Looking Up

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Since the diarrhea stopped and I’ve stuck to the BRAT diet until tonight – I had a bacon and egg sandwich.  We will see what that does to my system.

I forgot to mention that Susan and I went to see “We Bought a Zoo” on Christmas day.  If you like a lot of shooting and car chases and drama this is not a movie for you.  It is based on reality. 

Today I mustered some energy and put the license plate sticker on the RV.  Also started the RV and its generator and let it run for a while.  Then I cleaned some stuff out of the RV and car and installed the locking gas cap on the car. 

I came back in to find Bandit had opened the plastic bin I keep dog food in and was gobbling as fast as he could.  I keep a 5 lb. weight on top of it.  I may have to figure something else out. 

He had also peed in the mud room ARRGGGG.

Poor Teddy just looks guilty when he knows Bandit is doing something he shouldn’t.  He is so touchy that he went and hid when I pretended to pet a stuffed animal toy of his. 

My new year’s plan is to go to bed at the regular time and hope the neighborhood doesn’t set off a bunch of fire works.  If they do I may take advantage of the noise and fire one of my guns.

later….

 

Lazy Me

I haven’t been very good at blogging lately.  No good reason except the same old stuff is still the same old stuff. 

Tuesdays I go down the street and get blood drawn.  I try to combine that with other trips.  I got groceries this week and did laundry.  We haven’t seen any snow that sticks as the ground is still not frozen.  We have had some ice on bridges.

My PET scan was yesterday and my appointment to hear about the results is next year ( next Wed.).

I started the next round of Xeloda pills tonight in spite of having diarrhea for several days.  (Buy stock in toilet paper.)  I am on the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) even though I don’t have bananas just now.

The diarrhea is a possible side effect of Xeloda which hasn’t shown it’s ugly head until now.

Luckily I had bought a frozen packet of rice so it was quick to fix and very tasty.  I’ll cook some of my own rice when the packet runs out. 

Bandit continues to wear diapers at night.  Periodically he pees in the mud room.  He likes the door open to that room even though it makes a cold draft. 

I trimmed his front toenails today by myself.  He really didn’t seem to mind very much except when I had trouble squeezing the cutter.  His nails are huge and hard to cut plus they are black so I am guessing where the vein is.  I think one bled a little but he wouldn’t let me look at it.

Teddy immediately ran and hid when he saw what I was doing.  He doesn’t mind being brushed and combed but toenails are a different story.

The Christmas items in my booth will be marked down to half off for a couple of week-ends and then they will go back in the attic.

I am enjoying playing Words With Friends on Facebook.  Scrabble is a good game to keep your mind alert.  I mostly lose but that’s okay.  Once in a while I get a really good word.

later….

 

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a blessed Christmas.

I enjoyed seeing my family Friday night.  We had a wonderful meal and secrets were being whispered around the room. 

The first gift I received was from Lory & John.  It was a glass canning jar with a Monarch butterfly in it.  It was fluttering around and moving it’s wings like a real one.  It is actually a fake butterfly on a tiny wire and it moves when the jar is disturbed or you tap the top.  Amazing.  A new pet that I don’t have to feed.

I also got lots of nice soft fluffy socks and a huge box of rice crispy treats with encouraging messages written on each of the 40 treats inside the box.

Also a couple of sweat suits for warmth and comfort. 

  And I mustn’t forget the Christmas pin and earrings and the fingerless gloves for my sore hands and the two whistles for my whistle collection.

There was one gift with some assembly required – a remote starter for my car.  If I leave the heat on and aim it at the windshield I can start the car from inside the house and the windshield will be cleared of frost before I go out.  I plan to get it installed this next week.

Everyone was happy with their green pieces of paper in the envelopes I gave them. 

Lory and John took me since I don’t drive the thruway at night anymore.  It was nice to be a passenger and see all the lights. 

I am so grateful for my family and friends who are there for me. 

A phone call from my sister in New Mexico where they are getting snow and 20 degree temps was very nice.  Their home on wheels wasn’t meant to endure those temperatures but they are coping very well.  

I’ll eventually get pictures.

later….

End of Eighth Zeloda Chemo Cycle

Now I get a week off and a chance to recover a little.  My hands tremble, my nose drips, my eyes water, my palms and the soles of my feet are very red.  One foot is so red it looks almost black.  Every step I take is painful.  I welcome the week off.

But that doesn’t mean it is safe for me to go around lots of people.  My immune system is down, I catch whatever is going around.

Enough complaining.  It does no good. 

The weather continues to be cloudy and/or rainy.  No white Christmas this year.  The twelve years we lived the New Hampshire we had two Christmases that were not white. 

In New England they plan on the snow and cold and use it to create fun.  Baseball fields were misted to make skating rinks.  All kids got skates for Christmas.  Snow mobiles are really fun and allow you to see the woods at a time of year you don’t normally see them.

So here in Ohio we endure winter instead of enjoy it.  My dogs seem to think rain will melt them so they must be booted out the door.  I dry them with a towel when they come in, hoping that will make them more willing to go out. 

Friday night my family is getting together to celebrate Christmas.   I will try to cheer myself up for that.   I enjoy my computer and play games on it, I enjoy reading books.  But I do get discouraged at times.

later….

Vehicles and Grumps

Got my car back this afternoon.  It needed front brake pads & rotors, a transmission fluid flush and change, and the hood wouldn’t stay up so it needed a new part.  Upkeep on vehicles is expensive – merry Christmas to me.

I still need a locking gas cap for it.  Anyway now my driveway is full again of vehicles that are in good shape. 

Downloaded a book from the library that wouldn’t download the other day.  I don’t understand all I know about how this works.  It wouldn’t even let me sign on the first few times I tried, then everything worked great.

I’ve been cutting on my hair now and then.  I know I’ll be in trouble with my beautician – my daughter.  But I can take it.

We are supposed to get a thunder storm in the night tonight.  Wonder if Bandit will be able to get into the bathtub. 

The weather has been in the 50’s for a couple of days – it will just feel all the colder in a few days when it changes. 

The dogs have enjoyed the warmer weather, rolling around on the ground and staying outside extra long.

It’s the middle of my two weeks of chemo pills so I’m a bit grumpy. 

later…. 

 

Vehicles

The car is at the garage getting checked from bumper to bumper.  I hate it when they ask me about a noise a car makes.  When I start it on a cold morning it kind of moans.  At least they didn’t ask me to try to make the noise.

The RV is in the driveway.  On the way home from picking it up I got $50.00 ($3.14/gal.) worth of gas put in.  That brought it up from 1/4+ tank to almost 3/4 tank full. 

The RV now functions as an escape from the house if the power goes off.  The carburetor was all gummed up on the generator due to lack of use.  I’m going to have to mark the calendar and start it and let it run for a while once a month.

