Something odd

Okay, I've stewed about this for a day or so and wasn't certain that I even wanted to mention it, but I find it a bit unsettling and figure that if I put it in writing I may be able to let it go.

Yesterday, or maybe it was Thursday, an old friend from high school that I've made a friend on FaceBook wrote on my wall (FaceBook term) wanting to know why I'd told her husband what was on her profile and did I want him!!!!! Well, this feels like grade school! and, putting it in writing just magnifies that feeling! Anyway, I responded that I'd not had any contact with him at all and that no, I did not want him. She responded to just forget it. Well, I don't find that enough of an answer. Something like that is not easy to forget! I mean for heaven's sake, we are both in our 60's!!!! So, I took her off of my FaceBook contacts, but now I'm worried about just how unstable she must be. So let it be said here and now that if anything unforeseen happens to me I'd suspect a girl that I was a majorette with in high school who is separated from her husband and lives in Tallahassee!

There, I got that off my chest.

Finally our weather is quite bearable! It's 69 degrees right now and I've been able to have the back door open for the animals to go in and out as they please. Nice. I had to close the door a while ago as it started raining and Jazzy loves to frolic in it. She gets so muddy and stinky when she does that!

I've been fighting a really awful cold for the past few days. Yesterday it settled in my chest. It's what I call an office cold as everyone there has one too and seem to be passing it around. Sick folks should stay home!!!!!

Global Warming?

Here I am in sunny Florida and it is 19 degrees this morning! Where's that global warming I keep hearing about? I think it's bosh and hog wash! Weather, along with everything else, is cyclical and this too shall pass.

The 2 little space heaters are valiantly trying to keep the house from freezing. They certainly are not keeping the house warm, but it's not freezing inside. I'm so bundled up that I'm unrecognizable...I surprise myself when I catch sight of me in a mirror! Knit cap, scarf, 2 pairs of socks with wool slippers and double layers of everything in between! Not a pretty sight, but warmish. The animals stay together in heaps and are doing okay. This too shall pass!

My sister had surgery yesterday. They found lesions in her bladder that they removed and sent off to pathology. I guess it'll be next week before the report comes in.

This is the start of my weekend...I look so forward to it! Nothing planned, but much I should do. The garden still needs to be turned, my work room looks like a hurricane hit it (as does the rest of the house). The only rooms that stay pretty good are the kitchen and both bathrooms. When the clutter/mess gets too oppressive I go to one of those rooms!

I wonder about Maggie, but I really no longer miss her!

Store closings around town

Went out this morning to pay some bills and do a little shopping. The Radio Shack here in town was one place you could go to pay bills. Well, imagine my surprise when I got there and found that it has closed! I knew they were seldom busy when I'd go there, but I never thought they'd close!

The owner of one of the two drug stores in town is talking about maybe having to close, too. The other drug store is CVS and they have taken so much business from this mom and pop store that's been around as long as I can remember. Plus taxes and government regulations are making it much harder for the small businesses. In this day and age you'd think it would be beneficial to have the small business...maybe not. Who am I to say? Anyway, that's where I ended up to pay my bills. If they close, where will I go?

It's cold. Cold in the house. With both space heaters going full blast it's 62 in the house. Bearable, but just barely. Of course, I'm wearing a gazillion layers and lap robes, etc. and I pile on the animals whether I'm sitting in my chair or in bed. But walking around or working in the kitchen is really shiver time! The bathroom's a challenge. I can't justify leaving the heater on in there. I turned it on about 1/2 an hour before my shower this morning and it got up to 60...it was 61 when I got out. It's amazing how fast one can dry off and dress!

Tonight's Dinner with the Ladies. There will only be 4 of us. Often we have 8 or more. We've got a broken foot, a bad back and some general babies who think it's too cold! Should still be fun.

