Category: Animals

Animals, Cooking/Baking, Dogs, Exercise, family, Food, Gardening, Life, Thinking, Writing

Another Beautiful Summer Day

1972italy

The sun was out.  The clouds seem to have rolled back in.  And that is fine with me.  I got started on another story yesterday so after get as much as I could on paper I went and worked in the gardens.  I will probably do the same today.  I need to go get kibble for the girls and canned for Moose.  I will call the vet to see if they sell the canned food there.  I’d rather save the $20 coupon for the bag of kibble when I order it.

I kept the kids busy yesterday so everyone was ready for bed by the time the sun went down.  I have been trying to do some kind of exercise every day.  Yesterday I got Chris to try the hula hoop that I got.  I did it too to show him I wasn’t any better at it than he was.  We both had a good laugh.  I try to do about 15 minutes or so a day with it since I can do it while I watch tv at night.

The marinade I threw together for the steaks I got turned out awesome!  I made a yogurt pie as well.  A very simple recipe that I got from my Grams.  Graham cracker crust, small tub of Cool Whip and two fruit at the bottom yogurts (it has to be the fruit on the bottom stuff… and if they are tiny like the current Yoplait size get three).  Just mix up the yogurt and then mix the yogurt into the the Cool Whip.  Put it all in the crust and refrigerate until firm. Voila!

I am feeling rather restless this morning.  I will probably take atleast Moose with me to the store.  I need to get Essie another frisbee so I won’t do the curbside pick up this time.  I may splurge and get the kids some toys too.  They never last long but they make the kids happy while they do last.  I think I will wrap this up and try to get out the door and back before Chris gets up.  I hope you have a great day!  Thanks for reading and stay safe!

 

Aging, Animals, Creativity, Emotions, family, Life, Photography, Thinking

Minions to the Rescue

1972italy

This morning I sit here typing as I sip from my new Minion mug.  My box of Minion stuff arrived yesterday.  I now have a full sized Bob, a Bob nightlight that is light sensitive (turns itself off during the day and on at night unless I switch the light on), my new Kevin mug and a Minion towel (it is covered in happy Minions).  It cheered me up quite a bit.  This is actually my second Minion mug.  One of my associates got me a nice big one for Christmas one year.

Today is Father’s Day here in the U.S.  I don’t know if I will be able to talk to Dad or not this afternoon.  He has taken another turn for the worse.  This time it has started with his tinnitus.  It is loud enough that he is having problems thinking.  When he sent me the email there were misspellings.  Which concerns me.  The last time his spelling started going bad he had a psychotic episode.  I will try to give him a call regardless.

I am getting Chris two t shirts that he wanted for Father’s Day.  He is working again so we will celebrate tomorrow.  Tomorrow is also the Summer Solstice.  Holy cow… Or maybe I should say crow.  I can hear this loud cawing coming from our back yard.   It has to be just on the other side of the fence!  Ok… I went to look.  I found the tree it is in (apparently with a bunch of other birds as I spooked some when I came out) but the leaves on the tree are hiding it.  Once in a while there is an answering caw from the East.

I got a bit of sad news the other day that was confirmed today be email.  My favorite Magic Hat No. 9 will no longer be made in Vermont.  They are closing down the plant.  I guess they are moving to their parent company in New York and opening a plant.  I didn’t know that Magic Hat had had to sell themselves to stay afloat.  They had always touted themselves as being owned by the employees.  The whole situation makes me sad.  I am sensing the end of an era for me.  I wonder how much longer they will last.  Damn damn damn.

Well I am going to wrap this up.  I will share a photo of my Minion stuff and a cool shot I got last night of a bird on our mailbox.  I’m pretty happy with how the bird on the mailbox came out.  I hope you have a great day.  Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Animals, Dogs, Emotions, Life, Thinking

Trying to Avoid Depression

1972italy

Yesterday’s excitement was getting a new vacuum and using it.  It is amazing how much cleaner things feel when you can do that.  I also treated myself to a new journal and notebook as well as replacing my stretched out hair scrunchies.