After I had blood drawn this morning I went to the Dollar General store across the street.  Since our grocery store closed over a year ago the Dollar General has started carrying more food items.  It is really handy.  I found a couple of food items and a pair of long johns.  Since I had to throw out a pair this year I replaced them today.

You need to take advantage of things when you find them.

later….

 

 

The Boys in the Band

My granddaughter, Andrea, her friend Chris, and my grandson Jake took me to the show last night.  My other grandson, Will, is the one in the middle, the blue t-shirt.  This year they named their band “Caveman and the Neanderthals”. 

Back in the USSR–Beatles

Jailhouse Rock–Elvis

Everyone was wanting more when they got done. 

I learned that you do not hug a rock star right after a performance.  A thumbs up seemed to be the limit of approval he could take.

I got the trash and the recyclables out to the street this evening.  Yeah! 

I hesitate to brag on Bandit but he is doing some better on making puddles.  I find if I give him some attention before I take a nap he does a lot better.  So – some of his puddles are emotional, not physical.

We are having some warmer weather which is just a way of making the really cold weather seem worse. 

Tomorrow I take the car to be checked over and pick up the RV.  And go give blood to the local doctor’s office down the street.

I haven’t accidently pushed my emergency button since the other night when it went off three times.  I must be sleeping calmer.

later….

 

Busy Friday, Relaxing Saturday

Got a lot done Friday, groceries, bank, drug store, and barn. 

The barn looked wonderful with all the Christmas decorations etc.  Last Sunday was a house tour for the local town.  Only four houses signed up for people to come into their homes so they let a veterans museum and us (10 antique dealers in a barn) be part of the tour.

We are hoping we get a lot of new customers, people who normally wouldn’t notice us, and maybe they will spread the word about us. 

There are rumors that my oldest granddaughter is planning to elope in Jan.  Is it still eloping if you invite everyone to come along? 

I lost some weight with that cold I had last week so I am working at gaining it back.  So far I’m making headway on it.  Cooked a small pork roast in the slow cooker today.  The smell drove the dogs nuts all day.  Tough tootie, dogs, that’s people food.

Somehow Bandit got out of his diaper last night.  I must have slept like a tornado as the alarm button on my wrist went off three times.  I refuse to jump out of bed a 3:00 a.m. and run to the kitchen (actually quickly shuffle) to turn it off before it calls.  So every time I told them I was okay.

They should have a cancel button right beside the alarm button on my wrist.  The last time it went off was 6:00 so I just stayed up.  It scares the dogs out of their wits as the voice from it is quite loud and sounds like a person is in the kitchen. 

I am to test it once a month so I marked the calendar for a month from now.

All I did today was scrape the old stickers off my license plate and put the new one on.  I also removed the paper plate and put the regular plate on the back of the car.  Since it was below freezing outside I didn’t go for the front plate.  Don’t know why we need a front plate anyway.  I’ll put it on when it is warmer, like in the 40’s maybe.

later….

 

Sunshine!

We had sunshine today.  I took a short walk to the back of my yard and closed the gate to the garden area.  Teddy has been escaping from somewhere back there and coming back with burrs and animal dodo on him.  He seems very happy about it. 

His favorite blanket is pink with kittens on it.  Maybe this macho thing involving crap and burrs is his way of rebelling against the blanket’s image.

My pills arrived and were the right count.  They are now distributed into the holders for the next two weeks.

I found some old forgotten packets of tomato cup-o-soup.  All I have to say is – they spoil with age.

One day of sunshine – tomorrow they are predicting snow, not much but some.  Winter seems to really be here.

later….

 

Dr. Visit & License Plates

The doctor says to continue with the five pills per day for the next two week round of chemo.  They are to be delivered tomorrow by UPS and I have to sign for them.

Since I switched from six to five pills the last round  left me with 14 extra pills.   I only need 70 pills for two weeks now so they needed to ship me 56 pills.  56 pills plus the 14 I still have equal 70.  When they called today they said my portion of the payment would only be a few dollars more?!?

We will see how many pill I get tomorrow.

I stopped by the post office and got my new title for my Jeep.  Took it to the license bureau, transferred the plates, and got stickers for the RV and the car for next year. 

It didn’t rain today.  There was even a split in the clouds that showed that somewhere the sun was shining. 

I get that old urge to get into a vehicle and drive south until I find the sun.  I know it is there, I have faith that it is there.  We are supposed to see it tomorrow.  I may beat a drum and blow a whistle.

later…. 

Slow but Sure

Slowly but surely I am a bit better each day.  I overslept all Teddy’s efforts to get me up this morning. 

We have this system where I email Susan as soon as I get up – just an “I’m up” message.  Sometimes an expletive deleted is added.  Well, about 9:30, when Susan noticed she hadn’t gotten my email, she called and woke me up. 

WOW!  Okay I was reading a good book last night till midnight but that is still more sleep than I should need.  It felt really good though.

The rain was supposed to stop today so I hung a doggie belly band (diaper) out to dry.  Hah.  It is still nasty and 33 degrees and sprinkling off and on.

I didn’t get the trash put out yesterday.  That will make a double dose next week. 

Tomorrow is my Oncologist appointment in the afternoon and Thursday is the UPS delivery of the next round of chemo pills.   So I am pinned down.

Errands are pilling up but I think Friday Lory will be helping me out. 

Thank goodness for my Nook book.  I can get library books and return them without leaving my house.

And thank goodness for my dogs who let me sleep late and forgive me for being late in feeding them.

later….

More Miserableness

I got rid of the pleurisy but apparently not the infection that caused it.  Started running a higher fever Thursday evening.

So Friday morning I called the Dr. office.  The end result was a prescription of Levaquin 500mg.  

The side affects are daunting but the results are impressive.  Susan picked up the antibiotics for me, I took one at 5:00.

During the night I woke up twice wet with sweat.  It will still be a long haul to get over this.  I think this may be what I get for going to a three year olds birthday party. 

I need to get well enough to go to my grandson’s musical performance next Sunday evening.  The big music store in town has organized a band and they have been practicing.

Last year their performance was delayed twice due to weather.  Let’s hope that doesn’t happen again.

I actually ate three meals today.  So I’m really on the way up.  Everyone has offered to help.  Just their offers make me feel better.

Now, does anyone want to stop by and learn how to diaper a 54 lb dog? with very short legs?  about 10:00 p.m.?

Just kidding.

later….

Couple of Miserable Days

Two days this week I laid on the couch with a heating pad on my chest.  I had pleurisy.  Yuck.

I have very specific instructions about when to call the Dr.  A fever over 101.4 is one of the major rules.  In the afternoons I got to 100.4 but then it would edge down to 99 before bedtime. 

