Loving It !

It hit 76 degrees here in Alabama today.  At least, it got up to that here in the NE corner of the state.  It may have been warmer or cooler elsewhere but I'm only concerned with the weather that affects me!  Sorry, but true.

It was totally beautiful outside.  Not much in the way of wind either.  Bright, blue skies and lots and lots of sun.  Just the way *I* like it.  For now, accolades to the weather people for getting it right.  It's supposed to be fairly warm again tomorrow but rain...in fact, thunderstorms....are predicted.  I'll just have to wait and see what happens.  I would love to go see Cee tomorrow but will have to wait until the Beast gets home from meeting up with the people from his church.  He said it would be around 1:30pm or so.  Now that it stays light until after 7pm, that would still work for me.  We don't leave Dennis home alone if we can avoid it.  Not while he's still in that *puppy chewing* stage.  I'm tired of having to replace scatter rugs but at least it's not like he is chewing wood or shoes. 

 I once (a long, long time ago) watched a pup for a friend of mine for just 3 days.  The pup was alone for just an hour-and-a-half while I went to do some shopping.  He chewed a DRAWER on a dresser.  I was stunned.  I had never heard of that happening before.  But then, when I was a kid, the only *pets* we ever had were parakeets.  I really had no experience with dogs or puppies.  Funny, but now that I think back, the puppy was a black lab...LOL.

The Beast bought some new pillows for our bed today.  The ones we had were old and beyond help.  I don't think having pillows for more than 15 years is actually healthy anyway.  They should have been replaced several times already.  I put the (new) pillow protectors on them and he even bought some new pillowcases.   As soon as he put them on the bed and took the old ones off, Dennis ran over and claimed one of the old pillows!  We had to laugh.  Did he read our minds?  How did he know we planned on throwing them out?   We let him keep it and he lays his head on it when he is on the bed.  He put the pillow down at the bottom of the bed....exactly where he likes to lay at night and for his naps.  We stopped fighting that because, no matter what, he ends up there in the morning.  He can be very stealthy when he wants to be.

Today the Beast washed his underwear and socks so you know what I was doing.  I was a bit surprised that he had 10 sets because that means he hadn't washed any of his underwear in 10 days.  He doesn't do that usually.  It's a week and he's washing.  When I expressed my surprise, he said he had too much of his good shirts and slacks to wash on his usual day so he just decided to wait until he *felt* like tackling it.  Since all he does is throw them in the washer and then transfer it to the dryer, I laughed.  I told him that was *sooooooo hard* when *I* am the one that has to fold (and mate the socks) once they are dried.  After I do that, I guess putting them in his drawers is exhausting....or something.  LOL

The Beast took his pictures today and I was surprised at how they turned out.  Oh, they were all great pictures but they were different from the poses he usually tries for.  These were much more relaxed and almost looked candid for the most part.  I think the girl will really like them.  He told me he had to do them different because the trees had no leaves on them so she kept having to squint her eyes because of the sun.  So, by staging them differently, she could finally keep her eyes open.  

The Beast decided we should have a break from worrying about what to make for dinner and went out and bought Chinese.  I had my shrimp egg fu yung and he also bought us sweet and sour pork (great sauce on them!) and some egg rolls.  This place we go to for Chinese uses a lot of veggies and they aren't overcooked at all.  Not undercooked either.    Today they seemed even tastier than usual, too.  Plus they used a lot of shrimp.  The woman that owns the place knows we are regular customers and always seems to do a little something special for us when we order.  Today she gave us a LOT more of the sweet/sour pork.  *Grin* 

Time for my shower before I get my butt into bed.  It was a really enjoyable day for us just because of the weather.  One of the peach trees that didn't have any blossoms last year and hadn't flowered this year suddenly burst into bloom, to our surprise.  I wonder now if we will get any peaches on it.  The Beast was actually thinking of cutting it down since this would have been the third year it didn't do anything.....but it sure as hell surprised us.

Love you all.  Be happy.  Be kind.  Let Karma take care of those people who are negative or never seem to have anything good to say.  ***Hugs***

Amazing !

Although it wasn't predicted to get so warm, today it got up to 73 degrees the last time I checked.  And the next few days it's predicted to all be in the lower to mid-70's.  The Beast is happy because he is supposed to take some outdoor pictures of a girl from his church who wants some nice pictures of herself to send to family and friends.  She's another of the home schooled kids so she doesn't get access to school pictures she can send.  

Dennis is proving to be becoming a very smart and well-behaved dog.  Although not perfect yet, he does know what *heel* means and obeys as long as he has his training collar on.  I don't know what it is about that collar but even our dear departed Baron loved it.  They say it mimics the way a mother dog carries her pups and I can almost believe that.  Why else would Dennis, who was abandoned as a young pup, love it so much.  I guess he remembers that loving touch.  It may even be why he's so attached to the Beast.

I ended up with two loads of clothes, towels and one small bath rug today.  I even grabbed a couple towels from the Beast's bathroom to add to the loads.  I haven't folded any of it yet since I didn't start washing until rather late in the day.  There is still a load to be washed and dried.  I'll finish it in the morning.

