InTeReStiNg!

Ok so if you don’t want to read the depressing part of this post skip to the ***’s

Well as of late I have not been expending much energy.  My neck has flared up and no position is comfortable.  It had gotten to where I could do an activity and rest and do an activity and rest and be fine. 

I don’t know if it is the weather, or what, but Aie Yie Yiiie!  I can’t sit, can’t stand, can’t sleep.  GrrRSrstsGrs  

We’ll the snow’s been interesting at least!  I don’t know what I would do with out windows!  I love my windows, of course I would love more of them or to be running around shoveling and playing in the snow… but hey… I am happy with my clean and clear windows that we invested in! 

So much better than the leaky perpetually dirty ones that our home came with!  Yea! 

Well, Luka is starting to show his age.  I am not sure how much longer he’s going to be able to help me out.  Right now he is out of commission anyway.  His feet are still healing.  I’ve got to get some new boots ordered as well. 

I did manage to find a place that gives a discount on boots to service dogs.  They are a Canadian company.  I’ll share more about them later. 

When his feet finally heal this time, he will be wearing boots everywhere.  So his feet can’t be cut up anymore. 

Hopefully we have his allergies under control now so all should be well after this episode.  Thank goodness for Porter Ridge Vet Clinic and all of their help.

I talk about this because this is my priority for the day, insure that he gets fed and that he gets his medication.  Get my self fed, and not to do anything that may make me feel worse. 

I think I over did, now that I think about it… I helped Jason take pictures of kids yesterday.  I had a great time and was feeling well so I probably moved around more than I should have.  grrrrrr…  Or it could just be the weather, it is changing..   hmmm..

It was fun, don’t think I’ll do exactly the same thing again. I will help but do so in a more directive way instead of directly involved way.  Hope that won’t make me come across bossy. 

I’d sure love to be able to do more than talk at people.  I’d like to do things to interact as well….  hmmmmm…   I need to think about it to figure out how!

The snow has staved off some prospective visitors.  I figured it would.  Plans have been canceled adjusted for everyone around here. 

It had been nice to look forward to people coming over!  I have been happy planning to have them over.  I am still happy even if plans have changed.  Knowing that they thought enough to consider stopping by means allot! 

  ***

The better part!  It has been nice having Jason home allot, he’s been on his break, so with all of the snow, he’s been having a time of it for sure!  It is nice though to see him happy about finishing things!  You can scoop a drive and be feel like you’ve accomplished something, you can see what you’ve done! 

Put a fire out!  You can tell you did well, when the fire is gone and you have all the gear cleaned and put away for the next one.  While the things he has been doing have tired him out, they have been gratifying for him.  Which is so nice to see.

He managed to get the couch we no longer wanted out to the curb for the garbage guys.  Not the one I had put the picture up of but another.  The one we were going to post on Craigslist well, we decided to keep it!  It works perfect where a kennel used to be and Luka really likes to lie on it.  So we’ll be keeping that one. 

He asked a friend over to help him!  Miracle of Miracles!  So together they moved the $50 tread mill downstairs.  It doesn’t work that well, I am hoping he can study the manuals that I downloaded and he can make it work better.  As of now, it will move when I stand on it, but when he does, it won’t move an inch…. I think the motor is on its way out.  Oh, well..  It is something at least. Hopefully my neck will stop yelling at me and I will be able to use it!

He did manage to make the generator work again!  He persisted in that endeavor and used his non existent small motor skills to make it roar!  So if we loose electricity we will be all ready to go! 

We’ve gotten to talk with family and friends, our neighbors are great.  I didn’t get out with any gifts for them but hope that Jason can deliver a few things later this week.  Wish I could have baked some goodies.. but well, that isn’t the way things went for me. 

We did end up getting our share of things, good thing I haven’t gone completely gluten free yet.  Cookie plates were delivered and devoured.  We even had friends over before the major second snow storm.  That was super!  We hadn’t gotten together in months and we all really had a great time!  I was feeling good that night so I cooked and everything! 