So I didn’t call anyone, just used the old fashioned cure and it seems to have worked.

I’m still not back to my normal but I am eating today, regular food, not chicken soup. 

The dogs were very patient with me.  I have found if I cover Bandit up with a light throw he is very happy.  He didn’t even get up when Lory and John stopped by.

We did have enough snow to cover the grass and put a cap on one of my bowling balls.  I get colorful bowling balls at thrift stores and put them around the yard as gazing balls.  The snow had melted by noon the next day.

There were a lot of accidents and some black ice.  I’m grateful I have a warm house and don’t need to go out if the weather is bad. 

Planning to feel a bit better each day.

later….

 

New Stuff for Old People

When I stop reaching for the gear shift on the steering column instead of on the floor, when I get used to the window controls being on the console between the two front seats, then maybe I’ll realize I have a different car.

My Nook book reader turns the page when you touch the right side of the screen.  I found a paperback I wanted to read and I found myself touching the right side of the page to turn it.  It didn’t work.

Does all this confirm that it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks?  Or once I learn a new trick I have a problem switching back.

I have recently learned how to diaper a 55 lb. Bassett.  It’s called a belly band. 

We are still getting rain and they are predicting it will turn to snow sometime tonight.  It’s 33 degrees outside now.

I still haven’t studied out my new camera.  I can only handle so much at a time.

Later….

Explanation

Let me explain something about the last posting.  When I was expecting my first child I went to a couple of doctors in partnership.  One month I would see one and the next month I would see the other one.  They didn’t agree on the subject of weight.  Every other month I would be prescribed diet pills.

I kind of knew this was not right but they were the doctors.  I ended up gaining 60 pounds!  Within a couple of months I was back down to my normal of 106 lbs.  She weighed 8 lbs 2 ozs. 

A couple of years later I gained 90 lbs with my second child and he weighed 9 lbs 1 oz.  It took me six months to lose that weight.  I CAN COUNT!  With the third child I dieted and gained only 40 lbs. and she weighed only 7 lbs.   She looked very thin to me. 

Everyone is different and I must be one of those people who need to gain a lot of weight when I’m pregnant.  I lost it every time.  I was so proud when I hit age thirty and had reached my minimum weight for my height – 130 lbs. 

We have had a lot of rain which upsets Bandit.  He has a very hard time getting into the bathtub now.  I refuse to help him.  If he is very upset I give him a couple of benadryl capsules hidden in a piece of hotdog.  That seems to help.

My dogs had fleas!  I tried some of those over-the-counter flea drops and they didn’t work.  It turns out that Teddy is allergic to fleas and was getting a bare spot on his back.  So off the vet with a large bill for the appointment and the meds to kill the fleas.

They don’t have Medicare for dogs do they?

I had a great Thanksgiving with family.  Yesterday I attended a third birthday party for my great grandson.   The balloon that I couldn’t get tied after blowing it up was a big hit as it flew around the room.  After letting it fly around the room about 50 times I recruited someone else to do the blowing.

My toes are not bleeding anymore.  I guess the reduction of one pill has helped. 

Later….

Doctor’s Visit & New Camera

Wednesday was a regular every three weeks appointment with my oncologist.  My blood marker test was 86, last one was 85, so that is good. 

I showed the Dr. my feet and she was sympathetic to the open sores where my big toe nails used to be.  She asked if I had any fever, worried about infection.  She also suggested that I should reduce the 3000 mgs of Xeloda that I take each day to 2500 mgs. 

She even suggested I might reduce it by 500 mgs more if they didn’t start to get better.  Now I understand why this medication comes in 500 mg pill.

I went totally wild and bought myself a camera that I can turn off and on.  Now I just have to figure it out from minimal instructions by someone whose second language is English.

It’s a blue Sanyo, very small.  My old memory card fits it.

I got  a lot done this week in spite of being pretty lazy Monday and Tuesday.  Maybe I have to work up to a few busy days.

Forty eight years ago today I became a mother.  When they hand you a baby they hand you guilt.  Did the drugs they gave me cause her a problem?  Did I do everyone wrong?  But then I look at her determination, her pride, and her industriousness I have to decide somebody did something right.  Most likely a higher power.

later….

Confessions

I’m fessing up here.  I cannot turn on my camera with my sore fingers.  It’s a Kodak DX6730, an older camera.   You push down on a button between two ridges and turn the dial to turn it on. 

Maybe I’ll remember to ask someone to turn it on for me the next time I have visitors – or maybe I won’t remember.

The young man who used to live next door came over today to mow my lawn.  He did a good job and it took care of a lot of the leaves.  He also took the tomato cages out of the garden area. 

He was happy to have a temporary job at Kohl’s for the Christmas season.  He plans to do such a good job that they will keep him on.  I wish him luck, he’s a good worker.

Another confession.

Yesterday I had a senior moment.  In the early evening I turned on the gas fireplace in the bedroom while I treated my feet and changed clothes.  I left it on and closed the door. 

By the time I was ready for bed at midnight, unusually late for me, the room was way over heated.  I opened two windows to get a cross draft but even that took quite a while to cool things down.  I only needed a sheet for cover.  Luckily the low for the night was in the 50’s. 

I just noticed that my Nook is updating something – all on its own.  Wow, that thing scares me sometimes.  Is it watching me while I’m watching it?

I took the stick tree to the antique barn Saturday and went around looking for small bottles to put on it.  It looks really good.  I may have to add some Christmas stuff to it.

later….

 

New –to me- Car

Today I bought a silver colored 2002 Jeep Liberty with 64000 miles on it.  It seems to have more bells and whistles than I am accustomed to.  It will take me a while to figure them all out. 

It always takes longer to deal for a car than it should so I am very tired.  I just barely got home.  We got there at 1:00 and it’s 5:30 now. 

I test drove the Jeep and the Hyundai and I really liked the Jeep much better.  It’s already getting dark so I can’t get a picture tonight.

The dogs were happy that I came home in time to feed them. 

And yes, there were some snowflakes in the air.  They just said there would be more tonight.  It’s not cold enough for it to stick – yet. 

That’s all for now.

later….

 

Busy Week

Had a very busy Tuesday.  I went to the doctors office for a blood test, the Dollar General Store (got left over halloween decorations to make capes for great grandsons), the drug store (got more Udder cream), the bank (deposited check received for the jack in the box – it sold for $135. on ebay), voted, and picked up mail.  Then I went home a took a well earned nap.

This village is so in between larger towns and cities that our news gets ignored.  I still don’t know if the school levy passed or who won our mayor race.  It may have scrolled across the bottom of the screen Tuesday night but I can’t read it unless I’m a foot from the screen.

I received two belly bands for Bandit.  So far the review is mixed.  One wet one, one dry one and one moved so a puddle was left.

