The Best Laid Plans.....

I really wanted to be finished going through my closet and getting my summer things put away for the coming Fall/Winter.  I didn't get it done.  I got distracted with finding things that I put in the bag for BabyBrat.  It includes long underwear that she can use as pajamas.  I bought them when I was very thin.  My family and friends may remember that since everyone thought I was either dying or very ill....or both.

I had a really nice black and white sweater that I included in the bag and ...wow!  It's loaded with clothes for her that I think she can put to good use.  BUT....I ended up going through drawers, trying to find things that I remembered having to include in the mix and time just seemed to fly by.  Before I knew it, the day was over and I hadn't gotten back to working on my closet.   So, tomorrow, after I am done at the doctor's, I have to try to finish doing that  so that I can finally bring the clothes to BabyBrat.  I have a hunch that I may still find a thing or two more for her before I am done.

The Beast cleaned the kitchen floor today and had plans to do the living room.  However, that didn't happen as he ran out of steam after he vacuumed all the corners and along the trim.  He has this thing that reminds me of a leaf blower but with a nozzle on the end of it.  It's some kind of hand-held vacuum but it wears you out holding it while you clean up whatever area you use it on.  If you are young, it probably wouldn't but we are old people...LOL.

Baron still isn't up to par but he does seem to be better....most of the time.  What bothers the Beast is the amount of time Baron spends sleeping.  It seems like he's awake mostly to just eat or go outside and pee.  Even when he is following the Beast around, as soon as the Beast settles down to do something, Baron lays down and goes to sleep.  I know he's an *old* dog in the eyes of the vet but he's just 9 years old  to us and that shouldn't be considered *old*.  What will be, will be, however.  All we can do is wait and see how he does over the next few days.

Love you all.  Have a great week.  Be kind to everyone.  A little kindness costs you nothing.  ***Hugs***

 

On A Whim.....

Doesn't it just figure that something you do on a whim would turn out just about the best that you have ever done?  Let me explain.

Today was our usual Sunday.  The Beast went to his church meeting at 1pm and got home a little after 3pm.  I matched some socks for him that he had washed and dried (he hates mating socks!).  I didn't bother planning on making him any dinner because he was going to a graduation party and there would be lots of food (there was, too!).   A lot of the dishes brought there for the party would be Mexican and the Beast loves Mexican food.

I happened to say to the Beast, *You should have asked Ellie (not her real name) if there was something you could bring.  I would have boiled up a couple dozen eggs and made deviled eggs or something else if she needed it.*   That's when I thought that I should make some deviled eggs for us since we love them and we hadn't had any in quite some time.  My whim.

So I boiled 8 eggs, iced them down and made deviled eggs for us after the Beast left for the party.  Wouldn't you know it?  They taste wonderful.  It may be the best deviled eggs I've made in ages.  They really taste great.  When I told the Beast I had made them, he went to get himself some.  He actually came to talk to me (I was in my computer room) to tell me he thought they were fantastic!  You could have knocked me over with a feather.  He doesn't throw compliments around easily so that was a big shock.  But I remembered to thank him for that.  Anything to encourage more of that from him....LOL!

I gather from the Beast that close to 300 people showed up at the party.  That means that Dennis probably had a shit fit over it.  The party was held at the house on the second curve past our house (and Dennis').  Like us, they bought two lots together but the back yard is at the back of Dennis' house.  The whole party was rather mild until around  8pm when they started playing music and dancing.  The dancing was both inside and outside the house (all on their property) but Dennis seems to hate when people have fun close to their house.  I was tempted to go over there just to hear what he had to say about it all.  BTW, they didn't have 300 guests all at once.  People were coming and going all evening.  Oh well.  We will hear his complaints tomorrow, I'm sure.

The thing is, the people from the Beast's church really don't drink, don't smoke and keep their kids under control so we know that there really isn't any reason for Dennis to complain.  There's no garbage or cans or plastic cups thrown around.  When the party is over, the outside will be pristine and there will be no garbage on anyone else's lawn either.  

Of course, a long time ago, I told you about how Dennis was OCD.  They used to have fringed area rugs and Dennis would make sure each and every fringe was perfectly straight.  You would have had to see it to believe it.  He also had/has the absolute cleanest work bench and shop areas I have ever seen in my life.  I'm just glad he's not MY problem.

