What can I say?

After yesterday's rant, I am quite embarrassed to show my words here again. I was really over the edge - but I really was. I was feeling quite distraught. Things are better, but there is still that undercurrent that bubbles up occasionally.

I am wondering if some little long dormant gland decided to make an overload of a hormone and dump it into my bloodstream. Last night, I was watching the Wednesday night comedies. I sat and cried at the end of each one. Of course, G wasn't anywhere around.

I don't know if my mood is feeding his lousy mood, or vice-versa. He is a bear these days. A real grump. Lady Bug, as part of her science, got a meal worm. She named it Grumpy Pa. Guess who she was honoring? Anyway, these times are not really good around here. These times come and go. I don't see that anything will be a drastic change since we have been married 42 years. We just have learned to pass in the night.

***************************************************************************

Thinking of Lady Bug - she is going to get her first B in her school time. I know she is only 4th grade, but you can't believe how competitive the kids in her class are. I am really kind of glad she is getting it - now. I taught many of 7th grader who had never gotten a "B" before. They were almost suicidal. She fully earned this grade. On an important paper, she didn't listen to instructions and got a 44. That will wreck a good average, but she had a 70 and a lot of "B's" too.

**************************************************************************

I have PT again today. It's been quite a while since I have had PT, and a very long time since I have had it at the pain place. Usually I feel good after the workout. This last time caused more back pain than I had before going in. She had to change me to 4, and I really hate the thought of the traffic getting home. At least I will be going against it.

So brings me to an end of my musings.

Peace be with you.

A flair for the dramatic

I don't know what is going on with me - my mind, my body. It really started last week after my last injection in the ol' back.

The next day, everyone was noticing my face flushing. I have no idea where that is coming from, but it is still hanging on. So, since I am not dramatic at all, I think that it hurts. Last night I was really flushed, and I will swear that my face was a little painful. I don't know what is bringing all this about. It sure isn't because something is embarrassing me. There is little in this world that can do that anymore.

To couple the face flushing, the other night I had a full fledged hot flash - again. I have not had one of those suckers in quite a while. In fact, during the summer which was usually absolute misery for me, I was pleasantly cool. It is not happening now. Of course, yesterday we had a record high temperature, but it was still only 92 which should be wonderful.

Well all this other stuff is messing with my mind. When I started this post, I really was thinking that I just needed to go off for a while. I really think I am bordering on clinical depression. I can be so low. I just feel so alone. As I said, yesterday was really a hard day.

I think one thing I need to do is get out and meet people. Let's face it, you cannot be a fading rose if you teach. You are among other things a stand-up-comic. You are with people (yea, those little runny nosed, hormone ridden creatures called early teens are people) all day. They keep you going. I am not with any people. I am just here.

I have referred to my ex-best friend. That one is really a fact of life now. When I emailed her with the news of the birth of Little Teeny, she remarked that we hadn't communicated in so long, she didn't even know DIL was pregnant. Yep - that's true. Because I have given up. Finished.

Pronouncing the death of the friendship doesn't bring joy to my heart. Just the opposite. That sorrow is pretty much self centered. I am feeling sorry for myself. Poor little me. Little old retired lady. I just don't get around folks very often. For the most part - I visit with sales folks - or the PT person.

I have been married all these years to a basically anti-social person. He doesn't like people. When we would have a couple over, if he got sleepy, he would get up, announce he was going to bed, and went! So who is out with people - right. But I am not paying for his anti-social behaviors. I have no friends. I do have some I keep up with through emails and/or Facebook. They live in other cities. Doesn't meet my daily needs. I have even established friendships - again through Facebook with previous students. Those are my special joys, but let's face it - they aren't going to become BFFs!!

Sorry for the vent. I am still thinking of ways that I can solve this problem. I have thought about church, but like G's aunt - I don't want to be part of those old people! (tacky, tacky) I am looking at finding some volunteering things. That might be good. Lets just say that I am still mourning a death (my friendship), my daughter's busy life, and my own boring life. Getting mobility back has brought both good and bad. It is up to me to make it good. Thanks for the ear.

Peace be with you (and me).

It's meeeeeeeeee

We are finally back from the testosterone laden SSB. SIL and Monkey Boy extended an overnight stay into the weekend stay. Really, it was fine, and it was a time that MB will remember for a long time. SIL loves to exaggerate thoughts and feelings, but means well. He says how excited MB was to spend the time with US, but I suspect it was as much as with his dad as anything.

