helping by making you laugh and get back to normal? That's part of his job description!

    I've found several blogs on your sidebar and I'll go over and meet Jodi, too.
    Sue

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  4. I knew the loss of Rudi was especially tough on you. So glad to see you back again. You were missed.

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  5. So glad you are back. My Vickie says she understands the needing to be alone thing. When her pyraneese passed a way just before I came to live with her, she stopped communicating with everyone for about a week. She didn't want to talk about Syra or have anyone put their arms around her and tell her how sorry they were. She just needed to go through it on her own.

    I sure hope I outlive her cause I am sure that if I pass first, she will probably dissappear and never been heard from again. I am that important....(Says me)

    Anyway, we are so glad you are back. We missed you.

    Love
    Bert

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  6. You live in a beautiful spot. I know your dogs love it there. Thanks for the info.

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  7. welcome back, kim....i sure know the feeling..my life stopped dead in it's tracks when i lost Buddy...

    i miss him so much..he will FOREVER be in my HEART...as will Rudi be in yours...we just love them so much !!!!

    i loved seeing where you live...so beautiful !!! and that OWL !!!! what a beauty...

    sending love and best wishes for a peaceful heart...

    your friends,
    kary...and teddy
    xx

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  8. Hi Kim,

    Glad to see you up and running again. I sure know how hard it can be...

    Lovely pictures! Of course, I really enjoyed the gold finch and the owl. Great shots! :)

    -C

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  9. Kim,

    Congratulations on your award. The beauty of your home and area is breathtaking. We have always dreamed of such a place but........
    You are so very fortunate.

    Sheila, Bob
    Hamish & Sophie

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  10. It looks to be such a beautiful place where you live - really peaceful. I am so sorry about Rudi - it is so heartbreaking to lose an animal - I still shed a tear for my little black dog every now and then, even after more than a year.

    Pomona x

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  11. Sweet owl. I wonder if their attitudes are as sweet as their looks since I know nothing about owls.

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  12. Glad to have you back from the land of the lost. I know how hard it is to move on.

    Congratulations on your award! I love your woods!

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  13. Sorry about Rudi, I must have missed that. But she went where all Goldens go..Heaven. I love Goldens so very much..every morning as we head out on our walk, my golden has to get right in front of me and push me to a stop. Then he wants a hug..he does this every morning at least 2-3 times before we can finally get going. I love it. My neice called me the other night crying, her mini-mini doberman had somehow got into the horse watering trough and drowned. She has had this little 5 lb. dog for 10 years, they have no idea how this terrible accident happened and she was so broken hearted. We get so attached to these wonderful companions that God has blessed us with don't we?! Your place is so beautiful, I would love to be there and just hear all the birds. Congrats on the award, I love you too.

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  14. Hi Kim, welcome back. I like it when we make up our own rules that enhance our lives and brings our friends closer. Great post. I see you have the Feedjit live traffic feed. That's me from Edmonds!!! Aloha

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  15. Beautiful. You have quite a sanctuary there.

    XXXOOO Daisy, Kendra & Bella

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  16. You did the right thing, switching off to give yourself time to heal a little bit. It's great to see you back, and thank you for dropping by my blog.

    It looks absolutely beautiful where you live. How wonderful to have that owl live right near you, that's a super photo.

    I hope Todd is behaving badly, he looks so cute when he's doing it!

    xx

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  17. Of course we miss you......wishing you streingth darling...love and blessings from me....xxx

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  18. I'm so glad to hear that you're starting to feel better and to have you back, I've been thinking about you and Rudi a lot since she went to Rainbow Bridge.

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  19. Kim, you so deserve this award...wear it with pride...:)JP

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  20. Thank you Kim for showing us around your place, it's beautiful and apparently a thriving wildlife refuge. We are glad you're back and getting back in step.

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  21. Glad to hear that your feeling better . Your house and property is lovely and congrats on the blogger award ! Wonderful photos ! Have a good day !

