random ramblings

Insomnia

2012-01-30T01:35:00.000-08:00

It's 1:37am and I am wide awake.

I hate this.

I have things to do in just a few short hours, and yet here I am, unable to rest. This is getting to be a habit - a bad habit. I've really got to get to the bottom of what's keeping me awake. I know it's more than Hubby's snoring.

I need to turn my brain off.

Sounds easy enough, doesn't it? I wish.

(now it's 3:40am, and I'm still awake....peachy.)

Miramar National Cemetery

2012-01-28T16:21:00.000-08:00

We live quite close to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (formerly known as Miramar Naval Air Station.) In November of 2010 a new National Cemetery opened on Miramar. The 313-acre area has continued to be developed over the last year and a half, and today they held an open house of sorts, showing off their avenue of flags.

We just happened to drive by as they were setting up, and I caught these glimpses of this spectacular flag and a small group of Marines helping to raise it. It was pretty awesome.

Bogged Down

2012-01-26T13:18:00.000-08:00

I've been feeling a bit like this old gal lately.

Old, bogged down, and carrying a heavy load on my mind. That's me lately...

Things will get better, I know they will. It just takes time. Please bear with me.

Fenton

2012-01-23T23:38:00.000-08:00

My friend Jack shared this with me the other day. I cracked up when I watched it...I can completely relate to this poor guy yelling after his dog.

And poor Fenton, I can only imagine what happened when Daddy caught up with him.

Feeling Melancholy

2012-01-23T16:14:00.000-08:00

I mentioned on my FB account today that I was feeling melancholy. My friend Donna posted this for me...and it brought a much needed smile to my face.

A Happy Occasion

2012-01-22T14:03:00.000-08:00

At last something joyful to write about! Last night I helped one of my dearest friends celebrate her 50th birthday. We had a blast! The food was excellent, but the company of great friends was even better. The evening was filled with fun stories, lots of laughs, and memory making. It was perfect!

Shirley's husband surprised her with a ski trip to Canada! All of the arrangements have been made and they leave next week! Needless to say, she was completely surprised!

Her reaction was priceless!

Among other things she got a super cool camera - freeze proof, shatter proof, water proof - perfect for a ski trip!

Me and Bear. Man, I look tired!

There were 18 of us at the party. What a fun group!

It's been two weeks

2012-01-19T14:22:00.000-08:00

...already. It's been a long two weeks since Dad's been gone. There have been countless times over these last weeks when I would have liked to have talked to him, asked for some advice and just spent some time sitting with him.

I visited the cemetery today instead. The roses we put on his casket last Friday are still there and the temporary marker is there. I imagine it will take some time before the real one is up.

They are doing some maintenance at Fort Rosecrans, so there is no grass in the particular spot where Dad's plot is. They are going back and resetting all of the head stones and making them perfectly level and straight. Other parts of the cemetery are already done and it looks incredible. The head stones look like perfectly lined up soldiers standing at attention. It is appropriate. It looks beautiful. Dad's area will be done soon, and it too will look beautiful.

I'm glad, he deserves a beautiful spot.

My Dogs

2012-01-17T08:36:00.001-08:00

When everything else seems so topsy turvy, it is comforting to see the dogs cozy and relaxing. They give me such comfort...

Time to Rest

2012-01-13T23:27:00.000-08:00

Today was the day we laid my Dad to rest. It's been a very, very long day indeed. The last time I slept was Wednesday night, and that was only for about 3 hours. Last night I didn't even bother to try to sleep. My mind was wrapped up in the events that would take place today.

I'll share more in the next day or two, I have some stories to share that have brought smiles to my face, and of course others that have brought tears to my eyes. It's been that kind of a week.

For now I just wanted to share a few images of today with you. Thank you to Heidi, Shirley, and Bobbi for sharing these with me so I could share them with you. All in all, it was a beautiful, perfect day.

Care Package

2012-01-10T11:47:00.000-08:00

I received a care package from my friend Tony in Chicago yesterday. He sent Malibu Rum (my favorite), a couple of shot glasses, chocolate truffles, and coffee. Apparently Tony knows me pretty well!

A very thoughtful and appropriate package for me, and the timing couldn't have been better.

Thank you Tony, you are a sweetheart!

My Hero

2012-01-08T20:20:00.000-08:00

Ever since I heard this song many, many years ago, it has always reminded me of my Dad. I heard it again today, and of course it made me cry. He truly was the wind beneath my wings.

Support

2012-01-07T22:50:00.000-08:00

The outpouring of support I have received via private emails, comments, and mainly on my FB account has been so wonderful and touching. I can't begin to thank everyone enough. Your notes, kind words of concern and gentle advice have been so good for me. I've been sharing everything with my Mom, and she too has been so touched.

The words "Thank you" simply aren't enough, but it's all I have to offer right now. I've also been absolutely overwhelmed by the deliveries of flowers and plants I've recieved since yesterday. I just don't know how to begine to express my appreciation...so for now I will simply say....

Thank you Valerie
Thank you Denise and Gregg

Thank you Jill and Jeremy

and Thank you Troy

Sometimes Prayers Aren't Enough

2012-01-05T22:16:00.000-08:00

The world lost a wonderful, loving man today.

Rest in Peace my Sweet, Perfect Poppa. You were truly, and without a doubt, the best Daddy a girl could have ever, ever asked for.

I love you now, I will love you forever.

3/4/29 - 1/5/12

Please.

2012-01-05T08:54:00.001-08:00

My Dad just got taken in for his hip surgery. Please keep him in your thoughts this morning.

Really 2012?

2012-01-04T07:52:00.001-08:00

Is this is how you want to start things off? Just a few days ago you were new, and fresh, and showed the promise of a beautiful, peaceful new year.

We started off together nice enough, ringing in the new year with family and a handful of friends. We played some cards, ate a bit of food. We even relaxed that first day together, lounging on the couch, watching a couple of old movies, and just enjoying each other. I thought we were getting along just fine.

You must not like Mondays. While I was on the way to Pasadena on the second to see the Rose Parade floats (I'll show pictures of some of those soon) you decided to show your true colors. I got a text from a dear friend telling me he'd lost his beloved canine companion of 17 years. While it was not completely unexpected, it was still heartbreaking and certainly not the way to kick off the first week of the new year.

Shortly after that, still on Monday, I sent another long time, very dear friend a birthday wish. She no longer lives in San Diego, but I knew she was in town to welcome you, 2012, in with her family. I quickly received a response from her saying that her father was very, very sick. I knew that he hadn't been well, but I hadn't realized the severity of his illness.

Needless to say, my heart was heavy walking around looking at the sites, thinking of two of my very dearest friends, worried for both of them and praying that Mother Nature held off for just one day, sparing my friend her birthday.

We had a pleasant time at the post parade viewing, but it was very warm, and there were so many people there it was hard to enjoy the event. Still, we made the most of it, saw the greater majority of the floats, got some great pictures, and were grateful for the experience.

Shortly after getting back to our car I got the text I was dreading...my friend's father died. On her birthday. Dammit. Out of the 365 days, it had to be that one? Sometimes things almost seem like a cruel, horrible joke.

