Delta Test

I haven't posted for a while, life gets crazy at times...but I had to share my news. Most of you know I am a dog lover and very involved with dog school and anything dog related. My Golden, Sundance, I have been working with for a while in visiting nursing homes, schools and anywhere they would allow me to come with her. Last Saturday I was in a class at the hospital for the Delta Association where they test you and your dog as a team to visit patients. This test is not easy to pass and both the dog and trainer are required to pass for a total score. This morning at 10 AM Sundance and I were tested and both passed with the highest scores achievable. I am so happy, proud, overwhelmed and excited at the prospect of bringing a smile to someones face and a distraction to their pain, if only for a short visit. Please share in our excitment and wish us Happy Tails. ~Dee :)

Where did the time go?

Nov 6 already and we are starting to get the house cleaned and ready to decorate for Christmas. I found a pink and silver tree that I decorated yesterday to add to our collection of trees. I'll take a picture and share with you all as soon as the batteries in the camera are recharged. Tammi wants professional camera equipment, I just want a digital that lasts longer then 6 months without going to pot!
I will be going to Dad's house in about an hour to set up his meds and meet the Sears delivery people. His washer broke this week and there is no way I am toting his stinky bedding back and forth in my car to my house to wash them.
Otherwise nothing else new around here. I am playing games on Facebook, lots of farming games, and chatting with Bev who I have missed more then I can say. She is in Florida now which makes me want to go back to Disney World even more. Just to have a reason to see her and Mickey Mouse. :)
More later, with pictures.

Black Bear near by.....

I just read today's newspaper and the headline had a picture of a black bear that was hit by a teenager driving his car about a mile and a half from my house. OMG! When we first moved out here to the country I had to worry about coyotes and raccoons and ground hogs coming near my dogs. I thought a fence would keep them safe from any truly dangers animals. Raccoons can climb a fence, true, but with 5 dogs chasing it I am sure it would climb back out quickly. But now I have to worry about bears climbing the 6 foot fence and no number of dogs are going to scare a bear back over the fence. Anyone have any ideas on what I can do to keep bears away from our property?

TEEN DRIVER HITS BLACK BEAR IN MARLBORO TOWNSHIP

CantonRep.com staff report
Posted Aug 20, 2009 @ 10:58 AM
Last update Aug 20, 2009 @ 02:06 PM

MARLBORO TWP. —
A 250-pound black bear died Wednesday night when it darted onto Beeson Street NE and was struck by a 17-year-old driver.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol investigated the incident that occurred around 9:54 p.m.
The agency said the driver was going east in a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am when it struck the bear. The driver was uninjured. The bear was killed and a officer of the Ohio Division of Wildlife retrieved it.
Marlboro Police Chief Ron Devies said his officers have been getting phone reports of a black bear in the area all week.
The bear, a 3- to 4-year-old male, was sighted Tuesday along Paris Avenue near Harrisburg.
Wildlife officials said there are 50 to 100 black bears in Ohio.
“Black bears are starting to repopulate the area,” Devies said.
“But we want to try and educate .There are no predatory bears. The only time they will attack people is if they feel someone is encroaching or they’re injured or protecting their cubs. They’re like Yogi the Bear. They’re vegan basically, not carnivores. But 250 pounds, that’s a lot of berries.”

Choose the Breed

Been a tough month

This year is just not going to go smoothly. Illness seems to be plaguing our family. Three weeks ago I found my dad laying in his bed, not responding, glassy eyed and scared. We think he had been laying there for at least 24 hours or more. While in the hospital the doctors did a lot of tests. First they thought he had a massive stroke. The also found a sever urinary tract infection. After 5 days they ruled out a stroke and told my sister who then told me Dad had a heart attack. Five days after that diagnosis they ruled that out also. Ten days in the hospital and all the tests showed he had an extremely bad urinary tract infection that mimicked the other illnesses. Dad is in a rehab....we dare never say the words nursing home....and he is slowly regaining his strength. Dad is 91 and all he talks about is going back home as soon as possible.

My sister is coming in next week and together we are going to talk to the social worker at the rehab and dad's nurses and therapists and get a prognosis and hopefully some direction on what will be the best for dad. Please keep us all in your prayers that the decisions we make will be the right ones.

