I do not bear good news. Rappy was improving yesterday but took a turn for the worse last night. She is running a high fever. When attempting to walk she goes on her knuckles and crosses her hind legs. They suspect meningitis from the spinal injury. We’re doing what we can and hoping for the best. I gave the vet permission to take any action he deemed necessary should she go in a severe seizure. He doesn’t know how this will turn out. I ask for positive support for the girl.
Years ago we adopted a retired greyhound racer. Her name is Arapahoe’s Ace but we call her Rappy for short. She’s definitely MY dog. It was her choice, not mine per se. She was gotten to be a family dog but in the end Mike and Aaron both refer to her as ‘your dog’ when talking to me. It’s okay I love ’em all.
Greyhounds are an odd breed. They are one of the oldest domesticated breeds. Yep that ancient Egyptian Anubis sitting with ears up waiting… is a black greyhound waiting for something. Rappy assumes that pose when I’m getting ready for walk, the treat jar rattles, someone says something about a car ride or the doggie park. Another of their quirks is stairs. The have two settings when it comes to stairs “won’t go” and “full speed ahead.”
Yesterday Rappy took an emergency trip to the vet after a terrible spill down the stairs. She wouldn’t get up and had to be carried. (no not me after injuring my back – Mike and Vet tech). We feared the worst – shattered hip or spiral fracture of the a hind leg. I anxiously awaited news at home as they worked her in between scheduled patients.
Good news – nothing is broken. Bad news she threw out her back. Greyhound have very complicated spines. Unlike ours designed for flexible stability – their does that and is designed to aid in acceleration even on turns, a rare mammal design they share with cheetahs. So they have more cushions and stuff to aid in that. Hers is all swollen. Vet is keeping her a few days, treating her with pain meds and anti-inflamatories while he watches her for any signs of damage the swelling may be covering at this point.
So yesterday was a stressful day in which I basically took care of the dog and rode a very emotional roller coaster. Today is packed making up for yesterday. Please excuse the missed post due to emergency- I’ll have a vet bill as proof.
One of Mike’s business acquaintances died recently. The man seemed a healthy vibrant man and his obit merely said “died suddenly.” We wondered if it was a heart attack. I mean we are getting to that half century mark where that’s more common. No it wasn’t. Yesterday we learned he committed suicide.
I was surprised and saddened that this man felt there was no way out but death. Those who believe in reincarnation say suicide is a temporary answer to a bigger problem, meaning until you deal with it you’ll keep facing the same issues. Those who don’t believe in reincarnation say suicide is a permanent answer to a temporary problem, meaning this too shall pass. I’m not sure where I fall but I am sure that life has storms, some very painful and changing, but for those of us in comfortable first world lives things get better.
He was our age and you don’t look back on half a century without having weathered some life storms. Sure things change but they get better. I know that depression is difficult. I’ve battled it but never lost hold of the fact if I kept my head down and kept working, life would be colorful and happy again, at least for a time.
Something to consider from a book I’m reading (Your Brain At Work, by David Rock) one year after the event the majority of lottery winners and amputees are equally happy. No lottery winners aren’t depressed, amputees aren’t ecstatic but we humans have a wonderful resilient ability to normalize life, make it comfortable again after big (to us) changes.
If you are struggling in your life right now know that it will pass. You just keep moving and the bad neighborhood will be in your rear view mirror. Hope isn’t gone for anyone.
My dear husband is a hard worker. He holds down two jobs really – his civilian job and his Navy Reserves job. Tomorrow is his birthday but he’s traveling for the Navy this weekend. So we celebrated a few days ago when we both were home at dinner time.
Happy Birthday Mike!
As you can see he got the world’s smallest cake. Neither one of us wanted cake leftovers to tempt us so the small cake was enough for each to have a piece and he to have some for his lunch dessert the next day.
Kinda busy – had to take some extra shifts at work to help out. Which is okay since I’ll be working the Saturday he’s gone. Hey it helps out and I make money – win, win! I just have a lot to do today since I don’t have the whole weekend as I first thought!
If you know me – you know I hate snow. I despise it. I’ve lived in Upstate New York, Connecticut, Michigan, and now Wisconsin. Each time my hatred so snow has grown. I’ve been here going on 9 years – it went from being pretty if I was inside and warm to keep the blinds closed I don’t want to see the damn stuff. A friend here asked me when I was going to develop at least an appreciation for snow, I said “when it’s warm and dry.” “That’s sand.” she said. “Exactly, ” I replied, “I’d rather be a the beach.” If the truth be known I don’t like sand either. Having lived where it is sand – trust me sand gets into everyTHING best to have tile floors and throw rugs that can be shaken out. However having spent half my life where it snows and half my life where it doesn’t – I prefer doesn’t and will take sand over snow any day of the week and twice on Sundays.