After what proved to be a pretty rough Monday, I was ready (at least I thought I was) for a new day. I didn't have much on the agenda on Tuesday, which is pretty rare for me. I was looking forward to spending some time with the kids, playing catch-up on some emails, getting a little paperwork done, etc. The day started off as planned, and was going along nicely until around 2:30pm. I was just finishing up a late lunch with the girls when my cell rang. It was my Mom telling me that my Dad had taken a fall coming out of dialysis, and that she was going to take him to the hospital to get him checked out. Sounds like a good idea I thought to myself. I told her to call me and let me know how things were. Just minutes later I got another, this time panicked, call from her telling me to get to the hospital ASAP. Something was terribly wrong. When they'd gotten my Dad into the car after the fall he seemed OK, but when they got him out at the hospital, he was not. They weren't sure what had happened - a possible stroke or heart attack, but whatever was going on wasn't good. He lost consciousness and was completely unresponsive for several minutes.

To make a long story a little shorter, we still aren't sure what exactly happened. It does not look like he had a stroke, but we aren't 100% sure about a heart attack. His heart went into an abnormal rhythm and his pacemaker kicked in and did what it was supposed to do. That's a good thing, but we have no idea why it went into the arrhythmia to start with. That's the scary part. On top of the heart concerns, sure enough during the fall the poor guy broke his hip. Dammit again! He was finally moved from the ER room into a regular room at about 9:15pm last night. At least is was a little better than the hectic ER environment.

So...Pops will need surgery to put a rod and a screw into his hip to repair it. The problem is that with is heart troubles (did I mention he's had a quintuple bypass a while back?) there are some major concerns. We spoke to several different doctors yesterday from an internist to an orthopedic surgeon to a cardiologist and they are all in agreement that the surgery needs to be done as soon as possible. They will be running some more tests on Pop's heart today, being sure that the pacemaker and defibrillator are doing what they are supposed to be doing, and that he is as (in their words) "tuned up as he can be" for the surgery. The newest news is that they will give him another dialysis treatment either late tonight or early tomorrow, and then do the surgery tomorrow. The surgeon already told us that the recovery is a long, difficult one, so that's something to ~~dread~~ look forward to...

You know I don't usually ask for much of my blogging and FB friends, but my Pops sure could use some prayers and good vibes sent his way. If you are so inclined, it would be very appreciated. I'll keep you updated.

Until then, I'd like to remind Ms. 2012 that if you keep treating people so crappy, you are going to get a really bad reputation. Nobody likes a royal bitch, so back off.

'Nuff said.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T18:58:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to my wonderful family and friends! I hope today will be the beginning of an extraordinarily good year for you. I look forward to sharing it with you.

Something that made me smile

2011-12-30T08:43:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm still here, alive and kicking.

Just busy...what's new...

I saw this on a friend's FaceBook page and enjoyed it enough to want to share it with you.

I'll catch you up on things soon...promise.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T17:10:00.000-08:00

From our family to yours....

We wish you the Merriest Christmas and the Happiest of all Holidays. May you spend your time with those you love, and enjoy every moment together.

Plans

2011-12-22T17:04:00.000-08:00

What is that saying about plans? "The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray"...well, welcome to my world lately. I've had the best intentions of getting certain things done, and well, I just haven't done them. I've barely started my Christmas shopping - Yes, you read that right! ME! The master planner of events and parties and all things social....and I totally don't have my poop in a group this year.

I can't quite put my finger on it. I have been very busy, that's one thing. Busy with things I love to do, so at least that's a good thing. I've been working a LOT and it's been mainly out of town. I've not been enjoying an 80+ mile commute each way, but I love my job and I won't complain. I do look forward to getting through January though, and hopefully getting back into the San Diego market.

I've also (at least for the last week or so) been fighting a nasty head cold. I freaking hate being sick! I've got no energy, no "UMPH". I want to sit on the couch in my sweats, curled up with a blanket and the dogs and spend long hours with my newest boyfriend, Dexter Morgan. Oh, I do love my Dexter...I've only known him for about 3 seasons so far (don't give anything away if you are a fan) but it was love at first episode, and it's torture to tear myself away from him.

So...between my cold, and my boyfriend, some other distractions and a couple of other unexpected wrenches thrown in between my spokes, some of the more important things have gotten moved to the back burner of my life recently.

One such "wrench" got thrown at me yesterday. AJ and I had just dropped Jack and Jill off at the groomer. (Kona and Harley went the day before) We'd planned to do some much needed (what else)Christmas shopping, and had just walked into Target. My cell phone rang, and it was the groomer. She told me there had been an "incident" and that Jill's toe nail was bleeding. "No big deal, just put some of that powder stuff on it..." I thought to myself. I told her it was probably fine and to give it a couple of minutes. She said that I'd misunderstood her...the toenail hadn't been clipped too short, the whole nail had ripped off. WHAT? I was on my way.

We got to the groomer about 15 minutes later, and this is what I was given. Jill's entire nail. Gross, I know!

Apparently, the groomer was walking her up into the bathtub and the nail caught on something. Ouch! It didn't seem to be bothering her at all, she was jumping around like a silly puppy, but the blood was unbelievable! I called my vet, and off we went.

Jill came home with her foot completely wrapped after having what was left of the toenail cauterized to stop the bleeding. Delightful. And she got an injection for the pain, and of course antibiotics...needless to say, it was not a cheap morning.

The worst part was probably that she was the one most in need of getting groomed (she is SUCH a fluff ball!) and she can't get groomed for several weeks now. Again, delightful.

So much for getting anything done yesterday. Oh, I did finally pick up my Christmas cards from the printer yesterday. Can I get a Whoo-hoo!! I actually got a bunch of them mailed today too. Hey! I'm making progress.

If I could just have another week to get my Christmas shopping done, I'd be in great shape!

...so where was I?....

2011-12-19T15:28:00.000-08:00

I know, I know...it's been a while (again) since I've posted. What can I say? I've been caught up by life. It happens to the best of us...

So, to play a little catch up, I'll fill you in on the last couple of days.

Friday was Pickle's birthday. How my BABY can be 18 is absolutely beyond my comprehension. I am way too young to have my baby be that old, right? (Indulge me here folks!) I gave her all sorts of options on fun stuff to do for her birthday from shopping to an amusement park, to the spa, etc., and what did she chose to do? Go to school, and spend the day with her friends since it was the last day before Christmas vacation started. (Who's kid is this?) Seriously though, she had a huge final she knew she had to take, and didn't want to postpone taking it until after vacation, so she stuck it out and got through it. That's my girl. I was proud of the choice she made.

In the evening we had a quiet family dinner at one of her favorite places downtown (The Old Spaghetti Factory) with her boyfriend, and G-Ma and G-Pa. We are so blessed that my Pops has been feeling well enough to venture out a bit with us here and there for our birthday dinners. It makes the family times together extra special.After a great dinner, we headed home for some present opening and cake. It was great way to wrap up a very nice evening.

