YiPeEEEEEE!

I have just realized that this is the first winter since the car accident that I have made it through the winter feeling no worse for wear physically!  Woo HOO!  I stayed inside almost all winter and I am out attacking life with as much as I have got.  ( It isn't much I admit, but I am doing what I can.)  It feels good.  I worked in the garage again today.  Jason read my frustration about my garden happenings or not happenings... 

Leftover seeds!  I have seeds from last year.  I don't know how many of them will actually sprout and be productive, but it gives me hope.

He got the garden all cleaned out, moved some strawberry plants into pots and even pulled out some over grown grass.

He also discovered that I have quite the crop of onions going already in the garden! 














Which is super cool, as the onions I planted last year I thought would die over the winter.  NOPE!  They are alive!  Woo Hoo!  And they are thriving!  Which is most wonderful I must say!

The birds have been very active around here!  I am really enjoying the different varieties that come by my window.











I got some pots ready for planting today, Jason cleaned out all of the large square outdoor pots!  Yea!  Those are hard for me as they sit so low.  He also tossed some flower seeds in them as well, which is super!  We should have some pretty flowers this year!  If the seeds work that is.  =).

Frustrations never cease around here it seems though, one of his radio antenna's bit the dust, two batteries for his power drill no longer work... and while getting his broken antenna off his bumper, he damaged his bumper and now needs another part for his wrangler.. and the battery in his truck won't stay charged..  Oh my!

In addition to the clasps he needs for his soft top that he just remembered after a winter of not thinking about his broken soft top..  Oh joy..  Life does indeed continue to toss us some curve balls, but nothing that can't be fixed over time. 

He has just figured out a solution to his truck battery! 
My husband is so smart!  He has it hooked up to start with solar power!  How cool is that!  What a Mr. Smarty Pants!!  I love it! 




I need to figure out a bread type recipe.. so I can eat my new organic peanut butter!  Which tastes marvelous I might add, I have been having it with my soy/coconut ice cream.  MMMMMmmmmMMMM.... Hot Fudge is also a welcome addition to my concoction as of late!  Can you say heaven?


I might have to break down and have this tasty treat AGAIN tonight!  We brought desert to a friends house and we made an ice cream bar!  It was awesome!  We've really been indulging lately!  I think it has been something that Jason and I needed... fun food that gives us the feeling of not being in our "normal" life!

We've got a plan. It might take us a while to get things accomplished, but we will get there.   

I did go out and weed the strawberry bed a bit more.. good thing Jason was here.  Bending down like that, well let's just say it would have been interesting if he hadn't been home.  He picked me up out of the strawberry bed and carried me back into the house to rest.  I was better later.  But I know better than to go pulling weeds with out him being home.  Hopefully by the end of summer I will be able to do that again. 

Here is a picture of the seed boxes.  I managed to get some of the seeds put in them as well.  I did that several days ago, and they are still sitting in the garage.  I need to get some water on them and get them in the sun.  Someday, one day soon.  I know that will happen. 

I did get some laundry done, and the dishwasher unloaded.  The hand wash dishes are still waiting for me.  Guess they are going to have to wait a little longer.



Faith is here. 



Blessings,
Pink Doberman

PeRsPeCtiVe

So my last post being from a while a go, spoke to Luka's allergies to food.  I am hopeful that things are starting to work themselves out.  I have gotten the upset tummy under control it seems.  Thank goodness!  That was miserable. 

Things are going rather well, besides the fact minute by minute I never know how long I am going to have to feel well or how long I am going to have to feel crummy.  But I can handle this.  The warmer weather leaves me feeling less stiff and sore.  It also helps when I have reached my limits as I am stuck in bed not moving for hours and I can look outside and see everything starting to green up and listen and watch the birds outside my windows. 

Jason and I got some more bird seed the other day.  He's been learning about that as well.  We bought "big" bird food and "little" bird food.  Hopefully this will keep the big birds away from the little birds.  We will soon see.  The big bird feeder needs a bit of sprucing up.  I am hoping Jason will be able to paint it and make it a bit shinier. 

Of course the list for sprucing things up has grown.  But who's to say that it doesn't add a little charm to some things if they look a little worn. Problem is that most of our things are looking that way.  =) I guess we are just charming!  That's my thought and I am sticking to it. 

I really don't want to be 'That' house.. the one that everyone cringes as they drive by.  I think we might be getting closer to that... but I hope we can make some improvements this year to make where we live a little more appealing to the eye.  We are doing what we can at any rate.  I guess that is all that we can ask of ourselves.

In the meantime we are trying to live.  I've got lots to say for sure.  I have been rather occupied as of late.  Which I am thoroughly enjoying.  I must say that I didn't want to be writing right now.  I was hoping to go yet another day with out posting.  I over did it again. 

