“It’s Gaaaaht-cha Day!” Tal nuzzles her nose into Henny’s neck. “Can we buy her a prehhh-sent?” “Or take her on a special field trip…” Calliope pulls black hairs from her lips. Nia runs her fingers across indented flesh — a leash burn reminder of rabbit chases from four years gone by. “We’ve learned a lot.”
Long time readers of 3mm and Born Free Newsletter likely know from our posts that Henrietta has not been an easy dog to raise. We've been bitten, growled at, pulled after all manner of wildlife, woken consecutively at 3 am to barkhowlbarkbarkbark... and perhaps most heartbreaking of all... rebuked in our attempts to show her affection.
Of course I came into our relationship with an expectation... we'd had two devoted and loving labs before Hen -- Elsa and Mara.
That said... I guess we don't always get the dog we want.
We get the dog we need.
We have grown so much through our relationship with Henrietta. Middle of the night awakenings have all but ceased. Hen can run off leash while under strict supervision. In the morning while we lace our shoes, the beast comes to us for a neck rub.
We've grown our patience, persistence, and compassion.
Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not quit.
“Licorice” was the best dog I ever had the pleasure to train and be trained by...
He loved his “kennel” and both opened and closed the door. He honored the words “leave it” and wouldn’t move until told it was ok to “take it.”
He was however small dog aggressive and because of that one challenge, he never roamed free off the leash. Luckily, he had a nice big fenced yard that he valiantly protected from landing birds! 😂🤣😂
On your quote by Jim Rohn, I can tell you that in person, he gave the quote context.
“If you spend your money a dollar at a time, you’ll wind up with trinkets instead of treasures.”
~ Jim Rohn
One of the treasures he discussed was around lifestyle. He said everyone, with a little discipline, can experience “Lifestyle.”
On page 99 of my favorite treasure, an autographed hard bound copy of “The Five Major Pieces To The Life Puzzle” are the following words in the second paragraph:
“Lifestyle is how we choose to live and how we design our lives. It is the sophisticated understanding of the difference between life’s trinkets and life’s treasures.”
Here’s an example he offers around lifestyle:
“For little more than the price of a movie ticket anyone can attend a symphony orchestra. The music is just as stirring from the back of a concert hall during an afternoon matinee as it is from high up in a private box on opening night.”
He also said “You don’t have to own a Rembrandt to appreciate his incredible genius.”
And finally, “Given with sincerity, a single, long, stemmed rose can be more meaningful than a dozen orchids.”
The best of all the examples though, in my opinion, is the following observation:
“The price of admission to a fabulous sunset is still free.”
I will offer that the same holds true for a sunrise...
This little 121 page book is definitely one of my prize possessions!
Not only is it a wonderful book, but also a memento of my first encounter with this incredibly sophisticated farm boy from Idaho...
The book was part of the ticket package my mom sent to me, along with instructions in a letter about being prepared and to show up, ready to take copious notes. Many years earlier, in her life, he had been the catalyst of change she needed to make her life magical, and it was her hope upon our reunification, that I might experience a similar lesson. The ticket to the seminar was one of the first gifts my mother gave me after we reconnected as full grown adults...
Mr. Rohn’s seminar was the catalyst for a life reclaimed from addiction... I was 8 months clean & sober at the time...
One day at a time, I rebuilt my life and 33 years later, I am living proof of the value one encounter with the right person at the right time can have on our lives...
Rohn’s comment about dollars and trinkets caused me to reflect on my early years. “Dollars” were in very short supply while growing up. In the early 50’s my dad worked at The Farm Bureau, a chain of similar stores selling seed, feed for livestock, fencing, and implements. He earned $1.00 per hour. My mom was an industrious stay-at-home mom and I had an older brother. We relied on a Federal surplus food program. Cheese, flour, dried milk.
My access to dollars was a function of earning all A’s and B’s on my report card every six weeks during the school year. Getting a summer job was prohibited, as we had four lots to mow (reel type push mower) and a lot of gardening activity to support at every stage. No time available for non-gardening and mowing activities. Not many dollars either. None.