Gerry Builds a Deck

Gerry had two weeks of vacation last month so we had lots of ideas of fun things to do in that time. Things like, clean up the yard of dog poo, spread weed kill on the front yard, get a truck load of mulch for the flower beds, put up another hand rail to the downstairs, do some spring cleaning around the house, and build a deck for his mother. Ger's Mom has a cement stoop at the back door of her house which was deteriorating and unsafe to walk on. After she got a couple estimates to remove and replace this little 4 x 4 with 3 steps that ran anywhere from $600 to $1600 Gerry said, "Hey I can put a wooden deck over top of that old stoop for a lot less then that and the deck will be a nice size, big enough for a rocking chair to view the back yard and it would only take me a couple of days." As we all know Gerry has grand ideas and no concept of time and is also one that needs a stick of dynamite under his butt to get him started.

Five days after the start of his vacation he went to his Mom's to dig the post holes. The next day to set the posts. The next three days consisted of a lot of cussing, building and tearing down what was built and breaking a couple of tools. I stopped over one day after work and he was not in a good mood, but my smiling face and quiet understanding calmed him down and we worked together quietly till the floor on the deck was finished. He gave me the nicest compliment when we got home that night. "Thank you for all the help, both physically and mentally." See why I am still married to this man? :)

Gerry took a few days off from deck building so we could enjoy a few summer movies.
**Star Trek was GREAT! Of course Gerry is a Trekkie and I am a Trekkie by marriage so we are familiar with all the old shows. This movie was so much fun and the actors really got the personality of the former stars done pat.
**Angels and Demons was also good. Tom Hanks fit this movie better in both appearance and acting then in the De Vinci Code. I was glad they didn't show the gory parts in detail like the descriptions in the book.
**Back to the Museum II, Fun movie and it was great to see all the stars from the previous movie back in the sequel. Dick VanDyke and Mickey Rooney were missing but all the other museum characters were there and Gerry really enjoyed the part Amy Adams played in her painted on aviator slacks. LOL
** UP Words can not convey the emotions this movie brought to me. I cried twice and laughed a lot and smiled throughout. It is a heart warming movie that reminds us that life has it's UPs and downs but through it all we can still live out a dream. GO SEE THIS ONE! We even did the 3D version which was fun!

Back to the deck.....Gerry is now back to work and the deck is minus steps. The first 4 days of his return to work had him getting up early and going to his Mom's house to work on the steps. By the end of those 4 days the steps were in with one hand rail. Then on Memorial day I went with Gerry again and we spent another 8 hours there doing the rest of the hand rails and the railings. The deck is finished for now. It has to dry out over the summer and then Ger's brother will put a stain on it and a wood preservative. I am constantly amazed at the things Gerry can do, even when he doesn't have a clue what he is doing. I am a proud wife. :) BTW Gerry's brother Dave is a painter by trade so we know he will do a nice job in the staining work. Take a look at the finished project.

As for what did we get done around the house you ask? Gerry did get the hand rail to the basement cut, stained and installed. The rest of the work will get done in time. :)

Florida sounds like a good idea....

As you have seen from my blog I have not posted much this year. I would like to post something wonderful or interesting or fun, but I have not had a good year so far, healthy wise, so have nothing good to post. I had pneumonia in Jan and Feb. No sooner started to feel better from that then I got a sinus infection. I felt well enough after that to make it to Church for Easter,(first time in church this year) but I was still on antibodies till last Wednesday. Friday came and I started with a sore throat again and was at the doctor today where he tells me I have acute bronchitis. I guess that is better then ugly bronchitis. He gave me more meds and sent me to have another chest x-ray. So I am back on another antibiotic, the 4th this year, and codine cough syrup and an inhaler and a nose spray. Pretty soon I will be able to open my own drug mart.

So, since I have nothing fun to post, please scroll down to the bottom of this page and play with the couple games I have added to my blog. I will return with better news the next time I post. I have chicken soup cooking on the stove so I should be good as new in not time. :)

The dogs are keeping me company, curled up in bed with me and whatever book I am reading at the time. Gerry is trying to stay as far from me as possible cause I am not a nice patient when I feel like crap. Hum...maybe I will make him cook the next batch of soup. :)

See you all soon when I am feeling better. :)

Hotel Accommodations

We got a new mattress. Gerry and I have been talking about a new mattress off and on for a while now and after Grandpa got sick here and totaled the mattress he was using it gave Gerry and I another chance to look at the available sleeping offers. We looked at a Sleep by Number bed last year but after reading the message boards and visiting the store and viewing the cost our final assessment was, 'That is a lot of money for an air mattress'. At one time in our married life we tried a water bed. Look around, there are none to be had today and since we had one (for a very short time) I know why they are extinct. The one advantage of an air mattress over a water bed is when it springs a leak you wont have a river running through the house. A lot of cold air, but no river. ;)

