I really should have seen it coming. I guess I just thought that the Honda CRV would have been enough but NO!!!! Of course not. I saw the handwriting on the wall when the Princess got her new car. It's like a fever with the Beast. He traded in the Yaris for the Honda but it wasn't enough. So.......today he traded in the Prius for a new Corolla.
You read that right. He traded in the Prius for a brand spanking new 2016 Toyota Corolla with lots of goodies. I will admit that he got a good deal on it but we needed it like a hole in the head. At first, he tried to make it seem like he was asking my permission but I didn't fall for that. I said to him, *You are trying to tell me that you like this car, aren't you?* When he said yes, I then said, *Why the pretense that you want my permission to buy it? If you like it, you are going to buy it regardless of what I say. You are the biggest spendthrift that I have ever known in my entire life.* He got that weird grin on his face that he's had since he was a teenager and said, *Probably!* My reply was, *There's no probably about it!* as I just walked away.
He gathered up the title for the Prius, the use and care book, and off he went, lickety-split, to the dealer's. The only good thing about this? He will finally lay off the Honda, which is supposed to be mine but he was using it for everything he did. The Corolla has a lot more things for him to explore and learn how to use.
As for me, I'm just gobswapped. I don't understand this peculiar need of his to have the newest and best of whatever catches his fancy.
So excuse me if I just take this time to wish each and everyone a very Happy New Year. May it be better than this past year was. I'm going to head for bed shortly. I don't know if I will sleep or not but I know I will be awakened by the firecrackers and rifles going off around us at midnight.
Love you all. Be good. Be safe. Be careful driving and, for heaven's sake, don't drink and drive! ***Hugs***
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Friday, December 30, 2016
I Don't Dare Sleep....
....because I am suffering from another IBS-D attack. This is Day2 of it. It started yesterday evening. I DID fall asleep at some point due to exhaustion. I've doubled up on my anti-IBS-D meds but so far it isn't working. I fell asleep in my recliner and you don't stop the diarrhea even when asleep. Talk about a mess when I woke up!
It requires a lot of pj changing (enough that I had to do wash today). There's still a lot of lower abdomen gurgling going on but I am hopeful the extra meds will kick in soon. Otherwise, this is going to be a looooooong night.
Love you all. Be good, stay warm and, remember, be kind. ***Hugs***
It requires a lot of pj changing (enough that I had to do wash today). There's still a lot of lower abdomen gurgling going on but I am hopeful the extra meds will kick in soon. Otherwise, this is going to be a looooooong night.
Love you all. Be good, stay warm and, remember, be kind. ***Hugs***
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
A Tale Of Three Dogs.....
Today was a good day for Dennis. If you are new to reading this blog, that is the name of our Lab. Dennis is just 9 months old and is a rescue dog that my hubby fell in love with shortly after our Doberman, Baron, had to be put to sleep. Baron was 9-1/2 years old and very ill.
I'll admit that I was very upset when the Beast got another dog so soon after Baron was put to sleep. I was prepared to not like this dog but he has the sweetest disposition. Unfortunately, he isn't quite out of his chewing stage. But that's a different problem.
We suspected that Dennis was abandoned very early in his life. The woman that was fostering him said he was about 4 weeks old according to the vet. That is really sad because it's such a critical time of life for a pup. The reason I say that is because it is right around that age that they learn how to socialize and play.....usually with siblings at first.
When the Beast took Dennis to the dog park the first time, it was very obvious that he didn't know how to respond to dogs that wanted to play. He played well with our cat, Sassy, but that took time before the two of them got along.
So, today, the Princess brought over her pup, Cooper, to play with Dennis. The two dogs ran around the back yard but it wasn't because they were playing together. Cooper wanted to play but Dennis just stood there like he had no clue. Cooper, thankfully, kept on trying to get Dennis to play until...finally!....Dennis got the idea. It might seem like a dumb thing to worry about but it was monumental to us. Dogs who don't know how to socialize can become unpredictable and possibly dangerous is the only way to describe it. Those kind of dogs are the ones that bite and attack whenever confronted or surprised.
Then, Sheepie showed up with Scooby and the three dogs had a blast together. We were glad and hoped that all three dogs would get tired out with their play fighting and running around the yard. I can tell you that it DID tire out Dennis....LOL. I went to look for him and he was on the bed, sound asleep not too long after the visitors left.
I got to spend a couple hours with Chewlee and Gunner. Gunner was so darn cute. He is such a happy toddler and I am so glad that I get to spend time with him. He knows his Nana and he ran to me for protection when Chewlee was playing with him (and teasing him). She wasn't hurting him. It was all in fun and she kept play scaring him. I have a little chair here from when Chewlee was his age and living with us that he fights with Chewlee over sitting in it. Today, he took possession of it and put it next to me while we watched cartoons on TV. Earlier, he had been sitting in my lap when Chewlee had claimed it.
I hated to see them all leave but they have their own families now and all the responsibilities that go with that. It was getting close to dinner time. At least Dennis was making progress and, hopefully, will know how to play with other dogs at the Dog Park next time.
We had to leave Dennis alone today. Well, not totally alone. The cat was here, too. Since it was just to drop off the Honda CRV to have a trailer hitch put on, we thought we could trust him alone for the short time it would take us. Nope. We came home and I was the first one in the house. He had taken my orchid plant and just destroyed it. There was dirt and moss and plant leaves and stems all over the living room. I had made the mistake of putting it on the coffee table.
I was so angry and upset with him and I DID yell at him as I pointed it out. He hung his head and had his tail between his legs as he slunk away and went into his crate. Later, he came over to me (after the Beast and I cleaned up the mess) and tried to make *nice*. I scratched his head but told him (like he really understood) that he had to stop being a bad puppy and destroying things. I know we will have to watch him. He still has a couple months that he will chew things up if he has the chance. *Sigh* He won't be able to be left alone with the freedom to roam. If the Beast and I have to be gone at the same time, he will have to be put in his crate. It's where he sleeps at night and it's big enough for him to stand up and move around in.
Well, I am closing this novel and going to post it now. I love you all. Stay warm. Drive carefully. Be kind to all. ***Hugs***
I'll admit that I was very upset when the Beast got another dog so soon after Baron was put to sleep. I was prepared to not like this dog but he has the sweetest disposition. Unfortunately, he isn't quite out of his chewing stage. But that's a different problem.
We suspected that Dennis was abandoned very early in his life. The woman that was fostering him said he was about 4 weeks old according to the vet. That is really sad because it's such a critical time of life for a pup. The reason I say that is because it is right around that age that they learn how to socialize and play.....usually with siblings at first.
When the Beast took Dennis to the dog park the first time, it was very obvious that he didn't know how to respond to dogs that wanted to play. He played well with our cat, Sassy, but that took time before the two of them got along.
So, today, the Princess brought over her pup, Cooper, to play with Dennis. The two dogs ran around the back yard but it wasn't because they were playing together. Cooper wanted to play but Dennis just stood there like he had no clue. Cooper, thankfully, kept on trying to get Dennis to play until...finally!....Dennis got the idea. It might seem like a dumb thing to worry about but it was monumental to us. Dogs who don't know how to socialize can become unpredictable and possibly dangerous is the only way to describe it. Those kind of dogs are the ones that bite and attack whenever confronted or surprised.
Then, Sheepie showed up with Scooby and the three dogs had a blast together. We were glad and hoped that all three dogs would get tired out with their play fighting and running around the yard. I can tell you that it DID tire out Dennis....LOL. I went to look for him and he was on the bed, sound asleep not too long after the visitors left.
I got to spend a couple hours with Chewlee and Gunner. Gunner was so darn cute. He is such a happy toddler and I am so glad that I get to spend time with him. He knows his Nana and he ran to me for protection when Chewlee was playing with him (and teasing him). She wasn't hurting him. It was all in fun and she kept play scaring him. I have a little chair here from when Chewlee was his age and living with us that he fights with Chewlee over sitting in it. Today, he took possession of it and put it next to me while we watched cartoons on TV. Earlier, he had been sitting in my lap when Chewlee had claimed it.
I hated to see them all leave but they have their own families now and all the responsibilities that go with that. It was getting close to dinner time. At least Dennis was making progress and, hopefully, will know how to play with other dogs at the Dog Park next time.
We had to leave Dennis alone today. Well, not totally alone. The cat was here, too. Since it was just to drop off the Honda CRV to have a trailer hitch put on, we thought we could trust him alone for the short time it would take us. Nope. We came home and I was the first one in the house. He had taken my orchid plant and just destroyed it. There was dirt and moss and plant leaves and stems all over the living room. I had made the mistake of putting it on the coffee table.
I was so angry and upset with him and I DID yell at him as I pointed it out. He hung his head and had his tail between his legs as he slunk away and went into his crate. Later, he came over to me (after the Beast and I cleaned up the mess) and tried to make *nice*. I scratched his head but told him (like he really understood) that he had to stop being a bad puppy and destroying things. I know we will have to watch him. He still has a couple months that he will chew things up if he has the chance. *Sigh* He won't be able to be left alone with the freedom to roam. If the Beast and I have to be gone at the same time, he will have to be put in his crate. It's where he sleeps at night and it's big enough for him to stand up and move around in.
Well, I am closing this novel and going to post it now. I love you all. Stay warm. Drive carefully. Be kind to all. ***Hugs***
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
I'm Better.....
When I realized that my cold was starting to take it's toll on my, I had an idea. I decided to try sweating it out. I made my bed in my computer room. The recliner was covered with a spread so that it would soak up any sweat that might go through my pj's. I turned up the baseboard heater to Max and did the same with the little desk top heater. Then I turned my electric blanket up to high and got under it. At one point, the Beast came into the room and was upset about how hot the room was. I told him that I was doing it on purpose to try to sweat out this cold.
Sweat? Oh, hell yes! I sweat like crazy. My pj's top was wet like you wouldn't believe. I changed it and got the second top loaded with sweat but.....the coughing actually stopped, regardless of whatever position I was in. I could lay down fully and....no coughing. I got bold and turned down the desktop heater and turned off the baseboard one. I let the room cool down slowly and the third top I put on didn't get wet at all! I also didn't do any coughing.
Oh, it's not entirely gone. But it sure as hell is much milder than it was before. I got up and made scrambled eggs for breakfast for the Beast and me. It tasted wonderful to me since I hadn't eaten yesterday...at all. I made us some shrimp fried rice for our lunch with lots of little goodies in it, too. I stayed up all day long. No nap. I didn't even feel the need for one! Dinner was simple. I made us a Marie Callendar dinner of Country Fried Chicken and gravy. If you haven't tried it, it is very, very tasty. The gravy makes it!
I also made us a cherry pie. Okay, so I used the pre-made crusts and canned cherries but I slightly cooked some tapioca and mixed it in well with the cherry filling. That holds it together since the cherries will start sliding out of the pie when cut if you don't add it. This keeps that from happening.
So I had a busy day. And I felt great, too. Now all I need is for my throat to recover. The coughing left it feeling very rough. I didn't just cough.....I coughed hard enough that I thought I would faint from lack of oxygen. It wouldn't stop once I started.
No, I didn't have pneumonia. Don't forget, I take the shot every five years as required. And I saw the doctor just a week ago. He checked my lungs (but he never did hear my cough) and said I might be getting bronchitis. He wanted me to come back this week but I haven't seen him yet. That comes early, early, early tomorrow (7:30 am). He took a swab of my throat to culture but, when he didn't call in a prescription for me, I figured it wasn't what I have.
I know the shot doesn't really prevent me from getting pneumonia but it DOES help make it milder if you do get it. I'm just glad I finally feel like a human again. I'm going to jump in the shower after I get this posted and then head for bed. I'm very tired and I think I will be able to get a decent nights sleep, finally. I sure hope so anyway.
Time to go. Love you all. Stay safe and warm. Be aware of the weather and dress accordingly. For those of you in areas where you get a lot of snow, don't forget to pack an emergency kit that includes a blanket, water and some food......just in case. Be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. ***Hugs***
Sweat? Oh, hell yes! I sweat like crazy. My pj's top was wet like you wouldn't believe. I changed it and got the second top loaded with sweat but.....the coughing actually stopped, regardless of whatever position I was in. I could lay down fully and....no coughing. I got bold and turned down the desktop heater and turned off the baseboard one. I let the room cool down slowly and the third top I put on didn't get wet at all! I also didn't do any coughing.
Oh, it's not entirely gone. But it sure as hell is much milder than it was before. I got up and made scrambled eggs for breakfast for the Beast and me. It tasted wonderful to me since I hadn't eaten yesterday...at all. I made us some shrimp fried rice for our lunch with lots of little goodies in it, too. I stayed up all day long. No nap. I didn't even feel the need for one! Dinner was simple. I made us a Marie Callendar dinner of Country Fried Chicken and gravy. If you haven't tried it, it is very, very tasty. The gravy makes it!
I also made us a cherry pie. Okay, so I used the pre-made crusts and canned cherries but I slightly cooked some tapioca and mixed it in well with the cherry filling. That holds it together since the cherries will start sliding out of the pie when cut if you don't add it. This keeps that from happening.
So I had a busy day. And I felt great, too. Now all I need is for my throat to recover. The coughing left it feeling very rough. I didn't just cough.....I coughed hard enough that I thought I would faint from lack of oxygen. It wouldn't stop once I started.
No, I didn't have pneumonia. Don't forget, I take the shot every five years as required. And I saw the doctor just a week ago. He checked my lungs (but he never did hear my cough) and said I might be getting bronchitis. He wanted me to come back this week but I haven't seen him yet. That comes early, early, early tomorrow (7:30 am). He took a swab of my throat to culture but, when he didn't call in a prescription for me, I figured it wasn't what I have.
I know the shot doesn't really prevent me from getting pneumonia but it DOES help make it milder if you do get it. I'm just glad I finally feel like a human again. I'm going to jump in the shower after I get this posted and then head for bed. I'm very tired and I think I will be able to get a decent nights sleep, finally. I sure hope so anyway.
Time to go. Love you all. Stay safe and warm. Be aware of the weather and dress accordingly. For those of you in areas where you get a lot of snow, don't forget to pack an emergency kit that includes a blanket, water and some food......just in case. Be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. ***Hugs***
Yesterday And Today.....
In a nutshell, I was sick. I spent my time sleeping for the most part. At least it stopped the coughing. So nothing much happened. Be back when I feel better.
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Delivery Day!
