The Menagerie

A Whirlwind Blew In

2011-11-27T17:40:00.000-06:00

...And took the last year with it. So much has happened in the last 18 months, I almost can't believe it myself.

A parting of lives occurred, quite unexpectedly civilly. I was very sad for it to end, but we both needed it. I feel that both of our lives were suffering and we could be so much happier apart. After it was discussed and agreed, a huge tension was lifted.

A reconnection happened, also quite unexpectedly. Turns out, this was what I've always wanted, and needed. I realized that just because you have plans, that doesn't mean that is how things should be. Sometimes when your plans fail, you get exactly what you've always wanted.

I started school again in January, getting two more classes out of the way, and another two in the fall. In between terms, I moved to a new home. While settling in, we found out there will soon be three of us in our new little family.

I have also been folded in to one of the most loving and welcoming families I have ever known. Even more than a year in, I am still overwhelmed by the joy in this family.

The next year brings another whirlwind with more exciting changes, but I see it coming this time. Hopefully, I won't get so caught up I can't stay caught up.

Working on it

2010-12-16T22:28:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I got really far behind a few weeks ago and have been trying to catch back up. The end of year tunnel pics are coming soon, I have several weeks to share. I've also been working on a lot of new jewelry, and will hopefully be getting that posted over on OneStitch soon.

See you soon

Tunnel, Week 42

2010-10-17T19:58:00.000-05:00

A few fall colors starting to show. Looking forward to the next few weeks.

A Different Tide

2010-10-12T22:11:00.000-05:00

There have been lots of changes around here. Some good, some sad that turned out to be good, and some very good.

We are one person less. These two people deserved happier lives apart instead of mediocre lives together. Sad, difficult, trying, but good in the end.

We are one dog less. Charlie passed away a couple of months ago. He had been thin and we beefed him back up. He lost his weight again and started not eating. No matter what we tried to feed him. I had an out of town trip planned and had pretty much decided to part with him before I left, but he perked up and ate the morning before my trip. I decided to give him the weekend and see how he did. That Friday, he was listless and weak. Saturday he went to the vet and they tried to keep him alive until I got home, but he sadly passed away Sunday evening while I was on the way home. Very, very sad. He is sorely missed.

Charlie came into our family in 1995, one year after my grandfather passed away. My grandmother adopted him from our local humane society, and was told that he was already 3 or 4 years old. So, that means the old guy was nearing 20. I had him for just 3 years. He brought my grandmother 12 years of companionship and happiness, and I will treasure the 3 he brought us.

The house is coming together. I feel like I live here now and this is my home. I dare say I have a few favorite spots instead of "places I hang out." My yard is looking nice despite the hackberry attack in July, and my resulting sulking and denial. Glad I came out of that one. It was starting to look like no one lived here. I would like to have a little get together sometime, maybe for the holidays. Good.

I have a new outlook. It amazes me how people come in and out of your life, usually at just the right times. It sometimes seems like some people will be with you for the long haul, but they are only with you for a short trip. It is upsetting to part ways with someone who held a significant position in your life for a long time, but you realize that that person was in your life, or you in his, for a reason. You needed him, he needed you, but there comes a time when you have fulfilled your purpose and must move on to the next part of your life.

I've sometimes (often, truthfully) focused so much on the future and potential that I completely lose sight of what is right in front of me. I miss my life for hoping for more. Since these changes were set in motion, I have tried, and succeeded, to be more in the moment. To pay attention to what is happening right now and to be content with that. I have a long list of projects, but am happy with the slow but sure progress I am making instead of stressing about all the things I "need" to do.

A person from my past in back in my life, and is part of my life everyday. I wish I could say that my new outlook is completely my doing, but I've had some help. Quite appreciated, welcomed and wonderfully overwhelmed. I feel like me again and have been enjoying things that I enjoy. Never wait for someone to be happy. Be happy on your own and enjoy that happiness with someone else. Very, very good.

Tunnel, Week 40

2010-10-05T20:13:00.000-05:00

Wow, Week 40, already. Beautiful weather here lately, some of the leaves have already started turning. It will be spectacular up on the Mountain in a few short weeks.

Tunnel, Week 37

2010-09-12T19:58:00.000-05:00

I took these on my way out of the park, instead of the usual "on the way in". I really like the way the sun comes back through the trees.

Tunnel, Week 36

2010-09-09T21:09:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was near perfect. The weather was so nice, I think the high all weekend was around 85. Beautiful skies, nice breezes, extra day off work. I couldn't ask for much more. The cooler days remind me that soon, the trees will begin to lose their green and start turning the wonderful colors of fall. I can't wait for the fall tunnel!

Tunnel, Week 35

2010-09-09T21:01:00.000-05:00

Ooh, way more behind than I thought I was...a couple extra shots from a week and a half ago..

Tunnel, Week 34

2010-08-23T20:10:00.000-05:00

I didn't realize I was 3 weeks behind! And, I forgot my camera, again, so cell phone pano it is...

Tunnel, Week 31

2010-08-01T19:44:00.000-05:00

Back towards the interstate, as promised. Not much to be seen, or heard for that matter. Such a hot muggy day. I'm hoping this summer breaks, soon. It's been miserable this year.

Tunnel, Week 29

2010-07-19T20:41:00.000-05:00

Running late and forgot my camera, so here we are with a pano from my cell.

Will try to remember to get some shots of other angles in 2 weeks.

Tunnel, Week 28

2010-07-11T21:22:00.000-05:00

Letter to my younger self

2010-06-29T20:21:00.000-05:00

I heard about this project on NPR today on my way home. Cassie Boorn put out a call to her 30 and 40 something fellow bloggers to write a letter to their 20 something selves. She said that reading the letters made her appreciate herself more and not take herself so seriously. Also, many of the women reported that writing the letters was very therapeutic. I really liked the idea and thought I would send a letter out to a younger me.

First. Join the Air Force. You could learn a lot in the Army, but your future Air Force buddies will make you jealous. Skip the green (envy and uniform), go blue.
Second. When an old friend tells you not to get married 3 days before your wedding, listen. You will think you have everything in your back pocket, but soon it is scattered to the winds. If you choose not to listen, it will be okay. Long, painful, and confusing, but okay.
Third. Get out of bed and go to class!! You will regret not doing this, probably every single day.
Fourth. Listen to yourself. Always. Don't take the easy way out. Difficulty and grief will make you stronger and more resilient.
Fifth. Move faster, but take your time. You will only be a 20 something once.

Good Luck.

Tunnel, Week 26

2010-06-27T21:31:00.000-05:00

Week 26 means we're half way through the year. It seems like just a few weeks ago things were still gray and bare.

Tunnel, Week 23

2010-06-09T20:51:00.000-05:00

Tunnel, Week 22

2010-05-30T21:17:00.000-05:00

Not only sooner than last week, but the same day! And a dreary, rainy day it was. The Tunnel was beautiful today! Too bad the camera didn't focus better.

I love seeing this out of the corner of my eye....

2010-05-29T19:28:00.000-05:00

Tunnel, Week 21

2010-05-29T19:27:00.000-05:00

So, I'm incredibly behind. My camera batteries pooped out, so these are with my cell phone camera, and its tiny 2 mega pixels. The tree cover is sufficient enough to drop the temperature in the Tunnel a degree or two. And, the shade is a nice reprieve from extra sunny days. I'll do my best to get tomorrow's shots up a bit earlier.

