Another goof - and this time, not mine!

As we all know - there cannot be a single activity that kids are in where there is not a fund raiser anymore.  Schools, band, cheer leading, sports.  They all have them, and often these fund raisers are in addition to fees that the parents pay for the kids to participate even.

And so it is for the year around swimming group to which Lady Bug Senior (have to do that since Son's daughter it Lady Bug or Lainey Bug depending upon which time she is addressed) belongs.  They have to raise money for a swim-a-thon.  Catchy isn't it??

She and her mom (Daughter) spent one Saturday addressing envelopes to send out to beg for money - this was along with all the other competitive swimmers.  Of course, there were prizes.  She had her heart set on a Kindle Fire.

 I told Daughter I would wait to pay  donate my money until it was determined just how much more she needed to hit this level of prize.  And I am still waiting.  And she has a prize - an underwater (fitting) MP3 player(??) which I don't believe she thinks much of.

I found this out on Monday when we went to their house for dinner.  So I said I would spend the money that I was going to spend and just buy the Kindle.  Daughter said to wait for her birthday.  Nope - that's in January for Pete's sake.  Then Daughter said LB had enough that she could buy her own Kindle.

That wasn't good for me.  So I came home, opened my good old Amazon account and ordered her Kindle which is to be delivered tomorrow.

Do I spoil this girl?  The simple answer is yes, absolutely.  I try to make sure the others get things too.  I really try to not have a favorite, but she is the oldest.  I have known her the longest, and for that matter I kept her while mom worked the longest.  We do have a history.

So what will I do for the other two in that house.  Well, the  little one I will give the bandanna dress I have almost finished.  I will try to get a picture of it today before it goes.  Monkey Boy is going to be more of a challenge.  But I did promise him a trip to the bookstore right after school is out for the summer.

The remaining three will know nothing of this deal although I did volunteer to make this little lolly pop holders that are T rex.  He has a love of dinosaurs, and his birthday party has been postponed from February to June since he wants a splash party.  Feelings hurt, but OK.  In the picture, there is a starlight mint - not a lolly pop.  I don't have any of those!  And the ribbon is too short - I just used that one for demonstration purposes

Sunday Dinner

We had the best dinner that we have had in ages!  It was easy since I used the other tray of King Ranch Chicken left over from Community Club.  DIL brought salad and cookies, SIL brought bread and wine.

I knew the little kids were coming early to swim.  Of course, this is the season when the pool can be nasty thirty minutes after cleaning it.  When we planted the pecan tree, we never had a vision of a pool.  So we get the blooms from the tree in the pool.  In the fall, it's the leaves.

I was surprised when the others showed up to swim a little later.  Their pool is smaller and more shallow.  So they enjoy swimming in ours.  They will especially love it when we get the slide working again!

To cut to the chase, it was a delightful evening.  All the kids were in good moods.  The adults didn't have to get up the next day.  It was just a lot of fun.

I got an album out that was my mother.  Lady Bug was talking about who was her biological great-grandmother.  I have been working on an album of her high school years.

Son then went to get albums of he and his sister - he was looking for a particular picture.  In that album, there were pictures of Daughter in prom dresses and dance dresses.  They still hang in the closet in the study.  So Daughter went to get them.

Lady Bug tried them on:

Her swimmer's tan really shows up here.  The top one, gold one, was  really chosen by her date at the time.  The other one, I made for her 8th grade dance.  Lady Bug is in sixth - going into seventh.  We were amazed that the dresses FIT her.  They are wrinkled since they were folded on a hanger, but I was amazed how good they looked on her.  She is a pretty girl - not really dressed to model dresses.  She was amazed that her mother was her size!  The gold one was when Daughter was in 10th grade.

What fun!

We did go to Trivia night last night, and we had a great time.  We ended up with Pastor C and a young man (relative of two of our members - and I am  not sure of the relationship at all).