Jason’s Jeep has had a little problem with the cold.  Poor Jeep didn’t really want to start after staying outside all night.  He’s really gotten spoiled by our nice toasty garage.  Jason is going to get some sort of heater thing to keep him cozy when he has to sit out while Jason is at work.   I can completely understand, I don’t start well if I am cold either!

So I am not sure what direction to go with Luka needing to retire.  There is a local training group that could be utalized that could cost up to $2600 OUCH! 

I could go without.  Which would mean I wouldn’t be getting out on my own much at all but we’d save money and I’d probably be back to taking more medications as my migraines would have the potential of getting out of control again.  Jason would continue to have to take his time to do all I needed to do with me.  Groceries to clothes shop, or whatever I enjoy giving him a break, and I like to get some independence back.  He still ends up doing quite allot for me but with a Service Dog he would have a break and know I was better cared for when he wasn’t around.

I could other training facilities as well.  Some may cost more or less, but would have travel expenses.  They may be better equipped to train a dog for the needs I have as well. 

I could also do something called owner training.  Well, I would never do it all myself.  I would have to hire a trainer to work with us.  Attend classes, or have the trainer come here to train us to do what I need.  Some days I think I would be good at this but most others I don’t believe that this would be something that would be the best choice for me to do. 

It is difficult, I can go around the house quite well as when I get down on the floor and can’t get myself up, I can crawl to something of substance and get myself up, or I can lie down until things start to work again.  Jason often comes by and will lift me up, Luka does too, but I also like to do it myself if possible.  But out in public, in stores or what ever, I don’t know what is stable or what will fall on me or break if I use it to boost myself up.  Don’t know what is slick or what will distract me.  Home is known, so most times I am able to pay enough attention.  Out in public, getting distracted, focused on different things, overwhelmed by different people, large areas, small areas, kids, noise, etc.  It all effects me now.  I am so much more sensitive to environments than I have ever been.  Even more than before the accident, when I also had difficulty. 

So I need to figure out what to do.  Jason and I need to figure it out.  Get a plan and start going on it. 

Wow, lots to think about! 

Blessings and wonder!

Pink Doberman

sNoWeD iN… bLizZaRd Of 2009

It is strange, all of the people that live within the whole area in which I live has been trapped inside like I am.  Like I have been for most of..  The only differences that I can notice are that most of them have been stuck in with their families. They know that once the snow is cleared they will once again be free to go back to life as it was before the snow fell.

aug, sept, oct, nov, dec  2004

jan, feb, mar, apr, may, jun, jul, aug, sept, oct, nov, dec  2005

jan, feb, mar, apr, may, jun, jul, aug, sept, oct, nov, dec  2006

jan, feb, mar, apr, may, jun, jul, aug, sept, oct, nov, dec  2007

jan, feb, mar, apr, may, jun, jul, aug, sept, oct, nov, dec  2008

jan, feb, mar, apr, may, jun, jul, aug, sept, oct, nov, dec  2009

All I can say is that thank goodness that we had the foresight to paint our walls in wonderful colors!  I think more people would be doing better in their homes had their walls been gloriously painted in colors that truly made them smile! 

Thank you Jason for this wonderful gift!

I wonder what 2010 will hold. 

Oh No Snow!

Have you heard what I’ve heard?  Can you see what I see? the snow the snow, is coming in tonight, it will make everything all white.  It will make everything all white. 

Watching the snow blow out my window, brings thoughts of ease as well as unease.  I am at ease that I am all tucked away at home.  I’ve got no where to go and no way to get there even if I did have somewhere to go. 

On the other hand, Jason still has to make it home.  Will that be tonight as he hopes with a turn in of extra hours on his part or will someone else with more seniority take precedence?  Or will he be traveling home in the morning?  Only time will tell. 

Mysteries!  Gotta love the suspense!

So my plans for tomorrow have shifted.  I am not likely to be venturing out tomorrow.  I had hoped to be going to the movies.  I am guessing that that venture will be given a veto by Jason. 

Two fold, if he ends up pulling his full shift, he may be very very tired.  He is at a fairly busy station and may very well not get any sleep.  So that may be what he does tomorrow.  The weather may also be something that he declares to be to dangerous so we’d be staying home. 