The question of whether to paint the stick tree or not is solved, John and Lory stained it.  It is great and I can’t sell it, oh well, maybe they will make more and I can sell them.

Lory has decided she wants to buy my car since she can’t find a good used car in her price range as good as mine.  So I have been car shopping. Tim (son-in-law) is helping.  I want another small SUV.  My Mazda Tribute has been good and I like to be up a little above traffic.

Lory and John went with me yesterday to check out a Hyundai Santa Fe.  It was being detailed so we couldn’t see it.  The salesman drove us around in a Jeep Liberty Sport with leather/heated seats.

I really liked the Jeep and the salesman called later that afternoon to lower the price. 

Lory has tomorrow off work so we will probably do some more looking.  Even though I wasn’t thinking about a different car it’s kind of fun.

My feet and hands still hurt so I am taking more pain meds.  Where my big toe nails used to be there is are running sores now.  Yes I had all my terribly ingrown toenails removed several years ago. 

Today was a “receive UPS delivery of pills” day.  Tomorrow morning I take the last dose of this 2 week round.  Next week I see the oncologist.  I hope maybe she will let me reduce the dose in the next round.

The weather man used that four letter word in the forecast – SNOW.  He also mentioned a good hard freeze, in the 20’s.  I am hoping that will help my drippy nose and eyes. 

Time will tell.

Later….

 

 

Sunday & Time Change

Had a nice Saturday.  Lory and John took some Christmas stuff over to the barn and took out the halloween stuff.  We are as bad as the big stores.

Andrea and her new special friend, Chris, came also.  See I remembered his name.  He is into old stuff but isn’t yet in the selling mood.  I tried to give him some stuff but he didn’t take it.  I’ll have to work on him.

Got a call from my sister because I posted so gloomy.  She suggested I just put my feet in a plastic bag at night.  DUH why didn’t I think of that.   It works great with a sock over it to keep it on. 

I do get gloomy and discouraged.  I hate to share that part but it is real and it is probably normal.  I reread the side affects of Xeloda and depression is one of them. 

I have decided Bandit needs a lesson in who is the boss around here.  All I do is make him lie down on his back when he doesn’t want to.  He won’t look me in the eye or I would out stare him.  Also I am limiting the water in the evening.  It worked last night – no puddle this morning.

John is making me a stick tree.  It is in the process of being built.  The tiny bottles will go on the branches.  Now we just have to figure out how to make it stand up.

Do you think I should paint it? 

Got all the clocks changed, now I just have to change the dogs’ clocks.

Later….

Solving Problems

Okay, I can be creative.  If I lay out the two pieces of plastic wrap before I grease my feet it is easier to wrap them.  A little easier.

The Bandit problem is being worked on.  The rescue people have suggested a dog belly band to help stop the peeing inside.  They have offered to send me one and I have ordered a couple on ebay. 

They wrap around his belly and, hopefully, remind him to wait to go outside to pee.  Some of them are just plain diapers, some come with a way to add throwaway padding.  It’s worth a try.

Watering eyes, running nose, and an occasional coughing fit are all that’s left of my cold.  I think a big part of the problem is allergy to ragweed.  When we have a hard freeze it will improve.  We have had several light frosts so far.

I have been 6itchy today- this week.  I am having negative thinking – wonder why?  Whenever I have a cold it seems like it will be around forever.  My eyes water so much I have to keep wiping them to read.  My nose drips unexpectedly into the dogs water so I go back to the faucet for fresh water. 

I’m taking meds that make me miserable so I can stay around a little longer in this world and take more meds that make me more miserable.   There – I said it. 

I’ll be more cheerful ….

later….

Did I Say Usual?

I have a cold!  I hate colds.  My eyes water, my nose drips, and my throat hurts.  It feels like I am swallowing razor blades. 

I have gargled with vinegar which actually has helped some.  I was able to eat something after that.

Don’t ever complain about things being usual, the germs and viruses are out there.

We had a good time yesterday at lunch discussing plans for the Christmas season.  That’s probably where I encountered the evil cold bug.

Wrapping your feet with plastic wrap is tricky.  My Dad used to tease me about my big feet saying I would have been a lot taller if they hadn’t turned so much under for feet.

Actually 8 1/2 is not all that big today but in the 50’s that was big.  The wrapping is a challenge.  I put the Udder Cream on, then my hands are slippery as well as my feet.  Getting the plastic wrap out and tearing it off with slippery hands means the wrap gets all stuck to itself.  You get the picture.

It makes bedtime a long process with two dogs watching.  They expect a special backrub and belly rub at bedtime. 

Bandit’s blood test came out normal.  I called the Bassett Rescue woman in charge of placement and explained the problems I was having. 

Bandit doesn’t get along with any other Bassets, he doesn’t do well at a kennel.  He is 12 or 13 years old.  He has been in many homes and snaps and snarls at the other dogs.

Teddy is meek enough that they coexist but there is almost no interaction between them.  Well, maybe when Bandit tries to dominate Teddy.  He stands on his tiptoes and tries to look down his long nose at Teddy.  Sometimes he blocks the backdoor so Teddy can’t come in the house from the backyard.

The ultimate conclusion I got from the Rescue lady was that she would try to rehome him but she would almost rather have him put down that try to find him another placement. 

Evil me was almost hoping he had kidney failure.  Bad on me.  I just don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to take care of him if he can’t get in and out of the house without my lifting him.  Today he did fine.  Only time will tell.

Sniff sniff – yuck

later….

 

More of the Usual

Not much happening – thus not many posts.  Took Bandit for blood test yesterday – testing for kidney function. 

I tried giving him some glucosamine  and he threw up.  He can barely jump into the house from the deck.  It is only a little higher than a regular step.  I’ve had to lift him in a couple of times.  Front half first, then back half.  We do the same with the car.

I had my appointment with the oncologist today.  They called yesterday and asked me to be a little early, so I was.  Then they were running a little late.  Nothing unusual.  It only took an hour.  I am to continue the xeloda and come back in three weeks.  The cancer marker is hovering around 70-80-90. 

My hands have been really sore lately.  She suggested I put the Udder Cream on and wear rubber gloves at night, also wrap my feet in plastic wrap.

I remembered some very expensive gloves I bought at a trade days in Fredericksburg, TX several years ago.  They don’t have finger tips in them.  I’ve been wearing those during the day and they really help.  They are really soft.

So I’ll put the plastic wrap in the bedroom so I can wrap my feet at night. 

Going out to lunch tomorrow with friends.  It’s supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow.  I’ve got to get my lawn mowed one more time before winter and I’ve lost my neighbor’s phone number. 

