Mary Louise Eklund

Category: Home life

  • Happy 2014!

    Happy 2014!

    Dusting TV Set with a feather-brush from the National Archif of the Netherlands as a member of the Flickr Commons No known copyright restrictions.
    Dusting TV Set with a feather-brush from the National Archif of the Netherlands as a member of the Flickr Commons No known copyright restrictions.

     

    **Blows the dust away and gets out broom**

    Why hello there!  It’s been awhile since I’ve been here.  Lots has happened and not so much has happened.  I do have a good excuse as to why I’ve been gone.

    First off Miss Mo my female kitty got worse.  It was very sad.  She died and we did discover that the issue was a fast developing spinal cancer.  I still miss her very much.  She was a very special girl.

    Miss Mo at the Vet's. She made a number of visits before the spine cancer took her.
    Miss Mo at the Vet’s. She made a number of visits before the spine cancer took her.

    Next Mike graduated another post-grad program in Norfolk.  It was another trip there for a few days.  I was very proud of him.  While there we went to Colonial Williamsburg.  I made lots of great picture.  Yes I’ll do a very belated post about them.

    Then there’s work.  A few times we’ve had short staff for medical reasons, people moving, etc.  At times I’ve work full time rather than part time to help out.  I love what I do so I don’t mind.  BUT for me it’s a side thing.

    Finally my writer’s block broke.  Yes I furiously wrote 41 chapters of a whole new story, 21 chapters on my Urban-fantasy with a rural setting, and about 12 on my steampunk novel.  The muses were so demanding I’ve been cramming in writing where ever I could.  Now my goal is to go to an event in Madison by their continuing education branch where I can do pitches to publishers and agents.  Oh to get an agent!  My focus will be on the whole new story and getting it prepped as that muse is the most demanding.

    He's a cadet now. He'll be commissioned as an officer upon his graduation. This photo is from his graduation from basic earlier this year.
    He’s a cadet now. He’ll be commissioned as an officer upon his graduation. This photo is from his graduation from basic earlier this year.

    Aaron is doing well in college and in ROTC.   He got a full scholarship in bio-chem from them.  He loves having his own small apartment.  No roommate problems that way.  Being one who has to report to PT at 5:45 am with roommates who think 10:45 am classes are early can be difficult.

    The holidays were nice.  Our big present this year was a new furnace and boiler.  Our 30+ year old one finally gave up the ghost.  Heat is a must in Wisconsin and a new system isn’t free.  So each time the radiators bang with a surge of new heat we wished each other a very Merry Christmas.

    Did craft fairs again this fall and winter.  They went very well.  Now maybe I’ll make time to get an on-line shop up in 2014 along with a book agent and a few novels sold!  Eh?  why not dream big!

    Mike and I took a vacation to Florida in the fall.  Again we enjoyed an airboat tour.  Also we managed to not go to a single amusement park.  Did hit the beach though!

    Wonderful airboat tour to ourselves!
    Wonderful airboat tour to ourselves!

    Health wise 2013 was one of improvement.  My 2012 surgery seems to have helped many issues.  It’s a slow and gradual process getting healed and stabilized but well worth it.  Sadly as you get older bouncing back from such things goes slower than I’d like.

    Finally for Mike – he’s nearing the end of his Navy career and retire looms on the horizon.  I don’t know what we’ll do with ourselves.  We’ve spent all our relationship with our lives accommodating the Needs of the Navy first and foremost.  Now, there will be no monthly drills, no 2 weeks or more of active duty, no call ups – just waiting until we need to collect retirement.  However that might be pushed off another year or two if he can.  Captain Mike loves his Navy.

    Yep Blue is the leader and the cause of frequent screen repair in the summer. As you can see his brother hangs back to ensure all is well.
    Yep Blue is the leader and the cause of frequent screen repair in the summer. As you can see his brother hangs back to ensure all is well.

    Our remaining pets the two Furry Boys – Red and Blue are facing problems of aging cats.  Red has chronic kidney insufficiency.  Blue had hyper thyroid.  They both take medication regularly.  They are healthy and happy  but aging like the rest of us.