Saturday morning I had a bit of work to do and then I did some major grocery shopping, not only in anticipation of our Christmas meal preparation, but because our Boy was coming home! Yep! I had to fill the cupboards because AJ came home Saturday afternoon, and that boy can eat! We wanted to be sure to have all of his favorites, especially things he can't get readily in college, so we did some major stocking up.

We picked him up, right on schedule Saturday evening, and spent the rest of the night catching up, hearing stories of the cold weather, the dorm buddies, and of course FINALS. Needless to say, he is very happy to be home for a few weeks to thaw out, rest up, and just plain relax. I am thrilled that he is here, especially for more than just a few days, as he has been for the last two trips he's made home. Things just don't seem so rushed this time. It's really nice.

I worked a bit again on Sunday, so Hubby and AJ got to spend the day together doing a few little house hold projects, etc. I know that no matter what they do together, they aways enjoy each other's company.

Last night we took our annual walk around "Christmas Card Lane" - that's a nearby neighborhood where several blocks of houses decorate their yards with giant, home made Christmas cards made of 4x8 foot sheets of plywood painted to look like cards, or Christmas characters, etc. It's a lovely sight to see, and we try to visit every year. Our friend Lisa, who lives very close to Christmas Card Lane invited us for dinner and then we all made our way over, dogs included, to see the sights. I am bummed to say that I somehow managed (can you believe it?) to leave my house without a camera with me, so I got NO decent pictures. I snapped this one with my phone, but as you'll see the lighting is terrible. At least you get the idea.Anyway, that brings us up to today...Monday. I was supposed to spend the day Christmas shopping, but I haven't made it out of the house yet. It's 4:13pm right now...it's not looking good. I've falled critically behind on my shopping this year, and for the life of me, I'm not sure why. I feel like it's just a lack of inspiration. It's kind of nice to realize that no one in the family really needs anything, so I guess I ask myself the question, "Why buy just to buy?" and so I sit here, catching up on my blog instead of Christmas shopping.

I have a feeling that will NOT go over very well on Christmas morning...I'm just sayin...

Another Year Older

2011-12-15T10:35:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was my birthday. Yup, I feel older. That's not necessarily a bad thing, right? Getting older sure beats the alternative. Although the original plans for the day fell through because of the chilly weather, I was treated to a very nice day. I woke up to a table full of presents.I love how Pickle always customizes her envelopes.
Bear treated me to breakfast at a really cool place - Hash House a Gogo. They have awesome food and crazy big portions. This was there version of chicken fried chicken and eggs. It was WAY too much for one person to eat.

After breakfast we did a little shopping and then spent a little time at Valley View, my favorite local casino. I didn't hit any big jackpot, but a couple of little hits here and there always keeps it fun.

For dinner we went to Red Tracton's, a cozy restaurant in the Del Mar area. The food was fantastic, the atmosphere was cozy, and the company was great. They treated me to a little birthday dessert to share with the table.

Speaking of desserts, once we got home, there was another cake waiting for me. It was a triple chocolate mousse cake and it was incredible!

I was spoiled with all sorts of wonderful birthday gifts - a new Golden calendar, some beautiful clothes, a laminator that I've had my eye on, a big box of Sees candy (back to the gym I'll go...) and the topper offer was a beautiful 27" computer monitor. Talk about COOL! Apparently someone knows I spend a lot of time on the computer and will get a TON of use out of that.

Yes, it was a very nice day indeed, and I am looking foward to see what the next year brings my way.

Sweet Treats!

2011-12-13T22:56:00.000-08:00

I got a wonderful, sweet surprise yesterday - an early birthday cookie bouquet from some very special friends. I was tickled pink! I'm not quite sure how I'm going to spend my birthday since the chilly weather has put a kink in my plans to go to the spa...(I don't feel like sitting in an outdoor pool and shivering...) but I'm sure I'll figure out something fun.

It would all be fine if Brad would just return my calls...

I LOVE this!

2011-12-12T22:36:00.000-08:00

My new favorite YouTube video. I LOVE moments like this!!

From Thursday...

2011-12-12T12:33:00.000-08:00

This is the post I was trying to post on Thursday evening and never had any luck with. So here, in an effort to play catch up...

Hasta Luego-San Diego!

For a change, I am the one in the family that gets to do a little traveling for the next couple of days. Hubby has been traveling here and there quite a bit lately for business - he was just in Sacramento Tuesday and Wednesday and has been in the mid west several times in the last month or two. As I am typing this, I am on a plane bound for the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I am going to visit with my brother and his family, and for the first time I get to meet my "nephew" puppies, Bogie the Boxer, and Raider the Boston.

Of course I will miss my own family and fur babies, but I am looking forward to a little change of scenery too. I know that my pups will miss me, and I am pretty sure that Kona could tell that something was up today. He was walking around all morning with not one, but both of my Ugg slippers in his mouth. Thank goodness I don't mind his slobber...

San Diego sure looked pretty as I departed! What scenery from the air!

2011-12-09T22:59:00.000-08:00

Frustrated

2011-12-09T22:53:00.001-08:00

For some silly reason I can't seem to upload a blog from my brother's house in Texas. I Tried several times Thursday night, and Friday morning...oh well. I'll try again tomorrow but if I don't have any luck, I'll just have to update when I get home.

Will ya'all miss me?

Something Silly

2011-12-07T11:51:00.000-08:00

This just made me smile. I love when Eeyore shuffles...

Pups on Parade in La Jolla

2011-12-05T17:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the annual La Jolla Christmas Parade. This year was the first time I went solo. Just me and Kona...everyone else in the family was otherwise occupied. It was a bit of a bummer, but we did have a good time.
I was pleased that we had a wonderful turnout of members and their dogs. I'd say that we probably had about 55 folks and their pups walk with us.
Kona and his buddy Scooter enjoyed watching some of the other entries walk by.It is quite a site to see our group walk by! What a gaggle of Goldens!I need a better wide angle for a group this big!There was a Santa chair set up at the end of the route so some of us in the group took turns trying it out. Even though Santa wasn't there, I still made a wish on what I wanted for Christmas...I won't tell though...

Here is a little video I took of us walking.

Some Fun, Furry Lovin'

2011-12-04T16:18:00.000-08:00

An Evening Out

2011-12-02T12:42:00.000-08:00

We had another little outing with the pups last night. This time we went to a dog friendly roof top bar at a down town hotel. It was a LOT of fun for both the people and the pooches! Big thanks to the Hotel Indigo for hosting our group!

Smart as a Fox!

2011-12-01T23:19:00.000-08:00

I loved this!

A Story Retold

2011-12-01T10:29:00.000-08:00

A had a new member of Love on a Leash ask me about hospice visits so I shared this story with him. As I wrote it out, I thought I would share it here with you again.

Our First Visit

My name is Sue, and I organize a chapter of Love on a Leash folks in San
Diego. I've got 4 Golden Retrievers and do therapy visits with one of them. We
started when my boy was just over a year old, and that was nearly 3 years
ago.

I stayed away from hospice visits for about the first year, figuring I
wasn't suited well for it. We were doing a lot of visits at a local VA hospital
and senior facilities in the area. Then, about 2 years ago we were approached
by one of the recreational therapists at the VA to start visits at the VA's
hospice ward. I figured it couldn't hurt to give it a try.