Our group was really the ideal group.  G and I aren't really good at trivia, but our age added to the group since we knew some of the "old" things.  The young man was in his 20's, PC is 40, and then us in our 60's.

The game is five rounds of ten questions on a topic, followed by an eleven question bonus.  We rocked the first three: the sit com a character came from, F in History (which I thought would kill me, but it was easy), the names of a singing duo and we named the group (glad we had the kid), a picture of the emblem for superheros with us naming said hero (PC and the kid had that one!), finally three word quotes from movies and we gave the movie.  That one killed us.  We had gotten all ten questions on all but the last one - movies.

We were in first place all evening - until the movie category.  We went to second.  The bonus didn't help us even though we got all eleven points.  It was naming all the states with six or less letters in the name.  All the groups got all eleven, so by two points, we lost!

But it was really great fun.  There are things, as you well know, that I don't really like about our church.  But there are so many things like this night that I love.  Change in the format of the service is still difficult, but change in other things like this are really great.  I just wish others would come out to enjoy these activities.

Our keyboard player has moved on to another church.  We do that.  In all my years (like 50 off and on) I was organist at at least five churches).  I have been asked to fill in occasionally.  It will be only occasionally mostly because I am not a modern music keyboard player.  I was classically trained, and the jazzy, rocky stuff is not something I do well with.  Also we are gone for a service a month, and my vision is really bad for reading music.  But on June 2 I will be the keyboardist.  I get to pick the hymns (yeah!) but still - playing with "The Band" really is daunting!

Happy holiday!

Phew!

G contacted an attorney in The Little Town.  What we have, because the road has been there forever, is a prescriptive easement.  I knew there had to be something.  I studied real estate back in 1976, but that has been a long time ago.  I couldn't remember all the ins and outs of real estate law.

So, if we have to, we will sue.  G has decided we will build a road - sometime.  My thought is to tell Mr. Neighbor we have the right to that road, now you want to make it legal the easy way, or do we go to court.

I have thought of other things looking for a silver lining to this cloud.  If we build a new road, it would go close to her house.  Someone who has thoughts of breaking into our house won't go close to another house trying to get to ours I really don't believe.  But, I still don't want to build another road.

Mr Neighbor's wife appears to not be in step with her husband.  She was supposed to come over with him.  Instead, she took their dog to get his yearly shots.  She also has commented on some Facebook postings, and she has sent me two little nothing emails about things up there.

Looking forward to a simple day.  Tonight we will go to trivia night at church.  We are not your regular church, as I think I have pointed out before.  We do different things.  Like the dinners that we have for various holidays and the like.  People are surprised that we encourage folks to bring their wine and beer if they want.  Same with the Trivia nights.  We bring a snack to share and if we want it, beer or wine.  We are a little different.  But I believe the society needs some churches that don't march to the same drummer.  Churches are dropping members right and left.  Let's hope we can bring some back.

What can top l

Actually nothing.  Encountering hogs with only the .38 revolver - with rat shot.  Almost running over three in the road, and the snake.  That is about as exciting as it gets.

Unless you add in our neighbor coming over for a "neighbor to neighbor chat" that really meant that he was going revoke our access through his property meaning we have to build another road, and install a new gate.

The road that is there has been there for at least 50 years.  There are property owners behind us who were the ones who built that road.  This was all family land, and the use of that road was by agreement.  When it was built, the only ones were the landowners at the end of the road and my in-laws.  Since then, a tract ( the one I am referring to) has been sold to an outsider.  Our tract was sold to us - still family.

Nothing has ever been said about easements - until Monday.  This person wants to close our gate and road because it is on a hill that washes down to the road.

I am not going into great detail - it's not a necessity.  We are just flat amazed here.  When he found that we had to get an easement when we put the house in and the crappy attorney didn't take into account the existing road did the easement just through G's sister's property.  No road there.

We didn't think about pursuing the other easement.  The road has always been there for use.  He has had the property for 27 years.  Never wanted one before.  Humph.