Yesterday felt good because I did something out of the ordinary.  I changed up the routine.  And I got something we needed for the house.  This morning I sit here and look around feeling the fog of depression start to roll in.  Instead of seeing all that I got accomplished and being happy about it I see what I haven’t done, or it wasn’t done as well as it could’ve been done or I’m not going to be able to get anything done because…

Stella has a small lump on her side that the vet isn’t too concerned with.  Well the other day it broke open.  I cleaned it with peroxide and all seemed well.  It came back yesterday so I pushed the nasty out and did the peroxide again.  It seems to be filling up once again.  Essie broke open a bit of her cancer scar.  I’m not sure how.  I found it when I was petting her last night when my hand came away bloody.  She got some peroxide as well.  Stella as all about it because it wasn’t her.

I’m not sure what to do with myself this morning.  I will add some photos I’ve taken with the new camera.  Thanks for reading and stay safe.

Animals, Books, Dogs, Exercise, family, Food, Life

Exercise and Food

1972italy

We got up late but that was more because I ate something bad for dinner.  Around 10pm my tummy wasn’t happy.  I got to the point I couldn’t sleep around midnight and pretty much tossed and turned (gently to be sure) til almost 3am.  I still feel wrung out this morning.  I am grateful that coffee and water are staying down.

I think I understand another reason I read The Howling so quickly.  There was only on story.  The Terry Pratchett stories always have multiple storylines going on top of the satire.  It can be too much to plow through the whole Watch series in a few days.

I am contemplating (again) starting to run again.  When I lived downstate I ran with my Mom and my best friend over the course of a summer.  It was fun.  I would like to try again.  But I also want to take the dogs (one at a time) but that means I need to get them each a harness.  I would prefer to have the dog there to try said harness on instead of trying to order by measurements.  I think they need harnesses to begin with since it will make things easier all around it I want to start taking them outside of the home for exercise on a regular basis.  But I also need to have things replaced around the home as well.  And get the Jeep fixed (we are getting Chris’s truck in first since he drives more than I do).  So I guess do I spend the money and get good shoes and some harnesses for the kids or wait?

I am trying to do atleast a few exercises a day.  Last night it was way hot for all of us (I still enjoyed it) but I still did some exercises.  And apparently I did enough to still feel it today which is good.  It means I am working the muscles I want.  I think I am going on bout all this exercise stuff because I am really not feeling like doing much of anything after last night.  But we shall see.  I need to wish my neighbor a happy birthday before they leave for the day so I am going to wrap this up.  Thanks for reading!  Stay safe and have a great day!

Animals, Books, Life, Movies, Reading

Coffee and Werewolves

1972italy

I hate it when you just get up and someone who has been up for a while expects you to fully function with no coffee right off the bat.  Anyone who knows me understands this.  Or atleast I thought they did.  I am not a morning person but I get up early out of necessity.  Sigh…. oh well.  Another side issue is that even after one cup of java I am still not awake.  So hang on while I get my second.

Yesterday I received my copy of The Howling by Gary Brandner.  I had been looking at getting it for awhile.  It is the novel that the movie of the same name is based on.  I plowed through it in a few hours.  I LOVE this book!  It is a straight forward and uncomplicated werewolf novel.  No side romances with other supernatural creatures.  Just a what-would-happen-if-there-were-werewolves slice of life.  No complicated descriptions.  No hidden meanings.  It was so refreshing to read!  And if someone picks apart things like silver bullets (you cannot use silver as a bullet because among other things it is too soft) then that means they are missing the story and not enjoying it.  The book was written in 1977.  There are two more books in the series and I think I might get them soon.  I have watched most of the movies based (at times in name only) on the trilogy and I have preferred some and not others.  But I am really excited to find the books.  Incase you’ve not read the book or watched the movie the basic story is a couple moves for 6 months to a small community in California to help their relationship (in the novel she is recovering from a rape that is vividly described so fair warning).  The town is quiet and unassuming.  The husband falls in lust with one of the locals and gets turned into a werewolf.  The wife keeps hearing howling at night and does some investigating on her own.  While doing that she meets and befriends an ex-nun who believes there is a werewolf living in the town.  Together they unravel the mysteries of the town.  It is quite good.

Oh geez… I have a butterfly that is stuck in the house.  I am going to wrap this up and try a rescue before it gets stuck somewhere.  Thanks for reading!  Have a great day and stay safe!