Went searching in the attic for Christmas stuff.  Found a huge artificial wreath that half the lights didn’t work.  So I took the lights off, that took an hour or so, and took it over the the barn.  It was all one string of lights so I cut it off at the point where they stopped working.  If I can remember how to do it I will reattach the plug to the half that works.

We are having a family discussion about how to handle Christmas gifts this year.  Draw names or have an obscene heap of gifts that aren’t what people want. 

later….

Shopping

When you put off grocery shopping it just gets bigger.  Walmart  has about everything I need and it isn’t spread out over an acre.  They are $100+ richer today and my cupboards are almost full.

I walk much slower than I once did due to sore feet and one numb foot.  Walking slowly you see more.  If you see more in a grocery store you buy more.

Susan and I were laughing about what will get us to go shopping.  She said her bottom line was pancakes and home made syrup for breakfast. Mine was graham crackers and juice for breakfast.

Home made syrup is sugar and water boiled down to syrup.  I invented this on a camping trip when we had forgotten syrup.  We continued to make our own syrup after that.

We camped in a pop-up camper.  The kids could get up in their footed pajamas and climb rocks. 

Those are fun memories for all of us.

later….

 

Whining and Complaining

If I made the rules – I can break them – right?  Or if I made the plans – I can change them!
So all I did on this rainy day was write out checks, lick envelopes and apply stamps – also put away laundry from a couple of days ago.
I need to go grocery shopping and Susan has offered to do it for me.  I want to do it myself, I want to have the energy to do it myself.
Maybe tomorrow, the list gets longer the longer I put it off.
Bandit has been improving his bathroom habits each day.  I don’t think there were any puddles today. 
This was the last day of the two weeks of xeloda pills.  Now I get a week off.  I forgot the last pills after breakfast so I took them after lunch.  This break is just in time as the creases in my hands are getting bloody cracks.  If I use the Udder Cream often enough they seem to heal up a little.  Opening jars and bottles is a trial for sore hands.
I drink a lot of ginger ale as it helps keep my stomach settled.  I drink it room temperature and let the fizz out.  I was surprised this week when I had trouble getting the top off.
Actually these pills are pretty easy on my stomach.  I was trying to keep protein and starch separate but now I can mix them a bit.  I had a chicken sandwich for lunch with no after effects.
I’m enjoying playing “words with friends” on facebook.  It’s a scrabble game and I play with my kids and sister and niece and sister-in-law.  I even win sometimes.  Got to keep the old brain active.
later….

Talking to Myself

It’s hard to set yourself down and have a stern heart to heart talk.  Talking to myself?  Yes.

I’ve got to fight the fatigue more.  Yesterday I took the weed eater to some backyard weeds.  Also took my new clippers to some of the stuff in the garden area.

The dogs loved getting back there in the tall weeds and investigating all the smells.

The squirrels ate the sunflower seeds.  They pulled the plants down to get to them.  Bad squirrels!  Maybe they buried some of the seeds.  Maybe I’ll have sunflowers all over the yard next year.

Lory and I had a good week-end at the barn.  She sold her Blue Boy picture and I sold a large mirror.  We will go Sat. to pick up our money.

There was a lot of talk of the Christmas season coming up.  The barn is on the Christmas Tour this year so we are to go all out with decorating. 

Bah humbug.

Okay – more talking to myself.  I’ll get into the attic and see what I can find.

Went this morning for my weekly blood test then went to the drug store for a prescription.  Also picked up two bottles of chewable calcium pills, and some gel shoe inserts.  When I paid for my items there was a $4.00 coupon on the sales slip.

As I walked toward the exit I somehow ended up in the candy aisle.  Hmmmm.  I used the coupon for dark chocolate.

later….

Rain!

It rained on our sale which was set up outside.  Books and papers were quickly stuffed back into boxes and moved inside. 

The rain let up and we slowly moved some of the items back outside. 

I had filled the back of my Mazda Tribute (Ford Escort with Mazda on the front) with collector books, antique price guides, etc.   I just put the back door up and let people look.  I sold $11.00 out of there.

Then the crowd picked up and we were very busy for a couple of hours.  Part of the fun was sending people out to the shed in back of the barn and telling them to ring the doorbell.  That shed is all decorated for Halloween and the doorbell makes a plastic hand come down and touch your finger. 

Some people scream, some just pull their hand back real fast.  Then just inside your motion makes a gruesome picture with lit up eyes start asking for help in a creepy voice.

You don’t have to be crazy to work there but it helps.

Lory and I stayed till 3:30.  I am very tired and my feet hurt but then I’m often tired and my feet often hurt.

It’s supposed to rain some more tonight and maybe tomorrow and then turn windy and colder on Saturday.  It’s fall.

later….

 

Wheels Again

The car got done yesterday.  They straightened the right front backing plate (that was causing the rattle) and welded an exhaust hanger and replaced the rear windshield wiper for a total of $65.91.

Some day I’ll need tires, they are “cupped” because I never had them rotated.  There is still a lot of tread on them. 

I really appreciate that garage, Phil’s.  They know I’ll be back so they treat me well.

Getting ready to try to sell a bunch of books this coming week-end.  I have antique value guides dating way back.  I also have a bunch of old paper backs and hard backs. 

Lory helped this afternoon. She ran into a very strange book titled Failure of a Mission by Sir Nevile Henderson.  It has everything you would expect, up to and including a prologue.  After that all the pages are blank.  The contents page lists the chapters with 000 for the page.  I have looked on the internet and found this book with quotes from the content.  So this one has to be rare.

My feet are sore from the chemo.  The more I walk the sorer they are.  They are peeling now and very red.  The Dr. says I am tolerating this chemo well.  I’m sure it could be worse so I take an occasional pill and try not to make extra steps. 

Of course, the dogs want to go out and in a lot and Bandit doesn’t want to come in at the same time as Teddy.  He wants the door opened just for him.  I’ve had other dogs like that.

The weather is drippy today.  Bandit looks out the back door and shakes as if he is already wet.  Teddy runs out and runs right back in.  I tell them that black dogs don’t melt but I think they hear “blah blah blah”.

later….

No Wheels

The RV went to the shop yesterday to be winterized and to get the generator working. 

Today the car went to the shop to figure out what is making a rattle when I make a left turn. 

The car garage guy also heard a rumble that I hadn’t noticed.  That is probably the tires.  The car has 88000 miles on it and as far as I know those are the original tires.

They gave me a ride home so here I sit with no wheels.  So I went outside and trimmed some brush with my new clippers.  Things you don’t want to grow in places you don’t want them seem to do the best. 

That went well until I accidently stepped in dog dodo.  Now those shoes have been cleaned and I am wearing slippers. 

Took a Bandit urine sample to the vet yesterday.  I put it in the refrigerator for a while before I took it in.  Apparently that is a nono.   I am to stop giving him the prednisone and get another urine sample next week and not refrigerate it.