Okay, that's it for today.  The Beast went to bed around 8:30pm and is sound asleep.  So is Baron.  Next will be ME!  I hope.  LOL.  Love you all.  Be happy.  ***Hugs***

Another Concern Taken Care Of.....

The Beast and I finally got the chance to take care of shortening Baron's nails.  It was long overdue.  We had to use the Dremel on his nails because using the nail clippers for dogs makes his nails split and bleed.  By using the Dremel, we can see the core of his nails and avoid hitting the vein in it.  

They still need more but we have to wait a few days to allow the vein to pull back some more.  We may try again on Monday or Tuesday.  That should teach the Beast to let them get as long as they were.  He (Baron) doesn't need anything that can cause him more pain.  He's already suffering with his arthritis.

He actually did a kind of semi-fast trot with the Beast on the scooter today.  That got him down to his favorite area to do his *stuff*.  He's still not eating like he should but he IS eating a bit more every day.

I got busy today and started getting my autumn/winter clothes ready and my spring/summer clothes folded and put away.  I wish you could have seen the Beast's face when he walked into my computer room and saw the various stacks of clothes, pajamas and granny nightgowns.  LOL!  And what did he want?  He had the clothes basket full of his underwear and socks for me to fold.  That's when I decided to stop sorting and folding and get what I had ready put away.  I'll do more tomorrow.  It really shouldn't take me too much longer to finish.

I have a doctor's appointment (vascular) on Tuesday and I sure want to have this all finished before then.  I'll also find out what the sonograms showed about the arteries in my neck.  

Time to get this posted.  Love you all.  Have a truly nice Sunday.  Visit with family and friends.  Call someone you haven't talked to in a while.  I plan on doing that...gonna call my aunt tomorrow.  I truly want to tell her I love her while I can.  She's very ill and I think the end is close.  ***Hugs***

Is It Just Me?

Has this year just flown by for anyone else?  I can hardly believe it's already the middle of October.  I feel like I only got back from Chicago a couple weeks ago.  Maybe time does fly by faster as you get older.  Right now, I feel as old as dirt.  Sheesh!

It was a good day today.  The day never got too warm so the Beast didn't complain at all about that.  In fact, he didn't complain about anything today and that was a small miracle in itself.  He did have one thing happen to him today that he had to tell me.  He got to taste what the friend of his from the Dominican Republic called *Haitian spaghetti*.  

He said it had spaghetti noodles and some small sausage that almost tasted like hot dogs cut up into slices.  The sauce was sweet, almost like catsup and it did have onions in it but that was it.  He was polite about it but had begged off from eating a lot of it because he said it didn't smell like any spaghetti he had ever had.  I told him that didn't surprise me since Haiti was so damn poor.  They had to be creative and make food that they could afford and try to make it at least edible.  I told him that I knew really dirt poor people in the  50's that were unemployed and he wouldn't have believed some of the food they survived on.  It was not a good time in our economy.

I don't think he ever knew what hunger was when he was growing up.  Or what being poor was like.  He should have.  It might have made him a better person with more empathy for others.

I washed clothes today.  I was surprised at how much I had to do.  But it was really a lot of pajamas and underwear and I don't think I wore pants (like jeans) more than once without spilling something on them so they had to be washed.  I counted five pair and I don't usually use that many in a week.  Yikes.  I have to learn to be less clumsy.  I also have to stop wiping my hands on them instead of using a paper towel or a dish cloth.

The Beast actually gave Baron his shot today all by himself.  I always had to be the one to lift a section of skin up so he could inject the dog under the skin and not in the muscle.  Baron is so good about that.  I usually massage the area afterward because it does make a kind of ball under there but it goes down in just a few seconds.

Baron is eating but he is refusing to eat his dog food.  He just wants his chicken with either rice or broccoli.  However, he will eat the chicken just fine if you are willing to hand feed it to him.  In fact, he will eat a lot more of it than otherwise.  What a brat!

I made (almost) jambalaya today.  Wow...I didn't think that not adding the sausage would make a big difference but I was wrong.  You don't think that something like smoked sausage would be missed with all that goes into it (like shrimp, green pepper, onion, scallions, white and brown rice, tomatoes, red beans, spices) but it really did seem a bit on the tame side.  I like it because it (usually) has a nice snappy taste.  I thought we had some in the fridge but it seems the Beast used it up on some late night sandwiches for himself.  Oh well.  I added a few more spices to it before I put it in the fridge and I'll see what I think tomorrow.  I plan on eating it for my lunch.