Things are slow

As the economy spirals downward it's effecting everyone. The price of gas is once more rising, food costs have gone through the roof (though I fear this is only the beginning) and thousands and thousands of folks have lost their homes and their very livelihoods. I don't know about you, but here the grocery shelves are sparser with fewer choices and in some cases no choices at all. It's frightening to walk through a grocery store and see bare spots in areas that once were overflowing with supplies. Where is this all heading? How much worse will it get and will it get better anytime soon? Stock up people. Buy canned goods and dried beans and rice and any shelf stable items that you know you will use. Forgo the sweets (though have a bag or two of sugar in your pantry and honey) and think protein when you shop. We are really in for a rough ride and the home that's even partially ready will have an easier go of it.

Pet food is soaring in cost, too. It's hard to stock up on that. I don't know how long it'll keep. Toilet paper and other paper goods don't seem to be rising in price so rapidly yet, but from what I'm reading it may just not be available at some point. I've off set the cost of paper towels with 100% cotton flour sack dish towels. Of course they have to be washed and detergent is getting costlier. What are the answers?

Those of us on city water need to be aware that at some point it may not be available or may not be treated. I wish for a well. Of course, ground water may not be the purest thing around what with all of the agriculture run off and general pollution. Stock up on bleach.

At work we have a freeze on hiring. No layoffs, but who knows what will come? I'm barely eking by with my 15 hours of work a week (it just pays for health insurance) and under $700 a month in Social Security. I really pray I keep these hours, though I usually only actually have work for an hour or two a day. I make busy the rest of the time.

I still haven't turned the furnace on. Can't afford the propane. The space heaters make it bearable, but this week will be the true test. We'll be in the teens for several days starting tomorrow or Friday.

My friend Norma (one of my Friday night Dinner with the Ladies ladies) who is 84 or 85 years old had a freak accident on Monday and broke a bone in her foot. I think she'll be okay, but at that age a broken bone is mighty slow to heal. At least it's her foot and not her ankle. She's getting around, slowly of course, with one of those heavy boots. I'm afraid she has a long road ahead of her!

Things are sure different around here with Maggie gone. It's much calmer (she is part Jack Russel) and no more random pooping and peeing! We all miss her, Shirley and Jazzy are still looking for her, but I'm finding the sense of relief is much greater than the missing! Actually, I'm just sorry it didn't happen sooner. The bedroom carpet is ruined. I'm thinking of tearing it out and painting the plywood. But I don't have to decide today!

I got off work at noon on Monday and went to Tallahassee to see Mother. When I got there she was in the dining room! asleep in her wheel chair at the table. I woke her and wheeled her to the common area where we had a rather good visit for about an hour. She was rather snappy and bossy at first. She would make demands of me (to cover her legs or turn her chair around, etc.) in a really awful tone. Finally I started adding "please" or whatever was appropriate to her demands. She suddenly got this funny look on her face and said "I've really gotten bad haven't I?", when I said yes she thought for a minute and even though she didn't respond to my answer she totally changed her tune! Maybe it'll last. That would be nice.

Gotta get ready for work, thank God I can still say that!

Maggie's gone

Around 5:30 yesterday afternoon the young fellow who adopted Maggie came to get her. I knew it was going to be hard, but didn't realize just how hard! I put Maggie in the back yard a little after 5 so I wouldn't have to drag Jazzy into the house and paced and waited until he got here. Maggie seemed to remember him and was delighted to see him. That pleased me! He said that all the children could talk about on the cruise was getting home and getting Maggie. That also pleased me! She went with him without a fuss, though he did have to carry her as she isn't leash trained, and sat in the front seat of the car just like she knew what she was doing.

When I got back in the house both Shirley and Jazzy were inconsolable! They howled and cried and ran inside and outside and hunted Maggie. She'd been with us for close to 9 months and of course was an important factor in our little family.

I left early for Dinner with the Ladies just because I couldn't stay here. I actually had to touch up my make up before I left, crying had made a mess of it! Before I left I gave Shirley and Jazzy the toys that Santa had brought for them. I sent Maggie's with her along with some dog treats, dog wipes, pee-pee pads, a leash, a new dog chew and her favorite old dog chew. I also sent some pictures of her when she was younger and 4 pages of words and phrases she knows and important dates, etc.