Tunnel, Week 19

2010-05-10T20:19:00.000-05:00

A couple of extra shots this week.

Entering the Tunnel

Cuteness

2010-05-10T19:31:00.000-05:00

Tunnel, Week 18

2010-05-04T19:50:00.000-05:00

I wish I could take the pictures from the other side of the street so I wouldn't have to remember all that was torn out of here. But, it still looks really pretty! You can sort of even see why we who love it call it the "Tunnel" in the second picture.

I love this place.

Tunnel, Week 16

2010-04-18T19:34:00.000-05:00

We have had some amazing weather lately. Just look how beautiful it was today, and how pretty the tunnel looks!

We're out of town next weekend, so see you in two weeks!

Tunnel, Week 15

2010-04-13T20:25:00.000-05:00

So, I forgot my camera...didn't realize it until I was about a mile outside the tunnel. These are pano's I took with my cell phone.

Look at all this green!!! What an explosion of green leaves!! This is what I wait for every year and it really took me by surprise this year.

Tunnel, Week 14

2010-04-08T21:14:00.000-05:00

Things are getting green!! And if you look very close at the end of the road just above the car, there are some pink blooms! It's getting very pretty around here. A few days ago there was pollen everywhere like a pollen bomb went off. Then it rained and all was mostly clean.

Ah, Spring!

Tunnel, Week 13

2010-03-28T20:55:00.000-05:00

We had unexpectedly pretty weather this afternoon. It was supposed to be rainy and chilly, but it was so nice. Trees and shrubs are budding out at Wildlife, so the tunnel should be greening soon!!

If only they loved us, too...

2010-03-21T21:08:00.000-05:00

We're hoping that one day, maybe one day, they'll accept us as part of their family.

(!)

Tunnel, Week 11

2010-03-14T19:41:00.000-05:00

So, our lovely weekend weather has turned dreary. Hopefully we'll warm up and get some sun soon because we are approaching the start of Spring. That also means all these bare trees will begin budding and putting out new leaves!

The Tunnel, Week 10

2010-03-14T19:29:00.000-05:00

I was running late last Sunday, so I took these while driving through the Tunnel. I was also running late almost all week recovering from a migraine....

The Tunnel, Week 9

2010-03-03T20:34:00.000-06:00

The weather during the week has been somewhat depressing. But, gladly, the weekends have been incredibly splendid.

Tunnel, Week 8

2010-02-23T21:12:00.000-06:00

What a beautiful weekend!! The weather was perfect! Around 65 degrees and sunshine. I stopped on the way out of the park and got a few more shots of the sunset over the lake.

Tunnel, Week 6

2010-02-07T21:15:00.000-06:00

More Cute Kitties, As Requested

2010-02-01T19:42:00.000-06:00

We have more pets, but these two are just about the cutest.

Sunset on the Lake

2010-02-01T19:16:00.000-06:00

One good thing about winter is that I can see the sunset over the lake as I'm leaving the Center. Beautimus.

Tunnel, Week 5

2010-02-01T19:04:00.000-06:00

Week 3 I didn't make it south, and Week 4 the weather was absolute crap.

Things are kind of looking the same...hopefully we'll have some green in a few weeks.

Tunnel, Week 2

2010-01-10T20:37:00.000-06:00

No log trucks this week. Just a couple of guys in a pick up with a chain saw. And 30 degree weather.

I'm off next week, but may make the trek south anyway.

The Tunnel, Week 1

2010-01-03T19:07:00.000-06:00

So, the 3 bulldozers from last week have turned into a full on logging operation with warning signs and everything. Apparently, a lawyer owns the property and one of the other volunteers knows said lawyer, and rumor has it words will be exchanged.

My Intentions for 2010

2010-01-02T19:04:00.000-06:00

So, it's that time of year again. I've reviewed last year's Intentions and there are only a few things I didn't accomplish, so that's good. We didn't pull up any carpet, and we didn't get our new-ish kitchen. Our preparedness is still a little shaky, but I feel like I know where things are if I need them a little more than last year. Here we go!

Save Money! I've really gotten into couponing and have found it amazing how much you can get for so little money. I'm not a pro, but at least I know how to use this very valuable resource. Maybe this will help us finally get that kitchen.

Keep the House Cleaner! Some days I wonder how the house isn't talking back to us. Maybe it is, or maybe it's just the bird. It's hard to keep some things clean, we do have 6 cats, 2 dogs and a bird. There will always be pet hair and feathers and I'm okay with that. It's the "lazy mess" that is really irksome.

The Kitchen! I'm hoping I can work out some way that what we save on groceries with couponing we can put towards the kitchen and have that done mid to late year. The hardest part is going to be being without a kitchen for a few days. We need new countertops (possibly cabinets if they can't be salvaged), a dishwasher, and I'd love to have a disposal if it can be done. Also, we have a doo-doo brown fridge. From 1982 or something. That I hate. I've already been shopping for this one.

Organize, Donate, Recycle, Compost! I like to say that I love organization. I love to organize and compartmentalize. But, I'm lazy. Things aren't necessarily pretty, but I know where they are. I have to make and clean up a mess to get to them and I hate that. Hubs brought home 2 extra filing cabinets about 2 years ago just for that purpose and they remain empty in the storage building.
    We have a ton of stuff we don't use and don't need. Looking back at last year's intentions, my mantra was going to be "If you don't use it, you don't need it." Hubs moved a lot of stuff into storage that was taking up space and re-organized the storage building so we can actually get into it, but we still have a long way to go. This is the year. I can feel it.
     I hate trash. Especially if I know it can be repurposed, or recycled, or composted. I recently found a place that will take just about anything. This is very exciting because my community does not have recycling. And it's only a few blocks from work so it would be a quick trip during lunch!
     We have had a garden for several years now and composting for fertilizer and dirt just makes all kind of sense. However, we throw stuff in the trash all the time. Grr. We have a compost "pile" but it just doesn't get it. We need a box or bin. And some worms. I'm excited about this. I can just imagine the tasty veggies our compost and worms will grow. Mmmm.

Grow One Stitch Wonders! Last year was my first year for selling jewelry and I had a great response. I really love making things that people love. And most of what I've made has meaning and keepsake qualities. Seeing how excited people are about what I did is such a great feeling. This year, I'd like to have a few pieces on consignment or for sale in some of the little boutiques that are blocks from our house. Nearly all of what I've done so far has been by word of mouth and traffic to the OneStitchWonders blog. I'd like to spread that out a little and eventually do this full time.

Take a Metalsmithing Class! I'd like to do this to learn more for the jewelry. And I have a lot of scrap that I'd like to do something with. Hubs gave me the Student's Handbook for Christmas and I've already drooled over it a little. Now if I could just learn to do that stuff!

Bamboo floors in the living room! How I'd love to get rid of the icky berber carpet and put down beautiful, affordable, renewable bamboo floors. I found 3 selections at the hardware store today. I was amazed at all the Brazilian wood choices and just wonder how much of that comes from old growth and rain forests. Bamboo is such an amazing resource because it is plentiful, will grow almost anywhere, grows incredibly fast, and is used for so many things. From floors and furniture to clothes and curtains!