As I had opted to go off to a larger university, parental financial help was $0.00, as my leaving was interpreted as defiance. So I worked a low paying construction job, 5 days a week, and washed cars and pumped gas on week ends. While it payed college expenses, the “dollar” spending continued. Off to graduate school with required year-round classes and training, and surviving on a $2400.00 per year fellowship continued the “dollar” spending minus the trinkets. 10 for a dollar chicken pot pies at a local supermarket were mana from heaven.
Long and short, until leaving graduate school, there had been no way to save for treasures as a lifestyle choice. I got to meet professors who obviously learned and practiced accrual for treasures. Feeling “trinketed” myself, any vicarious learning from the practices of others and their treasures was a monumental leap.
Embarking on a 30-year career in alcoholism myself, kept the supply of role models to a minimum. And a plentiful supply of dollar spending. I still have a few of the trinkets!
Now, later in life, I’ve opened my eyes to Saturday morning matinees of the FSU musical programs. Free tours of the Florida Museum of History. Enjoying State and Federal Parks to immerse myself in Nature.
I grew up hearing an expression attributed to “Pennsylvania-Dutch,” “We grow too soon old and too late smart.” Might be something to that?!
With words like trinkets and treasures, my brain makes a jump to physical objects.
I mindfully took myself in another direction after a pause. What if instead of momentary pleasures, I embrace following flow… the activities that stretch time because all sense of it is lost? For me that’s writing, Art-ing, paddling, walking, deep conversation…
To have such opportunities I’ve had to give up trinkets.
The term I use to describe a well crafted reply that goes missing (hijacked) by who knows what force, maybe the “REPLY” Gods secretly telling me, I’m too wordy try to say too much in a reply…
No matter, I love your reply, and mine well crafted one will have to wait till later, replaced by this dictated one that I will not edit. What I basically said was how impressed I was/am with Mr. Ron’s ability to change. He had a unique ability to apply every lesson he learned. I didn’t do so well with all the lessons, some I learned well others I must’ve missed or skipped over or forgotten or I would have a different result than I currently have. The great news is it’s never too late to re-engage with the lessons, and based on how radically my life has changed since 12/1/21, I am living proof that it’s never too late…
I vividly remember when Mara was your marsh-tromp buddy. She was older, tempered by time, but when you wrote about her, a special connection was always present. I too remember early Henny days, er, nights, and the bark-howl shuffle. Some extractions of the bark-a-lator perhaps resulted in wounded feet and scratched arms.
And out of all that, a new, special relationship has developed. Love is indeed patient and kind and does not quit!
When we’re blessed with the right animal, especially a dog, and we treasure their “being,” deep connections become possible. We feel them and treasure them as they grow into us. I once read, and vaguely recall, an exchange between a parent and young child. A family pet had passed and the young child asked why that had to happen. The parent gently explained that their pet’s lifespan, shorter than ours, allows humans to learn about love and loss. Most likely I cobbled that lesson up a bit. 🤔
And we cannot avoid suffering from their passing. Every one. And we can retain and treasure the lessons learned. If not, I’d question my humanity.
I once read that dogs evolved in a way that gave their young rounded, softened heads. To appeal to their mothers? No. Humans. Man’s best friend. A good plan all the way around.
Henny seems to drift in and out of focus in your 3MM posts? Of course she isn’t a muse! And collaborating over a painting or paragraph probably isn’t her cup of bone broth. Nicely and naturally, the walks in your immediate neighborhood and outings to the dog park often produce incidents of Henny’s adaptation to both. And possible content!
You described aptly the benefits of relinquishing our expectations and allowing the new charge to be themselves. To bloom. The Beatles:
“When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes go me
Whispers words of wisdom
Let it be.”
We ourselves seem to benefit from shedding (dog joke) other’s expectations and finding our feet, becoming grounded, then testing our wings. Maybe even singing. 😁
Robert Kiyosaki’s quote resonated with me. A perfect synthesis of what you shared today. 🙏🏽
Today we took a field trip to the Ice Age Trail. Hen’s excitement was off the charts. We haven’t been there in months. Despite heat and full sun, she ran at full throttle for much of the walk.
There’s a spring fed stream that provided a cool down. Oh happy day!
A note from Loveletterist:
Long time readers of 3mm and Born Free Newsletter likely know from our posts that Henrietta has not been an easy dog to raise. We've been bitten, growled at, pulled after all manner of wildlife, woken consecutively at 3 am to barkhowlbarkbarkbark... and perhaps most heartbreaking of all... rebuked in our attempts to show her affection.