When I got home the first thing Shirley and Jazzy wanted to do was go outside to look for Maggie. It was rather sad. We did have quite a bit more room in bed last night! First thing this morning they were outside once more looking for Maggie. I know this will all ease up, but right now it sure is hard on Jazzy...they were best friends, joined at the hip!

I only have one more antibiotic to take for my bladder infection and I don't think it's much better. I'll go by the doctor's office on Wednesday and let them see if it's cleared up. It's really funny, one of the women I met last Saturday at the dog trial practice also was diagnosed with a bladder infection this week and one of the Ladies also has one...what's going on? My first thought was the water supply, but each of us has a different source for water. I can't think of anything else we may have in common. The air we breath? Dinner was awful. The Ladies, as always, delightful!

I'm thinking I may not even get dressed today. Maybe there will be some good movies on tv.

I'm Back!!!!

It seems like months since my computer died, but in actuality it's a day short of a week. Funny how very important the computer is and how very out of sorts I became without it! I felt totally isolated even with a phone and tv and a car, etc. It sure is good to have it back!

I started feeling puny last week and by Monday I felt down right sick. Called my doctor's office and begged an appointment. I was fortunate that an 11:15 appointment had cancelled and they saw me then. Turns out I have a bladder infection (or as my Dr. said "Miss Jane, you sure have a bunch of nasty bugs!"). Have been on an antibiotic and an anti-spasm medication since Monday and think I'm better now, however, am still running a fever off and on.

Tomorrow is the day Maggie's new family is supposed to pick her up. I've packed a little box with her Christmas gifts, dog treats, raw hide chew, ball and a fly swatter. I've included a couple of pages with her vets name, when she was spayed and when she's due her next shots along with a list of phrases she knows. This is really going to be a good move for her. She needs to have children and be an only dog. It's not going to be so easy for me.

I went to garden circle today. We made dish gardens. Someone gave us all asparagus starts and someone else gave us succulents. It was only an hour, but it wore me out.

Tomorrow night is Dinner with the Ladies. I'm looking forward to it.

Unplugged

Thursday my computer monitor died. So Friday I went to Office Depot in Thomasville and got a new one. Took me a while to install it, but once I did everything worked perfectly. Then Saturday my computer died. I can't run get a new one, so today I brought it in to work and the fellow who works on ours here will pick it up this afternoon and see what he can do with it. Keep your fingers crossed that he can fix it! I'm so lost at home without it!

Friday night was Dinner with the Ladies.

Saturday I took Shirley to a practice for Jack Russells for a field trial they have coming up in two weeks. This was the first time Shirley or I had seen anything like this and it was great fun. Well, at least I had fun, Shirley was crated most of the time and she wasn't too crazy about that, but all of the dogs were crated and she was side by side with others. She learned to throw her head back and howl!!!!! They let Shirley race three times, but she wouldn't run unless I ran with her. Whew! Three was all I could do! Then she got to hunt the rat (yes, rat, a live one in a cage under the brush). She saw no point in that. Then we went home and collapsed!

I spent Sunday catching up on things I didn't get done on Saturday or Friday. It's nice to have clean clothes!

Friday is the day Maggie/Maxie is to go to her new family. I'm soooo looking forward to that!

Yet another party!

Last night I went to an intimate cocktail party at Edgewood Plantation. This was the first time I've been there and it was truly awe inspiring! The main drive up to the mansion has 100+ year old live oaks on either side that intertwine their canopies over the drive. This creates such a tunnel of transition that by the time you enter the huge, ornate metal gates you feel as if you're in another world. The 20' ceilings and gigantic rooms that are beautifully decorated just further the feeling of another era. Scarlett could have swept into the main room and I wouldn't have been surprised! It was a really good way to start the New Year!

Happy New Year!

Well, I made it through! Fell asleep in my chair watching the Food Network around 9 o'clock last night, woke up about 2 mins. to 12! Told the animals Happy New Year and ate some collards!