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

I have spent the last two days volunteering at an elementary school.  Our church has adopted this school.  We participate in a "backpack program" where we pick up non-perishable foods that the needy kids take home for weekends and we hold the "store."

The kids get "bucks" for good behavior.  Several times a year we hold a school where they can "buy" little (trashy) items.  The kids love it.

Why am I mentioning it?  Well - I fell getting up the stairs to the stage yesterday.  I have talked about not being able to kneel because of the fake knees.  Well, I landed on them.  Hard.  I don't think there is any real damage.

The railing was obscured.  I thought I could make it.  My knees are not really strong enough to do that.  So down I went.  I really believe I was far more embarrassed than hurt, but still.  I am really sore today.  My muscles across the upper back are very sore, and I think I probably hurt my lower back more than anything.

Klutz.

The good, the bad, and the unfortunate

And sometimes they are all the same.

Some of you follow on Facebook, and you read my post from last night.  When we returned from the Community Club meeting, we faced all three.

First - the meeting went well.  The King Ranch Chicken was well received even though we had a pan and a half left.  The Bingo game was a little messed up.  We had mixed two inexpensive game sets.  So the numbers I used were less that the game cards, but it was fun even  though it was HOT.  We had 101 in this area yesterday, and the same if predicted for today.

Now last night.  The first thing was the pigs on the road.  You probably have heard of feral pigs.  They are a real problem here in Texas, and in the South for that matter.  They can be dangerous.

Usually, they are a little reclusive.  AND they aren't usually seen around here in the day time.  Well, that is changing.  G has seen them out in the day twice now.  The first time they ran when they heard him.  The other day, he fired the revolver at them (with rat shot so he knew it wouldn't do anything just hoped to scare them away).  They didn't move.  They are getting gutsy.  This may happen more often in places where people live because they are used to people.  Not around here though.

Last night there were three "piglets" on the road into our place.  They were rather close to the house.  These were like teen aged pigs.  I will bet they could be breeding at their size.  The fact they were fairly close and not afraid of the truck really scares me.  I don't want to be out at night (and now day) and come upon a herd of them.  They can and are vicious.  Their tusks can slice and tear.  I am really glad we are putting up a fence that it hog proof - or as much so as it can be.  When we get another dog, there isn't as much danger of the pigs being around.

Then when G was going to open the back sliding glass door, there was a snake right outside the door.  It had darker diamond shaped markings.  In this country, you don't take much time to check it out completely when it is right outside your door.

I was getting out of the truck with the partial tray of food when he told me to get back in the truck.  That was because the snake was headed for me.  It left the deck and headed for under the truck.  To cut to the chase, it stayed around.

G got the shot gun, and dispatched the snake.  This is where it becomes a story of the good and the unfortunate.  It was a good snake.  But we measured it this morning.  It was four feet long plus.  We are pretty sure it was a coachwhip.  They are beneficial.  But any snake that is against the door on the deck isn't necessarily a good snake.  Our hunter has been really snake wary these days.  Between him and G, the high weeks are kept low around the house and cabin.

Do I wish the snake had gotten away.  Absolutely.  I have a great fear of snakes that I have tried and tried to get over through the years.  It is still there, although not as bad.  When I was a young kid, I couldn't even tough the PICTURE of a snake.

It probably stems from the time when my parents and I lived in the country.  I was about 4 and followed my dad out  to check on the turkeys we had at the time.  When I would get scared, I would squat down and freeze.  This night it was a great thing.  Between me and my dad was a large rattle snake.  Somehow who ever went first managed to get around it.  I have been afraid of snakes since.

So what would have seemed like not a real problem is a big one.  Those pigs are going to grow and reproduce.  They are closer to the house than ever.  They are dangerous.  The snake was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Both situations are sad.

I really had too close a relationship with wildlife last night - even for me who basically trained as a wildlife biologist!