On our very first visit we encountered a family who's loved one was in the process of passing away as we entered the room. Talk about a tough situation! Oh my gosh, I felt as if we'd walked in on a family's most private moment, but as I tried to quickly excuse ourselves, we were asked to stay, and the wife of the patient got down on the floor and hugged my dog, and thanked us over and over for coming. She said that her husband loved dogs, and this is what he'd been "waiting for"....My boy, Kona, is a white Golden, and she told me that she thought Kona was her husband, Jerry's "white angel". She kept saying, "look Jerry, your white angel is here. Look at the beautiful dog here for you Jerry...he's here just for you."

Needless to say, I don't think I'd ever bitten the inside of my cheek
harder to stop from tearing up more than I did at that moment. We stayed for
about 10 minutes, until all of the family members got to spend a couple of
minutes with Kona and we felt it was the appropriate time to leave. We heard
from the recreational therapist that the patient passed away within the hour of us leaving.

I thought long and hard about going back after that visit, and even went to
a grief counseling session after that. My decision boiled down to how Kona
reacted to the situation. He was perfect. He sat calmly as strangers hugged
him, and clutched him tightly while they wept. He looked to me occasionally for reassurance, which I have him in the form of a quiet, "good boy." I was so proud.

We've been back to the VA hospice every month and added another hospice to
our regular visit schedule. We've lost several patients we've come to
be friends with, and it's never easy, but I always remember our first visit and
the comfort we brought to that family.

Wordless Wednesday - At the Park With the Golden Group

2011-11-30T08:27:00.001-08:00

Getting back into "it".

2011-11-28T08:58:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure exactly what "it" is, but I'm working on getting back into "it"...which means, I guess, that I haven't been in to "it" or more accurately, I have been out of "it."

Yeah, I know it's confusing. For me too. It's that funk I'd mentioned not long ago. It's still got me by the shorts. Anyway, I'm still working on shaking the funk. This past weekend helped. AJ was home and I thoroughly enjoyed ever minute we got to spend together. He arrived Tuesday evening, and left yesterday morning.

Tuesday evening we were invited to our neighbors' house for a catfish & bbq'd tri-tip dinner. There were about 20 of us there, and it was a very good time. I'd gotten AJ a cake to celebrate his belated birthday, so we all got to sing, and embarass him a bit. We hung out for a while, and it was a really fun evening.

Wednesday we just kind of took it easy. I had my long VA visit with Kona (the visit where I go to several different wards and it usually runs about 2 hours) and AJ hung out with his friends, visited with my folks, etc. Pickle started her first ever "real" job - at a local pet boutique.

It was another good day.

We went out to AJ's favorite Mexican food restaurant, and while we were there we ran into some old friends. We chatted about how big all of our kids are getting, how tough it is to have them away at college, etc. It's always good to hear that I'm not the only one feeling the way I am feeling.

Thursday I got up nice and early, and although I didn't have to do much for our Thanksgiving dinner, I started rolling on what I did need to do. I whipped out the deviled eggs, and got the greenbean casserole ready in no time. Hubby and I picked up the house a bit, and enjoyed looking thru the paper planning our midnight shopping and Black Friday buys.

We went to my folks house at about 2pm, and spent the afternoon eating, chatting, and relaxing with my parents. It was a very, very nice afternoon, and it's always great to see Pops enjoy a good plate of food, and have a smile on his face. I cherish every moment we get to spend together.

After the big meal, a nap was in order for AJ....he needed to catch up on some much needed sleep....

And of course, what's a nap without your sibling making fun of you as you snooze...

More soon - I have to run out for an appointment I'm nearly late for.

So Much to be Thankful For

2011-11-24T13:45:00.000-08:00

I hope you are all enjoying the company of your family and friends on this Thanksgiving Day.

Since the moment I woke up today I've been reflecting on the last year, the good and the bad, the happy days and the not-so happy ones. I am lucky to say that the good days have far out weighed the bad, that's for sure. I hope you can say the same.

In no particular order, here are just a few of the very many things I am thankful for:

The smell of greenbean casserole in my oven.
Not having to cook a full feast today - Mom is handling 95% of it.
The health of my Mom and Dad. The blessing of being with them today is the best thing I could hope for.
My husband who puts up with my Halloween craziness and so much more.
Having my children home, happy and healthy.
The unconditional love of my dogs.
My warm bed, my warm shower and my warm Uggs.
My boss, who I adore, and my job that I love.
My friends who bear with me thru thick and thin...smiles and tears, especially Doug, who knows my deepest, darkest secrets, and loves me anyway.
New friends I've made this year, and friends from long ago that I've reconnected with in the last year.
My Face Book Friends and Blogging Buddies - I feel like I'm never just out there on my own.
And last, but certainly not least, I am thankful to patients that I visit on a weekly basis that help me keep my own worries in perspective.

Wordless Wednesday- My Boy is Home!

2011-11-23T08:32:00.001-08:00

Kindness of Strangers

2011-11-21T19:58:00.000-08:00

Over the last three days, I've been reminded of the goodness in people. I've seen my husband and his friends reach out, literally to thousands of strangers walking by, and offer kind words of encouragement, a high-five, a hand shake, and at times even the food they were eating. They made a difference to so many of the walkers, at times it brought tears not only to my eyes, but to theirs as well. They stood and posed for thousands of pictures (yes, I'll be posting more soon, I promise) cheered until their voices were gone, and clapped until their hands were stinging.

Amazing guys these "Melon Men" are, that's for sure...but as I think of how they reached out to so many, I think of those who reached out to me in the past and it makes me appreciate what they did for the walkers even more.

I have two people that I will never forget when it comes to the 3 Day walk.... of course there are so many more, but these two offered me a kind word, encouragement and a hug when I needed it most. For that, I will always be thankful. I made sure to seek them both out this year, and let them know what their kindness in years passed has meant to me. I'm so glad I found them and I was able to let them know how much they had touched me.

It felt really good to say "Thank You." People should really do that more often.

Thank you Officer B. H. from the San Jose Police Department. You rode along with me at the end of the first day last year when I was cold and wet and tired. You kept me company and made me laugh. You got me through the last mile and a half. To me, you were better than Brad Pitt that day - in fact you still are. You were a rock star to me that day, and you always will be. I'm so glad I saw you and thanked you again in person this year. Thanks for remembering me.

Thank you Pam! You've been there for me and thousands of other walkers every year since 2006. You give the best hugs and morning send offs a person could ask for, and you have the brightest smile and weloming arms at the end of some very long days. You are like my little angel out there, and I love you! I hope to see you again soon!

The 2011 3 Day, Day 1

2011-11-18T21:00:00.000-08:00

I couldn't walk this year, but I wanted to cheer, and cheer I did. Cheer and clap, and hoot and holler! We got out there at about 7:30am and got home at 5:30pm.

WAS

AWESOME

Tomorrow we will be there when the walkers start out on the route, which should be right around 6:30am. I feel such a kinship with these people, it's hard to explain.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from today. There were lots more I could have shared...but there are also two more days of the walk I'll be sharing. Tomorrow the "Melon Patch" will be out in force. Today my friend Ed was a "Melon Man" solo act. Hubby and our other melon men friends were stuck at work. Tomorrow it's on baby!

