Mutt Mutt Molly (Miracle Dog)

Posted on August 2, 2026 by CajuTex Treasures

Chapter Five

No way were we giving up

We became lifelong friends on the back patio. A few weeks passed and she was at ease with us. She chose when she wanted to be petted and was fiercely independent. She ran and romped in the yard, but she also disappeared regularly. We never knew which direction she would arrive back home from. We planned a trip to the vet and we tried to get her into the car but that didn’t go well the first time. She would walk up to the car door while on a leash (no she didn’t like that). My husband attempted to pick her up and gently put her in the car…. mistake! She bit him but we both knew it was out of fear and her free-spirited nature. Otherwise, she didn’t seem to have a mean bone in her body. I tried getting her in the car again, but this time I put her blanket in the car, I got in the back seat and talked to her and said ‘good girl’ over and over, as I had done in the beginning. We finally got her in and off to the vet we went. She got her shots, heart worm test and prevention and that is when we learned her she was probably 7-9 months old.

She just wanted to be free. Once she was healed, we let her stay out of the fence. She would sleep in one of the chairs on the patio, always with her blanket. Eventually she tore that up and I got her another one. We would get big beef bones for her to chew on thinking it would curtail her habit of scavenging and bringing home her special treasures. It was to the point of amazement (where on earth did she find that) and unhappy resignation on our part. She also enjoyed digging in our flower beds and refused to let any of the plants stay where they belonged.

No way were we giving up. Her log house was finished now and although it took some coaxing she did eventually go in and seemed at ease there. Winter was coming on, so my husband also made a heater for the doghouse. It was made out of a large tin can with a bulb inside it and powered with a long extension cord. We bought her a large cushy dog bed to go inside it and knowing how she loved to carry things around and tear stuff up, we screwed it down to the bottom inside the house. We placed her food and water bowls close by, and we had high hopes that she would love her new home so much that she would settle down and stay home instead of roaming around.

We walked outside the next morning to find the dog bed in shreds all over the yard. There was nothing left in the doghouse but the material that was held by the screws. The extension cord was chewed in pieces (it’s a wonder it didn’t electrocute her). We did not know what to do and we did start to give up a little bit. We accepted we could not control her, but we loved her and still wanted her to be ok. I worried about her constantly. She would visit other dogs across the busy highway we live on, and I held my breath every time I came home from work, knowing it was just a matter of time before she would run in front of a car.

Lifelong Learner – without a doubt!

Posted on July 12, 2026July 16, 2026 by CajuTex Treasures

Photo by Jessica Lewis Creative on Pexels.com

I am without a doubt, a lifelong learner. I knew it early on, even though women in my generation (50s & 60’s) were not held to the same standards and aspirations that the males in a family were; for example, my brother was told that if he maintained his A average through high school, he would get a car when he graduated and he did – a beautiful new olive green 1968 GTO. I was happy for him and proud of him for his A average. I was proud of him because he was very smart and still is. I thought my brother could do no wrong.

The expectations of my parents for me as a young woman was that I would attend business college so that I would have something to ‘fall back on’ should something happen to my husband. So, I did. There was never any question that we girls would get married, have children, and take care of the home. Going back a little further in time I can remember my father telling my two sisters and I that we need to concentrate on learning skills to be a homemaker such as cleaning and cooking, and we also were required to know how to cut up a whole chicken. It makes sense because my grandfather kept chickens. We had fresh eggs and they would process chickens for us to eat once or twice a year. My grandparents also had a large garden from the time they moved next to us in their 60s from Louisiana. Folks growing up in the depression saw those attributes and abilities as survival skills. I sincerely hope I did not disappoint since I married at 21, had four sons by the time I was 30 and found that I truly loved being a mom and taking care of my family, which I did exclusively for about 10 years. I frequently went to the library in those early years of raising our children. I realized that I enjoyed learning so much, whereas, before I didn’t have the confidence to know my capabilities. I checked out books about English, writing and literature. I also loved reading about animals and gardening; babies and children and enjoyed history. I loved learning! I also wanted my children to love books and learning. Through some unforeseen circumstances, it became necessary for me to re-join the workforce as office manager of the local sheriff department. That was in 1982., I learned a great deal from that position and continue to manage business offices.

Fast forward- I started earning my bachelor’s degree when I was 42 and finished it in my 50s. I went on to obtain two master’s degrees both in subjects that I love- management and leadership and digital marketing to assist in my writing career. I am an avid believer that it is never too late to pursue your dream no matter how elusive it seems. Enjoy the journey 🎉

CajuTexTreasures, Feathers 'N Fur

Mutt Mutt Molly – Miracle Dog

Posted on January 4, 2026August 6, 2026 by CajuTex Treasures

Chapter 4

Finally, small breakthroughs along with bigger issues

Even with her left hind leg that stuck straight out she could jump, climb, and run.

The next step to foster trust was to offer treats like sausage, bacon, or biscuit bites from my hand – even more wonderful than the dog food she had grown to love I would inch closer and she would stand her ground. I would hand her the treat with my thumb and forefinger and touch her chin with my other fingers always being very gentle. She began to trust me more and I began to trust her. I let my grandkids stand beside me as I gave her treats and they were able to hand them to her also. We share a love of animals, and we wanted to pet her so much. This went on for several weeks and we could see she was obviously relaxing. She was healing and although her hip was crippled, she could walk, and we discovered she had a free spirit for sure.