SIL was coming up to set up his feeders. He is convinced that he would never see a deer without those feeders - that are within 10 feet of one another. He also wants them on a bald as prairie. Don't give any natural cover. I guess I will get off his case now. But he is so addicted to those outdoor magazines and tv shows that talk about hunting in the Rocky Mountains.

I know there are a large number of folks that do not like hunting. I recognize that. I am not a hunter. It isn't that I don't enjoy the meat. I certainly do. I have been eating it all my life - thanks early on to my uncle who loved to hunt, but had no freezer (!??!??!?). I just don't want to take the chance of wounding an animal. I just can't kill one. In our area, there are just flat too many deer. If hunting were outlawed, there really would be a lot of dead deer anyway. We are in a semi arid area where the oaks only put on acorns once a year, and the rest of the vegetation is scrub. The informed farmers and ranchers won't allow the natural predators to keep all the populations in check, so ... Listen to me go on here! Why, you would think I went to college and became one of those wild life folks who know what's going on with the ecosystem. Well, yes as a matter of fact, I did! But enough of this. The whole situation is something that I or no one else is changing in the near future.

We had a good weekend. I was a little worried when it was announced that we would have two additional mouths for Sunday dinner. One who won't eat anything but sandwiches and chicken nuggets - with catsup, and another who is rather like a Hoover vacuum. I knew we must have something because that's just the way I am. If push came to shove - it would have been the dried beef over something.

I went to the little cube freezer. I had been threatening to clean it for eons. So this was it. When you open that poor little thing, you have to pray the ice packs will fit. Well, I began pulling twenty pound bags of ice out, and guess what - the thing is only half full. Plus, there lurking in the very bottom was a bag of gumbo (actually two bags and a little container). We were saved. I got out the big soup pot and put that hunk of frozen gumbo in it. I let it go all day. I also found some yeast rolls to let rise and bake. MB had a sandwich.

Well - one of these days he may eat.

Peace be with you.

Getting ready for the SSB

I really ought to just let SIL and G go. The only reason not is that SIL won't be going until Saturday afternoon after Monkey Boy's T-ball game. He wanted to go two weeks ago, but Daughter insisted that it was MB's first game. I guess I just am not into the sports stuff. It was a long holiday, and the kids would have liked to go to the ranch. But ... What Momma says goes. After all, if Momma ain't happy, no one is happy!

I would like to stay here and work on Christmas items. The time is going quickly, and I have a lot to do! I found two sets, well actually there were more like six, of embroidery files. They were cats saying and dog sayings. The hitch was they were $15 a piece. After plunking down $2500 (yes you read correctly) for Shadow's surgery, I have to be quite judicious about what I am spending. Here it is Christmas, and I have to pinch those pennies. Would I do the heroic measure on a cat again - especially one that loves to gnaw on me, yes. He didn't ask to be here. He is my responsibility now. I really am going to try to get some pictures of him and his sexy hair cut this weekend. He looks like something the cat drug in. (Please don't throw bottles at me - I couldn't resist the pun)

Poor old Simone is not acting right. She has defecated and urinated twice in the entry hall this month. I don't know if she is getting senile or if G isn't paying close enough attention when they get up. I am the first to admit that I am not up at that ungodly time of day. Did that for 44 years. I am through. But she is just showing signs of things not being right. I don't know her age; I am guessing at 8 or 9. She is getting really old for a boxer. She is my silver boxer girl. So I will take her to the vet for another unknown amount of money. I can't stand to see her suffer if she is.

So I am off on my appointed rounds to prepare for the trek to the wilderness. There are a few things I need. Other places I have to stop - like my seemingly favorite stop - the vet. But Simone is almost out of her car-sick pills. We. Can't. Have. That. Makes for a miserable trip. See you Tuesday.

Here again.

Yesterday was once again a la-la land day. I had another round of injections to block nerves in my back. I have finally learned that I am to come home and go to bed. I finally have found if I remain in the vertical position, I will have the headache from hell the next day. As it was, I only stayed up for blunch (combination of breakfast and lunch since I had to be NPO). The second time was dinner and a little sitting up for some big screen tv for Dirty Jobs! Today - headache for half the day. I don't think it was worth it. I should have settled for the little bedroom screen since I fell asleep when the program was half over.