The spot where his cyst broke open is almost healed. 

The weather has turned chilly after a week of really warm days.  The trees are turning and the tops of some plants have been nipped by frost.

Since John isn’t supposed to use a lawn mower with his heart condition I have asked the neighbors if they would take care of it.  They have agreed to do it.

I didn’t have any big plans to go anywhere today but without wheels I can think of lots of errands I could run.

I’ll have wheels ….

later.

 

Homecoming Parade

I was just getting ready to feed the dogs this evening when I heard a band.  Sure enough there was a band in the street in front of my house.  They were playing, then dancing.  They have been practicing since last year.  Maybe a new band teacher?

The band was followed by trucks carrying students, even one for the 7th grade volley ball team.  Then came the convertibles with the freshman thru senior candidates for king and queen.

There wasn’t much of a crowd watching so the kids threw candy at the truck or car behind or in front of them.

Two very noisy fire trucks brought up the rear and finally turned the corner and released traffic.

I think the cement truck was very happy to go.  His load is a bit time sensitive.  I learned about that from Bill, husband #2. 

He was a construction inspector and carried a thermometer to check the temperature of cement before it was poured.  If it had started to heat up he would recommend the driver go buy several bags of ice and come back.

If they had poured it while it was heating (starting to set) it would have powdered off and been weak.  A big all day pour with several trucks lined up could become a problem.  Bill’s nickname was bulldog.  I thought he was more like a pussy cat.

I started the Zeloda tonight.  I’ve made appointments for blood work at the local doctor’s office.  Also trimmed the hair on Teddy’s feet so I could find his toenails and cut them.  He wasn’t happy about it.

later….

Doctor’s Appointment

I saw the oncologist today.  The original appointment was for 9:45, then changed to 8:45.  Of course, when I got there on time I had to wait for about 1/2 hour. 

Maybe next time it will be me that needs more time with the doctor so I won’t complain.

The news is all good.  Last time the report didn’t even say how many spots were in my liver, just that there were a lot.

One of my kids started learning to count (about age 2) by saying “one two three lottsa”.

This time there are less spots in the liver, still no count of them but less is good.  All the bone spots are still there, the same as before.  It’s the liver spots that are the biggest concern. 

I will start taking the next 14 days of 3000 mg of Xeloda on Thursday night after supper.

The palms of my hands and the bottom of my feet are peeling which is a side effect of this chemo.

In celebration I stopped at the Salvation Army store and did some shopping.  I found a pair of corduroy slacks, a belt, a large pair of rubber boots (in case of deep snow), and a pot of silk poinsettias.  All for $10.65.  Wednesday’s are 1/2 price days. 

So I’m already starting to decorate for the holidays by setting the poinsettia on top of a dog cage.

The weather is great.  Days in the 70’s and nights in the 50’s.  The trees are starting to turn color.  I love the fall season.

Guess I’ll do some laundry this afternoon.

later….

 

Company Gone

My dear sister sent me a t-shirt that said “I can’t remember if I’m the good sister or the evil one”.  She didn’t get one for herself.  I have friends who have t-shirt skills so I ordered one for her.

So here we are in our t-shirts.  And below we are deciding who is who.

Bob asked if there were any jobs that needed doing. Aha!  He might not do that again.  He cleaned out the eaves and put a screen over them.  He also mowed the front yard.

It’s sad to see them go but there was ice on my windshield this morning.  When you have wheels on your home you tend not to stay around for cold weather.

John is home from the hospital and is doing just fine.  He is to wear a vest with sensors on it for a while to monitor his heart.  We all had dinner last night at his house.

Tomorrow I get a PET scan.  Then Tuesday I have to stay home for the delivery of Zeloda pills.  Retirees tend to plan one thing per day.

later….

Cookies and Cemeteries

I have always baked molasses cookies and I used to mail them to family at Christmas time.  Somehow Linda missed the training our Mother gave me as to molasses cookie baking.

Linda did most of the work, I mixed the spices together so they would be evenly distributed thru the dough.  Of course, there was a lot of taste testing along the way.

You have to get your hands right into the dough and since my fingers are peeling I opted out of that job.  I get into baking but that would be a bit much.

We visited several cemeteries and I learned a few things.  In the older parts of a cemetery there may be a zinc monument.  It is tricky to identify them.  They are a slightly different color, a greenish or bluish tinge. 

My company received their mail they were waiting for so they are ready to go.  I may have to let some air out of one of their tires. 

later….

 

Company

Company just arrived, once again I have a large RV in my driveway.  Linda & Bob arrived just as I was taking my last bite of lunch.

There is a joke payback in the following picture.  Linda & Bob live fulltime in their RV so mail is hard to receive.  Since they knew a while back that they would be visiting here they had their mail forwarded here.  One of the packages that arrived was from Terrapin Farms.  Bob said there was an actual turtle in the box and I would have to feed it soon.

I panicked since I only pick up my mail about once a week so it could have been at the post office several days before I picked it up.

I was thinking I would need a container for this turtle – if it was alive – and food – what do turtles eat? 

There was no turtle in the box, just some special food they had ordered.  SO I was on the warpath for paybacks.  I tried to borrow a real turtle, I checked about actually buying one, I looked on craigslist. 

Finally at the last minute Amy (at the Butter St. Barn) gave me a small concrete turtle.  Better than nothing.

I opened the box, took out two bottles of their chipotle and slipped the concrete turtle in.

This is a picture of Bob finding his turtle. 

 

The news about John is good.  He is being moved out of ICU today and into a regular room.  He may get to come home on Tuesday.  Of course, he will go home with a bunch of prescriptions and instructions.  But home is where he needs to be.  You really can’t rest in a busy hospital.

Played peek-a-boo with Teddy this morning.  It started when I pulled the covers over my head to try to get him to leave me alone. 

When I peeked out to see how he was taking it he did his gleeful wiggle thing.  So I did it again.  Then he turned his head away and then back quickly – his version of pulling the covers over his head. 

I had a problem believing he was doing it on purpose but after several demonstrations with lots of happy wiggles (on his part) I have to believe he was playing his version of peek-a-boo.

Now that I think about it I’ve seen one year olds do that so maybe it’s not so surprising.

I’m enjoying my company now and….

later….

Flowers Etc.

Temptation won at noon time when Susan called and asked if I wanted anything special for lunch.  I asked for a foot long hotdog with chili sauce on it.  Heartburn here I come.  It really tasted good.

Lory’s significant other, John, is in the hospital with heart problems.  He has been moved to ICU so he can be monitored more closely.  In ICU there are two patients per nurse whereas in a regular room there are ten patients per nurse. 

It seems the top of his heart is not agreeing with the bottom half.  They may have to shock it to reset the rhythm.