Go into 2010 with high aspirations and acheive them. Let this be the year we all become better people and better the world.

The Tunnel, Revisited

2009-12-28T20:05:00.000-06:00

Being the end of the year, I've thinking back of what I would have liked to have done this past year. Loving the Tunnel as much as I do, I would like to document the changes throughout the year. So, I decided (loftily, albeit) that I should take a picture either entering or leaving the Tunnel each Sunday that I go to Oak Mountain. I was on my way to the Park this past Sunday and got to the turn in the tunnel and noticed 3 HUGE BULLDOZERS! They were sitting about 30 or so yards from the road up on the hill and were surrounded by downed trees. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING????" I heard myself yell. I couldn't believe it. The trees are coming down. What could possibly be going on? My shift supervisor at the Center theorizes that there could be apartments in the Tunnel's future. This, however, would mean grading the hill way down and even widening the cozy 2-lane. My heart broke. I have no problems trimming trees and shrubbery from the road side to keep things safe and visible, but apartments? Really? I'm further befuddled because I thought this land belonged to the State Park. Mostly because there are "STATE PARK LAND" signs affixed to several trees on both sides of the Tunnel.

I still plan to try to take my pictures. Hopefully, enough people will be as enlivened as I am and we can stop whatever development this is to become, and enjoy the Tunnel that much longer. Or, I can watch as one of my favorite places is destroyed and document more of Shelby County's "progress".

:(

Cuteness abounds at our house!

2009-12-13T20:41:00.001-06:00

Cell Phone Pictures from Moab

2009-11-01T19:56:00.003-06:00

This is only a small, pitiful excuse for a vacation blog, but I'm lazy and busy. Sorry. I haven't even looked at the real photos I took with my camera! I went out to Utah to see Jenny, the Man, and Munkey Belle. We spent the weekend at an amazing cabin outside of Moab and spent time at Arches NP and Canyonlands NP. More to come later {I hope :)}.

The Tunnel

2009-09-26T19:29:00.003-05:00

Most Sundays, I drive south to Oak Mountain State Park. Before I even get there, I pass through one of my favorite places this close to home. Just turning off the main road and passing a service station, I enter the Tunnel. This time of year, everything is lush and green. Soon it will begin to turn with the season with several beautiful shades of brown, red, orange and gold. As we move into winter, the leaves disappear and the Tunnel becomes gray and still. Just when it seems that the world won't come out of the cold, the trees start squeezing out tiny green buds. Spring is beginning. Each week, I watch the forest here wake up from it's winter sleep. The trees get greener and greener, and the Tunnel becomes alive again. The trees almost seem to reach down to say hello. Greeting you as you enter a calmer, quieter place. As the heat of summer moves in, the leaf-full trees offer shade and a brief, cool respite from the heat. Even though I've been watching the Tunnel change for several years and know what comes next, each time I drive through I take a deeper breath and smile. As I leave the park a few hours later, the Tunnel amazes me again to carry me to the next trip.

Been a little too busy

2009-08-07T20:09:00.002-05:00

For evidence, check out One Stitch Wonders and Bees Lees

Hopefully, normal programming will return soon!

New stuff over there

2009-07-25T10:15:00.002-05:00

Ha! I have been working!

Look down there >>-----
/
/
/
/
<<-----/ for One Stitch Wonders.

Testing-Testing-1-2-3

2009-05-25T20:47:00.000-05:00

I'm working on some stuff, promise. In no particular order.

Stay tuned.

Please :)

A Reason to Blog

2009-03-01T17:33:00.003-06:00

Because a new car and the holidays weren't enough...

Several times this winter, the weather people have forecasted snow, but have never delivered. Until now. Wednesday and Thursday were so nice last week. Almost 70 degrees nice. Friday we had a really bad storm, with tornadoes and all. Saturday morning was a little dreary then it started getting really cold. Sunday we woke up to a beautiful blanket of snow. It always amazes me how quiet everything is when it's snowing. These are pictures from Oak Mountain. I got there around noon, and 2 hours later there was almost no snow to be seen.

Intentional Addendum

2009-01-07T09:28:00.004-06:00

I've been taking a new daily medication for my migraines, and it causes a bit of brain malfunction from time to time. My short term memory lacks and I forget about half of what I need.

Think more and talk less. My mouth tends to get ahead of my brain and I end up saying things that are more snarky than intended. I've cut some pretty deep wounds with this tendency.

Get/Stay more organized. I usually have piles and piles of important bits of paper lying around that need to be filed. Of course, when I need something, I can never find it. I sort of started this in December, but mostly it was in preparation for doing taxes in a couple of weeks. I set up a pretty good system in a pretty good place, so hopefully this will be easy.

Be more prepared. With everything from getting lunch ready for the next day to "disaster preparedness". I've had a list of important things to compile on the fridge for about 2 years. I think it's time to take care of that. And, this will help with aforementioned intention. The older I get, the more I hate doing things at the last minute.

Get rid of stuff. Not necessarily throw things away, but find better homes for all the extra stuff we have and don't need. We have a lot of stuff that hasn't been out of boxes or in use in years that is just taking up space. This one sort of goes with the yard sale intention. One of my new mantras should be "If you don't use it, you don't need it."

Adding to my Collection

2009-01-03T22:28:00.004-06:00

I started to run out of room with all of my new jewelry I've been working on. So, I made another Jewelry Box for my necklace and earring sets and hung it just below the first one.

Everything on the top row is original, only a few on the middle and bottom are original. When I get jewelry going for sale, I'll start making these to sell, too.

Awesome Surprise

2009-01-03T22:16:00.004-06:00

For New Year's we went to the house of an old college friend of mine. We noticed a really cool painting just inside the front door and asked him about it. He immediately lit up and said he had something for me, and that I was the perfect person for it. We followed him back to his bedroom and he produced this painting: The one one the wall has less color, but is no less cool.

This is a close up of the painting. It is covered with Hershey's Kisses flags. And yes, he ate all of these. Both paintings are about 20"x30". That's alot of Kisses. We brought it home and found the perfect place for it. He started painting about 8 years ago and several different sized and themed works all over his house. Hopefully one day he'll have some in a gallery.

New Year's Intentions

2009-01-01T12:28:00.002-06:00

Because I don't do well with resolutions, here is a list of things I intend to accomplish this year.

Finally get a new-ish kitchen. We don't have a dishwasher and the cabinets are too low t0 install one. So, we pretty much have to rip out all the lower cabinets + countertops and re-do. But, the sink stays. I love my sink. That's why I bought the house.

Tear up some carpet to expose hardwoods. We've discovered that there are hardwoods under the hall carpet and one of the bedrooms.

Take more time to do things I keep saying I'm going to do. Hike more, bike more, garden more, clean more, spend more time with friends.

Have a yard sale. We gathered a bunch of stuff for a yard sale last February and moved it to the front of the house. And it has stayed there. I think this may also fall under previous intentions.

Work on the jewelry/craft business. I've really enjoyed learning to make jewelry and using different materials and techniques. We've talked about having a business selling honey and wax and their related products, so why not add in my new favorite hobby. I would eventually love to have a little shop.

Of course, I intend to eat less and exercise more, but doesn't everyone?

Do it

2008-12-10T19:21:00.002-06:00

Go read this.

And do this with this.

For the children.