Today I had blunch again. What fascinating writing here! Everything you ever wanted to know about my exciting life. But that was because I slept until almost ten. The headache you know. It is finally gone as I write this at 1PM.

I wrote about deadlines before. Well she almost did another to me. She wanted a Harry Potter cape. Now I don't know anything about Ol' Harry. Never read the books, never watched the movie. I gave only random looks at the posters. I envisioned a cape - not too much different from Dracula. Hey no problem. Two days for perfection - one day for be careful with the seams. Then today I found that it like an alb. Basically a coat - with sleeves and buttons no less.

Sunday at dinner, SIL dropped a toga type thingy on me, but it was more fitted. I suggested a long t-shirt with large boxers. That was shown on the cover to the breast plate. I have since relented, and now even more so. They don't need it until the Friday before Halloween. That I can handle.

I think Daughter is a little disappointed that I was only producing 4 burp cloths and one onezie that I wrote about before . But if she were to buy that amount of baby stuff, it would be at least $40. I think that is enough. She can get over that one. The second onezie was definitely sacrificed to the embroidery machine. There were so many thread nests on the back I'm not sure the embroidery would last through the first washing, plus there is a tiny hole at the end of one of the e's. I could repair that - but it is going to be sacrificed today.

So - I am off to do a few things around here.

Peace be with you.

I hate deadlines

I have a passion for sewing with my embroidery machine. In fact, I miss it terribly when I don't have it - like we are gone to the SSB or it is in the shop. The last time I managed to have both things happen simultaneously. That was wonderful.

But I am finding that I hate deadlines. Daughter wants four burb cloths and two onesies done - like last week. She didn't go to the baby shower for the woman across the street, but she doesn't want to snub her. So she things something hand made will fit the bill. So it falls on me.

If she weren't my daughter, I would tell her that it would take me at least a week to get them done (since I don't work in a sweatshop where I turn out fifteen things a day). But I am a loving mother who wants to help my children out. Of course, this puts the thing I had on tap further away. Little Teeny will just have to wait for her eyelet diaper covers!

It's hard to not try to get things done for my procrastinating daughter. She took me for a "the works" pedicure Sunday. I don't indulge myself in such things, so it was a real treat. Poor girl working on those feet! She had to get the grater out to get all the dead skin off.

And so - I am heading upstairs right after lunch (I slept in because I wasn't feeling well). I will continue to slave away at the machine until my eyes are bleary, my hands bloody, and the computer drive gone to produce four burb cloths and two onesies that she needed last week!

Peace be with you.

I wonder ...

I've got a really bad case of the "I wonders" today. I guess these are my private - until now - musings.

I wonder why in my mind I feel the same as when I was, oh say, five or six. Funny how the body falls apart, but the mind just keeps a level field. Now I know that there is the dementias out there, but most of us, thank God, make it into our 60's with brains that are fairly intact. I think those who have dementia also are this way. That was true of my dad - especially because he thought times were about 40 years ago.

But I woke this morning, and as I was rummaging through my thoughts trying to put together all the little pieces of the day, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm 65! I am on Medicare and the pittance of Social Security. How in the heck did the time go so fast. Why it seems like only yesterday I was in school with very few responsibilities! I wonder how this happened!

Then I was reflecting on the internet. It is a wonder that I can keep in touch with old friends like this. It is so much easier to send an email than sitting down to write a letter, find a stamp, etc. I also am amazed at how many friends I have made all over the continent via the internet. Those friends are so interesting. I find out things about where they live. What it's like there - the weather, etc. I wonder how I have been so lucky.

Now I am getting really deep into my wondering. Everyone else would find this deep stuff boring. I wonder about life - what is life; I wonder about space - what is out there. I told you this gets really deep, and probably dull.

Peace be with you.

Getting ready for next show

Before I get into today's dribble, let me give a quick update on the "golden cat." He appears to be doing great. When it came time to put him in his carrier for the trip to the SSB, he was a bit hesitant. But no real problems. I think he associated the carrier with his trips to the vet!

