Ann with Mary Pittinger
Ann with writing teachers Francie Markham, Barbara Thompson, Carol McAlpin, plus fellow student Judi Beacham
We finished the second semester of creative writing at http://www.shepherdcentercolumbia.org
Shepherd’s Center offers classes in opera, jazz, movies, architecture, creative writing, short stories, bridge, yoga, watercolor & acrylics, politics, European history, South Carolina history, and health.
Ann, Kirk, Dr. Lamar Potts, & Brego
Pastor Ameritus, the Reverend Dr. Lamar Potts preaches sermon on overcoming adversity entitled “Getting Back Up.” Listen to the podcast by following this link.
Article by Annette Boette and photo by Sparkle Clark. This article features how to interact with working guide dog teams.
http://www.thecolumbiastar.com/news/2013-05-03/Front_Page/Service_dogs_have_access_its_the_law.html
“We’ll match your donation dollar-for-dollar!”
The Margaret & Isaac Barpal
Veterinary Equipment Campaign
Dear Friend,
With the Center’s construction scheduled to begin within the next week or
so, we’re turning our attention to inside the building. We are focusing on the medical equipment needed to treat the large numbers of puppies and dogs
we will welcome to the facility.
Dr. Jerry Edington, the school’s veterinarian, explained that this advanced medical equipment will help increase conception rates, conduct more sophisticated lab testing, and provide enhanced surgical capabilities – all wonderful outcomes to meet the growing demand for guide dogs.
We’ve raised the funds to build the Veterinary Center. Now we need your
help to outfit it.
So we’re presenting another challenge – the last challenge – to equip the Center with the most advanced veterinary medical equipment possible. We
are offering a dollar-for-dollar match for all donations up to $80,000 until January 31st, 2013.
Will you help us finish what we’ve started? Let’s give our puppies and dogs
the best medical care available. Thank you in advance for your kind and generous support.
Gratefully,
Margaret Barpal
Isaac Barpal
Donate today at
www.GuideDogs.org/BarpalChallenge
Last week, before heading upstairs for a routine night of reading before bed, a blitz of emails and phone calls came.
Sparkle: “Get ready. We’re heading out in the country to catch the meteor showers. Jim will pick you up at 12:10 AM and the rest of us after.. We’ll head to Congaree Bluffs for low light pollution. There’s a new moon tonight. The sky’s clear, and no telling what tomorrow will bring. Layer up. You in?”"
Me: Pause. “Call me crazy and count me in!”
I left Brego having doggie dreams. Five of us were on the road by 12:45AM, chattering from the cold and excited “conversating.”
Driving down into lower Richland and Calhoun counties, we threw headlights on fields of unpicked cotton dazzling in the night. We crossed several swamps before reaching the bridge over Congaree River near the confluence of Wateree and Santee, site of Indian villages, Spanish explorers, early European settlement, home of Pulitzer Prize author, Julia Peterkin, Revolutionary War battle at Fort Motte, and plantation sites, not far from Sherman march to Columbia Feb. 1865. We talked about winter sky constellations and camera settings. We turned down road through hardwoods, then found a view over fields. Photographers set up their equipment and fiddled with the settings…The air was cool, soft, and moist. One dog barked in the distance, surely a nuisance to its owner. We heard barred owls calling, “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?” A distant siren triggered coyote howls. The shooting stars were steady, not really a shower, more a trickle and even a drip: but when one did show itself, everyone said, “Look at that one!” “There’s one over there!” I missed it. The photographers set their cameras to click every 30 seconds. One of the best shots was when Sparkle went down the road and asked Kathryn to click the camera in 30 seconds. Sparkle selected the camera settings, and Kathryn clicked at the right time. They both get credit for the shot. One meteor was so bright, all four photographers shouted, “Wow! Felt like July 4th fireworks. Constellations shifted through the night. Temps were below freezing, meteors seemed to stop, so we packed up, but not until Jim set his telescope to show us Orion’s nebula, Pleides, Casseopia, Gemeni, Taurus, Big and Little Dippers, and told us the story of Andromeda.
Once in the car, someone said, “The reason the meteors stopped was because our lenses fogged up!” On the way back, they got quiet, then said, “I got one. Look at this.” They were looking at the shots they got. “Dang telephone poles ruin a shot.”
