Monday, Monday…

My Monday was stressful! What else can I say? Nothing was as I had thought it would be, but somehow, somehow I got through the day. But it’s a good thing I have naturally low blood pressure because much of the day found me feeling pretty frustrated.

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So in order not to get lost in the minutia, I will simply bullet list my days’ events!

  • Jack and I had spoken and decided to bring Arnie in on Monday to our Vet. This skin problem is something we are both very concerned about and we wanted to be sure he knew about the latest events and saw it in person.
  • I happen to notice that both Arnie and Anneliese were due for their yearly shots. So when I made the appointment for Arnie to be seen, we planned to give both dogs their vaccines.
  • But as I drove out to the Vet’s Office I was thinking about Anneliese and all her fussing. I started to wonder if she had another UTI.
  • Upon my arrival at their office, I called them and explained my hunch. They brought out a small bowl and we walked Anneliese until the magic moment.
  • Arnie went in first, was checked out, and brought back after his shots.
  • Next Anneliese went in, had her exam and shots, and then she was returned to the car.
  • The Vet came out and we spoke about Arnie and the plan of attack for his recovery. A spray was included to help with the healing.
  • Then the subject came to my little girl. Yes indeed, she does have another UTI!
  • She was prescribed another antibiotic and then we were off.
  • At about this time, heavy snow began to fall! It was incredibly pretty, but fairly quickly, the roads became slick. Thankfully, by the time I reached our hometown, the snow had stopped and all was good.
  • I dropped them off at home and then went and did our grocery shopping. I stopped to get the mail, as I knew that Anneliese’s pain medication was there. But once again the US Postal Service let me down.
  • It actually arrived here on December 26th at 12:01 PM. Of course, that was too late to be delivered to be on a Saturday. But surely today, Monday, the package would be there! Ah no. Not sorted.
  • I told the Postal Worker I would be coming back. This package was very important to my pups!
  • Once I unloaded the groceries, had a quick lunch, I returned to the Post Office with my Tracking number. The Worker was not thrilled about finding this box, but I wasn’t leaving without it!
  • Let’s just say that I am one very determined woman, especially where my pups are concerned.
  • The box was found and I was able to give them their medication with their dinner!
  • I also had a weird thing happen with Lili. She’d gone out and was in the yard for a bit, and I called her to come in. She looked almost skittish like something had scared her. I went out and called to her again and she finally came in.
  • Dinner was made and cleaned up and it’s finally 8:15 on Monday night and I am able to sit down! Going to bed will be next and very soon!

Yes, it was a very long day!

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Christmas Happenings 2020

This year, after a year of isolating and being cut off from so many of my friends and family, I prayed for one thing. I just wanted to spend Christmas Even and morning with my two grandchildren.

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Well, I was blessed because I got to be with grandchildren on Christmas Eve, make cookies, play and visit and share, and then wake up on Christmas Morning and see their wide eyes as they surveyed all that Santa had brought to their home!

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Stockings were opened and enjoyed! My former husband made us all breakfast and the friendship between us, his wonderful life partner, Rachel, and I made the entire event feel like life in this crazy world, we were all family! Bob’s son was also with us and his daughter was there via Zoom!

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Family. Blended and working. I am ever so grateful for this!

After breakfast, we began the herculean task of opening Christmas gifts! So much fun and so much shared happiness and joy!

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Then I called Jack at home to say Merry Christmas and he told me that there was something wrong with Arnie. He wasn’t eating, or drinking, and it seemed his skin infection had returned.

Try as I might to not let this concern me too much, I was overcome and I said my goodbyes quickly, packed what I could in my car, and in almost record-breaking time I was home!

I grabbed my doggy thermometer and Arnie was feverish. He also wasn’t moving much, although I got a little tail wag with happiness upon my arrival.

I called the Emergency Clinic, which is just down the street, and brought Arnie right in. Because of Covid, I had to wait in the car, while they took him in.

Yes, bad fever and infection are on his back. (skin) He was also dehydrated and needed an IV and antibiotics. We decided he needed to be admitted for the night at least.

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The next morning I went to pick him up, and although he is better, he is hardly well. I’ve been sitting with him, also doing laundry and feeding him, and making sure he is drinking.

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So, Christmas was full of blessings and a lot of love and in the end, it seemed I was right where I was supposed to be when I was supposed to be there.

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It’s All In A Days Work

Tuesday found me excelling at my house-work. Almost as soon as I got up I was using our roof rake to take off some of the snow that was up there.

I will say this, I’ve never done roof raking before, and after three separate times outside doing this, parts of my body began to object.

So, I decided to come in and make the Seafood Lasagna, which I will cook for Jack’s Christmas Dinner.