Coming back was another story since over an hour was added to his already long trip. Going up, we stopped for G to see MIL. It wasn't pleasant for him, but he never utters a sound. When I was trying to load him for the return trip - all legs were straight out! He wasn't going without a trial! So with the two of us, big kitty was loaded into his carrier and off we went - only to end up making another long trip for the same reason.

But he is doing great - so far. His appetite is good. He has accepted the fact that he won't be getting the $2 a can stuff, but he is eating the other not quite so expensive foods. He used to get only dry, but now he is getting an addition of canned. I just hope he continues to do so well!

*****************************************************************************

I am waiting for a little while before I make the call to the orthopedist or the cardiologist. I am having swelling in my feet. Normally I would blame the 5 1/2 hour trip to the SSB, but they were swollen before we left. There is more swelling in the left than the right.

I told G that I think it might be due to me not taking one of my meds that is a diuretic. I forget it because I was moved to only two days a week. I am going to slip in an extra this week to see what happens. But I don't know if it could be lymphoema (spell check tells me that's wrong, but doesn't have the proper choice either!!). I doubt it because there were no lymph nodes taken or disturbed by surgery. Anyway.

Fall seems to have really arrived. While we have relatively high temperatures, it is a rare 90 degree day anymore. But I remember sweating in many Halloween costumes. I remember sweating in many discouraging me from wearing those heavy velvet dresses with the long sleeves. My thinking was that other kids wear something like that at Christmas, why shouldn't I? Well - we lived in Central Texas for one thing where the temperature on Christmas day could easily be in the 90's! I was so smart!

But the weather has become milder now, and that includes no rain. We will get a high that covers us like a blanket pushing the rain away. The difference between summer and winter in this effect is that the temperatures are more moderate! So we are out - watering our lawns that are still growing, but not at 1/2 inch a day.

So I am off to catch up with my sewing. I have two requests to get out of the way before I add somethings for the Christmas show.

Peace be with you

The rant continues

One would think that the beautiful weather we have been having for several days would make me mellow and mild and without complaints. It seems to work in the opposite. Perhaps it is all the ragweed that is blooming, and this year instead of the nasal and sinus problems I just turn into a witch (and exchange that "w"); oh - it is Halloween after all. I guess I'm just "feeling the season."

Yesterday I let off some steam that has been building for a long time. Today it will be newer steam. For the past five years, I have hated October because it is Breast Cancer Awareness. I should be a good veteran of that disease, and hope that all women pay attention. All it does for me is to drive home the point that I didn't follow the guidelines. For that I had Stage 2 breast cancer. It makes me remember, even more often, that I may very well have a recurrence at any time. Talk about a bummer, and here are all the little walks, fashion shows to raise funds, and pink ribbons that adorn every possible surface. The reminder is just too much. I HATE October.

With that having been said, let's move along to the next, and continuing complaint. I STILL HATE WINDOWS 7! I am sticking with it because the computer guru who writes for the paper says that my beloved XP is going to be obsolete in just a matter of years.

I would yank this OS off this computer in a flash if I didn't feel I should get to at least have a pleasant greeting with this thing. I spent the entire day yesterday looking for a file (a huge file of embroidery programs that I have been collecting for years. I don't know if it was Win7 or the new computer that I will swear is HAL from the movie 2001.

The beast has a mind of its own. All I have to do is look at it and something will be deleted - in fact I thought this post just went into cyber space, and I didn't do a thing to cause that! But yesterday that file completely disappeared from the folder.

So I thought, no problem - I have it on the external hard drive that has saved my butt many times. I booted the external drive - there is was - I moved the cursor, and poof - it was gone. Probably into the same place the original one went.

I was fervently trying to remember some of the sub-files, and my memory pulled its little act of not being of help at all. I poked and poked until it was time to get the sewing machine from its yearly physical exam. I remarked to the machine doctor about my problem, and we chatted a bit. I came home and remembered a bit of that large file. It is now in place, but in the mean time I discovered that I believe this little lowly laptop only wants to have DVD type of discs put into its little body. It wouldn't write to just a plain, everyday, name brand CD!

So, as of this moment, all it well. I still am in a funky mood even though I should feel good about me clean teeth since I just returned from that appointment! MIL is doing better. Her More-than-assisted living won't take her back right now. She falls too much, so she is headed for re-hab. Me thinks that may be a no return trip, but she has fooled me before. She will probably out live me!

Peace be with you!