I made us dinner tonight:  fish fillets (cod), mashed potatoes and some corn.  I really wanted peas but we were out of them (I love peas with my mashed potatoes...LOL...it makes the Beast shudder to watch me pick up the peas with my mashed potatoes).  He keeps his food all separate from each other.  He doesn't even like it to touch.

 Nothing special today except for the weather being so great.  I'm looking forward to the next five or six days since they all are supposed to be in the 70's.  Monday may even hit 80 degrees if the weather doesn't take an unexpected turn.  I hope not.  I plan on spending some time outdoors tomorrow.

The Beast says our Walmart is doing some kind of major make-over and nothing is where it used to be.  I told him that I suspected something was going on just from the clearance sale emails I have been getting.  The prices are definitely clearance ones.  

Time for me to hit the shower and get ready for bed.  It's only going down into the upper 50's tonight so I will be wearing one of the lighter pj's that I bought for Spring so that I don't sweat.  That always wakes me up because it gets uncomfortable for me.

Love you all.  Have a wonderful day.  ***Hugs***

One Step Back.....

Although today was not a really bad day, it wasn't one of my best.  I had two different episodes of low blood sugar and had to make myself drink some orange juice to get over that.  I just took it easy after I made us breakfast.  That was almost at noon so we ended up only having two meals today.  The Beast made dinner.

The Beast discovered that the hens have found a new place to lay their eggs.  In a bucket, of all things!   Unfortunately, we ended up throwing them out due to the fact that they had obviously frozen during the two nights we dropped down into the 20's.  The Beast broke open 3 of the dozen eggs and the yolks were all broken apart (a sign of their having frozen).  We didn't want to chance any problems so .... out they went.  He also removed the bucket (he had been using it to refill the water jug) from the coop so there wouldn't be any more temptation.

One thing we discovered is that Dennis loves eggs....raw eggs.  The canned dog food that he was refusing (he prefers the chicken that the Beast cooks up and mixes with rice) he will eat if you add an egg or two.  Since the Beast bought a case of the canned dog food (and it was expensive!), it now means it won't be sitting uneaten any more.  He's been eating a can every morning since the Beast discovered he loves eggs.

Dennis got all excited today and wanted my attention.  He even *talked* to me to keep me petting him.  He also kept licking my face and neck.  It was funny because the Beast got a little jealous of the attention he was giving me.  Dennis is really so thoroughly the Beast's dog that I was amused by his reaction.  The Beast was on his computer and not paying attention to Dennis (and Dennis can't sit in his lap on the desk chair!).  I was sitting on the bed, talking to the Beast and that allowed Dennis to get up on the bed next to me.   He finally dropped his head in my lap until I got up to go back to my computer room.

I'm heading back to bed now so I wish everyone a great night and an even better day.  True Spring will be here soon.  Don't give up.  ***Hugs***

Wow! Totally Unexpected....

Today was the most amazing day.  Why?  Because the temperature got up to 85 !!!  Can you believe it?  The weatherman said it was only going to be in the mid-60's.  I don't know how this happened but I loved it.  I even went out to the coop, collected the eggs and shut the barn door because it's possible that we are going to get a really bad thunderstorm tonight.

So what did we do with such fantastic weather?  We just enjoyed it.  Even Dennis was having a ball.  The Beast took him for a run around the circle and it was amazing to watch.  He stayed right next to the scooter, which was something he was never able to get Baron to do.

It felt like summer to me but I know it's just a fluke of the weather....for now.  I just hope our days don't get too cold in the upcoming days.

Other than that, today was just another peaceful, calm day.   I love those kind of days.  I was going through some of the flower seeds we have to see what I can plant to get ready for our real Spring.

Love you all.  I wish everyone good weather in the upcoming days.  I hope all the snow melts without it producing flooding.  Be happy.  It's really a choice you can make.  ***Hugs***

Ahh...Spring Has Sprung!

Today was *Doppler* day, which actually is just a type of sonogram but seems like it's a lot shorter.  There was the part on my empty stomach, then I was given crackers and water (peanut butter crackers) and there was another set taken so there were shots of my stomach actually working on digestion.  But I was in and out of the department in about 15-20 minutes.  

I was almost at the hospital before I realized that I had forgotten my phone so I wasn't able to call Cee when I finished up.  I went to her door and knocked (loudly) but got no answer so I left for home.  Actually, that was really kind of a saving of me since I had not taken any of my pills and was afraid I would end up with an IBS-D attack.  All this because I woke up late and had to hurry to make the appointment.  

Today was a totally wonderful day and kind of a surprise since we ended up having a temperature of  78 degrees and almost no wind at all.   I spent some time sitting out on the deck, watching Dennis run around the yard, tossing a stick up in the air.  It seems to be one of his favorite things to do besides digging by the fence that separates our yard from our next door neighbor's.  He doesn't really like the pup next door.  I had to yell at him and the Beast packed the dirt back that he had dug up.

I ate more spaghetti today that I spiced up a bit again.  For some reason, I was craving it but only had a small bowl of it.  That was lunch or I should say my brunch since I hadn't eaten anything but the peanut butter crackers at the hospital.  Soup and a sandwich was dinner along with some cole slaw.  I like the cole slaw from the deli at Walmart.  It tastes very much like what I make.