Arrrrrgh

We are here at the SSB.  Things have been, well let's say, interesting.

I will begin with the most recent first.  It gets better, you see.  The whole family laughs at G's sense of timing. When all the work is done - he appears asking if help is needed.  He also has the uncanny timing of wanting to be in the kitchen when I am trying to prepare food.  You will notice I did not say cleaning the kitchen, didn't you??  And no, he isn't just being loving.

When we were here last, at the Community Club meeting, it was announced that there were no host for this month's meeting.  I was looking around the room, not making eye contact with anyone when my darling husband announces "we'll do it."  Please read there - Karen will do it.

So we decided on a menu.  At the time two weeks ago, it was still unseasonably cold.  I thought King Ranch Chicken.  A moderately spicy casserole that is pretty easy to prepare, and everyone knows we have chicken now.  He decided we would play Bingo.  Guess who went to the dollar store to buy prizes.  Yep, none other than little old me.  Who checked the pantry.  Me.  Today who cleaned out the ice tea dispenser?  Me.  Who will make the iced tea?

So when I am ready to begin my catering for this shindig, who decides that it is time for him to clean the kitchen?  Yep - G.  Who had been sitting on his duff reading a book for two hours?  Yep, G.  He left me no counter room to work, and while after boiling the chicken, most of the work is chopping onions, bell pepper, dicing the chicken, and then opening cans.  There are three cans to open per batch.  And one bag of cheese. Just takes a lot of room.

As I was trying to load this meal into the oven (I am so glad I am doing it here - it is a large oven!), he waltzes to the utility room and begins to rummage through one of the cabinets.  As I take the cans to the trash can in there, (and where the noisy a/c unit is) he walks around the corner saying "we will set off bug bombs when we leave."  I stupidly ask why, and by this time he is in the bedroom, and all I hear is the roar of the a/c and the crashing of cans hitting the floor because I can't open the lid to the trash.

After disposing of the trash, I walk to the bedroom to find him in the bathroom.  His comment was "there are little blying bugs all over this house (and I will explain why in a bit) and a spider in the garden tub with the cat food.  Shadow would get fed there so Simone wouldn't dine on his food too.  Then he goes on to say "but I used Yard Guard to spray the spider and it went all over the place so now I have to dump the food and wash the bowls."  Really??  No kidding.  So it did what it was supposed to do.  For one little spider???

We will see what happens tonight.  The weather gurus keep saying that some severe thunderstorms could pop up over the Texas hill country tonight (it is only 100+ in town (Mason) so that is a good possibility.  We will probably get to load all this stuff (although I would love to use another descriptor) and when we get there to unload.  There probably won't be but three people show up.  So my five prizes will be mine, and I will have enough King Ranch Chicken for all the cowboys in the bunk house - if we had any of those fellas.

Now - what else has been going on.  Last week, our neighbor on the other mountain called.  There was a severe hail storm that came through on Thursday night.  He got into his "chiller" that is turned on when he has his hunters here and processes their deer meat.  He said the folks down from us have metal roofs.  They were beat up pretty severely.  My little SIL had a window broken, and it appeared we only had two screens torn.  Got off lucky.  I thanked him profusely for checking.  But of course, when he checked that gave him the perfect opportunity to come over to see what the fence builders were doing over here (the feral hogs are getting too close to the house, and they are becoming very aggressive).

We got here Tuesday.  G went to get some water because the neighbor said he turned it on to the house.  There was none.  While he went out to turn it on (we normally leave it off we have had the ice maker go nuts and flood the freezer part), I was going to turn on a light.  No lights.

I went to the breaker box and flipped the switch.  Nothing.  I told him there was more of a problem than the water being turned off.  We had no water because when they were pouring the cement they emptied the pressure tank - and it's pretty large.