Today was deliver the gifts day for Cee and I. I went and picked up Cee and we headed for the Princess' house first. I had no idea if they were home or not because, strangely, the Princess hadn't returned my calls. Turns out her phone was dead and she had no idea that it was since she had been so busy, she hadn't paid any attention. She had finally wondered about her total lack of calls and discovered the condition just a short time before we got to her house.
I told Cee about the fact that I didn't know if they would be home or not but we could always leave the gifts for them on their back porch. But, when we pulled into their driveway, both Gunner and Chewlee were playing in the back yard.
Chewlee was the first to recognize me since I was driving the new used car and she hadn't seen it. She came running to me and gave me a big hug, then went around to the other side to hug Cee. But the cutest thing was that Gunner, once I stepped out of the car, saw me and yelled out *Grandma!* then came and gave me a hug and a kiss. Cee and I got the gifts out of the back of the car while Chewlee and Gunner both gave the car a once-over. Even as old as it is, the car is in such great shape plus it looks brand new. Amazing for a 10 year old automobile with damn near 200,000 miles on it. Whoever owned it took amazing care of it.
So, the kids and both of us went into the house together. Both kids were excited about the gifts and knew they were going to be able to unwrap them and see what they got. We caught the Princess on the couch, just relaxing in her pj's and watching TV. After getting our hugs, we gave the kids their gifts and suddenly, the floor was full of tissue.
Gunner had the biggest grin on his face, looked at the teddy bear he got and held it up and said, *Bubba bear!* Then he felt how soft it was as he held it close. He brought it over to his mother to show her. Chewlee reached out and touched it and said, *Oh, that's so soft, Gunner! Hold it close!* Then she turned to fish out all her gifts in her bag. She loved the Disney Tinkerbell musical jewelry box (it has a second figure that she can swap if she wants to...I think it's Wendy) . I was shocked when the Princess was trying to help Chewlee get it out of the display box it came in and discovered it was actually attached to the box with a tiny screw. Leave it to Chewlee to discover she could wind it up even with the bottom of the box attached.
She also got one of those new coloring books that have the very intricate pictures to color. Only one side of each page had one since you can frame them if you choose. She also got a large box of colored pencils for that AND a pencil sharpener.
The Princess, once she finally held it the way it is worn, was surprised at the sweater she got. She said she loved the colors and didn't have anything like them in her wardrobe. The sweater is one of the new kind that are all the rage these days. You have no buttons and it hangs below the hips. The front has one of those collars that folds over loosely and goes to the bottom of the sweater.
Johnnycakes was asleep (he works the night shift) so we didn't get to see his reaction to his gift but that was okay with Cee and I. It was the kids reactions that mattered.
I had to call Sheepie for her address but I knew she lived somewhere close to the Princess. However, she told me that they weren't home and wouldn't be for a while so she would come to MY house to pick up the gifts for them. That was fine with both Cee and I since, truthfully, neither one of us slept well and we really, really needed a nap. Cee is going to drop off Babybrat's gift tomorrow or the next day since we have no idea if Tara will be picking her up tomorrow or not. Cee will call her and find out but she was going to do it later, after her nap. LOL!
So I dropped off Cee and headed home. Later on, Sheepie came over and brought me a gift so she handed me mine and I showed her where hers was. Sheepie had bought me some lotion from Bath & Body, which means she either went to Gadsden or else all the way to Huntsville for it. It smells wonderful and I was grateful she was so thoughtful. She loved all of her gifts in her bag. It was an adult coloring book, colored pencils and a set of four butterfly magnets that also had some paints with it so that you could decorate the butterflies in whatever colors you wanted.
When she saw the adult coloring book, she got the biggest grin on her face and she must have said *Thank you, Grandma! I love it.* at least three times so she must have wanted one but thought they were too pricey. They ARE expensive but there are some beautiful pictures I found inside. She will enjoy coloring them.
I hope Teach and Johnnycakes liked their gifts, too. I'm sure I will find out (if and when they wear them....LOL). Sheepie and I had a nice visit. She was in no rush to leave because Teach ended up going into work even though he wasn't scheduled. I guess the manager that was supposed to come in didn't and they really needed him so off he went. No surprise when you know Teach. He has a good heart and a hard worker even though he IS a manager.
I kept trying, after Sheepie left to go home to make dinner, to take a nice nap. But, the Beast kept needing my help while he was struggling to replace the battery in my car key. It STILL isn't replaced, although it IS taken apart. Not really his fault because the battery he bought was dead as a doornail. It must have sat in that auto supply store for a couple years or something. Even the second battery that he got was a bummer and he bought that one at a different place. I guess most people don't even attempt to replace their own batteries and just take them into the car dealer for replacement.
I just threw in a couple TV dinners for us, mainly because I was so damn tired! But I did, after we ate our meal, finally get in a two hour nap that helped me out. I had a big basket full of the Beast's underwear and socks to fold. That done, I wasn't able to get back to sleep BUT....I am now!
Love you all. I wish you a very Merry Christmas. I hope you spend it with people you love and care about. ***Hugs***
I told Cee about the fact that I didn't know if they would be home or not but we could always leave the gifts for them on their back porch. But, when we pulled into their driveway, both Gunner and Chewlee were playing in the back yard.
Chewlee was the first to recognize me since I was driving the new used car and she hadn't seen it. She came running to me and gave me a big hug, then went around to the other side to hug Cee. But the cutest thing was that Gunner, once I stepped out of the car, saw me and yelled out *Grandma!* then came and gave me a hug and a kiss. Cee and I got the gifts out of the back of the car while Chewlee and Gunner both gave the car a once-over. Even as old as it is, the car is in such great shape plus it looks brand new. Amazing for a 10 year old automobile with damn near 200,000 miles on it. Whoever owned it took amazing care of it.
So, the kids and both of us went into the house together. Both kids were excited about the gifts and knew they were going to be able to unwrap them and see what they got. We caught the Princess on the couch, just relaxing in her pj's and watching TV. After getting our hugs, we gave the kids their gifts and suddenly, the floor was full of tissue.
Gunner had the biggest grin on his face, looked at the teddy bear he got and held it up and said, *Bubba bear!* Then he felt how soft it was as he held it close. He brought it over to his mother to show her. Chewlee reached out and touched it and said, *Oh, that's so soft, Gunner! Hold it close!* Then she turned to fish out all her gifts in her bag. She loved the Disney Tinkerbell musical jewelry box (it has a second figure that she can swap if she wants to...I think it's Wendy) . I was shocked when the Princess was trying to help Chewlee get it out of the display box it came in and discovered it was actually attached to the box with a tiny screw. Leave it to Chewlee to discover she could wind it up even with the bottom of the box attached.
She also got one of those new coloring books that have the very intricate pictures to color. Only one side of each page had one since you can frame them if you choose. She also got a large box of colored pencils for that AND a pencil sharpener.
The Princess, once she finally held it the way it is worn, was surprised at the sweater she got. She said she loved the colors and didn't have anything like them in her wardrobe. The sweater is one of the new kind that are all the rage these days. You have no buttons and it hangs below the hips. The front has one of those collars that folds over loosely and goes to the bottom of the sweater.
Johnnycakes was asleep (he works the night shift) so we didn't get to see his reaction to his gift but that was okay with Cee and I. It was the kids reactions that mattered.
I had to call Sheepie for her address but I knew she lived somewhere close to the Princess. However, she told me that they weren't home and wouldn't be for a while so she would come to MY house to pick up the gifts for them. That was fine with both Cee and I since, truthfully, neither one of us slept well and we really, really needed a nap. Cee is going to drop off Babybrat's gift tomorrow or the next day since we have no idea if Tara will be picking her up tomorrow or not. Cee will call her and find out but she was going to do it later, after her nap. LOL!
So I dropped off Cee and headed home. Later on, Sheepie came over and brought me a gift so she handed me mine and I showed her where hers was. Sheepie had bought me some lotion from Bath & Body, which means she either went to Gadsden or else all the way to Huntsville for it. It smells wonderful and I was grateful she was so thoughtful. She loved all of her gifts in her bag. It was an adult coloring book, colored pencils and a set of four butterfly magnets that also had some paints with it so that you could decorate the butterflies in whatever colors you wanted.
When she saw the adult coloring book, she got the biggest grin on her face and she must have said *Thank you, Grandma! I love it.* at least three times so she must have wanted one but thought they were too pricey. They ARE expensive but there are some beautiful pictures I found inside. She will enjoy coloring them.
I hope Teach and Johnnycakes liked their gifts, too. I'm sure I will find out (if and when they wear them....LOL). Sheepie and I had a nice visit. She was in no rush to leave because Teach ended up going into work even though he wasn't scheduled. I guess the manager that was supposed to come in didn't and they really needed him so off he went. No surprise when you know Teach. He has a good heart and a hard worker even though he IS a manager.
I kept trying, after Sheepie left to go home to make dinner, to take a nice nap. But, the Beast kept needing my help while he was struggling to replace the battery in my car key. It STILL isn't replaced, although it IS taken apart. Not really his fault because the battery he bought was dead as a doornail. It must have sat in that auto supply store for a couple years or something. Even the second battery that he got was a bummer and he bought that one at a different place. I guess most people don't even attempt to replace their own batteries and just take them into the car dealer for replacement.
I just threw in a couple TV dinners for us, mainly because I was so damn tired! But I did, after we ate our meal, finally get in a two hour nap that helped me out. I had a big basket full of the Beast's underwear and socks to fold. That done, I wasn't able to get back to sleep BUT....I am now!
Love you all. I wish you a very Merry Christmas. I hope you spend it with people you love and care about. ***Hugs***
Friday, December 23, 2016
No News Is Good News
Today was a truly boring day. The Beast spent the afternoon at the car dealer down in Gadsden having things done to the *new* used car AND they even put in a new air bag (under warranty, believe it or not) that had to be replaced due to problems. They must have gotten them from the same manufacturer as Toyota.
Tomorrow Cee and I will be distributing gifts to the kids. I made leftovers for dinner and now the gravy is gone. *boo-hoo* I'm beat so this ends the blog for today.
Love you all. Stay warm. Merry Christmas to all! ***Hugs***
Tomorrow Cee and I will be distributing gifts to the kids. I made leftovers for dinner and now the gravy is gone. *boo-hoo* I'm beat so this ends the blog for today.
Love you all. Stay warm. Merry Christmas to all! ***Hugs***
A Tasty Dinner.....
Today was the day I cooked the turkey. I made the stuffing for it (plus enough for a bread pan full) and also the oyster dressing for the Beast. I got the potatoes ready for cooking and put all the ingredients for the sweet potato casserole out. Cee put that together a little before I had to cook it.
Everything tasted so good to us. Cee took some of it home with her, too. I also got everyone's presents ready to deliver and told Cee that we would probably have to do that on Saturday. I just hope the good weather holds. The forecast says a 60% chance of rain so I guess we'll see.
After dinner, Cee and I went into my computer room to rest. We had cleaned up from dinner and she had all her leftovers packed and ready to go. Plus, I gave her the Christmas gift I had bought for her and she had that bagged up and ready. Once the urge for a nap kicked in, she decided it was time to head home before she fell asleep. I was sleepy, too. That turkey reaction had started to kick in....LOL.
After she left, I did, finally, decide to take a little nap. It was only an hour but I woke up to find the Beast had finished putting all the leftover food away AND he had stripped the turkey of all the meat and thrown away the bones. I was a bit upset because I had planned on using the bones for some soup but, I had to blame myself because I hadn't told him that. Luckily, he had even taken all the meat from the back of the turkey off and kept the skin so I will make the soup and use that meat along with some of the rest of the meat for soup. We have meat for sandwiches or hot turkey and gravy over bread or biscuits. I am also making a cherry pie tomorrow. I really had wanted to make it today for our meal but there was just no space for it with all the food that had to go in the oven so it would all be hot together.
The day worked out to be really nice for us all, I think. Later, I was still a bit tired so I went to sleep again in my recliner and didn't wake up until almost 1am. I'm ready to go back to bed now so I will say goodnight. Love you all. Stay warm and dry. ***Hugs***
Everything tasted so good to us. Cee took some of it home with her, too. I also got everyone's presents ready to deliver and told Cee that we would probably have to do that on Saturday. I just hope the good weather holds. The forecast says a 60% chance of rain so I guess we'll see.
After dinner, Cee and I went into my computer room to rest. We had cleaned up from dinner and she had all her leftovers packed and ready to go. Plus, I gave her the Christmas gift I had bought for her and she had that bagged up and ready. Once the urge for a nap kicked in, she decided it was time to head home before she fell asleep. I was sleepy, too. That turkey reaction had started to kick in....LOL.
After she left, I did, finally, decide to take a little nap. It was only an hour but I woke up to find the Beast had finished putting all the leftover food away AND he had stripped the turkey of all the meat and thrown away the bones. I was a bit upset because I had planned on using the bones for some soup but, I had to blame myself because I hadn't told him that. Luckily, he had even taken all the meat from the back of the turkey off and kept the skin so I will make the soup and use that meat along with some of the rest of the meat for soup. We have meat for sandwiches or hot turkey and gravy over bread or biscuits. I am also making a cherry pie tomorrow. I really had wanted to make it today for our meal but there was just no space for it with all the food that had to go in the oven so it would all be hot together.
The day worked out to be really nice for us all, I think. Later, I was still a bit tired so I went to sleep again in my recliner and didn't wake up until almost 1am. I'm ready to go back to bed now so I will say goodnight. Love you all. Stay warm and dry. ***Hugs***
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Turkey Thursday...And A Surprise For Me.
I kept my *turkey day* the same and did a *quick defrost* like Mom used to do back when I was a kid. LOL! So Cee will be here tomorrow. She's going to help make everything and we will finish getting our gifts ready for delivery.
Today I got a real shock. The day turned out to be fairly nice and the Beast kept running out to do various chores. He left to go pick up oil for the Yaris and look at some new tires for it, too. We definitely needed them before REAL winter hit us. I was busy cleaning out the straw storage baskets that are part of my living room end tables and coffee table. I was amazed at how dusty the inside of the baskets got but then I can't remember just when I last cleaned them out. In one of the coffee table baskets, I keep yarn, crochet needles and a project that I am working on so that I have something to do while watching a program with the Beast. I also have a project under construction in my computer room and, yes, I can crochet AND watch TV at the same time. It's not all that difficult since I make afghans, scarves and crocheted hats usually. Simple things, easy to make once you get the pattern down in your head.