I am not sad about that I am realistic.  I have chosen to take on this perspective instead of becoming more angry and resentful for my situation. 

1.  I know if I stay out of the cold my body won’t hurt as bad.

2.  I know if I stay off of the ice that I will have a substantially greater chance of staying on my feet!

3.  I do not have an emergency to attend or a role to play that would do a disservice to others if I did not show up.  Therefore why put myself at risk for being in an auto accident, and why put another car on the road when you shouldn’t be out and about anyway.

 

Being responsible, taking responsibility, and choosing to be happy where I am at is my plan.  It isn’t that I wouldn’t have liked to travel to be with friends and family but I am doing just great on my own as well.

While hanging out on my own today, I had time to reflect.  I remembered how things used to be.  I also am having time to think about how this next year can go. 

I’ve been making some changes since August of 2004.  There are more to come yet this coming year.  I am working on what I can do.  Staying emotionally stable is my focus, the more I can do the worse that has gotten in many aspects.  I don’t take as much medication, so reality is perceived more clearly by me. 

The years before, I was miserable for sure, the pain was all I could focus on.  Now while the pain is still substantial, I am dealing with it.  It doesn’t go away, I couldn’t stay on the high levels of medication if I am going to keep my organs healthy.  Taking myself off of them has been good over all.  I still do use some medications but they are intermittent.  Mostly I just deal with the pain I have, sleep more, rest more and relax more until I can once again do more. 

Not the best, but should keep me healthier longer.  I have no plans of wrecking my liver or something else. 

The Dr agrees so I am going to keep on keeping on. 

Well this post isn’t exactly what I had planned in my mind for my Christmas Eve Post.  I had planned on writing about shoes….  I guess you’ll learn about that later!  I don’t think I will publish this until after Christmas… so I guess you’ll read it then!

Mystery still persists if Jason will head home tonight or if it will be in the morning.  The weather is bad tonight…  Hope whatever it is he is home safe.

Blessings!  Take care and be safe!

Pink Doberman

mY sUpEr MAN!

My SuPeR MAN.  He’s not invincible, he is just incredible.  Today once again he has been wonderfully amazing.  After working a 24 hour shift and then heading to a teaching job until just after noon, he came home ate, and headed off to renew the license for his Jeep.  (I had tried to do it on their online system to no avail.)

He was able to also take a couple of Goodwill Coats to see if they could be cleaned.  We found out that for a $75 apiece price tag that they could indeed be cleaned.  No thanks, dirty is just fine we decided! 

He also was able to get another license updated as well on his journey.  He had just settled down for the evening when I discovered that I needed him to run an errand to yet another town.  He has even done some sweeping and cleaning… Hmmm?  He is earning lots and lots of brownie points, that is for sure!

Bless his heart, he had no complaints, no sour tone to his voice, no bad body language, just ok, let me know when. 

So he is off right now on his third trip of the day!  He just as well have traveled to some distant place for all of the mileage he put on today. 

So sweet he is!  So appreciated he is.  Wow, he for sure is my SuPeR MAN! 

I wonder if he will want to watch a movie with me tonight? 

Blessings from a Grateful heart,

Pink Doberman

PeRfEcTiOn inside iMpErFeCtiOn

As the holidays draw near, I am consistently reminded of the need to plan ahead.  In my youth, (a phrase which I suppose I am now qualified to use)  I wasn’t at all a planner.  Except in my mind.  The word dreamer would have more appropriately fit. 

Things do change as evidenced in my life.  Through a very long series of unfortunate events, I have grown.  I don’t mean to suggest that my life has been unfortunate.  It certainly hasn’t been or isn’t.  I’d just rather not have gone through those things at all. 

As I’ve grown and grown older, well I’ve persisted in breaking some of my less than endearing qualities. 

Procrastination seems to be one of the latest to start to disappear.  I’ve been working on it my whole life.  Being timely… of which I am certainly not.. and having things done on time… which I’ve gotten so much better at.  I’ve improved in both areas actually… I was miserable at them years ago, and I can now be confident in saying that I’ve improved.