The other day I took some pictures of the flowers in my yard.  Today I will post them.

Morning glories have taken over the railing on the front porch.

The above picture is not flowers, it is a new, bigger electric pole that proves the cities intent to widen the street next summer.  The new sidewalk will be this side of it, shortening the front lawns by several feet.

Last year I wanted blue morning glories so John saved me some seed.  It was successful as you can see.

later….

Beautiful Week-end with Sadness

Blogger pulled a fast one but I figured it out. It came up with the tab on “Insert” so I clicked on home and found the usual screen. 

The weather has been wonderful for a while now.  It makes me sneeze and it gives Teddy an ear infection.  It is still beautiful.  Chilly at night and warm enough during the day.

Received my fourth round of Zeloda pills Thursday and started them that evening.  So far I’ve only forgotten to take them within half an hour after eating one time.  I waited a couple hours and ate again and took them. 

Bandit is still getting his pills.  Only once has he found them in his piece of hotdog and spit it out.  I had to force his mouth open to get it down him.

Friday my granddaughter graduated from beauty school, went to lunch with her Mother and then had an auto accident that broke her wrist and caused her to need 60 stitches in her knee.

Also on Friday my nephew was killed in an auto accident.

Then on Sunday a cousin passed away.  He had a full life and hadn’t been well for a long time.  That’s the normal order of things.

For people who believe things happen in threes – that’s it – enough.

Later….

 

Another Wednesday

It’s going to rain.  I can tell because Bandit is panting and worrying.  Well, the weather man predicted it also.

Bandit seems to be doing okay with all his medicines.  I used one of my pill holders to try to keep all his pills straight.  I put the pills into the middle of a piece of hotdog and down they go.

Finally got a call from the pharmacy today.  I answered their questions and gave them permission to take the money out of my account.  The pills will be delivered tomorrow.

Of course, I had planned to go out to breakfast with my friends.  So far the UPS delivery has been close to noontime but if I leave the house in the morning – Murphy’s law would apply.  The delivery would come and I wouldn’t be here to sign for it.

The other occasion I will be missing is my Granddaughters graduation from beauty school.  She has a job starting next Tuesday.  I’m very proud of her.  Her Mother is also a beautician so I should always look good – right!

I did actually get a hair trim to make the sides that are growing in match the top that never fell out.  All of it seems to be curly.   I could have gotten a perm and skipped the cancer and chemo.  

I know – I have a strange sense of humor.

later….

Dog Emergency & Chemo Break

Last night I noticed blood spots on the floor of the bathroom.  I had cut one of Bandit’s toenails earlier – I have to cut one at a time.  So I checked his nails and while doing that I found a large wound on his hip.

He had a large fatty tumor or sebaceous  cyst there ever since I got him a year ago.  It was about the size of my fist.  At first I thought he had somehow scrapped it off but now I think it burst.  It was too late to call the vet so I waited till this morning.

We got a 2:30 appt. and he got a large area shaved and got the wound cleaned out.  The spot had actually shrunk over night until it was only about an inch across. 

So now we have pills, three kinds – (1) Prednisone 20 mg give 1/2 tablet every 12 hours for 5 days, then every 24 hours for 10 days,  then every other day till gone.

(2) Gabapentin caps 400 mg. Give 1 capsule every 12 hours for pain management.  After 2 days give 1 per day.  May cause mild sedation.

(3) Cephalexin 500 mg capsules.  Give 1 capsule every 12 hours until gone.  Give with food. (antibiotic)

Got all that?  It’s more complicated than my pills.  I am to leave the wound open and let it heal on its own.  I’m not to let him lick it very much.

I was able to get him into the car and into the vets office by myself.  Of course, as soon as he realized where he was he wanted out. 

When we got home he had trouble getting out of the car.  I waited while he assessed the situation and he finally figured it out.

I will do you a favor and not put on a picture of that wound.  I guess I can’t call him lumpy anymore.  He still has a couple of other small lumps but nothing as big as the one that is gone.

I’m getting an extra long break from my chemo pills.  The doctor’s office didn’t get the prescription sent in till late.  I would normally have started the pills Monday night. 

Now I don’t know when I will get them.  They haven’t called to ask if I am in the hospital or hospice or a nursing home or getting home health care.  If I answer “yes” to any of those four questions I don’t get the pills.  

Things will work themselves out….

later….

 

Groceries and Doctor Appointment

This could be every dog I’ve ever had.

At the grocery if there is a cart that goes thump thump thump or pulls to one side or the other – I get it.  The store puts bumpy tile in the area where the carts are kept so you can’t identify those carts before you pick one.

So I thumped around the grocery store turning left only with great determination.

I had planned an early trip yesterday but my eyes weren’t cooperating.  Everything was fuzzy until late in the day.  Probably all the pollen in the air.  So the place was packed by the time I got there.

I got the last available handicapped parking space.  I did find everything I wanted.  I got doggie pee pads and spread them out in the mud room.  This morning there was a puddle on one!  YEAH!  Bandit cooperated.

He just has an old dog’s problem.  His annual check-up is coming up soon and I will need help getting him into the vet’s office. 

My nose doesn’t need to be broken again.  It looks okay from the outside but the septum is deviated.  One nostril is almost blocked.  Okay, I know, I should have gone to a doctor right away. 

Have a doctor’s appt. this morning. 

3:30 After Dr. appointment

My blood cancer marker was 91 – down from 171 last time.  This is good news.  I got Zometa, a bone strengthener.  I get it every two months now.

The doctor looked at the bottoms of my feet and the palms of my hands.  The feet are blistering and peeling.  The point of all the Udder Cream is to keep the feet and hands soft so when they peel the skin doesn’t tear and make a bloody sore.

Do you know how hard it is to NOT pull off dead skin?  I asked for patience once, I guess I’ve got it now.  If I wait there is new skin under the peeling blisters.  It doesn’t make walking much fun but I can live with it.

It is a beautiful day today.  It’s supposed to be nice all week and turn chilly at the end of the week.  Maybe I will catch the computer guy and get my G and H put back on.

Later….

 

My 9/11

The radio said that a plane had flown into one of the twin towers in New York.  I thought – some little plane piloted by a crazy person  - but when I turned on the TV it was pretty clear.

I called my daughter, Susan.  She turned on her TV.  We stayed on the phone the whole morning except for when she made a quick call to her boy friend (later her husband).  We cried and shared the experience.

I kept picturing what those people in the planes had thought and felt as they approached the building.

When they reported the flight had gone down in Pennsylvania I was horrified at first and then very proud.  We were fighting back in the only way we could.

That evening there were two great big BOOMS.  The radio reported that a plane had flown into the veterans cemetery.  Now they are bombing our dead veterans? 