Of course I came into our relationship with an expectation... we'd had two devoted and loving labs before Hen -- Elsa and Mara.
That said... I guess we don't always get the dog we want.
We get the dog we need.
We have grown so much through our relationship with Henrietta. Middle of the night awakenings have all but ceased. Hen can run off leash while under strict supervision. In the morning while we lace our shoes, the beast comes to us for a neck rub.
We've grown our patience, persistence, and compassion.
Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not quit.
“Licorice” was the best dog I ever had the pleasure to train and be trained by...
He loved his “kennel” and both opened and closed the door. He honored the words “leave it” and wouldn’t move until told it was ok to “take it.”
He was however small dog aggressive and because of that one challenge, he never roamed free off the leash. Luckily, he had a nice big fenced yard that he valiantly protected from landing birds! 😂🤣😂
On your quote by Jim Rohn, I can tell you that in person, he gave the quote context.
“If you spend your money a dollar at a time, you’ll wind up with trinkets instead of treasures.”
~ Jim Rohn
One of the treasures he discussed was around lifestyle. He said everyone, with a little discipline, can experience “Lifestyle.”
On page 99 of my favorite treasure, an autographed hard bound copy of “The Five Major Pieces To The Life Puzzle” are the following words in the second paragraph:
“Lifestyle is how we choose to live and how we design our lives. It is the sophisticated understanding of the difference between life’s trinkets and life’s treasures.”
Here’s an example he offers around lifestyle:
“For little more than the price of a movie ticket anyone can attend a symphony orchestra. The music is just as stirring from the back of a concert hall during an afternoon matinee as it is from high up in a private box on opening night.”
He also said “You don’t have to own a Rembrandt to appreciate his incredible genius.”
And finally, “Given with sincerity, a single, long, stemmed rose can be more meaningful than a dozen orchids.”
The best of all the examples though, in my opinion, is the following observation:
“The price of admission to a fabulous sunset is still free.”
I will offer that the same holds true for a sunrise...
This little 121 page book is definitely one of my prize possessions!
Not only is it a wonderful book, but also a memento of my first encounter with this incredibly sophisticated farm boy from Idaho...
The book was part of the ticket package my mom sent to me, along with instructions in a letter about being prepared and to show up, ready to take copious notes. Many years earlier, in her life, he had been the catalyst of change she needed to make her life magical, and it was her hope upon our reunification, that I might experience a similar lesson. The ticket to the seminar was one of the first gifts my mother gave me after we reconnected as full grown adults...
Mr. Rohn’s seminar was the catalyst for a life reclaimed from addiction... I was 8 months clean & sober at the time...
One day at a time, I rebuilt my life and 33 years later, I am living proof of the value one encounter with the right person at the right time can have on our lives...
In Gratitude for You and The Girls!
Bobby~
Thank you for sharing not only context to JR’s quote, but also your personal experience.
Many of life’s greatest treasures are free! The dog park, a river splash, the morning stroll, comments from friends on 3mm!
TY!
😊😎😊
Rohn’s comment about dollars and trinkets caused me to reflect on my early years. “Dollars” were in very short supply while growing up. In the early 50’s my dad worked at The Farm Bureau, a chain of similar stores selling seed, feed for livestock, fencing, and implements. He earned $1.00 per hour. My mom was an industrious stay-at-home mom and I had an older brother. We relied on a Federal surplus food program. Cheese, flour, dried milk.
My access to dollars was a function of earning all A’s and B’s on my report card every six weeks during the school year. Getting a summer job was prohibited, as we had four lots to mow (reel type push mower) and a lot of gardening activity to support at every stage. No time available for non-gardening and mowing activities. Not many dollars either. None.
As I had opted to go off to a larger university, parental financial help was $0.00, as my leaving was interpreted as defiance. So I worked a low paying construction job, 5 days a week, and washed cars and pumped gas on week ends. While it payed college expenses, the “dollar” spending continued. Off to graduate school with required year-round classes and training, and surviving on a $2400.00 per year fellowship continued the “dollar” spending minus the trinkets. 10 for a dollar chicken pot pies at a local supermarket were mana from heaven.