I start things earlier.  Well, now I have to.  Since my body can no longer handle pulling overnighters or multi hours of the same type of task or any task.  I am learning to start things well in advance. 

Like the project I just finished.  I started that project weeks ago.  Around Thanksgiving actually.  Working on it each time I would get the chance.  For 30 minutes here, an hour there, 15 minutes… 5 minutes…  what ever I could I just kept going.  I’d take days off in between due to other commitments and my aching body.. 

It was something that I looked forward to doing!  Something that I enjoyed doing.  I am not a pattern follower.  Those crazy things confuse me.  It isn’t that I can’t follow a pattern, it just takes me forever reading and understanding what they wrote.  Often times my mind skips things and I end up doing it wrong 3-4 times anyway..

So more often than not, I just start with a picture, or an idea and figure it out from there.  Drives others nuts.  My friends are all most all “Perfection People”.  I am a “Toss and Go Girl”  I can do something perfect, but boy, kick the perfect in gear in me and you won’t hear the end of it. 

My perfection streak is almost beyond pleasing.  Every once in a while it will rear it’s ugly head.  Everyone stand back because girl will not stop. 

It isn’t a fun place for me to be, and I would never get anything done, at least not much of anything.  Besides the energy that I use for my “perfection” is huge.  It causes more stress than it is worth.

So I do things with an air of creativity, a kitschy note of handmade quality and a flair for everything being unique even if it is the same!

Kind of like this tree!  I just love this picture!  It is so beautiful.  Well, this tree is so ugly it is beautiful!  It has weathered years of abuse!  And it shines in its imperfections!  Perfection in Progress! 

What do you find in your life that is perfect because of the imperfections?  I’d love to know!  Please feel free to leave your comment!

SuRpRiSe!*!*!

So each day goes on regardless if you are ready to go or not.  If you are not then you just miss the day, never to get it back.

I wish you could start out your days with your exact amount in hand.  Choosing to spend them as you wished. 

Days that are sufferable you could just take a pass on them knowing that you were going to choose to spend your day token on a day that would produce better results. 

In effect that is what I do I guess.  Except for the token part and the it not counting when you can’t participate.

I’ve been picking and choosing what to do and what not to do.  It is my usual routine since the accident.  I used to do everything, cram it all in!  It was lovely! 

These days, I do my best to figure out what is the most important, what has to be finished, or what needs to be started, so that I can get it finished. 

I start on things much earlier than I normally would have.  What used to take me an hour may now take me 3-5.  Some things, like getting ready, can take as little as 40-50 minutes… or as long as a couple of hours if it is a bath/shower day. 

I’ve been lucky to have been able to go to PT regularly for the past six plus months.  I am needing to take a break again to recover from some extra medical bills.  So we won’t be spending the gas on driving the additional 70 miles each day. 

Once things are caught up, I plan to get right back at it.  It works out I suppose, with the weather and roads being crappy anyway, it isn’t the best time for me to be out and about. 

Luka’s feet have been a disaster!  One is still completely ripped open, and the other still has a larger than I’d like sore.  So until those things are healed up as well, he won’t be available for accompanying me either.   

I don’t even walk out to get the mail.  I just patiently wait for Jason to get it when ever he would be coming home.  But the fun thing is, when a box comes too, they bring it all up to my door!  So I get to open it sooner!  THANK GOODNESS for Christmas presents and Delivery Boxes!!   Woot!

On another note: I did set myself up to have some projects to finish during this time.  Winter being here I go out less anyway since the accident.  The weather changes seem to be more significant and mess me up more too.  I am medicated yet again.  Gotta love that!  I can’t wait for this to end! 

I did finish part of a project that I’ve been working on.  I finished part of it enough to get it in the mail to the intended recipient.  I got it wrapped up super cute too!  I finished it late on Friday night.  It had to be in the post by 10:30 the following morning. 

I coordinated with Jason that on his way home he’d need to stop and get the list of groceries I’d texted him.  Then he couldn’t dilly dally because I needed him home to finish things up for me.  I knew it would be out of my hands and I was so so right!