Animals, Dogs, Emotions, family, Life, Love, Photography, Writing

The Demands of the Pittys

1972italy

Moose seems better.  The vet suggested chicken and rice.  I got enough for him so he could have it for breakfast this morning as well.  He got bad enough yesterday I was contemplating taking him to the ER vet.  He only ate part of his breakfast though.  I told the vet I would call her this morning to tell her how he was doing.  I will do that after I write this.  I also need to tell her that I found a lump on his shoulder that was not there the day before.  Oh and Essie seems to have gotten another piece of stick between her toes.  So I need to get her in to get it removed.

I attended a Zoom meeting last night so I had my article to write this morning.  I need to get both the front and backyards mowed today.  Although I am concerned that things are going to dry out fast if I do.  There is no rain any time soon but both yards are getting shaggy.  I am hoping that the water table is high enough to keep them green since it is obviously enough to keep them growing.

I am still clicking away with the camera.  And I still have not downloaded anything to the laptop.  Sigh.  It shouldn’t be this hard to do.  Apparently this is going to be really short today.  All three kids are demanding I give them love and go out to play.  It is very hard to type around three Pitbulls.  So thanks for reading and stay safe!  Have a great day!

Animals, Cooking/Baking, Creativity, Dogs, Emotions, family, Food, Life, Writing

Feeling Scared

1972italy

This morning’s anxiety is due in part to Moose.  He’s been sick the past two mornings and doesn’t eat breakfast.  He does eat dinner.  This morning he has been very pacey.  This started around 7am.  I finally gave up and came out to the living room with the girls after I let him outside.  He hasn’t laid down and slept since we came out here.  He just stays in a spot for a few minutes then he will get up and wander around to another spot.  I have already called the vet and left a message.  I am very concerned.  There is something wrong.  I just don’t know what.  He comes to me every little bit and stays a few minutes for love then wanders off.  He will do a partial stretch then plop down in the middle of it.  He’s finally drinking some water.  But not very much.  And he has wandered outside.

I just don’t know what to do.  All this seems to be symptomatic of kidney disease.  My concern is that it is progressing way too fast.  I may call the vet’s office back and added a few new issues.  I just don’t know what to do.

The other concern is my writing.  I am stymied mentally.  I seem to get flashes here and there but not very often.  I just do the paper anymore.  Things are all messed up all over due to the COVID-19 so there isn’t much to cover outside of the virtual meetings.  I’m just grateful I can still do that.  Atleast it is writing.

Moose has wandered back in and laid down on the floor (he is usually on the couch but this morning he seems to prefer the floor) in front of me.  I think he actually shut his eyes and let himself fall asleep.  He is my baby.   If anything happens to him…

Oh, the dinner I prepared (Chris did sear the meat then slow grilled it) was a big hit.  It turned out really really good.  I’m going to wrap this up and call the vet again.  Thanks for reading!  Have a great day and stay safe!

Animals, Cooking/Baking, Dogs, family, Food, Life

In a Fine Fettle

1972italy

Things have gotten complicated here.  Last night I managed to break my toe (a heavy mug fell and the rim hit just above the main joint of the big toe that connects it to the left foot… twice as it bounced).  Feels lovely this morning.  But more importantly there is something wrong with Moose.  I have been up since around 6am with him.  He has gotten sick numerous times and won’t eat.  I thought we could go back to bed but he just laid on the floor beside me until him tummy made him get up.  Then back outside he went.  I finally gave up around 7am as he was getting sick a lot.  So here I am.  I don’t know what to do for him.  I will call the vet tomorrow even if he gets better today.  All these things are symptoms of his kidney disease getting worse.

It is still cool out so I will wait to put the plants back out.  I had them out yesterday since it was sunny and warm.  We didn’t get frost last night but it was a near thing.  I’m glad I brought them all in.  I still have seeds that I need to get out.  My concern is that I have planted seeds and seedlings alike and their growth compared to the ones in the containers is stunted.  I can’t help thinking that the ants have something to do with it.  I even put the good dirt down when I am planting in the gardens but every time a few days later a bunch of ant mounds show up all over the area I just planted in.  It’s very frustrating.

Since today is Chris’s day off I will be making another Mexican dish (his choice).  It will be a bit different from the recipe since I couldn’t find the meat they called for and I added a spice or two.  The dish is called carne asada.  I even made my own pico de gallo last night.  (I was going to do it today but I thought it might taste better if it sat a day or so.)  Hopefully it all turns out.  I will let you know tomorrow.  Speaking of which I should get to it.  I have to make the marinade and it has to soak for atleast two hours.  So thanks for reading and I hope you have a great day!  Stay safe!