Long and short, until leaving graduate school, there had been no way to save for treasures as a lifestyle choice. I got to meet professors who obviously learned and practiced accrual for treasures. Feeling “trinketed” myself, any vicarious learning from the practices of others and their treasures was a monumental leap.
Embarking on a 30-year career in alcoholism myself, kept the supply of role models to a minimum. And a plentiful supply of dollar spending. I still have a few of the trinkets!
Now, later in life, I’ve opened my eyes to Saturday morning matinees of the FSU musical programs. Free tours of the Florida Museum of History. Enjoying State and Federal Parks to immerse myself in Nature.
I grew up hearing an expression attributed to “Pennsylvania-Dutch,” “We grow too soon old and too late smart.” Might be something to that?!
With words like trinkets and treasures, my brain makes a jump to physical objects.
I mindfully took myself in another direction after a pause. What if instead of momentary pleasures, I embrace following flow… the activities that stretch time because all sense of it is lost? For me that’s writing, Art-ing, paddling, walking, deep conversation…
To have such opportunities I’ve had to give up trinkets.
I feel good about the swap. :)
And therein lies the value of awareness. Being present to allow such information to get through to our hearts and spirits. Then action.
Spangler, I’ve been “Substacked!”
The term I use to describe a well crafted reply that goes missing (hijacked) by who knows what force, maybe the “REPLY” Gods secretly telling me, I’m too wordy try to say too much in a reply…
No matter, I love your reply, and mine well crafted one will have to wait till later, replaced by this dictated one that I will not edit. What I basically said was how impressed I was/am with Mr. Ron’s ability to change. He had a unique ability to apply every lesson he learned. I didn’t do so well with all the lessons, some I learned well others I must’ve missed or skipped over or forgotten or I would have a different result than I currently have. The great news is it’s never too late to re-engage with the lessons, and based on how radically my life has changed since 12/1/21, I am living proof that it’s never too late…
👍🏽
I vividly remember when Mara was your marsh-tromp buddy. She was older, tempered by time, but when you wrote about her, a special connection was always present. I too remember early Henny days, er, nights, and the bark-howl shuffle. Some extractions of the bark-a-lator perhaps resulted in wounded feet and scratched arms.
And out of all that, a new, special relationship has developed. Love is indeed patient and kind and does not quit!
Why are my eyes leaking?
When we’re blessed with the right animal, especially a dog, and we treasure their “being,” deep connections become possible. We feel them and treasure them as they grow into us. I once read, and vaguely recall, an exchange between a parent and young child. A family pet had passed and the young child asked why that had to happen. The parent gently explained that their pet’s lifespan, shorter than ours, allows humans to learn about love and loss. Most likely I cobbled that lesson up a bit. 🤔
And we cannot avoid suffering from their passing. Every one. And we can retain and treasure the lessons learned. If not, I’d question my humanity.
So an easy road can become hard, and a hard road easy... and a Medium road can become Substack? 🤔
I think there must be interchanges, forks, and road stops in there somewhere...
😂 I felt like the Universe was telling me to make a change?! I am often challenged by dialect differences.
Let us not forget the unexpected detours!
I once read that dogs evolved in a way that gave their young rounded, softened heads. To appeal to their mothers? No. Humans. Man’s best friend. A good plan all the way around.
Henny seems to drift in and out of focus in your 3MM posts? Of course she isn’t a muse! And collaborating over a painting or paragraph probably isn’t her cup of bone broth. Nicely and naturally, the walks in your immediate neighborhood and outings to the dog park often produce incidents of Henny’s adaptation to both. And possible content!
You described aptly the benefits of relinquishing our expectations and allowing the new charge to be themselves. To bloom. The Beatles:
“When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes go me
Whispers words of wisdom
Let it be.”
We ourselves seem to benefit from shedding (dog joke) other’s expectations and finding our feet, becoming grounded, then testing our wings. Maybe even singing. 😁
Robert Kiyosaki’s quote resonated with me. A perfect synthesis of what you shared today. 🙏🏽
Today we took a field trip to the Ice Age Trail. Hen’s excitement was off the charts. We haven’t been there in months. Despite heat and full sun, she ran at full throttle for much of the walk.
There’s a spring fed stream that provided a cool down. Oh happy day!
Was Tal twirling too?
Watching Henny free and romping brings us all a twist and a twirl!
We didn’t get in the stream. Should have!