If you are on FB, check out "The Melon Men" - they have their own public page!

A Bit of a Funk

2011-11-17T15:17:00.000-08:00

I can't quite put my finger on it...but something isn't quite right. I've been, it seems, in a bit of a funk lately. I have been in a good enough mood, but down deep, something is a little off. I haven't had much of an interest in blogging, or taking pictures, which are usually two of my absolute favorite things to do..

Last week was weird, flat out, weird. Both of my furry boys, Kona and Jack, had birthdays, and I was a rotten dog Mom and did nothing special. Oh, sure, I gave them lots of TLC and a couple of extra treats, but there were no birthday celebrations this year, not even a picture in a goofy birthday hat....what's wrong with me?

I got the long awaited results of an MRI on my knee. It's been bothering me for months, on and off (mainly on). My Doc had been pretty sure it was a torn meniscus and that a quick arthroscopic surgery and a little physical therapy would have me feeling great again in no time. He was wrong. Not a torn meniscus after all. Arthritis under my knee cap and in my joint. Significant arthritis and a strained ligament. What the heck? When did I get old enough to have arthritis?

I think that's got me bummed. I thought this was something temporary and it's not. I got a nasty cortisone shot that stung like an S.O.B., but was supposed to help with the pain for a couple of weeks. That was on Thursday. The pain was back by Tuesday...unless I've blacked out and lost a couple of weeks of time, that was WAY too short of time for the sucker to be sore again. Yesterday morning the pain woke me up at 3:50am. Last night I used a pain patch on it and I managed to sleep from midnight until about 5am. Dandy, just dandy.

I think I might also be suffering from a bit of post Halloween Party blues too. There was so much build up to the party, and it was so much fun, that I'm sad that its over and it will be nearly another year til we have another one. I did get to do a little shopping the day after Halloween though, and got some great bargains. We will be going with a Psycho Circus/Creepy Carnival theme next year, so I picked up these little ditties...its a good start...(I took a bunch more pictures of what I got, just so by the time next year rolls around I will remember what I bought already - but I wanted to post this one just because of Kona's funny little face on the left.) He had that "are you about done with this crap?" look on his face.

Speaking of Kona, we've been busy as usual with our Love on a Leash visits. We cut down a bit in October because of my knee issues and gearing up for the party, but we've gotten busy again and have been going on an average of about 3 visits a week. Today I went on a visit but had to leave Kona at home. I was supervising new teams, and there would have been too much going on with Kona there with me. We had our first ever bunny join our chapter, so that was certainly something different. The dogs did very well with the new little "creature" in their presence....

...and the folks we visited with today enjoyed the little fluff ball too!I've been on a bit of a cleaning/de-cluttering binge lately too, which isn't a bad thing. I cleaned out my closet and dresser, donating about 4 large black bags full of cloths and shoes that I haven't worn since last time I cleaned out stuff. Hubby and I went through our large family room bookshelf, and got rid of several boxes of stuff from there too. It feels good to have the house back in order. Not perfect, it never will be, but it's better....

In spite of the funk I'm feeling, I am really looking forward to next Tuesday when my boy comes home! Hubby was lucky and got to visit him again in Indiana. He was there all week for work, and they got to spend evenings together. Of course I was green with envy, but happy for the two of them. His trip home next week will be short but sweet - he will only be here from Tuesday until Sunday, but I'm not knocking it.

On that note, I'll sign off for the evening, and try to keep a smile on my face and a little pep in my step...you do the same.

By the way...I have no idea why blogger is removing the spaces between my paragraphs, and to be honest, I'm tired of trying to figure it out. Sorry it's a mess.

Halloween Party 2011 - the guests part 4

2011-11-15T13:55:00.000-08:00

Well folks, here are the last few of the guest pictures I have to post. If you were at the party and have pictures to share, please put them on a disc and get them to me. You know where I live if you were at the party, right? I'd love to have a copy of them all so I can get working on an actual hard copy album. Also, if anyone has any video, please let me know - I'd love to see that too. By the way - if you were at the party, and you haven't seen your picture posted here it's probably for one of two reasons....either you managed to avoid all cameras for entire evening, or you were ~~naked~~ blurry in all of them that were taken. Either way, if you have one to add to the album, please feel free to email it to me.

I'll be back...

2011-11-14T23:15:00.000-08:00

tomorrow -- Tuesday...I promise.

I've just been...well, um, occupied.

No Slacking Here!

2011-11-12T08:47:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't posted since Wednesday, but I promise I haven't been slacking off! I'm been in the cleaning and decluttering mood around here, and I'm happy to say that finally, exactly 2 weeks after our Halloween party, EVERYTHING Halloween has been put up and out of the way. That, my friends, is a HUGE accomplishment. My car has finally seen the inside of the garage again, after having been banished to the driveway since the end of July!

This is how the garage is supposed to look!

I'm heading off to Los Angeles now for the day to do some work, so I probably won't be able to post any more Halloween guest pics today, but fear not, they are still coming!

Halloween Party 2011 - the guests part 3

2011-11-09T15:45:00.000-08:00

As promised...a few more of the people pictures...

Halloween Party 2011 - the guests part 2

2011-11-09T08:41:00.000-08:00

More peeps from the party.

More to come later today!

Halloween Party 2011 - the guests part 1

2011-11-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

Here are the first of many guest pictures to come. Most of these came from a friend's camera. I'm still working on going through all of mine!

The Backyard - part 2

2011-11-07T17:07:00.000-08:00

More from the backyard...a cozy sitting area....

A couple dancing near the fountain...

Entering the maze...

Arial view looking at the pool with the pyramid over it. Pretty cool, huh?

Arial view of part of the maze. It's hard to tell, but each of these panels was 3ft x 8 ft tall. It was made up of over 65 panels.

View from inside the maze.

from the pyramid, looking back towards the merchant scene.

Did the aliens really make the pyramids? Who knows!

The maze was a ton of work, but totally worth it.

This is a giant poster that I'd bet most people walked right by.

We had fun stuff at every turn...

Complete scene from the merchant area.

That's about it as far as decorations go...tomorrow I'll try to start posting pictures of the guests.

The Backyard - part 1

2011-11-07T11:39:00.001-08:00

Here are some of the best pictures from the decorations in the backyard.

This is the "Sultan's Tent" area, where the gambling tables would be set up.It turned out really cool, with the catacombs behind the material on the house, it gave the area a kind of sexy, but with a "tinge of creep" vibe. We were very happy with it.

The entrance to the pyramid.

Skeleton belly dancers that really had moving hips.

The merchant scene.

These fellows were enjoying a hookah.

Ah, the merchant had lots of goods to sell.

The bar setup.

Looking out from the family room this was the exit into the yard. You had to go thru a maze to make it to the outside. More maze pictures soon.

Gaming tables getting set up.

When you exited the maze, this is what you saw.

A few more of the inside...