    As for comics…  Yes I’m still into them.  Saw Thor The Dark World and enjoyed it.  However I do agree Tom Hiddleston’s Loki got the best lines.  Then again I’ve always enjoyed snark  (sarcastic humor).  As for reading – I am behind.  As in a few short boxes behind not counting those I only get in digital form.  So be patient with me, I’ve been writing more than reading.  However if there’s an issue you really want to chat about – shout out to me and I’ll be sure to move that title to the top of the catch-up list.

    I guess that gets everything caught up about me and mine.  Hope you and yours are doing well, had a great holiday season and are looking forward to 2014.

  • Today Was MO-day

    Today Was MO-day

    Miss Mo

     
    Miss Mo is getting to be an old kitty. She has trouble with her hips from the arthritis that developed there. Doesn’t help she was hit by a car when a wee thing and has lived with the crippling injury of that all her life. (I found her injured and adopted her.)

    So she has her good days and bad days like all of us with arthritis and some decades on the chassis. We do meds, supplements, and even acupuncture when needed to help her manage it. Yesterday was a bad day, a really bad day. I gave her the reserve pain meds and she slept most of the day.

    This morning she couldn’t walk so it was off to the vet. She’d injured her hip, rolled it out of socket. So they got it in did some anti-inflammatory, Vit b-12 to help with the palsy, acupuncture since that helps her manage pain, and sent me home with hopes for the best. She’s back on the infirmary in my office with fav bed, litter box, and all close so not a lot of walking.

    This took a good part of the morning. I wasn’t feeling so grand myself after settling Mo in at home I gave up being productive today and took a nice long nap. Then I got up and did what needs to be done. So that is why this post is late… and not the scheduled post. I blew off post writing to sleep after the vet run.

    Until next time!

  • What’s Going On In Our Backyard

    What’s Going On In Our Backyard

    It’s a well know fact Mike likes to putter in the yard and I don’t.  I find it too much like work – I’d rather make something than sweat in the beating sun digging in dirt.  Still I love beautiful flowers, yards, and gardens.  Honestly if it weren’t for Mike I’d live in a condo an enjoy the grounds tended by others.  Since he likes it I live in a house with a yard tended by Mike.  Here’s some photos that were on my camera from our yard.

    Apple Tree Spring 3013
    As you can see the apple tree has recovered from our winter trimming. It’ll need more reshaping this winter.
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    When our lilacs bloomed they were beautiful.

    lilacs 2013 (3)

    Roses 3013 (5)
    The roses are lovely too.
    Roses 3013 (1)
    The red tipped white rose is my favorite I think.
    Roses 3013 (3)
    The red is so bright that it almost vibrates!
    Red
    I don’t know what these are called but I like them. They are hardy and bloom in the heat and cooler summers.
    Mike's University of Tennessee stepping stone
    Mike put his University of Tennessee stepping stone in the garden by the front door. Great place to display our alma mater.
  • Join Me At My New Addiction

    Join Me At My New Addiction

    Pintrest

    So it’s not like I’ve got enough to do…  I mean work is about to get swamped.  I’m flowing on a novel.  I’ve got jewelry projects out the wazoo.  Genealogy is only adding more people as I type this.  Summer is coming and that’s photography time for me…  BUT I needed one more thing to keep up with.  Yes, apparently I did.

    I know the internet can be a big help or a big time waster.  I do my best to keep up with Google+, Twitter, Flickr, favorite blogs, and writing here regularly.  So I’ve avoided Pintrest like the plague.  Not because I thought it was bad or any thing (like the evil Facebook) but just because I didn’t want another thing to keep up with.

    Then it happened.  I had all these visual references for this story I’m writing.  I was wanting a place to keep them so I could access them from any computer/device where I was writing.  That’s when a friend who shall not be named or blamed suggested using Pintrest for this. “But I don’t want them to be publicly seen as I’m working.”  That was my comeback but quickly they disarmed me “Oh but then you could make a secret board.  Then to access it from say your phone, netbook, desktop or any where just sign in.”

    So I did.  It’s great but then I thought well I should have a public board…  I made one to keep all my Wolverine links to images, scans, fan art, previews, etc.    So if one hobby has it why not the other – thus the bead board was born.   But wait!  I like books too!  and coffee,  and writing, and so on, and so on…. until it became THIS!