Well, I stopped my actions before I couldn't get myself to bed on my own. So that is a good thing.  But, I woke this morning to a migraine, after having taken lots of pain medication for my neck last night.  Jason got me a migraine pill before going off to work.  That helped.  I woke again feeling rather well.  Thrilled!  I set about doing some things so I could have a clearer mind.  Messy house makes messy mind. 

At least it does for me.  While picking up things about the house, I completely remembered a favor I had promised a friend.  I felt so bad.  I called her and left a message apologizing and hoping to redeem myself.  Thank goodness I remembered!  I could at least apologize. 

I am listening to the television as I type.  Knit & Crochet Today just came on PBS!  This is the first time I have been sitting to watch TV when this show is on since I have learned the basics of knitting.  I am so excited. The show today is featuring knitting and crochet mixed!  How cool is that!  I of course have to master the basic stitch in crochet...   Ok so I am already confused by the pattern...  I will someday be able to understand this. 

The knitting has been great for me though.  It is really helping.  I get allot of anxiety sometimes.  Having the needles in my hand gives me something tangible to do and to focus on.  All I know how to do is pearl.  I just learned that word today, just now!  Hey, that is a start!  I am learning something! 

The knitting has also been great for me when I am not able to sleep, or when I don't have the computer and I have to sit still to let my body rest.  My mind always seems to be running.  Unless I am on pain medication.  Then it is running but woozie.  So the simple pearl stitch seems to work for me as well.  While I dream of making socks, sweaters, and dresses out of yarn, I think it is going to be the basic blankets and scarves for a while from this girl. 

You've gotta start somewhere.  I am hoping to find some really great cotton yarn, that is soft and will hold itself well.  But make a good stable blanket.  If I get good enough at this I may even be able to make some things as gifts. 

I am not going to share the project I am making.  I think it is ugly.  It is however a great learning project.  I am using acrylic yarn, and it is camouflage colored!  Lots of men are even doing this!  How cool is that! 

The birds outside are having a great day.  We have a beautiful Cardinal Couple that lives near here, a Dove Couple, many Finch Couples and lots of Black colored birds.  Oh, and a Blue Jay!    I think they are all just beautiful!  I never really cared much about birds before.  I knew that people watched them for sure.  I just was always to busy and to focused on my Mary Kay to appreciate watching the birds.  I don't think that was bad at all, but just different.  Really I would love to go back to that life.  But I am also happy watching birds.  I am having to learn to be happy where I am at.  Appreciate what I have and be grateful for it.  Believe me I am, even though it would seem as if I have to talk myself into it each day. 

That is apart of moving forward I think. 

Today, I am grateful for the fact I was able to clean the mirror in my bathroom and wipe off the counter as well.  I got the dirty towels and washcloths put in the laundry and dumped the rest of the laundry downstairs too.  I also sorted the laundry.  That is what did me in.  That is why I am now writing another post sitting in bed.  Crawling around on the floor to sort everything into laundry piles is exhausting for my body. 

I really did debate whether to do this or not.  But Jason is so busy these days and it is his least favorite thing to do.  Well, I don't know about least favorite.  I truly think that all cleaning activities are his least favorite.  He does do them but I don't think he does them with a sense of joy.

I thought to myself, if I do the laundry or do some laundry,  that will be one thing that he won't have to do.  I got all of the clothes in our bedroom put away.  Our bedroom couch is all cleared off.  It looks just great!  So when he gets home he will notice I am sure.  He likes a clean house, and appreciates it when he does not have to be the one doing it.  I used to hire someone to do the housework.  I really liked that.  I could then focus more on Jason and my Mary Kay clients and team members.  I never have been great at doing EVERYTHING.  But I have been great at doing things I could focus on.

If I can focus on one thing, I truly believe I can be great at it.  These days it is even harder to do that.  It seems as what I now focus on is doing all that I can without doing to much.  How frustrating. 

But I do feel lucky that I can at least do things some days.  Like the laundry.  I am also going to be taking some online classes!  I am super excited about this as well!  YEA!  I have been looking for some learning opportunities online!  I have finally found some! 

So I will be sharing those with you soon as well. 

I have one thing that is pretty constant in my life no matter how I feel.  I have passion.  I have it for things, about things, through things, around things, with things.  I think that is what keeps me going.  I am grateful for my passion. 

It sometimes will cloud my judgment, other times it clarifies it.  It can be a hindrance as well as a help.

I had thought about making something in my craft room downstairs today.  I was feeling so well.  But my passion for doing something to show my appreciation for all of Jason's hard work won out.  I am also hoping to finish the dishes.  I need to unload the dishwasher, and hand wash a pile of dishes that have been waiting for someone to clean them for a week. 

I also need to finish totaling up the information for taxes.  But I can't think about that until this other stuff is done.  I think I made the right decision to not finish a craft project.  But it is something I hope to be able to do sometime as well. 