I had gotten all of the mail that I had yet to get to the post ready.  Bills, and a few packages!  I wish I’d taken pictures of another project that I did for my niece but.  Hey.  I am not perfect! 

Anyway the gift of the moment, was done, I had found an appropriate sized box for it.  It could be the one it came in… (misleading or leading hint)  

Misleading hint…. It doesn’t contain what they box says that it does… 

It was addressed and ready to go except for some stuffing and the tape. 

ONE THING… Jason had taken the camera with him to work.. I couldn’t get a shot of it.  He’d have to arrive home in time to do it in the morning. 

He came in to wake me up for clarification on my instructions…  I muttered and mumbled what I needed done.  He laid with me for a bit helped me to take some medication and with that I was back out again.

He took pictures!  He took fabulously glorious pictures of my special gift!  Look what he did!  These are so much better than I could have ever done!  Thanks Honey!

 

Jason even fluffed my ribbon as instructed before taking the shots!  Wow, he did the most excellent job!  To my credit, I did make what is inside… and I did creatively wrap the gift.  But WoW oh WoW did he get some good pictures of it!

I cannot share with you who gets this at least not yet!  They have yet to receive it and it would totally blow the surprise if I leaked it here! 

But if by chance you should get a box from me in the mail, well, I suggest that you open it! 

You will definitely need to open it before the Christmas Holiday springs into action!  Surprise!! 

Excited and Blessed,

Pink Doberman!

ozzie

 

Ozzie, having had the perfect dog is always a difficult thing to over come.  Not one other will ever measure up.

But then should there be another?  Each one is unique like a snowflake, and really while the classification may be broad with in the classification each is unique.  That is the beauty of life. 

When Ozzie was growing up, he was hardly the “perfect dog”.  In fact, far from it.  He would chew chew chew, he would dig

                   dig

                            dig,

he would HOWL HOWL HOWL HOWL

Another thing he could do was JUMP…

Yes, he could jump up onto a 6 foot fence and climb over!  Talk about nightmares! 

We had made this perfectly safe dog area, complete with an area to run!  He would dig under the fence, climb over the fence, howl till no one could think straight. 

Countless hours were spent chasing him all over town.  It was a daily event!  We struggled so much with keeping him at home. 

His nose would catch a scent, and he’d be off!  Oblivious to EVERYTHING AROUND HIM!  Much to our frustration!  Once we’d catch up to him he wouldn’t come to us, we had to go get him.  GRRRR… 

Many times his name was cursed!  He wouldn’t sit, he wouldn’t listen, he wanted to do whatever he wanted and not listen to us.  He would pull constantly at the end of the leash… 

 

Jason thought all of these things were cute, until the police started getting involved.  Three Howls and he was brought inside, 4 hour car driving frantic searches… praying that no one would take him for their own, or that he’d be run over…   

We found him each time.  He taught our Jag to also take  off and run..  so much fun, chasing two dogs… at least Jag would come when called for me.  Not Ozzie, we’d have to go trekking through alleys yards… 

Once we found him just after he’d rolled in a pile of dirty diapers.. He’d chewed them open and had baby poop all over him!  OMG!  His name was cursed that day! 

But the more that they frustrate and challenge you it seems the more that they are loved adored and protected by you. 

To our relief, the older he got, the better he got.  After years he succumbed to Jason holding him like a baby.  He would come to you after an escape ready for his ride home in grateful arms. 

In fact he loved riding in cars, but he especially loved his excursions with Jason in the Jeep!  He could stick his nose out and just smell the countryside.  He was in heaven then!

 

He and Jag were the best of buddies.  Oz started out so small he fit in the palm of your hand.  We thought he was a beagle.. He was a rescue dog and we didn’t know much more than that about him.  Well, turns out he was a Foxhound. 

 

We chose to pick him out, as he was the orneriest one of the litter.  We knew his big brother Doberman Jag would want to play, and we needed to find a suitable playmate.  Oz definitely fit the bill there!