Then we asked Gerry's back doctor what he recommended. His reply was he could not recommend anything but he had a Tempur-pedic and loved it. So, we researched that bed on the Internet. Again it is an expensive mattress and from what we read the people who owned them either loved or hated them, nothing in-between. So we went off to look at those and even though they were very comfy, the costs were staggering. So the mattress idea went on the back burner. That is till we had to go back to the stores looking for a mattress to replace the one that smelled like it was born in a sewage waste site.

OK, so should we be realistic and buy a twin semi cheap mattress or should we bite the bullet and buy a new mattress for us, then move the old king mattress to the downstairs suite, move the twin from there back upstairs to the small room and when the relatives visit rent out the suite with the king size bed to them so they don't have to bring their air mattresses. Hum....what a nice idea. Hey Tammi, the bed down there is big enough for you and Steve and all three kidders. I know that as fact since it help Gerry and I and 5 dogs for the last 5 years. LOL

You do realize you spend a third of your life in bed, yes? So now we are sleeping on a Tempur-pedic and so far so good. Gerry loves it and feels it is helping his back ache. I am still trying to decide. Ask me again in 2 months. I think I like it..but I am not one to make snap decisions.

So to my relatives and my friends that are reading this blog, let me know when you are coming to visit, we have a nice suite waiting for you at a very reasonable price. ;)

It's Winter in Ohio

It's winter in Ohio

And the gentle breezes blow

Seventy miles an hour

At twenty-five below.

Oh, how I love Ohio
When the snow's up to your butt
You take a breath of winter
And your nose gets frozen shut.

Yes, the weather here is wonderful
So I guess I'll hang around
I could never leave Ohio
I'm frozen to the freakin'' ground!

Plum Crazy

OK, I am still alive and it is February 1st. I am still dealing with this horrible virus and the non stop coughing. I had a chest x-ray last Tuesday and tomorrow afternoon I go for a cat scan. I still say I have pneumonia, but the doctor likes to do lots of test before that diagnosis is confirmed. All I know is after being house bound for two weeks, when I finally feel up to being in public I am heading to a steak house for a huge porterhouse steak, baked potato with all the extras and a salad full of crunchy croutons. I am so sick of soup I want something extra solid to chew. :)

While I have been laid up I have been reading. I'm not sure if I ever mentioned this before but my favorite author is Janet Evanovich. Her Stephanie Plum series is so funny and fun that I have read the series twice and am getting reading to read it through a third time. I NEVER reread books. So the fact I love these so much to read and read again should tell you to look for Janet's books. Start with "One for the Money" and don't miss a single book in the series. Currently there are 14 and each one gets funnier then the last. There are also a few 'Between books, the current being Plum Spooky which I just finished, that should not be missed either. Visit Janet's web site to learn more and do try a couple. I know you will be hooked like I am. :) http://www.evanovich.com/ When you visit this site, be sure to read the Character Profile page and click on "Lula's Words of Wisdom". Lula is a retired 'Ho' who is a full figured size sixteen (who crams herself into size 10 mini skirts) black woman who is always eating donuts and always dieting. She cracks me up. Oh and then there is Grandma Mazur who packs a 45 magnum and visits funeral parlors for the free cookies. Have I perked your interest yet? Please try one of these books, you wont regret it. Too Much Fun!!!

Here it is Feb 1st and I still have a few Christmas decorations up. Anyone else out there still enjoying the holiday decorations? :)

January 2009

It's been over two months since I posted and I could give a dozen excuses as to why, but I wont go into everything right now. I wont tell you about running around going crazy trying to finish the decorating and the baking. I wont tell you about having company the week before Christmas. (Wonderful company, even though it was not a happy reason for a visit.) My sister and her hubby and her youngest daughter and her hubby and their dog Scooter. Or the week of Christmas when the Mother-in-law was here. Or the first week of January when Dad had a mini stroke then came here for a few days with his dog to recover bringing with him the flu from hell. I wont go into the fact Gerry and I then caught the flu. (We only had to throw away one mattress.) Or when last weekend I was snow blowing the driveway and tripped on the edge of the cement walk and fell into the blower, twisting my ankle, bruising my shoulder and my cheek, twisting my glasses and losing a lens in 10" of snow. Then the virus that has all the hospitals full and the one I thought I got a flu shot to prevent, hit me like a tons of bricks. Finally today the fever broke and I sat down at my computer to check e-mail that has been piling up for the last month. No, I wont go into all my troubles that brought in this New Year. Nope, not gonna do it.