My garden... well, I will have some photos to show you soon as well.  I can't wait.  Jason has just been wonderful!  I am very fortunate.  I know that! 

I hope you are fortunate too.
Blessings,
Pink Doberman

CoNnEcTiOnS... SiMiLaRiTiEs...

In a continuing effort to share different stories other than my own.  I am going to try to tell a story of someone else or connect you to an article or video with my posts.  As well as continue to relay my story I love connections!

You of course can choose to check them out or not.  While reading another blog that I like, one written by a Veterinarian she shared a story about dogs getting Post Traumatic Sress Disorder while in combat.  Of course domestic dogs are also traumatized by things such as lightening, thunder, brooms, men, women, or children.  I will be sharing more about this as she is going to be doing some research on this area.

While looking at a link she had posted I came across another that I want to share today with you.  This is a link on how a Service Dog, a Psychiatric Service dog is able to assist his owner, a veteran with disabling mental trauma.  I really do hope you will check it out.   The link is from the Wall Street Journal Digital Network.

I hope you will take a minute to check out these links.

With the weather getting nicer, my dream of getting my garden going has started to reemerge.  I am really hoping that Jason will till more parts of the yard.  I also want to get the soil tested.  Last year I was highly unsuccessful with certain areas of our yard that we planted. 

I am also having a huge desire to get a better watering system set up.  One that I don't have to move around.  Some days that just does not work, and my plants should not have to suffer for it. 

 

Luka and I at my Aunt's 80th Birthday Party

We had so much fun seeing everyone!  I just can't say enough good things about it!  Jason and I were in charge of "kidnapping her" not really, we just shared that we were taking her out to eat!  

We did, it was just a surprise dinner with all of her friends and family to celebrate her birthday!

She was so surprised!  It worked out perfect.

We were so happy to be a part of her special day!

 

I took this picture of Luka!  Isn't it cute??  

He's got my coat and scarf on!  

I love this scarf, it used to be my mom's!

I am learning to change the light setting on the camera!  I got some interesting colored pictures due to wrong settings.  In this case I think the picture isn't ruined by it.  But almost enhanced! 

What a good Husker Boy!

Speaking of the Huskers Go Woman's Basket Ball!  What an impressive year you are having!

I love to see it when people work together as a team to accomplish something!  

The gals whom I used to have on my team (not basket ball) were just awesome!  I really miss that! 

And just when I start to feel sorry for myself... 

I am reminded that I am ever so grateful...

A friend of ours has made it safely through brain surgery!  She had a huge tumor removed.  It was a success!  The hope is that she won't suffer any complications, and her life will go back to better than ever!  

This friend has a great sense of humor, her kids do too, they named the tumor Joey, and want to put it in a jar!

I don't know if that is going to happen or not.  But they are an Emergency Services Family, 

they volunteer and do work that is ambulance and fire truck related. 

Besides just being all around good people!

We feel so blessed to know our friends are going to be around for a little while longer if not years and years!

Praise God!

Blessings are abundant!  I hope they are in your life as well,

Pink Doberman

ThUmB SpRiNg…gReEn

I am planning my garden right now.  In planning my garden I am also planning my garden party!  Since I am here all of the time or most of it…  I am having parties here!  Something for me to look forward to. 

Jason has been great about it, as he isn’t the party type of guy usually.  Before, all I used to do was go to parties, granted they were makeup parties, but hey!  They were fun, there were people there and I was helping them! 

It was wonderful.  So now, I had neighbors over on New Years, (that was even their idea not mine) so how fun is that? 

It has been great, I am getting some nice surprise visitors and also some fun planned ones as well. 

Gardening is something to look forward to that is for sure!  Jason is even looking forward to doing more with it!  Which is so nice for me.  Hopefully he will find it fun and relaxing as well.  He in the past has got the garden tilled and ready to go, but has left it up to me to plant and care for it as well as pick things.  I find those things quite hard to do.  Worth doing for what you get, and it is fun at times too when the pain doesn’t get in the way.  But I had a hard time for sure doing it last year. 

With my dietary needs and with Luka’s as well, a garden is a necessity not an option.  It is the only way to reasonably afford the food we need.  I just have to focus on making enough of it grow. 

With Jason’s revelation the other day of him wanting to have more to do with the garden as he had heard it was a good way to relieve stress, my excitement grew.  I have often thought how fun it would be to actually have him more involved in something like that.  He does always help when I need it, but only if I really need it.  Most often only if I am asking for it. 

So his winter enthusiasm for the project I hope will last until the fall of twenty ten.  I hope he finds the stress relief in the tedious actions of gardening.  The fulfillment of having completed something, having made something, watched it grow and in gleaning the reward of the effort finding pride in knowing that it wouldn’t have been as successful without his participation.

I can’t wait!  Not sure he feels the same but the sentiment he shared goes a long way with me!

Blessings and green thumb thinking!!

Pink Doberman