I finished going through all of the baskets and getting rid of the dust, old magazines, etc. I had just retired into my computer room, thinking I was going to take a short nap (which I never got), when the Beast got home and told me to put my shoes on because he wanted me to come outside so he could show me something. The voice and facial expressions didn't alert me like they usually do so I put on my shoes (I was dressed since early in the AM), grabbed a sweater and headed outside. I stopped dead on my porch because it was obvious just WHAT he wanted to show me.
Sitting in the driveway was a dark grey Honda CRV. Not a new one but it looked new inside and out. If it had been new, I would have turned around and just kept saying, *NO! NO! NO!* I went over to it and gave it a good look-over and was very impressed. The seats are leather and are even heated! Great for winter. It has so many great features that it kind of scared me. I knew that the Beast had talked about trading in the Yaris because it really isn't the most comfortable car to ride in for any length of time. Let's face it! It was a car with almost no great features. A cheap Toyota and you could tell it was not expensive to buy new. After he pointed out all the great features on it, he then told me what it would cost us. I have to say, I was surprised because it seems like a good deal.
I got in and took it for a drive. I love the fact that it actually has a real engine compartment and I could see the front of the car. One of the things I hated about the Yaris is that you feel like you are only driving 3/4 of a car because you can't see any front when you are driving it. I have to admit, I was surprised at the comfortable ride on it and the seats are comfortable, too. It's quite a bit bigger than the Yaris so there's lots of room for anything we might want to haul around. It has all wheel drive and, once you put a hitch on it, the engine is large enough that he could easily attach the utility trailer to it and still have plenty of power to haul whatever he needs to. He hated having to use the Prius for that since it, too, has an engine on the small side. This car is a 6-cylinder, not a 4 like the Yaris.
We talked about it and I happen to like the car so I told him if he was sure he wanted rid of the Yaris, I had no objection to the Honda. In fact, I like it a LOT. So now my car is the Honda (with driving privileges for the Beast, of course). Whoever owned it before trading it in did a good job of maintaining it. According to the service log, he had the oil changed every 5,000 miles, did the regular rotation of the tires, etc. The inside looks like it was almost never used, I kid you not. It has a sun roof and the rear window opens up (it lifts upward when you push a button) and that will be great in the summer. It's older than the Yaris but looks really great. I think it's part SUV, you know, one of those smaller versions. I don't feel a bit claustrophobic in it or like it was designed for shorter people than I am and I am only 5 '5" tall!
So I was up and doing a lot of various things today, including FINALLY getting what I needed for packing everyone's gifts for them. The Beast took his pills like he should, I kept checking to make sure (I even counted his blood pressure pills to make sure he took his for today. We got a new prescription yesterday so that made it easy to check). We even ate at more normal times....LOL.
It's back to bed for me now so I will just say love you all. Warmer weather tomorrow (around 60 degrees) but still very cold nights. Stay warm and remember, be kind to everyone. We all have different battles we are fighting and we don't necessarily tell that to anyone. ***Hugs***
Today I got a real shock. The day turned out to be fairly nice and the Beast kept running out to do various chores. He left to go pick up oil for the Yaris and look at some new tires for it, too. We definitely needed them before REAL winter hit us. I was busy cleaning out the straw storage baskets that are part of my living room end tables and coffee table. I was amazed at how dusty the inside of the baskets got but then I can't remember just when I last cleaned them out. In one of the coffee table baskets, I keep yarn, crochet needles and a project that I am working on so that I have something to do while watching a program with the Beast. I also have a project under construction in my computer room and, yes, I can crochet AND watch TV at the same time. It's not all that difficult since I make afghans, scarves and crocheted hats usually. Simple things, easy to make once you get the pattern down in your head.
I finished going through all of the baskets and getting rid of the dust, old magazines, etc. I had just retired into my computer room, thinking I was going to take a short nap (which I never got), when the Beast got home and told me to put my shoes on because he wanted me to come outside so he could show me something. The voice and facial expressions didn't alert me like they usually do so I put on my shoes (I was dressed since early in the AM), grabbed a sweater and headed outside. I stopped dead on my porch because it was obvious just WHAT he wanted to show me.
Sitting in the driveway was a dark grey Honda CRV. Not a new one but it looked new inside and out. If it had been new, I would have turned around and just kept saying, *NO! NO! NO!* I went over to it and gave it a good look-over and was very impressed. The seats are leather and are even heated! Great for winter. It has so many great features that it kind of scared me. I knew that the Beast had talked about trading in the Yaris because it really isn't the most comfortable car to ride in for any length of time. Let's face it! It was a car with almost no great features. A cheap Toyota and you could tell it was not expensive to buy new. After he pointed out all the great features on it, he then told me what it would cost us. I have to say, I was surprised because it seems like a good deal.
I got in and took it for a drive. I love the fact that it actually has a real engine compartment and I could see the front of the car. One of the things I hated about the Yaris is that you feel like you are only driving 3/4 of a car because you can't see any front when you are driving it. I have to admit, I was surprised at the comfortable ride on it and the seats are comfortable, too. It's quite a bit bigger than the Yaris so there's lots of room for anything we might want to haul around. It has all wheel drive and, once you put a hitch on it, the engine is large enough that he could easily attach the utility trailer to it and still have plenty of power to haul whatever he needs to. He hated having to use the Prius for that since it, too, has an engine on the small side. This car is a 6-cylinder, not a 4 like the Yaris.
We talked about it and I happen to like the car so I told him if he was sure he wanted rid of the Yaris, I had no objection to the Honda. In fact, I like it a LOT. So now my car is the Honda (with driving privileges for the Beast, of course). Whoever owned it before trading it in did a good job of maintaining it. According to the service log, he had the oil changed every 5,000 miles, did the regular rotation of the tires, etc. The inside looks like it was almost never used, I kid you not. It has a sun roof and the rear window opens up (it lifts upward when you push a button) and that will be great in the summer. It's older than the Yaris but looks really great. I think it's part SUV, you know, one of those smaller versions. I don't feel a bit claustrophobic in it or like it was designed for shorter people than I am and I am only 5 '5" tall!
So I was up and doing a lot of various things today, including FINALLY getting what I needed for packing everyone's gifts for them. The Beast took his pills like he should, I kept checking to make sure (I even counted his blood pressure pills to make sure he took his for today. We got a new prescription yesterday so that made it easy to check). We even ate at more normal times....LOL.
It's back to bed for me now so I will just say love you all. Warmer weather tomorrow (around 60 degrees) but still very cold nights. Stay warm and remember, be kind to everyone. We all have different battles we are fighting and we don't necessarily tell that to anyone. ***Hugs***
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
To The Doctor He Went.....Finally!
He wasn't better this morning so I called our regular doctor (if I hadn't, he wouldn't have gone!). He said that, although his lungs hurt him, it wasn't INSIDE them that hurt. He felt he had injured his chest muscles during his running after the dog to rescue the chicken.
I figured that, if it WAS his lungs, then our regular doctor would be able to make the Beast see his pulmonary doctor. It turns out it was NOT his lungs, although he DID get a chest X-ray. It isn't the flu either. The doctor had blood drawn (but the Beast had no idea why....he never asks) and said that he really didn't know just what was wrong with him but...he felt he had an infection somewhere since he was running a low grade fever, not a good thing.
So he gave the Beast two prescriptions (one is for some kind of steroid and the other is a very high grade antibiotic) and the instructions to return on Friday if he still felt like crap. I'll make sure he takes his meds the way he's supposed to AND that he returns on Friday if he's not a LOT better.
I had plans to make our turkey on Thursday but decided that it will have to be Friday, instead. The Beast didn't take it out until this evening and it takes longer to thaw it than that would allow. *Sigh* And I have to call Cee and tell her that since I invited her over. Actually, she told me the other day that she would come over to help me make dinner so, naturally, she MUST also help us eat it, don't you think? LOL
I am under orders to also make some oyster dressing (the Beast bought oysters...not a subtle hint there). I don't mind doing that since I don't stuff the turkey with it.....EVER! It's tasty but I don't know how it would change the taste of the turkey meat.
You'll be happy to hear that Freddie is finally growing back his tail feathers. They are small right now but they are visible. One of them is longer than the others and looks hysterical. Well, it makes ME laugh. I caught sight of them this afternoon and laughed without thinking. Freddie is walking taller now so I guess it matters to him to have them. At least now the Beast knows he WILL get them back. He didn't really believe me when I said that the day Dennis pulled them out.
He's been making the chickens stay in their coop these days. He just doesn't want to take the chance that Dennis will get out back again while they are free ranging. They don't seem to be really happy about that and are spending more time in the barn. That might just be because of the crappy weather we are having and the cold temperatures. Today didn't feel too bad because there was no wind.
I didn't get out to pick up the packaging I need for the Christmas gifts so I MUST do it tomorrow so I can get it all distributed. The Princess is having an ugly sweater party (I wasn't invited but I don't have one anyway). I guess she isn't doing anything for Christmas day itself so that's why I need to get everyone's gifts delivered.
I'm really tired tonight so I am going to bed right after I get this posted. I'll need to keep an eye on the Beast tomorrow so I need to be awake. He went to bed an hour ago after complaining that, with all the other problems he has, he got diarrhea tonight...yikes!
Love you all. Remember, stay warm. Pay attention to wind chills, too, and don't forget to layer your clothing to protect yourself. ***Hugs***
I figured that, if it WAS his lungs, then our regular doctor would be able to make the Beast see his pulmonary doctor. It turns out it was NOT his lungs, although he DID get a chest X-ray. It isn't the flu either. The doctor had blood drawn (but the Beast had no idea why....he never asks) and said that he really didn't know just what was wrong with him but...he felt he had an infection somewhere since he was running a low grade fever, not a good thing.
So he gave the Beast two prescriptions (one is for some kind of steroid and the other is a very high grade antibiotic) and the instructions to return on Friday if he still felt like crap. I'll make sure he takes his meds the way he's supposed to AND that he returns on Friday if he's not a LOT better.
I had plans to make our turkey on Thursday but decided that it will have to be Friday, instead. The Beast didn't take it out until this evening and it takes longer to thaw it than that would allow. *Sigh* And I have to call Cee and tell her that since I invited her over. Actually, she told me the other day that she would come over to help me make dinner so, naturally, she MUST also help us eat it, don't you think? LOL
I am under orders to also make some oyster dressing (the Beast bought oysters...not a subtle hint there). I don't mind doing that since I don't stuff the turkey with it.....EVER! It's tasty but I don't know how it would change the taste of the turkey meat.
You'll be happy to hear that Freddie is finally growing back his tail feathers. They are small right now but they are visible. One of them is longer than the others and looks hysterical. Well, it makes ME laugh. I caught sight of them this afternoon and laughed without thinking. Freddie is walking taller now so I guess it matters to him to have them. At least now the Beast knows he WILL get them back. He didn't really believe me when I said that the day Dennis pulled them out.
He's been making the chickens stay in their coop these days. He just doesn't want to take the chance that Dennis will get out back again while they are free ranging. They don't seem to be really happy about that and are spending more time in the barn. That might just be because of the crappy weather we are having and the cold temperatures. Today didn't feel too bad because there was no wind.
I didn't get out to pick up the packaging I need for the Christmas gifts so I MUST do it tomorrow so I can get it all distributed. The Princess is having an ugly sweater party (I wasn't invited but I don't have one anyway). I guess she isn't doing anything for Christmas day itself so that's why I need to get everyone's gifts delivered.
I'm really tired tonight so I am going to bed right after I get this posted. I'll need to keep an eye on the Beast tomorrow so I need to be awake. He went to bed an hour ago after complaining that, with all the other problems he has, he got diarrhea tonight...yikes!
Love you all. Remember, stay warm. Pay attention to wind chills, too, and don't forget to layer your clothing to protect yourself. ***Hugs***
Have You Ever.......?
If you follow more than my blog (for which I thank you!), have you gone to their site and not found the blog you expected? What I mean by that is, have you gone to the site, which normally has a daily post, and not found a post for that day?
Did it make you wonder why? Did you, as in my case, think of the age of the blogger and hope nothing serious had happened? What if they died?? At my age, that is a distinct possibility. But, what that did do to ME, was make me see that I shouldn't skip a day without saying SOMETHING on MY blog. Just so you don't worry about ME. Kind of like how I let everyone know that I was going on vacation.
I haven't seen or met up with Cee since Saturday. We never did get to go shopping together but she had to go out, finally, because she was out of so many things in her pantry...so to speak. She doesn't have an actual pantry but she needed some staples like bread and butter, for example. She also needed one more gift that she picked up so she wouldn't have to go out in the cold again for a while. Although our days are supposed to be warming up (high 50's) in the next few days, the nights will still be very cold. Twenty to thirty degrees below normal for us at this time of year.
I have to call the Princess to find out when it will be a good time to bring over their gifts, also have to call Sheepie for the same reason. I MUST go out tomorrow to get the stuff I need in order to pack it all. The last of my gifts is scheduled to arrive tomorrow but I'm not holding my breath over THAT since it is another Amazon package and it hasn't been doing well.
I meant to mention that Lucia, my nephew Michael's wife, won the daily prize awarded at Amazon. It's given to the most productive employee for the day and it was an amazing gift! It's a 52-inch SMART TV! She was so excited that she won it, she must have called EVERYONE she knew, including her family in Nicaragua. Amazon has usually given them cash for the vending machines (big deal! said sarcastically) and she's won that a few times so I know she must have been both surprised and incredulous. They don't say what the prize is so she had no idea until she won it and it was given to her.
I did find out why the blouse I ordered for me isn't scheduled to be delivered until Mid-to-late January. It's because it's coming from China! My first experience with something coming from China I blogged about. It took almost a year-and-a-half for me to get it. I swore, never again! There was nothing on Amazon's post that said anything about where it was coming from or I would have ordered something else. We will have to see if I get it or not.
The Beast has not felt well since the incident he had chasing Dennis around to retrieve the chicken he had grabbed. He has COPD and his lungs (he said) didn't feel *right* to him. I knew he hadn't been getting good sleep for a few days so I told him to take some Nyquil just before he went to bed since it has always kind of knocked him out. But I also have been making him rest and stay inside on his recliner. He's been so-so about listening to me but he DID take the Nyquil and he felt a bit better today. He didn't want me to contact the doctor today but said if he didn't feel a lot better tomorrow, then I could call and see if I could get him in. Personally, I think he needs to see the pulmonary doctor and that may be who I call. He also needs his flu shot but I told him he could get that at Walmart or Walgreen's if he needed it. This will only be the second time since he retired that he's gotten one. However, since he developed COPD, I think he's more open to anything that will help keep him well.