I dozed off and on in my chair until around 3 this morning and finally went to bed. The animals let me sleep until about 7!!!!

I found a recipe for cooking dried black-eyed peas in a crock pot, so I put about 1/2 a pound of dried peas, a smoked ham hock, chopped onions, Cajun seasoning and dried, chopped jalapeno peppers in the crock pot covered with water and let it sit on low until this morning. Really good! So for the New Year I have a nice pot of collards that I cooked last night, the black-eyed peas, consume rice and a pretty little steak. I bet I eat all day!

Yesterday I took a vat of potato salad to work and found out after I got there that I had been elected to cook the country ham and the baked beans also! So I spent most of the morning in the kitchen there at work. It's a much larger kitchen than this one I have at home, but my layout here is much better and so it the color! Everything was ready about 12:30 and gone by about 1:00! I really don't remember anyone saying thank you. I was told the potato salad was good. It was! Just your basic potato salad with 10 pounds of potatoes, a dozen eggs, onion, celery, sweet pickles, mayo and mustard and a little salt...it actually needed more salt, but with the salty country ham it was just right.

Cousin Patricia's visitation is scheduled for 9am Saturday and the service for 10am Saturday. I can't go. That would mean boarding the dogs Friday through Monday. If it were during the week I could have boarded them for one night only. Oh well. I sent flowers yesterday.

The day before New Years Eve

Can you believe that in less than 48 hours we'll all be saying good-bye to 2008? Is it just me, or are the years passing faster and faster? I'm sure I'll say good-bye around 9 o'clock as I'm finding it much harder to stay up much later than that. Of course, I do get up at 5ish (sometimes 4ish) every morning, but maybe once Maggie/Maxie goes to her new home I'll sleep a little later as she is usually the first one up and then they all stomp me until I get up!

I went to see Mother today. I decided not to tell her about Patricia. It would serve no purpose. Mother and Patricia were quite close and stayed in contact with each other over the years. I still haven't heard anything about the cause of death or the services.

Mother was a little more confused today than she has been lately, but then like everyone else she has good days and bad ones. When I got there she was in a group thing going on in the dining room. She was sound asleep in her wheelchair. Maybe that's why she was addled.

I just finished making potato salad for 20+ people for work tomorrow. The boss is baking a country ham and one of the other girls (ha!) is doing baked beans. That's a nice little feast to say good-bye to the old year with!

When I got home from Tallahassee the puppies had once more breached the gate between the hall and my room. They polished off two unread paperbacks, a couple of magazines, a pillow and a bag of cherry flavored cough drops. I haven't heard either of them cough since I've been home.

Patricia

Around 11 am Tuesday morning my cousin Patricia was found dead in her recliner in front of her TV. Age 55. Cause of death undetermined at this point. The family is in shock and grieving greatly. The autopsy should be complete early next week. Her two dogs and her cat were with her. Service arrangements haven't been made at this point. I am going to try to go down for the service.

I didn't find out about Patricia until last night.

Christmas at the Waukula Spring Lodge was very nice. Nancy, Bert and Nancy & Mark B. and I sat at a table set for 6. The empty place a reminder of people not there. For both Nancy B. and Bert I'm sure the spot was empty of his first wife and her mother. I don't know Mark well enough to know of his loses, but I'm sure there are some. For Nancy, I'm fairly sure the spot was empty of Daddy first, her friend Poppy and Mother and she's had other loses, too. For me, I felt the loss of families first, but most immediately the spot was empty of Mother. And, I know that was the foremost thought of each of us there.

The food was fantastic. A gazillion salads and a gazillion desserts! The buffet was awe inspiring! Turkey, fried shrimp, oyster dressing, primerib, stuffed pork chops, lamb, collards, green beans, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravies and sauces...unreal! I tried, of course, to try some of 'most everything. I failed. But, I tried! I think I'm still stuffed this morning!