The Beast ended up taking Dennis for a run with the scooter.  Not really by choice.  He took him out front without his training collar on (and no leash!) and Dennis took off down the road.  But when the Beast showed him the collar that he had grabbed before he got on the scooter, Dennis stopped dead and turned around to meet up with him.  He really does love that collar and becomes very obedient when he has it on.  But, knowing that Dennis really needed to get rid of some energy, he finished the run and made Dennis very happy.  It also did tire him out.  He didn't even fuss with the cat....LOL

Now I have to wait for the gastro doctor to let me know the results of the Doppler.  Until then, it's my usual days.  *Sigh*  I'm still trying to de-clutter my computer room.  Some of the stuff in here, I really  have no place to put that will make it neater.  Not without some thought, anyway.

I'm just sorry that tomorrow won't be as warm as today was.  For the weatherman's first day of Spring date, this was perfect.  I just wish it would mean the end of cold weather but, alas!, there's another cold front expected.  Oh well.  At least no snow will get to us here.  

Time for  bed.  Love you all.  Stay warm and dry.  Have a wonderful day.  ***Hugs***

Lazy Day...

Looks like when I have a busy day, I pay the next day with a real lack of energy.  I also had a single case of IBS-D where I almost didn't make it to the bathroom.  I'm glad I use pads for bladder leaks because it helped keep it from making a real mess.  One of the *break-through* episodes I mentioned to the doctor.  If I have  too many of them, I am supposed to let him know.

Tomorrow is the Doppler scan and I think it means I will have to have some kind of dye or other in order to actually be able to see if my arteries are blocked in any way.  I won't find out until I get there since I have never had one before.  At least, not one that was identified as a *Doppler*.  I know that the Doppler radar they use to track the weather in real time tracks all the changes it undergoes from minute to minute.  It might be interesting to see, if I can.

This is a short blog today since I really didn't do much at all.  I just watched TV most of the day and took a couple short naps.  I did spend most of the morning up since the Beast was gone and didn't get home until around 2:30pm or so.  The day was nice and I spent part of it (after noon) outside on the deck just watching Dennis running around the yard, tossing sticks up in the air and trying to scare the chickens.  Freddie stands his ground because he knows Dennis can't get through the fence around the coop but the girls all scatter.  That seems to amuse Dennis and makes him happy.  

Love you all.  Stay warm, dress right for your weather and be kind to everyone.  ***Hugs***

Busy, Busy, Busy Day.....

I spent a lot of time on my feet and doing *stuff* today.  I worked some more on getting my computer room in order, cleaned my desk off well (then spilled coffee on it and had to do it all over again) and did another load of laundry.  We actually ate leftover spaghetti !  Even the Beast....but I did *tweak* my bowl with some spices and a little extra sauce (don't tell the Beast...shhh).  I just threw in some sauce straight out of the jar.  With my spice additions, it worked out fine.  

I have to tell you this about our getting Dennis so soon after Baron died.  If you read my blogs around that time, you know I thought the Beast was wrong to do it so soon.  I missed Baron and hated it when he had to be put to sleep.  He was in such pain and struggling to please us that you almost had to cry to watch him.  I was still grieving for him when the Beast ended up adopting Dennis.  But.......I have to say that Dennis is such a great pup, both to watch and because he is such a happy dog.  

He loves to run around the yard, tease the hens and roughhouse with the cat.  He goes outside regardless of the weather.  He's just as happy when it's raining as he is when the weather is nice.  He's becoming more and more obedient and calm and he's not even a year old yet.  Unfortunately,  Labradors don't mature until they are 2-3 years old.  I'll just be glad when he is out of his *chewing* stage that they all go through.  At least he hasn't chewed or tried to chew any furniture.   Years ago, we had a Lab pup that actually chewed a dresser and I mean he *CHEWED* it up badly.  We ended up returning him to the shelter because we both worked strange hours at the time and we couldn't leave him alone for any length of time.  It was really sad.    The damage he did was just in one day and he made it unuseable.  I was shocked.

When I say *years ago*, I'm talking about when we were newlyweds.  Since we are married almost  53 years, you know I am not kidding....LOL.  I still find it hard to believe it's been that long.  *Sigh*

Another thing I accomplished today was finally getting my hair coloring done.  This was a totally new brand but I had read some good comments about so I sent away for it since it isn't carried locally.....yet.  It has a pre-treatment for your hair, then the normal coloring and the cream rinse supplied smells wonderful and left my hair feeling amazing.  Plus, to my surprise, I have color variations.  They are subtle but it makes my hair color look natural.  It's a shock but a nice surprise.  I think the pre-treatment has something to do with that.  I will report on this again after a few days and let you know if I still feel good about it.  I might even drop the name of the brand.  *Wink*

Okay, it's that time again.  Love you all.  Hopefully, the snowstorms that hit the Midweat and NE are truly the last hurrah before Springtime weather becomes the norm for us all.  Be good, stay warm and be kind.  ***Hugs***