Eventually it was decided the booms were sonic booms.  A plane had broken the sound barrier over our area.  I should have recognized the sound but it had been a long time since I had heard it. 

My guess was it was the escort for the president’s plane heading for Washington.  I also think they were flying a route that passed over military bases, like Wright Pat.

Later in the day I heard from my friend, Jeanne.  She and I had made plans to set up to sell our antiques and collectibles at the Springfield monthly show on the coming week-end. 

We had paid the fees and chosen our site.  Should we still go?  Would anyone be there?  We left it a question for a day or so.

On Sept. 12 I was to baby-sit my four year old grandson.  His Mother and I decided he should not watch much TV as they kept showing the twin towers being hit and collapsing over and over. 

I let him watch it once and then turned it off.  We talked about it.  He came up with the idea that we needed a super hero like batman or superman.  I agreed but wondered how we would know he was a super hero if we found him. 

He gave me one of those “adults are stupid” looks and informed me that he would have a cape!  (awww 4 year olds) We decided the president needed a cape. 

He helped package his cape up and send it to the White House.  He dictated a letter to go with it.  He eventually got a letter from the president thanking him. 

Of course, then he was without his cape so he magically received one from the American Cape Co. (grandma).

Jeanne and I decided to go set up at the antique show.  If people showed up someone should be there for them to see.  We always stayed in the RV during the show.

I took a tiny black and white TV along and we watched it outside after the show closed.  Other dealers clustered around it to watch the news.

I think it was Friday when we first saw a plane in the air and everyone was pointing at it.  It was probably an Airforce plane since Wright Patterson AFB is very close.

We didn’t make any profit that week-end.  There weren’t many customers and the ones who came were very quiet and solemn.  We sold out the few flags we had and people asked where I had gotten the bunting that I always hang on the front of the RV.

The newspaper printed a full page flag and people taped them in their front window. 

There are people in this world who hate us, they don’t want what we have, they just want to destroy it and us.  They don’t want freedom, they want to destroy ours.

There are citizens of our own country who think we need to destroy our political system.  They think they can do a better job.  Gun sales are up.  I have no problem with that – I own a few guns myself. 

Will our system survive?  Maybe – maybe not.  But I think we will fight to the end to preserve it.  At least lets hope so.

Later….

 

 

G & H and A Week off Chemo

I sometimes eat while on my laptop, or maybe snack is a better word.  Today I tried to type and found a large cookie crumb under the G. 

I have pulled keys off and popped them back on before when something got under them so I tried it again.   This time it didn’t work.  Two little plastic things flew off and I couldn’t figure out how they fit back together.

So I pulled off the H so I could look at how it looked underneath.  It also flew apart.  Clumsy fingers. 

As you can see they are still off and I am typing on little buttons for the G & H.  Maybe tomorrow I’ll stop by the computer shop up the street and let him fix it.

Lory was here and she couldn’t figure it out either.  She did some laundry and we went out to lunch. 

Tuesday I went to the bank, the post office, the gas station, and the Dollar General.  Wow such energy.

This is my seven days off Xeloda chemo pills.  I try to get as much done as I can during the week off.  It may just be in my mind that I feel better during this week.  Whatever it is I will take advantage of it.

It has been drippy all day, a good kind of rain that will soak in well.  There has been no thunder or lightening.  So why is Bandit trembling so badly his teeth rattle? 

The last time I tried to give him pills he swallowed one and spit out the other.  I tried every trick I knew to get his mouth open again but no luck. 

So I put the second pill in a piece of hotdog and cut a couple of other pieces.  I gave him the non-pill piece first, then the pill one.  Success.  The third piece went to Teddy just for fairness.

So I am pushing drugs on a dog but I think I just heard him climb into the bathtub anyway.

Later….

Labor Day & Cool Weather

The weather finally turned cooler today, like 20 degrees cooler.  A bit much – I’m wearing a sweat shirt.

Labor Day has been designated Teddy’s birthday.  I got him when he was 2 1/2 years old, about Feb. of 2007.  So I picked Labor day as his birthday.  When I got him he had been kept on concrete by day and in a cage at night.

He wasn’t house broken and got car sick all the time.  He didn’t know about grass or steps or TV’s or having his own food bowl.  He had a lot to learn.

Housebreaking didn’t take long.  Maybe two mistakes in the RV.  I walked him a lot to give him the opportunity to do his business outside.  I even stood him beside a telephone pole and lifted his leg for him a couple of times to give him the idea.

The third time we stopped by the pole he lifted his leg – didn’t do anything but it proved that he was trainable. 

So Teddy is 7 years old today.  Middle aged.  He got a trim this morning and I combed out a lot of his knots.  He is like a long haired cat with an under fur that balls up.  If his fur is kept short enough it makes it easier to get the knots out.

Happy Birthday Teddy!

Later….

Nothing Much

Nothing much happening.  Just doing a little shopping for food and paper towels and laundry detergent etc.  I even found a bar of Lava soap!

RAMBLE WARNING

Years ago when I was going to business school in Columbus, OH, I worked part time for a music store.

They repaired musical instruments and sold music scores.  Their main customers were schools all over Ohio.  They got dirty and messed up the bathroom sink with slimy soap.

I hate to admit that one of my jobs was to clean that bathroom.  So when we needed more hand soap I bought them a bar of Lava and cleaned the sink.

They were very impressed with the new bar of soap and how it didn’t leave soap scum on the sink.  I told them it was hand soap and showed them the wrapper.  Farm girls do know a few things that city folks don’t need to know.

I got paid $1.00/hour for that job.   That was the minimum wage then. 

I lived in an old house with thirty girls.  There was a kitchen in the basement.  There were several refrigerators and we were designated a quarter of a shelf to keep our food.

A lot of blind dates were arranged.  I accepted a blind date to the school’s halloween party.  It was with an Airforce man.  There is something about a man in a uniform. 

Our dates consisted of a coke with two straws sitting in Isaly's playing chess.   Six months later we were married.  It lasted 23 years and three kids.

Gosh that was a long time ago. 

Enough ramble.

later….

 

Sunflowers

Lory stopped by and took some pictures of our sunflowers.  The first two pictures show how close I am to the pizza place.  It shows a little in the background.

The one above is a bit fuzzy but the bees love it.

Not really much to tell today except that Bandit found a way to get into the garden area and didn’t respond when I called.  I was afraid he had gotten away. 

It is very overgrown along the fence so you can’t see much.  He finally got done sniffing the garden and started barking.

He couldn’t remember how he got back there so I had to walk back and open the gate.  He was very happy to see me coming.  He actually ran all the way to the back door.

Susan stopped by on her way home from work and Bandit showed her how he got to the garden area.  We fixed it with twister ties.  A hillbilly fence deserves a hillbilly fix.

Later….