Catching up

This isn't the way I usually feel coming back from the SSB. I feel that I have been away for eons. While there the time flew by. I wasn't really ready to come back. While there I found the fancy dancy cell phone that has apps for almost everything in the world doesn't really give me internet access for the computer. It will check some of the emails, but not all. It is a little disappointing, but what I am paying is the same that I was paying for just the phone with the other carrier. I haven't lost anything by changing.

We are coming to a point with family relations that isn't going to be pretty. I think I have alluded to the way my MIL has always treated out family. She had three children, and the middle child was her favorite. G was her whipping boy - literally. She has continued that attitude (minus the physical abuse) to his family. She even admitted such to my daughter.

All through their childhoos, all holidays were spent with the glorious middle son. I thought it was because her daughter lived in the same city, but it has become apparent that wasn't the reason. When it was time for Christmas, and presents, my kids got what their cousins wanted.

The only time they came here was when the celebration had to be here. This would include graduations, confirmations, etc. All the other celebration times were with the others. During summers, she would want the two sets of kids to come visit her. It was terrible for my kids. Daughter still remembers, and is hurt by it.

When we were having problems with Daughter, she moved away and went to the Alamo city - where MIL lived. We were trying to teach her a lesson - tough love it is caller. We asked the In laws to please be on the same page with us. I think MIL went completely against out wishes. As Daughter realized what we were doing, and there was reconciliation, Daughter remained in place. She would visit her grandparents often and would do so much for them. She was really trying to show them she was a good person. During this time, MIL told Daughter that she had not been fair to her. That she was better than she assumed (another slap at my part of the family).

She had verbally abused me on two occasions. For G's and the kids sakes I did turn the other cheek. I acted like things were fine while inside I wanted to be somewhere else. I have to admit, even now I dislike her with such passion. Not only for her tongue lashings I received, but for what she did to G in his childhood, and especially for the shunning my kids felt.

Well - that was a long way to set up what is going to be coming in the near future. MIL is slowly dying. She is back in the hospital. This is twice in a week. Daughter doesn't care to see her. In the past, her grandmother has presented me with all the pictures Daughter gave her of the great grandchildren, then complained she doesn't have any pictures. She complains that Daughter never calls her. When Daughter does call, she sounds like she is really put out that she had to answer the phone. (That applies to all of us)

Son and DIL are another case. DIL knows how close this family is. She doesn't know the past. Son is a man. He has never been close to his grandparents, so he works on "what is proper" in that situation. DIL wants to know if they should make the trek to see Grandmother. I would tell her what I feel, but I am going to let them make their own decision. Actually, she would go to see her brother, and make the other visit a brief side trip. Sounds like a plan for them.

I don't care to go either. I may be struck dead for this, but I really don't even want to go to this woman's funeral. It looks like her treatments of others is about to "come to roost." There's a life lesson here that I have learned from her early on when I figured out her poor treatment of us. Be good to your family. You want to live on in pleasant memories.

Peace be with you.

Wouldn't you know

Shadow has his staples removed. I didn't hear him scream nor the technicians! Poor little thing - he has his belly shaved, his neck shaved, and around one forearm. Quite moth eaten appearance. If he looked like this at the end of the month, he would be quite the Halloween cat!

So before I got him to the vet this morning (I was sleeping quite nicely) when G tells me that Simone lost her breakfast - right in the bedroom door. It has been quite a while since she was sick. I was hoping we had that problem a little under control. I guess we did because it has been so long. Boxers are subject to, among other things, gastrointestinal problems. Gee -- that sounds familiar - dog AND cat.

I cleaned that and headed for the vet, got that done, loaded up my sewing machine and headed for club meeting. I wasn't going to sew this time, but it is maintenance time on the machine. When I pulled up - there was no one available to bring my machine in. The thing weighs about 60 pounds. All the workers there were helping other customers, so I was at the very bottom of the list.

I went out and brought my machine to set down by where one of the guys was helping a little old woman (I better watch that - I am a big old woman!). I didn't want to just leave it at the door. Those machines run better than $5000. I turned and left.

I parked and came back in. I got my machine and moved to what could laughingly be called a line. One in line commented on the weight of the machine, the other said "he's helping me next!" Uh, yeah, ok. I wasn't attempting to break the line. I was going to be there for hours anyway since I was going to see what the club project was, and get my kit. I certainly didn't think I was giving that idea that I was breaking line!!