2011-11-07T11:08:00.001-08:00

Ok, so pictures are still pouring in from the big Halloween par-tay, so I wanted to share a few more from the inside of the house before I move on to the back yard. Some of these are similar to what has already been posted, but they were too good not to share!

Can you spot the hint for the theme to next year's party in this picture? This was one of the questions in the scavenger hunt...

My Boy

2011-11-04T22:05:00.000-07:00

Today was my boy AJ's 19th birthday. This is the first time in my life I have been away from one of my children on their birthday. I honestly tried my best not to think about it. I kept myself really busy today, and just keep focusing on the fact that he will be home in 18 days for his Thanksgiving vacation.

I can wait 18 days. Barely.

Man, do I miss that boy!

I'm Still Here - Promise!

2011-11-04T12:42:00.001-07:00

I apologize for not updating with more Halloween pictures yet. To say I have been swamped this week would be a major understatement. I will do my best to put more pictures up very soon - I have SO many to share! Here is one to hold you over for a day or so. This was our completed pyramid that was over our pool, complete with a bridge you could walk on to get to the other side of the pool. Pretty slick, huh?

Happy Birthday Bear!

2011-11-02T22:32:00.001-07:00

A quarter of a century old! I can't believe it! Where has the time gone...I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. When did I get this old?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad as I am sitting on the couch after an awesome day with my beautiful daughter at the spa, and a great family dinner at the Spaghetti Factory.

Halloween Party 2011 - part 2, more from inside

2011-11-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures of our interior decorations...

Halloween Party 2011 The Decorations part 1

2011-10-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

After over a year of planning, and months of working, everything finally came together this past Saturday evening for our annual Halloween party. This year's theme was Egyptian - "Death on the Nile." It was a HUGE success, and one of our best parties ever. All of our 95 guests that attended seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves, as did we. All of our hard work paid off and we had one hell of a fun party.

Here are first round of the decoration pictures.

The front yard.
Entry way...
The living room.
As you enter the house, to the left is the hallway.

Next is the linen closet area.

And then you got to the bathroom - or in our case it was a version of Tut's tomb.

I'll be posting lots more soon, so be sure to check back often over the next couple of days. Also, I know a lot of you who attended the party asked if I would be posting pictures here and if you could share my blog link with your friends. Absolutely! If you have a minute and would like to leave a comment, those are always appreciated.

Teeny Sneak Peak

2011-10-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I couldn't resist showing you how cool our "Sultan's" tent is starting to look. We did a test run on it last night, and I LOVE how it looks! What do you think?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad as I'm running around too busy to breath!

Today is the day!

2011-10-29T06:15:00.001-07:00

Well, after over a year of planning, and two months of actual work, tonight is our big shindig. I feel like a bride that has been planning her wedding or something! So many plans, so long waiting for things to all come together, and now finally here we are, and I can't believe it's TODAY! I know the evening will go by in a flash, but I am hoping to really be able to take it all in and enjoy it along with my guests. I am very excited to see everyone's reactions to our decorations this year, and I'm excited to be able to start sharing more pictures with you here too.

Right now I'm sitting at my kitchen counter enjoying a nice cup of coffee with a ton of hazelnut creamer in it, thinking about how the day will unfold, how we will possibly finish everything on our "to-do" list, and how I wish I'd been able to sleep more than 4 1/2 for each of the last two nights. Oh well, sleep will come soon, right?

Have a great day, and stay tuned for LOTS of pictures to start coming soon!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad because my regular computer is buried behind decorations right now-seriously!

Halloween House

2011-10-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

No, this is not my house, but I sure thought it was cool. Talk about a lot of time to put something together! WOW!

And my neighbors think I'm nuts! Ha! How would it be to live next door to this?

(I thought I was having a tough time getting this song out of my head before....now it will be stuck there even longer!)

Fall is in the Air!

2011-10-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy these last couple of days that I've hardly had time to stop and "smell the roses" or in this case, to stop and admire the changing season.

Thank you to Doug for sending me this picture of the beautiful changing leaves in the Seattle area. This picture was taken just up the street from where he lives. It reminded me that I need to slow down a little and take in the beauty of the world around me.

It's a Little Creepy

2011-10-23T21:48:00.001-07:00

I'll have to admit, it's a little creepy sitting on the couch looking at the TV and having this dude stare back at me.

What a Day!

2011-10-22T22:42:00.001-07:00

We are in the final stages of decorating for the party. Holy moly there is a lot to do, but I'm really happy with how things are looking. We've never gone to this extent before and needless to say I am tickled pink.

I probably won't have much time to write long posts this week, but I'll post some random pictures of some of what we have been up to. Of course I won't give away too many surprises before the party, only a couple of sneak peaks here and there.

I made this fellow's costume today, along with several others.

Sewing them is so much cheaper than buying them!

After a 14 hour day on my feet, I'm throwing in the towel for the night. More pictures tomorrow!

Don't Mess with this Momma!

2011-10-21T04:04:00.000-07:00

Warning - this footage is a bit disturbing...but ends ok.

Happy Anniversary Baby - Got you on my Mind!

2011-10-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary Hubby! 21 years, and many, many more to come. Doesn't if feel like just yesterday when we looked like this? But time has passed, and the years have flown by. We are older, hopefully wiser, and even happier than we were back then. We have grown up together, and faced all of the ups and downs that life has presented us with so far. We make a great team, and have produced a beautiful family. I am proud of our life together, and I love you...even more than I did back in 1990 when I said "I Do" to you... thank you....for everything.

Think you've got big problems? Nah...

2011-10-19T23:27:00.000-07:00

Look at the camels first and then read the message below.

This is a picture taken from directly above these camels in the desert at sunset. It is considered to be one of the best pictures of the year. When you look closely, you can see that the camels are the little white lines in the picture. The black images you see are just the shadows! Sometimes, our "problems" seem to be as big as the shadows...but they are little. Have a great day!

~ Thanks to my "White Water Rafting Guru" Andy for sharing this with me.

54 Years!

2011-10-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary to my Mom and Dad! They have been married for 54 years, and are the very best parents a person could ask for!

Oops! Don't forget Queen "G"

2011-10-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

Jill (aka GiGi) was NONE too happy about being left out of the last post.

So, to appease her....here is a picture of her grumpy little face that I just took. There, Silly, are you happy now?

Cookie anyone?

2011-10-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking of making some of these little goodies for the party. I'm not sure if I'll have time or not, but it's on the list.

This coming weekend will be the last push to get the major stuff done. I'm getting little stuff done by myself between now and Saturday morning, but sometimes it does feel like I am fighting a losing battle. Oh well, that's pretty typical for this time of year for me.

Meanwhile, the pups have been great about occupying themselves. Of course a fun game of "bitey face" is always in order with Kona and Harley....

A little rough and tumble wrestling with those two, and then it's time to be mellow again.
Jack, on the other hand, just looks at me with those gorgeous, soulful brown eyes of his, and wonders when all of this Halloween nonsense will end.Soon Sweetheart, soon.

Inspirational

2011-10-17T14:37:00.000-07:00

Check out this young man.

Makes you kind of forget about your own problems for a few minutes, doesn't he?

Emmanuel Kelly, good on ya. You are my crush of the week.