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  22. Hi my friend, So glad to read this post for although your sadness isn't totally gone I love how you shared where you are at. Loved reading about your home too.
    You are such an incredible blessing and I cherish you.
    Have a great evening.
    Sending lots of love,
    Noreen & Reggie

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  23. hi kim....glad you enlarged the pictures...they really are so much prettier that way...

    happy to hear you are feeling better..it is just the hardest thing to go through....oh, do i ever understand, my friend
    it just about did me in...but just like you...i found the support and comfort and kindness of blog buddies beyond measure...

    what a wonderful community we have here of the greatest and most caring people...it is something i would have never imagined before i started blogging... blogging has changed my world for the better...
    friendships that mean the world to me...

    kary
    xx

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  24. Hi Kim! It's good to have you back! I sure do understand your needing some time to yourself. You're home is just beautiful! I used to live right above a corn field on a farm and every year when they'd harvest the corn we'd get field mice in our house. Yikes!
    These pictures are gorgeous! 30 acres of open farmland?? I guess I'm envious!! Have one of the kids ever run off and not come back for a while? What a beautiful place!

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  25. Welcome back, dear friend. Glad you took some time.
    Congrats on the award. Well deserved! And so enjoyed the look into your sweet land! Lovely! And that barn owl. I want one!
    I missed you! Glad you are back!

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  26. Love those pictures!!

    AROOOOF!
    Boondocks & The Love Shack Pack
    www.theloveshackpack.com

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  27. Just found your blog...what a beautiful your girl Rudi was. The loss of a furkid is so difficult and I hold you up in prayer.

    Val and my girlz :)

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  28. I can understand needing time off for some quiet time, it never gets any easier losing a beloved pet, no matter how many times you experience saying your goodbyes..

    Congratulations on your award, and I'm glad you are feeling more like your old self.

    Hugs,
    Jo

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  29. Ooh drat !
    Forgot to say, you have the most beautiful place to call home, endless fields to roam, wildlife abundance, and that gorgeous long front porch !
    ~Jo

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  30. It's good to see you back! :) Congratulations on the award!

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  31. Hi Kim
    How I love looking at the photos of Golden Pines. The old corn fields transformed into beautiful meadows and trees. It is so peaceful. And what a gorgeous photos of the owl! I still have not mastered that!
    We have the Gold Finches too,, and I just love their little voices.
    The photo you took is a masterpiece Kim.
    I wanted to say congratualtions on your Award!
    You certainly deserved it,,
    I know you are trying to get back into the swing of things, and you have done it beautifully.
    I love your idea of what you suggested. You said for us to pick someone from your side bar, and go say hello. So that is exactly what I am going to do. I already scanned through and made a decision. And so now, I will go and say hello.
    We will continue to keep our paws around you Kim as you heal... we will never leave you.
    Thank you for coming around to say hello...
    We send you love
    tweedles

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  32. You are a person who loves life. You may retreat for a while, but, slowly, you make your way back. I'm glad that the path is a little brighter now. You live in a beautiful place, in a beautiful part of the country. When I go down to Woodbridge, and cross over that bridge over the Potomac, it always seems as if I'm driving into another world, going through the lovely Virginia countryside.

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  33. I'm glad to see that your award nudged you to return. Congratulation, and I enjoyed the 7 things about you. I think that I'd love your front porch too!

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  34. an elegant, country lady who happens to be an angel for dogs. i'm glad you told more about your home. the grounds remind me of something you might enjoy seeing...
    www.doubledogranch.com
    click on the portland oregon one and prepare to smile ... a lot!
    much love and continued healing of your heart for your rudi,
    it will take a long time. i know.
    tammy j

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  35. Happy weekend, Kim!

    What a lovely spot for you and the critters.

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  36. Woof! Woof! We sure did missed you ... but its always good to take a break from anything/everything ... A MUST Rule in our household from time to time. Sending Lots of Golden LOVE n Woofs, Sugar

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  37. Of course we missed you! Life at Golden Pines sounds wonderful, do you need a housemaid/kennel maid - well maybe not so much maid as old maid!! ;-)

    Pleased to hear you are feeling more yourself, time is a great healer and what wonderful memories you will have to look back on. Thank goodness for digital cameras now, we have so many lovely pics of our dogs, I wish we'd had them years ago.

    The day we read about Rudi a huge rainbowappeared behind the house, we dedicated it to Rudi and put a photo on the blog of it for you.

    Have a great weekend, we look forward to hearing what the naughty pupster has been up to lately, Di xxx

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  38. I'm just getting back myself and getting caught up on blogs. I'm so sad to hear about Rudi. I'm glad you took some time for yourself. How are the other pups and Carl doing?

    Hugs,
    Jill (Zona's mom)

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  39. It is very good to have you and your furry friends back Kim! Congratulations on your award ~ and your owl makes me happy!
    xo Catherine

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Speak--I really enjoy your comments! Thanks for stopping by today!!