It's important.

What I've been up to

2008-11-21T22:29:00.005-06:00

This is my new hobby. I love it. These pieces are for the Craft and Bake Sale happening at Wildlife on December 6, from 9 am until 2. If you live nearby, be sure to come see us. This is the 16th Annual Sale and all proceeds go to the Center. There are other crafts, too, all donated by volunteers and members. Usually lots of crochet/knit items, holiday items, pet treats, baked and canned goods, lots of good stuff. Park admission is $3 for adults, $1 for kids.

Wiggin' Out a Little Bit

2008-11-06T17:57:00.003-06:00

When I got home from work last night, I told Hubs that I was kinda wiggin' out. This is not the first time I've participated in a presidential election, but it is the first time the candidate for which I voted was elected. Obama is also the first President that I've wanted to meet. And, not to mention, this is such an historical election. And I helped. I don't think that I've yet to wrap my head around what we've done, though. He just seems so incredibly calm and collected, and takes decision making seriously. I am so excited and relieved about what he is preparing to do for our country.

Do you ever feel

2008-10-26T22:46:00.004-05:00

about this big

when you want to help

about this much

but find yourself

here, instead?

photo from here

Natural Pest Control

2008-10-11T20:45:00.005-05:00

I love these spiders. I never know when one will appear, and they always have prey caught in the web. I've seen several yellow jackets in her web, and glad for it. We're sure to have one next year, too, with her new egg sack.

Underfoot

2008-10-11T20:37:00.002-05:00

This is Chewey's new favorite sleeping position/place. Right under my feet at the corner of the couch.

Easy, Tasty, Chocolate

2008-10-11T20:18:00.003-05:00

A good friend passed this recipe on to me from Betty Crocker. I halved it, made it, and ate it. All. by. my. self.

Slow Cooker Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk (I used skim)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used olive)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cups chopped nuts (I didn't use, optional I guess)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 1/2 cups hot water

Spray inside of 2- to 3 1/2 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Mix flour, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, the baking powder and salt in medium bowl (this could probably be done in the slow cooker). Stir in milk, oil and vanilla until smooth. Stir in nuts. Spread batter evenly in slow cooker.

Mix brown sugar and 1/4 cup baking cocoa in small bowl. Stir in hot water until smooth. Pour evenly over batter in slow cooker.

Cover and cook on high heat setting 2 hour to 2 1/2 hours or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Turn off slow cooker. Let cake stand uncovered 30 to 40 minutes to cool slightly before serving. Spoon warm cake into dessert dishes and spoon sauce over top.

There might be some left for Hubs when he gets home tomorrow.

A Really Bad Start

2008-10-07T20:56:00.001-05:00

Early this morning I was having a dream. I was either on some sort of campus or living in a very small town. I lived in a suite in a dorm sort of building with a friend that reminded me of 3 of my good friends all sort of mixed together. We lived in the corner, on the second floor. There was some sort of conflict or scandal going on that I was against. Not actively, I just didn't agree with whatever the issue was. Well, a couple of guys had threatened me and I decided to leave. As I was feverishly throwing stuff in a couple of bags, the headmaster came by to see what was going on. I told him that I was afraid for my life, and asked if he could send one of "our" guys up to our room just in case the other guys showed up. After he got there, the two "threateners" arrived and I nervously backed up to the guy that was sent to watch out for me. This guy hooked his arms under mine just as the other two picked up my feet and they started to beat me. I began to flail and scream as I watched their fists connect with my midsection. Hubs woke up when I was screaming out loud and tried to wake me. I thought he was one of the men and started to fight him. When I realized I was awake, I was hyperventilating and crying uncontrollably. I've never been this terrified from a dream. I was incredibly shaken and could only see these men coming at me everytime I closed my eyes.

About an hour or so later, I got out of bed to get ready for work. There were a few little things in my regular routine that I forgot to do. I think because I was still pretty upset from the dream. I left for work around 7:20, stopped for gas and then got on the interstate, and stayed in the right lane. I had gone about a mile, then hit a rough spots of patched holes and my front end began to shake violently. I've been having this problem recently when I hit a bump the wrong way, and if I steer to the right just a bit everything evens out. But it didn't this time. The shaking got worse and moved up into the steering column. There were cars in front and behind me and in the left lane. It was all I could do to keep the truck in my lane and pull off into the emergency lane. I sat there shaking and approaching hyperventilation again trying to calm down. Hubs was only a few minutes behind me, but the heavy traffic along with where I pulled over didn't leave him much warning or room to get over. He called to see if I was okay and if he needed to come back to get me to go to work. I didn't want to leave my truck because it wasn't the best part of town to leave a car on the interstate. I drove on to work, didn't leave for lunch, and drove home cringing over every bump in the road. We're carpooling the rest of the week and truck's going to the mechanic on Saturday.

Luckily, the rest of the day was uneventful. I hope I never have another one of those dreams.

Such a Great Day

2008-09-19T21:38:00.009-05:00

About a week ago, I noticed these in the yard:

That usually means my birthday is right around the corner. I love these spider lilies. I never know where they will pop up and they are so pretty.

About two weeks ago, Mom treated us to a fabulous pedicure, sort of for her birthday. Early for me, late for my sister, and right on time for her. The biggest gift for her was spending time with her girls.

This is what was waiting for me at work today:
Pictures of 1977 Couture at the top of the stairs, and new decorating. The girls are famous for photoshopping heads onto bodies, and the most-used body in Donatella Versace. Several delivery people that I have never even seen before wished me a happy birthday, AND everyone in the building knows how old I am.

And yes, that's silly string. Everywhere.

The girls also treated me to lunch at Newk's. It's a new-ish cafe downtown. I had a very tasty Pesto Chicken sandwich with goat cheese. Most definitely will be going back there. Later in the afternoon, yet another surprise with coke and root beer floats!

After lunch, a beautiful bouquet was delivered from Liza with a note that said, "You're not 31, you're 18 with 13 years experience!" There are also some really cool green beads in the place of ribbon. Perfect for my new hobby!

For dinner, Hubs took me to Firebirds, ooh la la. I ordered a glass of Honig Sauvignon Blanc. Lots of oak on the nose, but a very easy wine to drink. For dinner, I ordered the (enthusiastically recommended) Cilantro-Grilled Chicken Breast. Oh. My. Goodness! So good. And with the wine, it was even better. The spices in the tomato jack cheese sauce went perfectly with the oak in the wine. Then, we ordered this:
It was a piece of pure vanilla, creme brulle cheesecake with fresh berries and raspberry sauce. They even put a little candle in it! It looks like a mess on the plate, but it was oh-so-tasty.

Afer dinner, we walked over to the giant outdoor store and picked up the rest of my birthday present from Hubs. A speedometer and under-saddle bag for my new bike.

I had many well wishes and a really great day, and just wanted to say thanks to everybody!

Welcome

2008-08-31T18:52:00.003-05:00

Along with everyone else in Birmingham, I welcome the evacuees from Louisiana, Mississippi, and south Alabama to find respite here. But I have one question:

Can you be a little nicer on the road?

The New Bike

2008-08-28T20:43:00.003-05:00

I got a new bike! I found it on craigslist.com about 4:15 this afternoon, and it was loaded up by 5:30. This was my first craigslist purchase and it was kinda cool.