We had a small but happy breakthrough. She began to follow my husband around the yard as he did chores but always kept her distance. When he stopped to work, she would lie down and wait until he came back to the house then of course back to her hole again. She came out from under the house more and would routinely to make the rounds of our neighborhood. She would jump up on the bench and sit while we were outside. Even with her left hind leg that stuck straight out she could jump and run. She had a joyfulness about her with an intelligence that kept her on guard always. We would see her returning home from all directions. Then the breakthrough wasn’t so happy. We live on a busy highway, and it was clear that she had not learned much from getting run over. She would cross the road and sometimes just hang out right by the road.

She has an independent free-spirited nature and loved bringing all sorts of things to our yard, like newspapers, carcasses, and trash in general. It was an ongoing chore to pick up the messes she made. We didn’t know it at the time, but she was only about 6 months old when she came to us. Honestly, I wondered if I would ever be able to pet her. I made calls to the county animal control, to the local pet shelter, and to the Sheriff department asking if they could catch her so she could get care for her injuries and then adopted by a family. None of these agencies could help as we were rural and she hadn’t bitten anyone, so we were on our own.

A favorite pastime for us is to sit on the back patio and watch the birds and squirrels come to the feeders we have placed there. One day as we were sitting there, out of the blue and to our amazement, she rounded the corner and walked right up to my husband. He reached out and pet her and scratched her ears, like they were old friends. I was also able to pet her, such a rewarding experience. We were able to place a collar on her after several tries. There was always a hint of suspicion in her eyes with quick movements on our part or any attempt to hold her would meet with protest in the form of pulling back and running away. We are pretty sure someone was mean to her because she behaved in such a traumatized way. We will never know what all she had been through, but it had taken close to 3 months to build enough trust for her to allow that simple touch.

Feathers 'N Fur

Posted on December 9, 2025January 4, 2026 by CajuTex Treasures

Chapter Three

This turned out to be a Marathon…Not a Sprint.

She seemed to love the blanket I gave her. She would carry it from place to place in the yard She started looking healthier and gaining weight. I could see her beauty emerging.

OK, now, this little girl would have to work a little more for her keep. I continued to put her food by the hole as usual, but then I started sitting about 40 feet away quietly watching, and she eventually would come out to eat with me there. Every couple of days I moved a little closer and she seemed more comfortable with me being there. It had been about 5 weeks, but very little progress had been made, except that she was starting to look much healthier. Her hip and all her cuts and scrapes were healing, although her left back leg stuck straight out, making it difficult for her to get around easily.

I moved her bowl a little away from the house, and after she came out to eat for a few days, I m and I would sit on the grass about 6 feet away. It took a couple more days, but then she carefully made her way to the delicious smell-good gravy train-can food with me sitting there. I said, ‘Good girl,’ gently and quietly, over and over as she ate, and we became friends. She still watched every move I made, and I was pretty sure someone had mistreated her terribly. I moved her bowl further and further into the yard so that she would have to come out and stay longer to eat.

We had been on this adventure for about 2 months, and I could see that she was less frightened and seemed grateful to me. We still had a long way to go. There was such kindness in her eyes, and I was convinced she would not bite or be aggressive, but I did continue to be cautious just in case something frightened her. I longed just to touch her and let her feel the compassion and love that had grown in my heart for her.

Grit with Grace

My Heart Soars

Posted on November 9, 2025November 9, 2025 by CajuTex Treasures

In 2016, Jacee Beth Thomas was in an auto/train accident and thus began her long journey back to strength and a life well lived…Little by little she worked hard to achieve small and large milestones in her recovery. I used to read rodeo news and saw this article as soon as it happened. I have followed her, prayed for her, and found joy in watching her and her loving family overcome numerous obstacles. They have hundreds of followers, and this is just a small way I could show I pray and root for them every day!

I haven’t met you, but my heart is somehow connected. I’ve cried and worried about you… I send prayers for you every day, and there is no doubt how much I care. Every little triumph makes my heart soar and leaves me wanting more. I feel emotions all at once – sadness, love, compassion, and gratitude. fear, hope, and steely faith that God’s got this!

Sadness, wishing that it hadn’t happened…. Love and compassion for your pain, your family, and friends in this beautiful life that was changed in an instant. Gratitude it wasn’t my child but fear, knowing it could’ve been and still could be…. Unwavering hope that improvement continues and faith as strong as steel, that no matter what, this amazing family will carry on in love and steadfastness.

Our Father knew what He was doing when he breathed love for a child into a parent, the love of a friend strong and true, and the love of humans to feel the pain of someone we don’t even know. Loving is a miraculous choice. God could have made us pawns ‘starring’ in an interesting show for His amusement except that we are so much more in His eyes. He longs for us to choose His way of care and kindness toward our families and fellow man. Since we are not created as robots in a pre-planned world, bad things happen (yes, to good people). Thankfully, when we seek it, God supplies the strength we need to turn to Him and recognize Him as our Savior, the master of our life plan, and the King of our souls.

Philippians 4:13 I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me”
Matt-11-28″ Come to me, all who are weary and burdened; I will give you rest.
Luke: 12:23-24 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap; they have no storehouse or barn, yet God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than the birds?