No power meant no phone.  especially since we changed the type of telephone.  Our bill was about  $90/month.  That is really high for being here one week a month.  We went to Ma Bell with a system that is essentially a cell phone for the house.  It is a base receiver that you attach your phones to, and it has to be close to a window.  It is $30 before taxes and fees (that gouge!)  But that meant no phone.  So having all of our hurricane stuff here, I had a power supply that I hooked my cell to because it was going dead (of course), and we could call the power company.

There were many associated mishaps with all of the business.  I won't bore you.  Lets just say that G is as useful in mechanical things as tits on a boar hog!  The power company was here in less than an hour.  A hail stone knocked the fuse away from the transformer - thus no power for us and the hunter's cabin.

I spent the remainder of that day cleaning out the refrigerator. I was so thankful that things were still pretty cool - so they didn't stink - even after 5 days.  The little chest freezer really kept things.  There was still ice in it!

These are my tales of woe.  We have an hour before we leave.  I guess I will pack up all the things that need to go - you know I have to be the one - and we will hope for the best!
 

Geesh

I know you are tired of me talking about Simone, but this isn't really about her.

We had asked for her ashes to be returned - at a rather high price too, but she was special.  They called Saturday night, but it was closing time for the clinic.  I have had this feeling that something wouldn't be right - like we would get ashes, but they wouldn't be Simone.  So I went yesterday to pick them up (yeah, Happy Mother's Day).

When I got to the car, I looked at the name on the box.  It was "Simah" not "Simone."   I thought that was just an anomaly since we have never kept the ashes before.  When I got home, I took the wooden box out of the plastic one, and sure enough there was "Simah" on the plaque.

G said there was a mix-up of the ashes.  I thought it was just an error on the plaque.  He said we should take them back right away.  Since we were hosting Sunday Dinner with the family, I said it could wait.

This morning as I was fixing my breakfast, the phone rang.  It was the clinic.  They were apologizing profusely.  The owner of "Simah" was there with Simone.

So, to cut to the chase, G took the ashes back and brought Simone home.  She also got to ride along on his route of errands.

Not sure about this

Things are getting more normal about these parts.  G has had enormous guilt about us going ahead with putting Simone down.  It was coming - whether on Wednesday or in the very near future.  He left the room shortly after it was done, and Dr J stayed to talk to me.  She assured me at least twice it was the right things to do.  So I felt better about it.

So what's my problem today?  You know I have to have one.  G, in his ultimate choices, told the kids to come over here tomorrow night.  WHAT???  I really am not sure I am ready for this.

My daughter knows me well.  She just called after he called the "boys" to make sure it was OK.  She said we could be at her house.  I am really not ready for that.  She has the two Boxer girls.  Angelica, the one I wanted to foster but she decided she wanted to eat Shadow, would give me Boxer kisses all night.  While I really love that little dog, I am not ready for that.

I was going to like to that post because at this later time, it really was a funny experience.  Angelica was hot on Shadow's tail.  Literally!  But I don't know how to do that - especially since Blogger has changed over the years.

After all plans were set with the guys - G then stopped here at the table and said "of course, I don't know what we are going to have."  Sheesh - Happy Mother's Day to me!!  He had told them he "would take care of everything."  Men - honestly.

So I shouldn't complain or moan.  I get to have my kids, their spouses, and the six grand kidlets about.  That isn't the way it is for every grandmother.

On another note - my step granddaughter has pulled another stunt.  She never calls her dad and step-mom (my daughter).  That is, until she needs something.  That whole side of the family it like that.  They know that SIL and daughter are wise with their money.  When that family needs money - the phone rings.

Step gd and live in baby daddy want a new car.  They don't have money and cannot get financing for less that 12%.  Tell you anything??  So first they wanted a co-signer, then it was they wanted SIL/daughter to finance the car and they would pay them.  I don't know what turnip truck they think people fall off, but this takes the cake.

