Lily Girl - Who Rescued Who?

I have had pets my whole life.  When I grew up in San Antonio, dogs and cats filled the hallways and rooms throughout my entire childhood into my teens.

When I moved out on my own after college, I rescued two cats. They were with me for almost 15 years.

When my Mom and I moved in together in 2008, we bought her a sheltie, as her beloved dog had passed away just a few months before the move to Fort Worth.

Then in 2012, my boyfriend (at the time) got a rescue pitbull mix.  After our breakup, there were many months in limbo, with him wanting her while I was bonding with her.

Eventually, we agreed I should keep Lily.

Lily Girl and I have a very close relationship. I actually consider her my best friend!

We have been alone together since 2015.  My Mom's dog, Izzy, passed away.  So, it is just Lily and I in the house.

I don't know why, but am very surprised how close we are. Of course I am SO thankful, tho!  She's kinda like a comfort dog, even though she wasn't trained to be one. Our connection with each other is very strong, filled with love, and care. You can see it!

Just last Saturday morning about 4am, I was crying.  She was sleeping, but shot straight up to listen better, realized I was crying, then inched towards me to show me she was there and to provide comfort.  Every time I cry, she will come up to me to console me.

And of course she's waiting every single day by the front door for when I come home.

We actually imitate each other, as well. I will pretend to sneeze and then she will actually sneeze. Or if I take a deep breathe, she will take a deep breathe (kind of like a big sigh, if you can picture that).

When Lily greets me at the door, after we say our hellos and I ask her how her day was (lol), I will walk in further and put my purse down in the next room. Notice I didn't say, "To go get the mail," because in a few minutes we will go check the mail together! Seriously. But, while walking into the other room, she deliberately walks in front of me slowly with her tail wagging, as she looks up and back at me.  Her happy wagging tail gently on my legs is another way of telling me she's happy to see me.

We also go together to numerous parks across the area.  She LOVES getting out side!  And she can tell just by how I'm getting dressed if it's for work, errands, or walking.  If I have my walking clothes on, she immediately reacts with excitement!

For having animals in my life for almost every year I have been alive, I am surprised that Lily is the first pet I am this close to.  

I am thinking it's due to several things.  The most obvious is: we are alone.  It's just her and I.  And, I also try and spend time with her taking her on walks in the neighborhood (almost daily now) and also at parks across the metroplex, so that time together exploring nature bonds us also.  And I also think my soberness has a lot to do with our strong connection. I am more present, less time in bed (I would be hungover for hours), I am more active because I feel refreshed when I wake up, and I am home more.

There is a saying that is so true.  Who Rescued Who?  I feel she has rescued me.  I can't begin to express how much she means to me and how thankful I am that she is in my life.  She has brought me such comfort and joy.

I actually tear up several times a month, when I think that some day she will pass away (she's 10 years old right now). I am tearing up now.

Once she is gone, everything I do will remind me of her. She follows me (or supervisors me? lol) when I mow or do any yard work.  We check for lizards together around the outside of the house. She is ALWAYS in the same room I am in.  And if I happen to go upstairs while she is outside going pee or getting some sun (she loves to sit in the sun!), she will come in, notice I'm not in the living room, and then proceed to check every single room until she finds me.

I love the Fall and Winter now because she will put her back towards me to warm up.  Brings us even closer. I wont be able to even sleep without her.... OMG, going to be so deeply tough when she passes away.  But, I am going to cherish her and love her for the time she is on earth with me, and make every moment count.

My House is now a Home

Sometimes it hits me, I own a house.

It's not that I just own a house, it's that I own a house on my own.  It's a tad scary to realize - am I that much of an adult? lol.

I don't have anyone to lean on or go through with things, so doing it all alone is at times uncomfortable, but also empowering and proud.  And of course if I have questions or need advice, I ask coworkers or friends or look things up online.

And luckily, I learned A LOT from my Dad about how to fix things around the house. And of course, we learn from watching and so I learned from him and my Mom growing up about general things around the home.

I have lived in many apartments over the last 30 years, and also in 2 rental homes.

The first house I owned I had with my ex-husband.  We didn't really do too much to it - just made sure of the upkeep.

And then I bought this house in 2009. My Mom lived with me until her passing in 2011.  I never had any concerns or fears those two years - if something came up, I would just ask my Mom what to do.

After 2011,  I didn't really do anything to the house except change filters and upkeep of the yard.  And in my many days/years of laying in bed most of the day with hangovers, the last thing I felt like doing was getting out of that bed and doing anything around the house.

Now, things have completely changed.

I few things triggered the change.

First, I interviewed my friend Rachel for a magazine I contribute to, and in the piece she said this that really hit home for me and changed my outlook on my house.

"Going into real estate was a natural transition for me.  I love to help people see the potential in a property – and to watch them turn it into a place they love to be.  This is particularly true because I’m essentially an introvert – so to me, my home is the place I feel the most relaxed and nourished.  It’s incredibly satisfying to help other people find that home that feeds them in that same way."

And shortly after that, I read somewhere to make your house feel freash and new, just move some furniture and pictures to change things up to make it look new/different.

So, I started to look around at my house and wanted to change things, move things, DO things.

And finally, because I don't drink anymore, I have more time, energy, and passion to be more productive around the house.  It's no longer an-upkeep, it's more of a how can I make this feel like home and more relaxed.

I have a rock garden now and even trim the shrubs. Sounds finny, but I only mowed and edged the yard, the first 8 years - did nothing to the trees or shrubs.  Now, the front part of my landscape looks good.

I installed an upgraded faucet in my kitchen. OMG do I love it!  So much more functional and pretty!  I also installed (on my own) a new garbage disposal. I was without a working one for over a year and then bought one after the success of my garage sale in May, and installed it my own little self :)  I also filled and sealed the gap between my patio and foundation (now adding pebbles to it!).  These are just a few of many changes/upgrades/improvements I've made.

At that garage sale, I was able to sell a lot of furniture.  In the last several months I have rearranged the furniture that's left and now I have less things near windows (let the sun shine in!).  I've also swapped some furniture between upstairs and downstairs for more functionality for storing things.

Further, the decluttering that came naturally to get ready for the garage sale helps me have even less in the house and it looks so much better!

And finally, I have made some small changes that make for a more productive and 'easy' daily routine as I go through my house throughout the days.  Simple, but impactful, things that make my life easier and less stressful. For example, like adding a shelf to my bathroom, figuring out changes to my dining room so I can walk around the table without squeezing between things, rearranging my closet so I can reach things without stretching around badly-placed furniture, etc.

Rachel was correct - I feel more relaxed, love coming home to a pretty, more-organized home.  And it feeds my soul to walk in and love it.

P.S. And I have a ton more plans - I've just started!