I made it home! Wait, is this still my home? Do I have two homes now, one in Washington and one in Texas?
I guess the best way to say it is that I made it to my childhood home. I don’t know about you, but I always find the experience to be a bit magical. My parents have lived in the same place for over 15 years now (pictures of the quadruple-wide they live in are coming I promise, it’s pretty amazing what my mom has done with two trailers stuck together!), and I love wandering excitedly through the house to see the changes they’ve made since I was last here.
This time I found a Christmas tree (waiting expectantly for ornaments to be hung as mom agreed to wait for me to get home to do it), my childhood bedroom filled with photos and trinkets I love to revisit, my wedding dress (still needs to be sent off to be cleaned), homemade apple cider from our neighbors, a cupboard filled with Trader Joes chocolate, a new car for my mom (I love pressing all the different buttons to see what they do), and
PUPPIES!
I’m not really a dog person, but I do love baby animals of every kind. In the country dogs are allowed to roam pretty free and so when our female German Sheperd goes in heat mutt puppies are usually the result. My mom doesn’t welcome the responsibility of caring for them, but my sister and I get excited about little wriggly bodies to play with whenever they are born. We’ll give them all away (or they will get stolen like last time) and the cycle will repeat itself in a year or two. Tomorrow I’m going to head out into the snow with my camera to give you a little peek at their cuteness.
I’m sure there are many other things waiting around here for me to discover, not including the Christmas presents my mom is so excited about giving to TH and I. I always love to come home and explore the small changes, but Christmas has made the experience twice as bewitching. It’s my first official Christmas spent in my childhood home as a married woman, and the only one I’ll spend without kids in tow. I hope baby feels lucky to be a part of this family, I know I most certainly am.
What’s your favorite part of visiting your childhood home?
December 17th, 2009 on 12:46 pm
I used to LOVE coming home for Christmas during college – Mom would have a mini tree on the bathroom counter and in my room so I could enjoy the glow of the lights everywhere I went. The familiar garlands and candle scents, reading cards from people I’d known all my life, laughing with my dad, and eating mom’s cooking. Best of all would be the familiar air – a different kind of humidity than I was living in – and when I breathed it in I was just home! Now my parents live in an assisted senior facility and I can’t return to that house, so I visit it in my mind.
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December 17th, 2009 on 12:54 pm
Me and my brother and sister like to call my parents’ house “Home with a big H.” It will always be Home to all of us, even if we all have our own homes.
My favorite part of being Home is the way it smells when I walk in the door–familiar and strange at the same time. I love the way it feels like you never left, Dad is still sitting in his recliner, Mom is cooking dinner like she always does and its like the stress of Big Girl Life just melts away. Can’t wait til next Tuesday!
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December 17th, 2009 on 1:33 pm
Christmas truly is a magical time. I still love going back to my parent’s house too. There’s just something about the familiarity of everything that is so darn comforting.
However, (and I *hate* diverting from the topic and hand and possibly opening this post up to whole ‘nother conversation….) have your parents thought about getting their female dog spayed? I know puppies are wonderful, but the pet over-population problem is very real. No judgement, I swear, just a question. As a dog-lover myself I had to say it though…
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Julia Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Agreed. Millions of dogs are put to sleep each year because of the overpopulation.
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Sarah Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
I agree with your question about the dog. I too am a dog lover, and I don’t want to sound judgy, but there are shelters that are overwhelmed… bla bla bla, I’m sure you’ve heard it all before.
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Kelly J Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
I must add that 2 of my 3 pugs were from puppy mills and had babies whenever they were in heat… and they are much healthier now and I venture to guess happier.
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Sarah Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Also I have to add, I’m SURE your mother is going to love hearing that your blog readers think she should get the dog spayed
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amanda Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
also agree. pet overpopulation is alarming. the humane society estimates 6-8 million homeless pets find their way to already overwhelmed rescues, shelters and county animal centers in the u.s. each year. even purebred dogs are being abandoned, which all of mine are and they all came from shelters. in many cases if these animals are not adopted, they are euthanized.
i’m sorry if any of that sounds like judgment, i don’t intend it to be, however i have a soft spot for animals, dogs especially.
