THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2009!! Can you believe that the holidays are once again here? As I sat down to write our Christmas letter, I quickly looked over my past blogs and I realized that everything has been posted and not much news to add to a letter. Most or our family and friends are regular readers of my blogs, so I thought I would just direct everyone here to catch up on these past few weeks and to allow us to wish you the blessings of this past year. You may have to click back on older post to catch up.

Tom: Manager of Information Technology for Raytheon....he just returned from Boston. As an Eagle Scout, he is a troop leader for the boys. They love their big new home and are now settled in their new Church home.

Shari: Works part time as a Supervisor for American Airlines..... She is well known in Tucson for her involvement with Angel Charity and several other non-profit organizations. She keeps the family organized and is loved by everyone.

Rob (9) and Ted (7) are both on competitive swim teams....they are really excellent swimmers. They are the tallest in their class, and academically in the top of their classes. It is a blessing to watch them grow and be a part of their lives. They have adapted to the move and their new school very well.

Randy: A Director of Alaska Airlines, plus a part time Seattle Police Officer. Golf is his passion and he plays in all kinds of weather.

Dana: Flight Attendant with Alaska Airlines. She is happy that they now fly to Hawaii. Nordstroms loves Dana!! Dana loves her garden and flowers and her dog, Duffy.

Tiffany: (25).... now living with Randy in Seattle for a short time. It is a good move for her and we are happy that she is there. Tiffany previously groomed Show Dogs and she readily found work grooming dogs at PetCo. She is enjoying Dad/Daughter time together.

Wayne and I?? Well, we keep busy trying to keep up with everyone else. Wayne continues to do a little Design work, enjoys our Resort Park and developing his sketching. He basically is in good health. I am gradually recovering from my car accident and am learning to live with a very sore back....it will just be a way of life for me. Definitely could be much worse!! My Parkinson's is under control - thanks to Xango. We are in the process of looking for a couple of new business partners to add to our Xango team. A great opportunity to stay at home, make money and see amazing health benefits. I enjoy swimming in our Park pool, lunches with friends, knitting, reading and helping others with health issues. I am a computer nerd and would be totally lost without this machine. As you can see, we keep Starbucks busy. I just recently served a week of Jury Duty...an eye opener to say the least.

Miz Bailey.....our sweet abused rescued Yorkie is still a work in progress.....she had no human socializing for 4 years and it is so much fun to see her come alive in so many ways. We enjoy her so much and she is so responsive to attention and a lot of love.

We just enjoyed the annual Christmas parade in our Park.....we had lighted fire trucks, decorated golf carts...a big event here with people in the community coming to see. Wayne had our cart fully decorated....Rob and Ted were excited to ride on the back of the cart....Shari driving and I rode a long. Even Miz Bailey rode wearing her Santa Hat.

This was going to be a short temporary move for us....then the accident happened, and now we are firmly planted in this little community. Not sure what the future holds, but we are certainly not worried about it. It is nice not to be boggled down with 'things' and we are free to travel or do whatever God has in store for us.

I am posting some random pictures.....many have already been posted on facebook, but many of you have not seen them.

We have been sadened this year by the loss of several dear friends and major illness of others. We continually uphold these families in prayer.

We love this time of year. Mostly we love hearing from all of you and wishing each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Blessed New Year. Remember to pause and reflect on the "Reason for the Season".

Mary Ann, Wayne and Miz Bailey

MIZ BAILEY UPDATE

Miz Bailey continues to be a challenge, but we are seeing little changes daily. She is such a sweet little dog and our hearts break just knowing how abused she was.

She is most comfortable staying entirely in her bed or up against the wall hiding her head, but we don't let this happen for long periods of time. She is beginning to be more social....not to strangers, but to me. She likes to sit on my lap and in my office. She loves riding in the car in her booster seat and sitting on the porch with me. Today I took her in the golf cart and she was great...as long as she could snuggle close to me.

At night I had put a small bed on the floor next to our bed, but she wouldn't have a thing to do with it. However, this morning when I woke up she was sound asleep in this little bed. I was so excited!! I had been leaving our bedroom door partially open, hoping she would eventually come in.....and yep, there she was. It is amazing how excited we get with the slightest improvements.

She was so frightened of her leash, so I put it on her and just let her walk around with it trailing behind.....she finally realized that it wasn't going to hurt her and now she is okay with it.....just time and patience. She will now stay by me when I feed her and she loves her food. In the beginning I had to sit her food down and walk away.....not anymore.

