Stephanie Logan

Happy President's Day to all of you! Today, as I was driving around town I, once again, appreciated living in a smaller town. All of the businesses were proudly displaying large american flags in honor of this holiday. Our sidewalks downtown and on the main streets have recessed flag holders for just such occasions. Sometime during the night or early in the morning all of the flags were placed by the Moses Lake city workers. It means extra work for them but it sure does look patriotic around here. Thank you!

Yesterday I had my first encounter with someone whose home had been forclosed on. Boy did that conversation leave an impression on my heart and mind. I know that I have a great life and am very lucky to have the friends that I do, have a roof over my head, my health, my great animals, food, vehicles, nice clothes and so many other things that I forget to appreciate daily. Talking to this lady yesterday about her current predicament really hit me hard.

It all started innocently enough. Yesterday afternoon I had the floor. Our front desk assistant needed to run an errand and asked me to watch the front for a few minutes. The phone rang and I answered with our usual greeting. The woman on the other end was very confused so I waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts and get organized. She thought that someone from our office had phoned her earlier in the day and was trying to figure out why. I was the only one in the office at the time and I know that I didn't call her but she was very confused.

We had one agent out showing homes so I thought maybe this woman had a home for sale that was being looked at that evening. I asked her if she had her home listed and that's where the story gets sad. Mind you, the woman on the other end of the line sounded elderly and frail and I was picturing her in my mind throughout our talk. She told me that she hoped her house wasn't being shown that day because she had just signed foreclosure papers the day before. Ouch.

She was being forced out of a home that she had inherited from her father when he passed away. The payments had become too much for her and she was unable to hang on to it. Currently she lives with 2 small dogs and 2 cats that she considers her family. All of these animals she has raised from infancy and can't bear the thought of losing them. Our town has very few rentals that allow pets and she was beside herself trying to find a place to live where she could keep her animals together.

Imagine losing your home. No where to go. The security that your father tried to give you is now gone. And now you're being forced to give up the animals that make your life full and happy. I gave her a coupke of numbers of rentals that I know of that will accept pets. Made some phone calls on her behalf and gave her my number in case there is anything else that I can do. It's not a lot when you look at what she is faced with.

So I'm wondering, where have all the intelligent, compassionate people gone? Are all late payees treated the same? Or is there any latitude for a case by case answer? It's rhetorical. I know the answer already but it's disappointing. I'm not a lender and I certainly don't have the financial resources to fund homes for other folks. But man, we are all in this together and it would be nice if we used our heads to see who really does need help and who is trying to scam the system. And if we used our hearts to come up with a more accepting solution than ripping an old woman's home away from her and leaving her to fend for herself. There but for the grace of God go I...

Pretty soon Grant county will have another great restaurant to hang out in. SOUTHPAWS SPORTS GRILL is located on Pioneer in the building that once housed an all-you-can-eat chinese buffet. I've seen a copy of their menu and it looks yummy! They plan to have lots of large tvs in there for us sports fans and a full bar of course. Look for the grand opening coming soon and plan to give them a try!

Mark your calendar's for Friday, February 20th!! This is the 10th annual Children's Free Dentistry Day hosted by Moses Lake's very own Dr. Craig Harder, DDS! Dr. Harder and his awesome staff give quite a bit back to our community and this one is open to anyone under 18 years of age. They will provide complimentary cleanings and exams. Any additional necessary treatment will be done as time permits so book your appointments early!

If you, or someone you know, is in need of a check-up please phone their office at 509-765-4351 or visit their web site at moseslakedentist.com. Moses Lake Family Dentistry is truly a local business that is concerned with the community in which they live and work.

To any of you who are new to the area or looking to move here think of Moses Lake Family Dentistry for your future needs. This team gives their time, skill and effort throughout the year so that we all can have beautiful smiles!

I have a bird. Her name is Turd Bird. Truly. When she came to me (yet another rescue) I had no idea what sex she was. Lots of my friends gave me their opinions but I really wasn't sure until she started laying eggs last summer. I'm a pretty quick learner so I picked up on that right away! So for weeks I would try out different names but Turd Bird is what she wound up with. Not only is it her name but it also describes her favorite hobby. I read somewhere that cockatiels poop every 15 minutes or so. Not my girl. She is an over achiever if there ever was one! If she makes it 5 minutes without going potty it's amazing.

Birds are like very small children. They need/demand a lot of attention, are curious about everything and they put their beaks on anything within reach. When I'm home I have her out with me quite a bit. In the mornings she hangs out in the bathroom while I get my day started. She loves bathrooms because of the big mirrors! Because Turdy spends so much time in the loo I've rearranged things so that she won't get into too much trouble. Jewelry and any other shiny object draws her like a magnet so those expensive items have been put away. I know that she likes to nibble on caps and the end of a toothpaste tube but I don't usually watch her every move. My mistake! Somehow, the other morning, Turdy managed to drag the tube over the side of a shelf and drop my new toothpaste into the toilet. Pretty offensive! So there I am staring into the toilet bowl looking at my toothpaste. She is still standing on the shelf looking at me and then down into the toilet. The bird wanted her treasure back! My animals usually get what they want but even I had to draw the line at that one!

That's it. The end of my story. Hope you got a little chuckle from one of my ark stories! Have a great day everyone. ~S