It is a Trek 7.2 FX WSD.

A New Activity

2008-08-26T19:49:00.002-05:00

Hubby's been working on a plan to lose some weight, and I've been struggling myself with feeling a little uncomfortable. I took a health and fitness class this summer and it made me realize that I am a fat lazy slob.
So, not only have I started eating better (thanks to Hubby), but now we have a new piece of motivation. Several years ago, I could run and run and run and drop weight like nobody's business. One problem with that now is that I have to actually run. Oh, and the whole bad knee thing. Then there's the weather and the dogs that always follow me and the kids that follow the dogs.
So, I found a solution. An elliptical machine. No impact on the knees, no dogs (sort of), no kids, no weather, no running. And...no excuse. I researched a few and decided on the Stamina CT2.0 from Walmart.com. It arrived to the store in about 4 days. I picked it up Sunday, put it together in 1 1/2 hours, and used it for the first time this morning. 15 minutes forward and 1 minute backwards. It doesn't sound like much, but that 1 minute going backwards is intense.

Spanakopitza

2008-08-26T19:20:00.006-05:00

A coworker brought something similar to this to a department potluck. It was so tasty, I had to have the recipe. It goes something like this:

2 pie crusts - not in the tins
1 box of frozen spinach - thawed
or 2 good handfuls of fresh
some ricotta (1/2 a cup or so)
some mozzarella (1/2 a cup or so)
some parmesean (as much as you want)
garlic powder (or fresh squished)
mushrooms (sauteed would be nice!)
2 eggs

Preheat oven to about 350. Take pie crusts out of fridge to soften. Put a piece of foil on baking sheet and spray w/nonstick. Mix thawed spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesean, garlic powder, 1 egg, mushrooms and/or whatever you want to add in a bowl. The pie crusts should be soft by now, carefully roll one out on the foil. Dump the mixture out on the pie crust and spread out to about 1 inch from the edge. Put 2nd pie crust on top and fold edges together all the way around to seal. Poke a few holes or cut a few slits in the top to vent. Brush with egg wash. Cover with another piece of foil and bake for about 40 minutes or until tasty looking and golden. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes if you can stand it!

(I forgot the eggwash, and I thought that cheese on top would be a good idea...)

Cheeseroll

2008-08-21T12:22:00.001-05:00

Happy 1st Blog Day!!

I couldn't help it. But it's been a year already!

Happy Birthday, Hubby!

2008-08-17T08:43:00.013-05:00

Last week, we started our trip to Glacier National Park, Montana. Hubby's birthday was last week and I had a wonderful surprise adventure planned. We left work Thursday afternoon for the airport and got to Atlanta. And stayed there. Our connecting flight boarded early (how does that even happen?) and we were bumped along with about a dozen other people. Having booked the flight through Travelocity, I immediately got on the phone. I was connected to a man named "Abraham" who sounded like he was probably somewhere between Kuwait and China. After explaining our predicament and being put on hold several times, he said that Travelocity could not help us and we would have to deal with an agent. So much for that trip guarantee.

The Delta agent found a few flights for us, but none of them were leaving Atlanta until late the next day. From as early as noon to as late as 7pm. One of them was to LAX then Salt Lake. One was our original plan straight to Salt Lake, but didn't leave until 6:30 the next night. After declaring that I would never use Travelocity or Delta again, she magically found a flight leaving at 7 am to put us in Salt Lake by 9 am. Done. I still probably won't ever fly Delta again. The flight attendants didn't seem very friendly and their intercom skills were a little lacking. They all sounded somewhat inebriated.

We finally made it Salt Lake City and proceeded directly to the parking lot where Jenny and Dan had very generously left one of their cars for us. We drove from Salt Lake to Columbia Falls, Montana where Jenny found an awesome cabin from Wild River Adventures . The drive was a lot longer than yahoo maps let on, but it was beautiful. Dan and Chrishan met up with us in Columbia Falls to lead us to the cabin. Thanks guys!

I managed to acquire a killer migraine on the trip from Salt Lake and that combined with a really long day sent us both straight to bed. Saturday morning Dan cooked an awesome breakfast for everyone. Shan (you're a lifesaver!) worked some kind of magic on my head and neck that relieved the worst of my headache so I was able to enjoy the hike to Avalanche Lake. After lunch, we headed back to the cars and drove to the Hidden Lake Visitor Center. We all decided that we would hike Hidden Lake the next day and headed back to the Chalet.

Dan cooked an amazing dinner for all of us: grilled steak and chicken, baked potatoes, and squash and zucchini. We surprised Hubby (again) with a rich chocolate cake. In the absence of candles, Dan improvised with matches and nearly lost a finger.

Sunday we headed back to Hidden Lake. The change in weather was really weird. Saturday was beautiful and sunny, not too hot. Sunday was overcast, windy and cold. We still enjoyed a beautiful hike to the overlook, though. Had the weather been better, we would have hiked all the way down to the lake. After returning to the parking lot, we all decided (at Dan's suggestion) to do lunch in St. Mary's, and found The Curly Bear. We drove back to the Chalet for some rest. Dan cooked another stellar meal of quesadillas.

Sadly, Hubs and I had to get to bed early so we could leave by 5 the next morning. We left out a little early and took a different route suggested by Dan and Chrishan. It was a much more scenic route and seemed a bit faster. We arrived at the Salt Lake Airport in plenty of time to catch our plane. Once we got to Denver and checked in, we saw Martina Navritilova and her family, as well as her little pet dog.

We had such a great time with everyone and meeting the kids. We're already looking forward to another big vacation next year.

There's a bunch a pictures. We got some really good ones, and I just couldn't pick any favorites.

(blogger won't let me embed picasa album right now :(. check back later)

Additions

2008-08-03T10:05:00.000-05:00

Little Girl had 4 babies on June 11.

So far we have been calling them

Uno

Tux

Yoda

and #4.

#4 will probably stay with us (because we need one more pet), Uno probably has a home, and Tux and Yoda will probably go to Pa Keeper.

Adventures

2008-08-03T07:55:00.001-05:00

The weekend after the Fourth, we went to St. Joseph's Peninsula State Park near Cape San Blas, Florida. The afternoons were nice, but both mornings we were there, terrible storms blew in. Sunday morning, we didn't really even pack the tent, it just sort of got rolled up and stuffed in the bag. The wind was so bad, the stakes were pulled up, and it was like fighting a hot air balloon to pack up. We haven't pulled the tent out yet to clean up all the dirt and sand. Not really looking forward to that.

We took everything we needed for the camping trip and planned a crab boil for the second night. We bought an extra dip net, turkey necks, and fishing licenses. Two years ago, we caught about 20 crabs, but didn't know what we were doing and killed them all. After researching how to catch, cook, prepare and eat, we set out to crab. For this:

Three crabs and about an ounce or so of meat.
These are the other pictures from the trip, all taken with my cell phone.

Experiments nearly gone wrong

2008-07-21T16:43:00.003-05:00

Hubs made a new beverage, and used some of our honey. There was a different kind of yeast in the kit, and this is the result:

About 2 hours after racking, it started bubbling, then hissing and foaming and spewing. 8 air lock changes later, it finally settled down. Left unattended and to its own devices, it probably would have exploded.