One of my girlfriends from high school sent me an email today asking me to keep her daughter, Trina Thomas, in my prayers because they just found out she has breast cancer. I know several people who are survivors, including Babybrat, my youngest sister. Please add her to your list and pray she gets through this dreadful problem as easily as possible.
Okay, done for today. Love you all. Stay warm, healthy, and happy. Smile a lot. Smiles are contagious so pass yours along! ***Hugs***
Did it make you wonder why? Did you, as in my case, think of the age of the blogger and hope nothing serious had happened? What if they died?? At my age, that is a distinct possibility. But, what that did do to ME, was make me see that I shouldn't skip a day without saying SOMETHING on MY blog. Just so you don't worry about ME. Kind of like how I let everyone know that I was going on vacation.
I haven't seen or met up with Cee since Saturday. We never did get to go shopping together but she had to go out, finally, because she was out of so many things in her pantry...so to speak. She doesn't have an actual pantry but she needed some staples like bread and butter, for example. She also needed one more gift that she picked up so she wouldn't have to go out in the cold again for a while. Although our days are supposed to be warming up (high 50's) in the next few days, the nights will still be very cold. Twenty to thirty degrees below normal for us at this time of year.
I have to call the Princess to find out when it will be a good time to bring over their gifts, also have to call Sheepie for the same reason. I MUST go out tomorrow to get the stuff I need in order to pack it all. The last of my gifts is scheduled to arrive tomorrow but I'm not holding my breath over THAT since it is another Amazon package and it hasn't been doing well.
I meant to mention that Lucia, my nephew Michael's wife, won the daily prize awarded at Amazon. It's given to the most productive employee for the day and it was an amazing gift! It's a 52-inch SMART TV! She was so excited that she won it, she must have called EVERYONE she knew, including her family in Nicaragua. Amazon has usually given them cash for the vending machines (big deal! said sarcastically) and she's won that a few times so I know she must have been both surprised and incredulous. They don't say what the prize is so she had no idea until she won it and it was given to her.
I did find out why the blouse I ordered for me isn't scheduled to be delivered until Mid-to-late January. It's because it's coming from China! My first experience with something coming from China I blogged about. It took almost a year-and-a-half for me to get it. I swore, never again! There was nothing on Amazon's post that said anything about where it was coming from or I would have ordered something else. We will have to see if I get it or not.
The Beast has not felt well since the incident he had chasing Dennis around to retrieve the chicken he had grabbed. He has COPD and his lungs (he said) didn't feel *right* to him. I knew he hadn't been getting good sleep for a few days so I told him to take some Nyquil just before he went to bed since it has always kind of knocked him out. But I also have been making him rest and stay inside on his recliner. He's been so-so about listening to me but he DID take the Nyquil and he felt a bit better today. He didn't want me to contact the doctor today but said if he didn't feel a lot better tomorrow, then I could call and see if I could get him in. Personally, I think he needs to see the pulmonary doctor and that may be who I call. He also needs his flu shot but I told him he could get that at Walmart or Walgreen's if he needed it. This will only be the second time since he retired that he's gotten one. However, since he developed COPD, I think he's more open to anything that will help keep him well.
One of my girlfriends from high school sent me an email today asking me to keep her daughter, Trina Thomas, in my prayers because they just found out she has breast cancer. I know several people who are survivors, including Babybrat, my youngest sister. Please add her to your list and pray she gets through this dreadful problem as easily as possible.
Okay, done for today. Love you all. Stay warm, healthy, and happy. Smile a lot. Smiles are contagious so pass yours along! ***Hugs***
Sunday, December 18, 2016
How Did We Survive?
I subscribe to Weather Bug and it keeps me informed on the weather both here, locally, and I can access other areas I am interested in knowing about. It also (for winter) gives tips on what you should wear when the wind chill is really low. Today we had a wind chill of 20 degrees and right now it's down to 18. Since our temperature is supposed to go down to about 20 tonight, the wind chill will be about 8-10 degrees. Brrr!
I was reading what they had to say about dressing for low wind chill temps and all I could think about was walking to school in Chicago (with it's almost constant high winds), snow about ankle deep or more, no boots, no hat, no gloves (keep your hands in your pockets !) and bare legs. We weren't allowed to wear pants although we could wear tights (if you owned some). While our grammer school was just a little over a block away, when I started high school, I either had to grab the L and then wait for a bus at my stop.....out in the cold, still no boots, no leggings or tights but I did wear nylons....LOL. It was about the same distance from my house to the L....four blocks but at least you could be out of the wind while walking up the stairs. I remember my hands being so cold that I could barely stand to bend my fingers. I don't ever remember having a coat or jacket that was ever warm enough and no scarves. I did, for a while, have ear muffs but gave them to one of my sisters because the metal that held the muffs on actually burned my skin.
If I gave in and decided to walk to the bus stop instead of the L (it was four blocks away), it was the waiting for the bus that got to you. We didn't have those nice wind blocking stands that many cities have now. I hated winter because I was always, always cold. Even our school contributed. There were some areas of the halls that were warm, ditto rooms where classes were held but there was always a breeze....a very cold breeze....that ran through the hallways and by then, your coat was hung in your locker. I swear that some teachers loved cold classrooms. There had to be a way they could control the temperature in them and many seemed to like it much cooler than was comfortable.
When we moved to the suburbs (oh wow! They have buses to take you to school!) No, not unless you were over a mile from the school. Actually, I think it was a mile and a quarter for high school. At least the little ones got a bus even though their school was closer. Little kids got the breaks......LOL. I hated walking through the snow because we got a LOT of it . It was a MILE from our house to the high school. I didn't drive at the time and there was no way my mother was going to drive me so early in the morning.
Think about all the things going on with the kids today. Some kids go to school looking overstuffed because they are dressed in so many layers. Even a sweater under their coats. If the kids look the least bit like they are under-dressed, the parents are afraid they will be reported for child abuse! High school age kids expect a car to get them to school. They are embarrassed to have their parents drive them....or to even be part of a car pool. Worse! Parents actually give in to them and don't want to be seen as cheap or poor to their friends and neighbors. You would think that they would worry more about their kids homework than how they get to school every day.
The way some of this information makes me feel is that I shouldn't have lived. Or, at the very least, I should have gotten frost bite. It makes me wonder why I didn't! I never, ever expected any of the things that today's kids do. I would have loved to have just the clothing they have ...to have warm feet and hands and be able to wear jeans to school. We must have been Super kids back then. No computers, no Ipads, no calculators allowed for math (we did things the hard way), we had books we used for doing homework, to learn history, civics, geometry, algebra, even a second language! No language labs for me!
I never realized just how abused we all were back then. Nothing was handed to us. We had to work for everything and we all had chores to do before anything else. It seems like many kids have never used a vacuum cleaner, filled a dishwasher, washed a floor, cleaned a bathroom... Remember doing dishes, pots and pans BY HAND? How we would have loved a dishwasher then. I know *I* would have since we had 9 in just our family, I remember scrubbing diapers and our clothes in a metal tub of hot water and then rinsing them so we could hang them outside to dry. I was thrilled when my mother got a washing machine but sure hated that mangle to squeeze the water out of the clothes. Plus, we had to wash them with soap, squeeze the soap water out of them with the mangle, then empty the soapy water out of the washing machine and rinse it then fill it with fresh water so we could get the soap out of the clothes.
I wouldn't change much about my life back then. I learned to do so much that today's kids are clueless about. I learned to cook, clean, iron (no wash and wear then!) and babysitting was one way I learned to earn some spending money. With seven kids, there was no such thing as an *allowance*. Times were tough in the 50's. Yes, compared to the way things are now, it really does make you wonder how you lived with all we suffered. We didn't even have seat belts in the cars. You wouldn't believe what we put babies in either. A seat with two curved metal *arms* that hooked over the bench seat in the car. Some of them even had a play steering wheel to keep the infant/toddler occupied.
I guess I am just disgusted with so much of the crap going on between spoiled brat kids and parents that are more worried about their image to their friends than they are about just what their kids are learning these days. How will they survive the *real world*? It's going to be shocking, I'm sure. But don't worry.....your parents will probably be able to pay for the therapy you will feel you need (and it will be all THEIR fault, I'm sure).
Ack! I'm done ranting. Love you all. Be happy. Stay warm. Stay healthy. ***Hugs***
I was reading what they had to say about dressing for low wind chill temps and all I could think about was walking to school in Chicago (with it's almost constant high winds), snow about ankle deep or more, no boots, no hat, no gloves (keep your hands in your pockets !) and bare legs. We weren't allowed to wear pants although we could wear tights (if you owned some). While our grammer school was just a little over a block away, when I started high school, I either had to grab the L and then wait for a bus at my stop.....out in the cold, still no boots, no leggings or tights but I did wear nylons....LOL. It was about the same distance from my house to the L....four blocks but at least you could be out of the wind while walking up the stairs. I remember my hands being so cold that I could barely stand to bend my fingers. I don't ever remember having a coat or jacket that was ever warm enough and no scarves. I did, for a while, have ear muffs but gave them to one of my sisters because the metal that held the muffs on actually burned my skin.
If I gave in and decided to walk to the bus stop instead of the L (it was four blocks away), it was the waiting for the bus that got to you. We didn't have those nice wind blocking stands that many cities have now. I hated winter because I was always, always cold. Even our school contributed. There were some areas of the halls that were warm, ditto rooms where classes were held but there was always a breeze....a very cold breeze....that ran through the hallways and by then, your coat was hung in your locker. I swear that some teachers loved cold classrooms. There had to be a way they could control the temperature in them and many seemed to like it much cooler than was comfortable.
When we moved to the suburbs (oh wow! They have buses to take you to school!) No, not unless you were over a mile from the school. Actually, I think it was a mile and a quarter for high school. At least the little ones got a bus even though their school was closer. Little kids got the breaks......LOL. I hated walking through the snow because we got a LOT of it . It was a MILE from our house to the high school. I didn't drive at the time and there was no way my mother was going to drive me so early in the morning.
Think about all the things going on with the kids today. Some kids go to school looking overstuffed because they are dressed in so many layers. Even a sweater under their coats. If the kids look the least bit like they are under-dressed, the parents are afraid they will be reported for child abuse! High school age kids expect a car to get them to school. They are embarrassed to have their parents drive them....or to even be part of a car pool. Worse! Parents actually give in to them and don't want to be seen as cheap or poor to their friends and neighbors. You would think that they would worry more about their kids homework than how they get to school every day.
The way some of this information makes me feel is that I shouldn't have lived. Or, at the very least, I should have gotten frost bite. It makes me wonder why I didn't! I never, ever expected any of the things that today's kids do. I would have loved to have just the clothing they have ...to have warm feet and hands and be able to wear jeans to school. We must have been Super kids back then. No computers, no Ipads, no calculators allowed for math (we did things the hard way), we had books we used for doing homework, to learn history, civics, geometry, algebra, even a second language! No language labs for me!
I never realized just how abused we all were back then. Nothing was handed to us. We had to work for everything and we all had chores to do before anything else. It seems like many kids have never used a vacuum cleaner, filled a dishwasher, washed a floor, cleaned a bathroom... Remember doing dishes, pots and pans BY HAND? How we would have loved a dishwasher then. I know *I* would have since we had 9 in just our family, I remember scrubbing diapers and our clothes in a metal tub of hot water and then rinsing them so we could hang them outside to dry. I was thrilled when my mother got a washing machine but sure hated that mangle to squeeze the water out of the clothes. Plus, we had to wash them with soap, squeeze the soap water out of them with the mangle, then empty the soapy water out of the washing machine and rinse it then fill it with fresh water so we could get the soap out of the clothes.
I wouldn't change much about my life back then. I learned to do so much that today's kids are clueless about. I learned to cook, clean, iron (no wash and wear then!) and babysitting was one way I learned to earn some spending money. With seven kids, there was no such thing as an *allowance*. Times were tough in the 50's. Yes, compared to the way things are now, it really does make you wonder how you lived with all we suffered. We didn't even have seat belts in the cars. You wouldn't believe what we put babies in either. A seat with two curved metal *arms* that hooked over the bench seat in the car. Some of them even had a play steering wheel to keep the infant/toddler occupied.
I guess I am just disgusted with so much of the crap going on between spoiled brat kids and parents that are more worried about their image to their friends than they are about just what their kids are learning these days. How will they survive the *real world*? It's going to be shocking, I'm sure. But don't worry.....your parents will probably be able to pay for the therapy you will feel you need (and it will be all THEIR fault, I'm sure).
Ack! I'm done ranting. Love you all. Be happy. Stay warm. Stay healthy. ***Hugs***
Saturday, December 17, 2016
A Truly Nasty Weather Day......
I think I would have preferred a nice thunderstorm to the kind of day we had. The sky was a solid grey, there was a steady drizzle for hours and hours (it's still doing that and it's 1am) plus it was also incredibly foggy throughout most of the town. We ARE in the mountains here so there are lots of high and low spots when you are driving any distance at all. In a few areas, I couldn't see more than four or five feet ahead of me. THAT was scary.
When I drive to Cee's house, I use a lot of back roads rather than the bigger highways. It's faster even though I believe it's longer. A stop sign is faster to get through than most of the stop lights on the main roads.
Cee and I had plans to do a little shopping today. It doesn't look like the weather is going to be any better on Sunday than it was today but there is hope for Monday. She only has one more gift to buy and I need boxes and/or bags so I can take care of the gifts I have here. No, I need both. I had to look at my list again to see what I decided to use for them all. I also discovered that my tape is missing so the Beast must have *borrowed* it even though he doesn't remember doing that. *Sigh* I think he DID check his desk but I can't be sure since I didn't see it.
I got my plate and my baking pan back that she had since Thanksgiving. I was shocked because that means I haven't been to her place since then until today. That is an incredible amount of time. She DID come over one day to our house after Thanksgiving but she had forgotten about the baking pan and plate (so had I...LOL). That was when Baron was still alive and before we got Dennis. I told her she needs to come over and see/meet him.
It was also supposed to be a day of 65 degrees but it never got over 58. Tomorrow our high is supposed to be just 45! I don't think we will be shopping. There's hope for Monday, however. We are supposed to have sunshine then so, even if the temperature isn't great, it will still be a better day to finish that up for us.
When I got home from Cee's, I was cold so I put on my warm jammies and got under the electric blanket to warm up. You know what happened, right? Yep, I fell asleep. I told the Beast later that I was obviously slipping into my *hibernation* mode so wake me up when it's Spring! LMAO......