Yet I’ve got at least another decade in Snowberia… so I thought I’d share what it looks like to live where we are getting regular snow storms of multiple inches at least weekly. Heck we deal with them then the East Coast whines and names the damn things.
For the benefits of my friends who have never lived through real winters (yes Tennesseans this includes you) here’s what every day looks like.
Here’s what it looks like at home in the winter –
Our street after clearing…View from my officeOur porch in winterPorch Windows
Then this year I added the joy of driving to work in winter –
I get to clean off my car. The windshield wipers are left up so they don’t freeze to the windshield. You see when you drive the car and it gets warm inside and the motor the snow turns to water then park – zoom ice again as it cools.Some would call that pretty trees I’d say they will break under the weight. Also the piles on the sides are getting heavy they ice and make concrete bumpers should you be hit into one. I know I got hit one winter and spun into a snow bank – more damage from the bank than the Cadillac Esclade that hit me. Oh and as the winter wears on with weekly storms the piles become harder to see around. They contain road salt killing pretty trees and stuff under them.These are the neighborhood roads. To conserve salt after the onslaught of storms the secondary roads are just salted at intersections now and sanded else where. They become a sandy sludge. Oh if the snow banks get too hight then front loaders and dump trucks have to come after the snowplows and salt/sand truck to load the snow into the dump truck and haul it away to keep roads clear.Main roads (4 lane or more) get fully salted. Oh and here you can see the melt on the windshield… I didn’t introduce you to road salt film on the windshield as I was was driving but it happens and hopefully your windshield spray hasn’t frozen over so you can clear it. It can get so bad that it’s a white if you don’t have spray… I’ve had to stop fill up the resovior on trips. Also have had to stop, raise the hood, reach under the insulation find the tube to the spray head and squeeze the tube to break up the ice in it to get the spray going. Yeah this is so much fun – one person shouldn’t have it all…
Oh there’s posts coming up of Mike’s snow shoveling. Yeah that’s another joy. I’d rather have to mow three times a week like in Charleston than ever see anyone shovel or blow snow again… Until next time –
Hello! I didn’t get ahead in posts as I intended to do. Instead I spent a quiet weekend on the couch away from computers. Mike slaved on computers for taxes and his paper. So I think I got the better end to the deal! However now I’m short a post and must be off to work. So I give you photos of Mr. Blue enjoying the box in which my monthly delivery of comics came this weekend. My highlight is the books. His highlight is the box! He swears he belongs to the box of the month club and new one is delivered to his home monthly. I just let him think that.
It’s a progression in box trial. From the trial sit to first nap…
Oh Joy a new box to try! I think this one has been filled with smells!Yes, yes this is a good box. Worthy of inclusion in the club.Hmmm I think last month’s box was roomier but less interesting in smells… which do I prefer?I’m thinking this is prime for napping, where last month’s box was prime for leaping at passing feet.Yes, yes napping box it is – the interesting smells mask the odeur du chien nearby. Night ZzZzZzzzzzz
Sorry about yesterday but blizzard and house stuff caught me and wouldn’t let me go. I looked up and it was 10PM so no post. **hangs head in shame** I am so sorry.
However what I was doing for myself led to this post! As you know I make bead jewelry and sell it. Didn’t so much last year with tumor, surgery and all. But that didn’t stop me from making it. Any way, I’ve robbed my stash a bit to make outfits for work. I mean how cool is it to have matching jewelry? Professional and cool then someone says “Phh that’s lovely.” and I can say- “why thank-you I made it.” Then I feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I have explained that I like organization. I like having meals planned for at least a week at a time. I like knowing my work schedule at least a month at a time. I like being able to find stuff easily. I like knowing what I have and where it is… I like organization.
Well chronic health issues, having a slob of a teenage boy (don’t all of them come with that feature?) and generally no energy over the last few years. Things haven’t been as organized as I like. Seems when I didn’t work outside the home there was always tomorrow… the Scarlett O’Hare approach to organization.