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Nicole Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
I just wanted to chime in as a third commenter who agrees that maybe your parents should think about getting your dog fixed
It is really heartbreaking to go to a shelter and see all the dogs there :/
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Jenna Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
It seems like people who stress about overpopulation (whether of pets or people) have never lived in the country and seem to know very little about it. The last litter or puppies? They were all stolen before we could give them away. Owning a dog in the country isn’t quite the same commitment as living in the city because your dogs live outside, eat leftovers or dog food that’s kept in a little house that refills itself, etc. I don’t think we’ve ever had more than two dogs at once, but I know families who have several. I don’t think my parents are interested in paying extra money for veterinarian treatment when giving the puppies away to other homes isn’t an issue. Same with cats, they live outside and my grandparents have cats that have litters all the time.
I think this argument can be the same as those who say that people should stop having children and just start adopting. Yes, there are many, many, many children in foster care and orphanages around the world, but why should I be denied the opportunity to be pregnant because of that? The puppies are fun, we may keep one, but likely they will go to homes of our neighbors who are interested in adding to their collection of pets.
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CaitStClair Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Actually, I am a country girl myself but that doesn’t mean that they way things have always been in regards to intact dogs and cats is the way it should be. Dogs don’t “miss” the opportunity to have puppies and don’t consider their lives incomplete without them. And the fact that homes can always be found is irrelevant. If people want a dog or cat they can get them from somewhere else.
If you want to continue to comparing the situation to people, think of it this way: it’s like saying we don’t need to use birth control because there are so many people that are unable to have their own and have to adopt. I think we can all agree that’s ridiculous and irresponsible.
It’s a minor surgery and doesn’t have to be expensive. In my county you can get it done for $35.
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Kirsten Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
I would never say that you should not have a child because there are too many children in the adoption system. But, it is your choice to have a child. Or your choice to take steps to avoid having a child. Dogs don’t really have an option to use protection or not. We are their advocates.
Are you saying that in the country it’s okay because everyone does it? I’m sure you can see the flaw in that argument. You say that the last litter of puppies was stolen and use that as an argument to have more–but who knows where they ended up. Do you really think that all those pups are now in loving homes? You’re right that I have never lived in “the country,” I just believe that the commitment level of owning a pet shouldn’t really vary based on where you live, within reasonable means of course.
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Kelly J Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Well put Kirsten… you put into words what I was struggling to.
I also want to add that many dogs that are stolen are not stolen to be in good homes… they usually end up abused, be it just neglected veterinary care, or worse case tortured, or raised to dog fight.
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Helena Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Don’t your neighbors also already have unspayed dogs making more dogs? That’s what I remember from our dairy farm – so many puppies, so few homes.
(But, then again, maybe by your standards were were a progressive dairy farm – we let our dogs in at night, spayed/neutered the dogs for whom we were responsible, and took them to the vet regularly to protect their health).
AnimalHelp of Central Washington and the Wenatchee Valley Humane society disagree with you that overpopulation is not a problem. Check them out, they have lots of stats on the overpopulation in your area.
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Sophia Reply:
December 18th, 2009 at 2:21 am
Here’s my two cents on the spay issue- because I noticed it too. I was also raised in the country, and I understand the more “laid back” approach to pet ownership- frankly I think it’s more natural and realistic- the dogs are not fed fancy food, they sleep outside, etc. However, pretty much everyone I knew got their animal spayed/neutered and got them their shots. They wouldn’t have gotten expensive surgeries or paid for puppy chemo, but the basics were definitely there.
While it is fabulous that you always find homes for the puppies, my reasoning is also overpopulation, but I think I need to explain why. Your experience has been that you never have a hard time giving them away- but that means that families that want dogs don’t get them from shelters that are overrun and under budget, they’re getting them from you. If someone *really* wants a dog, they’ll go through the procedure of adopting one. I can think of two counter arguments to this- “Well, it’s inconvenient and expensive to go to the shelter”. To that I would reply- if it’s too inconvenient to go to a shelter to adopt a dog, and if it’s too expensive to adopt a dog, one probably shouldn’t own a dog in the first place. Inherently, the procedure of adoption filters out the impulse puppy procurers- oh, it’s cute! so and so’s dog had a litter, let’s go pick one up! I’m certainly not saying that the people you give the dogs to are like that, I’m just saying that’s another reason I support adoption through a shelter. Again, some would say this excludes potential pet owners, but in my opinion that is a good thing. I think pet ownership, even in the more laid back country version, is an incredible responsibility that far too many people take too lightly. That’s why I don’t have pets- I’m too lazy to take care of them correctly, and I know it
I can see how in your own personal experience the dogs have been given away and that’s been good, but it’s the ripple effect of that experience that leads me to agree with the people who are concerned about overpopulation. But, to be clear, this is an across the board stance on my part- I don’t agree with breeders either, yes, even the “good” ones that aren’t puppy mills. There are way, way too many dogs that are sitting alone in cages waiting to die, I can’t handle the thought of a breeder somewhere making more puppies
I also feel like saying this isn’t some judgment on your compassion for animals, your parents’ choices, etc. Just a difference of opinion.