Step gd wasn't even going to tell them about her baby's first birthday party because there is much unrest due to a loan to SIL's sister of $1800 last year that was promised to be repaid.  They have gotten $200.  Oh what a mess that bunch is!

And they hate my daughter??  I think she has finally learned that she cannot do anything right in their eyes except put them on a monthly supply of money, and even then she would be a "pretentious b*tch" and it is an exact quote.

Anyway - Happy Mother's Day to you all.

Down memory lane

This year we will be having our high school 50 year reunion.  OK - now you know my age.  I once kept that a deep, dark secret.  Having cancer can surely change that!  You begin to celebrate each and every year because you almost didn't achieve it!

A classmate and others posted a really beautiful portfolio of pictures of our high school.  It is one of a kind.  It was built in about 1935.  It is in the Moorish style.  It was, and still is thanks to the Historical Society.  The make-up of students has changed a lot.  Where once it was mostly middle and upper class, it is now a school for the lower socio-economic kiddos.  I think many of the traditions have been lost, but I hear of moves to bring them back into the school.

Knowing that I have such fun posting pictures on Blogger, here I go anyway!

This is the front of the school.  I never used this entrance in my years there.  It faces the "main street."  The dome would be lit following football games we won.  

This is the other side of the front of the campus.  I had a Geometry class in that wing there to the left on the first floor.  There is yet another entrance there.  It is also a main one.  Makes me wonder how these many, many entrances are being controlled after all the school shootings that have happened.

This is the way I would enter the school especially when I was old enough to drive.  This is the back of the school.

This is just one of the many patios that are around the school.  There are about four all together.  It really gave you something to enjoy during classes on the first floor.  Perhaps that's why I wasn't as good in math.  Those were the classes scattered all over the first floor.  We had a total of three floors - and five minutes between classes.

 Just one of our "famous" graduates, and we had many including Alan (?) Ludden who used to host Password.  This is Tommy Nobis who went on to be a star player at University of Texas, and then played for Atlanta Falcons.  Sweet guy!  He graduated the year before me.

 This is our "pep squad."  The Lassos.  I am somewhere in the center on the back row.  If you look closely, you will see ropes attached to our belts.  We had a Roping Team.  All Lassos, though, had to be able to twirl the rope around us and various other tricks.  The Roping Team could do fancier ones.

 This was my senior year.  And the "dream" activity of the cheerleader and her boy friend, the football star.  I think they married.  And I believe he went on the play pro ball.  The blonde on the left is my best friend at the time, so I am probably next to her.  This line was a privilege for Lasso seniors.

 This is a view from the stage in the auditorium.  It certainly can be intimidating.  I found that out when I was the lead in the Lasso play my senior year.  But it is so beautiful

 This is the hallway outside the auditorium.

 This is taken from the auditorium balcony.  The proscenium arch doesn't show as it should.  It is multicolored as you would expect for the Moroccan influence.

This is from the area where I spent many hours.  This is the third floor library where study hall was held.  You had a study hall class everyday!  I notice there aren't as many tables there in this picture!



And so that is a thumb nail tour of Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, Texas.  It was a wonderful place to go for high school.  It is still dear to me.  Even the alums keep up with the school.  We have our own Facebook page.  There was just something that brought reverence.  Of course, when I was there, it was legal for kids to attend whatever high school in the city they wanted to.  So Jeff was the choice for a lot of the kids.  They came from all over the city.  G grew up on the other side of town, and many of his friends rode the bus (until they could drive) for a long time to get to school

Good bye my sweet baby

This was the day.  I almost cancelled the euthanasia.  It was a good day for her.  She showed an interest in things.  She walked some around the back yard, and she seemed like she felt good.

But this is a road well traveled these days.  She was on four medications.  Tomorrow probably wouldn't be a good day, and we would be going through the sadness once again.  And she would be suffering.

I wanted Dr J to say that we could wait.  I wanted her to say that she was doing so much better.  I wanted to bring her home.  But she didn't say that.  She assured me I was doing the right thing.