Less than 14 days to go...

2011-10-16T22:17:00.001-07:00

We made a ton of progress on our Halloween party preparation this weekend, and I'm actually starting to believe that it might all come together as planned. We had a huge "to-do" list to work on today, and out of over 28 items that were listed to get done today, we knocked about 24 of them off the list. I have to keep myself in high gear this week to get those last items done before next weekend, and the list for those days. No running behind allowed now!

I wonder if I could get these folks to help...

Ah, probably not...they look like a bunch of dummies if you ask me.

I want to send a big shout out to our awesome "crew" that have spent so much time over these past few weeks helping out. This party simply couldn't happen without you! You are all awesome, and we appreciate you and you giving us so much of your free time.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad as I sit on our couch, completely pooped.

Adding to "Sue's Zoo"

2011-10-15T23:10:00.001-07:00

In the past I've painted horses and cows, and a not long ago I painted the head of a camel for a scene for our Halloween party. Today we made the silhouette of a camel and again I was pleased with the result.

We got quite a bit done today- and knocked 7 items off of our "to do" list for this weekend. We worked on the party from about 8:30am until 9:30pm today...it was a long day indeed. Tomorrow will probably be even longer because we have 24, yup, 24 items on the list of things to get done by tomorrow night at this time.

And on that cheery note, I bid you all goodnight!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad as I am in bed listening to my sweet Hubby snoring next to me.

Halloween Hounds

2011-10-14T22:39:00.001-07:00

When I got home this evening I was playing around on my bed for a couple of minutes with Jack, Kona and Harley. Pickle tried to get a picture of us wrestling, but instead she all she got were these haunted hound pics!

I hope you've had a great Friday! Mine has been spooktacular!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad as I am sitting on the couch with my feet up after a really busy day...

Guilty Dogs

2011-10-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Talk about "BUSTED" - poor Tank can't get away with this.

His guilty face is precious. Thank goodness these aren't my dogs!

Whoosh! And the week is half gone!

2011-10-12T08:56:00.000-07:00

This week has been FLYING by! I seriously can't believe it's Wednesday! Monday AJ and I spent the day together and had a great time. It was really the only time we'd gotten to really talk since he'd gotten home Friday evening. We went shopping, had lunch and saw a movie ("Moneyball" with Brad Pitt - we both thoroughly enjoyed it!) It was a really nice day, but it went by way too quickly. Yesterday it was already time for him to head back to Indiana and Purdue.

Before his flight yesterday, we managed to squeeze in a quick breakfast out. Hubby couldn't join us, but the girls did, and it was fun, with the typical sibling interaction.

Although it was hard to say goodbye again, it is comforting to know that he will be home again in 6 weeks for Thanksgiving. For that, I truly am very thankful!

A Crazy Day and Lots of Progress!

2011-10-09T08:44:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a crazy busy day! We worked on Halloween party preparation from 9am until 5:30pm and we got a lot done! With only a couple of weeks left before the party, we are really getting down to the wire. We were able to get the pyramid in the back yard done, and the was HUGE to complete. I won't show pictures until after the party (I don't want to ruin too many surprises for my guests) but suffice to say that it came out AWESOME! A few finishing touches to "gore it up" and we will be set. Yesterday we also started working on the interior of the house. Pictures are off the wall, and "brick work" is starting to go up. It's a long, tedious process, but the effect is worth it in the end.

After work for the day was done we all went to our favorite Mexican restaurant so AJ could get his fill of chips, salsa and "real" Mexican food. He hasn't found any in Indiana to his liking and I knew he would enjoy a big dinner with friends and family. About 20 of us went and it was a great time.

This morning we are getting ready to start another full day of party prep, and I'm hoping that by the time we are done this evening, we have most of the major sets complete. Wouldn't that be nice?

The Boy is Home!

2011-10-07T23:05:00.001-07:00

I am in heaven!

Loved This!

2011-10-06T21:11:00.001-07:00

This bumper sticker was on the car next to mine as I left my doctor's appointment today. I loved it and had to share!

The Perfect Day - From "Going Home"

2011-10-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine from my Golden Retriever Meetup Group recently lost her dog. A few days ago she sent me this link to share. On the link I found the following video - warning to animal lovers - MAJOR KLEENEX ALERT, but too touching not to share.

Dinner withFurry Friends

2011-10-05T11:41:00.000-07:00

There are few things I enjoy more than spending a nice evening having dinner with friends. Monday evening we had a meetup at a local dog friendly restaurant and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

That's what it's all about right?

Too Funny Indeed!

2011-10-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

I saw this picture on one of my FB friends walls, and I had to grab it. How cute is that face?
Anyone who knows me back from when my son AJ was born knows that we had small cabbage patch baby who we joked looked just like AJ as a new born.

When I saw this picture it took me right back to those days. Great times, great memories!

Fun Finds

2011-10-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

Look at these two great finds I found today.

Do you like it with, or without the "eyes" lit?

I think he looks happier with his eyes lit.

Missing something?

2011-10-04T07:54:00.001-07:00

"Good Morning Momma, were you looking for your sandal by chance?"

Sweet Harley

2011-10-03T06:32:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned, I took the pups to the groomer the other day. I love how they look now, all short, clean and snazzy.

When I got then all home from the groomer I took several new pictures of them all - some turned out good, and some were just a blurry mess. I snapped this one of Harley, and I think it's my new favorite photo of her. Each of our dogs is a sweetheart, and each has such a unique personality unto themselves...I think I love this photo of Harley because for me it captures the essence of her soul. I know, I know, I probably sound kooky...but I love this picture, and I just love her to bits.
Here is another side of Harley's personality I wanted to share. She can be a total goofball. Sometimes I like to sneak off into my bedroom to make a personal phone call or two to my folks, AJ, etc., and to get a little peace and quiet. Harley always joins me, jumps onto the bed with me and snuggles up. She is a real love-bug. I snapped this picture with my cell phone as I was standing directly above her as she was rolling around on my bed, trying to get my attention. Her face in this picture just warmed my heart. They just all make my life so much better!

October Fly Boys

2011-10-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

This first weekend in Oct in San Diego, usually means that it will be beautiful, scenic, and LOUD.....Welcome to San Diego, Blue Angels! Thanks for the fly bys - and buzzing our house. Ya scared the hell out of the dogs, but you sure did look cool!

Thanks to Pickle for taking these great pictures for my. I was too busy this weekend to do anything other than Halloween shenanigans....

The Making of Florida One

2011-09-30T10:19:00.000-07:00

I guess this video has been around for a while, but I hadn't seen it until my friend Don sent it to me this morning. I thought it was pretty cool-and I enjoyed the jazzy music too!

Stamps

2011-09-29T18:42:00.001-07:00

My first experience with Stamps.com. I am pretty happy with the result. Invites are sent...that's a biggy off the list.

Only one month until the party. Holy Moly - where is the time going??

My Crush of the Week - Meet Josh

2011-09-29T15:22:00.001-07:00

The Cat

2011-09-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

Can you find the cat in this picture? I found this on my friend Denise's FB and got a kick out of trying to find it. No, it's not one of those stupid things you stare at and something jumps out at you...