(Laughter.)
I was back home at 5:10 and in bed at 5:30 having sweet dreams of night riches.
Take advantage of opportunities that come your way.
Note: The second photo has a fainter meteor streaking to the right of the second tree at the horizon.
Nature photographers find
Beauty in scars.
Seek compound and
Compression fracture
in mountain landscape.
Triangulate tripod where
Igneous fissure invites
Satin waterfalls, and
Pummeled rocks
Spray sparkling crystal.
Focus tight for jagged edge
Trimmed by tender moss.
Pan wide where
Castoff leaves fling color to
Fuel Autumn fire.
Stalk, then circle abandoned buildings
Kneel before rusted ribs,praising decay,
Creating portraits of brokenness
More interesting than pastoral and perfect.
Carry their casualties to the operating theater of flat screens and software,
Reconstructing, healing,
Revealing how to find
Beauty in scars.
Copyright
Ann C. Humphries
December 4, 2012
Brego is all excited about the holidays. He stomps on the wrapping paper, puts his nose in every package we bring in the door, thinking “Oh, what’s this?” He pokes his head in the storage space, wags his tail, has a manner expressing, “Oh, what’s in here? Another adventure? ” He sticks his head in the ornament box ,sniffs around, then backs up to lay down on his stomach, thumping his tail, watching me pull the tubs out of storage. I placed the wreath of our boys’ childhood ornanents on the floor. Brego snitched a yarn doll and began prancing around the room. He was gentle with it and surrendered it.
I must watch him like he’s a toddler.
Cellophane will attract him from anywhere in the house. He absolutely loves cellophane. I do offer him an occasional peppermint, slowly unwrapping it, rattling the cellophane louder and louder to make him almost jump up. He is so satisfied with this little treat.
I take him to worship and some music performances. He settles under the seat and usually goes right to sleep. He’s beautifully behaved in large groups, although; at one performance, he heaved a big sigh a few people around us heard and chuckled.
Sometimes, I leave him home for a party or crowded concert. He sticks right by me when I’m dressing, walks with me up and down the stairs. Then, when we leave, I tell him, “Take care of our house, and we’ll see you shortly>” We leave the TV or radio on for company. It’s good for both of us to have some away time. When we return, he always brings us a treat: a shoe, one of his bones, or his favorite knotted T-shirt toy. We thank him, pat him quickly, and all’s back to normal.
December Nature talk with Brego: We took an hour walk with the ranger at Sesqui State Park. The ranger had a knapsack of items which she pulled out at different stops. Brego was Mr. Curious with what she passed around. He was intensely interested in the lichen, turtle shell, antlers, and his favorite, the deer hide. My friend, Jan, told me his nose was twitching, twitching and he was focused on everything the ranger brought out of her bag. She said his eyebrows were wiggling and that he seemed to take in everything.
He is becoming more familiar with the trails we’re taking around sesqui, and we’re moving well along the 3.5 route.
He will stop to smell a post! I must remember he is a dog.
I was unpacking Christmas decorations, pictures, and my collection of holiday cards kept over decades; drawn by my sister, Mary; our children’s artwork, cards with loved ones’ signatures.
This is the first year I can’t see them.
In a rare moment, I was whimpering about this. I walked downstairs to talk with Kirk about it while he was eating his Raisin Bran. He paused, turned to me and said, “Annie, it’s a loss, yes, but look at what you’ve overcome, what you’ve made of your life. You’ll push through this just as you’ve met all the challenges thrown at you,” then he continued eating his breakfast.
What a vote of confidence.
That very evening, I attended a dinner party with new friends. Lovely, lovely people who reintroduced themselves to me–I’m still learning their voices. Throughout the evening, there was no mention of vision loss, simply friends talking. The Christmas “feeling” continued when after most people had left, the host, Judi, led me around the room feeling touching her beautiful wreaths and stair decorations of ribbons, magnolias, berries, and something like gold seaweed fans. Her collection of Snow Babies were charming figures with wings, coarsely textured by snow glitter on their bodies, then smooth finishes on the rest of the figurines in their little scenes of riding a sleigh or fishing a frozen pond.
