www.helpsavetheirhome.com

This isn't something I'm comfortable with but extraordinary circumstances can change our boundaries in a heartbeat.  For once, this isn't useless or trivial.  It's about my daughter and granddaughter, their picture above in happy times. I'm going to explain the situation and then ask for a donation.

They've been living in my small lake property, taking care of it for me since I moved back to my own home.  During the night, my granddaughter woke up when cold water dripped onto her face.  She got up immediately - which literally saved her life - and ran to her mom's room - my daughter.  Within moments, the water pipe in the ceiling burst and everything above where she'd been sleeping fell!

They got out with the clothes on their backs, their puppy and their purses.  Four inches of water was on the floor, the firemen wouldn't allow them back in for fear of electrocution from the power touching the water.  They have no place to go.  They have nothing left.  They need money for food, a place to live, gas for their vehicles, bills - everything.  And Christmas is just a few days away.  This isn't how any of us saw them spending Christmas.

I've cleaned out my account and sent them what I could but it doesn't come close to being enough for them to live or work or go to school. My granddaughter drives over 20 mi each way to high school.  My daughter was cleaning houses but hasn't been able to do that because of gas costs - temporary housing in a little motel room with two twin beds has them a long distance from work.

Fortunately, they'll have the gifts I got them.  But they're trying to feed, clothe and house themselves and their very senior dog who was rescued from a shelter; no one would take her because she has no teeth left. But they took Baby and she's been wonderful. And their bills keep coming.

So....the few of you who see this post...I'm going to ask you a favor.  Please, if you can donate even maybe just $5 - please do so to help them.  Then SHARE with others.  Perhaps use other sites you have available to encourage others to donate and share.

I'd never made a website before but I learned in a hurry how to do one.  The donation site is www.helpsavetheirhome.com and it's through Paypal.  Since all of my donations for animals, people and groups have been done in this manner, I feel it's a safe way to manage it.

This has been a difficult thing to do.  Our family has always been self-sufficient and served others.  So asking someone else for help is foreign and uncomfortable for me.  So I'll ask this - if you are offended by my post I'll understand.  But please don't leave unkind comments.  Just ignore me.

This is the only family I have left and I just want to try to help them.  Thanks from the bottom of my heart.

rayma        

There's something special and wonderful to wake up every morning and know that four little hearts and sixteen pitter-pattering feet will be staring at me with eyes full of love.  Unless you have your own furkids, you can't imagine what it feels like.  If you have no furkids or just want to save a life, get out today or tomorrow and adopt a critter.  You'll never regret it.

Always, please adopt - don't shop. Over six million animals were killed in US shelters last year alone because no one came to save them.  There's also fostering, transporting, TNR for your neighborhood cats and if you don't feel inclined to the above, please donate to animal shelters, rescue groups or transportation groups. Everyone can save at least one!

Still a "dizzy broad" but working on a diagnosis; what a joy it would be to never fall down or tip over again.  At least I have had no broken bones in a while and that is a real bonus.

Every day - well, almost every day - I try to manage the goals I set for myself. I have to schedule around medical appointments but it works for me.  Every day the kids get fed, I eat, the litter box is emptied (love, love, love my litter robot!), I get rid of at least one box and keep up with the mail.  By setting my goals at an achievable level, anything else I can do becomes a bonus and I love it when that happens. Today was a four box day.  Woohoo!

Pinterest has become a passion for me.  I have a lot of boards dealing with all fazes of critters so I have a method of contributing to the welfare of furkids. I focus much of my time supporting adoptions of dogs and cats to be killed within a day or two, donations and petitions supporting wildlife and dogs and cats in critical condition in desperate need of medical support.

If you've not used pinterest and you love to cook, travel, diy, jewelry, photos, quilting - almost every single thing you can imagine is on some one's board and you have access to everything.  It's an incredible resource at your fingertips. The only potential downside is it can become addictive - I kid you not! Some days I can barely contain myself waiting to see what others have pinned.

In the last week, I made three varieties of dog/cat treats from pinterest recipes. I located several new quilt interpretations I want to use for this fall.  I made several recipes for fabulous food, some diy cleaning solutions, and found good, clean funny things to make me laugh. I have to admit I may have also pinned tons of pix of great animals!