So, here I now sit. Dog is still sick. Cat is happy - probably will never let us know he was sick again. Upset a little old woman at the sewing machine store, and well stocked for an easy weekend at the SSB! Very little cooking for me. I have the early morning before I get up snacks for those who rise early. Who am I kidding - it's me and George. Each dinner is easy, easy, easy. So the main cooking I have to do is breakfast. OK. I like it that way.

I hope you have a glorious weekend with fantastic weather and fellowship.

Peace be with you.

Success at last

- and I may not throw this computer as far as I can! Then again, I very well might when it takes a mind to do whatever it pleases like it did just a minute ago.

Since I had to transfer my programs to this computer, I have had three crucial programs that wouldn't run properly and/or required new installation including new passwords, etc. One guy and I almost came to blows through the computer over one, and wouldn't you know it - it is the most crucial to me. We had ourselves a breather, and then wonder of wonders, this computer decided to work properly. Just boom and things clicked. The program ran like a clock.

It is so nice to know I can take the computer with me this weekend and work on the avalanche of embroidery designs. And hey, it will mean that I can devote my time to the computer instead of cleaning. How wonderful. Daughter and crew won't be coming (even though SIL wants to come so badly) because Monkey Boy had a t-ball game. It will be his first with this team, and for some reason she sets great streak to the first and the last. Oh, well.

Shadow goes to have the staples removed tomorrow. I can't help but being cautiously joyous. Two weeks ago I thought we had a dying cat. Here I was thinking that I hoped someone would be good to him when they had to take him when G and I are gone since our cats live so long, and what does he do? He tries to die on me!

I have some questions that I need to write down so I can remember them. If the answers go my way, I can say this has truly been a wonderful day. Three programs all settled here in my computer ready to go to work for me, and a cat that will live a while longer!

Peace be with you.

Busy, busy ...

My time isn't my own when G is home. He manages to include me in something when he is off! Of course, yesterday was a very pleasant surprise. He wanted to go to see Little Teenie! I was amazed. He is not a baby person - at all. I look at her in total amazement. I am not used to having such small babies in this family. Wiggle Worm, her brother, was first in that category at 21.5 inches and almost 8 lb. The other three were all half grown, like my own, when they were born!

Mr. Shadow appears to be completely on the mend. I hate that he has to wear that hard Elizabethan collar. I suspect he lost it under the computer desk, but I can't (1) get on the floor on my hands and knees yet to look and (2) move the desk because it is too heavy. The thing is a good 4 feet long with attached upper shelves.

He was just investigating that area - at least as close as he can get! That not being satisfactory, he decided to take a stroll across the top. I have been lax in filing and re-filing things since I have had problems with the modem so he had a glorious amount of papers and a few discs to knock on the floor.

He is feeling so good that he no longer needs the loving petting and holding. Now he is back to the biting. That's pretty funny in itself. The collar prevents many of the contacts. G said he will be looking to kill us when the staples come out on Thursday.

He said that Shadow is thinking to himself - all I had was an upset stomach, and look what these jerks did to me - I have been opened from sternum to pubis! Then the indignity of all - this collar. I've got some serious biting to do! I have to remember I prayed for those bites again. When he was so sick and depressed, I really would have looked forward to one. We'll see how he travels now - we are off to the SSB on Friday.

While we were out, we bought a pomegranate tree (bush). I have wanted one for years. Son and DIL wanted to get me one for Mother's Day, but had no help looking. They ended up getting me a Satsuma which is a form of an orange tree. Daughter bought me a Mexican lime and Barbados cherry from a nursery that was having a moving sale. I hope we don't have a winter like the last one. I should be able to winter these over using the small Christmas tree lights. My back yard will certainly be interesting this year! This is an advantage for living here.

After really looking at weather patterns, we actually do live in a great climate. We may have severe cold (at least for us, understand) of 20 or a little below, but it lasts for only about a week. Plenty of time to burst out pipes and decimate our tropical plants that we so foolishly buy (I plead guilty). Our summers can be almost unbearable, but hey, we are the air conditioning capital of the universe!

No, I have been watching the weather for this past year. I will stay here - even with the humidity and the mosquitoes the size of humming birds. I can manage it all! I am used to it, and adjust my schedule according. I hope this winter will be moderate for everyone, and that moderation will be carried into the summer without the terrible floods that have happened this year.

