The POSITIVE ATTITUDE for the Weary Soul group gives you the opportunity to share the miracles in your life during this fall season with a creative writing challenge . Join in on the challenge with the  FALL SEASON OF MIRACLES CONTEST | Positive Attitude for the Weary Soul Group

I've been a member of the  POSITIVE ATTITUDE for the Weary Soul  for quite some time and love participating and reading posts.   This contest, however, made me think about what has affected me and my life - my family.


The tragedy of losing my lovely Spenser the Rhodesian Ridgeback.   A show dog, a beautiful and special dog.  A dog I wanted for so long and I loved so much.   The anniversary of his loss was last week.   It is so sad, so unexpected, and so hard for our family.  


I am one of the most positive people you will every meet, although very risk conscious, I can look at the bright side of anything.   Until I lost my Spenser, the horror of the unexpected.    It can find you at anytime.  I was grateful that we could be there for him and send him off to the rainbow bridge with our love and blessing.

After his loss, we helped our other dog Kira grieve, she loved Spenser too.   She was glad to move up in rank but really hated being the only dog.   We had lost our cat of 20 years the year before.   We took up driving her around with us; and making sure we were there for her.    She felt alone.    I decided that at the very least, I could start the inquiries on new pups.  We weren't sure whether we wanted to move to downtown D.C. and didn't need such a big house or yard, the economy is turning after all.   We didn't really want another pet after such loss the last two years, but again, looking at Kira who felt sad and alone - it was hard.   We didn't know what to do.  She didn't like other dogs, as she never developed dog social skills - she is a people dog - a rescue and we are the third owners.    Play dates were not an option for her and it hurt me to see her so sad.   

Rhodesian Ridgebacks are not a common breed and it can take quite some time to get a dog.    I thought about rescues, but Kira simply didn't like other dogs.   A puppy, I felt might work, but a grown dog just wasn't doable.   A longtime breeder and Rhodesian Ridgeback judge told me about a breeder in Rockville, MD he worked with, who just had a litter that was ready to go.   I definitely wasn't ready, and wanted to know about his planned litters and other future litters.   He urged us to visit - besides she likely wouldn't have any puppies left anyway.   

Maybe we should get a cat, maybe that would be enough for Kira.   Let's visit these kittens and oh, by the way, lets stop by and look at the breeding stock in Rockville.  We went to visit....how predictable is this....   

Then, the miracle.   His name is Parker, an unexpected, unplanned, unconventional Rhodesian Ridgeback of such love and utter neediness that the loss of Spenser is actually tempered by his love, hope, and generosity of spirit.   He does some of the exact same things, but couldn't look more different or be more different in personality.   They are polar opposites.   Spenser loved the outdoors. 

Parker quickly let us know that if we decide to move to a condo in DC or a townhouse - he is good with that.   He hates the outdoors alone and is scared of anything unusual - racoons, snakes, groundhogs, and the like (although loves his walks).

The tremendous amount of time and effort a young puppy needs distracted us from our grief - and Kira loved having a young pup around to teach him the ropes.   He is nicknamed Parker T....with the T standing for trouble and he has more stories in his young life than I think I could write about.   He is such a beautiful miracle that we brought home just before Thanksgiving last year and he just turned a year old.  

I never could conceive that the loss of such a wonderful dog would ever lead to a dog that makes me laugh every day.  A dog Kira can love an nuture.  A dog that would help us through our grief to find a way to laugh every day (and typically all day).

   It is truly a miracle.

Rosemont is a community in Gaithersburg, Maryland located just North of Shady Grove Road and West of Route 355.   This is a community of custom built homes with large lots and off street parking with most homes having a one or two car garage.   This neighborhood is located near the Shady Grove Metro Red Line and very close to fast commuter routes - including the new Intercounty Connector that will be seeing its final completion soon.

Rosemont has not been immune to short sales and foreclosures, but most homes in Rosemont have been conventional sales in the last year.  There is one active home on the market, five sales, and there were two homes that failed to sell.  

The following is a map of these homes that were on the market in the last year.

No power!   I've lived in this house for 14 years and we've always had power.  The neighbors and I like to joke that there is a secret government facility nearby that we are on their grid.   Okay, we've lost power for like two hours overnight before (barely noticed) and have had the five minutes of power loss - but it always comes miraculously back up.   This time that storm got us and took down a huge tree on Virginia Avenue and we have to wait in line.  With less than 200 homes in the neighborhood we are not a priority area. 

As I like to look at the positive:

• at least we have water.  Some people in the neighborhood are still on well water...however, this dwindles every year. 
• at least we don't have any damage.  There are a lot of damaged homes and property.
• at least the dry ice place had dry ice.  They even gave lessons for those rookies like me!
• at least we weren't blocked in.  We like on a dead end street and we could get by the downed trees.
• at least it wasn't as hot as it had been.  While it wasn't cool it wasn't hot.
• at least we are safe.  This of course, is the most important.

The best attitude is always the best position.  Have a great day!

8916 Edgewood Dr, Gaithersburg, MD  20877 is an amazing center-hall colonial located in the Rosemont Neighborhood of Gaithersburg, Maryland.

This home features four very large bedrooms on the upper level and two full baths.  The Master Bedroom Suite has very large dual walk-in closets; a dressing area with a sink and a full bath.  This home features hardwood floor on the main and upper levels.   The main level has a huge eat-in kitchen with a central island and beautiful maple cabinets; there is a laundry/mud-room off the kitchen with a door to the outside patio; a very large separate dining room; spacious living room; main level family room with fireplace and built-ins; power-room; large foyer; a very nice sun-room off the family room; and a large deck with a nicely landscaped backyard. The basement is fully finished with a large recreation room with fireplace; work out room; pool area; and a half-bath. 



Commuting is a breeze with I370/I270/355/Shady Grove Road close by and if you are ambitious it is slightly over  a mile to the Shady Grove Metro Station or you can just take the close-by Metro Bus.   Walk to shopping/restaurants/community center/places of worship.

Listed at: $550,000.

Was that a tornado?  Apparently almost!  According to some neighbors it was a bonafide tornado.  The community which is in central Montgomery County, Maryland took quite a tumble yesterday, during a brief but powerful storm that literally ripped through the subdivision.  The were literally dozens of trees down and uprooted, miscellaneous property damage, and telephone and powerlines down.  However, power to the community at large was active as is typical during storms.   "This community rarely loses power" said a neighbor.  Another neighbor is quoted as saying "it literally took the tree up into the air swirling it around before it dumped it in the neighbor's yard".

According to http://www.city-data.com/city/Gaithersburg-Maryland.html the City of Gaithersburg has tornado activity slightly above the state average and 60% greater than the average U.S. Average.

The Rosemont community is conveniently  located in Gaithersburg, Mongtomery County, Maryland is quiet little community with some parts being in the City of Gaithersburg (City of Gaithersburg services) and some parts not (those homes have Montgomery County services).   

The homes are typically between .40 acre to slightly over an acre lot on average and all are custom built homes with off street parking and garages.  No injuries were reported.  Long time resid

ents of the community reported never "seeing anything like it" the "winds were swirling around and starting to form a tornado".  A local supermarket also reportedly lost its roof to the storm. 

Yipee!  A snow day!!!   A real snow day!!!

We are getting much more snow than the region is used to dealing with and thus - the real estate market in Montgomery County, Maryland is not moving at all.

At least the plows are making to the neighborhood and we still have power.  Have a great day!

The dogs are enjoying their snow day too...