I had a birthday this week and it didn't hurt at all.  I may have lived a certain number of years since I was born but that doesn't mean it's my age.  I certainly do not fall into the category normally associated with my "year number" and if I ever do, I'll just pack it in. I'll never do the grey little curly, short haircut, wear comfortable shoes, corduroy pants, hand-painted sweatshirts and a cozy car coat.  I'll go to my grave in skinny jeans (or whatever the style may be at the time), wonderful age inappropriate tops and probably no coat at all. The great thing is I can laugh about it until....

TIP:  If you're not certain something you have is what you need to keep or will use again, make a box dated with today's date. Toss in things you aren't sure about for around six months.  Then re-date the box, seal it and hide it.* Wait another six months and if you haven't opened it - don't even unseal it, just donate or toss it. So now it's time to redate the next box and start another.  You may be amazed at how quickly the boxes fill up and how little you'll ever give any thought to what you tossed.

*Start another dated box.

If you don't need to wait six months, toss it whenever.

Hug those you love as often as possible - be it two or four legged.  You never know how much longer they'll be around...

July the Oneth

 I've been taking Tucker to puppy kindergarten and he's learned to sit. Nothing else yet but wow, can he sit.  He is such a brave guy.  Every time there's a commercial on tv and he sees a dog, cat, cow, chicken, pig, toilet tissue bears, frog - whether real or animated - he barks at them for the full 30 seconds and at the end of the commercial THEY GO AWAY! He actually does that for me, I guess to keep me safe from all those strange critters that are in his house on the big black box.  What a guy!

I learned I've been feeding all my critters wrong. I believed that free-feeding was good.  They always have food so they know they don' have to gobble it down all at once, in case there may not be more coming. WRONG. In order to train the pup, I'm to carry baggies full of food with me all day long. When one of them does something correctly, I give them a few morsels of kibble. Aha, positive reinforcement. But when one gets, all four want. It makes no difference to them that someone just sat. Or did a down. Or is being quiet. I want what he/she got and I want it now, too.

It wouldn't be so confusing if Sadie or Gigi weren't always underfoot. Mister K still gets his food up high so the dogs can't get into it but even he is learning that if somebody does almost anything, kibble will hit the floor so he dives in with the rest of them.

It certainly makes vacuuming fun. Carpet everywhere but kitchen and bathrooms. I don't like putting food on the carpet but "if that's where you get the behavior you want, that's where the kibble needs to go immediately".

So my dilemma is do I want a nice clean carpet and a spazzy puppy with no manners or a not so clean carpet and a puppy that still isn't getting the hang of it but might learn someday?  And no, moving out to the garage isn't an option. Although..... concrete sweeps up beautifully. Nah.

I'll give this a few more days - hoping they don't all starve to death if they should misbehave (not my furkids!) and probably go back to free-feeding. I understand the premise of them doing good things to earn their food.  I'm just not sure I completely agree with it.

Summer Puppy / Kitty Treats

Wash 5 lb of potatoes thoroughly.  Using a fork, poke multiple holes all over the potatoes.  Place them in a large stock pot, cover with water, add bouillon cubes to flavor and boil until tender. Remove from heat and drain. Once cooled, cut into bite size pieces appropriate for your furkid's mouth, fill a freezer bag and pop them in the freezer. During hot weather, these frozen treats will almost disappear; they're nice and cold, flavored and you don't have to thaw them.

Once again

Sometimes, good intentions end up being just that...and only that.  My execution of plans is dictated daily by health issues.  I'm proud to be an Army veteran of 13 years; but the VA is the only medical I have.  There are constraints on what services are available, the system is so overwhelmed by the vast numbers of vets that appointments are often unavailable for at least 6 months and the wait can be mentally, as well as physically, devastating.

I had to get a good grip on myself before I felt comfortable enough to return here.

But here I am. I can make so many others feel better just by laughing at what goes on here...

My puppy is now a year old and, from his early, sad beginnings of 21 pounds, he is thriving at 91 pounds.  He's such a love, full of the devil and lots of things he shouldn't be eating.