After many long years of loving him he finally passed away earlier this week.  He was a fighter and fought till the end.  He loved being in Jason’s arms, and would perk up each time we’d come in the room.  He’d be right there to greet you and he loved to get his paws on a real bone and chew and chew!  Most of all he loved to smell everything that life had to offer!

 

He was loved, will never be replaced and will always be remembered!  He was unique!  He was ours.

Run Baby Run over the    Rainbow Bridge!

 

gLuTeN pArT dEaUx

So I’ve decided to go through with taking the test to determine if I have Celiac’s.  I thought, heck why not.  If it confirms it and going gluten free is also a confirmation then it will be a double confirmation.  Even if the test turns out negative, which would be fine with me if it does, I will still be going gluten free for at least three months. 

I’ve hooked up with a dietitian at my fairly local Hy-Vee Grocery Store.   They have already been very helpful.  I am excited to give it a go. 

In preparation for the test I have been  eating more wheat.  Actually I am just cleaning out my cupboards of food that needs to be eaten anyway.  My tummy isn’t exactly happy these days.. But they say to eat the wheat products prior to the test. 

I probably won’t go completely gluten free anyway until the first of the year.  This is something that takes a bit of preparation and funding.  Besides cleaning out my cupboards and freezer is a good thing, it should be done every so often anyway!  Everything won’t be gone, but the majority.  Jason will still be eating gluten to some degree.  Of course that boy has no issues!

Well, this post is a short one.  I am not doing well in the thinking department today, not to well in the moving around department either.  I’ve made two very bad mistakes today in my medicated haze.  I may talk about them later… Just glad everything in both situations turned out alright! 

For now I will be quitting while I am ahead. 

Good Night!  Beijos!

gLuTeN HmMm

As weeks go this has been an interesting one for me.  Most of them are.  While I am not a person who is necessarily book smart I do study.

I used to be excellent at remembering names, these days it is a struggle, not only to remember their name but to remember what they shared with me, especially if other things are going on at the same time.  I am so grateful that they don’t mind me asking them over again.

Speaking of things I am not good at.  Spelling is and always has been one of them.  greatful is how I usually spell the word.  I just realized after writing about 20 Christmas Cards by hand through out the night that I have spelled this word wrong on each and every one of them, written by hand.  Jason isn’t home tonight to check my spelling, and I didn’t have the foresight to notice that I was again spelling something incorrectly, in fact while writing just this paragraph the spell check has yelled at me multiple times.  I

I am continually working on my spelling errors, it seems as though I get one error fixed in my brain that another pops up.  Ahh, life!  I haven’t even spoken to the questionable uses of punctuation and sentence structure..  Jason is good at all of these things.  Actually most of my friends are smart in this area.  I am so glad they tolerate me and my many imperfections!

So, this week, I gleaned a bit of information from the new Dr. Oz Show about Celiac Disease 101.  I have had some friends go on gluten free eating plans, and never questioned it or really thought much more about it than that.  In fact we had guests over to our home the other night, for a wine party.  Yes, more education!!  I will explain that later.   Our friend shared with us in advance that she not only ate a gluten free diet, but she eats this plan to keep herself healthy.  Celiac Disease is one of the things I have been learning about lately.  Well not really the disease its self but how to have things to eat for her while she is here that won’t cause her to become ill. 

So when Dr. Oz began talking about Celiac Disease and a gluten free diet, I listened.  He shared with his audience that those who either have Celiac Disease or just have a gluten sensitivity, have some things that I’ve been struggling with.  IBS.  My Doctors have tried to diagnose me with this multiple times.  I say they have tried, because each time they did, I found resolutions outside of the scope of what they recommend.  I have had frustration regarding the absorption of food. 

Iron deficiency (Anemia), Osteoporosis at an early age, yes that would be me too.  Now other things can explain these of course.  But so far I am still not resolving them to my satisfaction.  So I am going to put myself on a gluten free diet!  See where this leads me!  I am kind of excited.  I think I need to explore it for sure. 

Being already lactose intolerant, and not getting physical excessive especially the type that would help my bones stay strong, I’ve already got two strikes against me.  Although for the amount of milk products and meat that I consumed as a child and the vitamins the ADULT vitamins my wonderful mother insisted I take.  I always seemed to be iron deficient.  I don’t know about the calcium, because I was never shared with if that was good or bad, don’t recall when they started testing for that.  So… mystery ensues.