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Sophia Reply:
December 18th, 2009 at 2:37 am
But this also creeps me out about overpopulation- we feed shelter animals to our livestock… the following if from “Eating Animals” by Foer-
“Rendering — the conversion of animal protein unfit for human consumption into food for livestock and pets — allows processing plants to transform useless dead dogs into productive members of the food chain. In America, millions of dogs and cats euthanized in animal shelters every year become the food for our food. (About twice as many dogs and cats become food as are adopted”
I guess it’s good the animals aren’t going to waste, but one, it’s not natural to feed animals to herbivorous animals, and two, how sad is it that twice as many animals are ground up and eaten than are adopted?
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Kelly J Reply:
December 18th, 2009 at 6:45 am
A few stats: 56% of dogs/puppies in shelters are killed according to the National Council on Pet Population Study/Policy. Just one female dog/her offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in 6 years. To me, this shows that failure to spay/neuter results in untold numbers of dogs’ lives destroyed.
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Barb Reply:
December 18th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Enjoy being home! I love being home for the holidays. HAven’t in the last 4 years (they came to our house), but hopefully (fingers crossed) we will make it there next year!
I know it is a unfortunate that this turned into a dog debate, but I agree with Kristen. My parents never neutered their dog but they kept him away from others so as never to have an accident. The litter of puppies stolen most likely did not end up in good homes, which is something to consider. I know it is difficult to change someone’s mindset so I doubt your parents will think about spaying the dog, but maybe keep her inside when she is in heat? I don’t know, just a thought…I wasn’t going to mention it but I did think about it and by the comments I saw I wasn’t alone!
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Jenna Reply:
January 13th, 2010 at 1:24 am
I really should leave this one alone, but I always like how intelligent and well thought out your comments are so I’ll leave a quick reply.
My parents have made the 2 1/2 hour (one way) drive to pick up dogs before, usually the situations weren’t the best. The dogs were abused or of uneven temperament. One reason why families might prefer to get dogs from us, instead of turning to a shelter is that they know they are getting their animals from the source they can trust. They’re going to be sending their children out to play with these dogs, and for many it’s not worth the risk that the adopted animal from a shelter was beaten at one point in time. The horrible scars on our little neighbor girls face show that dogs can be really unpredictable sometimes!
Just one reason why people not want to make the very long drive to pick out a dog they don’t know the exact history of. Though the dogs live outside, and are usually much more functional than the pet dogs that those in the city have, they still become a part of family life and knowing the background/history can be important to some families.
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Sophia Reply:
January 13th, 2010 at 11:05 am
I agree that the concern of not knowing the history of a dog is huge- even a mid size dog can do lots of damage. I have to admit that if I were to adopt a dog from a shelter I would definitely have to adopt from the “puppies found on the side of the road and brought in” group, just so I could be sure that I knew the dog’s temperment.
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Sarah Reply:
December 18th, 2009 at 10:20 am
One of my office’s projects is in George (not that far from Royal City, for those who don’t know the area) and the contractor cannot get his foundations poured because the warm concrete this time of year attracts all the stray cats, and they keep making paw prints. Over population is a problem in rural areas as well.
Also, (and I didn’t read everything so someone may have mentioned this) if your dog is having more than one litter a year, it is unhealthy for the poor girl.
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Alex Reply:
December 19th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Do you think the stolen puppies actually get good homes? It seems to me that people who can provide loving, permanent homes for pets usually are not the type to steal animals.
I think it’s disingenuous to compare your choice to have a child to an animal’s instinct to reproduce. God gave you the ability to make responsible choices for your family, but dogs cannot make the same choice. Instead, God gave humans dominion over animals (Genesis 1:26), and I think we should exercise that authority responsibly and provide for the basic welfare of our pets.
If money is an issue, maybe you could put up a PayPal donation button for your parents? I know I’d be happy to donate a few dollars towards getting their dogs spayed, and I’m sure at least some of the concerned commenters above would, too.
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Rachel Reply:
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:56 am
Just going to have to jump on this band wagon and say that millions of unwanted animals are put to death every year due to overpopulation. Most vets have a lost cost spay neuter program. Maybe your parents could check their area and see whats available.