My memory foam pillow, with the wonderful cooling layer, is now chunks of foam and lots of little sticky blue gobs.  Most of the binding on his quilt is missing so I have to believe it was also eaten since there is not a trace of it anywhere.  Yet.  It could still show up somewhere in the back yard.  Another pair of slippers bit the dust. The couch is almost void of stuffing so that's something I'm excited about.  Once all the stuffing is gone it will come to an end.  I hope.

No idea where he found the ball point pens but my carpet has some lovely blue ink stains in the living room and the hall is decorated with red ink.  Those took a whole lot of time, chemicals and hand scrubbing to eliminate.  This was done after we brushed the teeth that were rather purple with the colors combined.

The excitement never ends.  Pulled into the driveway, pressed the button for the garage door and it opened. Off loaded my things, pressed the button again and, while the door did close, it was so fast I barely saw it.  The rails that held it to the ceiling tore away, the cables snapped from the door, it's crashed and I have yet another project.  Naturally, I don't have the standard 12 ft door.  No, I have the 16 footer that's special order.

To get to the repairs necessary, I have to rearrange everything in the garage.  I had nothing else to do, of course.  It gets 30-45 minutes a day because that's all I can handle physically.  Yes, I'm a certifiable dizzy broad.  Have fractured/broken bones, scars and bruises to prove it.  Two years of tests and still no diagnosis.  It has certainly changed my life. :-(

Also underwent a real adventure having new windows installed.  The primary reason for doing this was to replace skylights (which I discovered they didn't do after I signed the contract).  So one garden window, patio slider and seventeen windows later I'm still "dealing".  After-market locks will be installed to compensate for the windows installed without them. Brilliant solution for the garden window, which is very difficult to open and close, is "just spray it with WD-40 and it'll work fine."  Caulking will be mended in places where it is raised, has air pockets or just didn't seal.  The lifetime, transferable warranty turned out to be a limited period of time and non-transferable. I hope the letter they sent amending the situation will be honored. Had to fight to get these things done and they still have yet to finish.  Buyer beware is taking on a whole new meaning for me.

Still trying to achieve a diminishing household content.  To actually survive, I probably need only one-third of what is here.  But I can't bear to part with so many of the remaining items.  In my next life, I do not want to be sentimental or retain my mom and daddy's philosophy of hanging on to everything because you never know when you may need it.  Children of the depression.  Attitude, passed on.

Today and tomorrow, I will be patient, but persistent, with the VA.  This is no kind of life for anyone.  When the simple task of walking causes injuries, it makes every day a challenge.

I will maintain a positive attitude and laugh often.  Which isn't a problem. I have three dogs and a cat that are all a little wacko.  Their antics and habits are truly laughable.  They make every day worthwhile.

I  will continue to toss, donate, recycle and downsize.  Sooooo much stuff.  And it can't all be good stuff.

I will continue with my plans to move back to Hawaii.  I want this to be my very last winter in the rain, cold and snow.  Makes my bones ache. It's not fun.

I will come back to this blog without feeling diminished in any way.

I cannot wait for the sun to appear. My plan to move back to Hawaii was put on hold for years while I cared for my parents; they have both passed away. Now that I have the opportunity to move, my health is taking away the ability to do so.

Totally perfect blood results with only one exception - Vitamin D dangerously low levels. I live on the wet side of the state and if the sun is shining, we all do the happy dance because it's not the norm here.  So I'm taking this as a sign I'm supposed to move to the sunshine.  My illness will just have to go with me.

It would be nice to have a diagnosis. The VA, while being a fairly decent alternative, is so crowded that appointments are months out and there are few services for women. After my last MRI, I was told I had MS.  I attempted due diligence online to learn what I could about the disease; it wasn't a fun adventure.

About two months later, I had the first available neuro appointment where meds, therapy and details would be provided. Ooops, so sorry no one let you know - it's not really MS. Or at least we don't think so. What they didn't realize was by not letting me know, I "did have MS for two months" and the anguish with it.

As conditions are being ruled out, the symptoms get worse with no diagnoses. Yesterday I learned some illnesses are simply left to languish if the VA doesn't have the ability to perform certain tests that are not cost effective.