Time out while I blow my nose.

I wanted to share with you my favorite Christmas gift. I have this dog groomer that not only is fantastic at her job but happens to live right across the street from us. Tracy has been taking care of my dogs for the last couple of years and the dogs and I just love her. Tuesday before Christmas Gerry and I grabbed the mail on the run and he opened an envelope from Tracy. The first thing I said was, "Oh darn, I didn't send her a Christmas card!" From this envelope Gerry pulled out the following photos.

Can you believe she did these? I was ecstatic when I saw the pictures. I was showing them to everyone, even people I had never met before. People talk about how a Grand parent can go over board showing off pictures of the latest diaper filler but they have nothing on this mother of 5 dogs. This was the best Christmas gift I could have gotten. Thank you Tracy!!!

This following poem was sent to me and I think it is very fitting to post here. Please enjoy the things that make me happy. :)

If I Didn't Have Dogs...

I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety. My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated. All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair. When the doorbell rings, it wouldn't sound like a kennel.

If I Didn't Have Dogs...

When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there. I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, without taking into consideration how much space several furry bodies would need to get comfortable. I would have money.....and no guilt to go on a real vacation. I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grand kids through college.

If I Didn't Have Dogs...

The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave him/her/it ALONE. My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers. My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere. My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.

If I Didn't Have Dogs...

I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L, F-R-I-S-B-E-E, W-A-L-K, T-R-E-A-T, B-I-K-E, G-O, R-I-D-E I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside. I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog ties them down too much. I'd look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading 'mud' season.

If I Didn't Have Dogs...

I would not have to answer the question 'Why do you have so many animals?' from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get.

How EMPTY my life would be!

DOGGIES AT PLAY

A couple of videos for your enjoyment.

We had a costume party at the dog school and I was taking Winston so I got him a Mickey Mouse costume. Big Surprise! :) Here he is right after I tried it on him showing it off to his big sister Kelsey. You can see she has some reservations about the outfit. Then Cooper came in to add his two cents.

Here's Winston and Cooper playing nicely when Brewster decides he wants a piece of the action. Pun intended

Cooper seems very happy in his new home with his new furry friends but he still is afraid of Gerry and I. He follows me around and he wags his tail when I talk to him and he jumps on me to get my attention but if he thinks I am going to touch him he runs to the dog door and dashes outside. He has never shown any aggression. No growing, no biting, but he does show fear.....of us. It is so sad cause he is so cute and when you look at him you just want to pick him up and cuddle him. I am trying to gain his trust and I think it is slowly working. Baby steps. After living in a cage for all those years I know he is happier here...with new friends....freedom to play....good food....and two people who will love him when he realizes we are safe.

Here is a picture of him after he was groomed.

And one more that I thought was cute. You all know what a Mini Cooper is...a small cute car. Take a look at our Winnie-Cooper. They lay together by the door often. They might go out the door more often if Sundance would move her big butt. Notice how she sits it right in the door? What a brat. :)Sorry it has been so long since I have updated my blog but nothing exciting has happened. Other then the Presidential election and that was pretty exciting. I am looking forward to a new rule. Lets all hope a better year will be right around the corner. I am counting down the days till Jan 20.

Oh....one more thing....check out this link. I thought it was very cute.
http://www.yourchoiceforchange08.com/?d=RGlhbmFeIFNhbGxh
Please remember this name for 2012. ;)

Dee :)

UPDATE ON EVERYTHING

Update on Cooper:
Cooper is still with us, much to his chagrin. We had him neutered and his teeth cleaned on Monday and while the doctor had him under he also found he had a nasty ear infection. We have had Cooper two and a half weeks and he still wont let us touch him. This is going to be a long trust earning process. He will take food from my hand, in fact he is very food orientated and will take food from anyone…then quickly run away. He is following me but never getting too close. He likes being in the pack of dogs and follows them around the house and outside. His housebreaking is coming, slowly. Being we can’t catch him to take him outside is a real challenge. Because of his ear infection we have to put drops in his ears every day so we end up cornering him till he gives up and lets us pick him up. He has not shown any aggression, he just resigns himself to what we are going to do to him, along with peeing on us when we pick him up. All in all this situation is heartbreaking because I want to hold him and pet him and let him know he is in a good place now. I know, be patient, but that is easier said then done.

