A Time For Everything

We lost Sammy Friday evening after several days of her acting very unusual. I had an appointment with the vet for Saturday morning, but we didn't make it. She died somewhere around 6pm, and five months to the day after we put our other dog down. Very odd, since she never really seemed to grieve.

Hopefully, she's found her sister, Honey, and they're roaming the heavenly neighborhoods together on puppy adventures.


To remember our sweet doggies, we bought some flowers, Double Spider Shasta Daisies. So I spent the better part of Sunday tilling up the corner of the yard where they liked to lay and creating a flower bed.



Are you a pet lover? What's your preference? Dog, cat, bird, reptiles?

Today, I'm just going to dump a bunch of random stuff -- I haven't done that for a while, because there's been one thing or another needing posting, so, in no particular order...

My oldest daughter, aka the Brown Eyed Girl, moved out a week or so ago into her own apartment. That was the week that threw me a few curves. It was stressful as hubby was/is really worried about her ability to pull it off. Her biggest challenge is that she doesn't have a car. I hadn't posted before now partly because I hadn't talked to my mom about it and I didn't want her to hear it here first.

Anyway, the Brown Eyed Girl came home for a visit on Tuesday and brought Kitty with her too. It was good to see them both.(Kitty's grown.) And BEG wanted mashed potatoes. She bought me some flowers when her and DD went to the store for said potatoes. So now I have a pot of beautiful pink Gerber daisies in my writing room. She said she bought them because I always buy flowers or a plant when I go to people's houses. Nice!

Speaking of the writing room... because BEG moved out, I got it back. I don't have the big screen, high def TV since that's down at the fireworks store, but I'm not missing it too much. It's been so nice to have a place to go and close the door to work and not be bothered or distracted. Since the loss of my writing room, I've only had my bedroom to work in, except when DH is home. Then he comes in and wants to watch TV and snack and chuckle and move around and talk to me. Can't you see me working here?? I can concentrate better in the living room while Sonshine is playing Xbox. Argh. And, sure,there's the garage, but until recently it's been too cold to be out there and soon, it'll be too hot.

Spring is pretty much here in north Texas, but last year's drought took its toll. I'm seeing A LOT of dead trees. Surprisingly, the three trees in my back yard are still alive though a bit worse for wear. I thought for sure the one farthest back near the shed was a goner, but it's sporting some greenage on the lowest limbs. They all need some serious trimming too.

I don't remember if I mentioned our most recent trip to the vet and Sammy's diagnosis of some sort of spinal/neuro degeneration--basically not all the messages are getting from her brain to her legs. And because I'm such an awful dog owner and wasn't walking the poor thing hardly ever, her muscles have begun to atrophy. So the vet prescribed some mild pain meds even though she didn't really think Sammy'd reached the pain stage yet. She thinks she was probably just uncomfortable more than in any pain. The vet also suggested some carpet runners for the house along the dog's usual pathways since we have flooring and no carpet. I also asked about walking her and was told absolutely.

So Sammy and I started walking. First just up one half the block (we live dead center) and then up and down both ends. This week, we graduated to actually going around the block. Between that and the carpet runners, Sammy's doing so much better, so I'm very relieved. So far, we've walked every day for probably two and a half weeks. Another week and it should officially be a habit. :)

I haven't talked about Sonshine too much of late, so let me just say he cracks me up. The other night he had a sweet tooth and I told him to get a bowl of cereal. And he said 'damn skippy' as an affirmative response. It's a funny little phrase and he likes to say it and I like to listen to him and watch him when he does 'cause he gets such a kick out of it.

So that's me playing catch up...

So my dog, Sammy, likes to bark in the middle of the night. Not just straight-up bark-bark-bark-bark. But a single fairly non-starting low-level woof.

That's what I heard this morning at about 4:50am. Ugh.

But now I'm awake. But I'm cozy and it's chilly beyond the covers, so I ignore it and hope like heck she doesn't do it again.

Does it ever work? Rarely.

Upon the second bark, I haul myself out of bed and to the living room and find her still laying on her dog bed, facing the vertical blinds on the front window. But she's heard me and looks up. I admonish her to hush and shuffle back to my room, chug some water because my stomach has woken up too and sneak back under the covers.

I get comfy and warm, and just as I think I've dodged a bullet. Bark.


Ugh. So I drag myself out of bed yet again but detour to the bathroom. But I'm on the far side of the house and her hearing's going, so when I'm done, I decide to try for more sleep. But just as I lift the covers...another bark.

Well, there's no ignoring her because I'd rather get up than risk a puddle or worse. Plus, I really was hungry. And at least it was five am rather than one or two or three. Up again, and this time she's sitting in the middle of the room, but she's stuck because her back leg is acting up and it doesn't always work properly. I help her to her feet and we head for the back door and I start cooking.

Are there pet behaviors you can't ignore even though the chances are good it means nothing but the alternatives are enough to spur you into action every time?

That control I talked about Monday? Not 100% yet.

Unfortunately, life decided to whack me upside the head and we took our dog, Honey, in and had her put to sleep Monday afternoon.



The shine was gone from her eyes, meaning the pain meds were no longer doing their job. Between the arthritis and the mouth cancer, she could hardly get to her feet, she'd lost her appetite, and eating was difficult with the huge tumor growing on her jaw. Plus she was snappy at everyone for no reason, except for the pain. So it was finally time to say goodbye.

DD opted not to go, but the rest of us went and were gathered around our dog as the vet administered the meds. It was low-key and respectful. We were allowed to stay as long as we needed, though we didn't stay long. I wish I gotten one last picture, of her after, looking peaceful, but I didn't think about it at the time.

Tears come and go. (Right now, as I'm writing, they're falling.) But it was time. I know it was. And yet I feel like I should have taken more time to make the decision. We had time, we took it, and yet there was no more time. She needed to be set free. So we did.

But all this talk about Honey, we've forgotten Sam.


Sam is just now realizing that her sister, playmate, and pal for the last eleven years is gone. Not that she understands all of that exactly. But she knows her life is different and that something is now missing.

We're trying to pay a bit more attention to her. My brown-eyed girl hasn't been scheduled to work and is able to take her for walks, and on days when she'll be home alone, I'll probably bring her to work.

So I'm getting up at 5am and reading my manuscript. I've at lest done that. Diet and exercise? Ppfft--not happening at the moment. Give me a few days and I'll try, try again.

Yesterday was Flag Day! By some prophetic twist of fate, I was wearing a pair of my patriotic socks--the ones that most resemble the flag. And to honor Old Glory, here she is:


Just to note, gas prices have dropped to $3.18 around here at the local mega gas station. Others stations are charging anywhere from $.01 to $.20 higher.

Yesterday, when I left for work, Fat Patches was sitting on top of my truck. I lured him down, gave him a quick scratch and took off. I think he was a bit lonely, as his people were gone. But they're back now from wherever they'd gone for the week.

Here's a bit of video of one of my dogs--everyday when I get home, I have to let them out. That's just the routine even if they've recently been out. Anyway, Sammy, our German Shepard, goes out to the same spot of grass and rolls around. It cracks me up, so I thought I'd share. A few months ago, before mowing for the season had taken place and after there'd been some rain, that spot was still flat because she goes out there and rolls around everyday.


The Twelve Days of Jen

I love Sharpies. And for my birthday, I received a brand new batch of them, along with that handy-dandy little tin container to keep them in. Now, Sharpies have all kinds of uses and you never know when you might need one. So I recommend that all women keep a Sharpie in their purse.



And since it's Friday --have a great weekend, y'all.