Before I left Monticello yesterday, I drove through the car wash. Six dollars to drive through! But it did do a pretty good job, didn't get all of the love bugs, but cleaned her up pretty well. I didn't realize that the wall looking things on either side of the car would move back and forth, so the entire wash I sat with my foot on the break and most of the time with my eyes closed! That was the funniest feeling, it really felt like the car was moving!

Then I picked Nancy up for the trip to Waukula Springs. Usually she drives, but a week ago she fell in her shower and fractured 3 ribs and she has a horrible cold with deep chest coughing and sneezing. Both of which tear her ribs up! So, needless to say, she's in no shape to drive. However, she is a fantastic back seat driver!

The weather was quite overcast, but very warm, 77/78 degrees. I just wore a nice white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and some jeans. I mean, it is a lodge! There were people dressed in every thing from jogging suits to their Sunday best!

Christmas 2008 will go down as a most memorable Christmas in my book of history! I think history is what each of us actually experiences. Everything else is hearsay.

Happy Christmas Eve Day!

A while back RM said she's addicted to FaceBook. Well, I think I may be too! Two mornings in a row my first thought on awaking has been about harvesting my crops on MyFarm! Wow! Who woulda thunk it?

Today is a party day at work. I baked 5 dozen Heath cookies last night. If nothing else it'll be a sugar rush day!

Gotta run.

Well, the fence is enlarged...

The fence guy came yesterday and extended the fence back 25'. It sure does make a big difference, but I can see that I'd like to enlarge it even more!

He didn't take Maggie with him, but his wife and 7 yr. old son and 5 yr. old daughter did come and meet her. Maggie fell in love with them (especially the children) and they all fell in love with her. They didn't take her because one of their Christmas gifts is a Disney cruise. So, Maggie'll be here another 3 weeks and they'll pick her up on the 9th. They are very excited about this and so am I. I'm much easier about the adoption now that I've met her new family. It was love at first sight. Her name is probably going to be Maxie because that's what the daughter called her. I've been trying to use it too.

Friday night was Dinner with the Ladies and as always most enjoyable.

We have a wonderful little rain right now. It's supposed to be quite cold tonight. We've really had it cushy lately with the temps. in the high 70's daily and high 50's nightly. Sigh, I guess it had to end, but I sure am spoiled!

Just call me a party animal!

Can you believe it? Three parties in less than a week! Well, I'm not quite sure if the last 2 count. They were both in nursing homes.

Wednesday was a Christmas party in one of our local nursing homes. Our garden circle got the names of several of the patients who don't have family and we gifted them. Norma (one of my ladies night dinner friends) and I got the name of James C., we weren't given a last name. When we got to the home he was sitting away from the main party with his back to it. He seemed not to be aware of anything going on around him, but when Norma and I gave him his gifts and talked to him for a little while he began making eye contact and when we were ready to go he got tears in his eyes and said "Thank you". Sorta makes your heart burst!

Then yesterday was the Christmas party at Mother's nursing home. I got there an hour and a half early and since the weather is so warm Mother and I sat out on the porch most of the time. We had a nice visit as long as no one else was around. Mother would holler at folks that she thought were trying to interfere with our visit. When it got a little too cool for Mother we went in and sat in the common area and watched for Nancy. At one point Mother said to me "get up, get up, don't you see who that is?", I asked who and she said "Obama"! Of course he wasn't really there! The party started at 5:45 and was really festive. A group of the patients sang carols (quite nicely) and there was a ton of food...mainly sweets. Nancy got there right on time and Bert got there a little later. We were a nice little family group. Nancy and I left around 6:20 and I got home about a quarter to seven.

When I got in the puppies had filled the living room with poly fiber fill type stuff. I still haven't figured out where it came from! Then I made a pot of mushroom, chicken and noodle soup. Sure is good. Just finished a bowl for breakfast!

Tomorrow the fence guy is coming at 8 o'clock. He said he doesn't think the job will take very long. I'm so excited about this! Then, if all goes as planned, he'll take Maggie with him when he leaves!!!!! I've got a little box of her things and her gifts from Santa for him to take with him too.