Love you all. I am already tired of winter, are you? Stay warm. Enjoy the Holidays. I wish everyone good health and loads of love. ***Hugs***
When I drive to Cee's house, I use a lot of back roads rather than the bigger highways. It's faster even though I believe it's longer. A stop sign is faster to get through than most of the stop lights on the main roads.
Cee and I had plans to do a little shopping today. It doesn't look like the weather is going to be any better on Sunday than it was today but there is hope for Monday. She only has one more gift to buy and I need boxes and/or bags so I can take care of the gifts I have here. No, I need both. I had to look at my list again to see what I decided to use for them all. I also discovered that my tape is missing so the Beast must have *borrowed* it even though he doesn't remember doing that. *Sigh* I think he DID check his desk but I can't be sure since I didn't see it.
I got my plate and my baking pan back that she had since Thanksgiving. I was shocked because that means I haven't been to her place since then until today. That is an incredible amount of time. She DID come over one day to our house after Thanksgiving but she had forgotten about the baking pan and plate (so had I...LOL). That was when Baron was still alive and before we got Dennis. I told her she needs to come over and see/meet him.
It was also supposed to be a day of 65 degrees but it never got over 58. Tomorrow our high is supposed to be just 45! I don't think we will be shopping. There's hope for Monday, however. We are supposed to have sunshine then so, even if the temperature isn't great, it will still be a better day to finish that up for us.
When I got home from Cee's, I was cold so I put on my warm jammies and got under the electric blanket to warm up. You know what happened, right? Yep, I fell asleep. I told the Beast later that I was obviously slipping into my *hibernation* mode so wake me up when it's Spring! LMAO......
Love you all. I am already tired of winter, are you? Stay warm. Enjoy the Holidays. I wish everyone good health and loads of love. ***Hugs***
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Something Attacks And Kills One Of The Chickens......
...and, no, it wasn't the dog that did it. He was not outside when the chickens were today. The Beast discovered we had a chicken missing when he went to put them away for the night. He searched all over the place....the lot next door, the neighbors yard, the property in back of us....it was nowhere. I told him to not worry about it since my cousin said that her chickens at times got blown away from her property but they pretty much found their way back within a day or so. It was windy today so it's hard to say.
The Beast kept checking to see if it might have come back once it was dark. He's got one of those incredible flashlights and he made the trek around the yard a couple times. He had taken Dennis out front instead of letting him in the back....just in case. However, after we ate dinner, he finally went out back WITH the dog, figuring that HE would find the chicken if it was anywhere hiding in the yard. Well, Dennis DID find the chicken and it was dead. Something had attacked it (and we couldn't fault Dennis this time) and taken a couple big bites out of it. Bigger than Dennis' small mouth would have taken. I just have no idea what could have attacked it. A big predator should/would have taken the whole chicken, you would think. Unless, of course, the Beast surprised it when he came out into the yard with his flashlight blazing.
We do have coyotes, I read in our local paper (twice a week...LOL). Hell, I think they are everywhere in this country. I know coyotes are very capable of jumping over a fence like ours. They did it in California when we lived there. I found one in our back yard one night...a regular six foot fence....when our dog was in heat. When I didn't let Bella out in the yard after I turned on the outside spotlights, he just jumped back over the fence and away. They make it look so easy! In California, it was not uncommon to run into coyotes quite often. Thankfully, after a moment of being startled, they would run off. They were larger than I imagined but I haven't seen one here....yet.
The poor Beast was really upset over losing the chicken. We didn't dare even try to salvage the meat. No telling what was eating on it. Yuk! I had thought perhaps it died from the cold but they are supposed to be very cold tolerant. I've seen pictures of them in snow. But, when the Beast brought the body into the house in one of the boxes we have sitting around here (don't worry, he put on a pair of heavy gloves to pick it up), I could see why he didn't want to gut it to save the meat. Yikes! It was bitten in a couple places...big bites, too.
Almost all my Christmas presents have finally arrived and I am going to cancel my Amazon Prime account. I placed just two orders and, although they USUALLY make it within two days of their SHIPPING the items (and I do mean USUALLY), I shouldn't still have two items out in never-never land. One of the things I ordered (thankfully, it's a top *I* intended for me), isn't coming until...this is how Amazon put it in their email.....should be shipped somewhere between January 12-30. Can you believe that crap? Sorry, but thats not worth it to me. I'll just use the Beast 's Prime account in the future. Why have two accounts anyway? Crazy. What was I thinking?
Now it 's just a matter of getting all this stuff sorted and wrapped/bagged so I can give it to everyone. I'll do that next week after I buy what I need to do that. I do have some wrapping paper and I have tape. I'll need a couple boxes but I think I will bag a few things. I'm going to enjoy this Christmas since it's been a while since I could buy for so many people I love.
Well, I need to try to get some sleep. I didn't sleep well last night. In fact, I spent most of the night TRYING to sleep and I was really exhausted when I went to see my doctor today. He said my scar is healing well and he was glad I had no pain. He laughed and said I have matching (mirror) scars on my neck now. I think that surprised him. He probably hadn't noticed that about his technique being so precise.
Love you all. Be good and be kind. Many people suffer depression during this time of year due to having lost people they love that won't be there for the Holidays or they may have lost them during this time of the year. A little kindness costs nothing but speaks volumes about your character. Be kind and it even lifts your spirits. ***Hugs***
The Beast kept checking to see if it might have come back once it was dark. He's got one of those incredible flashlights and he made the trek around the yard a couple times. He had taken Dennis out front instead of letting him in the back....just in case. However, after we ate dinner, he finally went out back WITH the dog, figuring that HE would find the chicken if it was anywhere hiding in the yard. Well, Dennis DID find the chicken and it was dead. Something had attacked it (and we couldn't fault Dennis this time) and taken a couple big bites out of it. Bigger than Dennis' small mouth would have taken. I just have no idea what could have attacked it. A big predator should/would have taken the whole chicken, you would think. Unless, of course, the Beast surprised it when he came out into the yard with his flashlight blazing.
We do have coyotes, I read in our local paper (twice a week...LOL). Hell, I think they are everywhere in this country. I know coyotes are very capable of jumping over a fence like ours. They did it in California when we lived there. I found one in our back yard one night...a regular six foot fence....when our dog was in heat. When I didn't let Bella out in the yard after I turned on the outside spotlights, he just jumped back over the fence and away. They make it look so easy! In California, it was not uncommon to run into coyotes quite often. Thankfully, after a moment of being startled, they would run off. They were larger than I imagined but I haven't seen one here....yet.
The poor Beast was really upset over losing the chicken. We didn't dare even try to salvage the meat. No telling what was eating on it. Yuk! I had thought perhaps it died from the cold but they are supposed to be very cold tolerant. I've seen pictures of them in snow. But, when the Beast brought the body into the house in one of the boxes we have sitting around here (don't worry, he put on a pair of heavy gloves to pick it up), I could see why he didn't want to gut it to save the meat. Yikes! It was bitten in a couple places...big bites, too.
Almost all my Christmas presents have finally arrived and I am going to cancel my Amazon Prime account. I placed just two orders and, although they USUALLY make it within two days of their SHIPPING the items (and I do mean USUALLY), I shouldn't still have two items out in never-never land. One of the things I ordered (thankfully, it's a top *I* intended for me), isn't coming until...this is how Amazon put it in their email.....should be shipped somewhere between January 12-30. Can you believe that crap? Sorry, but thats not worth it to me. I'll just use the Beast 's Prime account in the future. Why have two accounts anyway? Crazy. What was I thinking?
Now it 's just a matter of getting all this stuff sorted and wrapped/bagged so I can give it to everyone. I'll do that next week after I buy what I need to do that. I do have some wrapping paper and I have tape. I'll need a couple boxes but I think I will bag a few things. I'm going to enjoy this Christmas since it's been a while since I could buy for so many people I love.
Well, I need to try to get some sleep. I didn't sleep well last night. In fact, I spent most of the night TRYING to sleep and I was really exhausted when I went to see my doctor today. He said my scar is healing well and he was glad I had no pain. He laughed and said I have matching (mirror) scars on my neck now. I think that surprised him. He probably hadn't noticed that about his technique being so precise.
Love you all. Be good and be kind. Many people suffer depression during this time of year due to having lost people they love that won't be there for the Holidays or they may have lost them during this time of the year. A little kindness costs nothing but speaks volumes about your character. Be kind and it even lifts your spirits. ***Hugs***
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Learning The Hard Way.....
Today we have two chickens missing feathers. Two guesses just why that happened. Dennis was at the door when the Beast was ready to go out to collect the eggs and lock up the chickens for the night and shot out the door between his legs and the opening. He was down in the yard like a shot and grabbed a chicken. The Beast, who really didn't believe he couldn't handle him, was down and chasing the dog around like a crazy person. He finally chased him under the deck (which is not easy to get under with the flower boxes in front of the openings), where Dennis had the chicken under his paw and was proceeding to pull her feathers out like he wanted to see her naked. He retrieved the poor, traumatized chicken (in shock but actually unhurt) and got her into the coop along with the other chickens. They had all run inside when Dennis started his running towards them, except for the poor hen that got caught.
When the Beast came back into the house (without collecting the eggs, of course), I really thought he was going to have a heart attack. He could barely stand after chasing Dennis around. Why the dog was still alive actually surprised me. I made the Beast sit back in his recliner until he could catch his breath. I couldn't stop myself and said, *When are you going to accept that he is NOT going to be like Baron?* For sure now, the chickens will not accept him as an acceptable companion and will always run when they see him which will make his hunting instinct kick in....and on and on.
I could tell that Dennis knew the Beast was upset with him because he chose to visit me in my computer room a couple times before he finally felt he could lay down next to his recliner out in the living room. Me? I feel it is going to end up being either he finds another home for Dennis or gets much more cautious about knowing where he is before he goes out back to collect eggs. He did, eventually, go out to get the eggs and gave the chickens an extra helping of corn to help them feel a bit better. I doubt if it really helped but.....
I have an early doctor's appointment tomorrow so I am going to go take my shower, get into my warm jammies and head for bed. Take care everyone and stay warm. Love you all. ***Hugs***
When the Beast came back into the house (without collecting the eggs, of course), I really thought he was going to have a heart attack. He could barely stand after chasing Dennis around. Why the dog was still alive actually surprised me. I made the Beast sit back in his recliner until he could catch his breath. I couldn't stop myself and said, *When are you going to accept that he is NOT going to be like Baron?* For sure now, the chickens will not accept him as an acceptable companion and will always run when they see him which will make his hunting instinct kick in....and on and on.
I could tell that Dennis knew the Beast was upset with him because he chose to visit me in my computer room a couple times before he finally felt he could lay down next to his recliner out in the living room. Me? I feel it is going to end up being either he finds another home for Dennis or gets much more cautious about knowing where he is before he goes out back to collect eggs. He did, eventually, go out to get the eggs and gave the chickens an extra helping of corn to help them feel a bit better. I doubt if it really helped but.....
I have an early doctor's appointment tomorrow so I am going to go take my shower, get into my warm jammies and head for bed. Take care everyone and stay warm. Love you all. ***Hugs***
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Sometimes You Just Never Know.....
Since the pup isn't quite over his chewing stage, when the Beast goes to church, it keeps me on my toes with having to watch him closely. Today, it suddenly occurred to me, that it might actually be the fact that he doesn't have the TV on and it's too quiet for him. That alone might make him miss the Beast even more. So, I turned on the TV for him and, guess what? He laid down next to the Beast's recliner and went to sleep. No anxiety at all. Hmmm.
Could it really be that simple? I kept checking on him but he didn't even twitch. At least, not until the Beast pulled the car into the garage, then he was up like a shot and at the door to greet him. I'm not going to consider this the solution but it bears some more tries to see if it continues to work. You just never know what will work and what won't.
The Princess stopped by for a bit with Gunner so I got to see my baby doll for a bit. I turned on cartoons for him and got to give him lots of neck kisses and hugs. He is such a sweetheart. He came back twice to get more before he and his mother left. I gather she was on her way to the hair dresser's but I didn't ask her what she was having done. I sure hope she doesn't cut it again. It is so long and gorgeous right now. I just wish my hair didn't grow so slowly. I'd let it grow....at least for a while.
This is going to be a short post. I'm tired and want to get some sleep and I still have to shower. I'm glad I didn't realize until today that the big drop in local temperatures weren't going to happen until this weekend (gotta pay closer attention to that stuff). Even the Beast thought it was going to happen sooner so it's not just me. My computer room is nice and toasty right now and I am feeling very comfortable. Even my feet don't feel too cold but that's also because the Beast turned on the central heat for a while.
Love you all. Be good. Stay warm. Get that shopping done now. It's almost Christmas! ***Hugs***
Could it really be that simple? I kept checking on him but he didn't even twitch. At least, not until the Beast pulled the car into the garage, then he was up like a shot and at the door to greet him. I'm not going to consider this the solution but it bears some more tries to see if it continues to work. You just never know what will work and what won't.
The Princess stopped by for a bit with Gunner so I got to see my baby doll for a bit. I turned on cartoons for him and got to give him lots of neck kisses and hugs. He is such a sweetheart. He came back twice to get more before he and his mother left. I gather she was on her way to the hair dresser's but I didn't ask her what she was having done. I sure hope she doesn't cut it again. It is so long and gorgeous right now. I just wish my hair didn't grow so slowly. I'd let it grow....at least for a while.
This is going to be a short post. I'm tired and want to get some sleep and I still have to shower. I'm glad I didn't realize until today that the big drop in local temperatures weren't going to happen until this weekend (gotta pay closer attention to that stuff). Even the Beast thought it was going to happen sooner so it's not just me. My computer room is nice and toasty right now and I am feeling very comfortable. Even my feet don't feel too cold but that's also because the Beast turned on the central heat for a while.
Love you all. Be good. Stay warm. Get that shopping done now. It's almost Christmas! ***Hugs***
Monday, December 12, 2016
For A Minute, I Thought I Was Done.....
I really thought I had gotten all my Christmas shopping done and just had to wait for it to be delivered. But, as I ran over it in my mind, I felt I was missing someone. Then it hit me. I was. Oh chit! BUT...thankfully, it's someone that won't be a problem to buy for. *Phew!* Now I just have to buy, little-by-little, the means to wrap it all....LOL. A relatively minor problem.