Now I will say that I used just about every pot in my kitchen in the preparation of this lasagna! No kidding, I filled the dishwasher when I was done!

That took me two hours to do, and once this was done, I started the laundry, went to the Post Office, and then came home and had to figure out what to make for dinner. Using the leftover lasagna pasta, I made a small Italian Lasagna.

I finally finished with dinner dishes, walked the dogs, and now I am just waiting to put the last laundry load into the dryer. Then I will be done for the day.

I am quite happy with all that I got done, But I am sure in the morning, when this old body gets out of bed, I will be one hurtin’ pup!

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It’s All About..December 22nd

It’s all about getting your priorities straight!

It’s funny. People ask you what you might want for Christmas and honestly, I really don’t want a lot. When I was asked this recently, my response was:

TIME!

It’s funny, but in my early sixties, I realize that time for me is starting to run out. If I am lucky, I will have 20+ years to enjoy. But since I have never been lucky, I will take it one day at a time.

What’s important in your life? What are the people or the things that make you happy, make your life worth living?

In this, my sixty-second year, I think I have finally figured it all out and gotten my priorities straight.

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The Weekend Wrap ~ December 21st

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My kitchen on Saturday and most of Sunday looked like the aftermath of a ticker-tape parade! Bits of paper, ribbons, and bows were strewn all around the kitchen! It was time for me to wrap the gifts I have ordered the last few months, and I guess I am getting old because it took me far longer to wrap than it ever has!

I have these wonderful shopping bags that I stacked the presents in, and they are now ready to go, whenever it is that I will go and see my grandchildren.

I did have one problem. a cute outfit I had purchased for my grandson, was not in good shape! It appeared that the outfit had been slashed with a knife! So, that one is going back!

I fretted about this and in the end, I found a supplier of the exact same outfit that will have it here on Monday afternoon!

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Once I finished up with the wrapping, and folded the paper up, and stored the bows and labels, I came into my kitchen to wash my hands. I turned on the water and we had almost no water pressure!

I put on my boots and coat and went to check the cell-cocks around the house to make sure none of them had turned on. Sure enough, there was one near our screened-in porch that was gushing! I trudged through the snow and got it to shut off. Water pressure problem fixed! Of course, I was soaked, as the snow is well IP past my knees.

And then, mid-afternoon, it started to snow once again. This time just a few inches.

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The weekend was finally over. Wait! Monday is laundry day! No rest for me!

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Happy Birthday, Amanda Mae!

Today is my daughter’s birthday. A special day for her, but in the beginning, it was a very special day for her father and me.
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Amanda was the first child born to us. She was healthy and happy and amazingly beautiful! We both immediately fell in love with our girl.

She was a bright and alert baby, who seemed to grow up very quickly. Always sweet and loving, yet determined to set the world on fire.

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Whatever she sets her mind to, she accomplishes, but perhaps her greatest accomplishment is the fact that she is a wonderful mother to her two kids and their 2 dogs and a cat!

I am so proud of the woman she has become. She is a self-made woman who continues to tackle challenges that many would run from.

So on this, her special birthday, I wish her, good health, much happiness, and a fulfillment of all her dreams.

71136718_10221137923904358_8407547006184062976_oI love you so much, Amanda!

The Friday Five ~ December 18th

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In a week we will celebrate Christmas. It doesn’t seem possible. This year is ending, and the darn Virus is still wreaking havoc with my family and friends. Oh well, here is this week’s list.

  1. We’d been wondering if we would have a “White Christmas”. Well, Mother Nature is laughing loudly at us, as we have over 3 feet of snow, (and as I write, it is still snowing!) It is well past “pretty snow”, and now it is tough. I have been out twice to clear out the satellite dish. This means shoveling my pathway, using the roof rake to get some of the snow down (usually on top of me and my face!) and then climbing a ladder with a long-handled broom to sweep off the satellite dish. The second time I did this I thought I was having a heart attack! It’s hard work.
  2. Then at noon, I brought out the two dackels. Jack had shoveled a little path, but here is the sad thing. My little blind Anneliese was completely disoriented. She couldn’t smell anything familiar, everything is white and bright, and she was totally lost. She kept walking in a circle.
  3. I brought her in and into my bathroom where I could blow her fur dry, but she was so upset, she went into the corner of the room and wouldn’t come back. I stood up, and went and got her, dried her a bit more, and then brought her into the family room and put her in her bed. I wish I could say that this helped calm her, but she is still very upset.
  4. I did not see that coming, however, and I am angry with myself for not having thought out a plan on dealing with snow and a blind doggy. I will be leashing her and taking her out from now on, so she knows she is not alone.
  5. This weekend is wrapping weekend. I think I will open up my kitchen table to its full size, lay-out the gifts and paper, and have at it.

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Have a great weekend everyone!