Before Dr J came in, the receptionist who was with us in the room was crying.  It is obvious the staff at the clinic really cared for Simone also.  She was so sweet to everyone.  When you live closely with one, you know they are more than that.  They have personalities.  Hers was kind and gentle.  I would like to think she will meet up with Taz, my first Boxer.  I would like to think he will show her around and ease her fears.

Thank you for reading.

Goings on

Seems as though this is another week of seeing doctors.  Today was the Retinal Specialist.  That means another injection in the eye.  I must be getting used to them - it didn't hurt as much.  The good news is that the eye is responding, the vision is improving, and that there is still some fluid there.  I was thinking to myself - sure, good news for the doctor - more money.  But he did say that it was good because that meant the vision could improve more.  I know when I don't have to go each month, there will be new patients to take my place.

Thursday, I go to Dr Poison.  Six weeks ago, I had a pretty severe vitamin D deficiency.  I have been taking a 50,000 mg pill every Saturday since then.  If my level is correct now, I will take a simple supplement.  The real kick in the butt is that when I had the blood drawn, I was given a sheet from the lab stating that medicare won't pay for the check.  It is too soon - regardless for the reason.  Great.  When there is a problem like this ...

My DIL gave me a "starter" for Amish friendship bread.  I believe today is bake day.  You mess with the starter for ten days, then bake.  It is absolutely delicious.  She made G some to take to the SSB for his birthday.  I am looking forward to baking it - and I hope I can find two glass loaf pans.  I don't usually use loaf pans, and the only one I know about having is, of course, six hours away at the SSB!

On the Simone front.  She has dodged another bullet.  Last night, we decided to have her put down today.  There was still no poop, and she is not interested in much of anything - with the exception of her food.  She doesn't "patrol" her back yard, and she spends more time in the bedroom in her crate.  She wants to sleep all the time.  We put the decision off for a day thinking that with constipation, she wasn't feeling well.

That seems to not be the case.  She is, at this writing, in her crate.  G is calling the clinic to see if Dr J is there.  I think this will be the end.  My mind says that it is time.  My heart says no.  I am not a reasonable one to make the decision.  I see a spark of life and am energized.  I have to rely on G at this point.  So we'll see.

Yeah, right.

My mood isn't a great one today.  I am way off base with my attitude, and this post is a result of that skewed view of things.

A member of my sewing group posted a note today.  She has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer, and was inspired by the last meeting.  They made the little heart pillows that mastectomy patients could use to shelter their mutilation (sorry - you were kind of warned about my mood).  I would  not have any use for one of these.  The problem with my tubes was accidently grabbing one when I was trying to straighten out whatever gown/pj I was wearing.  They are kept in with a little stitch.  So ...  you get the picture.

Anyway, she included a picture of her "ringing the bell" after completing chemo.  She remarked that she had gained weight from the drugs and steroids, and had been assured she would lose the weight since the chemo stopped.  I laughed  - a lot.  Yeah - just wait until you begin the little pill, whether one form or the other, and the weight just attaches itself to you for the long ride.

That was an ugly rant.  Sorry.

We may finally be seeing the end of our cold spring.  I know I am going to regret wishing for more normal temperatures.  We will be wishing for another cold front before you know it.

And the rising temperatures will have its effect on my poor old baby.  It is going to stress her - a lot.  Things are the same right now - a real roller coaster.  We are supposed to go to the SSB on the 14th.  I really think she is too fragile to make the trip, and I surely don't want to leave her.  The coming heat will add the final stress.  I lost two other dogs in July, and I am sure the heat added to the stress on their bodies.

Anyway - enough of my rants today.  Wishing you a good, comfortable week.

What a spring!

I know some of you who still are getting snow will hate me for complaining about our spring.  We have set record low temperatures for May several days running.  Our normal is a beautiful 63.  It has been in the 40's at night going up to mid 70's during the day.  The day temp is great, but these nights!