    Now part of my unwinding to go to bed is pinning stuff…  At least hop over there (link in the THIS above) and look around.  If you are Pinterest let me know and I’d love to follow you.  Now to make sure I don’t waste too much time there…

    Except there’s this great Logan over at Comic Art fans… I’ll just pin that…  .

    Until next time!

  • Spring Is Springing In My Own Backyard

    Spring Is Springing In My Own Backyard

    Been awhile but here’s a photo post.  Getting to be nice weather so time to get out with the camera!  So sit back and enjoy the first photo post in a long time…  as always click on any photo to be taken to my Flickr account where there are more photos on the topic.

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    Yes the catnip (or cat mint ) is returning!

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    Until next time!

  • My Son The Army Man

    My Son The Army Man

    During the initial stages of dealing with Rappy’s injury (She did it right before we left and was hospitalized the whole time we were gone) we attended a joyous occasion of Aaron graduating from Basic Training.  He’s in the ROTC program for the Army/Wisconsin Army National Guard.  Part of this is he has to complete Army Basic Training.  He did his at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. Here’s the trip in pictures.  As always you can click on one and go to my Flickr account where there are many more (yes this for the grandmothers.)

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    To get there we went through St. Louis.

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    Then we got to the base. Now I know why the Army guys called it Ft. Lost In The Woods because it’s in the middle of NO WHERE!

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    RHP – rank has privileges. Yet being an Senior Officer Mike reserved a cabin for us and his parents. It was nice with two bedrooms, full kitchen, living room, and bath. If you are really curious there are photos of the interior over on Flickr. We were on base and didn’t have a far drive to anywhere. Not that there was a lot to go to other than the graduation. We did spend time at the museums on base (another post for that) when Aaron was busy.

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    Needless to say I was thrilled to see him. (not at all thrilled to see myself in a photo it always makes me feel physically ill). We had to sign him and his friend out for the evening. It was nice and we took them to dinner on base. His friend didn’t have family coming in for the ceremony so it was good to take him away from the barracks to relax. It was their first time out since they got there in January. Which reminds me here’s a picture of Aaron talking with Mike as he waited to leave for Basic.

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    Always going through the ever present paperwork.

    Any way we got the guys back to the barracks and signed in for the night. Len and Donna, Mike’s parents, arrived later that night and we all got some sleep. It was a long day and stressful dealing with Rappy’s medical decisions multiple times a day during the whole process.

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    There aren’t any really good pictures of the ceremony. It was dark. We were far away. It was packed crowded. Still the graduation consisted mostly of jodis (the chants they march to), slide shows, music, and speeches.

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    Aaron was one of three graduates to make a speech. He was the last and spoke on courage. The funny story to that is he got up to the podium to find his speech notes gone, they were supposed to be there. So he just had to give it off the cuff from memory after only doing it a few times before. He did excellent his time as a state officer in DECA served him well. He maintained excellent eye contact with the audience and didn’t faulter. Talk about courage – then again he’s like me performing in front of people isn’t too bad.

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    We did make more pictures of him in his dress uniform after. Here he is with his proud dad.

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    Here he is with his friends that came with us. They didn’t have family attending so we took them out to eat off base to celebrate. Where did they want to go? Buffalo Wild Wings of course! LOL! Then just hang out at the cabin enjoying seeing tv, having their cell phones, and internet available for the first time since January.

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    Really it wasn’t THAT serious of a dinner but I KNOW he got tired of having his picture taken. He was also anxious to get some private time to call and talk with Sara. Once that was done it was a quick dinner on base then back to the barracks for the boys (I guess they are men now being in the Army and all). We chilled at the cabin. I had a good cry about Rappy as her prognosis wasn’t improving.

    The next morning was a bit more time to ourselves as Aaron had to check into his next training school. That was 88Mike a big equipment/truck driving school. We checked out the on base museums. Something to see and got lots of photos for another post. Rappy was stablizing but still didn’t know if shew was going to make it until we got home.

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    After that we got Aaron. First he ad to deal with some uniform stuff. Also had to get the internet repaired at the cabin so Aaron could do his taxes. It wasn’t fun but we got it done.

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    Yes there were more pictures posed for to avoid Mom taking candids. He likes his picture taken just a wee bit less than I do.
    Under his new command he had to wear a water camelback at all times.