Lover Dogs

2011-09-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

The pups have been so sweet lately, both with me, and with each other. I think they know I've been a little down in the last couple of weeks, and stressed out too. They are such great company, not only for me during the day when the house would otherwise be empty, but for each other as well.

When they nap, they snuggle...

And when I am out working in the backyard, I always have company.

I love these dogs!

Hungry Boy!

2011-09-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

Hubby is lucky enough to be able to spend some time with our boy AJ in Indiana this week. I am SO jealous, but happy that they get to see each other.

First order of business - FEED THE BOY! Hubby took him to Outback Steakhouse, and they thoroughly enjoyed dinner together. Next it was a quick trip to Target for a few items, then back to the dorm. By that time it was already near midnight! Hopefully tonight they will have a little more time to hang out.

I miss them BOTH so much right now!

A New Look?

2011-09-27T23:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, you'll notice that my blog has a new look. It's not on purpose. I clicked on something I shouldn't have, and it gave me a new template. Then I lost my header picture - so I put up a picture of the pups from our last year's Halloween Doggy Party. Good Golly, what did I do?

Oh well...it's getting late and I'll try to figure it out in the morning...until then I'll just share these fun little pictures with you...Bear and G-Ma and I went to the casino for a little free buffet, dessert, and fun!

Oh, how I wish I wasn't playing pennies tonight!

Skelly head

2011-09-26T12:15:00.001-07:00

A couple of years back I was in a little Halloween store, where a guy had made most of his own props. He had a really cool looking mummified skeleton and he was kind enough to give me a quick description of what he'd used to make it. Although I don't have much time right now, I've been dying to give it a try. So... I just went out into the garage, grabbed one of the cheapy skeleton heads we have brought down out of the attic (hey - some people have skeletons in the closet, we keep ours in the attic....) and gave it a try. I'll have to wait to see how it looks when it's dry, but I'm happy with the first impression I'm getting from it. It certainly doesn't looks as cheapy-plastic-y (I know, "plastic-y" is not a word, but you know what I mean) as it did before.

What do you think?

Muscles in Motion

2011-09-25T22:42:00.001-07:00

AJ played in his first Purdue Ultimate Frisbee Tournament this weekend. The tournament lasted ALL weekend and his team made it to the championship round (I honestly have NO clue how the games are played!) but didn't win that round. When we spoke to him this evening he was exhausted, but happy.

We certainly can't knock that now, can we.

The Animal World

2011-09-24T22:46:00.000-07:00

I think I am moving up in the animal world - at least in relation to painting animals that is...For our last Halloween party I painted a couple of cows...

...and several horses, among other things.

Today I painted a camel. Well, not a whole camel, just the head of the camel - which is part of one of our backyard scenes this year. I've never painted any part of a camel before and I must admit, I am quite pleased with the result. Now I just hope the rest of the scene turns out the way I am hoping it does!

The Door

2011-09-23T20:14:00.001-07:00

It took me 8 hours to paint this door. 8 HOURS! How crazy is that? I think if I did this for a living, I'd have been fired a longtime ago! Sheesh! Tomorrow I need to work on a LOT more painting...great....

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad because I'm too pooped from painting to sit at my computer...how lame is that!?!

My Painting Project

2011-09-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

I told you I'd start today...but I didn't say how far I'd get....Just after I'd gotten everything set up, paint ready, brushes loaded, etc., it started to rain, and THUNDER! Give me a break! I couldn't believe it! Crap! So...I covered everything up with plastic and came inside, and waited....After about a half hour things were dry enough for me to get started, but by then I'd lost half of my "umph." I got myself in gear though, and have been working on it since about 10am....boy oh boy, it's taking longer than I thought! I'll post an updated picture when I am done for the day. For now though, break time is over!

How?

2011-09-22T17:28:00.000-07:00

How am I supposed to take these simple materials...

and put them on this backdrop...

and make it look like something people will recognize?

I am having severe doubts in my ability to do this.

Tomorrow I'll start. Of course I did pick out some good colors! Wish me luck, I'll need it!

Another Busy Week

2011-09-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

I can't believe its already Thursday - and nearing the END of September already!! Where, oh where does the time go?

Kona and I have been on several therapy visits this week. The most recent was this morning to the College Ave. Senior Center. The people we visit there are always very appreciative, and the dogs enjoy themselves very much.

Today we were joined by Henry and Sparky, two of our new Love on a Leash "teams in training." They are both adorable, and Kona, being the good sport he is, doesn't mind sharing the spotlight.

This is Henry...and this is Sparky.

Both Henry and Sparky are doing great with their visits and seem to soak up the TLC. It's always wonderful to connect with people that have the same interests as we do, in this case Pet Therapy, and of course there are few things in life that are more rewarding than spreading joy to others with a loving animal.

Yup, I may be crazy busy ~~every moment of my life~~ sometimes, but it's worth it.

Reading Time!

2011-09-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

Kona and I began a new venture tonight. We started a reading program, along with our friends Linda and Happy, at the Benjamin Branch Library.

This was the first flyer they made for the event (before we knew Happy would be there too.)

Pretty cool, don't you think? We had a great time, and plan to go back once a month. It's always nice to have a captive audience!

The Looming Paint Project

2011-09-19T14:33:00.000-07:00

Things are starting to come together for our Halloween party, slowly, but surely. This weekend we got the beginning of our backyard "cityscape" put up, and now I need to work on the front panels. I have a good idea of what I want it to look like once it's done, but I'm not sure if my thoughts can translate through to my hands and the paint brushes. Each panel is 8ft tall by 4 ft wide, so the finished scene will be 16ft wide total. I hope my painting skills don't fail me!

We got more painting on a different project done this weekend, and other than the actual construction of that project (which will have to happen just a couple of days before the party) it's all done. It was a big undertaking, and I'm glad we can scratch that one off our list. Now there are only 9,999 things left to do! Oh, I'm just giddy with excitement!

Hide and Seek

2011-09-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

Lask week while cleaning out party of AJ's closet, I had a little company. GiGi (aka Jill) decided to sneak into the closet and get comfy. Yes, she misses "The Boy" as much as I do!

Pyramids and Pharaohs

2011-09-16T18:53:00.000-07:00

I know it's only the middle of September, but I'm knee deep in Halloween party preparations. Hubby has been out of town, so in the last two days one of my friends and I worked for about 17 hours on the invitations. Last night, finally at about 9:15pm, we finished them. I can't show them to you - I don't want to ruin the surprise for my invited guests...I'll tell you though that we made 77 of them and they were VERY time consuming! I am SO glad that project is done!

Here are just a few quick flashes of what my house looks like when you cruise around. Needless to say, it's a disaster area here, and will be for about the next 6 weeks. I know, I know, I'm nuts.

Foot vs. Fire Hydrant

2011-09-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Kona,

This is my foot. It is for walking, running, jumping, skipping, leaping, and occasionally, dancing. It is NOT for peeing on. Please use the closest provided fire hydrant the next time you feel the urge to relieve yourself.

Fire hydrants dry much faster than Mom's toes.

Thank you,

Mom