Successes

2008-07-21T16:17:00.004-05:00

This year, the garden has been exceptionally good to us...This is "hybrid-experimental" corn. The. best. ever. For real. We ate lots.
This was a huge crook neck squash that Hubs cooked up with a little olive oil. Mmmmm...
We also had purple cabbage, lots of jalapenos, bell peppers, cayennes, plenty of herbs, and tomatoes. The brussels sprouts didn't do so well with the white flies. Apparently they are very susceptible and difficult to grow. The collards have not eaten the yard yet, but I think they are teaming up with the rosemary.

Yeah, I know

2008-06-25T18:49:00.001-05:00

It's been a little bit, and we've had adventures and additions and success....but my first summer school term + first online class + crazy work stuff has me really behind.

I promise I'm working on it. For all 2 readers.

If you can wear him out...

2008-05-26T17:44:00.001-05:00

He sits still long enough to snap a picture.

Not working at work

2008-05-19T15:39:00.004-05:00

This is not something I recommend, as it usually gets one relieved of one's duties. But today, there was very little work done. Shortly after I arrived this morning, I was informed that our internet-based program we use for about 99.9999% of our work was down. As usual, I sent the email letting the developers know we were down, and could they pretty please make it work again. I then get a call from our in-house "computer person" saying that our company's ENTIRE website is down, not just the work program. We got this explanation: "A server went down, but we should have it back up shortly." That was about 8:15 this morning. It's 3:45 now, and there is still no work to be done. This is somewhat unusual because the guys out in Colorado are usually quick to fix and communicate. Not so much today.

Here is some of what was accomplished today:

Read Google Reader several times
Read the news so much, I can recite the current events
Shopped for books for my summer class (did you know you can rent textbooks?!?)
Co-workers shopped for wedding gifts
We three did #4's hair for bridal portrait this afternoon...with paper clips
Some read a book...or two
Balanced checkbooks
Surfed for recipes
Went for a long walk in the warehouse, you know, at break-time

We've been checking in to see if the site is back up throughout the day. We've been trying to work, honest! Hopefully, we'll be go for launch tomorrow, because we're already behind

Effects of the Storm

2008-05-15T18:34:00.009-05:00

See this big Tree? See the tiny little red arrow? Well, we lost a couple of little branches from somewhere around the arrow. This was last Sunday, before Wildlife, so I got to work.
And, of course I forgot the before pictures.

Turns out, this is a really big tree.

And the truck was full. But the creatures will appreciate it.

Observations on the Storm

2008-05-11T00:43:00.003-05:00

We've got a killer storm going on here in AL. We're sitting here eating ice cream and watching the weather and the lightning and rotation look very sinister on the radar. The sirens are screaming, but it's not really raining. The storm is getting really bad about 40 miles north-northwest of us.

We spent the evening with my mom at dinner, and working on a new skill/craft. About 10 minutes from home, the clouds thickened and the cloud to cloud lightning really picked up. I made an interesting observation from the lightning that can be applied to life.

When lightning strikes in the dark, you see absolutely everything for a split second. Then you see absolutely nothing for another split second. Then, everything suddenly comes back into focus.

Hey Look...Over there

2008-05-10T15:10:00.000-05:00

We have a new blog....about our bees and bee adventures.

Precious Baby Girl

2008-05-04T10:26:00.002-05:00

Oooohhh.....Aaaaahhhh

2008-04-29T19:29:00.003-05:00

I have a new toy! I've never had a gadget phone before and I AM SO EXCITED! I got this phone today! I haven't figured out all the cool stuff yet, but what I have figured out makes me giddy!

So, the Prez has a plan...

2008-04-25T19:33:00.004-05:00

I don't usually like to talk politics, but I can't help myself on this one...

On my way home today, I saw this, and was completely disgusted. And made to feel totally helpless.Now, I realize that the prices out West are a bit higher, but the prices have been going up two and three times a day here. We're already up about 40 cents just in the last two weeks! I saw an article today that said Bush is confident that the stimulus money will pull the nation's economy out of this slump. While I am very grateful that Uncle Sam is pretty much giving us extra money, there's no way in Hades that $600 is going to save the nation. It's like no one in Washington realizes that we're not spending money on anything because we're spending all of our money just trying to get to work so we can afford to put gas in our cars just to get back to work!

So, what motivation do the people up there in law-land have to do something about fuel prices? I understand that we live in a capitalist country and there aren't really limits on what the suppliers can charge. But, do you think Bush fills his own car at the pump? Out of his own pocket? Probably not. And, I'm willing to bet about half my house that not many of the lawmakers do, either. So, the gas prices aren't really affecting them. I bet only a few of them buy their own groceries or pay their own bills. They have "people" for that.

Let's look at it this way: The US is one of the most obese countries in the world. Not only is the price of fuel going up, but the price of food, as well. So much so that stores are putting limits on how much rice we can buy. Rice! Well, if the price of food is up, and all we can afford to buy is gas, then we won't eat as much because we won't be able to buy as much food. Therefore! We all lose weight and can fit into all those cute clothes!

Maybe that's the master plan after all. The government's solution to the obesity problem is to just let the gas prices get so high that we can't even afford to eat!

I'm done.

Anniversary Surprise!

2008-04-22T21:24:00.002-05:00

Last Day Inspiration

2008-04-22T20:48:00.002-05:00

Today was the last day of class for the semester. Our Fabulous teacher asked each of us what was our favorite work from the class and why. One of the students answered something like this: She didn't really like literature before this class, but because he (teacher) let us interpret each work independently as long as we could support our interpretation, she now has a greater appreciation for literature. This sparked a discussion about how literature should be read and taught. Some teachers instruct students on what certain works mean. Others, like ours, let the students decide what an author says means to them. As long as it makes sense, and can be supported, it works. The teacher said something along these lines: "A writer's work means nothing if no one reads it."

I have a lot more stuff that I want to add to The State of Time, and I think I've been inspired by that one sentence. So, more to come.

Event Filled Day

2008-04-22T06:55:00.003-05:00

Everybody knows today is Earth Day. Everyone is excited about recycling, reusing, renewing and hoping to save this planet for our future generations. I am as well, and we do our teeny part to help. We use the Green Bags for groceries, we plant a big garden, we use the lower energy bulbs. It is sad that our community doesn't have a recycling program, though. I called City Hall a few weeks ago and the woman I spoke to said, "I think there's a place out back here where you can bring your newspapers." That's all? I already recycle papers in the bird cage. We sorely need plastic and glass recycling. Maybe I'll work on that.

I'm also excited today because it is our 2 year anniversary. We sort of accidentally got married on Earth Day, but it seems appropriate for us. We also accidentally (but fortunately) got married on the weekend in between Easter and Talladega. Two very important and celebratory weekends here in the South.

However, I'm not excited about the paper due this afternoon that I really haven't started writing yet. I should be doing that now, instead of blogging.

SPAMALOT!!!

2008-04-06T17:45:00.003-05:00

We went to THE SHOW this afternoon. It was so great. And freaking hilarious!!!

So worth the 5 month wait since we bought the tickets in November.

If this show comes anywhere near you, You. Must. Go.

More Garden Stuff

2008-04-06T17:03:00.005-05:00

How does our garden grow? Better if the neighbors' dogs would stay out of it.

