It's a New Year and A New Life

Has returned home from a wonderful week with my son and his girlfriend Allison. Allison did an awesome thing by flying Jennifer and I up to their house for a week. I spent my first real New Years Eve with both my kids. We had a blast with Justins friends Tye, Pat, and Tim. I learned how to play new dice games. And enjoyed a great time just being together.

Why is it you suppose that it is the most peaceful time with my kids when I have them both together and it's so reassuring that they are safe and are such great kids. They both know what they need and want out of life. Wish I did at that age. But we learn by our mistakes.

As I reflect on last year July 12th I was at work and thought I had hurt my shoulder somehow but not sure really how I did it. As the next two weeks go it keeps getting worse and my neck is getting stiff. I had a MRI and I have 5 bulging disc and bone spurs in my neck. I never dreamed in a million years how painful your neck can be and how much you use your neck. I spent 6 weeks on the sofa with ice and heat. Major pills till I got to see my bone specialist. I was scheduled form multiple injections. Then finally the nerve endings were burned on my right side. Lasted about 2 weeks. I have constant pain and very limited to what I can do more than 15 minutes at a time. I see the surgeon tomorrow and we'll see what happens.

Now I work for a well known hospital and you pay all this short term and long term disability insurance to prepare for the unknown just to be told it is up to the medical examiners to approve you. And they have made me jump through hoops let me tell you getting them every little thing they have asked for and just be told they can't approve me. Latest they want me to have this painful nerve ending test next. I refused because I'm in enough pain as it is. I have doctor bills out of this world I can't pay. I can't afford any more. It's amazing how one second in life can change your life forever. Long story short. Lawyer is fighting for me.

It's been a tough year for us. But Mike and I have an amazing love for each other and have gone through so much together in our nearly 18 years. We will get through this as well.

I've decided to start trying to get some of this weight off. I've got to try and cut back and stop this roller coaster I am on called weight gain. The more I make excuses of not doing anything the number keeps going up. But I have to try. I love the in home walking tapes and I'm starting those as we speak.

My mother is doing great and going strong everyday. She has strength beyond anything I could imaagine. She is enjoying life. Enjoying taking care of her great-grand children. I'm so thankful for them giving her something to do. She's raised 7 of us so I think she totally qualifies.

Well off here today with a broken heart and a worried mind. But all things are in God's hands and he will fight my battles for me.

Until next time. Have a Blessed Day everyone. Nothing in this blog is targeted towards anyone just my random thoughts. If you are offended don't read it.

Adventures of 2009

Hello again. This hasn't been the easiest year. Hurt my neck. So much rain up here in Heber Springs that it's totally wrecked the river for fishing therefore has wreck my husbands business. But the hard times is what keeps us strong I think.

Another year has come and gone. Man the older I get the faster they get. Mike, the dogs, and I took a 21 day trip that seemed like around the world. We were in Florida one day and Ohio the next it seemed at time. Sunny Florida to Kansas with wind chill of -14 below. Poor Peedee and Tiny would stand in the snow trying to peepee and looking at me like "woman what have you done"? Where's my warm blankets and the recliner. What hell are we living in now. Poor babies. But we are safe at home now.

Enjoyed a great Christmas dinner with mom and some family. Although some family wouldn't come eat with us ALL as mom invited us ALL not just a few of her kids. But to keep peace I left early so they could come later. I don't understand it seems the older some families get the more childish they become. I will always do what makes mom happy. We only have her a few more years and this is all that matters. I'm told all familes have problems and it's just not mine. Some tell me it's just the end of times. Some tell me it has to do with the older sibblings being so much older than the younger ones and it's this way in all families. I just don't understand it. Some people refuse to let things go for the sake of the family. What does this look like to their kids, grand-kids? How can you possibly know what unconditional love is? No matter what, I will love them all till the day I die. I pray for them and their families daily. I'm appoligized more than once if I've done anything to hurt them. It's all I can do and leave it in God's hands.

Christmas ended with visiting good friends Billy and Paula Immel which Billy gave Mike a job and we are so forever thankful. Paula and I go way back and it's so great to sit and talk about the old school days. Thanking God we both are alive today. We went to the Heber Springs auction and spent time with some good friends there as well Ace and Dee Morgan.

December 30th, Jennifer and I fly to Minnesota to spend 7 days with my son and his lovely girlfriend Allison. Party is planned for New Years Eve.

Well making it short today. Peedee and Tiny are so happy to be home. They never run to the door anymore to go with us when we leave. They sit in the chair and stare like they are saying, No way we are staying home. I think they are afraid they will have to endure another 21 day adventure to hell.

Until next time. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. Your friend Tanna, Peedee, and Tiny.

Hilleman lives on in my heart forever.