Update on Grandpa:
Grandpa had an accident last weekend with his truck. He was not injured, just shook up and scared. He was sighted for pulling out in front of an oncoming car and has to go to court this coming Thursday. We got word yesterday his truck needs more work then it is worth so they have totaled it. He told me last night he has someone looking for another truck for him already. I told him to stop that process because #1 his insurance may cancel him being this is the 3rd or 4th accident he has had within the last 4 years. Even though this is the only serious one, the others were little scrapes or a fender bump that he should never have submitted. #2 When the Judge sees him on Thursday and sees this 90 year old man who walks with a cane and slurs when he talks do to the ongoing no teeth issue, he may decide it is time to take his license away. In the mean time I will be his chauffer starting today by taking him to the dentist and then on Thursday taking him to court. Dad likes to tell me how badly I drive, in his opinion, or which way I should be going so this is going to be a lot of fun for me…NOT.

Update on me:
The test the throat doctor did on me showed Barretts Esophagus. I have another appointment on the 8th of September with another new doctor, a Gastrologist who will stick another probe down my throat to see how bad the situation is and to take a biopsy. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this getting old sucks ducks!

Update on Gerry:
He is doing great! He likes to rub that in too!
We went to two, count-em two Polish dances this summer. Gerry loves to Polka and my job was to find good dancing women to dance with him. The first dance I found three. The second dance his cousins were there and he danced all day with them. You would never know this man ever had a heart attack. :)

We both totally enjoyed watching the Olympics and recorded daily anything we could not see during our work times. We just now got caught up on all the recorded showings and already miss the excitement. I wish we didn’t have to wait so long to see more of these sports. The winter Olympics are a year and a half away and we are already counting the days. We loves the Olympics. J

Update on the upcoming presidential election:


Well that is all the news at our house for this week. I will try to update more often now that the Olympics are over. You all have a great Labor Day holiday.

A new addition, or proof that we are NUTS!

Hi family & friends,

Life is never dull at our house. Since losing Bailey Gerry had talked about adopting another rescue. I guess when you get used to having a house with 5 dogs 4 is not enough. I on the other hand was not really ready to take on the work of training another dog. Also our current kids are so good, I can leave the house without worry and never deal with clean-ups unless someone has a belly ache.

Last weekend a friend of mine gave me a link to a posting on Craig's list for a Havanese. Gerry and I have seen a couple Havanese at the school and we both thought they were beautiful. So when I saw the add posting about Havanese looking for a home I called the number. What a mess I got us into. The gal told me on the phone she had rescued these dogs from a puppy mill and was trying to find them homes. She had three Havanese, two female, one male. I was interested in the male, so Gerry and I went to see it Monday afternoon. We were in a not very nice area, not far from the pound. The steps up to the front door looked so unsafe I was afraid to climb them. The noise from inside the house boomed through the open windows. Kids.....lots of em. I thought maybe they were running a day care. When the gal came outside with this little dog that was scared to death, had never been on a leash and stunk to high heaven I was ready to turn and run. I told Gerry and the girl this dog needed some very special care and I didn't know if I was up to the task. The gal was so sad because she said after talking to me she thought I would be perfect to give this guy a chance. She said she had taken 14 dogs from this woman who wanted out of the pet breeding and was going to put the dogs down. This girl was young and thought she could help the dogs find a home. As I discovered the next day she also thought she could get some money by doing this (questionable) good deed.

Gerry and I talked very little about the dog when we left, other then Gerry saying no one would ever adopt him. The next morning we talked again with Gerry still singing the same tune. "We are his only hope". So, I gave in but I refused to bring the dog here until he was checked over by the vet. I called and made a vet appointment, then called this Nicole back and told her my plans and to have the dog bathed and ready for us to pick up at 2:30. If he checked out with the vet we would talk more then. When we picked him up he was not bathed. Nichole said he fought her so hard she could not keep him in the sink. So now we picked up a Wet/Stinky dog. He still would not let us touch him but he did ride in the back seat of my car without a problem.