I will need to learn to live with it. I will enjoy the rain we so lovingly refer to as liquid sunshine.

So everyday, I hug the furkids and literally bask in their total and complete love and devotion.  What would I do without them?

Tucker is such a good guard dog. So much so I can no longer watch The Dog Whisperer. He's learned if he barks at those big dogs inside the box that has pictures and sound, they go away! He's so brave and protective. And loud. Unfortunately, this is not good behavior to reinforce. So in small doses, I'm using sound interruption to deter the behavior. Not sure how long this will take for him to realize what's really happening and respond positively to it.

I can almost see Sadie and Gigi shaking their heads at him. Mister K just looks at him with a "you've got to be kidding me" look only cats can manage.

Car wax. And the kitchen sink.  Love my Franke triple but it can be a pain to keep it in shining condition. One day while looking for something else, I found my "once a year" car polish. I used it on the stainless steel and let it sit about half an hour. Then buffed it to a great shine.  Depending on how often you have a real mess in the sink, this wonderful shine and water-repelling properties will keep your sink in wonderful condition and only requires a minimal wipe down to keep water spots away. Who knew?

Just when you believe things are looking up - and what could go wrong now? - it does. I guess shame on me for having a positive attitude and angering the house trolls.

A few days ago I finished removing the dog's nose art from the living room window, tossed all the bones because each one of the dog's wanted the one the other guy had, finished laundry....all the stuff I needed to do and realized it was cold indoors.  Took the kids out to potty and discovered the heat pump was running. Constantly.

Since it wasn't heating the house I had to assume it was cooling. Two technicians later, I got the news - the compressor has gone "out" and it's only a little over 3k to replace it. Oh, and by the way we seem to have misplaced paperwork on the 10 yr parts and labor warranty you purchased. But because you've been such a good client we can either repair the old one or install a new one at a drastically reduced price. But we'll also have to replace the coil in the new furnace you bought from us at the same time. But you'll have a like-new furnace, a new heat pump AND we promise not to lose your new 10yr warranty. But what if I don't have the budget for that right now? No problem, you just use your furnace (higher cost), shut off the heat pump (wow, that will really help the utility bill) and give us a call. 

The follow up call offered a price I couldn't refuse so the work will get done. But when I look at the original price for equipment and installation and the price for new - at their "cost" - it's about 6k less than the price I paid initially. They made bank on me the first time. Shows how much mark up they have and their huge profit margin, if nothing else.

This is immediately followed by the necessity to replace windows. Details unimportant - it has to be done. Let it suffice that I have an ex-husband. It explains a myriad of details.

Whew, that felt good! I will not ever, ever, ever again ask what could go wrong now!

Did the WD40 trick yesterday. Sprayed the spring above the garage door, the side rails and rollers. I do this religiously every 3 mos and I have NEVER had a problem with it. I also do the bottom slide rail for all of the windows but that will apparently not be necessary with the new ones.

Off to get some more plastic hangars for Tucker. He eats anything and plastic hangars cost sooo much less than another couch! AND he loves hangars.... goTuck.

What do you say when your daughter turns 41? Easy. I had her when I was 2! Yesterday was her birthday and when I went outside, it was in the high 50's and the sun was out. Thought back to the night I went to the hospital; had to drive the jeep with the blade down pushing snow all the way to the hospital. That was Eastern Washington and I wasn't sure we'd make it up the hill. Thank heavens after that I moved to the wetside of the state. She did turn out to be a snow bunny. Me - I'm a wuss. There is nothing beautiful about snow except for photographs of it somewhere else. My story and I'm definitely sticking to it.

Another day has gone by and I'm proud to say I didn't kill Tucker/Jaws/Chompers/Masticator the Great. Doesn't seem to matter what he does - cause he's so darned cute you just can't get upset.  Got a picture of him curled up with Gigi on the love seat and they just snuggle so well - who cares if he ate his toy basket this morning... wonder if they make toy baskets in stainless steel?

Hope to get started this week with the trainer. THAT should be an adventure. Taking all three critters so the trainer can observe interactions. He said that will help with his direction. I need a lot of direction to keep my sense of humor. Well, maybe a little anyway.