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    I teased him about he wouldn’t dehyrdrate while driving that way. Also they marched about wearing eye protection glasses. I asked if eye injuries resulting from marching had resulted in this new development (new since Mike went through his training *cough* 30 yrs ago *cough*) Aaron just laughed and said the Drill Instructors wouldn’t put it past new recruits to poke themselves in the eye while walking. LOL!

    We took Aaron to lunch on base at the golf course then dropped him off at his new school. That was the trip. Now he’s finishing up that school. Scary thought my son could now be driving a big rig – the boy I taught to drive! He’ll be coming home in a week or so. Then it’s back to college a changed man from the experience I’m sure.

    cropped Aaron

  • Sad news

    I can’t write much now.  Rappy’s spine injury was too much for her age.  She was released from her pain this morning.

  • Things Are Returning To Normal

    Things Are Returning To Normal

    An old picture of Mo and Rappy...
    An old picture of Mo and Rappy…

    It’s been over a month of careening from one family crisis to the next. Things are finally starting to settle down. Mo is doing much better and can even jump up on the bed and chairs without assistance. Her back left foot is finally correcting itself.

    Rappy has improved leaps and bounds. She can go potty by herself now and walk about on flat ground. Stairs we still have to lift her up and down most the time. However a few times when she is well rested she has taken them down without help and up with us steadying her back end.

    I am slowly recovering from my back injury. It’s set back by the lifting of the dog but whatcha gonna do but deal with it.

    Mike’s black eye from the doggie slinging her head in pain as he carried her to the car for the initial vet visit is healing. His back is fine but now he has a bad head cold. Poor man, he kept quiet this weekend while I worked Saturday and we both rested Sunday.

    Aaron is doing well in his AIT school. He actually called this week and we got to hear his voice. He’s making arrangements for his classes in the Fall.

    That’s it in a nutshell. We’re still the family with half of the members in physical therapy but we’re healing as best as aging cat, dog, and woman can.

    Until Next Time.

  • A Tale of The Box

    A Tale of The Box

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    Okay I have to say I’m exhaustipated (too tired to give a sh**t) today. Doggie rehab is tough when one is working. Today is my first day off since we got back. She goes in for e-stim today and then when get her physical therapy info today. Though she is improving. She met me on shaky legs when I got home from work last night. She now gets her front end up when I sling her back end.

    So I don’t have the energy right now to go though the trip pictures so I tell the tale of the box throne last night…

    As you know Mr. Blue belongs to the box of the month club and he thoroughly enjoys his boxes. However, they are HIS boxes being the alpha of the animals. Last night the wannabe alpha Mr. Red got into Mr. Blue’s current box! I know, I know, I hear your gasps of horror, shock, and indignation. I too was astounded at the outright gall it took. I watched as I did Rappy’s massage therapy. Mr. Blue stood up from his chair and yowled at the usurper.

    That led to a big cat fight of screeches, yowls, growls, and posturing. He hopped down and went back to claim his cardboard throne. There was much noise and odd body postures that led to a few slaps (no claws). Red went from “what, what?!?” to challenging then to submissive and slinked out of the box and away to take the cat bed in the office.

    Mr. Blue being triumphant sat in his box throne for a long time before settling in for a nap. Yes we think no less of our feline alpha for napping in his box with his catnip mouse. He had show regal restraint while asserting his authority after all.

    Time for the vet trip. Until next time!

  • Big Ol’ Update

    Big Ol’ Update

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    Really quick update – we are home from Missouri. Rappy took her fall just as we were leaving for Aaron’s graduation from Basic Combat Training (BCT) at Ft. Leonard Wood. The vet saw her quickly and had to keep her as you know. It was a good thing as mechanical meningitis set in from the injury.

    Graduation was great – photos and such to follow. Aaron looked awesome as you can see. It was good to see him and spend time with him. Good that he got to have a chance for long private talks with Sara (his girlfriend). Also good that Mike’s parents joined us there to see the graduation.

    As for Rappy, she’s improved. She stood up on her own and took a few steps Saturday. I called the vet and I can come pick he up at 9am after her PT treatment. I do have discharge instructions for her they want to go over.

    THEN I have work today on the evening shift. So good thing I slept most of yesterday – 6 hours on the drive and all night. Yes, it was an emotionally exhausting week. However everything seems to be heading in a positive direction now.