I guess I should get my clothes folded and put away now before I get ready for bed.  I just get really tired when I look at it all in the clothes basket....LOL.  Love you all.  Be happy and have a great weekend.  Enjoy the great weather while we have it.  It will be snow soon enough.  ***Hugs***

I Don't Know Why.....

...but lately Baron is waking me to let him out when he needs to relieve himself.  Maybe because I don't cuss and swear at being awakened so abruptly (he has the most unusual, deep chest bark you've ever heard....especially when he's right by your ear!).  

I know he's just a dog and doesn't know how much I hate having to get up and (for him) take him out to the garage, open the garage door and then wait for him to be done.  But he usually doesn't take too long and comes back to the garage without much need to coax him.  He's tired, too.  He usually takes a drink of water and then heads back to his mattress.  I don't care because I head back to bed and let him take his sweet time.

The Beast decided today was going to be one where he just rested.  He's been out a lot doing things for his church and the walking is hard on him.  He really starts dragging his leg badly when that happens.  I found out today that he is going to be doing more stuff tomorrow afternoon and then again on Saturday.  He's got a graduation party on Sunday afternoon for one of the home schooled kids that lives just around the circle from us.  I know he's going to want me to go with him but I have no plans.  Those are his friends from his church.  As nice as they seem, no thank you.  I don't want anyone to get the idea that I am mellowing and planning on starting to attend.

He had taken pictures of the kid a few months back.  One of them was really nice.  He made up a 16x20 picture of it and it's just gorgeous.  I told him to frame it and give it to him for his present.  It really is a great picture.  He gave the kid a bunch of 4x6" pictures (the same one) for him to give out to friends back when he had taken the pictures.  This one his mother will want to hang....and keep after the kid finally moves out.

Time for me to shower and get ready for bed.  I need to condition my hair first, however (coconut oil).  I really like the shine and feel of my hair after I use that.  It washes out so easy, too.  Amazing stuff.  It's supposed to be good for your hair and scalp.

Love you all.  Be good.  Be kind to everyone you meet.  Smile a lot.  It costs you nothing.  ***Hugs***

There's Hope For His Future!!!!

Baron is starting to eat and drink almost normally now.  He's still needy for attention due to the pain in his legs but he does make it outside to relieve himself.  He has taken a liking to going out on the deck and walking back and forth between the sunshine and the shade.  He's stayed out at least a half hour each time, which surprised us since he won't lay down in the sun any more due to the pain, I suspect.  

He just woke me a bit ago to let him out (via the garage, no less) so I opened the garage door then waited for him.  He wasted no time since it was cold outside then came back in and went back to his mattress.  Hopefully, for the night.  At least he's acting like himself, just moving a bit slower these days due to his arthritis.  Poor baby.  I really do feel for him.

Other than the fact that the Beast was out most of the day with his buddies from his church...doing church things, of course...the day was pretty dull.  I have a cold and spent the day trying to cure myself (you know how we all do that...cough syrups, tea with lemon, etc.)  I still have a cough and runny nose but it IS getting a bit better.  I'll be able to tell more tomorrow.

Love you all.  I'm going back to bed with my electric blankie....LOL.  ***Hugs***

The Eating Continues......

I don't think I mentioned it before but the vet had given the Beast some kind of chewable bits that were supposed to eventually help the dog's joints.  I guess it's a type of medication for his arthritis.  However, every time the Beast gave him one, he would refuse food.  I think until they were digested, they might have upset his stomach.  The Beast thought the same thing so he stopped giving them to Baron and he has been eating very well with just the stomach medication given to him.

It's been very encouraging to see him eating as much as he has although his wanting more chicken (could it be he craves protein?) means we are cooking up more than normal.  But we hope to put some more weight on him before he goes back to the vet's office.

I had my sonograms on both carotids today.  Yeah, I was surprised, too.  I didn't expect one on the side that has already been done but I suppose he wanted to make sure it was still clear.  I see him (the vascular doctor) next Tuesday at 1pm.  I will find out when he is going to work on the one on the right side either then or within a day or two.  I really want it to be done before the Holidays start.

I'm heading for bed now because it's been a long day.   Be good and have a great day tomorrow.  Be kind.  ***Hugs***