Had the good fortune to get not one but two 800 calls today.  Feel free to borrow and share. Thanks to caller ID, when I picked up the phone I said in my happiest voice "May I speak with Kaila, Please?" (NEVER say hello!) The person on the other end said "ummm, I must have the wrong number" and hung up.  Did NOT call back. Did the same with the second call and they hung up without a word.  Works like a charm.  Although, once in a while they'll tell me there's no one there by that name.

Time to snuggle in with the kids.  Need to get the king set up because if I don't do it soon, I'll be sleeping on the floor and they'll have the bed.  The queen just doesn't cut it.

FOUR BULLY STICKS! The biggest ones they had. Super size for the massive chewing machines. Three dogs and they'll "fight" over who has which one because they just know the other one is better than the one they have. So if I put a fourth one on the floor, someone can grab the one that was just left behind, which will free up another one and so on and so on. Musical sticks.

I read on a website yesterday that these incredible edibles can last up to two years! I believe that is true. But only if you leave them in the sealed plastic, tuck them into a plastic container with a sealing lid and hide them in the very, very back of a closet on the top shelf.

I gave them to the critters just after 5pm and they were GONE before we went to bed.  Not a trace left behind, no shreds or crumbs. I have no idea who ended up eating the last of them since they each took their prize to hide away from prying eyes.  I searched diligently because I just couldn't believe it and finally gave it up because they were g o n e.

Even Gigi did a respectable job of putting hers away and she's definitely not a massive chewer at 20 lbs. and with a tiny mouth.

I was going to buy them in bulk but after computing the cost of four sticks per day for just six months, I realized I'd be approaching somewhere near the national debt level.

Now I'm wondering if those concrete blocks would be considered too much to give a dog.... ;-) Maybe some of the Craftsman tools that are guaranteed replaceable if they become damaged. Probably not. Tucker would have all the switchplates off or be installing a new door knob within minutes.

So I will continue my quest to find things for them to chew on that might last at least overnight.  Because Greg, my vet, says No Doggie Dentures every time I ask.

Almost warm! Still going to need a jacket but not a winter one.

Ginger goes today to have her stitches removed - finally.  Going to go down in vet hospital history since they moved to a new location and today is their first day open. Kind of fun to be one of the first to be in the new facility.

Ordered some sewing machine feet to replace some of the ones that were stolen from my home while I was gone caring for my parents. Don't think I'll ever get over the feelings of violation and tremendous loss. Not to mention all of the items taken that can never be replaced - which leave a void in my heart.

In my next life I want to be less kind, less forgiving and basically meaner. I learned the identity of the thief; he's the son of a friend.  Because of that I can't turn him in -the three strikes law in this state would probably put him away forever. When it came time to draw the line between friendship and loss, friendship won.  I know it's not the right solution for most people and if the friendship could stand a decision to turn him in but I know I wouldn't like to think of my child in prison forever.

Next I hope no one reads this because it's truth and no one likes to have it all out there. This is cathartic for me.

Not being able to sew, quilt, handle fabric has taken its toll.  Unless a fabriholic, I know this makes no sense.  Just looking at and handling fabric - in itself - brings a calmness and sends the mind off in a gazillion directions.  Taking the fabric and cutting into it, manipulating it, putting it back together into something new and wonderful is such a sense of accomplishment.  Lots of love goes into a quilt and when it's complete, it shows.

So as time and $ allows, I will replace what was taken and dive back in.  Until then, just holding and dreaming will have to do.

When remaking a bed, after the top sheet goes on but before you tuck it in, fold it up a foot or so and sprinkle a light dusting of a gently-scented powder across the foot of the bed and then tuck in. It smells wonderful and your feet will smile when you crawl in tonight.

Loving the fact that spring is coming.  Blue bells, rhodies and some blue flowers I don't remember planting are in bloom. The rhubarb is pushing it's way out of the ground and I can almost taste the rhubarb custard pie.

So excited about the formation of our new group.  While in eastern WA I was fortunate to be involved with Inland Northwest Honor Flight program. Now back on the wetside  of the state (closer to the truth than westside)  I'm involved with the newly forming Puget Sound Honor Flight. I can barely wait until we can take our first group of veterans to  DC to see their memorials and monuments to their service and valor. It's a two box of Kleenex trip.