Tonight is dinner with the ladies.

I went to a party!

I can't remember the last time I went to a "real" party. I did last night! It was a progressive neighborhood party and within walking distance! Generally I'm not a party person, but this was fun. I met a gazillion neighbors that I'd never set eyes on and really hit it off with a few of them...there wasn't anyone I didn't like. We started with wine and appetizers at one house and went to another for dinner and then on to dessert. It began at 5:30 and I didn't get home until 9! Imagine that!

Both yesterday and today Maggie escaped from the fenced yard. I think she's getting out by going under the house, but I've blocked up every escape hole I can find. Evidently not very well! She's a little hard to get back in and yesterday she was across the street. That's a very busy road and that's scary! I sure do hope the fence guy takes her!

No real news.

I may have found Maggie a home!

Yesterday the young fellow that put my original fence in came by to give me an estimate on enlarging the fenced area. He's going to extend it 25 feet toward the back of the yard. Now, 25' doesn't sound like much to me, but when he wheeled it off and marked it I was pleased at how much more area that will be. The dogs will have a much larger area that's grass to romp in and perhaps that'll give the area around the patio a chance to heal.

Anyway, while we were out there the dogs were watching and voicing encouragement. The fence guy said, "you only had the little dog (Shirley) when I put this fence in". So I told him the story of how Maggie came to live here and that I'd tried for months to find her a home and had given up and had her spayed and shots, etc. He asked if I was still looking for a home for her that he and his wife were talking about getting a dog!!! Well, next Saturday he's going to do the fence and when he's finished he'll take Maggie home!!!! I hope this works out. Three dogs is more than I want or need. Vet bills are awful and dry dog food has really soared in cost. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I'll miss her and worry about her, but she'll have a family with a little boy and a big fenced yard and people that want her. This is definitely for the best!

Last night was dinner with the ladies. We were all dressed in our Christmas finery and looked so spiffy. Wine and conversation flowed freely. We solved all of the world's woes. If only it could extend past our private dining room! I did find out that the Senior Center has gotten a grant to complete the building and a private citizen has completed the ball field. No help for the Humane Society yet. We all pray that is coming soon! It's important.

Wow! Was that a storm!

We had some really strong weather blow through here last night and this morning. It's still blustery and raining, but the storm's gone. The winds torn the plastic on the front porch down once more and it's to be in the 30's tonight. I'm probably not going to get it back up today. We'll see what happens.

Monday I started the arduous task of turning the garden bed. I'm using a garden fork, the shovel just didn't do a very good job. The ground is so wet after earlier rains that turning it is both easier and awfully hard. Easier because I'm not having to chisel away at adobe like soil, but harder because of the weight of it. In two days I got an area apx. 4' x 10'x 18" turned. That's a bed and that's a start. I have 5 or 6 more of the same size I want to turn in that plot. Won't be trying today, that's for certain!

Didn't go to garden club today. Just wasn't going to get out in this messy weather. Tomorrow night is dinner with the ladies. Tonight is Survivor!!!!

Last night I watched PBS-TV. I had two and a half hours of Elvis and then an hour of Roy Orbison! Talk about wonderful. I drove the dogs crazy with my singing and dancing. But, I sure did enjoy it! The Roy Orbison show was from a 1964 concert. I was amazed at the folks he had doing back up...Bruce Springsteen (very young and pretty), Elvis Costello and Rita Coolidge! There were a few more that I recognized last night, just don't remember who today.

Can you believe that Christmas is two weeks from today? I'm really not doing much this year. It's one of those belt tightening years! I'm afraid they will be like that from now on.

The City of Monticello got some kind of a beautification grant a while back and we had reached the point of use it or lose it. So they dug up parts of the road that circles the courthouse (US 19 & US 90) and are planting trees and such in the four corners. That feels so frivolous in these days of financial woes. I guess the grant was specific and couldn't be used for other things, but there are so many things that money could have been used for that are really needed. We have a ball field that needs funds for completion. Our senior center's outside walls have been covered with Tyvec for the last year or so. Our humane society is always just a gnats breath from closing, yet we plant trees. Just seems wrong, you know?