We have corn, garlic, onions, brussel sprouts, cabbage, peppers, tomatoes and squash. At the other end is more rosemary.

All that green fuzzy stuff.....collards. Lots and lots of collards. That big yellow blob, yep, collards. From two years ago. Hubby threw out a bunch of seed thinking only a few would come up. Apparently, ALL of them came up.

Some of what we've been up to....

2008-04-04T19:48:00.004-05:00

I finally found a fuschia!! I've been waiting for the local hardware store to get them, but I found this one at Publix! I hung her in the window by the back door to get sun almost all day and we can see her coming in and out.

This is only a small part of the herb garden. There's a monster rosemary outside, as well as some oregano that has lived through two winters. The three on the right are all rosemary cuttings that are doing quite well. Everybody else L-R, Top-Bottom
Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Thyme, Oregano
Basil, Basil, Chives

Crafty

2008-03-05T22:16:00.004-06:00

I was finishing up a crochet project, and remembered that my grandmother used to crochet really thick blankets by using 2 lines of yarn. I wanted to try it out just to see if I could do it. I did a short line, turned, finished the second line and became inspired. With just a few more stitches and adjustments,

Voila!! More will be made!

Busy Day!

2008-02-24T21:12:00.007-06:00

We knew we wanted to get a lot of projects done this weekend, but didn't really think we'd get so much done. One of my Christmas gifts from Hubby was a pot rack. It was made by the Pennsylvania Amish, along with the hooks. We've been trying to figure out the best way to hang it. We talked about possible solutions for about two days, and had to adjust our plans when we discovered how the house was built. I'm pretty sure there aren't many studs or rafters that are consistently measured. We ended up having to drill into the narrow side of a rafter to hang the pot rack, but it worked out beautifully.

I'm not sure where the inspiration came from, but I got a bug to make an apron. There seems to be an ensuing comeback for the apron, and I want to be on this bandwagon. However, I have almost no idea how to use a sewing machine, and I usually just use very crude stitches. It works, but it's not pretty. So, I cheated. I used the heat & bond tape for the hems. The fabric is vintage from a collection my mom had. Most of the fabrics are from the 70's. Classic.

We're going to look into taking sewing classes and acquiring a second sewing machine for future projects, and possible income!

We did some work in the garden and should have lots of onions, leeks, rosemary, basil, and chives.

My take on the Eclipse

2008-02-21T05:35:00.002-06:00

When I joined the show, it was still fairly cloudy. They were low clouds that looked like you could almost reach up and fan them out of the way. The moon was about 70 or 80% covered with a glowing edge, and a deep rusty hue. This was the first eclipse that I remembered to watch; I usually forget until a few days later. The clouds did finally blow off to the northeast, and I was able to get an unadulterated view of the moon and several bright stars for about 20 minutes.

It's too bad there won't be another one for two years.

2008-02-21T05:31:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to Jenny and Dan! And welcome to Sara Belle!

Cool Stuff, Exciting News

2008-02-20T22:05:00.002-06:00

I'm awake because there's a total lunar eclipse tonight, and I'm outside watching that.

I'm also awake waiting on news about Jenny's new baby! Any minute now!!

Not very nice

2008-02-19T20:00:00.003-06:00

I had my first two spam hits on the last post. I know I don't get a bazillion comments, or even 4 or 5, but I enabled the word verification.

The comments were something like this See here from a couple of not-so-real blogs. They had profile names, and the blog had a link, but the link was a .exe and did bad virus stuff. Luckily, I got to see my antivirus knock it out in about 4 seconds. So worth it.

Don't these people have anything better to do? What could you possibly get out of doing something so malicious? They should use their powers for good instead of evil.

Little Pretties

2008-02-17T09:52:00.006-06:00

I meant to post these last week. I was along for a ride to a gas station and spotted these little lovelies...

A few good things

2008-02-17T09:42:00.004-06:00

about my 5pm westward drive home...

Yummy

2008-02-08T20:13:00.000-06:00

I was really hankering for some dessert, so I whipped this up in the kitchen (pun intended!)

Quick Parfaits for Two

1 package of your favorite pudding flavor
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups skim milk (for the dieters)
2 Graham crackers
Whipped Cream (fat-free for the dieters)

Mix pudding and milk. Using less than the 2 cups will make the pudding set faster, so mix faster. This will also make the pudding thicker. While the pudding is setting in the fridge, crush all but 1/2 a graham cracker. After the pudding sets, sprinkle some of the crumbs in the bottom of a pretty sangria glass or parfait glass. There should be enough for three layers, so use a tallish glass. Spoon in two or three tablespoons of the pudding, add a good helping of crumbs, top that with two or three tablespoons of the whipped cream. Repeat. Repeat. The last layer should be a dollop of whipped cream, sprinkle crumbs, and garnish each parfait with 1/4 of a graham cracker.

Using the skim milk and fat-free whipped cream, there is only a bit of naughty in the graham cracker. Helpful for Hubby's strict diet. I would have taken pictures, but we ate them too fast.

Enjoy!

Nature's Art

2008-02-04T19:12:00.000-06:00

A few pictures from the last few days. Sorry about the cars.

It was 73 today. Seventy. Three.

And then there were nine

2008-01-26T06:30:00.000-06:00

This may be a little graphic. And long.

Almost two years ago, Elmo got very sick. He spent two weeks at the vet undergoing tests trying to figure out what was going on. We were afraid it was cancer because of the way his white blood cell count would skyrocket. There was an obvious raging infection somewhere, but he only responded negatively to antibiotics or any treatment. Dr. Mike did exploratory surgery looking for anything that might have been causing his problems. What he found was an enlarged lymph node deep in the mesentary of his intestines. Because the lymph node was so large, it was cutting off circulation to most of his small intestines, and left alone, he would have died from septicemia. We considered it good news that it wasn't cancer, but he was still going to have a long road ahead. Dr. Mike and Dr. E removed three-fourths of his small intestines, and hoped. They told us that he would probably have chronic diarrhea for the rest of his life, and that may not be very long. I think the collective estimate was about six to eight months. They both felt that it would be best for him to come home as soon as possible to spend as much time with us as he could. Because of his "short bowel syndrome" his two bowls of food a day turned into a four to five bowl-a-day habit. He had to have a higher volume of food spread out over the whole day so that he could get the calories and nutrients he needed to survive.

When we got him home, he ran around the yard like nothing was wrong. You would never have known that just two weeks earlier, he could barely lift his head. He barked and barked and howled and howled, letting everyone in the neighborhood know he was home. He was so excited. Sure enough, he did have the chronic diarrhea, and he got two big doses of Pepto-Bismal everyday to help, but everything stayed about the same. He went in for check-ups every few months because he would seem a little down or like he didn't feel well. Even though he had a few problems, Dr. Mike and Dr. E were amazed that he had lived as long as he had. Usually, it was a slight infection, and with a course of antibiotics, he'd be better in just a few days. I think some of his "episodes" were planned just so he could go for a ride in the truck and get Mommy's undivided attention for a week or so. Most times, there was nothing wrong with him except for a really bad hotspot, and he'd come home with a huge bald spot and what looked like road rash.