So much work to be done and so many donations needed.  This is not a commercial - just a huge nod of thanks to Southwest Airlines - they're giving us 25 FREE roundtrip tickets for the vets and that needs to be recognized. Incorporation paperwork,  501 status, sitting a board, getting supportive worker bees (that's me) and then going through all the rest of the hoops to get this moving forward is a bit daunting but the eventual outcome will make it worth every minute!!!

Newspaper and plain old water.  Best thing in the world to clean your windows and mirrors. No streaks, no trace chemicals - works great on mirrors without affecting the silvering.

Have to include the rest of the kids. Mr Kitty Havecamp, part Maine Coon, looks great considering his start in life. Sadie, English Springer, loves her little boy.

                                                    This is a face to met your heart

No one believes that he actually winks at me.  I always wink back - in case it's some kind of code.

                                      One of my favorite photos of Sadie She's showing her age...

Last but certainly not least - the Ginger lady. Attitude multiplied and then some. At barely 20lbs she lets everyone know she's the biggest, baddest girl in the house. Who knew a Jack Russell functioned as a Great Dane?

I am so blessed!

Well it's official...Tucker will never be a father.  After his surgery yesterday I had a glimpse of what he'll be in a year or so - after he grows out of puppyhood. Still under the remaining effects of anesthesia, he was calm, quiet, didn't chew on anything - although he did carry the bag the meds were in around for about half an hour but he didn't eat it! - and he kissed my hand rather than trying to chew on it.  Yes!

Ginger had her teeth cleaned and a surgery, too delicate for her to talk about, and is wearing the dreaded cone of shame. While Tuck will be back to himself by tomorrow, Gigi will be at least a week recovering. She does NOT like her cone. She's too miserable to jump up on the couch or bed so she needs help; she can't sleep under the covers and she's frustrated.

Had to laugh all the way home from the vet. Here's Tuck with only a 48 hr recovery time and Gigi in major pain with a long, hard, miserable week in front of her. She went to sleep on the way home. Tucker moaned and groaned the entire time.  Why do guys think they suffer more than we do? Has to be just a guy thing I guess.

Backbone, ribs, shoulder blades...made me cry 

 

 

First night home-just over 20 lbs

 

My yummy pills were in here-puleeze let me eat the bag, too! 

 

 

 

Calm puppy still under the effects!

 

The great news.....Tucker weighed 49.8 lbs.  That's a major improvement. He's more than doubled in size and weight in five weeks!!! Great vet, great food, new home and lots of love. No more emaciated, bait-dog puppy.

After five weeks I'm looking good

 

Mom is soooo proud of me!

My baby granddaughter will be sixteen this weekend!

Tucker is officially bigger than Sadie!

Today would have been mom and daddy's anniversary!

Adding to the edible list: plastic pill bottles, this quarter's tax statement (I'll just send it with a check and let them know my dog ate my homework), scatter rugs, the other pocket of my bathrobe.  those are the additions since yesterday.  I checked - they don't make false teeth for dogs so before we learn to do other things (he sits pretty for his treats now but we sure need to learn that love bites aren't always love) - we're going to work on identifying real edible objects.

Found some of mom's dish towels while unpacking - stains.  To the great standby - 1/2 c All powder with bleach, 1/2 c liquid Cascade dishwasher det (if you still have some with the phosphates, woohoo -hang on to it to use for stain removal, not dishes!) Combine this in a plastic tub with 1 c boiling water and stir until almost dissolved.  Allow to cool to warm, add the stained items, add just enough water to cover and soak overnight. If needed, I place a plate on top of the items and weight them down so they stay immersed.

*Do the brands matter? Yes.  I've tried other brands of detergent and dishwasher liquid and NOT had the same good results. Try whatever works for you.

Yes, soup.  Some leftover lamb, sweet potatoes, yukon golds, purple sweet potatoes, onions, fresh tomato, herbs, spices, rice - white and brown, more onion, 5 kinds of mushrooms.  Just before serving, toss in a package of cream cheese. And mister k in my lap...doesn't get any better.