Next, we found bronzed glass eggs wrapped in raffia, her Holy Family cuddled on a table, a desk sized Christmas carousel of horses, tigers, zebras, and little people riding. Judi gave me on of the figurines; a mother in her winter dress, holding her child on the horse.
Judi told me about the winter scenes on the carosel canopy and guided my hand to feel the mirrors there and along the inside cylinder which she told me reflected the little blinking lights. She turned on the carousel and the figures began to move round and round while the calliope music played.
After that, she led me to her magnificent collection of nutcrackers on her mantel and tree. I felt nutcracker crowns, soft hair and beards, swords, chomping jaws and capes. They ranged from three feet to palm size. I felt as if I were in a winter wonderland museum or toy store where I could touch, touch, touch. I felt glass ornaments wired to the tree, wide wired bows with different textures, sparkling sequined ornaments, sugar frosted blown glass in shapes of fruit and teardrops, a dancing, glittery reindeer, and tassels. My fingers floated over her tree and mantel, and I felt absolute joy experiencing this. She described the colors and dots on the ribbon which gave me a sense of current style.
It was a magnificent experience.
You can see how my new Christmas “feelings” give great joy and fulfillment.
Brego and I walked the Habitat for Humanity walk organized by our church, http://www.svpc.org. My walking partner was wonderful Levi, age 12,with whom I taught Bible School. He’s also in scouting. Levi was a great encourager. I was a little nervous in the crowd as we started. Levi said, “We’ll do this together.”
This was only the second 5k for Brego and me. It’s different trying to go fast when we’re accustomed to steady walking.
As we began and before we got our rhythm, I was concerned we were too slow. Levi said, “You’re doing fine. We’ll take it nice and steady.” His confidence helped mine.
As we came to turns in the course, people called out to us, “Ann and Brego and Levi! Looking good,” and “Proud of you!” They’d say, “Hi, Ann. It’s “Tracy,” or “Sarah,” or “Lang,” or “Lance,” or “Dale and Hayden,” or “Tim,” or “John,” or “Lauren.” Good job. See you at the finish.” Sheriff deputies also called “You’re doing great.” Then, we heard our names as we crossed the Finish Line. We didn’t embarrass ourselves. In fact, we medaled in our category, and I wasn’t too slow for the race. Even if we were the last finishers, we beat the sherriff’s squad car!
Participating in this 5k for Habitat and our Church was a a great cause, rewarding, and surprisingly confidence building.
Note to Self: I think I have fairly good confidence, but participating in events like this build even more, and I was so touched by the support and encouragement of the race organizers,and people like my walking partner, Levi. A shout out to him and his great family!
Matching Funds now available for Southeastern Guide Dogs
At the March 3, 2012 Southeastern Guide Dogs Walkathon where I was recognized as “Graduate of the Year,” Kirk and I visited with the “Philanthropists of the Year,” Margaret and Isaac Barpal. They were so enthusiastic about SEGD. As he said in his remarks to the banquet guests, “Margie and I have and currently serve on numerous boards around the country, but SEGD is the most rewarding.”
The Margaret & Isaac Barpal Veterinary Equipment Campaign
“We’ll match your donation dollar-for-dollar!”
Thanks to two gift campaigns matched by Isaac and Margaret Barpal, we’ve raised the funds to build the much-needed Barpal Veterinary Center, a 5,500 square foot state-of-the-art medical facility.
We’re about to break ground and look forward to the day when we will be able to provide a greater array of medical services to our puppies and dogs — right here on campus.
Before that day comes, we need to purchase the medical equipment to furnish the Veterinary Center. And thanks to the generosity of the Center’s namesakes, we’re halfway there!
The Barpals have presented a third and final matching challenge. For every dollar raised between now and January 31, 2013, they will match donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $80,000.
That means you can double your donated dollars right now! And every dollar donated will be used to purchase medical equipment so we can open the doors to the new Center.
That’s an excellent return on your investment: your dollars doubled plus a priceless advance in the healthcare of our puppies and dogs.
Please take advantage of this matching opportunity and send in your tax- deductible donation today.
Donate today at
GuideDogs.org/BarpalChallenge