Twelve cents

Sunday morning the puppies got me up around 5 o'clock to go outside. I usually flip on the dining room light not only to see my way, but to avoid any early puppy mishaps. Well, when I turned the light on Sunday morning a little glint caught my eye on the floor of the funny room. On investigation it was a 1960 copper penny. Picked it up. Let the dogs out and the cats in and went in the kitchen to feed the cats and start the coffee pot. As I was crossing the gate from the kitchen to the funny room to let the dogs in another glint caught my eye. You guessed it, another penny (19981)! and then, a dime (1992)! Twelve cents! Not a bad haul for 5 o'clock on a Sunday morning! I have no idea how they got there as my purse never goes in there and all of my change goes into jars. It's a mystery...maybe my ghost?

Today Nancy, Bert and I had a meeting with the staff at Mother's nursing home at 1:00. Nancy and I were both a tad wary as the last staff meeting we'd had about her was at the other nursing home she was in for 2 weeks and they said they couldn't keep her there and we need to move her as soon as possible. But, today was quite different. It was very positive and they told us they actually enjoy her, that she pretty much runs the place! Her second roommate died a few weeks ago and the staff told us that when her new roommate moved in last week that Mother told her she was quite safe in that room, because she is a nurse!!!!! What a hoot! She's not a nurse, though she was quite knowledgeable about medical things before the stroke. Anyway, her medications were discussed and the feeding tube also. The head nurse said she has a request in to Mother's doctor to stop the day time feedings and only do a slow drip at night that this way Mother may start eating better with an appetite. Well duh! This has been our idea all along! Who's going to want to eat if they are never allowed to be hungry! Then the subject changed to Mother's dementia and my heart flipped a bit, because this is the first time I've heard that word used by the staff. Of course, I know she has dementia, but I guess that in my heart of hearts there was that faint hope that she could improve. She won't.

Yesterday I borrowed the boss' truck and brought home a gigantic cardboard box that has a metal framework inside. Furniture came in it. You should have seen me unloading it. I got as close to the fence as I could with the truck and finagled the box over the side of the truck and rested part of it on the fence. Then I couldn't budge it! Ended up squeezed between the truck and the fence under the box and flipped it with my head and arms on over. It's in the fenced area now covered with a tarp and weighted on top. I had the idea that it could be a dog house. Well, after I got it covered and situated I crawled in and just sat there trying to entice dogs in. Shirley finally came in and sat in my lap for a while, but the puppies were sure it was a trick and would have nothing to do with it! The cats have been in and out of it and Goodness perches and suns on the roof. So, maybe it's a cat house. It'll be interesting to see how it stands up to rain.

Galaxies and Stars

I went to see Mother yesterday. When I got there she was in the common room with several other people waiting to be taken to their rooms for their naps. She was pleased to see me and said "Oh, I'm so glad you're here, there's something I need to talk with you about". When I asked her what she said "Galaxies and Stars"! I asked what she wanted to know, but she didn't remember. I told her that they were basically the same as galaxies were mainly made up of stars and planets. That pleased her.

We're to have a hard freeze tonight and "they" say that with just a few little tweeks snow is possible Friday!!!!! Wouldn't that be great!!!!

I'm not sure just what's gotten into the puppies, but they are exceptionally bad right now. Yesterday they breached the gate between the back hall and my room and once more tore up pillows and papers. Then this morning before I left for work they shredded magazines (that were put up) all over the living room. Gotta get my fence enlarged and a dog house!

Goodness didn't come in last night, nor did he come in for breakfast this morning. When I went out to go to work he was on the back steps with a bloody ear and a bloody side. I carried him into the kitchen and left him there. I was running late because of the puppies and didn't take the time to check him out too well, but nothing looked life threatening and the bleeding had stopped.

I'll go by on my run to town this morning and check on him.