And here's the puzzle: Are there any real foods that aren't improved by adding cream cheese? Still trying to come up with something...

I love critters.  A lot. I use Pinterest- a lot.

Today, there were so many animals in New York shelters on tomorrow's kill list that I literally couldn't pin them all.  Numbers? too many to count. I used over half a box of kleenex because the sweet faces - some frightened, some had given up...those faces would be gone forever tomorrow. And it's the same every day.  I can't see to pin because I'm crying too hard.
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The preponderance of the dogs are from the "pit bull" groups. Not because of age or size or temperament but because of their appearance and misinformation about them. Why are some people so willing to believe evil when they hear it but won't hear the truth if it's in opposition to what they think/believe? Even when what they believe is just plain wrong.

Almost a month ago, I rescued Tucker. Since then, five people who were afraid of pit bull puppies have come to know Tucker, seen what fun he is, how sweet, gentle and loving he can be and have changed their minds about Tucker specifically and about pitties in general. It wasn't difficult.

They were open minded enough to realize that no dogs are born mean. There are no bad dogs. Just bad "owners". I don't own my dogs. I'm their guardian. But they do own my heart.

I really wish I could meet a wonderful person with tons of money who'd share my passion of furkids and build a forever rescue for me. A place where all the kids could go, never have to be killed because of how they look and might go home at some point with guardians who would protect them and love them unconditionally forever.

I'm crying again.....

We've been so lucky this year; winter consisted of 1/4" of snow. Last year, it was lots of snow and ice, no power so no tv, phone, internet, lights or heat. So this year I planned for it. Complete home stand alone gas generator - hoping I wouldn't need to use it. It worked! Hope the neighbors appreciate the mild winter.... Without spending a fortune on the generator, we'd have had snow to the eyeballs, icy roads and cold dark homes. Always seems to work that way! Ahhh, the things we do.

 

Road trip today. After I fill my little truck's tank with liquid gold, I'll be off and running.  I now try to do it all in one long day.  It's frustrating to discover that the fuel I've paid for since I bought my Sport Trac exceeds the cost of the vehicle. I'm not a fan of our current governmental structure and certainly not the high cost of living that has come with it.

 

I just love it when I realize my golden years will have turned to rust :-)

 

Got my "mystery" fat quarters in the mail over the weekend. Three out of four packs will be fabulous to work with and the fourth will be a real challenge.  I've never purchased "people scenery" fabric on purpose.  I think to make it work, I'll have to do small pieces and focus on the colors to distract the eye from the gondolas, waterways and all the rest. Love a good challenge... But who will I give it to when I'm done?  That will be a hide and watch.

 

Next week is the big calming surgery for Tucker. I hope neutering will help, anyway.  There are those times when I see how gorgeous he is and think just for a moment it would be fantastic to have little Tuckers. Then the reality slaps me - thank goodness.  For every dog that's born, way too many will die in a shelter.  In abundance, they will be pittie types. So misunderstood and mistreated. So he's the end of his line.  His hip displaysia wouldn't be a good genetic trait to pass on, anyway. I'll just be thankful he lives with me and I get to be his guardian.

 

Makes me wonder how many people will adopt a shelter critter today. All those dogs and cats, faithful, loyal, loving, yearning for their own human that will die today because no one came for them.  Wish I could do so much more.

 

So with all the love from my critters surrounding me, it's a good day.  Time to hit the road!

 

 

Nothing new under the sun.  My daughter's very senior dog, Baby, came close to sleeping forever yesterday.  Fortunately, our fabulous vet dissuaded her.  There's still lots of life in her; she needs to have all of her teeth pulled but there was nothing drastic enough to merit euthanasia.  Yes!

That's such a tough decision to make.  I know there have been a couple of times I waited longer than I should have because I wasn't ready to let go of my furkids.  I told myself  "I'll know when to let them go" but I'm selfish and wanted one more day. It's never easy.

My second new vacuum cord works great! Now, if junior jaws will just leave it alone it will be fine.  Wish I knew how he manages to find all of the things I hide from him. Maybe he'll end up being a search and rescue critter.  Well, at least search.  Still out on the rescue part.