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Shaylene Carter (That Sister) Reply:
January 4th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Maybe the reason my parents don’t spade our dog is the fact that she is a purebred and if we wanted to breed her for purebred puppies we would like the option. And every single time she is in heat they keep her in her house where the neighbor dogs from miles away can’t get in. She only got pregnant this last time because my dad thought she was no longer in heat, but he was obviously wrong. We like our dog and don’t promote the puppies to be stolen. When something is stolen it is not your fault.
And my parents are possibly (emphasis of possibly) thinking of having her spaded, not because of the ‘overpopulation of dogs’, but because they don’t want to have to keep taking care of puppies. They go through dog food quite quickly.
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Jenna Reply:
January 13th, 2010 at 1:16 am
Roxy is a pure bred and they want to have the freedom to breed her later if they would like to do so.
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December 17th, 2009 on 1:43 pm
The wife and I can’t have dogs because we’re in an apartment and I like large dogs so one of my favorite things about going home is sitting on the living room floor, watching Star Trek with the family dogs around me.
Also if my sister and I are staying over at the parents’ house, we’ll get up at four or five in the morning on Christmas day to open presents. It usually starts with, “Aren’t you glad we moved out?”
The wife and I are trying to start our own traditions but it’s slightly difficult being it’s just the two of us.
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R Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
The similarity between “the wife” and “that wife” made this comment very confusing to read!
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December 17th, 2009 on 2:32 pm
My sisters and I used to wake each other up and race each other downstairs, even as we got older. I miss spending Christmas with my family
PS I agree with Kirsten… there is a huge overpopulation problem with dogs, many are just in pounds needing homes or euthanized because no one will adopt them. Most vets charge so low for spays/neuters they take a loss, only because it is worth it to not have an overpopulation. I hope you will consider having her fixed. She can still get her “groove” on just no puppies
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December 17th, 2009 on 2:37 pm
Going back home I love to look out the windows and see the Pyrenees, the fresh crisp smell of the air, seeing the stars I put on my ceiling, the books and the things I left behind.
Sharing time with my mom, seeing where the art has been moved to.
I went back to the place I actually grew up in when I took my husband to France, it was a bittersweet visit. My former bedroom is now part of the nursery of the building again, it seemed a lot smaller than I remembered, but I loved seeing the touches my parents left 13 years ago still there (I grew up in some sort of big Inn that welcomed kids on field trips).
I feel good knowing I’m not the only one who hasn’t cleaned her wedding dress 1 year after….
Oh I went through the Grove Park Inn a couple of weeks ago and I thought about you when I saw this button Christams tree ornaments:
http://frenchyncarolina.blogspot.com/2009/12/la-tournee-des-sapins-2.html
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Sarah Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Lol, it took me about a year to get mine cleaned too. All the dirt around the hem line came out though! And I don’t blame you, it’s expen$ive! Shop around before you take it to a cleaners. I found one near me that had an online coupon, 20% off. And don’t fall for the dry cleaners’ expensive archival boxes. You can get your own online or at a craft store.
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Lauren Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
I just sent mine out to be cleaned, and I got married in July – from the way the cleaners tsk tsked me I thought I was the only one who put this off- glad I’m in good company, AND that your hem dirt came out
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December 17th, 2009 on 2:45 pm
my favorite part of going home (though my parents live 30 minutes away) is the number and year range of pictures they have displayed. i love seeing my kindergarten graduation picture next to my college graduation picture.
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December 17th, 2009 on 3:03 pm
Nostalgia is the best way to explain when I go back to my home town.
My favorite part about staying at my mom’s is that she always has homemade treats and snacks stashed away.
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December 17th, 2009 on 3:20 pm
Hooray for being home. I’m not that far away from my childhood home, but it always seems to change a little from the last time I was there. I like to see the changes in my bedroom my mom makes. Currently, my bedroom is now a storage room. Not sure how that happened. Haha. If you come up to Tri-cities, we should hang out!
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December 17th, 2009 on 3:27 pm
Jealous. Wish I had a childhood home to visit! I don’t have a “home” to visit as my family members don’t live in either the town I grew up in (same house for 13 years) or any of the houses/apartments I lived in during High School in California, so for me my home is where I live! I actually remember crying about this very thing in our dorm room freshman year
. Can’t wait to see the pictures of the puppies and everything else!