Her bath is traumatic....I end up as wet as she does, plus the kitchen gets a bath too. I am taking her to our Vet next week, and I think that is going to be traumatic also. Potty Pad training her will be a BIG challenge....we haven't started that yet, as I think it would be a lost cause. As soon as she has our entire trust, that will happen and then hopefully, the travel bag will follow.

As soon as I know it is 'safe' to let her out of the kitchen, she is beginning to venture into the other rooms and will run back and forth from kitchen to my office. That is really a biggie!! Eye contact for her is very difficult and when in her bed, she will usually face the wall. We are seeing marked improvement in this area.

We shower her with lots of love, which is very easy to do. We love her dearly and just knowing we have made her life much better is worth it all. Starting today, she has wanted to follow me and be with me wherever I am...that is really exciting!

Blessings galore with Miz Bailey, so I remain a Blessed and Happy Arizona Gramma

Randy and Tiffany's Visit

We all enjoyed Randy and Tiffany's visit, but time passed too quickly and there seemed to be so many things happening all at once, plus their time was so short. One of the purposes of the trip was to bring Wayne's car down from Seattle.....so, it was convenient for Randy to stop in Sacramento to pick up Tiffany....it was a great opportunity for some special Father-Daughter time together.

It was fun showing Tiffany around in our Park....putting around in the golf cart. They took my car to the garage for a check up. They came home with toys and treats for Miz Bailey. Soon it was time to head to Sahuarita where Shari had baked and prepared a special dinner for us. This was the first time that Tiff had seen the new house and the boys were soooo excited to give her a tour. Both Rob and Ted think their Uncle Randy is the best ever and they are always so happy to be with him. It was a delightful and fun evening for all of us.

The next day there was more running around and of course, we had to indulge in Sonoran Hot Dogs at BK's. They are famous for their Sonoran style hot dogs and the locals say you are not a true Tucsonan if you have never eaten these hot dogs. They are a delicious true Mexican treat. Tiff and I were also able to visit Shari again before she flew back to Seattle....staying one night with Randy and Dana before flying to Sacramento.

The above swimming pool is where I spend daily time and was the main reason that we moved to this Park. Not many place heat their pools during the winter months, but our Park keeps the pool at 88 degrees all winter - plus they keep the pool in pristine condition...very clean and beautiful. I couldn't find a condo unit that heated during the winter.

Definitely feeling blessed with my family and where we live,
ARIZONA GRAMMA

WOWSIE.......Today I received my new JUNI products from XANGO and tonight I had an incredible time using each product. The SHAMPOO is the best I have ever used......and, because I have had squamous cell cancer over the top of my scalp, I have been especially careful to use non toxic shampoos.....BUT, nothing has compared with what I used this evening!! All of the products contain the precious mangosteen and scented with a light touch of lavender.....gentle enough for the new born baby.....yep, MIZ BAILEY will be using this shampoo too.

CHRISTMAS IS COMING......many of my gift giving has been solved. I ordered the Holiday gift bag for myself, which included:
SHAMPOO, CONDITIONER, BODY WASH, BODY LOTION, AND A LARGE BAR OF SOAP. This comes with a very nice canvas tote bag with large wooden handles, priced at $65.00 + shipping and sales tax. Now, I wish I could afford to make this my gift to everyone (and I will to some).....but, since all items are also sold seperately, I will package two or three items in small bags for some my gifts. These are all items that anyone will be happy to receive.

The body wash was beyond my expectation and I followed my shower with the body lotion. Knowing that these products are from Xango, I knew they would be outstanding in quality.....but, they are far above and beyond what I was expecting.

Words of caution.....There is a tendency to use far more than what is needed.....A DAB WILL DO YA!!

This ARIZONA GRAMMA is more than pleased tonight and I will be more than happy to help you order these amazing products......
Mary Ann
520.440.3211
www.mymangosteen.com/reserve
Distributor #1188780
www.xanthoneeducation.com

OUR LITTLE MISSY HAS A NAME.....

SHE HAS A NAME.....finally after much family discussions, our new little dog has a name....MIZ BAILEY....she will be called BAILEY, we added the Miz because she is such a Diva and all my dog's names have started with an "M". Thank you everyone for all your good suggestions....Gary - Milly was a close second, followed by pumpkin.