Not being able to work the past few days is giving me plenty of time to think. It seems the Rudick's and Faughn's are getting older these days. Seems like each week I hear of someone in our family being sick. It's not so much fun being the youngest alive. There's a good chance I'll see many of my family members pass before me and that isn't any fun at all. I grew up in Hilleman Arkansas most people have never heard of it. But it use to be a thriving little town. There were big families around. I remember Harvey and Ann Dewitt and all their kids. I spent allot of time at their house. Mr. Harvey was so funny. He and Mrs. Ann were such a positive impact on my lives and of course Shanna their daughter and my little brother Chris were sweethearts growing up. Shanna and I played many hours together. I remember when Mr. Max Knight would bail his hay we'd build a city out all those bails. And of course Joseph and Eddie were very good friends and they had tree houses and little clubs. Tommy Mauldin, Joe Armstrong were all in the club. Mrs. Ann Dewitt passed a few months ago I got the joy of being with her some. And spent time with all her kids and we sit and talked about the good old days in Hilleman. One favorite snack Mrs. Ann fixed us was tortilla chips layered in a plate, sprinkle cheddar cheese on them, then spread olives on top, put in microwave for a couple minutes and it was the best snack ever. I fixed this for my kids and I still do for Mike and I. Everytime I do I always think of Mrs. Ann, Mr. Harvey, and all the Dewitts when I do.
But Hilleman had all the families like the Knights, Woods, Armstrongs, Faughns and Rudick's, Holmes, Carters it was a great time in life then.
There use to be a store. Mr. Coles. He and his wife Mrs Cole lived in the back of the store. There was a post office at one time because the slot where people dropped their mail was in the back of my Grandmas house in a bedroom. I remember the swing that I now have on my back deck use to hang in Grandma's tree outside her house before she moved when she got where she could no longer stay by herself. That swing has had so many kids and adults sit and talk about the good old days. Many a 4th of July cookouts involved that old swing. I remember Chris and I swing so high on that swing and grandaddy yelling stop that or I'm going get a switch.
All my uncles I loved them all and so thankful this week Darrell came through his surgery OK and going to be OK.
Well arm is hurting pretty bad and I need not stress it anymore. Until Next time, Sincerely Tanna, Peedee, and Tiny Tim.

Dog Day Summer

Hi everyone it's been awhile. But wanted to give some tips for all our furry animals who are always outside in the heat. Make sure you are giving your animals fresh water 2-3 times a day during the heat. Make sure there is shade or shelter the animals can get under to get out of the sun. Remember dogs normal temp is 101.5 so they are already warm. The heat is very hard on older dogs. Just a good tip if you can not stand the heat or where your animal is kept because it is to hot then they can't either. Personally I would never have a animal that I had to keep out in the heat and cold. Now cats as long as they are kept outside all the time will build a coat for the winter. I know I have 2 and they get so fluffy in the winter. But even at that we have what I call our cat condo my husband built. It is barrells up in the air a bit with hay and out of the winter wind. They love it. It's safe for them and stays nice and warm when two are in it. Outside in the summer I change their water 3-4 times when I'm home. I have on my deck a condo for them where they can climb on and lay in the shade. It has carpet and is two levels for them. It breaks my heart to see people who get dogs and put them on a chain. And thats where they live the rest of their lives. So many people don't need animals in my book. I'd like to place them on a chain and see how they love their living arrangements. Then they wonder why the dog jumps on them all the time. They are not socialable, would you be? Think not. Animals need companionship just as people do. They need to be a part of your life. Domestic dogs are not able to survive on their own. Then there's people who don't care and let their dogs run all over pooping in other peoples yards, getting in peoples trash because they are hungry, they are not fed a good food, wormed, have shots, given heartworm preventive, and flea and tick protection. These are the last people who need animals.
To sum this blog up if you get an animal take care of it. Do the proper treatments if you love them and want them to live long lives. Spay and Neuter them this causes animals to be healthier, live longer, they won't want to run off, and most of all have unwanted puppies who will go and have more unwanted puppies this is why animal shelters are full and have to put down millions a year due to people not being responsible pet owners.

Until next time. Don't shop Adopt. www.petfinders.com for your next adoptable animal that hopfully will live in your home and enjoy life together.

Peedee and Tiny Tim-Spring Time

Well most of you know who Peedee is. I use to write about him allot in the McCory paper. Peedee is doing great. I've added a little Buddie to the Whiteford house back in Nov. 07 his name is Tiny Tim. In 2005-2006 I started volunteering at the Animal Shelter here in Heber Springs. In 2007 I was asked to be Director because the previous manager was having allot of issues along with all the workers there had the same problem. So I agreed. I fired all of them there and hired a crew that still are the best group of people you can find to manage a shelter. I wasn't there long till I got to find out first hand what a Puppy Mill was. I went to Clinton and picked up 30 out of the 143 animals found in a woman's home in Clinton Arkansas. This was this woman's 2ND puppy mill to stop operations. A few years before she had over 300 dogs in Prim Arkansas which is full of puppy mills to this day. But anyway I saw this teeny tiny little tea cup chi chi dog in a kennel where everyone was bigger than him. He was so poor and had no muscle mass. He ate the other dogs poop because everyone ate the other food up from him. My heart sank and knew I had to get him out of this shelter where all the puppy mill dogs were being housed or he was going to die. I picked him up and he and I fell in love with each other. I asked the shelter manager and she told me I could foster him till the trial was over. Well one year later the lady got her hand slapped a $5000 fine and never served a day in jail. Puppy mill owners often have mental illiness as hoarders as well. She had freezers full of dead dogs and they were not working. She had snakes with their heads cut off in freezers. She had dead puppies in coke cans with the tops cut off. She had opened her females to count the puppies so she could get the deposits on them. Her dogs lived in feces and urine that no human could imagine. The feces was so deep in the house you couldn't tell where the beds and comodes where in the house it was up to your knees. There was dead puppies in cages with their mothers. It was the most disturbing thing I'd had ever been involved in.