I guess I am going to have to do some more wash tomorrow. I've been using my really warm jammies up and the ones left are not really warm enough to suit me. Not unless I put my long underwear on underneath them. I didn't really realize that most of my winter jammies really depended on having the heat on in the house all the time. Unfortunately, the Beast hasn't hit that part of winter yet and he never did fill up our propane tank (the big one) that we use for our fireplace. At least when we used that the first thing in the morning, it kept the house pretty warm the rest of the day. Right now, all it is is a big dust catcher.
My electric blanket helps but it does shut itself off after several hours and, unless the cold wakes me, I end up shivering but not if I am in my warm jammies. So it's best for me to wash and not have to worry about that....LOL. Especially since the weather channel is saying that the cold heading our way is going to be the coldest that has hit our area in more than 50 years. Yikes!
My new favorite scent of candle is the Yankee candle scent called Autumn wreath. It smells even better than it smelled before I lit it. Of course, it's in a 10x12 room that has the door closed so the scent really does fill the air. In a larger area, you would have to burn several (and the candles are NOT cheap!) but....if you want a truly nice smell to fill the air, I recommend it. I am just glad I can indulge my little bit of pleasure thanks to my bff.
Well, time to get some more rest. I am yawning to beat the band. Love you all. Be good. Stay warm. ***Hugs***
I guess I am going to have to do some more wash tomorrow. I've been using my really warm jammies up and the ones left are not really warm enough to suit me. Not unless I put my long underwear on underneath them. I didn't really realize that most of my winter jammies really depended on having the heat on in the house all the time. Unfortunately, the Beast hasn't hit that part of winter yet and he never did fill up our propane tank (the big one) that we use for our fireplace. At least when we used that the first thing in the morning, it kept the house pretty warm the rest of the day. Right now, all it is is a big dust catcher.
My electric blanket helps but it does shut itself off after several hours and, unless the cold wakes me, I end up shivering but not if I am in my warm jammies. So it's best for me to wash and not have to worry about that....LOL. Especially since the weather channel is saying that the cold heading our way is going to be the coldest that has hit our area in more than 50 years. Yikes!
My new favorite scent of candle is the Yankee candle scent called Autumn wreath. It smells even better than it smelled before I lit it. Of course, it's in a 10x12 room that has the door closed so the scent really does fill the air. In a larger area, you would have to burn several (and the candles are NOT cheap!) but....if you want a truly nice smell to fill the air, I recommend it. I am just glad I can indulge my little bit of pleasure thanks to my bff.
Well, time to get some more rest. I am yawning to beat the band. Love you all. Be good. Stay warm. ***Hugs***
Sunday, December 11, 2016
It Scared Me A Lot!!!!
It wasn't a bad day yesterday (for me) until after the Beast went to church. When he does that, it's my job to put the chickens away for the night. No problem, right? I mean, most nights lately they've been putting themselves away. But it was different last night.
It SEEMED normal when I went out to check for eggs, feed them their corn *treat* and count them before I closed and locked the coop. They were all (I thought) in the coop except for the one that followed me in. As soon as they saw me, wham!, they ran out into the coop yard in eager anticipation. I gathered the six eggs laid for the day, scooped up the corn to scatter and went outside to count them before I locked up. That's when I got a bit scared. I only counted 7, including Freddy! It should have been 8!
I grabbed the flashlight and checked the barn (some of it is dark enough for a mostly black chicken to hide). No chickens in there! I counted the chickens at least two more times before I accepted the fact that one was missing. I panicked and, with the flashlight, checked under the deck, under the solar panels stand, all around the cottage. I walked behind the barn and checked the area between the barn and the fence. Still no chicken. I then walked along the fence that separates our property and the neighbors behind us, shining the light into the dark area of the bushes. No chicken.
I went out front, thinking it might have been the chicken that has been known to fly out of the coop on a few occasion. I thought maybe it flew over the fence and out front (it's been found out there twice already) but, no! no trace of it. I then walked around the house to our other property, did a quick perimeter walk and, all this time, I listened for any chicken noises......none. Now I was really upset and scared for the poor chicken. Each time she had *escaped*, she was always nervous and making these weird clucking noises until she was safely back in the coop. Unless someone had been able to sneak in our yard and kidnap a chicken (for dinner, perhaps?), she now was the only suspect.
I finally gave up searching (my hips were really hurting by this time) and I didn't look forward to telling this to the Beast. I felt like *I* had lost her. When he got home, I just told him, flat out. As he got undressed from his church clothes and put on his jeans, he grabbed the flashlight and went out to the coop to check for himself. I told you that he never believes me...so wasn't a surprise to me.
What WAS shocking was that all 8 were in the coop when he checked! I couldn't believe it. Their whole coop area is not huge, including the barn. Where in the hell did the one chicken hide? Did it fly up and in? I know they CAN fly, usually when they are scared or particularly curious or when the wind catches them in a storm. What the heck did this mean? The Beast just laughed at my confusion and said that he had the same thing happen to him a couple times and, what he discovered, was that sometimes two hens will be so close together that they just look like one fat hen. Okay, I can dig that because I had seen that myself.
It just never occurred to me at the time to stand there and wait to make sure I was really seeing them all or was I just counting the heads that were UP. Oh well.
Time to post this. Love you all. ***Hugs***
ATT'N: THIS POST WAS FOR A WEEK AGO ON TUESDAY. IT WAS TURNED INTO A DRAFT INSTEAD OF IT BEING PUBLISHED. JUST F.Y.I.
It SEEMED normal when I went out to check for eggs, feed them their corn *treat* and count them before I closed and locked the coop. They were all (I thought) in the coop except for the one that followed me in. As soon as they saw me, wham!, they ran out into the coop yard in eager anticipation. I gathered the six eggs laid for the day, scooped up the corn to scatter and went outside to count them before I locked up. That's when I got a bit scared. I only counted 7, including Freddy! It should have been 8!
I grabbed the flashlight and checked the barn (some of it is dark enough for a mostly black chicken to hide). No chickens in there! I counted the chickens at least two more times before I accepted the fact that one was missing. I panicked and, with the flashlight, checked under the deck, under the solar panels stand, all around the cottage. I walked behind the barn and checked the area between the barn and the fence. Still no chicken. I then walked along the fence that separates our property and the neighbors behind us, shining the light into the dark area of the bushes. No chicken.
I went out front, thinking it might have been the chicken that has been known to fly out of the coop on a few occasion. I thought maybe it flew over the fence and out front (it's been found out there twice already) but, no! no trace of it. I then walked around the house to our other property, did a quick perimeter walk and, all this time, I listened for any chicken noises......none. Now I was really upset and scared for the poor chicken. Each time she had *escaped*, she was always nervous and making these weird clucking noises until she was safely back in the coop. Unless someone had been able to sneak in our yard and kidnap a chicken (for dinner, perhaps?), she now was the only suspect.
I finally gave up searching (my hips were really hurting by this time) and I didn't look forward to telling this to the Beast. I felt like *I* had lost her. When he got home, I just told him, flat out. As he got undressed from his church clothes and put on his jeans, he grabbed the flashlight and went out to the coop to check for himself. I told you that he never believes me...so wasn't a surprise to me.
What WAS shocking was that all 8 were in the coop when he checked! I couldn't believe it. Their whole coop area is not huge, including the barn. Where in the hell did the one chicken hide? Did it fly up and in? I know they CAN fly, usually when they are scared or particularly curious or when the wind catches them in a storm. What the heck did this mean? The Beast just laughed at my confusion and said that he had the same thing happen to him a couple times and, what he discovered, was that sometimes two hens will be so close together that they just look like one fat hen. Okay, I can dig that because I had seen that myself.
It just never occurred to me at the time to stand there and wait to make sure I was really seeing them all or was I just counting the heads that were UP. Oh well.
Time to post this. Love you all. ***Hugs***
ATT'N: THIS POST WAS FOR A WEEK AGO ON TUESDAY. IT WAS TURNED INTO A DRAFT INSTEAD OF IT BEING PUBLISHED. JUST F.Y.I.
Another Lazy Day To Treat A Cold....
This cold may be the death of me. Constantly having to blow my nose is one thing that is getting to me. The other is the coughing. It's like the absolute worst day I have when my pollen allergies are giving me a fit. Every time I feel like I am going to sneeze (and I do sneeze, too), it sets me off coughing besides. So, I have been treating the symptoms and resting as much as possible.
Growing old is a real bitch. I have my normal problems (mostly having to pee a lot) plus the constantly painfulness of my feet from the diabetic neuropathy. But I know so many people that are in even more pain than I am in that I feel I should hurry up and get over this cold and stop acting like a baby. I have two sisters that both have different problems but I know they are in constant and intense pain. I also have a bff that is truly suffering and miserable right now. I wish that I could do something to ease their pain so I do the only thing I can. I pray for them. I pray that their pain is eased....at the very least. I haven't asked for the gift of healing for them because that is expecting too much. But I do believe in the power of prayer for at least the strength to endure.
I won't bother to talk about my cold again (to your relief...lol). But I will ask those that believe to pray for everyone in pain for the strength to endure whatever their particular problem may be. Treat everyone with kindness....not because they always deserve it as much as what it means about your character. Love you all. ***Hugs***
Growing old is a real bitch. I have my normal problems (mostly having to pee a lot) plus the constantly painfulness of my feet from the diabetic neuropathy. But I know so many people that are in even more pain than I am in that I feel I should hurry up and get over this cold and stop acting like a baby. I have two sisters that both have different problems but I know they are in constant and intense pain. I also have a bff that is truly suffering and miserable right now. I wish that I could do something to ease their pain so I do the only thing I can. I pray for them. I pray that their pain is eased....at the very least. I haven't asked for the gift of healing for them because that is expecting too much. But I do believe in the power of prayer for at least the strength to endure.
I won't bother to talk about my cold again (to your relief...lol). But I will ask those that believe to pray for everyone in pain for the strength to endure whatever their particular problem may be. Treat everyone with kindness....not because they always deserve it as much as what it means about your character. Love you all. ***Hugs***
Saturday, December 10, 2016
A Nice Day For A Change....
Today was kind of a nice day. I really don't have a whole lot of them but today was one. We had a visit from the Princess, who wanted advice from the Beast on settings for her camera and she needed to borrow his flash for the pictures she was taking today that someone was going to use for their Christmas cards.
It looks gorgeous and fit for a family. The Beast went outside and got to inspect the inside. He said it was gorgeous. Then she told us about all the goodies included, which also meant she has a GMC app that she can lock, unlock and even start her car using her smart phone. It tells her how much fuel she has and approximately how many miles left on that tank, it can locate where she parked her car (she's always forgetting where she parked it) AND it even has Wi-Fi. She said the car is too damn smart.....LOL.
I was surprised to see that it even will tell her what her tire pressures are and what they should be. That's a very interesting app, don't you think?
She complained that I will go over to visit Cee but won't drive the extra five minutes to her house. Five minutes? It takes me about 15 minutes more. Maybe if I knew all the roads and shortcuts to get there like she does and at the speed she drives! But I guess I am going to have to make a plan to go over there more often. I miss seeing Chewlee and Gunner anyway so it's win-win for me to do that.
She got Dennis to *talk* to her but I think it's because she makes the sounds just like him! I had to watch to see when it was Dennis and when it was her. I kid you not. It was truly funny. He's gotten good about listening to certain commands and, when she told him to *sit*, he did. When the Beast asks him if he wants to go *out*, he goes to the door lickety-split. If he says *ride* in a sentence, he is also up on his paws and heading for the door.
He took him to the doggie park for a bit today. It helps to tire him out when he gets to play with other dogs and is good for his socialization, too. The Beast finally got to hear him bark when someone came to the door (the Princess) and even she said it was a nice, loud bark. He did it when I was here, alone, with him and Sheepie came to the house. He was a little surprised when I told him about it because he hadn't done it when he was here. But he was here this morning when the Princess came and got to hear it for himself. He doesn't sound like a puppy.
We did find out that he's not quite over his wanting to chew. We caught him with one of the Beast's shoes but he hadn't chewed it yet. We just knew that was what he wanted to do. It surprised me because we have chew toys and even pigs ears here for him. That will usually keep them from chewing things you don't want them to but he's a puppy still. He's only 8 months old now. He won't be fully grown up until he's about 2 years old. We keep a close eye on him.
I used the gift card from my bff, Carol, to buy Christmas gifts for Chewlee, Gunner and the Princess. I have a tough time figuring out what to get for Johnnycakes but I'll find something. I just don't have any money left on the gift card for him so I will have to be careful how much I spend on it. I'm not the Beast, after all. But I will get one of the gifts tomorrow, most of the rest on Tuesday and one thing I won't get until the 20th. That's if Amazon actually holds up their end of the deal.
Well, time to put this to bed. Love you all. ***Hugs***
It looks gorgeous and fit for a family. The Beast went outside and got to inspect the inside. He said it was gorgeous. Then she told us about all the goodies included, which also meant she has a GMC app that she can lock, unlock and even start her car using her smart phone. It tells her how much fuel she has and approximately how many miles left on that tank, it can locate where she parked her car (she's always forgetting where she parked it) AND it even has Wi-Fi. She said the car is too damn smart.....LOL.
I was surprised to see that it even will tell her what her tire pressures are and what they should be. That's a very interesting app, don't you think?
She complained that I will go over to visit Cee but won't drive the extra five minutes to her house. Five minutes? It takes me about 15 minutes more. Maybe if I knew all the roads and shortcuts to get there like she does and at the speed she drives! But I guess I am going to have to make a plan to go over there more often. I miss seeing Chewlee and Gunner anyway so it's win-win for me to do that.
She got Dennis to *talk* to her but I think it's because she makes the sounds just like him! I had to watch to see when it was Dennis and when it was her. I kid you not. It was truly funny. He's gotten good about listening to certain commands and, when she told him to *sit*, he did. When the Beast asks him if he wants to go *out*, he goes to the door lickety-split. If he says *ride* in a sentence, he is also up on his paws and heading for the door.
He took him to the doggie park for a bit today. It helps to tire him out when he gets to play with other dogs and is good for his socialization, too. The Beast finally got to hear him bark when someone came to the door (the Princess) and even she said it was a nice, loud bark. He did it when I was here, alone, with him and Sheepie came to the house. He was a little surprised when I told him about it because he hadn't done it when he was here. But he was here this morning when the Princess came and got to hear it for himself. He doesn't sound like a puppy.
We did find out that he's not quite over his wanting to chew. We caught him with one of the Beast's shoes but he hadn't chewed it yet. We just knew that was what he wanted to do. It surprised me because we have chew toys and even pigs ears here for him. That will usually keep them from chewing things you don't want them to but he's a puppy still. He's only 8 months old now. He won't be fully grown up until he's about 2 years old. We keep a close eye on him.