Aging, Animals, Creativity, Dogs, Life, Movies, Thinking

New Is Not Necessarily Improved

1972italy

Atleast the sun is out.  The nights have been cold.  I guess that can keep the bugs down.  Moose and Stella are beside me vying for my attention.  I type a few words then scratch and love them. Ahhh Stella has just gone outside to lay in the sun.  Moose is behind me on the love seat.

I find myself being drawn back into horror movies.  So many of them are just…. so uninteresting.  I am beyond over with zombie flicks.  It has been years since a good werewolf movie has been made.  The same can be said for vampire movies as well.  Ghosts seem to be doing pretty well though.  And demons.  I watched
Don’t Knock Twice” last night and was pleasantly surprised.  The basic premise is if you knock twice on door of a certain house where and old woman commit suicide she would come and get you.  The usual camp fire story.  But what they did with it made me pull out a notebook and start jotting ideas.  They had believable twists and turns that enhanced the story.  The underlying story is about a rehabed and now successful mom trying to get her teenage daughter that she gave up to the system back.  The whole storyline was well done and very compelling.  The characters are well thought out.  Even minor characters may or may not become more as the story unravels.  It is very well done on all fronts.\

There have been so many horror movies that have been touted as being so fabulous and everyone needs to see them then you watched them and wonder how much money was paid to critics to say that.  People just rehash the same stuff over and over with no originality.  I guess that has been one of my big complaints as I’ve gotten older.  Instead building from ideas and stories and giving them a new spin they think they can remake something and call it good.  For instance a lot of the cartoons when I was growing up (oh let’s pick two off my favorites… Winnie the Pooh and Scooby Doo) get remade.  And remade badly.  They make these iconic characters into some thing they are not.  They completely change them so that they resemble the originals in name only.  Now there have been some well done updates to Scooby Doo (not the cartoon series… those new ones all really suck).  The live action movies I didn’t think I would like but I really do.  And my all time favorite is when the tv series “Supernatural” used it in season 13 I believe.  Soooooo my favorite!  One of the few times something has lived up to all the hype!

I will probably watch some more horror once Chris leaves for work this afternoon.  Although I do need to throw more toys over the course of the day.  I didn’t tire the kids out enough last night so they are restless this morning.  I should probably wrap this up so I can get outside while the sun is out.  Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great day!  Stay safe!

Animals, Books, Dogs, family, Life, Nature, Photography, Reading

Functioning in the Heat

1972italy

I feel slightly better today but my whole body hurts.  I didn’t really do much yesterday.  I did get some chores done.  I got as much done as I could so that I only have one big one today and that is to mow the backyard.  Temperatures are supposed to soar today with storms tonight.  I want to keep up on the lawn as best I can this year.

I’ve kept the AC on all night to try to combat the heat that is coming today for the dogs.  Stella has already gone out and sprawled on the deck.  Essie and Moose are still inside.  I have gotten in the habit of watering the plants outside at night.  The constant sun dries out the dirt quickly.  By the time evening rolls around everyone looks a little droopy.

I did start reading a new book yesterday.  I finished Stephen King’s On Writing again so since Chris recently got it to round out the Terry Pratchett collection (I think we have just about all of the Disc World books in actual book form, I know Chris has them all in digital copy).  So I have started reading Guards, Guards which is the first book in the Watch series.  I always enjoy Pratchett because his satire is so well done and the stories are so fun.  We introduced Mom to him a few years ago (I don’t remember which book we loaned her) and now she has all the books as well.

I see that Stella has come in and stretched out in front of the AC, belly first.  I think that will be happening a lot today for all of us.  I still need to download all the pictures on to this laptop from my camera.  It will make it so much easier to share on here than doing the transfer to the phone and back.  I am supposed to be getting my Nikon D3500 For Dummies today so hopefully that will get me moving.  I want to learn about all the different tools I have in my kit (there are filters I have as well as other lenses that I honestly have no idea how to use… I can’t get them to fit on the camera and there were no instructions with the kit sooooo).

All three dogs are now outside.  I think I will follow their lead.  Let me just download a few photos from yesterday and the day before (I got a fun action shot of Stella).  Poop.  The camera battery is too low.  So I guess I will share some older pictures and charge the camera battery.  Have a great day and thanks for reading!  Stay safe!