Off to the vet's office. Nichole said he was 2 - 3 years old. The vet said he was 5 - 7 years old. He said his heart sounded good, lungs were clear, his bones felt in good shape. He tested for heart worm, which we will hear about that by Tuesday. The stool checked out clean. Then we had the vet give him his rabies and distemper shot. $100. later I am still not sure I want to take on this much work and especially with the dog being this age.

Back to Nichole's house we drove. I showed her the bill and discussed the age and the fear issues in the dog. Then I asked her how much she was asking for this dog. She had the nerve to tell me $300. I replied, You have got to be kidding! Nicole had a friend there and this friend said they would take $250. Nicole did tell her friend we had already put out $100 and she agreed this guy might not ever have another chance. We settled on $150 whereas she should have given him to me free if she was really looking to help these dogs. She then told me she had originally taken 14 dogs from this old breeder and had nine left. I told her since she was in the city she better find homes for them quickly cause she is not allowed to have more then 5 dogs or she is breaking the law. The other gal then told me one of the female Havanese just had puppies that morning and they were watching her close cause she was trying to eat the puppies. I looked at Gerry with terror in my eyes, what the hell had I gotten us into?

Gerry said, pay the girl, and lets try to give this fella a better life.

So now I have a new dog in our house that wont come near us. He runs if I get within 10 feet of him. I finally got him to take a chicken/liver brownie from my fingers this morning, but as soon as he took it he stepped back away to eat it. He is not house broken, although the first day he watched Kelsey going in and out the dog door and in his rush to get away from us he went through the door. He now uses it all day long. He prefers being in the house but hides in a corner. This morning was the first I awoke to not find any gifts left inside the house. I am hoping he is housebreaking himself cause Gerry and I are afraid to do or say anything that will scare him even more. If anyone has any suggestions on how we can earn his trust I would greatly appreciate them.

I guess God knows Gerry and I are easy marks. I will go off and lick my wounds now :)

Let me introduce, Cooper. And Tammi, no I did not steal your beloved Cooper's name from you. Just think of this Cooper being a sweet little cousin to your beautiful black lab. :)



It is hard to work with one when you have a pack of dogs that loves Mommy's chicken/liver brownies. But see how close he came this morning to get a bite of the treats. My kids have let him into the pack. ;)

Balloons, Balloons, Everywhere!

Most of you know that I have this thing for Hot Air Balloons. NO, I have never been up in one and have no desire to go up in one, but I love watching the beautiful colors floating in the blue sky. There is something serene and peaceful and lovely about them that has a calming effect on me. Maybe because I have been told more then once I am full of hot air that I can relate to them. (No comments from anyone please.) Anyway, every year a week before the Hall of Fame festivities we have the Balloon races. Approximately 70 balloons come from far and near to be part of this event. The love of the sport is growing, not only for spectators but for the participants themselves. The last two years has been a bit of a bust. Balloons can only fly when the weather, winds and the nearby airport cooperate so because of that last year they could not take off and the year before that they were rained out. But this year, THIS YEAR, OMG, was the BEST ever!

Saturday morning Gerry and I awoke to the 5:30 a.m. alarm and after doing the necessary getting up tasks headed to the college grounds where the first drop spot for the race begins, around 6:30. Imagine the early morning cool temperatures, the gentle fog rising, the sun slowing climbing into the sky and the rainbow colors of balloons everywhere you look against the blue sky background. Just sitting here thinking about the show we saw this weekend still amazes me and brings a feeling of tranquility to my heart and mind. Saturday was amazing but Sunday we arose again to see the second race and this had to be the best show EVER!

We took Winston with us this year and even he enjoyed the outing, sitting on our laps watching the balloons coming closer, dipping to the ground to throw their bean bag markers at the targets. Even with all the people there the quiet was formidable. We were all amazed at the beauty. Needless to say we took some great pictures that I have posted here for you all to enjoy. I invite everyone to try and make the trip here to see this event next year and we will all hope the weather is as good as it was this year. Tammi, I am not the photographer you are, but I think a couple of these turned out pretty good. I hope you can make it here someday and take some whopper photos for your old aunt. ;)

Notice how the colors are getting brighter as the sun rises higher in the sky? We could not have asked for a better day. Aren't these photos beautiful?

My Balloon loving buddies. Winston, don't look at me, look behind you! :) Gerry has a folding lounge chair but he never once dozed off. :)

I could have posted another 20 or so photos but I tried to show you the best of the lot. These were all taken on Sunday. Saturday was wonderful too, but a little more over cast and cloudy. Come visit me and I'll bore you with photos of balloons taken over the years. :)

49 As a 1930s wife, I am Average Take the test!

Hey Tammi....seems the older the woman the better the score. ;)

Rainbow Bridge

Bailey and I around 14 years ago.Rainbow Bridge
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... Author unknown...