Now that she has a proper name, it is fun to use it. I do believe she is more relaxed today, as she hasn't been heading to the corner to hide her head. She knows her bed is her safe haven. We hold and cuddle her, but she soon wants to return to her bed. I had no idea that these dogs could be so abused and it breaks my heart to see the pain in her eyes. Eye contact is very difficult for her.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE COMMON PUPPYMILL SURVIVOR BEHAVIORS:
TERROR AT HUMAN HANDS: The only time most mill dogs are removed from their cages, it's a painful experience. The dogs may be grabbed by the first reachable part of it's body: tail, leg, scruff, ears. This takes lots of patience and non-threatening touches to overcome.

AVERSION TO EYE CONTACT: Many puppymill survivors refuse to make eye contact with humans. This indicates fearful submission which decreases as the dog comes to realize he will not be harmed by you and begins to trust. Talking to your dog in a soft, calm voice helps speed the process. Wayne rocks and sings softly to Bailey....hymns, as that is all he knows.

AFRAID of FOOD; Anytime the cage door is opened on a mill dog, fear is the response, because an evil human is behind it.
This is definitely a problem with Bailey. It is necessary to place her food down and then walk away.

FEAR OF WATER: They are frightened of water hoses. Puppymillers generally don't bother removing the dogs before hosing down their cages.

They spend their entire lives in locked cages, unless rescued......They receive no veterinary care.....They are confined to overcrowded cages with poor quality food and dirty water.....They receive no human contact.....They often die of neglect or disease. Unwanted dogs are destroyed (even puppies just over 12 weeks old).

Miz Bailey is a beautiful little dog and my prayer is she will soon be romping around and playing, as she will know she is loved.

My eyes have been opened to this horrible treatment of animals......my niece, Kim, has been involved with rescue work and I so want to thank her for her involvement. It is so unbelievable that anyone could be so cruel to these adorable dogs.

If anyone is looking for another dog to add to their family, please take a look at a rescue dog.....they need you!! We found Bailey on a Yorkshire Terrier Rescue Website.

Bailey will be a sweet little dog.....she will probably always be a little shy and timid, but she will know how to show and accept a lot of love.

Because of Bailey, I remain a very Blessed Arizona Gramma.

OUR NEW FAMILY MEMBER

We are soooo excited......tomorrow we are adopting our newly rescued Yorkshire Terrier. As least I hope all goes as planned.
We have had two previous Yorkies, plus we had bought a Yorkie for our Granddaughter, Tiffany. All the dogs had been purchased by a well known Breeder for mega bucks. Several months ago, my good friend Paddi adopted a rescue dog and reading about all the dogs that have been rescued and need homes, my heart wouldn't allow me to do anything else.

Since our little Molly died, I didn't think I would be able to get another dog for a long, long time.....but, I realize I still have a lot of love and patience for another member of the family.

This little dog is a purebred, rescued from a puppy mill.....they were half starved and kept in cages crammed with other dogs. She is very timid and will need lots of love. She is very small like our Molly, but she looks like our little Muffin. A good combination of both. She is cut short because she was so matted and dirty. A crate or travel bag will scare her right now, so she will be held and loved until she has our trust and ready to venture out.

We have had to jump through hoops to please the rescue people and we have been told we are approved. Hopefully, we pick her up in Phoenix in the morning.

I'll keep you updated. I'm sure this bundle of joy will more than please this ARIZONA GRAMMA.

October Paradise

This time of year I feel like we live in a little bit of paradise.....we are in awe at the beauty of the Desert, plus the weather is totally beyond enjoyable. I totally understand why people flock to the Desert this time every year.

I am excited that my family will be together in another week. Randy is driving Wayne's car down and hopefully, Tiffany will be able to come with him. It will be a short trip and he has to fly directly back.....but, there will be time for us to all be together and share a few meals.

Wayne has been working a few hours a day delivering flu vaccine to clinics.....this is a temporary job, but he is enjoying it. A man in our Park is Manager of the operation and another neighbor also works at doing this......they asked Wayne to help and he jumped at the chance. He works several hours early mornings and again in the evenings. Hence the reason he could use the extra car down here.

I just finished knitting slippers for Rob and Ted and they are soooo excited. They were afraid I would keep them until Christmas, but they are coming by today to take them home. I'll have to get busy knitting other items for them.

I am doing great and am feeling better than I have for several years.....exception being my back. Pool therapy seems to be helping that. I try to swim a full hour 5 days a week. The boys will be here a half day tomorrow afternoon and again Wednesday morning. We are both looking forward to enjoying them. They have their house decorated for Halloween and we have promised to spend that evening with them. Oh, the fun and joy of having grandchildren. I would love for Tiffany to be that age again.....no, not really, as she is a delightful and pretty young lady.

I will post pictures soon.....until next time, I remain a very Blessed Arizona Gramma.