Late last year, he really started dragging. He always looked really tired, and was sometimes hesitant to eat. I told hubby that I didn't think he'd make it through the winter. The last couple of weeks, he has looked really miserable. We've been giving him lots of treats, and supplementing his regular diet with broth and proteins. One bowl a day is mixed with plain yogurt to try to replenish some of the good critters in his belly. Surprisingly, he loves the yogurt! We always tried to keep as many calories in him as we could so he always had plenty of opportunity to absorb nutrients. I noticed a couple of weeks ago that he was looking really skinny and I could feel most of his bones.

This winter has been pretty consistently cold. Especially cold and wet and frozen for the Southeast. He has a pretty cozy house with a comfy bed and plenty of hay. He loves his house so much, he usually prefers it to coming in at night or when it's storming. Last night, the weather was supposed to be really bad, with rain and sleet and nasty cold temps. There was no way I was leaving him out. I cleaned up the office for him and brought him in at bed time. He was in for a few minutes, then jumped up because he needed to poop. I let him out, he did his business, then didn't want to come back in. I tried to bribe him with treats, but he just took it and ran to his house with it. He wouldn't come out no matter how much I tried. I think he thought he was in trouble. I went in and gave him a few minutes, then went back out with a leash. I almost had to drag him out, but he eventually came out of his house, went straight inside, and climbed on the sofa in the office. I made sure all the other pets were where they were supposed to be and went to bed. At five, the alarm went off and Little Girl started her usual routine of trying to pull the bathroom door open. I got up and decided to go ahead and make everybody's breakfast and clean up the office.

Elmo can't hold his poop, so that's why the "middle school lunchroom tile" office is perfect for him when he comes in. I've never punished him because I know he can't help it. I always tell him he's a good boy, and he usually is. It's fairly easy to clean up, but by no means is it pleasant. When I got to the door of the office, he was waiting for me. I let him out and went back to survey the damage. I noticed that there were a couple of dark puddles, but in my half-awakedness, I figured it was from eating dirt or something. On further inspection, I saw that there was one normal (orange) puddle, one a little darker, one reddish brown, and one that was almost all blood. There were also two large blood clots or tissue clumps that were almost as big as my hand. I knew this was bad.

As I got the supplies for clean up, I started getting really upset. Hubby was at his dad's for the last hunting weekend, so it was just me and the pets. I sent a text message around 5:30 to see if he was awake yet. I started to clean up and think about what would be the best thing to do. I couldn't just leave him and not take him to the vet. He would probably be there for at least a week for more tests, and maybe more surgery. I knew he was miserable, just by looking at his face. I knew that whatever was going on his belly couldn't feel good. He'll be ten in April and he's lived a pretty good life. People have asked me about their pets' health before and whether or not the pets should be put down. I always tell them it comes down to the pet's quality of life, and not what's best for the person.

Elmo's quality of life has diminished. He still eats, howls at the sirens, and meets me at the gate when I get home. But I know he's miserable. I know his bones hurt by how hard it is for him to get up sometimes, if he even bothers to get up. When we're home on the weekends, he usually finds a spot in the yard and stays there all day. He'll get up to follow the sun and go potty. I'm sure he does the same during the week while we're at work. He's become very thin despite the amount of food he eats. He's not drinking as much water, sometimes not more than a half-gallon out of his four gallon bucket in a day.

While I was cleaning up, I started grieving. I knew it was time, but I also knew that I wasn't ready. He used to be Mommy's Little Monster, and grew up to be Momma's Old Man. He is such a good boy, the neighbors have even come to trust his barking during the night. They have also learned his barks, and know when something fishy is going on just by which bark they hear. I've been trying to get ready for him dying for several months, but it hasn't helped. I've been a blubbering mess, but I know it's for the best.

After a difficult decision and a few phone calls, I loaded up the Old Man, stopped by to pick up my good friend Liza, and headed for the vet. Dr. E was great. She talked with me about how we could do some bloodwork, maybe a course of antibiotics, but he may only get another month or two. That, and we really had to consider his quality of life. He'd lost 8 pounds in less than two weeks, despite a healthy appetite. He had a lot of muscle atrophy in his back legs, his winter coat never came in and he was shedding like it was the middle of summer. While we were talking, he just laid in the floor. He didn't even look up when Dr. E was rubbing on his hind quarters. He's usually pretty sensitive and didn't like his back end touched. We all decided that the best thing for him was for us to let him go.

Dr. E gave us a few minutes and came back. I held his head in my lap while she found a vein in a back leg. She gave him just enough to relax him, then finished in another vein. He left us peacefully. Dr. E let Liza and me stay as long as I needed to say goodbye. I shared a few special memories of him with Liza, and she made sure we didn't stay so long that my only memory of him will be my last. The local Humane Society was there today doing a Microchip Clinic. They offer private cremation, and will take care of every thing. He'll come home in a couple of weeks, so we'll never forget him, and we'll be able to keep him close to our hearts.

He's a good boy, and Momma loves him.

They always grow up

2008-01-19T12:37:00.000-06:00

Brrrr, again

2008-01-19T12:07:00.000-06:00

We don't get this very often, and I know you guys in Wisconsin and Utah are probably scoffing at us, but every little bit counts. We had more, but it melted.

Mmm, Tasty

2008-01-13T15:50:00.001-06:00

Almost 2 years ago, we bought 2 very small rosemary plants. One was transplanted into a larger pot and one was put in the ground. For the first year, the potted plant did much better than the one in the ground. Last summer, the potted plant started looking a little not-so-great and the in-ground rosemary started to really grow. We've decided to plant a few more plants in some empty beds and in the garden but didn't want to spend the $13-$18 per plant in the Spring. Hubby did some research and found that rosemary can be propagated from cuttings. An evergreen, from cuttings. So, out he went to the better-looking of the two and carefully chose a few sprigs. He cleaned them up and they are now in the window sill, and I guess we'll see what happens. Oh, and we're going to start making herb-oils, too.

Maybe not exciting for you, but a little for me

2008-01-04T21:04:00.000-06:00

A week or so ago, I mentioned adding something to the blog. I re-arranged some of the sidebar, and added a link. What I've added to the link is nowhere near complete, but now that I've started, I feel more compelled to finish.

This one is just for my own satisfaction, and hopefully someone else may find something there, too.

Brrrr

2008-01-03T07:51:00.000-06:00

This is Alabama.

It shouldn't be 17 degrees at 7 am.

It was only 29 at 5 pm yesterday.

2 things, unrelated

2007-12-29T15:03:00.000-06:00

First, the pictures of the mailbox decorations I did for Christmas. I'm proud because it was easy, it turned out really pretty, and I did it!

Second: Back in August, we had to give a family heirloom china cabinet back to my uncle. The cabinet was made by my great-great-grandfather as a wedding gift to his new bride. I started on a search for a new one, but couldn't find exactly what I wanted, much less for the right price. Furniture is really expensive these days. After Hubby and I talked it over, we decided that the only way we could get what we really wanted was to have it made just for us. The old one was the perfect size and we really like the style of it. There is a lady that volunteers at the Wildlife Center who makes custom pieces, and she's made one for me before. I sent her a few pictures and the measurements, she sent me a price (unbelievable how much less that store bought!), and I said go ahead. That was in September. Today, she delivered the piece, and it is amazing. Here's a picture:

Charlie wanted to be in the picture, so I obliged. When we get it where it is supposed to be and get all the china put back into it, I'll post another picture. I think Granddaddy would be proud.