Goodbye my beloved little baby girl....wait for me.

Another Hole in my Head

**OK, to save everyone from losing their dinner...I removed one of the pictures and shrunk the other down so you can pass it by quickly. I agree it was gross but I warned you I was going to post a tooth and I always keep my promises. ;)**

After laying in bed on Sunday night in mucho pain and wondering if I could pull this sucker out myself with a pair of pliers, I knew I could not go another day with this thing in my mouth. My dentist office called me at 8:20 AM and asked if I could be there by 9:00. We live a half hour drive from the dentist and I was still in my jammies, but I told the receptionist, "Yes, I'll be there!" I ran down the hall, woke Gerry, told him to get dressed and we were out the door and at the dentist's office by 8:59.

After Bob looked at the X-rays he gave me too choices, go back to the doctor that did the two previous root canals on it and have her do a third or YANK it. Well, here are the pictures I promised you in my last post, so YANK it they did and now I have yet another hold in my head.
The Dentist even gave me a little case to bring it home it which I happened to open today and the tooth stank so bad I threw it and the tooth in the garbage. Ewwww!!!

I have been eating soft foods since Monday but tomorrow night I am going out with the girls to have dinner. I plan on leaning to the right and chewing the pasta on the side so as not to get anything in my new hole. Sheesh!

I look at this picture and it looks like the tooth is huge. I am afraid to put my tongue anywhere near where it came out...I'm afraid the hole if gigantic. A new Grand Canyon hits town. LOL

I wonder what I could get for this on EBay?

HERE SHE IS

I really wanted to get out and take some pictures but I have been dealing with a tooth ache for the last three days and other then walking around the house moaning a lot, I've not felt like doing anything else. I hope to hear back from the dentist early tomorrow and this dang tooth that already had a root canal and a crown will once again hit my check book, this time for a YANK!

So, I looked on the web and found a couple of pictures that look just like my new wheels. I found it in Alliance at Lavery Motors. It's a 2004 Cadillac SRX, fully loaded with all the bells and whistles, all wheel drive, Northstar engine, with only 18,132 miles on it. It is a crossover but some people call it a Caddy station wagon. It is a nice combo of a luxury car with SUV hauling capabilities. It is a bit bigger then the BMW and a foot or more longer but more important it rides like a car and not like a bumpy truck. I had a friend in it the other day and she thought it felt like riding on a cloud. I gots me some cush for my tush! LOL So, take a look at these few pictures and let me know what ya think. :)

I think this will carry me and the dogs quite comfortably and still have room for Gerry. What ya think? :)

Tomorrow I'll take a picture of my extracted tooth...stay tuned. LOL

New Wheels, Yet Again

OK..the big announcement will be made today. After many discussions of what we needed we still agreed a small SUV type vechical would fit our needs more so then a car. My problem is most SUVs ride and drive like a truck or are too big for me to handle or eat lots of gas. Luxury is a must for me, especially after driving the BMW for the last 8 months. Nice car but it is more a truck then a car. So all you folks who love a BMW X3, my hats off to you, but it is not my cup of tea. So I tried driving a few other options. Keep in mind I am looking for a good used car. I truly believe I need to spend my money on the best I can afford. Since I can't afford what I like brand new, I look for an affordable used and have never gone off track yet. I end up driving a wonderful car at substantual savings. I know, I know...stop talking at tell. ;)

After test driving a few cars, including a Lincoln Aviator....(not roomy on the inside at all), a Cadillac Escalade (Wonderfuly comfortable and luxurious but 8 miles to a gal of gas wasn't gonna make the grade) and a Volvo station wagon ( just didn't like this one) I got a jist of what I was looking for in a ride. The internet is a wonderful tool for tracking down what I wanted. So here is the first picture to give you a hint of what type I bought.

Yes, I am and have always been a Cadillac Girl. After having two and driving them for about 13 years I am accustomed to the feel and I love it! Did you know I learned to drive on a Caddie? Yep, my mom also was a Caddie lover so I guess I inherited it from her. Thanks Mom.

OK, so now you know the make, which model did I choose?

I will post more photos hopefully later today...till then I will keep you all guessing as to the color...and no it was not white. :)