So while I have probably killed this subject for now, I can’t help but wonder who else might be helped if they would just eliminate gluten from their diet.  I am sure hoping it is me!  I love bread, but I hate feeling like crap!

Since the accident I have become even more motivated in this area.  I gave up soda almost 10 years ago, and next milk and ice cream.  So I guess this is the next issue I guess. 

At this point with my body, I am willing to do what it takes to get back in the game.  I am not giving up, I will take things step by step and see where this path leads!  Stay tuned! 

By the way the food I ended up making for the party turned out wonderful!  I had rave reviews!  I love that, this little girl who learned to cook from her mom but didn’t ever get to show her mom that between her and PBS cooking shows, I’ve turned into quite the dump cook!  I can follow a recipe, ONCE, but then the experimentation begins!

We had invited a friend of ours to share her skills as a wine consultant with a group of our friends.  She brought some choices of wine, shared a bit about each and we tasted them with different foods to see what we liked best.  I’ll tell you more about this later.  We all had a great time, and this was one of the rare moments we have opened our home to a group of our friends. 

I’d love to do it more often, but Jason is more reserved.  I love having people over.  We are so opposite in so many ways.  He is such a good sport.  As he is going to be going pretty much gluten free too…  Love you honey!

Tonight I watched Charlie Rose, he had on Tom Ford this was a really great interview!  I think I will be looking to see the movie that he made The Single Man after hearing them talk about it.  I think I am going to identify with it.  Maybe it will help me do some more resolving of my past and help me move forward to the future.

Blessings and Peace

PrAyErS…

I have started to write multiple times.  I have been told multiple times that I haven’t written for a while.  I have been weighing several options. 

I’ve mentioned before that I enjoy change.  I am really thinking of how to evolve this site.  We’ve also been struggling here through an illness.  A couple of the foster dogs arrived at our home healthy, then a day or so later they were no longer healthy.  The Flintstones the pair named Fred and Wilma ended up having Kennel Cough.  They are doing fine now healed up and have found their forever home…  BUT…  =(!

Our Ozzer got it.  Our old man has been very sick, still is.  He’s still pulling for a recovery, he hasn’t given up.  But oh my has this been a stressor for us. 

My body is no longer capable of doing what he needs done.  I’ve gotten more sore than I’ve been in a while.  I’ve been getting better, and I am now going backwards.  I’ve been in bed again all week.  This is not the way I’ve planned for my week to go. 

Jason has started taking a primary role now in taking care of Ozzie.  Previous to this he was doing the secondary stuff.  But since my body feels like it’s been beat to hell, he is taking care of the medication delivery,the bathroom breaks, the food and water consumption. 

Which is good as Ozzie needs more help than I can physically handle giving at this point.  We are sure hoping our old dog can pull through this one.  Thank goodness he is so stubborn.  His kennel cough turned into pneumonia, his kidney’s started having issues… so we are holding out hope that the meds can help him!

Ozzie lives for the time that Jason cuddles up with him.  He is the one who really makes Ozzie’s world go around.  I am just a consolation prize anyway. 

To top it off, we were paying so much attention to the Flintstones and Ozzie, that I ignored Luka’s paws.  OMG!  He really reacted to the latest food adventure and was going after his paws.  We’ll he sure did a number on one of them. 

He can’t go out with me until he is healed up.  He is limping everywhere and we are keeping it dressed with Grape goo that the vet gave us.  Poor Luka!  At least his isn’t life threatening. 

Jason’s been getting a little stressed out, we both really have, no sleep due to Ozzie’s constant coughing, Luka’s licking and unhappiness with the cone that we’ve stuck on his head.  He keeps waking us both up with his discomfort.  We now understand what new parents are going through.  Which has reminded us of why we don’t have a tiny baby in our house!

We could sure use some prayers.  Ozzie has been wearing his little fleece coat and a prayer shawl I received earlier this year.  He sure could use some prayers!  Thanks to those of you who have already been praying for him.