I found myself scrambling in the morning for jewelry to go with what I was wearing. I’d find the right necklace but dang couldn’t find earrings or vice versa. Which is really sad for a woman who has literally 100s of each if you count her craft stock. I’d gotten so many necklaces that my jewelry armoire made them a tangled mess. Over the last month or so I’ve been pondering how to address the two problems. I came up with the same method I store my stock – zip lock bags.
One thing I have a lot of are various sizes of zip lock bags. I use them to store beads, chain, finding, finished product, etc. So I decided that I’d bag the necklace in a necklace bag, earrings (sometimes two pair because I have double pierced ears) in an earring bag then put those with the bracelet if there is one in a set bag. I could then just grab the set match a ring and watch off to work I go.
Great but I discovered that – well I’d been raiding my stock stash rather inconsistently. Some I’d not worn. Those went right back to stock. Some I didn’t get earrings with which for me that’s a must. I don’t always wear bracelets but I do always wear earrings. Then there were pieces that needed little repairs that had gotten shoved to the back of here or there.
Which brings me to my new project – aside from this blog, genealogy, doing bead inventory, scanning old pictures, my novel, losing weight, increasing exercise, my reading list, crochet, and solving all the world problems to create harmony among all the creatures of the planet – completing the pieces that aren’t a set and repairing those that need repair. I mean really I might be a sow’s ear and never be a silk purse dang it I can be the best put together sow’s ear you’ve ever seen. Heck you might not want a silk purse woman after seeing that!
I intend to do some before/after crafty posts on this project. Stay tuned to see what I’m doing for myself! It’ll make mornings easier, my jewelry armoire more organized, my look more put together, and be good advertising for my merchandise. It’s a win, win! So stay tuned – until next time!
So if Aaron’s done it Mike can’t be out done. That’s the rivalry between father and son. Back some time ago, Aaron went to Buffalo Wild Wings and took the hot wings challenge. He beat it and got his picture on the wall just after completing it – a smiling sweaty snotty saucy mess but victorious. Since then, Mike has wanted to go to the same place (the one here in Kenosha) and beat it to at least tie Aaron.
Well Saturday, February 16, 2013 was the day! We went to lunch there before grocery shopping. He decided it was time. The challenge is 12 wings in 6 minutes, one napkin, no drink, have to remove the meat with your mouth not your fingers. Here’s the photo post of the challenge.
He starts out well with a full basket of 12 Blazin’ Hot Wings
What I found most impressive is he wore a white shirt AND KEPT IT CLEAN!
Even his face was fairly clean…
They POURED on the sauce a lot more heavily than they do the normal order. Mike said it wasn’t that spicy (this from a man who eats habaneros raw) but the temperature hot got him more.
Here’s his victory!
Afterward he started turning pink as the spicy heat hit him. That stuff builds ya know…
What did he get for his victory? A great new T-Shirt
**Waves** So worked the late shift last night during a winter storm. Not many customers mostly caught up on stock. It snowed 8 inches while I was there. Roads weren’t bad when I got off. The rush hour was over and the street crews had cleaned up the storm and were salting well to earn the missed overtime in the light winter.
That said today I’ve just felt BLAH. Today was declared a not leaving the house ME day. So I’m enjoying it and will see you guys on Monday!
We have an apple tree in our backyard. It is very old and gnarly. Yet it still has the loveliest blooms in the Spring. It bears small hard apples that are wormy. So bad the squirrels throw them at us in disgust come Fall. Mike has always wanted the treat to bear eatable apples. So in spurts and starts he’d fuss with it, trimming, spraying where he could reach and such. Well, this January after a long talk with an orchard owner he set out to trim up this way over grown tree. We had a warm day in the 50s on a weekend. So there we were doing ropes to haul down limbs without damaging the neighbor’s garage or our fence. Mike was being all manly wielding a chain saw while on a ladder or perched in the tree. Either we killed it or made it better – we’ll know by this Fall which it is but here’s the pictures.
So this is about what it looked like when we started. WAY taller than neighbor’s garageSo Mike would get to the limb that he determined needed taking off. He’d tie a rope to it drop it down to me. I’d get the rope & hand up the chain saw. My job was to guide the loose limb down safely.Yes I safely guided this one down without damaging the neighbor’s garage roof.So here’s Mike in the tree with the saw. I was planning my route to the ER every time he revved that saw’s engine.The yard debris drop off doesn’t open until March so we piled the trimmed wood in our garden. A neighbor took some apple wood for his smoker.Don’t know if we helped or hurt – stay tuned in the Spring to see!
Mary Louise Eklund 