I used the gift card from my bff, Carol, to buy Christmas gifts for Chewlee, Gunner and the Princess. I have a tough time figuring out what to get for Johnnycakes but I'll find something. I just don't have any money left on the gift card for him so I will have to be careful how much I spend on it. I'm not the Beast, after all. But I will get one of the gifts tomorrow, most of the rest on Tuesday and one thing I won't get until the 20th. That's if Amazon actually holds up their end of the deal.
Well, time to put this to bed. Love you all. ***Hugs***
Just Lazy.....
I took the day off yesterday and was just lazy. It was really cold out so I crawled under my electric blanket, watched TV and napped while I stayed warm and toasty. I think I needed that anyway because it seems my cold is better. At least I feel better and that's what counts.
It did take me a while to warm up my computer room so that it was comfortable for me but I turned the baseboard heater up to max and the little desk top one, too. My feet get so damn cold once the outside temperatures drop and that's the main reason I stayed under the electric blanket so much. It was only 34 degrees for our HIGH. Last night, the last time I checked Weatherbug, it said it was 28 degrees and felt like 23. Trust me, I believed it. Although it's early and the sun is up and shining, the outside temperature right now is just 24 degrees. I don't even want to know what the low was for last night. LOL!
I am glad that Dennis and Sassy seem to have gotten friendlier but the way they play is hilarious. Sassy bops his nose with her paws and he *talks* to her. It's almost like he's saying *Will you please stop doing that?* and then he licks her face and any part that she lets him before she bops him again. It surprised me that he was licking her but he does love to lick. I guess you would call it his way of kissing us because he sure does like to lick our faces, too.
I love when the two of them lay down on the little area rug together to nap. It surprises me that she hasn't been sleeping in his kennel with him at night. She lays on the rug just outside the door of the kennel with her head near his. Which is a shame because the pad in his kennel is nice and thick and has to be warmer than the thin rug on the wood floor in the bedroom.
Well, I need to get dressed and decide what I am going to do today. I could wash some clothes but I'll decide after I get dressed and see how I feel. I do need to make it to either Walmart or Aldi's today. I want to make a nice stir-fry meal and I need more veggies. Or maybe I'll just make a list and give it to the Beast....LOL. I hate going out in the cold....and we haven't even had any snow!
Love you all. Be good and be kind to everyone. ***Hugs***
It did take me a while to warm up my computer room so that it was comfortable for me but I turned the baseboard heater up to max and the little desk top one, too. My feet get so damn cold once the outside temperatures drop and that's the main reason I stayed under the electric blanket so much. It was only 34 degrees for our HIGH. Last night, the last time I checked Weatherbug, it said it was 28 degrees and felt like 23. Trust me, I believed it. Although it's early and the sun is up and shining, the outside temperature right now is just 24 degrees. I don't even want to know what the low was for last night. LOL!
I am glad that Dennis and Sassy seem to have gotten friendlier but the way they play is hilarious. Sassy bops his nose with her paws and he *talks* to her. It's almost like he's saying *Will you please stop doing that?* and then he licks her face and any part that she lets him before she bops him again. It surprised me that he was licking her but he does love to lick. I guess you would call it his way of kissing us because he sure does like to lick our faces, too.
I love when the two of them lay down on the little area rug together to nap. It surprises me that she hasn't been sleeping in his kennel with him at night. She lays on the rug just outside the door of the kennel with her head near his. Which is a shame because the pad in his kennel is nice and thick and has to be warmer than the thin rug on the wood floor in the bedroom.
Well, I need to get dressed and decide what I am going to do today. I could wash some clothes but I'll decide after I get dressed and see how I feel. I do need to make it to either Walmart or Aldi's today. I want to make a nice stir-fry meal and I need more veggies. Or maybe I'll just make a list and give it to the Beast....LOL. I hate going out in the cold....and we haven't even had any snow!
Love you all. Be good and be kind to everyone. ***Hugs***
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Finally Feeling Better !!
I have to make an admission. I've actually been under the weather for over a week. I really wasn't sure what it was but I felt awful. For the first couple days, I was running a fever (only 100 degrees) and was vomiting every time I tried to eat anything. I finally tried crackers (didn't work...those came up, too). Then just peanut butter on a spoon. That actually stayed down to my surprise. I thought that I might actually have a mild case of flu but then my IBS-D kicked in, which was awful but not as bad as usual when it happens. Then I thought it might actually be stress since I was really upset over the Beast and the dog that he ADOPTED, not fostered.
I spent most of the time sleeping (hence the idea of cold/hibernation). I think, now that it's over, that it was probably a bit of everything. I hate the cold and that is a stress all it's own. I haven't had my flu shot for this year and a slight case might be possible since our area has quite a few reported cases of it. That would possibly explain the fever. And I really don't want to be upset by the dog since he is very sweet and smart, too. He's learned to respond to commands easily. But the Beast? Yes, HE stresses me out a LOT. It was really thinking all this over that helped me get over the *HUMP*, so-to-speak. Today is the second day that I feel good again except that I do think I might be coming down with a cold. At least I can eat now without any *side effects*. Oh, and I also found out that the nausea pills the doctor gave me actually made me MORE nauseous. What gives with that?
I've been up today since 8am and no nap! After what I went through, to me, that's amazing. I've been keeping warm even when I ran out to the store to buy some cough syrup. My IBS-D only lasted a day and a half before the pills kicked in from my gastroenterologist. He was wrong about me being able to go without using them pro-actively. I apparently need to use them all the time. Or, until I have managed to go six months without having an attack. He DID mention that sometimes it requires that. I guess I am one of those people. Who knows? I may even have to take them longer. That would be MY luck!
Oh, and I think the package that my bff sent me finally showed up here. It was two large bags of our favorite coffee that she got us addicted to....LOL. She calls herself our *dealer* and takes full credit for doing that to us. I'm so glad that she sent those since the Beast won't order it because it's *expensive*. He's subjected us to all kinds of different coffees if we run out or get very low. I haven't checked but I am sure they are whatever is cheapest. THIS from the man who thinks nothing of buying all kinds of gadgets he sees advertised on TV. The majority of those things are what is cluttering up the garage shelves now. *Sigh* He doesn't learn. I would rather he gave up those things and spend the extra money on the coffee. I'm sure it would actually save us money in the long run. But that's not a hope that I think will ever happen.
Oh well. I called Cee to let her know I was feeling like myself again and that I would probably go over there tomorrow. I don't usually go this long without seeing her and I miss that. I am going to bring her all the containers from Thanksgiving so she has some of them back. She won't get the ones back from her son, I'm sure. He probably uses them for Lucia's lunches. He works from home so he takes care of that for her and he also makes dinner. I think that's incredibly sweet of him since it really does mess with his day at times. I think he needs a Crock Pot meals cookbook. Then he wouldn't have to break up his day like he does. But that's just an idea.
Time to get this posted. Remember, I love you all. Be good. ***Hugs***
PS: We are going to be hit by that damn Arctic air tonight and they are predicting our temperature will drop down to around 24 degrees! Oh, and Freddie has found his voice again. For the last two days, he's been very vocal. Trauma is over, I guess. Of course, it helps that he hasn't seen hide nor hair of Dennis since the initial feather pulling incident....LOL. It still makes me chuckle even with his hind end naked.....or should I say BECAUSE it's naked?
I spent most of the time sleeping (hence the idea of cold/hibernation). I think, now that it's over, that it was probably a bit of everything. I hate the cold and that is a stress all it's own. I haven't had my flu shot for this year and a slight case might be possible since our area has quite a few reported cases of it. That would possibly explain the fever. And I really don't want to be upset by the dog since he is very sweet and smart, too. He's learned to respond to commands easily. But the Beast? Yes, HE stresses me out a LOT. It was really thinking all this over that helped me get over the *HUMP*, so-to-speak. Today is the second day that I feel good again except that I do think I might be coming down with a cold. At least I can eat now without any *side effects*. Oh, and I also found out that the nausea pills the doctor gave me actually made me MORE nauseous. What gives with that?
I've been up today since 8am and no nap! After what I went through, to me, that's amazing. I've been keeping warm even when I ran out to the store to buy some cough syrup. My IBS-D only lasted a day and a half before the pills kicked in from my gastroenterologist. He was wrong about me being able to go without using them pro-actively. I apparently need to use them all the time. Or, until I have managed to go six months without having an attack. He DID mention that sometimes it requires that. I guess I am one of those people. Who knows? I may even have to take them longer. That would be MY luck!
Oh, and I think the package that my bff sent me finally showed up here. It was two large bags of our favorite coffee that she got us addicted to....LOL. She calls herself our *dealer* and takes full credit for doing that to us. I'm so glad that she sent those since the Beast won't order it because it's *expensive*. He's subjected us to all kinds of different coffees if we run out or get very low. I haven't checked but I am sure they are whatever is cheapest. THIS from the man who thinks nothing of buying all kinds of gadgets he sees advertised on TV. The majority of those things are what is cluttering up the garage shelves now. *Sigh* He doesn't learn. I would rather he gave up those things and spend the extra money on the coffee. I'm sure it would actually save us money in the long run. But that's not a hope that I think will ever happen.
Oh well. I called Cee to let her know I was feeling like myself again and that I would probably go over there tomorrow. I don't usually go this long without seeing her and I miss that. I am going to bring her all the containers from Thanksgiving so she has some of them back. She won't get the ones back from her son, I'm sure. He probably uses them for Lucia's lunches. He works from home so he takes care of that for her and he also makes dinner. I think that's incredibly sweet of him since it really does mess with his day at times. I think he needs a Crock Pot meals cookbook. Then he wouldn't have to break up his day like he does. But that's just an idea.
Time to get this posted. Remember, I love you all. Be good. ***Hugs***
PS: We are going to be hit by that damn Arctic air tonight and they are predicting our temperature will drop down to around 24 degrees! Oh, and Freddie has found his voice again. For the last two days, he's been very vocal. Trauma is over, I guess. Of course, it helps that he hasn't seen hide nor hair of Dennis since the initial feather pulling incident....LOL. It still makes me chuckle even with his hind end naked.....or should I say BECAUSE it's naked?
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
My Poor BFF!!
My bff has been suffering with one thing after another lately and I really felt bad for her, being in such misery. As if the blistering wasn't bad enough, she got these little scabbed areas all over the place and they itched like crazy. When she finally was driven to see a doctor so that she could get some relief via medication/salve...something! she gets more bad news.
It turns out that it's actually an auto-immune disease with a really awful name. It requires a steroid ointment to give temporary relief and the stuff is EXPENSIVE. She's reached the point that she has actually met her *deductible* so that she now does not have to pay ANYTHING for medication BUT....they get you a different way. They limit how often you can get a particular medication. Of course. There's always a way to spare the insurance company and at YOUR discomfort. She says if she uses the medication the way the doctor prescribed it, it would be gone in four days. BUT, she can't get a refill for it until 10 days have elapsed. Figures, right?
The only other alternative she has is to be admitted to the hospital and get the medication via IV. But she worries about her hubby being all alone and, even worse, having to drive at night. She says he's scary driving during the day (I know what she means..the Beast has that same effect on ME). So please say a little prayer for her if you think of it. SHE is a non-believer but I have always believed in the power of prayer. She needs to catch a break somewhere. She has a good heart and is one of the sweetest, dearest people I have ever known.
The Beast went in to his dermatologist's on Monday for more treatment for the skin cancer on his face. You never really get to see the affected areas the first day but, oh boy!, today was a different matter. I was glad it was so overcast and drizzling all day long. It looks just awful and so sore today, especially down both sides of his face. He said it was extremely painful, too. He didn't even think about going to church tonight and I can't say I blame him. I'm sure he would have scared a few of the kids, at the very least. At least it does seem to be clearing up more and more of the areas affected now. It used to be his whole face that looked like something out of a horror movie. Now it's the sides of his face and some of his forehead. It's not nearly as bad as it used to be. You can recognize him now.....LOL.
Can you believe that my bff STILL has a package coming for me that is still out there? It seems, however, that Amazon is playing a game with it. The one that should have been delivered last Saturday was in Montgomery instead of being forwarded to us locally. Well, on Monday, it was somewhere in Georgia!! I have no idea what is going on but poor Carol was really upset with Amazon. Me? I'm just flabbergasted that my bff still is sending me stuff and that she is upset over whatever is going on with Amazon and whatever this is that she wanted to be here already. *Sigh*
I've been feeling a bit under the weather today (and nauseous) so I am going to head to bed in a little bit. I took one of the nausea pills the doctor gave to me this summer and hope that does the trick so I can get to sleep. I'm hoping I feel good tomorrow so I can get out of the house for a bit. I'll probably see if Cee is going to be home and go visit for a while. But only if I feel good. I'm not sure why I feel so crappy but I sure don't want to spread anything....just in case it's more than this cold I've had. Heck, I don't even want to spread a cold!
Love you all. Stay healthy. Stay warm. Be kind to everyone....even those that don't deserve it. You never know what may tip the balance for them. We are all fighting battles in our lives that we don't let others know about. So, most of all, be kind. ***Hugs***
It turns out that it's actually an auto-immune disease with a really awful name. It requires a steroid ointment to give temporary relief and the stuff is EXPENSIVE. She's reached the point that she has actually met her *deductible* so that she now does not have to pay ANYTHING for medication BUT....they get you a different way. They limit how often you can get a particular medication. Of course. There's always a way to spare the insurance company and at YOUR discomfort. She says if she uses the medication the way the doctor prescribed it, it would be gone in four days. BUT, she can't get a refill for it until 10 days have elapsed. Figures, right?
The only other alternative she has is to be admitted to the hospital and get the medication via IV. But she worries about her hubby being all alone and, even worse, having to drive at night. She says he's scary driving during the day (I know what she means..the Beast has that same effect on ME). So please say a little prayer for her if you think of it. SHE is a non-believer but I have always believed in the power of prayer. She needs to catch a break somewhere. She has a good heart and is one of the sweetest, dearest people I have ever known.
The Beast went in to his dermatologist's on Monday for more treatment for the skin cancer on his face. You never really get to see the affected areas the first day but, oh boy!, today was a different matter. I was glad it was so overcast and drizzling all day long. It looks just awful and so sore today, especially down both sides of his face. He said it was extremely painful, too. He didn't even think about going to church tonight and I can't say I blame him. I'm sure he would have scared a few of the kids, at the very least. At least it does seem to be clearing up more and more of the areas affected now. It used to be his whole face that looked like something out of a horror movie. Now it's the sides of his face and some of his forehead. It's not nearly as bad as it used to be. You can recognize him now.....LOL.