The snow has been another “bonus” this week.  We stayed home due to it, he had been supposed to work out of town, we were scheduled to leave and everything, but with the forecast for immense amounts of snow, meaning bad roads, well, he canceled the job.  Didn’t want to take me out on the roads.  I am frustrated by this as much as I am grateful. 

I was really looking forward to a change of scenery.  With the snow, I won’t be going out much.  I guess, the snow isn’t actually the preventer.  The ice that the snow becomes is the true criminal in my mind. 

Thank goodness for our neighbor’s snow blower this year!  D & R you both rock!  You saved Jason’s back!

I have intended to be adding more pictures.  In fact, I have been thinking of lots of things.  I really like some of the things that Jason has been doing with the camera.  I have yet to put my identity on here.  Probably for the most part anyone who is reading this knows me, but then again the hesitation is that there are those that don’t.  So I am still thinking about it I guess. 

Another blog I follow had a gal with an issue similar but not the same.  Her reasons were different, but being they were different, they still required thought on her part. 

 

I have also been trying to think of ways to add extra income to our lives.  The classes that Jason teaches are by no means regular.  The income from them is something that we need to have on a more regular basis.  So taking pictures might just be the answer.  He enjoys it and he appears by the evidence so far to be great at it!  Not that we expect to make piles of money.  Heck at this point we’d settle for volunteers willing to be practiced on.  If people felt he’d done a great job they could “donate” to our camera fund. 

We are wanting to do something different with the photography.  I think the pictures we are already taking are going to show that.  He loves taking still pictures.  One thing he also may decide to do besides portraits is taking pictures of items people would like to sell on Craigslist or on Ebay.  At this point that is just a thought.  He is working on that.  I don’t know that we will be headed out to do wedding photo’s or anything.  But pictures that capture a persons essence are really what he is has started to do.  We’ll see.  Maybe they were just a fluke.  But he really has come up with some really great shots!

Here is the Click Clack Couch/Bed we will be selling! 

Want it?

 

Size 12 I think..

I can’t wait to see what he does!  Maybe if you are reading this you will let him “practice” on you. 

Other than that, I have gotten my office all spruced up.  I did take pictures, thankfully.  As it is now quite messed up with a Christmas project I am working on.  I sure hope I can get it done.  I had a good start on it and it seems to have skidded to a screeching halt since the effects of taking care of Ozzie and the storm fronts that have washed over the area have taken effect. 

Here is a project in progress, it is the first quilt I ever started.  I still have yet to finish it, but I am now closer than ever!

He has the camera on a stand so I can hold it with out dropping it!  Woot!

Jason’s next Tee Shirt Quilt.

Stay tuned for more progress on this one at a later date.  This is not the project for Christmas, but I did need the left over tee shirt fabric for the Christmas project.  I am recycling and I am thrifty! 

I’ve been taking pictures of this as well so I hope to be posting those.  But I can’t until I get my project finished and the gift has been received.  So for sure you will see my craft pictures. 

A quick picture of my organized and clean craft room, it has taken me months to get it in order.  I just work at it a little at a time in between resting.  I do feel proud that I got it finished!

Thank you Jason for making me such a lovely place to do things in!  It is my goal to get a better chair to work in, but a little at a time I do just fine.

I didn’t take any pictures of the catastrophe it started out to be, suffice it to say it was horrible!

Jason’s already been itching to read this menagerie.  I feel bad for not posting earlier.  I was either too tired from having a really productive day, or too miserable to write lately.  Today things fell into place once again! 

I feel good that I wrote!  Maybe the anxiety I’ve been feeling will dissipate.  The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson just popped on!  So I will bid the night ado.

I just want to say, that on Christmas Day I am looking forward to attending the opening of the movie Nine!  Not so sure Jason feels the same way, but at least he will have a movie filled with gorgeous legs to watch for a couple of hours.  I am sure he will be able to handle that!

Well I am off to wash my face then off to never never land with dreams of sugar plums and a healthy crew of boys when I wake up in the morning!

Peace and Blessings!