But Tiny was mine she didn't get her dogs back. After a year in court. Tiny had been a stud for her and she got $2000 every time she bred him, he cost her nearly $3000 but Tiny had been so over bred he had testicle cancer. I had to neuter him which was what I wanted to do anyway. Well Tiny till is very scared of people sometimes. He takes special care because he is so little. He's only 2.9 pounds and is now 5 years old. He is very healthy. He loves me and I never knew I could love an animal so much. Spring is a good season for my dogs because they are sensitive to cold weather but Spring lets them be able to run in the yard and sit out on the fenced in deck. Also it's the time for checkups at the vets office, teeth cleanings, and test.

Because of what happened to Tiny and I know first hand what puppy mills are about. I went on to Animal Cruelty Investigator training and now I am certified to do Animal Cruelty Investigations for AR,TX,OK, and LA I also went on and received training as a Certified Animal Control Officer. I have made it my life's dedication to help stop Puppy Mills and animal cruelty in my state. Peedee is like Tiny's big brother and Tiny loves him very much. I hope someday God answers my prayers and lets me have my own rescue center and no kill shelter here in Cleburne County.

Stop buying those cute little puppies in Walmart parking lots, pet stores, or Internet. 99% of the time these puppies come from Puppy Mills. Adopt from a animal shelter go to www.petfinders.com
Well until next time. Tanna,Peedee,and Tiny

Dogs on Chains

Why do people get dogs just to put them on a chain for their whole life? How horrible. When you got the cute puppy oh you just thought he was the cutest thing and then when he got older you put him on a chain with no shelter, you wash his bowl out maybe once a year of course only after the water is green and the bowl is black. This causes bacteria in your dogs water and can make him very sick or feel sick most days. Now lets talk about that feed bowl it's so yuck would you like to eat your food like that. Dogs can get life threatening diseases that cause interal parasites and other problems with in the bowels. This is how, mice go drink in your dogs water and we all know mice will leave urine everywhere he goes. This causes harmful toxins to form in your dogs stomach and bowels. Now lets talk about the food you feed your dogs.
OLD ROY IS THE WORSE FOOD YOU CAN FEED ANY ANIMAL!!!! If you truely love your animals don't feed them "OLD ROY"
Go on the inernet and do your home work. It causes cancer in dogs who have been fed this food for long periods of time. Yeah it's cheaper but if you want a long time companion and a dog that will live longer don't feed this stuff to your dog. At least feed purina if you insist on feeding your dog food from Walmart. And don't be fooled by that Benifel stuff either. Do your home work.
Now leaving a dog on a chain, cats are so happy they are not mans best friend, Ha! Dogs who are never off their chain will be more agressive, they will attack other dogs, they will become very territorial. Dogs who are left on chains become anit-socialable and more people are bite by dogs on chains than any other dogs. You must train your dog to behave. I have people say he jumps on us all the time. Then teach him not too. This can be done by saying "NO" and puting him down off you. If this doesn't work every time he jumps on you put your knee in his chest and knock him back wards this only takes a couple time. But always say "NO". Check the web out there are wonderful training tips out there. Dogs are only as smart as their owners you know. Please walk the dog, interact with him so he will be a loving pet all his life. Water and Food bowls should be washed out daily or at least once a week. Feed good food to have a healthier and happier dog.

Got to www.petfinders.com to see all the wonderful animals that are adoptable in your area. Don't support breeders or pet stores they all come from puppy mills and will only cost you more money with vet bills for the conditions they live in. Before buying from a breeder ask to see where they are kept and the mother and father. If they want to meet you in a parking lot or won't let you come to their home to check it out 99% of the time they are puppy mills. Stop this cruelty adopted a homeless animal. 25% of animals in shelters are registered and pure breds due to people moving, can no longer have the animal or it was a gift they did not want.

Till next time. Tanna

You Make A Difference-Poem

“ YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE”
Dedicated to all of us fighting this war.
BY Tanna Whiteford
Certified Arkansas Animal Control Officer
Certified Animal Cruelty Investigator


You make the difference with your heart and soul
This you must surely know
Rescuing and protecting animals
Since they have no rights, so were told

Your heart’s desire is to find them and stop their pain
To find them, save them, love them,
And nurse them back to health again

You know you are their only voice in this cruel old world
Their pain and suffering just isn’t enough
You know you make a difference
By offering hope and love

From the abandon puppy to the starving horse
Because humans give them no choice
You are the difference no matter the cost
For those animals starving, mistreated, beaten, and lost

You make the difference this is true
Those starving pit bulls, horse slaughters, puppy mills and more
Are waiting for
No one other than YOU!

Keep fighting this fight we are sure to win
For a safe world for all the animals will someday soon begin.