Now don't get me wrong, I am not ready for what is ahead for us in the summer months - high 90' or low 100's with a humidity to match.  I will be wishing for these great temperatures then.  What I want is the nights to stay a little warmer.  I want the money pit in the backyard to warm up.  I want to get in to get some exercise.  Swimming is the preferred exercise for my back and knees for that matter. If I were to get in, and if I survived the ensuing heart failure, I would become hypothermic in a matter of minutes.  I feel sorry for Lady Bug when she swims.  Her practice for the competition  league (the serious  one) is in a heated pool - just cold when they get out.  Practice for the summer league (the fun time for these serious swimmers because they can blow the others who just do summer   out of the water) is down at the city pool.   It is like mine - deep and not heated!   Those kiddos come out with blue lips the water is so cold.

Our church is going through some big changes (Yes, this is relevant to the topic!!).   We are nearly broke.  The pastor has taken another job, we had to give up the other space (we meet in a strip center) where the children had Sunday School, and we have gone to one service.  To make it more palatable, I guess, we celebrated these changes with a taco lunch.  Pastor said - it was so beautiful we would move the tables and chairs outside!

First, I will bet that p*ssed off the Subway just down from us since we took the end of the parking lot.  Secondly, the wind was rather biting and it was a little cold!  But we survived, and I just wish all our Sundays could be like this one.  We had a huge attendance.  I just hope the people there today remember what is going on.  I would hate to see us have to disband!

For those of you still having snow, I wish you warmth.  But I can't send it to you yet.

My sincere thanks

All of your kind words of support have meant so much to me.  We are still facing changes day to day.  I guess Simone is like all of us older folks (at least this older folk) in that she has good days and bad days.

Yesterday was a good day.  She was like her old self.  She ate well, and seemed to not be nauseous.  Early this morning was a different story.  She lapsed into diarrhea (sorry if TMI).

So we called the vet as she told me to do on Friday when I called about her old lady pills.  She leaks urine, and Thursday was a really bad day.  We were out of her pills, and I asked if we should go up on the dosage.   Dr J said she was working this weekend, and if we needed her ...

And we did.  So she got an injection for nausea and pills for the diarrhea.  I believe if we had requested her to be put down, the vet would have complied.  She went through this two years ago with her old dog.  She is really a great help to us.

Again, I know she is only an animal, but possibly the sweetest dog that ever walked the face of the earth.  She had a rough beginning to her life.  She was over bred, and abused in ways that I don't even want to know about.  She has the scars to prove it.  But I think we have given her a great life since, and she has returned the favor - many times over.  Now I just have to find the courage to give her the final greatest gift that I can give her.

Last Days

I think that's where we are with Simone.  She is sliding pretty fast.  She has been nauseous off and on for two weeks now.  Even when I give her two anti-nausea pills a day, that often isn't enough.

Yesterday she was acting really strangely.  She spent a lot of time in her crate.  That's not normal.  She usually is right beside me when I  am on the computer.  Not yesterday.

Last night, I saw she was getting really nauseous, so we went out (to try to keep from cleaning the house).  She didn't try to eat grass or anything, and she only coughed up a little once.  But alas, when she got in ...  well - TMI.

She has been acting really strange since Saturday night.  Of course, that night we had heavy rains and a lot of thunder and lightening.  She had an "accident" in the entry hall.  That almost never happens.  Then night before last, she had another problem,

Last night, I really thought, as I did during Spring Break, that I would be making "the decision" today.  I came up with a plan for today.  She would get the anti-nausea pills as often as she could have them around the clock, and she would eat every four hours so she would be getting all the food she was supposed to have.

She is still acting strangely.  She is very clingy.  Where I go - she goes.  I really don't think it will be long.  I have never had an older animal change like this.

One of these days, my attention will be changed to something else.  She just takes all my attention right  now.    I don't think she will be with us just a lot longer.