He's amazing me, though.  Yesterday, when I said "I love you", he woofed it right back at me.  Fluke! So I did it again and he woofed it right back.  That's enough to make any puppy mama tear up.

Had dinner out for Valentines Day with my "adopted son".  His last year of high school.  Handsome. Intelligent.  Terrific conversationalist. We ate southern. Catfish, shrimp, deep fried okra, sweet potato fries, hush puppies - yummy.  He's such a great person to "go out" with and we try to do something at least once a month. We always have sooo much fun! What a great young man.  How lucky am I?

So if you need to clean up a spot on the carpet (had a little coffee spill) - i tsp hydrogen peroxide, 4 drops liquid dish detergent, 1 c warm water in a spray bottle and a small brush.  BLOT up as much of the spill as you can with paper towels.  Spray the area and let it sit for 2-3 minutes.   Lightly scrub with the brush back and forth sideways, up and down, in the shape of an X and finally in circles.  It insures you'll get all sides of every fiber.  Then blot with a dry cloth or towel.  My final step is literally to step on the towel to absorb as much moisture as possible.

If you have furkids and an "accident" (no, I don't get a kickback - it's just great and that's why I use it) nature's miracle is the best I've found for cleaning, deodorizing and repelling repeat performances.

I'm loving this. Bit by bit you can empty out some of the brain and make room for new!

I grow lavender in my front yard.  It's great for so many things.  This morning I took some of my dried lavender and put it around most of my rooms, at the edge of the carpet against the walls.  We won't have fleas! And with four critters, this is huge. It repels fleas like gangbusters.

Fed my sourdough and will make bread this afternoon. That will probably be the biggy for me.  Grocery shopping will take its toll on my energy level.

The insulation project is now complete - such a relief.  I had no idea there was mold in my attic - a leftover present from my ex.  When he put the roof on, he didn't ventilate, applied the roofing to his own standards because it doesn't meet manufacturer's specs nor does it meet county code, screwed with the insulation that was already there to the point that I was experiencing greater than a 50% heat loss.  Of all the gifts he gave me, this was the most dangerous and expensive. I sure miss him - NOT. MY home is so much warmer without him and geting new, adequate insulation that he can't mess with is fantastic. Not to mention the power bill will drastically be reduced and my health will improve.

I need to have several medical tests done to determine what other damage the mold has done to me.  Dizziness, the thing that prevents me from doing so many things and has caused innumerable falls (read three fractures in my right foot), is just one of the manifestations of mold. It can also cause depression and anxiety, problems breathing, headaches - all part of what I have suffered.  It can cause:
 

Nasal and sinus congestion

Eye irritation, such as itchy, red, watery eyes

Respiratory problems, such as wheezing and difficulty breathing

Cough

Throat irritation

Skin irritation, such as a rash

Headache

Confusion

Brain fog

Shortened attention span

Difficulty concentrating and paying attention

Slowed reflexes

Disorientation

Dizziness

Memory loss and memory problems

Impaired learning ability

Hallucinations

Shock

Anxiety

Depression

Aggression and other personality changes

Tingling

Trembling

Shaking

Seizure

Numbness

Having the attic and underneath the house inspected was literally a fluke. But I will be forever grateful I had it done.  It literally saved my life.  Now I'm on a mission to have everyone I know get their home checked. I had no idea how much damage could be caused nor that it was the culprit for a year and a half of medical misery.

The kids are running around the house full of energy and wanting to play.  It's been good for the two seniors to have a puppy.  It challenges them to "play younger" again.  Time to make their day, I guess.

Oh yes, also take the vacuum back in to have the second new cord put on it. I'm hiding it when I get it back home.  It's NOT on the list of acceptable puppy chow!

 

today...

For years, I have threatened to write a book of trivial stuff and useless information.  That's not going to ever happen.  But there will be those days when I need a creative way to get stuff out of my head.  I hope this will give me the opportunity to do just that.

It will not have continuity nor will it make sense to most people.  This is for ME.  So to me, it will make perfect sense.  Someday I may even allow someone else to see this....who knows.  For now, I'm happy and that's what matters most - I need happiness in my life.

I cuddle with Sadie, Ginger and Mister Kitty.  That's joy.