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December 17th, 2009 on 4:43 pm
My family has long-since moved away from where I grew up. For me it is ALL about family. Well, and food. I love being with my brothers and sisters, enjoying good food, playing heated games of Settlers of Catan and watching Christmas Vacation or old episodes of The Simpsons.
…and suddenly I’m more bummed out than before to not be spending Christmas with my family!
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December 17th, 2009 on 7:57 pm
I have no idea how it turned into a debate about getting dogs spayed. It didn’t really register with me at all when I read the post, but maybe that’s because I am not really into pets.
Anyways, yay for being with your family. I can’t wait to go home, although LA feels more like home to me now, there is something wonderful about the comfort of being home. I love being with my dad and my sister, it’s like for a brief moment all of the stress in my life doesn’t exist.
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December 18th, 2009 on 2:17 am
It’s awesome that you have such a wonderful home to go back to! You can tell how close your family is just by reading how you write about them. Yay for safe travels and happy returns
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December 18th, 2009 on 10:13 am
I just love going home in general!!
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December 18th, 2009 on 11:56 am
Yey the puppies are still alive and not stolen yet!!! Mom didn’t want to go check on them so I wasn’t sure if they were still alive! I am so excited for yummy apples… WA apples are the best!!! Now I am so excited to come home! I hope you have your 5D there because I want to play with it. I NEED to buy one ASAP, but I don’t have enough money. I can see the difference in quality from my camera, and it is driving me crazy!!!
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December 18th, 2009 on 11:57 am
I am leaving CA today with my husband to head to my childhood home as well, a farm in South Dakota. Other than seeing my family, I love the slow, laid-back pace there. It’s a sweet time of refreshing for us. It also looks to be a white Christmas, which I am so excited about!
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December 18th, 2009 on 1:58 pm
I can’t WAIT to go back home! It’s magical every single time.
And I just have to ask… who steals puppies?!?! How strange!
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December 18th, 2009 on 10:19 pm
Mom and Dad only live about 8 miles up the road, but when I go “home” and it is quiet when I go in the door, I swear I can hear our cat Smokey jump off the bed upstairs to come down to greet me. Smokey has been gone for years, but he is still and always will be alive for all of us in his wonderful memories.
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December 18th, 2009 on 11:28 pm
I love coming home. Sigh. Home isn’t the home I grew up in – they’ve moved 4 times since then. But home is wherever my mom is and it is always like a spa. Clean, relaxing, comfy, full of everything I want to eat or drink, so much to look at… I’m so happy to be home. Home is where my family is, wherever that happens to be
(PS – I’m always so entertained when I come here to post on one thing and run into something completely different – Bob Barker this time! Sounds like what your family does has always worked great for them and their animals).
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December 20th, 2009 on 11:49 pm
Ok, I read “That Wife,’ and although I do not agree with most of the things she talks about (no real doctor care for the first part of the pregnancy etc..) I figured it was just a difference of religion and so I focused on the things we do have in common (the love of good food and photography). But, this last post about letting your dog get knocked up every couple of years and giving the puppies away and/or allowing them to get stolen is just stupid. And then you say it is a country thing and that’s just the way we do it and its too expensive blah blah blah..if it’s so dang expensive you should not own an animal. They don’t pay for vet care? Good grief that is horrific and sadly it seems you have adopted the same mantra for the care of your child. If your child gets too expensive will you let them go without? You already seem to have little to no funds that you worry about your teeth falling out but yet you think you can afford a child? Good luck with everything but you need to get a clue.
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December 21st, 2009 on 3:16 pm
I wish I could go home again to my childhood room. The week after I moved out for college, my dad packed up all my stuff and had the whole house remodeled! It was hard coming back and having boxes stacked up and a matress on the floor. But my house is my home now, but it took so long for it to feel that way.
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December 21st, 2009 on 10:36 pm
I love going home as well. Unfortunately my parents are in the process of splitting up. I think one of the things I will miss the most is going home to their house.
Enjoy it.
P.s. The dog thing kinda got me too. But I see you’ve already had a million comments on it.
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January 13th, 2010 on 1:25 am
One thing I think is really interesting about this, is that dogs and cats seem to be placed into a different category than other animals. Is this because so many city dwellers sleep with, go on daily walks, dress up their dogs? Though I think the thought of grinding up dogs and cats for feeding them to other animals is putrid, most seem to worry about the death of dogs and cats because they are “pets” not because they identify them as animals. Maybe that is why the puppy thing caused so much controversy?
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