Can you believe that my bff STILL has a package coming for me that is still out there? It seems, however, that Amazon is playing a game with it. The one that should have been delivered last Saturday was in Montgomery instead of being forwarded to us locally. Well, on Monday, it was somewhere in Georgia!! I have no idea what is going on but poor Carol was really upset with Amazon. Me? I'm just flabbergasted that my bff still is sending me stuff and that she is upset over whatever is going on with Amazon and whatever this is that she wanted to be here already. *Sigh*
I've been feeling a bit under the weather today (and nauseous) so I am going to head to bed in a little bit. I took one of the nausea pills the doctor gave to me this summer and hope that does the trick so I can get to sleep. I'm hoping I feel good tomorrow so I can get out of the house for a bit. I'll probably see if Cee is going to be home and go visit for a while. But only if I feel good. I'm not sure why I feel so crappy but I sure don't want to spread anything....just in case it's more than this cold I've had. Heck, I don't even want to spread a cold!
Love you all. Stay healthy. Stay warm. Be kind to everyone....even those that don't deserve it. You never know what may tip the balance for them. We are all fighting battles in our lives that we don't let others know about. So, most of all, be kind. ***Hugs***
Monday, December 5, 2016
I Really Think I Could !!
After having another mostly sleepless night, I found myself burrowing underneath my heated blanket and sleeping soundly as it was getting light outside. I slept for almost four hours and had to finally get up to use the bathroom (of course!). This house was cold because the Beast, as usual, didn't have any heat on and it was just 44 degrees outside. I thought I would get dressed in some warm clothes and I did but I was shaking with cold so I crawled underneath my blanket to warm up and ended up falling asleep again.
So you don't worry, I DID make myself some eggs and toast for breakfast and some coffee but it required me to be in the house proper. That was cold so I brought my food into my computer room where I had turned on my heaters to keep my area warm. I was still suffering from very cold hands and was shivering a bit so I got under the warm covers to fix that but fell asleep. This was just about what my day was like. The Beast did, finally, turn on the baseboard heaters to take the chill out of the house but he is much more concerned about paying an electric bill than how comfortable the people in the house are. I would rather he spent the money on the electric bill than keep buying some of the useless stuff he DOES buy! If only.......
I decided that I could almost be a hibernating human once it gets cold. It's just hunger and having to use the bathroom that spoils that for me...LOL. But I truly don't like to feel cold at all. I love to eat homemade soups during the winter...of all different kinds. Bean, veggie, chicken, potato...you name it, I'll give it a try! As long as it's HOT soup.
Today the *stuff* that would last me though the Holidays from my bff got here. More candles!! Balsam, one named Hot Buns and another named Autumn Wreath that smells wonderful. The Hot Buns one smells like cinnamon rolls...*grin*. She also sent me a gift card. She SAID that Christmas was coming early for me and she meant it. I am just very jazzed over all of it. It's just so sweet of her to think of me and treat me so wonderful. I just wish we lived close enough to each other to visit and give hugs in person.
Time for bed now. Love you all. ***Hugs***
So you don't worry, I DID make myself some eggs and toast for breakfast and some coffee but it required me to be in the house proper. That was cold so I brought my food into my computer room where I had turned on my heaters to keep my area warm. I was still suffering from very cold hands and was shivering a bit so I got under the warm covers to fix that but fell asleep. This was just about what my day was like. The Beast did, finally, turn on the baseboard heaters to take the chill out of the house but he is much more concerned about paying an electric bill than how comfortable the people in the house are. I would rather he spent the money on the electric bill than keep buying some of the useless stuff he DOES buy! If only.......
I decided that I could almost be a hibernating human once it gets cold. It's just hunger and having to use the bathroom that spoils that for me...LOL. But I truly don't like to feel cold at all. I love to eat homemade soups during the winter...of all different kinds. Bean, veggie, chicken, potato...you name it, I'll give it a try! As long as it's HOT soup.
Today the *stuff* that would last me though the Holidays from my bff got here. More candles!! Balsam, one named Hot Buns and another named Autumn Wreath that smells wonderful. The Hot Buns one smells like cinnamon rolls...*grin*. She also sent me a gift card. She SAID that Christmas was coming early for me and she meant it. I am just very jazzed over all of it. It's just so sweet of her to think of me and treat me so wonderful. I just wish we lived close enough to each other to visit and give hugs in person.
Time for bed now. Love you all. ***Hugs***
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Scooby Meets Dennis the Menace....
Shortly after the Beast left for church, I got a call from Sheepie. She wanted to make sure we were home (or at least one of us) so she could come over and meet with Dennis. She asked me if it was okay to bring Scooby with her. I told her that he has been socialized and I was sure Dennis would enjoy meeting him.
For the first time, Dennis actually barked at the *intruder* which was Sheepie, not Scooby. The two dogs were a bit wary of each other until they got some good butt sniffs in (Yuk! Glad we humans don't have to do that....LOL). Sheepie hates when Scooby does that because he licks her face with that same snout....LMAO!
BTW, it seems like Sassy and Dennis are now good buddies. There's no more hissing from Sassy and they now touch noses and Sassy will lay down next to Dennis. They seem like they not only like each other, but don't like to be apart from each other for too long. That is, unless Dennis goes somewhere with the Beast then I doubt that Dennis even thinks about her. LOL!
Sheepie and I had a nice visit, interrupted only by one of the dogs coming into the computer room to check on us. Then Sheepie volunteered to drop off the clothes I had for Babybrat at her house before she went home. I had to call Babybrat to let her know that Sheepie was going to bring them over (I did and she was glad I warned her). I wasn't even sure that Babybrat would remember who Sheepie was (but she did).
I meant to call my sister, Bratfink, today but got involved with Sheepie, then had some drama from Tara that Cee and I had to deal with (and she brought Bee into it, too). I swear, you can't trust or believe in people that go around telling you how *Christian* they are. They think they can do no wrong but everyone else is guilty of things they haven't even considered. It's really pathetic.
Oh well, time to close this for today. Love you all. Be kind. Be happy. ***Hugs***
For the first time, Dennis actually barked at the *intruder* which was Sheepie, not Scooby. The two dogs were a bit wary of each other until they got some good butt sniffs in (Yuk! Glad we humans don't have to do that....LOL). Sheepie hates when Scooby does that because he licks her face with that same snout....LMAO!
BTW, it seems like Sassy and Dennis are now good buddies. There's no more hissing from Sassy and they now touch noses and Sassy will lay down next to Dennis. They seem like they not only like each other, but don't like to be apart from each other for too long. That is, unless Dennis goes somewhere with the Beast then I doubt that Dennis even thinks about her. LOL!
Sheepie and I had a nice visit, interrupted only by one of the dogs coming into the computer room to check on us. Then Sheepie volunteered to drop off the clothes I had for Babybrat at her house before she went home. I had to call Babybrat to let her know that Sheepie was going to bring them over (I did and she was glad I warned her). I wasn't even sure that Babybrat would remember who Sheepie was (but she did).
I meant to call my sister, Bratfink, today but got involved with Sheepie, then had some drama from Tara that Cee and I had to deal with (and she brought Bee into it, too). I swear, you can't trust or believe in people that go around telling you how *Christian* they are. They think they can do no wrong but everyone else is guilty of things they haven't even considered. It's really pathetic.
Oh well, time to close this for today. Love you all. Be kind. Be happy. ***Hugs***
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Our Poor Rooster!
Today Dennis showed the Beast that I knew what I was talking about when I said that Labs were hunting dogs....and mainly, bird dogs. Even at just 7months old, Dennis wants to hunt them. We've only had him for a couple days and the Beast acts like he has Baron's disposition. NOT!!!!
He let the dog out back (without supervision) to pee and he decided it was time to HUNT!!! He picked Freddie as the victim. I don't think it went easy and he probably had to chase Freddie a bit. I was surprised that Freddie didn't spur him but we didn't see everything that went on. The Beast finally went outside to check on Dennis and discovered him with a mouth full of feathers. Freddie's tail feathers to be exact. And Freddie was in the corner of the fence looking like he had a heart attack. He was stretched out on the ground and barely quivering. I think he was in shock. After checking to see if he was bleeding anywhere, the Beast let him recover on his own and brought Dennis into the house.
I guess I have a weird sense of humor because it struck me as hilarious. I could envision Dennis, being a puppy and wanting to play, might just have wanted to play with Freddie but Freddie had no idea what to make of Dennis. He certainly isn't the dog they were all used to having around. Dennis could have pinned him to the ground and then taken a mouthful of his tail feathers and pulled. The poor rooster looks so strange with his rear end naked. He hasn't crowed all day. He was THAT traumatized. The Beast actually put the door cover on the door they use to go in and out of the barn so he could let Dennis out in the morning without worrying about the chickens. He'll go out after Dennis comes back into the house and let the chickens go in and out, as usual.
I told him to hire one of the neighbors sons to walk Dennis around the circle once a day. I don't know if he will or not but he found out that Dennis is afraid of the scooter. He might not be when he's a bit older and gets used to the sound of the engine but you just don't know. But the Beast can't walk (and neither can I) and Dennis needs to be walked on his leash with his training collar on.
The neighbor has 3 boys of different ages. They also go to the same church as the Beast and he knows them well. Their oldest son is 18 and just graduated from high school. He's been home schooled his whole life and is working with his dad now. His father owns a scrap yard that is the neatest thing I have ever seen. The father is actually a skilled cabinet maker. I would love to have him make new cabinets for our house but we can't afford him.
They also have a boy that is about 12 or 13 (I don't remember his name) but I think he might like earning money just for walking the dog. Their youngest son is only 8 and usually plays with Chewlee when she is here. He's a real little cutie and Chewlee loves to play soccer and other games with him. He has a bunch of board games they play from time to time or else they ride their bikes around here. They aren't supposed to go by the goat farm but we know they do. At least they don't have the guard dogs any more since the one attacked poor little Sammy during the summer last year. I know the one dog was put down and I think the farmer gave away the other dog. Now he just has a big billy goat that acts as a guard for the goat herd. He's not the least bit friendly but he can't get out of the fence, thankfully.
I waited all day for a package my bff said was coming today but they obviously lied! No package but I let her know that. I just hope she didn't pay anything extra for something like two-day delivery. I guess it will get here on Monday.
I broke down and got myself some hair coloring. I have a lot of white spots and they aren't the least bit attractive. They make me look like Cruella Divile from the Disney movie 101 Dalmations. Except that my natural color is a kind of dishwater blonde so the white areas make it look like I am losing my hair. No thanks. My hair is so damn baby fine anyway. I cut it short...almost pixie style to try to tame it. The white areas look awful because they are so kinked from my natural curl. No, my natural finger-waving. Yuk!!!!! The coloring will do more than cover the white. It helps tame those areas, too.
Okay. Time to close this post and get my hair done. Love you all. Be happy.....please! This life is all we get so enjoy yourself. Keep company with people you really like. Get rid of negative people in your life. ***Hugs***
He let the dog out back (without supervision) to pee and he decided it was time to HUNT!!! He picked Freddie as the victim. I don't think it went easy and he probably had to chase Freddie a bit. I was surprised that Freddie didn't spur him but we didn't see everything that went on. The Beast finally went outside to check on Dennis and discovered him with a mouth full of feathers. Freddie's tail feathers to be exact. And Freddie was in the corner of the fence looking like he had a heart attack. He was stretched out on the ground and barely quivering. I think he was in shock. After checking to see if he was bleeding anywhere, the Beast let him recover on his own and brought Dennis into the house.
I guess I have a weird sense of humor because it struck me as hilarious. I could envision Dennis, being a puppy and wanting to play, might just have wanted to play with Freddie but Freddie had no idea what to make of Dennis. He certainly isn't the dog they were all used to having around. Dennis could have pinned him to the ground and then taken a mouthful of his tail feathers and pulled. The poor rooster looks so strange with his rear end naked. He hasn't crowed all day. He was THAT traumatized. The Beast actually put the door cover on the door they use to go in and out of the barn so he could let Dennis out in the morning without worrying about the chickens. He'll go out after Dennis comes back into the house and let the chickens go in and out, as usual.
I told him to hire one of the neighbors sons to walk Dennis around the circle once a day. I don't know if he will or not but he found out that Dennis is afraid of the scooter. He might not be when he's a bit older and gets used to the sound of the engine but you just don't know. But the Beast can't walk (and neither can I) and Dennis needs to be walked on his leash with his training collar on.
The neighbor has 3 boys of different ages. They also go to the same church as the Beast and he knows them well. Their oldest son is 18 and just graduated from high school. He's been home schooled his whole life and is working with his dad now. His father owns a scrap yard that is the neatest thing I have ever seen. The father is actually a skilled cabinet maker. I would love to have him make new cabinets for our house but we can't afford him.
They also have a boy that is about 12 or 13 (I don't remember his name) but I think he might like earning money just for walking the dog. Their youngest son is only 8 and usually plays with Chewlee when she is here. He's a real little cutie and Chewlee loves to play soccer and other games with him. He has a bunch of board games they play from time to time or else they ride their bikes around here. They aren't supposed to go by the goat farm but we know they do. At least they don't have the guard dogs any more since the one attacked poor little Sammy during the summer last year. I know the one dog was put down and I think the farmer gave away the other dog. Now he just has a big billy goat that acts as a guard for the goat herd. He's not the least bit friendly but he can't get out of the fence, thankfully.
I waited all day for a package my bff said was coming today but they obviously lied! No package but I let her know that. I just hope she didn't pay anything extra for something like two-day delivery. I guess it will get here on Monday.
I broke down and got myself some hair coloring. I have a lot of white spots and they aren't the least bit attractive. They make me look like Cruella Divile from the Disney movie 101 Dalmations. Except that my natural color is a kind of dishwater blonde so the white areas make it look like I am losing my hair. No thanks. My hair is so damn baby fine anyway. I cut it short...almost pixie style to try to tame it. The white areas look awful because they are so kinked from my natural curl. No, my natural finger-waving. Yuk!!!!! The coloring will do more than cover the white. It helps tame those areas, too.
Okay. Time to close this post and get my hair done. Love you all. Be happy.....please! This life is all we get so enjoy yourself. Keep company with people you really like. Get rid of negative people in your life. ***Hugs***
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