Peace be with you

We have a monster

I am keeping my elation minimal because I am not sure we have really turned a corner, but Shadow seems to be doing very well. The feeding tube is gone. He has another bandage in place - that he tried to eat yesterday morning. He was in here with me in the study. I left him for 10 minutes for a phone call. When I came back, here he was without the soft blue collar, and cotton from the new bandage sticking out all over - including his mouth.

My heart sank. A foreign body in the gut was one of the possibilities. So what is he doing - he is eating the cotton batting,. I looked all over for that e-collar. I called the vet's office - knowing full well what they would say. So I hurried over there first thing to get a new collar. He was out of luck this time. They only had the hard, plastic ones. He didn't know how good he had it!

They did take the nutrient back, so I got the collar and six cans of the prescription food. Which brings a new situation. When I went to the grocery store the other day, I bought a case (no one can trials for me!!) of the little gourmet can of wet food. I will acknowledge I will have to transition him back to dry since the dry just sits in his playhouse (jail cell) without being touched.

I carefully mixed the wet with the dry. You guessed it - he sniffed it and walked away. It wasn't this $2 a can prescription stuff that stimulates feeding. So now I have a new bag of the dry and a case of the gourmet cans. He wants the really gourmet feedings. But then so does Simone. If I leave that bowl in the cage with the door open, she will sneak that big old Boxer head in there and snatch that bowl. If it is empty, she will lick the odor from it!! Must be really good stuff because she has her own $2 a can prescription food.

Me and my pets. But at least right now, Shadow seems well. I pray it isn't FIP. I just hope he had some type stomach virus. If it was a virus, I'll bet he will worry if he gets sick again. This last time he was cut from breastbone to pelvis! I hope it was all worth the tears and the money!

Peace be with you.

Two things or so

First, oh hum, is the ever present Shadow (thank you Lord). If he were able to talk, he would probably say that he could never get sick again. He would probably wonder what we would do to him the next time - I mean, this time was a cut from stem to stern! He went to the vet to stay a bit yesterday, and he had the feeding tube removed. And good news I(very, very) they will exchange the liquid nutrient for the feeding tube with regular food.

Right now Simone is on my list, but as G would say, she was "just being a dog." I left the door to the jail open while I gave Shadow his pill, and then I came in here. I just heard the thing bang, and here comes Simone. I know she ate the rest of his food. I guess her expensive prescription dog food just isn't enough! I scolded (right - she really knows what that means), and she slunk off to bed.

*****************************************************************************

G is driving me nuts. He is so d*mned cold natured. I got in the truck the other day, and turned on the a/c. All that came out was hot air. I immediately thought we were having a/c problems again, and I would be without wheels while it was fixed. I looked down, and the temperature gauge was turned as hot as it would go. When I said something, he readily denied it. BS!

So we are having some cool weather these days. It is to be about 58 tomorrow and Sunday. He said we would have to have the heater - "it is going to be in the 50's - it's going to be cold!"

Now you have to understand. I am in heaven with this new system. It has a thermostat that I don't have to touch. I set it for four or more hour segments. It is set rather high during the day, but at night that little baby is set at 70! I like it cold when I sleep. He thinks I am going to have the a/c during the day and the heat in the early morning. Not. In. This. Lifetime. He can get over his silly self.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

And now for our newest - Little Teenie. I will be going to see her later. I think daughter is going to go with me, which is perfectly find. I won't have to drive. She appeared to be a good baby. When they were giving her the physical, she was perfectly calm. She was content to lay on her back. She extended those legs to their full extent. She was all of her 19"!

The people at the desk reprimanded us not to take pictures. I managed to get one of my son looking at his daughter before they said anything. It was a stupid demand. LT was the ONLY baby in the nursery. We weren't stalking any other babies. Well - what can I say. They did have a Code Pink while we were in the waiting room, and those doors got closed immediately! The Code Pink is a baby has set off an alarm, and a kidnapping may be happening.

Well, I am off to call daughter to see when/if she wants to go. Oh, I have another thing to ramble about and I will do it tomorrow. Isn't that a cleaver cliff hanger (not!).

Peace be with you and P.S. - I need to update the school thingy with LB.